Kido? Or Kidon't?

[Ranth]

Ranth was tense. No, tense was a lesser word compared to the state of near immobile tension that Ranth was in as he waited for the woman across the table to react to his tale. It was impossible to say what he expected her to say or do, every idea he snatched at was some variation of disgust or scorn. He was mentally prepared- as much as anyone could be- for any number of terrible, soul crushing reprisals. He could survive it, he thought. He'd been through worse, he could get through the rejection of a mentor. He was prepared, or at least as prepared as he felt he could be for what he felt was the inevitable... but in the end it was the thing he expected the least, no, the thing he didn't even consider that floored him as she leaned in and embraced him.

It was an awkward, one armed embrace, but Ranth didn't care. Even the words themselves weren't important so much as the meaning behind them. She accepts me. That thought and that thought alone was the one that bubbled up from the cacophony in his head. In that moment, Ranth felt that he knew that his teacher was truly behind him 100%. She'd proven it now both in word and action and the latter of the two was of enormous consequence to Ranth, whom had been deceived with false promises and empty words before.

As Senshi stood up, Ranth hesitated for only a moment before following her lead. Her eyes were still a little red from where she'd teared up during Ranth's recount of the events that had led him here and he wasn't sure if he was supposed to say anything to comfort her. In the end though, he decided that she wasn't "properly upset", but rather that other kind of upset that sometimes overcame people when they were upset on someone elses behalf. In his very limited experience, he'd been left feeling quite foolish when he'd mistaken the latter for the former. It wasn't lost on Ranth however that her tears hadn't been out of pity, so much as something else... something akin to understanding and whilst he didn't know it in such concrete terms, he was at least aware of and appreciative of the difference between the two.

As they left the restaurant and began walking purposefully through the streets, Ranth wondered briefly where they were going and then remembered what his teacher had spoken of earlier. The forest. Sure enough, it wasn't long before they reached a fork where one path would take them back towards the training grounds whilst the other lead to the forest that bordered both the Rukongai and the Soul Society. It was a wild place where all manner of dangerous beings existed, although it was a deliberate decision to allow such a place to exist partly because the expense of manpower required to 'tame it' was immense, but also because it served a purpose. It was an excellent place for new Shinigami to cut their teeth on something akin to a real battle.

They didn't speak as they entered the forest and Ranth was content to wonder what kind of training she had in mind that it required the forest. He knew that there were 'dangers' in the forest, but he realised that within the Academy the many tales never actually said specifically what those dangers were. As they came to a halt quite some distance inside the forest, Ranth nodded as Senshi spoke of staying close and keeping his eyes peeled but felt puzzled nonetheless at what so far seemed like necessary precaution... until he felt her reiatsu begin to surge.

Ranth's eyes widened as he felt the air around them begin to hum and the ground seemed to quake as Senshi brought more power to bear than Ranth would have thought a single person could hold. His vision seemed to blur and the hairs on the backs of his neck and arms stood on end as Senshi drew her weapon and spoke the words that only someone at her level could utter. The release phrase for her shikai.

But in that moment between the final syllable being uttered and the explosion of power that followed after it... in that heartbeat, the world seemed to stand still. For Ranth, all of the pressure of Senshi's reiatsu that had been building up around him and pressing in on him like an ocean held back by a wall collapsed and for a moment, it flooded him with a kaleidoscope of colours, feelings, scents and sounds that left him feeling as though he'd been winded. He couldn't pick anything out of the collective mass, such was the degree of sensory overload, but when it stopped Ranth saw for the briefest of moments a man standing behind Senshi. A man with long red hair and a beaded necklace. Then he was gone and a torrent of wind engulfed them as Senshi's shikai revealed itself.

It went without saying that every Shinigami knew what a Shikai was, much like every human knew what a million dollars was. Similarly, very few people ever got to see a million dollars and in much the same way, only a small handful of Shinigami got to see a Shikai- much less achieve it themselves. So for Ranth, the knowledge that he was seeing something so rare, so beautiful and so powerful was awe-inspiring and he couldn't help but wonder if Inara would believe him when he told her about this later as the wind died down and he could get a good look at the Zanpakuto in its released form... and couldn't help but be a little confused to find that visually, very little had changed.

Despite all the fanfare and the undeniable surge in the spiritual pressure that Senshi now exuded, it was also undeniable that the weapon had undergone very little change. In fact, it had become less impressive in its appearance proportional to the increase in her aura. But in all of the excitement of witnessing her Shikai, Ranth had forgotten something... something that now crawled back into his awareness... something that Senshi had said... I'm going to get you a hollow to train on. No, surely not. Surely she didn't actually mean... But Ranth's train of thought was derailed as Senshi gave her Zanpakuto a command and it split cleanly down the middle as though it were made not from steel but something far more malleable and... sentient?

As the weapon split itself further, Ranth felt as though he were watching some kind of creature rather than a sword as each of the 6... could he call them tendrils? Began to writhe and twist as though searching for something. Before he could ponder their nature further, a bloodcurdling scream echo'd through the forest and Ranth took an involuntary step backwards as all of his instincts screamed at him to run. In the end, it was only Senshi's presence that stopped his body from moving on its own to do exactly that.

When Senshi explained to him that she wanted him to fight the Hollow that she'd drawn in- with about the same calm as an exam supervisor instructing someone that they wanted them to write in pen instead of pencil- Ranth's mind screamed at the impossibility of it. He couldn't fight a Hollow. He wasn't fast enough, he wasn't strong enough, he wasn't experienced enough, he wasn't... Ranth cut off his own mental tirade of inadequacies with a long, deep breath. He was terrified, there was no point in pretending he wasn't as the Hollow burst into the clearing and let out another scream.

Ranth could feel his hands trembling and he closed them into fists in a vain effort to make them stop. He could feel Senshi's power behind him and despite her assurance that she wouldn't let any harm come to him it was difficult for him not to over analyse the situation. With those razor sharp pincers and feet, all it would take was a second- maybe less- for Ranth to be run through, torn apart, decapitated... or worse. A single mistake was all it would take and everyone could make mistakes... even Vice Captains.

He swallowed heavily as the Hollow turned its eyes upon him and he could recognise the precise moment that it realised what Ranth already knew. He was afraid. He was weak. He was prey. It was all he could do to register the words Senshi was speaking- still so incredibly calm- about the realities of being a Shinigami. This, the Hollow that now stood before him was the reality of the path he'd chosen. He would fight things like this so that other people... people who lacked the capacity... wouldn't have to. There it was... the crux of the issue. He had the capacity to fight and to protect and that meant that whilst he still felt fear, he wasn't afforded the luxury of allowing it to stop him from doing what needed to be done.

In the end, it was her last words that served to give Ranth the last ounce of courage he needed to go through with this insane task. Her faith in him, expressed both verbally and through her actions was a powerful thing. Powerful enough to give him the strength- or stupidity- to fight a Hollow. Breathing deeply, Ranth slowly reached for the hilt of the Zanpakuto at his waist. His Zanpakuto. He didn't know its name or its power, but it was his all the same and he in the moment before hew drew it, he spoke over his shoulder to Senshi. "This will either be the bravest thing or the stupidest thing I've ever done. I just haven't decided which yet". Then he drew his blade and charged.

Adrenaline overruled fear as Ranth charged towards the Hollow. A hundred lectures from his time at the Academy repeated themselves in his head as he approached. Strike first... let your opponent make the first move... wait for help... be decisive... don't be reckless... hold the line... don't be afraid to retreat, but in the heat of the moment the theory didn't matter. Right then and right there, Ranth was operating not on theory, but on instinct. Adrenaline fuelled, heart pounding instinct.

