Collective Introspection

[Celes Castellanos]

Celes eagerly awaited any answer to her questions. Any indication that would prove to her that this mystery of theirs was an Inner Hollow. "I cannot say that I ever felt something taking control of her, no... but there have indeed been times in which I felt a great turmoil within her," As Shizukakune spoke of this inner turmoil, the Zanpakutou Spirit would likely be able to notice a look of relief on Celes' expression. Even her posture. She had relaxed significantly at the idea that Kimiko had not suffered any takeovers. At least to the knowledge of Kimiko and one of her companions. Regardless, she'd pay Shizakakune her full undivided attention. "I can still remember braving the storms which formed in these plains while she experienced them. Each and every one of them." As he spoke, Celes merely nodded. She'd take his word for it, but it was Yunorashi who'd carefully eye the Zanpakutou Spirit. Unlike Celes... the Spirit was far more assertive as something peeked through his words. She could not explain the feeling. It was certainly a sense of unease. For now though... she'd let it pass. 

It seems that the Zanpakutou Spirit would have more bad news for the trio. "I must admit that, like Kimiko, I am not aware of the term you have given me. As far as my memories take me, the Hollows that we have slain did not have the ability to situate themselves somewhere they should never be," The Captain muttered under her beath, cursing softly. "Damn! No luck there I suppose..." The Shinigami had to admit. It irritated her. "Nevertheless... I am inclined to believe that the being which seeks my demise may be related to such a creature." Once again, Celes bit her lip. "Conjecture... We've gotten nowhere..." The frustration would be clearly visible on her face. 

Celes was no stranger to mysteries. After all, Camila and Wynne alike kept secrets from the Captain. Yet... there was something that made this situation different. Celes was no expert on Inner Hollows. She'd be the first to admit it, but they were just being led in circles! The Captain had the benefit of being close with Camila... even after she defected. She had the misfortune of meeting an Inner Hollow and facing off with it.. err.. Albin. She knew the untold destruction that such a volatile and cruel creature could produce when allowed to roam freely. More than that... Celes suffered from the same problem! There were no resources for people like them... It seemed that not even this Zanpakutou Spirit could provide the answers they sought. For a moment, the Captain would feel distraught. She was furious. A darkness formed within her briefly that bubbled. It would be difficult to detect unless one were specifically looking for it. Before she had a chance to act on it though, the Captain felt a hand touch her shoulder. She turned her head briefly. It was Yunorashi. 

Staring at her, the Zanpakutou Spirit spoke above the sound of a whisper. "Calm Celes... Calm.." The Captain blinked momentarily and took a deep breath. The power within her began to die down. The soft pressure that emanated from her dissipated. Her cheeks flushed a little red from the embarrassment as she gently tugged her shoulder away from Yunorashi, sitting comfortably at the chabudai. She'd raise the cup of tea to her lips, sipping from it and doing her best to relax. As she turned her attention to Kimiko, it seemed that the Third Seat would share in her frustration. Seemingly taking note of both, Shizakakune turned to Celes and Yunorashi. "I suppose that you have both taken note of the shade's domain," Celes and Yunorashi both looked over at the tall treetops that stood ominously against the rising sun. Celes was wondering where he was going with this though it'd become clear soon. 

"Kimiko and I both loathe him, but he holds as many answers as I do. Perhaps speaking to him will grant you what I cannot give you." Celes blinked for a moment, surprised at the recommendation. She'd instinctively looked over at her student, who seemed to have certain feelings about the topic. Celes would not even have a chance to say anything. "... No," Celes sighed for a moment. She took yet another sip of tea, setting it down. Suddenly, the Third Seat flew into a fit of rebellion. "No, that's crazy. What makes you think he's going tell us anything? He's already pissed off at me on a daily bas-" Just as quickly as the Third Seat stated, so quickly would she stop as the Zanpakutou Spirit roared at her. "Kimiko!"