He wasn't great with the sword, he knew that better than anyone, but he also knew that he'd spent more time training with it than he had with Kido and therefore, it was his most reliable method of winning this encounter. As for the Hollow, it seemed baffled by the fact that its prey was approaching of its own volition. Bafflement gave way to exhilaration as its prey left the side of its more dangerous companion and with a scream that was as close to glee as a Hollow could manage, it threw itself headfirst towards him, its sword-like mandibles working back and forth as it aimed to seize and devour him in one fell swoop.

But it found only empty air as Ranth dropped into a slide that took him underneath the oncoming Hollow and with all the strength he could muster from such an awkward position, he tried to drag his blade along its soft underbelly. The daring stunt worked, sort of, as the blade pierced its relatively soft flesh but only penetrated perhaps the length of his hand. Against a human, such a wound would have been severe, but against something as large as this hollow, it was little more than
a painful nuisance as Ranth regained his feet while the Hollow roared in fury and rounded on him for another attack- now with its back to Senshi, who it had all but forgotten by now.

As it reared up, Ranth got a good look at the wound he'd inflicted and was vaguely satisfied to have at least achieved that much. it was a dark line that stretched almost six feet along its underbelly and whilst it was deep enough that he could see blood welling along its length, it wasn't deep enough that it flowed- a sure sign of a flesh wound and little more. Again the Hollow lunged, but this time it stayed low to the ground, its sharpened legs digging into the ground as it scuttled towards him, mandibles clashing wildly.

With no hope of getting at the Hollow's underbelly a second time, Ranth's Zanpakuto suddenly felt rather inadequate, but he wasn't going down without a fight as he lowered his weapon and swept his left arm from right to left across his body, speaking quickly as he did so until he was pointing with his index and middle finger towards the Hollow. "Man, shaped by Divine hands, revert to the form before limbs, clutch at your own throat and be afraid. Bakudo #1, Sai!" As he cast the spell, he felt the vaguely familiar sensation of energy escaping him and then a moment later the first 6 legs of the Hollow all ceased to move as the technique took effect, whilst the legs behind continued to push its massive bulk forwards.

The immediate result of this was that the front half of the Hollow collapsed heavily whilst driven forwards by its hind legs, causing an enormous explosion of dirt and splinters as it skidded and rolled sideways into the trees surrounding the clearing. For his part, Ranth was aware enough not to gawk for too long at his handiwork as he dashed towards the thrashing Hollow as it struggled to break free of its invisible bonds. Ranth had never killed anything larger than an insect with his own too hands before, but he hardly had time to think about that now as he went not for the exposed underbelly of the beast, but instead for the head itself.

It was drilled into all Academy students from the earliest lessons on Hollows was that the surest way to kill them was to break their mask. It was both the source of their strength as well as their greatest weakness. If he could destroy the mask, then he could destroy the Hollow and with a single decisive slash, he delivered just such a blow down the dead center of its head. Ranth felt the resistance of the blow and then with a final cry, the Hollow's face began to split and then its entire body burst into reishi particles that looked almost like confetti for a moment before vanishing entirely, leaving no trace of the monster that had been trying to kill him.

All at once, the adrenaline that had been fuelling him fled him and it was all he could do to sheathe his sword before he flopped to the ground, exhausted both physically and emotionally now that the ordeal was over. He could see Senshi approaching across the clearing and he flopped down further so that he lay on the ground and began to laugh, helpless against the fits of laughter that wracked him. When Senshi came into view, he was finally able to control himself enough to speak between gasps of breath. "I think I've decided... that was definitely... the stupidest thing... without a doubt... that I've ever done"

[Senshi Odayakama (Crimson.)]

There was no room for pity in Senshi’s eyes and there was no need for it. There was only the desire to improve and move on. She swallowed her demons and kept them deep inside of her. Though her heart did leap for Ranth and understanding. She had a sense of empathy...a strong sense of empathy indeed considering she’s been in a lot of different kinds of slumps and pains. For now though, Ranth followed her for the next bit of training, calling forth a REAL opponent for him to face. While the Hollows in Soul Society were generally weaker due to properly “controlling” or maintaining the population of them, they were at least a bit more competent and offered experience Senshi would not be able to give him. She released.

Ranth seemed to look awed at the transformation of her blade but took a double back when he saw that her blade looked unimpressive compared to most others. It was true and in fact, she got that a lot. However, looks could be deceiving. With the split, the blade divided itself and then brought forth a Hollow to fight for Ranth, one that she encouraged him to go against. He looked terrified, but that was to be expected from a new recruit facing against an enemy that one normally wouldn’t expect. Especially considering he was a member of the Kido Corps which rarely if ever saw any action while within the Soul Society. They were the bookworm types. That just made it all the more impressive that he was able to defeat the Hollow before him.

She had Rikujokoro prepared to defend Ranth at any moment, but as she thought, he wouldn’t need it. The corrupted soul was vanquished and faded away into the nothingness and Ranth looked exhausted, not from energy, but from the sheer fact that the adrenaline that was fueling him was running low. Smiling brightly, her eyes were closed as she tilted her head. “Gomena Ranth, but there’s more bound to be running.” The Kuroi invasion did increase Hollow numbers, and what with efforts to fill ranks so quickly, she doubted that the newbies were the ones cleaning the thread out. As if predicting the very nature of the Hollows themselves, she counted the consecutive howls that screamed out. Three. There were three more howls in the less dense portion of the wood, drawn by her Shikai.

“Shonin Joka.” Suddenly, he’d feel the very ground shake around him as rapid winds began to blow against the forestry as Shonin Joka radiated an energy that was absurd, above even most Captain’s Bankai in that state. Shonin Joka pulsed, radiated, swallowed her reiatsu as within a moment, three Hollows burst from the trees, running towards her recklessly. This rich scent was too tantalizing for any mindless Hollow to resist. Shonin Joka in comparison to a number representing its strength was a whopping 2100 offensive stat. In this state, she could cut through almost anything. All at once the Hollows leaped at her, but then Shonin Joka acted. Folding inward, stabbing into the ground, it created a bird cage like structure around its wielder, easily taking the blows in tandem.

They tackled, wrestled, screamed, attacked like dogs at the barrier, but it was of no use to them. Slash and pierce. Shonin Joka served inward, stabbing through the arms of these beasts, slamming all three of the creatures into the ground. “Why, good job Shonin Joka. I’m...feeling a little tired. Let’s get to work shall we?” Holding the handle tightly, she’d feel energy funneling into her, refilling her with a good amount of reiatsu, immediately the Hollows looking drained, tired, and losing bite as they were being sapped of strength at alarming speeds. He’d see her glow for just a moment and if he had energy sensory, he would have perhaps seen her reserves refilling. “Shatter.” Five of those blades broke off, leaving her with just one, the original and it seemed to be back in normal state.

With three of the things restrained in a moment, she slowly walked over to Ranth, the unseated officer, the man who seemed that he had some unknown aspiration with an even greater enigma of how he was going to complete it. Stabbing Shonin Joka into the ground for a moment with a chink sound, the ground nearly split from it’s sharpness. “You’ve done well Ranth for your first encounter, so I was thinking that I ought to reward you by teaching you a Kido that’s in the double digits. That is, if you think you’re ready to handle it.” She awaited a response from him, but she could tell that he would be surprised and likely be grateful for it. Shonin Joka’s fragments within them still glowed, sucking the precious spiritual energy out of them, and Senshi continued to glow as she was funneled it from the blade’s extension. “Let me show you a staple within the Shinigami corps.”

“Ye lord. Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man. Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on...to the south.” She held back a bit, to show him again. Forming a red orb, slowly at first, showing him the concept, it was simply her growing and expanding a ball of red reiatsu in her hand, steadily growing until she willed it to stop. “Hado no Sanju Ichi: Shakkaho.” It was about the size of someone’s head, what an average Shakkaho should look like in comparison to her maximum power ones which were nearly the size of a small boulder. Admiring it for a moment, she aimed her hand out at a hollow, showing her stabilization. She’d let him have a good look, analyzing it while he could.

Swish. It fired off and slammed straight into one of the captured Hollows, instantly did the thing die from the force that was exerted. It exploded in a small expanse of flame before black particles faded. “A more intermediate level of Hado, and one I’m rather familiar with. Assuming you want to stay an unseated officer all your life, this would be likely all you’d ever need to stay out of trouble from most forms of Hollows.” About done showing off her skills, she felt that she ought to really, really, really teach Ranth more and as fast as possible. She could see him another day of course, but she had other things in mind. Besides, Ranth was trying his best and he seemed to be doing pretty well. Though after this, they’d need to separate, at least until tomorrow. Speaking of which, she ought to let him know.

“For the next month, I will be apprenticing you Ranth. I’ll come every day and help you hone Kido until I see that they’ve developed to a level that I find acceptable.” Leaning back against a tree for just a moment, she sighed as she closed her eyes. 2000 reiatsu being spent all at once was quite a lot, and she could feel those Hollows down there weren’t worth much more reiatsu to fuel her. “So, let’s see what you can do. After you deal with these, I’ll be holding back my blade, and I’ll be sparring with you a bit on the sword as well, see where you’re at i-if that’s alright. I’m not the best with swords as you may have guessed, but I can help you train in that area as well surely.” She was feeling all too pleased with meeting Ranth, and it was a good way for her to stretch her legs after having them quite literally broken and shattered. It was good to be leaving a slight impression on the new generation so to speak.

Though, it occured she ought to give him some pointers now. Stepping closer, she seemed hesitant for a moment, but slowly grasped his arm, held it straight out, fingers together. His opposite arm would be raised to support it at the elbow. “Shakkaho is a Hado with a lot of bite for most people, and the arms when straight offer best precision as well as less recoil. You want the fingers together because the energy should come directly from the palm. When fingers are spread out it causes stray energy to cause some burns. As for the energy, make sure to think of it as...a sort of bundling layer. Imagine stacking a layer of reiatsu over and over to give the ball formation as opposed to thinking...putting cream in a pastry puff? That’s a surefire way to prevent yourself from receiving explosive force. Take your time…” Words after words, and she’d pull back, let him get on with it, and she’d rest, feeling exhausted after using Shonin Joka again like that in so long. Geeze.

[Ranth]

In the stories that all children knew- the ones with valiant heroes and epic quests- there was a universal unspoken understanding that after the final fight was done, the hero earned a rest. He'd sit down, able to rest easy in the knowledge that the one and only source of evil and strife in the world had been erased and only happiness, love, sunshine and rainbows would exist from then on. He certainly wouldn't be attacked by anything else, that would be unfair and... well... far too realistic for a children's story.

So as Senshi appeared in Ranth's line of view- upside down from his perspective on the ground- it was all he could do not to groan as she cheerily informed him that there were more Hollow on the way. For a moment, he was absolutely certain that she was going to tell him to fight these Hollow too, but thankfully it turned out that his turn was done and Senshi was going to be the one to take on the newcomers whilst instructing Ranth to retreat to a safe distance. An order Ranth was only too happy to comply with as he picked himself up and hurriedly moved away from the direction that the Hollow screams were bellowing from.

Initially, he thought he'd simply stand at the edge of the clearing and wait, but when Senshi brought the true power of her Shikai to bear, he found himself staggering and using the thick trunk of a nearby oak for support as the immense pressure of her reiatsu enveloped not just the clearing, but the entire forest itself. Sinking to his knees in awe and then flopping backwards so that he was sitting with his back against the tree, Ranth watched slack-jawed as the Hollows arrived and the fight began...

Except calling it a fight would have been disingenuous and an insult to Senshi's power. What Ranth witnessed was not a fight, but rather a one sided slaughter in which the opposing parties never truly stood a chance upon setting foot in the arena. If he'd still harboured any thoughts about Senshi's Shikai being in any way disappointing, they were now blown away as it revealed itself to be both incredibly durable, but also immensely versatile- forming a protective cage which her attackers couldn't so much as scratch.

What was a little odd though was how quickly the Hollows seemed to tire from their assault. Sure, they were mindless creatures who probably didn't have the wherewithal to pace themselves, but there was something peculiar about the way that as they began to visible slump and their efforts became lethargic, Senshi seemed to straighten and become more vibrant. Was this just a coincidence, or was there a more subtle power to her Shikai than what he'd seen so far? He thought his studies had given him a good idea of what to expect from a Shikai, but seeing one with his own eyes told him that without any shadow of a doubt... that he'd been completely ignorant and nothing he'd read had done this kind of power justice.

In the blink of an eye, it was all but over. Three Hollows remained, but they were slumped listlessly on the ground, seemingly robbed of the ability- or the energy- to so much as stand up. Even their cries were weak and barely carried across the clearing to where Ranth struggled to stand as Senshi approached him. He'd held the women in high regard already, but after what he'd just witnessed he felt as though bowing might have been more appropriate. Of course he didn't have any means of comparison for her power, but surely there weren't many that could rival what he'd just seen and felt. Surely...

"That was amazing! I had no idea that a Shikai could be so powerful. Are all the Vice Captains this strong? Are you the strongest Vice Captain?" In his awe fuelled eagerness, his usual tentativeness fell away for a moment before he blushed furiously and regained some of his composure. "Ah, yes, sorry, thank you, I'd be thrilled to learn", he said earnestly and his back straightened a little more to convey his gratitude and respect.

He was exhausted in the wake of his fight with the Hollow. Physically he'd pushed himself quite hard on top of the Kido he'd practised before and during the battle on top of the fatigue that followed any adrenaline rush, but he kept reminding himself that this was the opportunity of a lifetime and he'd have plenty of time to sleep when he'd secured a position that was afforded with more time off than he currently had. Although he'd probably just make more work for himself so he still ended up with no free time anyway...

As with the previous Kido techniques, Ranth was familiar with the incantation as Senshi said it, although he'd begun to notice that there was a rhythm... a cadence to the incantation that mere study had never conveyed and he took careful note of where Senshi paused in the incantation to draw breath so that she never sounded like she was at risk of running out of air as the incantation was spoken. He recalled feeling like he was nearly out of breath when he'd used Kido against the Hollow merely from speaking without taking a breath and he realised now how dangerous that could be in a crucial moment.

Like before, Ranth studied Senshi closely as she channelled and directed her reiatsu into a radiant sphere of red light that gathered before her flattened palm. It grew steadily until it reached the size of a large watermelon where it held steady for several seconds and then released at incredible speed with an almost melodic hum, followed by the less melodic sound of one of the incapacitated Hollow's being incinerated upon impact with the Hado. That left two Hollow's still alive- although barely- and Senshi seemed to want him to use them as target practise. But not before unveiling her long term apprenticeship plan for him, which thrilled him to the core.

"Thank you Miss Odayakama! I won't let you down!", he exclaimed brightly. Although the idea of sparring against that sword was a little ominous, no matter how much Senshi claimed that she'd hold back in sparring... But first he had to try and pull of this new Hado technique. So he took his stance and took a deep breath and forced himself to concentrate. He steadied his breathing and delved into his reserves once more, seeking that intangible pool of energy deep within him. It was smaller now, he could feel it, but he drew upon what was left and began to chant exactly as Senshi had done.