The sudden change in demeanor was enough to take both Celes and Yunorashi aback. It was akin to the serious he displayed before, but this was in full swing. Spiritual energies swirled around a little. The two had become more resilient to it and so were not as cautious as before, but they could not deny the power of intimidation that the Zanpakutou Spirit commanded. As the energies settled, the expression of Shizakakune softened a little. "Remember what I have told you so long ago." The Captain eyed Kimiko briefly. It seemed that it was enough to pacify the Third Seat. "Please, accompany her to the forest. If the shade attacks, cooperate, and he will eventually submit to your will." Celes looked at Shizakakune with an equal seriousness. She rose from her seat, bowing her head politely. "You've my word that she will return here safe and sound." A half truth once more. Celes did not know what exactly awaited them in the Forest, but she'd do her best to protect the Third Seat. After speaking, she'd offer Shizakakune a smile. 

As Yunorashi rose to her feet, she'd peer at the fellow Zanpakutou Spirit as their eyes met. Suddenly, he'd look at Celes. "May I have a conversation with the young one? It will not take long." Celes blinked, tilting her head to the side briefly. She really had no problem with Shizakakune. She could trust him. Right? "I mean... I've no objection, but it's not my decision to make." She'd look down at her partner. "Yunorashi?" The Zanpakutou Spirit looked up with big eyes and grinned. "Yeah! I don't mind!" To give them a bit of privacy, Celes tapped Kimiko's shoulder and motioned her head to the side. Assuming that she'd oblige and the two Shinigami drew away from the field, Yunorashi peered at Shizakakune with a grin. "What's on your mind? Oh... by the way. You can just call me Yunorashi. Young one isn't required..." She'd giggle briefly as she'd pay him her full attention.

[Nakajima Kimiko]

The literal darkness which boiled within Celes went unnoticed by the ones at the table who originated from this inner world, which was rather unsurprising. Despite the fact that she was noticeably powerful in her own right, Kimiko's ability to sense spiritual energy was below average and she so she was incapable of really discerning anything unusual about the Captain's aura. The same logic could be applied to Shizukakane, as he shared the expertise of the one that wielded the blade he inhabits, and so he too possessed lacking energy sensory. However, though they could not spiritually sense her anger, they could very much see that she was extremely frustrated by the elder's lacking answer. Kimiko was almost taken aback by the sight of seeing her friend lose her cheerful and sage expression once again. It reminded her of the time she lost her smile and showed her that awful stoic visage back when they were at that resort. 

Fortunately, the Captain would calm down. Yunorashi made sure of that. The younger being would remind her master of where she stood, which would quickly allow her to quieten the anger that was starting to erupt within her. The Third Seat was relieved by this development. If Celes would have exploded proper, she really was not sure of what would have happened. This was the same person who had personally taken down a dummy Hollow which resembled and behaved like a literal dragon with only but her hands. Moreover, it was the person that wrestled with those green-skinned freaks that had been created during that awful invasion, those same ones Kimiko herself could not even harm without stabbing them in the eye. If she can take those monsters down without even using her weapon, and more specifically while she was in a reasonable state of mind then there was no way to tell what she would do should she get angry.

Unfortunately, though she was glad this matter was quickly settled, what came next caused her to become frustrated instead. To be told more or less absolutely nothing about what the being in her dreams was supposed to be was one thing. It wasn't something that she enjoyed hearing in the slightest, but at the very least, there was no harm done. Well, no physical harm, that is. In comparison, to be told to go to that awful forest so as to attempt - not actually do so, but rather literally attempt - to talk to Taishokukane was just terrible. Even though the elder spirit made sure to quiet her down before she would go on a rant about the silver shade, doing so by reminding her of his hatred of weakness, it did not change her opinion of the matter. In her eyes, not wanting to go there was not a matter of weakness, but instead a matter of futility. With that said, it was either that or disappointing the elder, and frankly... she just didn't want that.

And so, begrudgingly, the Shinigami would finish her cup of tea, then raise herself from the table. She still did not look very pleased by what they were about to do, but they had no other choices to make. "Damn it..." A mutter would come out of her as she looked towards the trees in the distance. She could already imagine the reaction of the prideful being upon their arrival in his lands. He'll probably tell them about how terrible her skills are and how unprepared she is to face the threat ahead of her; after all, that was literally all he talked about whenever she was with him. Admittedly, it was once she realized this that she fully understood why Shizukakane wanted them to go there, as it did seem as though Taishokukane was the more knowledgeable of the two when it came to the matter at hand. Hell, he was the one who confirmed that thing's gender. Nevertheless, she already knew she was not going to like what was going to happen there. Not one bit. 