“Ye lord. Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man. Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on...to the south”. Again, the words helped to draw out the energy necessary- much more than any of his previous experiments- and give shape to the formless energy so that it began to gather in front of his outstretched hand. At that moment however, Senshi gently grasped his arm and straightened it for him whilst offering more detailed instruction on how to position his fingers and deal with the recoil.

It might have been an intimate gesture to some, but to Ranth he was a student and Senshi was his teacher and the thought never crossed his mind- though if it had he'd have no doubt blushed furiously. Besides, there was someone else who held his interest in that regard... and for a moment he wondered where she was at that moment. Was he closer to reaching her now than when they'd graduated? Shaking his head slightly, he refocused on what Senshi was saying and he nodded to indicate that he'd heard and understood. Then, when she stepped back again he let the power flow and released the attack.

Although not as impressive as Senshi's example, Ranth was gratified to see his own attempt at the technique clear the distance between himself and the leftmost of the two remaining Hollow. Unfortunately, just as Senshi had warned him, this Hado possessed more recoil than those of the single digit spells and it did in fact throw of his aim a little as the technique went high and took the Hollow in the shoulder rather than than its abdomen. The result was no less spectacular however as the technique exploded and vaporised almost a quarter of its total body mass. Moments later, the rest of the body disintegrated too as the beast expired.

As for the final Hollow, whatever mysterious force had crippled it seemed to have taken more than just its energy as it too burst into a cloud of particles before passing on, hopefully to be reborn as either a human or a citizen of the Rukongai. This was ideal in any case as it meant that the Hollow threat had been dealt with in time for the final training session of the day. Sparring with their Zanpakuto.

Turning away from the now empty clearing, Ranth looked to Senshi who was now resting against the same tree that he himself had been using for support during her earlier fight and his brow wrinkled with concern as he realised that his mentor looked tired. It stood to reason he supposed that after all she'd done that even she would have become fatigued, but it was still a sobering thought to see that using a Shikai wasn't without its drawbacks. "Are you alright?", he asked with concern.

[Senshi Odayakama (Crimson.)]

Odayakama Senshi most certainly didn’t expect all of a sudden to be barraged with praise and questions from Ranth, mostly because praise was something what was a bit of an uncommon commodity when it came to her. Though, the questions he asked made her look bewildered, as if the questions he were asking were incomprehensible in some manners. She just shook her head slowly with a light flush on her face at the flattery, or what she took as flattery. However, it was about time that they moved onto the next exercise. He got to watch her in action to an extent, but she would answer all of those questions later. “It’s not a problem Ranth." She could see the tiredness on his face, but he wouldn’t grow his reserves and stamina if he never pushed it to the limit. This would be a fine test indeed. A Hado of the double digits was more taxing, so it would be good for him to at least have one. One was all he’d need for now.

Senshi had learned the basics of Kido and had logically put together that speaking the incantation within segments was important to not lose breath immediately. However, there was another level entirely, being able to say the incantation in your mind to boost the spell power, or, if the spell was mastered, to say nothing at all. Her body was well accustomed to casting Kido wordlessly whether it be the Rikujokoro, Shakkaho, the Danku, or a variety of other subjects of Kido. There was a limitless world of power to explore with the magical world of magic, and thus, she knew many tricks and twists in order to cast them with efficiency, with maximum power, and with greatest potential for success. However, that didn’t mean fighting with the art of spells is easy. There are many hardships that he would have to realize when facing combat.

She guided him through the incantation, the straightening of his arm, and the widening of his fingers. Based on the end result of the Hollow, she would have been able to determine that if he had failed, he might have broken his arm, his fingers burnt. To have such a Kido explode at point blank was not pleasant, and unlike Ranth, she didn’t have a teacher to guide him through it. With a bit of a long and drawn out sigh, she relaxed her back to the trunk of a tree, grasping Shonin Joka and resting her blade along the floor. She took a little breather, closing her eyes and taking a drawn out breath. The next sound she heard was a familiar voice asking her if she was alright. Her blue eyes opened and greeted Ranth, and she looked a little tuckered out, though, she quickly tried to look vibrant and fresh.

She quickly stood, and since she was going to have to suppress her power, decided to go easier, pull back her strength. “Give me a moment if you don’t mind.” She could feel her reiatsu that was funneled in earlier, being returned to her as her breathing was far less exhausted, far less burdened, far easier to work with in this moment. Out of the 2000 some reiatsu used to expand and make this sword so powerful, she got around 500 back, a quarter of the amount inserted, but that was more than enough. However, her blade still radiated strength like it was nobody’s business. Shrinking her spiritual power, making it smaller, smaller, Ranth would find it perhaps a bit easier to breath, not so heavy. “I’m fine now.” She wasn’t telling a lie, she was feeling far better.

Stopping her resting, she stood, deciding to finally answer his questions and claims. “So...let’s start with some basic easy knowledge. Are all Shikai this powerful? It all depends in all honesty. Not all Shikai are the same, and in fact, they are very vast and different. Their powers and utilities are far different. However...in terms of raw power alone, Shonin Joka is the strongest physical type Shikai in all of Soul Society. I would be even willing to bet that my Shikai is stronger than any physical Bankai in terms of raw power either. Though...that isn’t all that it’s good for.” She beamed with some pride at the mention of that, and if she were speaking to him, she’d imagine he’d be cheering in the background and dancing at the boastful praise. Yet, she didn’t seem to be boasting. She was more like trying to state it as a fact. However, it was then that she’d shock him with a different claim, one that seemed far more humble and down to earth. “Now as for am I the strongest Vice Captain.”

She couldn’t keep a straight face as she chuckled, a melodious laugh that was as sweet as honey, but as smooth as milk. “Well, you see, I’m the newest, and the weakest Vice Captain in all of Soul Society.” Likely a shocker, that he was being trained amongst the weakest of the second bests in all of the Soul Society. However, she wasn’t going to lie and bullshit him. She would only tell him the truth, no matter how much he’d judge her for it. It wasn’t her job to be his rolemodel, but his teacher. In fact, she’d like it if he strived to surpass her. However, when he asked if all Vice Captains were as strong as her, she felt she sort of answered that already, but why not give him a comparison. “Well...it seems the batch of Vice Captains are indeed strong. I know of two in person that have already unlocked the secondary release state. Bankai.”

She said nothing else, but looked down to her drawn blade. Slowly, she stepped back, around six feet, brandishing her blade, looking at it, then giving it a few experimental swings. At the moment, she suppressed her blade so that it would be able to simply clash with his equally. She wasn’t the best with swords, and especially not the best at martial arts, even before this injury of hers. However, she wasn’t half bad either. “Come at me with everything, as if you intend to kill me.” Odayakama Senshi stated a bold statement, but he just saw her defeat three Hollows with relative ease. Hopefully he’d take her advice. It was for his growth, not hers. However, this brought her flashbacks to another time, a time when things were not so...complicated.

She was far younger then, around 200 years younger, and a rookie to Squad 8. Kenji Fujitora, the man that bought her the first Kido Book she ever owned with his meager salary, wished her a happy birthday, trained with her, and then his death. Yes, she was at the walls of Seireitei that day, the day that over 100 Shinigami died in almost an instant to the demon Kuroi. She barely survived that encounter, but she was willing to surrender everything, to try and stop him. She failed...horribly. Though, she lasted longer than the others, and for whatever reason, fate had dictated that she would live even if the others had died. She lived on, and it scared her forever.

Her friends had died, and she was alone for so long, but thing is, life was better. Also, she was strong, having the will to make her life ever better than what it was now. Slowly adjusting her stance, she spread her legs, a triangular formation at around triangular width, and whatever foot was extended outward was the same of which Ranth would be using. It was the stance of a martial art known as Aikido, where the motions with a weapon were the same as a body motion. It was useful for not only avoiding attacks, but delivering fierce counterstrikes. She was a mediocre practitioner, far from a master, and with one hand, she intended to never get it mastered either. She would strengthen her strong points, her Zanjutsu and her Kido casting alike. “So it begins. Hajime.” Now to wait for his assault.

She wasn’t the most confident when it came to physical fighting, but her eyes seemed to take on a new look. She was focusing on him, showing utmost respect by taking him seriously. She watched for signs of him casting Kido, so that she could show him the weaknesses and strengths of applying them in combat. She would show him the strengths of the blade. She would show him all of her experience so that he could take it and grow stronger than she would ever be. Odayakama Senshi, Fukutaicho of Squad 8 would become stronger and mold this man to be a successor, a superior, and grander than she. Those cerulean eyes shined with determination, kindness, and yet, something else deeper inside. Deep in those portals, shined the pride, not as a Shinigami, but as a person.

[Ranth]

Ranth regarded his mentor with polite scepticism when she tried to assure him that she was completely fine. He wasn't about to call her out on it or make any fuss over it, but it stood to reason that she would be tired from her exertions and the fact that she still decided to take a few minutes to rest confirmed- in Ranth's mind at least- that she was putting on a brave front, at least to some extent anyway. In the brief interlude, Ranth thought more about the trade-off between the enormous power that a Zanpakuto release brought and the exhaustion that seemed to follow.

IN thinking about that, he couldn't help but wonder about his own situation. Would he someday achieve Shikai? It wasn't exceptionally uncommon for seated officers to attain it as they climbed in seniority- certainly not when compared to the legendary status of Bankai. Yet it was meant to be in some way a reflection of the Shinigami's soul. He didn't know enough about his mentor or about the exact powers of her zanpakuto as things currently stood, but in theory... could knowledge of one lead to knowledge of the other? It made him curious, but before he could dive deeper in pursuit of that line of thinking, Senshi interrupted by answering some of the questions in his earlier outburst.

Ranth didn't know whether to feel aghast that she considered herself to be the weakest amongst the Vice Captains, or in awe that her Shikai might have been in the same league as a Bankai in terms of raw power. It certainly never crossed his mind that Senshi was in any way unfit to teach him because she wasn't the most powerful Shinigami in the Soul Society. Nor was he in any way disappointed to hear that two of the other Vice Captain's the was close to had achieved Bankai and he was mentoring under one who hadn't- as amazing as such an achievement was and surely they would be fast-tracked to promotion into Captaincy for one of the squads that were currently lacking leaders... if those in charge of such prmotions were made aware of such an achievement at least.

For some bizarre reason that Ranth had never understood, there was a few stories in the Soul Society's history of lesser ranked Shinigami achieving their releases at a prodigious age or with unparalleled speed and had gone on to hide the fact for years- or even centuries- in order to, presumably, maintain the status quo of their old lives without the burden of responsibility that such power automatically bestowed upon those who could achieve and wield it. Ultimately, it was a lot to think about, but more importantly it was of little or no relevance to Ranth for what he felt would be a very long time.

What he needed to be focused on here was his sparring match with his teacher. She seemed to have reverted her blade to its sealed form, but then again, he'd already seen that her Shikai wasn't especially easy to spot when it wasn't being actively used. All he really had to go on was that her spiritual pressure had decreased to the point that it wasn't weighing him down like it had earlier when her power had seemed to peak against the Hollow opponents.

This was meant to be another test of sorts, of not just his skill with weapons and perhaps even Kido, but how he approached a fight- particularly against an opponent that so vastly outclassed him. In any other situation, he would have had to honestly admit that he'd have run away or done anything in his power to disengage and gather reinforcements if at all possible. Obviously in this case his life wasn't in danger... but as they'd so often been told in the academy, just because it wasn't real didn't mean you should treat it that way.

Indeed, Senshi was clearly thinking the same way as she boldly told him to attack like he meant to kill her. Although... it wasn't that bold considering he was an unseated officer only a few weeks out of the academy and she was a Vice Captain who already had Shikai and might have even been on her way to achieving her Bankai for all he knew. Yet for all that, it was a chance to gain experience just so long as he treated it seriously so he could get the most out of it. So he took a deep breath and drew his own Zanpakuto.

He wasn't scared like he had been against the Hollow and his weapon was steady as he moved it into a combative stance. No, he wasn't scared, but it was still daunting to regard his mentor as an opponent, even if only in sparring. He could find no openings in her stance, although part of him knew that subconsciously he hadn't expected to find any, so even if there were small ones, he simply wasn't strong enough or confident enough to recognise them.

Letting out the breath he'd been holding, he considered his combative options that didn't involve his Zanpakuto. He could try and use Kido on her, but she'd literally only just taught him how to use all of the spells in his arsenal so there was no way he was going to be able to surprise her when she knew exactly what spells to be on guard for. It was an impossible situation, but he realised that this was one of the few times when overthinking a fight wasn't to his benefit. He had to cast aside the niggling voice in the back of his mind that told him this was a battle he'd never face in the real world and just go for it. So he did.

Without a word of preamble, Ranth stepped in and struck at Senshi with a thrust aimed directly at her stomach. One might have expected him to hesitate in attacking anyone- much less his own teacher- but rather than being afraid of hurting her and thus holding back, he simply didn't think that the possibility of landing so much as a scratch upon her existed no matter what he did and so he was able to give it his all without fear of what might happen like he would against someone closer to his level.

He chose the stab because it was, generally speaking, a psychologically difficult attack to deal with. with the point coming straight at you, the most basic instinct- or so they were taught in the Academy- was to try and step away. Once an opponent stepped away, then they set themselves up to be on the defensive both mentally and in practise as the aggressor is then able to continue pressing. He didn't know if it would work against a Vice Captain, but he didn't have time to think about that. All he knew was that his only chance of making any progress in this match was to be on the offensive. If he lost that, then he lost the fight.

If Senshi did in fact back away from his opening attack, then he would press the attack with a series of further thrusts and stabs. He expected her to parry, block and counter, but so long as he could keep her moving backwards then her options would be somewhat limited and he'd have some tiny fraction of a chance to gain some kind of advantage. If she didn't back away though... well... he'd just have to deal with that as best he could when the time came

[Senshi Odayakama (Crimson.)]

Senshi wasn’t telling him to come at her with full force because it was supposed to be a simulation of what he would be facing in a situation. She was telling him to come full force at her because he needed to push himself in order to reach the next level of power. She looked at him, her shining blue eyes focused as she held Shonin Joka in her hand. It was at the lowest power output that she could put it at, around his level of strength thanks to her suppression. In the next moments or so, she waited for him to fall into stance, getting ready to fight her. However, it seems that he wasn’t so adept at physical fighting either. She was a farcry from great at physical fighting, but she was able to identify some areas of improvement for her pupil, and she was going to point that out. She witnessed him draw his Zanpakutou, and then her eyes focused on him, his movements, his inner being as not much else mattered.

He came in for an attack that was pedestrian, a thrust. A thrust was indeed a good attack, but only when an opponent was not prepared for it. If she was him, she would be attacking from the left side where her defenses were weak, the lack of an arm guaranteed this, and would make it all the more a detriment to exploit in close quarters combat. As he thrusted towards her, leaning in and delivering the fierce jab, Senshi simply swerved to the right, and then stepped forward, her right arm extended, and with just a single fluid motion had her blade held against his throat. It was very difficult to react to recover from a thrust if an opponent purposely chose to get closer as opposed to retreat. She looked at him neutrally, blankly, and then stepped back once it was all done.