 

Shizukakane would remain at the table as the three women rose. He was not fond of Kimiko's attitude, but he fully understood why she felt this way, and so said nothing more than what was already said about it. There was no reason for him to develop on this matter any further: doing so is only going to discourage the Third Seat from proceeding. Instead, he would speak his request to Celes and await her answer. Naturally, he was glad to see that neither she nor Yunorashi shared any issues regarding this request. "Thank you. Once again, it will not take long," he assured once again, which caused Kimiko to stare back at him, curious. He could see that she wanted to ask him what this was supposed to be about, and for a moment, he surprisingly found himself hesitating. If it was not for Celes beckoning the Third Seat further away towards the forest, he would have perhaps said something foolish. A stroke of luck in every sense of the expression. 

He would keep his soft and welcoming smile up for as long as Celes and Kimiko could see him, and even for the first few seconds he and Yunorashi remained alone. He even kept it as the younger spirit spoke her words, causing him to jest away: "I believed someone who appears so young in both mind and body would appreciate it. Yunorashi-san, it may be, then."  His tone was just as soft as back when he first spoke to her, which made him appear just as amicable. However, this did not last, as soon, his demeanor would grow more serious. His smile would leave him yet again, his eyes would grow sharp, and he would sit in a more upright and tense position. Even the wind which surrounded them grew quieter, as though it shared the melancholy of the person who appeared to be in control of it. "Now, please... listen to what I have to say and remember it all. I fear that I will not be capable of repeating them again."

Once he believed he had Yunorashi's full attention and none of the Shinigami who had just left the nearest area, he would leave out a sigh and speak freely..

---

As the two spirits spoke, Kimiko would gaze at the forest in the distance. She was still bothered by the fact they needed to go there, unsurprisingly, though it was admittedly easier for her to get into it with Celes at her side. Between themselves and the immense trees which pierced the heavens above, there was a sizeable amount of hills and greens that would eventually stop at what appeared to be a small cliff near the trees. If they leave now, it will most likely take them a few minutes to reach that cliff, even if they do so at full speed. "I think it's gonna take us a while to get there..." she remarked as she stared upward at the trees, unconsciously trying to see if she could somehow gaze at their summit. She couldn't see them, obviously: they were just too high up. Even if the clouds happened to disappear, she will probably only be capable of seeing a blur of their summit, a literal vertical horizon. "Maybe like... fifteen minutes of just straight running... I think."

Celes wouldn't need much to guess that the decision had affected her student negatively. For one, she didn't sound particularly energetic as she spoke, which was frankly impressive given that she had no energy to speak of prior to this moment, and for two, the climate around them had changed once again. The skies above were now totally covered in clouds, preventing the sun from breaking through appropriately, and there was even a bit of rumbling here and there as though a storm was brewing. Should the Captain give it any attention, the pure white spot hovering a land of dark in the very faraway skies in the distance could still be seen, as though taunting her. It was definitely a surreal experience, though at this point, it fitted the nature of this Inner World very well.

[Celes Castellanos]

Celes smiled as Shizakakune assured her. "Thank you. Once again, it will not take long," Celes had to admit that she was not concerned about Yunorashi's discussion with Shizakakune. She had brought the Zanpakutou Spirit here to keep her safe from Yukito given that they would be all alone together, unattended while Celes joined Kimiko in her venture in the Inner World. Regardless, as she'd create some distance, she'd be left standing there, waiting for Yunorashi. After all... Shizakakune did say that it would not take along. As Yunorashi looked back and saw the Shinigami standing there, she giggled and rose to her feet. She suddenly roared loudly, carrying across the wind. "Celes. Go on ahead. I'll be here for a little bit!" 

Even as Celes heard the words quite clearly, she'd raise an eyebrow briefly. "She wants us to go ahead? I mean... I guess we can handle it.." She'd look at Kimiko and shrug, following the Third Seat as she seemed to make her towards the forest the loomed ominously in the background. Meanwhile, Yunorashi sat down near Shizakakune, taking a sip of her tea. After she did, she'd make it clear to the elderly Zanpakutou Spirit that addressing her as young was not required. It seemed that this would get a kick out of him. "I believed someone who appears so young in both mind and body would appreciate it. Yunorashi-san, it may be, then."

The young Zanpakutou Spirit simply grinned, sighing as she took another sip of the wonderfully crafted tea. "With all due respect Shizakakune... I may appear young and hell.. I may act it sometimes, but trust me when I say that I have a wit that outstrips Celes by a wide margin. I just tend to find that if I act more mature despite my appearance... people won't take me seriously." She'd grin for a moment, allowing the argument to settle. "Well anyway... what's on your mind?" She'd smile as Shizakakune spoke even as his demeanor seemed to sour. Once more, the wind picked up, causing the young Zanpakutou Spirit to look around, giggling.  "Now, please... listen to what I have to say and remember it all. I fear that I will not be capable of repeating them again." She'd blink for a moment and nod, leaning in to show that she was giving him her undivided attention.

---

As Celes walked next to Kimiko, the Captain listened to her disciple. "I think it's gonna take us a while to get there..." She'd simply nod in response, her eyes fixated on the Third Seat. For a moment, she'd have a look around to see how the Inner World refected her mood. It was as she thought. Dark clouds swirled in the sky... the sun had trouble piercing the clouds... the air had a sour taste to it. The Inner World, whose beauty the Captain admired at first, had deteriorated rapidly to the point of being nearly unrecognizable. As Kimiko spoke, Celes could feel the dispassion in her voice. "Maybe like... fifteen minutes of just straight running... I think." She'd look at Kimiko with some concern.

Sighing, she began to break into a run. During their trek through the forest, Celes kept an eye on her student. She could not believe her eyes at the time, but Kimiko was actually keeping up with her quite nicely. Even as she accelerated, she'd keep her pace. While the Third Seat did not share her affinity for physical strength, she certainly held her own in agility. After all, Celes was among the fastest Captains in all of Soul Society. As she continued, running, she'd occasionally glance over at the disciple. It seemed that this ordeal was certainly taking its toll on her. As they ran, getting closer and closer by the minute, Celes was not sure if her mood was improving.

As they hopefully approached the foot of the forest, Celes would look up, catching her breath for a moment. Her eyes would widen. "These are certainly larger than the ones in mine. Hulking trees will likely make it more dangerous..." Before they'd presumably make their way in, the Captain looked at Kimiko. Her voice would be as motherly as usual. After all... Kimiko was struggling with this. It would not be difficult for Celes to tell. After all, she had been training her for several years... nay. It had been decades. "Has it already been so long?..." Regardless, now was not a time to reminisce. Quite the opposite, Celes was her to support Kimiko in whatever way she could. 

"Wait Kimiko..." The Captain would draw closer to the Third Seat, placing her hand on her students shoulder. "I'm not gonna say that I understand. Well... I guess in some ways I dont." She'd chuckle nervously. "My Inner Hollow is cruel. He's rude and does not know the first thing about honor or compassion.." She'd sigh briefly. "But its my Inner Hollow. I expect that from him. He assaulted Yunorashi in the most callous way and it hurt. But this is your Zanpakutou Spirit. I imagine that its... even more shocking because you don't expect the behavior you described of someone whose supposed to eternally be by your side." She tapped her finger on her shoulder for a moment. "Look Kimiko... whatever you may find in there. Whatever you may face... I want you to know that you're not alone. I'm here to tackle this with you." She'd smile, trying to make her reassurances stick. "I know things are maybe not how you envisioned it, but I know that whatever you have to do to vanquish the obstacles ahead... well. I have no doubt in my mind that you will excel just as you always have." 

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Kimiko found herself lightly biting her lip as she heard Yunorashi's call. Apparently, the girl wanted them to go ahead without her. Although she did not doubt her mentor's capacities in the slightest and neither the fact that the younger spirit was eventually going to join them later on, the Third Seat somewhat believed that this was a bad call. She had a feeling Taishokukane was already going to be difficult to handle with three people at once when she thought that Yunorashi would follow them to the forest; after all, he was already difficult to handle when she was on her own, and she never seriously beat him once in a spar. At the very least, the presence of a fellow spirit would have potentially caused him to be kept on his toes. Now, the spirit would not be with them for a while. Whatever Shizukakane is discussing with her better be important, else they're going to be in trouble against the shade for no reason in the slightest.