“It was an attack that left you too open. That would be one death.” She looked at Ranth, realizing that he had a lot to learn. There was only so much one should take from the academy as they only taught what could be considered the basics. However, as he experienced, a real battle was beyond the basics. It took applying what one knew, what one could do, and what one felt in order to get by. Looking to her blade, she nodded. “It’s my turn for the offense.” Assuming she were allowed to step back and gain some distance, she stood around three meters away, her weapon shifting in her hand, holding it still a bit awkwardly. However, she decided to make it clear. “Use any advantages...any that you can see. You know I have no arm, so take advantage of it.” Her sleeve at the elbow was testament to that, the rest likely a stump underneath her dragging robe.

Senshi wasted no time in beginning the second round, dashing towards him, and in that moment, once she was around four feet away, she raised Shonin Joka, seeming as if she were going to slash with an overhead swing. However, that was far from the truth, kicking the soil, the dirt straight at his face, showing him that the environment itself could be deadly, more deadly than any straightforward attack. Assuming her blinding attack had succeeded, she quickly utilized what little martial arts she could do, pivoting off of her right leg, then performing a low left sweep to send him knocking on his back. That was another example of what could happen in a battle, and hopefully he’d learn a little something from what she was telling him. One could master a hundred Kido and lose a battle simply because a mistake was crucial. Anything could be exploited, and she wanted him to know that.

Odayakama Senshi would wait for Ranth to pick himself up, brush the dirt from his face, compose himself, and then the third assault would be his. She was a warrior, a rather nervous one at times, which was ironic considering her name. However, it wasn’t if as if it mattered. She was simply instructing him, guiding him through, and she would make sure that he would be strong enough to at least defend himself, if not others from the threats that were ever present no matter what world they were in. There was endless violence, chaos, corruption, and power that was beyond them all. Senshi had tried showing him two things in this moment, the power of the environment, and then gave him the advice to exploit weaknesses. Now with this information, time to see what he would be able to come up with. She was hoping for results, for a quick head like him to get it done in record time.

So then, this time around, she would show him how she would be blocking his forms of attack, showing him how she fought and blocked, and have him adapt to it. It might be surprising, but within the next moment, she sheathed her sword, keeping it active, but yet within the sheath. He said that he was physically a better fighter than he was a spiritual one at the moment, but she had the itching feeling that this just wasn’t true. He was able to perform the Shakkaho on his first try, granted with her support, but nonetheless, he had done it. That was a feat that she couldn’t say that many Shinigami could do on their first try, and it deeply interested her. “Come at me Ranth.”

[Ranth]

Ranth's first attack had been a gamble, he knew that going in but even with expectations being set as low as they were, he was still caught by surprise with how easily and gracefully Senshi was able to weave around his weapon and bring a swift end to the first round as he found Senshi's Zanpakuto at his throat and he sheepishly lowered his weapon and raised his free hand in surrender as he acknowledged his thorough defeat. Her ability to defeat him so easily wasn't purely due to the fact that she was faster than him- although it certainly helped.

No, it was her experience as much as anything that had allowed her to make the whole sequence seem so effortless. She didn't just react to his attacks, but rather the other various signals that served as the precursor for larger movements. A muscle twitch, the direction his eyes were focused or even the way he shifted his balance. To an experienced combatant, these were as easy to read as ink on paper and if he ever wanted to compete with those people, then he'd need to not only be able to do the same, but somehow make himself more unpredictable.

Bowing his head in acknowledgement of her constructive criticism, Ranth moved back to the position he'd started at and readied himself- as best he could at least- for Senshi's turn at being on the offensive. It was a scary prospect even in training, as he felt like he was facing down something impossible, like an avalanche- albeit one that could also shoot Kido, but he knew that the fastest way to improve was to pit himself against situations and opponents that outclassed him. There was no use aspiring to be a big fish in a small pond as the saying went.

Naturally, Ranth's first instinct was to try and analyse what he knew of his mentor in order to try and gauge the nature of her first attack. Would she use Kido, or would she come at him in the same way that he'd tried to attack her? There were valid arguments for both approaches, but Ranth's gut told him that she would want to demonstrate a better way of doing what he'd just attempted. This was meant to be a learning exercise after all, so he committed himself to defending against a physical assault- for better or worse.

Naturally, Ranth's first instinct was to try and analyse what he knew of his mentor in order to try and gauge the nature of her first attack. Would she use Kido, or would she come at him in the same way that he'd tried to attack her? There were valid arguments for both approaches, but Ranth's gut told him that she would want to demonstrate a better way of doing what he'd just attempted. This was meant to be a learning exercise after all, so he committed himself to defending against a physical assault- for better or worse.

A heartbeat later, Ranth would find that his guess- for that was basically what it had been- was correct as Senshi lunged towards him. It was all he could do not to retreat due to the speed and determination that she possessed in her approach, but he steeled himself to meet her attack head on. Perhaps his larger frame would provide some kind of advantage in a clash. An advantage that would count for nothing if his own weight was driving him backwards and gave her all of the momentum.

With this thought in mind, Ranth watched her weapon closely, all of his attention focused upon that gleaming blade as it rose into the air for a downward strike. Gritting his teeth with determination, Ranth set his feet and raised his own blade with one hand on the hilt and one hand supporting the tip from behind as he readied himself for the impact... only for an explosion of dirt to his him in the face. It stung his eyes and got in his mouth, causing his defense to crumble as he spluttered and wiped at his face.

Frantically trying to clear his vision, but also being aware that he was under attack, Ranth reconsidered his earlier approach and tried to stagger backwards, only for a solid impact to his his left leg while his other leg was raised and he collapsed not unlike a tree flat on his back, almost knocking the wind from his lungs in the process. For several seconds his head spun- partly from having hit it on the ground and partly because of hos quickly he'd gone from preparing to block a sword to lying half blind on the ground.

He was embarrassed at how handily he'd been defeated and in retrospect he realised what Senshi had done in drawing his attention one way whilst attacking him from somewhere else entirely. In some respects, it was a classic technique straight out of the handbook and in others it was an underhanded, dishonourable assault depending on if you fought for sport or for survival. In Ranth's case, it was something he'd store away as a valuable learning experience and a tactic he'd gladly use to save his own skin someday.

Climbing to his feet with a groan, Ranth was finally able to clear the greater part of the dirt from his face- although he'd definitely need a proper bath later- and found Senshi had returned without a word to her starting position. Nothing else need be said, she'd taught him another lesson and it was up to him to decide what to do with it as he nodded to her by way of silent acknowledgement of that lesson as he returned to his starting place and thought about how he could put what she'd just shown him into practise.

He wasn't adept enough to compete with her using weapons and he certainly wasn't any kind of match for her with Kido. They both knew that... but perhaps that was exactly why the first seeds of a plan that were sprouting in his mind might actually work. Without any hesitation, Ranth leaped away from where Senshi stood, covering almost ten feet in that single bound. As he flew, he flicked his Zanpakuto into his left hand whilst his right hand extended forwards with his index and forefinger pointed towards Senshi.

WHilst still airborne, in that moment before a single word had been spoken, Ranth knew that Senshi knew what he was doing. "Man, shaped by Divine hands...", he didn't know if what he was planning to do would work, but it was his only chance. Senshi knew that Ranth only knew how to use three different spells and it stood to reason that binding an opponent was a sensible tactic against an enemy who could otherwise outmanoeuvre you. "...revert to the form before limbs..." he could vividly recall the feeling of dragging up the energy required to shape his reiatsu into the required form for the spell to work and how much easier the incantation made that process.

It was difficult to draw in and shape the reiatsu appropriately without the proper incantation... "clutch at your own throat and be afraid..." as the penultimate phrase of the bakudo spell left his lips, Ranth landed deftly from his leap. They'd started out nearly six feet apart, but perhaps he'd have the almost fifteen feet of distance if Sensi hadn't moved towards him in an effort to fluster his incantation. In truth, that was exactly what he wanted her to do but his concentration was already split in too many directions to worry about that now as he forced his reiatsu to take shape and at the last possible moment... he changed the posture of his hand from pointing with two fingers to flat palm facing Senshi and the final words left his lips. "Hado #31: SHakkaho!"

All at once, a brilliant burst of red light exploded from Ranth's outstretched palm and he felt an enormous wave of fatigue wash over him in the moments following his trick. He'd been forced to recite the false incantation out loud whilst gathering the reiatsu for the spell he really intended to cast and resisting the inherent effect that the spoken incantation had upon what he was trying to do. It was a mental exhausting exercise that made all of his long nights of study and memorisation within the Academy seem like a walk in the park by comparison... but he'd done it. He'd managed to cast kido without an incantation.

Of course, the spell was less powerful this way and he'd tried to compensate for that somewhat by putting more of his reiatsu into the technique, but in truth the power of the technique didn't matter at all against Senshi... the only important thing was whether or not she'd anticipated him being able to accomplish such a feat and whether the element of surprise had enabled him to land a blow.

[Senshi Odayakama (Crimson.)]

What she had figured out from this encounter was, that Ranth Amanite had a long way to go before he was going to be a strong Shinigami, but it was a start. He was slowly getting a bit of combat experience, but twas about time that she end the training for the day, that is after this sparring session was done. He backed away, and in that moment, he prepared himself to cast Kido against the Shinigami? She immediately knew the incantation, but instead of chasing after him, she stabbed her sword into the ground her hand still firmly grasped around the handle, that was until she saw the red, and she smiled cheerfully as he fired it at her. She was somewhat surprised, sure, but it wasn’t enough to make her flabbergasted. Stepping forward, she slammed her hand into the ball of energy, her eyes closed as she pivoted onto her left leg. Twisting, she took a deep breath, then swerved her arm, and bam, she shot that ball into the air, he might feel the wind blow in his face at that moment.

It was a Sho. She had repelled the Shakkaho with a Sho, the weakest Hado among all the Shinigami, and it was also because she knew every secret that Shakkaho and Sho had to offer. Her blast of force shot the thing into the air, the round red orb of red exploding in the air, a bang noise being made evident as the redheaded reaper looked to her opponent. “That was pretty dangerous Ranth. A hit from that and you’d see me as paste all over the floor.” She didn’t seem very shocked at all, considering the fact that she’s seen much more terrifying and surprising things than a Shakkaho being fired at her. Yet, there was something she had understood about Ranth now that the first day of training neared completion. It might be important for her to keep in mind, considering she’d be working with him further.

He was a novice at everything that made a Shinigami a Shinigami. Yes, book smarts was a wonderful thing, but practically, without any training or skill, those smarts got you nowhere. Knowledge of the making of a Shakkaho is not the same thing as casting it. Knowing the incantation for a Bakudo is not the same thing as using it. So, when it came to actually doing, she found that Ranth lacked. However, she’d get him there. Within that next moment, she used the Shunpo, appearing two feet away from the man, and she slowly raised her blade, turned it flat, and rested it on his shoulder, the blunt side facing his neck. “I bet you’ve been curious this whole time haven’t you Ranth?” She was referring to her Zanpakutou power, and she’d look into his eyes as she’d let him experience a taste of it, just like she had shown him her Bakudo techniques.

If one had energy sensory, they’d see Ranth’s Reiatsu flowing into her blade as if it were a battery being charged. It’d funnel into her, and then perhaps he’d understand exactly what her power was. “My Zanpakutou power...is the ability to absorb the reiatsu from other things and use it to improve itself.” It was a simple power, but that draining, it wasn’t a joke. Taking the blade off, that is assuming he’d let her rest it on him in the first place, she’d hold it straight, showing him what she meant by “improve” itself. Clenching the handle, she’d let him see it, his reiatsu fueling the sword, and he’d see it grow a few inches, three at that. This was the true nature of Shonin Joka. She imagined the drain feeling on him wasn't pleasant, but it wasn't for her either. 

“It uses it to get longer, and sharper for the most part.” That was all it was really, so simple, and was a lack of flashyness that most other Zanpakutou had. She didn’t shoot elements, she didn’t have pink blossom petals dancing around her, and she most certainly didn’t shoot explosions out all over the place. No, her blade was a more subtle type, a physical and yet spiritual Zanpakutou in all regards. This was over. There would be no more training for today. The man earned a rest, and she deserved some of that too. She must have been really out of it, because she was tired. Then again, she just recently got out of the hospital. “Well Ranth, you’ve done well. It’s time for you to go back to your barracks I think. Your training for today is complete. I’ll come get you tomorrow...around nine. So, get ready. Oh...man was this a workout.”

Wiping her head in mock exhaustion, she was actually feeling vestiges of pain. Allowing the reiatsu to funnel back into her, she felt a little bit better. "Before we go though...have any questions or something you want to say?" She's listen to him entirely, ready to hear whatever he had to ask. Sealing her sword then, she put it on her side in it's sheath. Shonin Joka was a good friend and an even better partner. She could count on him, and she was going to plan out a training regimen, mostly getting him up to speed and strength that he'd need. Afterwards, she'd figure that she'd get him a real test, the Human World. Though for now, she'd head back to the Kasumi'Oji manner of which she was temporarily staying, she bathed, ate while making his schedule, then slept. She was exhausted.

[Ranth]

Everything went as well as Ranth could have possibly hoped. The technique was cast flawlessly for his level of strength and mastery and he'd left the smallest window possible in revealing the true nature of his attack, but in the end none of that had been enough to overcome the gap between himself and his teacher. He'd almost dared to hope that perhaps he'd manage to truly surprise her. Landing an attack would have been too much to hope for, but the satisfaction of seeing her shocked would have been a terrific feeling.

Unfortunately, he simply still had a long way to go- certainly further than a single day of training would be able to take him. It was a shame, but it was also reality and Ranth knew there was no point in cursing the natural order of things. In time, thins would change. He would change, but for now he had to be content with having a concrete goal to pursue. Senshi was that goal, or rather, she served as a tangible milestone of the minimum power he'd need to reach in order to have any hope of pursuing his own goals.

All he could do was smile crookedly as Senshi stabbed her weapon into the ground and wordlessly cast Bakudo #1 to sharply change the course of his attack so that it careened skyward where it eventually exploded like a single brilliant firework. He'd lost again, making it Ranth: 0 and Senshi: 3, but he felt satisfied regardless. Winning had never been the point here, nor possibly was it even a possibility. The point was to push himself and he'd certainly done that and in the process, he'd taken steps into previously uncharted territory.

Indeed, he'd managed to acquire no less than 3 different Kido techniques and even managed to cast the most complex of the three without an incantation. These were things he wouldn't have dreamed of accomplishing when he got out of bed that morning and it ignited an unfamiliar, but pleasant feeling in his chest. Pride. He could scarcely remember the last time he'd been proud of himself or something he'd done and for once, there was nothing to diminish the feeling and so he basked in it a little as Senshi approached him in an instant.

"Somehow I doubt that, miss Odayakama", he chuckled as he felt the gentle pressure of her zanpakuto rest across his shoulder. It was a token mark of her victory and he wasn't alarmed at having a blade resting on him- even if the sharper edge hadn't been facing the other way. He trusted his teacher in the same way any student trusted his or her mentor. However, it quickly turned into another lesson of sorts, though in this case a more personal one as Senshi explained in broad terms what her Zanpakuto's power actually entailed.