In any case, the Shinigami would take note of the spirit's willingness to not have them wait for her, and so they would head right for the giant trees. The two went at a significant pace that was, in every meaning of the word, superhuman. For all intents and purposes, they were probably faster than any vehicle manufactured by the Humans of the Living World, and none of the two were employing the use of Shunpo or any other Hohō techniques just yet. They passed hill after hill at breakneck speed, causing the grass beneath their feet to be ripped from the momentum and flown behind them like a trail of sorts. At times, they would even pass underneath sakura trees, causing some of their petals to entangle with the blades of grass to form two curious vortexes behind the officers. From an outsider's point of view, these vortexes would perhaps be the only thing they could witness from this display of extreme agility, as a normal Human could not possibly hope to follow them properly. It was quite impressive, to say the least.

Even so, despite their impossible speed, the sheer enormity of the trees that populated the Fading Forest almost made it seem as though they were making little to no progress in their travels. For minutes on end, the trees would only but very slowly show signs of shortening distances, which would allow Celes to have a clear view of their ridiculous size. At the ten-minute mark, she would be able to realize that their trunks alone were so immense that they were several times larger than herself. From the looks of it, they might as well be as large as literal stadiums. It wouldn't be so bad if there was only one of those enormous trees amidst a collection of other trees of various sizes... but they all shared the exact same size. The monuments, though wooden, were also not brown in the slightest, but rather gray, almost as if they were not even alive. Moreover, their roots could not even be seen, as they appeared to be underground, and a thick white mist surrounded them all. These many specific attributes gave the forest an aura of ominousness and unease that seemingly could never be shaved off.

Just as the Third Seat predicted, it would be about about five minutes later that the women would finally be able to nullify the distance between where they were before and where they are now. By the time they did so, they would find themselves standing on the last bits of grass the Fields of Tranquility had to give before making way for a tunnel-like formation of beige earth. For a moment, Kimiko would stop and simply stare at this literal divide, allowing her body to briefly rest from the trek she and Celes just went through. It was the first time she had ever set foot here ever since she had unlocked what she now loathes the most amidst the powers at her disposal. "This is where I... achieved Bankai..." she remarked quietly as she stood there, immobile. She could recall everything that happened the day. The way she appeared in it and saw the two spirits overlook her from the top of each side, the conflict between the serene and violent winds within the middle of the divide, the way it parted to reveal the chaotic void created by her Bankai... It had all been a lot to take in, and it is still a lot now.

It was funny how that divide probably has always been there within her Inner World. Since it is composed of two regions which vastly differ in appearance,
the Inner World definitely needed to possess something to separate the them. For all she knows, it has probably even been there since the beginning, back when she had no idea she had the power to create another Zanpakuto. It just made sense. Despite this fact, she still felt like this divide was a bit unnatural. It was as though someone or something had deliberately drawn a line there to separate the two regions by erasing parts of both. She was not going to say that it didn't achieve what it intended to do, as both spirits apparently use this divide was a way to deliberately avoid each other's home... but in a way, it felt alien. It was a piece of the world that hadn't been erected, a part of a map that hadn't been drawn in the slightest, all so that the two regions would be forever separated.

In any case, they needed to go. It didn't do them any good to give more attention to this divide than it deserved. So, Kimiko would take a step forward so as to begin hopping down into the divide and move towards the other side into the darkened, misty forest. However, before she could do so, she would feel Celes' hand on her shoulder, which would cause her to stop and turn her head towards her friend with a tired blink. "Yeah...?" She would only ask, as though beckoning the Captain to speak. Not before long, she would do just that. She would talk about her Inner Hollow, about how she was shocked that Taishokukane acted so badly with her, and how she was sure she could do it. Basically, it was the typical encouragements to expect from a teacher. The Third Seat would gaze at her silently at first, though eventually, she would let out a sigh and try to return the smile. "Thanks, Celes... Your help means a lot," she would reply before her smile disappeared again as she looked onward. "I just hope that we'll get answers from him... That's all."       

Kimiko would then go on to proceed onward shortly after the moment would pass. She'd let herself slide down the divide before landing into it and heading towards the other cliff. The divide wasn't really big, but the sheer disparity between the serene and violent winds it contained was shocking, to say the very least about it. It would push the Shinigami around with surprising power, causing her to huff as she resisted it. Fortunately, she would not find herself blocked by them, as soon, she would reach the other side of the divide and jump upward to land on the dead gray grass. It left a sickening crunch as she landed onto it. "He shouldn't be too far away... Let's just walk forward until we find him," she told her mentor after she looked over her shoulder towards her. As she spoke, she would become more serious, tense. It looked like she was sticking to her assumption of him not being peaceful about the idea of Celes being here, unlike back when they were with Shizukakane. "Keep your guard up. He never fought me head-on, so there's no chance he's going to be honorable this time..."

The Third Seat would then walk onward, hoping that the Captain was in tow. As the both would proceed into the forest, they would distance themselves from the quiet brightness of the fields to instead head into what could only be considered as a cacophonous darkness. The tree branches above covered the sky with enormous leaves that kept shaking from the wind, causing not only a majority of the sunlight to be blocked from ever reaching the ground, but also a great noise to fill the entirety of the forest. At the very least, despite the lacking brightness, it wasn't totally dark. Far away in the distance, a red light could be seen traveling between the trees to hit the mist, causing their surroundings to appear almost scorched and blazing. Was it... the sun? It sure did look like the kind of light you would typically see during sunset. Unlike the Fields, it appeared that Kimiko's mood did not change the climate in this place, but rather the time of day.

[Celes Castellanos]

As Celes tapped Kimiko's shoulder and began to speak to her disciple, she'd pour her heart out about the situation. She had utmost faith in Kimiko and she would try to make that as clear as possible. Despite her positive attitude and encouraging words, at least in her mind they were, Kimiko's response felt... half-hearted. "Thanks, Celes... Your help means a lot," Celes could not explain it, but it felt off-putting. The situation was bringing her disciple down and it seemed as though it would be difficult to console her. "I just hope that we'll get answers from him... That's all." Celes sighed briefly and nodded. It seemed that it was time to explore this half of Kimiko's Inner World.

They'd push onward as Celes followed Kimiko. After all, this was foreign to her. She knew nothing of the landscape or whatever dangers awaited them. As they approached the divide, Celes simply looked down. The gap that split the earth before them seemed so uniform. As Kimiko began to slide down to make her way to other side, Celes kept staring at it. The gap that divided the two halves of her Inner World seemed reasonable at first, but... thinking back to her own innermost sanctum, Celes felt that this was a strange feature. Even in her own Inner World, the ground simply chars black and it is not very difficult to tell where the carnage and bloodshed began. 

Celes bit her lip as she mumbled beneath her breath. "So... this was caused by her Bankai? There's barely anything left.." As Kimiko reached the bottom and began making her way to the other side of the divide, Celes followed suit. As soon as she got into position and slid down, the winds began to change. The calm and serene winds began to harshen. Soon, as she approached ever closer to the bottom of the small ravine, the winds had begun to buffet her a little. Using her durable form to her advantage, she'd curl up slightly, allowing herself to simply roll down and protecting her body from the growing winds. Reaching the bottom did not make it any better as she was lightly tugged and tossed.

A few moments of this were enough for Celes. Using her strength, she'd dig her hands into the rock face beneath her. In essence, they'd act like climbing tools as they dug into the stone like claws. Doing this felt far from comfortable, but it would allow to climb much more effectively and kept her stable. At most she'd only dig part of her hand in to avoid any unnecessary damage to the Inner World that they were traversing. As she reached to top, she heard her student speak. "He shouldn't be too far away... Let's just walk forward until we find him," The Captain merely nodded as she sighed for a moment, catching her breath. 

Kimiko's voice would be far from playful or at ease. Quite the contrary. She'd sound tense and serious. "Keep your guard up. He never fought me head-on, so there's no chance he's going to be honorable this time..." As Kimiko began to walk, Celes quickly rose to her feet as she planted herself right beside her student. She'd take Kimiko's words to heart, placing her hand right atop the hilt of one of her two blades. This is where she'd keep her hand as they walked though Celes would give her own remark about the situation, her voice fairly neutral in tone. "Well, whoever is jumping out at us will have to deal with the combined force of the Third Seat of the Eleventh and the Captain of the Tenth..." She'd chuckle for a moment. "Between you and me... I like those odds." 