As she explained the power to absorb reiatsu from others and use it to fuel either herself of the zanpakuto itself, Ranth found himself nodding slightly as what he'd seen earlier with the Hollows becoming lethargic and exhausted so quickly suddenly made sense. It also explained her rapid recovery afterwards and he couldn't help but marvel at how useful an ability like that seemed. In economic terms, he could have drawn comparisons to efficiency ratios in production versus shipping, but in simpler terms, it just meant that in a combat scenario, she could expect to commit the same resources as her opponent and get a vastly increased return, whilst simultaneously increasing their costs to achieve the same return. In a battle of attrition, it was a fearsome power indeed.

In fact as she spoke, Ranth watched as the blade glowed faintly and he felt a bizarre sensation that could only have been her demonstrating the very ability she'd just described. It was impossible to describe the alien sensation of his energy being drawn out of him, but the closest he could have managed was that he felt like he was sprinting whilst standing still. It was the same kind of exhaustion and as he watched the glowing blade, it elongated several inches and the edge narrowed fractionally to what was undoubtedly an insanely sharp degree.

Then the feeling stopped, much to his relief and she withdrew the blade, the demonstration now concluded as she dismissed him for the day. It was only now that they were due to part ways that he realised that the sun was beginning to descend towards the horizon and the light it gave off had become tinged with orange and red as shadows lengthened and light faded.
There were a great many things that Ranth could have said to her as she bade him farewell, but in the end the most appropriate thing under the circumstances came to mind quickly as she began to walk away.

Bowing deeply to her departing figure, Ranth spoke earnestly. "Thank you Miss Odayakama. For today and the next month and... well... for everything. He watched her go until she vanished amongst the trees and then with a deep exhalation as he felt the full weight of the exhaustion he'd accumulated throughout the day he began making his own way back to the Kido Corps barracks, which was in almost the opposite direction to where Senshi had gone.

By the time he reached the barracks the sun had almost completely set and he found the 5th seat, Artorius, waiting for him on the outermost veranda with a look of both relief and bafflement at seing Ranth and then taking in the filtyhy state of his appearance. He bore dozens of minor scrapes and bruises on his arms and face, whilst no single part of him was free from the dirt and mud that he'd been covered in during his fight with the Hollow and then his three rounds of sparring against Senshi. "What the hell did you do out there?", the 5th seat finally asked.

So Ranth went into detail about his day, from how he'd been taught to use Kido to how he'd fought- albeit under controlled circumstances- with a Hollow and then a Vice Captain using her Shikai. Once Ranth had bathed and changed, Artorius got him some leftovers from dinner- which Ranth had missed- and some tea and they spent over an hour as Ranth answered any questions that Artorius, no, that his friend had for him.

When Artorius finally ran out of questions, the 5th seat leaned back in his seat and let out a whistle. "You sure stumbled across the golden goose, didn't you? I don't think you appreciate how unusual it is for Shinigami of different squads to train each other- much less a Vice Captain. I doubt that I even have to tell you, but I'll say it anyway. Make the most of this opportunity" He sighed, growing wistful as he looked out the window at the three quarter moon that hung in the sky outside. "I can't say I'm too surprised though... I should have known that I wouldn't be the only one who could see it..."

Ranth cocked his head curiously at that last remark, but Artorius waved him away with a grin before he could say anything. "Never mind, just the ramblings of an overworked and underpaid officer of the most underappreciated, understaffed squad in the Soul Society", he winked and they both laughed at that. Stifling a yawn, Ranth pushed himself to his feet and stretched his stiffened limbs as he excused himself. "I'm due to start again at 9, so I'd better get some rest. Thanks for dinner, I'll let you know how day two goes tomorrow evening", he smiled and then left the room, walking down the corridor that connected the main building to the dorms where he found his room and promptly fell into bed and fell deeply asleep.

Back in the other room, Artorius lingered for several more minutes as he watched the door that his subordinate had left through, deep in thought. He'd rarely seen anyone with as much raw potential as Ranth and without even realising it, he'd begun grooming him for an officers role. He'd recognised the potential of the boy from day one. He had dedication and discipline in spades. If he could just gain some more self confidence he'd have everything he needed t rise through the ranks and maybe... just maybe, he could correct the course that the Kido Corps had gone down when the former Captain had been forced to transfer to another division. "At this rate, I'll be his subordinate", he chuckled softly to himself before extinguishing the lamp and heading to bed himself.

---

The next morning, Ranth awoke to the full toll of the previous days exertions. He ached in ways he didn't know he could ache and for almost ten minutes he just lay in bed groaning as he experimented with moving different parts of his body. He had a sizeable bruise on the back of his leg where Senshi had kicked him, whilst the rest of him was sore from... well... everything else. His joints ached when they moved, his muscles were tender to the touch and he felt like he could just roll over and fall back to sleep without any trouble at all.

Nonetheless, he eventually forced himself to sit up and look out the window and see that it was perhaps a little after seven o'clock. That gave him time to stagger from his bed to the shower where he ran it as hot as he could stand it to be in an effort to loosen up his stiffened muscles with mixed success. From there, he dressed himself in a fresh set of clothes and made his way to the mess hall. There was no way he was going through another day of training like that on an empty stomach and so he fixed himself a large meal and happily munched away.

Once he'd finished eating, he still had half an hour before the appointed meeting time so he elected to simply sit and relax. Some might have called it meditation, but to Ranth it was just time to digest his food and prepare himself mentally for the day to come. Before he knew it, it was almost time for Senshi to arrive and so he got up, cleared away his plates and made his way to the front of the barracks. It was shaping up to be a beautiful day with only a smattering of fluffy white clouds here and there in an otherwise clear blue sky and he sighed contentedly as he sat down on the veranda to wait. Life, he had to say, was good.

[Senshi Odayakama (Crimson.)]

He was a promising student with a lot of potential, even if it was of the kind that would need to be cultivated over a long period of time. Though, when she mentioned that he did well, that his Shakkaho would have likely blown her to bits, he heard him say that he doubted that deep down. “Well don’t...as you haven’t doubted anything else I’ve told you so far. You’ll do great things Ranth.” Senshi wasn’t much of a gambler, but she was willing to put a bet on him, that he’d become greater than her in time. For now though, they’d have to split ways, after she shared to him the power of her Zanpakutou. It wasn’t as if she was never going to see him again or something like that. She would see him tomorrow, as is to be expected.

They trained for a long time, something that she was glad to see, though there was one more thing. She had asked him if there were any questions, and instead, he gave her a heartfelt gratitude. Turning her head, she just smiled bright, her eyes closed with bright feeling in her heart. “Well, thank you for being my student! I’ll see you tomorrow Ranth.” Thus, she went off into the distance letting Ranth rest up, relax, and generally get off today prideful of his accomplishments. However, there would be far more than that during the next month. The training was hard, but it was what would allow him to grow as a Shinigami, for the later parts of life that weren’t going to be so easy. It was nice having Ranth around, knowing him.

The next morning, she woke up, not nearly as exhausted as the unseated officer, and she felt as if she had grown and developed into someone that needed to change, be someone that Ranth would have to really work hard to in order to surpass. The metaphorical milestone was going to get bigger, and she would press it on herself within time. There was a lot that she’s gone through, and frankly, she wouldn’t have it any other way. Ranth was her only, and as a result favorite student, so she wouldn’t let him down. The regiment was planned, and for that next month, he would grow spiritually, physically, and hopefully mentally, but not in the sense of pride, no, pride was something that got a Shinigami killed, but wisdom from what brief bits she had taught him. His skills would grow, his power would grow, and his heart would grow with her she hoped. Time would pass slowly at first, but it progressively got harder, and then, he'd find himself near the end.

[End]

[☾ Aevus | Umbra ☽]

Senshi - 1080 CTP

Ranth - 540 CTP and 270 SP