Even as Celes proclaimed confidence in their situation, there was a nagging sensation in the back of her mind. She'd take a look around, her eyes skimming for every possible detail. "These large trees certainly aren't helping my nerves. It's like how Yunorashi jumps out at me, but the pressure is quite worse since I don't know how this one will take to my presence. Plus there's also..." Celes mind returned to the crater that they had to pass. "If he's anything like Yunorashi or Yukito... he'll have access to Kimiko's abilities. More than that... He'll know how to use them effectively. I guess there is one advantage to all of this..." Celes' eyes briefly peered at Kimiko as she kept following, thinking. "Kimiko doesn't know about the change in my Zanpakutou. Perhaps that will be of use..." As her thoughts come to a close, the Captain would try to keep a sharp eye and open ears for anything that she'd detect. Even if it was just an instinct that they were about to be attacked...

---

The leaves of countless trees blew softly in the wind, largely undisturbed by the tranquil environment. No voices would be heard, at least not initially. Only one individual was currently roaming the forest of Celes' Inner World. As he emerged from the trees' shadow, his clothing would match the darkened shade of the tree. A black scarf was wrapped around the bottom of his head, covering his mouth. Piercing blue eyes scanned the environment for anything. He briefly tapped the nearby tree with his pale fingers. Each tap sent a small shockwave through the tree. The bark rumbled from the sudden pressure as the force dispersed into the ground and causing light trembles to emerge.

Finally, the man began to speak, talking to himself in a rather annoyed tone. "Huh. So they really are gone?" Once more, he'd close his eyes and listen. His sharpened senses were impressive to say the least, but he'd not pick up on anything nearby. Nothing to suggest that another soul was nearby at least. Curling his hand into a fist, he lightly hit the tree. The hit certainly still had some heft behind it as the bark splintered almost instantly. He'd groan. "Damn that Celes... Seems she's a little smarter than I gave her credit for." He'd tilt his head for a moment as he pushed forward. Soon, the Inner Hollow would reach a familiar clearing. Some of the earth had been upheaved. Rocks had been chipped. Trees splintered. He sighed for a moment. "Well.. might as well wait here and figure out what the hell I'm going to be doing..." Leaning against the tree, he patiently tapped his fingers, just trying to pass the time for now. After all, Celes and Yunorashi were long gone. The most he could do is wait and see...

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Kimiko knew that the answer she gave to Celes wasn't really anything to write home about. It had sounded deflated and discouraged, with a tired tone added to it just to make it all the worse. However, she believed to be the right answer to give to her mentor at the time. So far, this trip to her Inner World has been nothing short of uninformative, with it generating more questions than answers. In a short time, she learned about Inner Hollows and the danger they represent, about how Celes apparently had one of those Inner Hollows that even hurt Yunorashi, and how she might have one herself... and yet, the being in a dream wasn't even properly revealed as such. Even now, as information was progressively revealed to them, the reason for being of the one who remains within her dreams still remained unconfirmed. For once, she wanted something out of this that would not have come out of a fight. Unfortunately, it seemed that was just too much to ask, and it was terribly frustrating.

Frankly, given all that's happened, it was a bit of a miracle that she didn't find herself blowing up on the Captain. They have known each other now for so long that they might as well be very close friends, and yet Celes was never able to identify the problem. She never saw the symptoms, never sought a way to fix this problem alongside her right then and there, and that was all despite being directly told about them. The apathy for the death of the person who guided her within Karakura Town that day, the unusual bouts of excitement she showed whenever she decided to fight anything, all that they have spoken back then at the spa... She should have reacted more powerfully to all of those things. She should have granted her the aid she deserved for so long, instead of simply brushing it aside and going back to her usual duties. She should have done something, anything, to help her out without requiring any further direct interaction from her.

And yet, despite all of those things, the Third Seat couldn't find the emotional energy to do something like that. She just wasn't selfish enough to express her anger or even so much as scream at someone that has helped her for so long as her mentor. In her mind, for all she knew, Celes had a justification for her inaction and didn't deliberately ignore what happened. Either that, or multiple justifications. Maybe she was just insanely busy with her duties; after all, a lot has happened lately to the Soul Society, and so she must have been working quite a fair bit more than she usually should be so as to better fortify the heavenly realm for whenever a next invasion occurs. Maybe she really did not properly understand what happened since she wasn't expecting Kimiko to actually possibly be like her. Maybe she was just hoping that it wouldn't be the case. It's not everyone who can easily detect the troubles people have to go through, and it is somewhat thoughtless to think that is the case.

Either way, it did not really matter anymore. By the time the moment passed, the both of them went through the windy passing of the divide, then trekked onward into the dark forest which stood before them. Despite her friend's show of confidence, the scarlet-eyed swordswoman remained deadly serious, saying nothing as she remained focus. Though she was very much aware of how powerful her friend was when it came to the physical strength department, she was also aware that Taishokukane was unfortunately a very knowledgeable fighter. If he can work around her own speed and find ways to beat her no matter what, then he can most definitely take advantage of Celes' power in one way or another. For all they know, her impressive strength may be her own undoing. That wasn't even mentioning the fact that he possessed the ability to strengthen his Spiritual Pressure much like how she can as well, which he will most likely use against them given the circumstances of this entrance within his domain.

The two of them moved on still, passing by a few of the trees that towered their surroundings. It would probably be somewhat difficult at a first glance to properly gauge the distance which the women have covered due to the size of the trees, but after they've passed at least three of the wooden monuments, they would both be able to realize that they had already created quite the gap between themselves and the divide they have previously crossed. In fact, they had gone far away to render the light generated by the fields beyond the divide more and more difficult to see. Once they passed the fifth tree, the fields could not be seen anymore, causing them to find themselves properly under the misty shadows of the massive rustling leaves above. Kimiko had long since gotten used to the low visibility and noise of this awful place at a moderate degree, but Celes might find it hard to get used to. It was, in a way, a test of her very own senses, and an awful one at that.

Nothing would happen for a bit longer. All that could be heard were the rustling of the trees and the crunching the almost-dead grass they walked upon as they moved. However, after they would pass their eighth tree, a figure would appear in the distance. He was far away, enough so that the two women couldn't notice him at first, but as they passed another tree, he would grow closer. At first, his features were too difficult to see from a distance, but eventually, they would become clearer and clearer. A white-haired man with eyes of silver and skin as white as snow. He appeared to be wearing a coat of sorts that was somewhat just a bit darker in comparison to himself, causing it to resemble a veil that was as colorless as the forest itself. Truly, it almost seemed as though this figure was nothing more than an apparition at a first glance. However, the way it abruptly approached them further and further with each passing of a tree without any noise was alarming.

And then, as suddenly as it appeared, he vanished after the passing of another tree. It would almost seem as though he had never existed to begin with. Despite this, Kimiko's instincts instantly shot straight up once she noticed him vanishing behind the tree, enough so that her eyes widened greatly. Her entire mind and body felt as though the figure had not disappeared in the slightest, but rather moved extremely quickly once again towards another area. More specifically, it felt as though the figure had specifically moved right behind them. She could feel the incoming attack, sense it coming towards her at a pace that endangered them both if they remained as is. As such, with her teeth bared and clenched powerfully against one another, she would grab the hilts of her blades, quickly spin her body towards the opposite direction, then unsheathe her blades so as to send them slashing behind her initial position. As to be expected, they would instantly meet the blade of the Taishokukane, who now stood so close to the two officers that they could feel his Spiritual Pressure. It shook the ground around them, causing the nearby trees to crack.

The shade would showcase a deep frown to the Third Seat as his blade ground against hers, doing so with such friction that it caused small sparks to be created from the contact. "So the old man has convinced you to bring her here after all," he would huff as he maintained the contact between their weapons. "What a waste... of time!" His loud angry shouting would immediately be followed by a swift kick to Kimiko's right side, which would cause her to let out a sharp yell of pain before being tumbling against the ground. Following this, the man would then very quickly use Shunpo to bridge the gap between himself and Celes before attempting to deliver a Iaijutsu strike, then succeeded by three rapid cuts. Thankfully, he has not released his power just yet... but with that kind of energy, he might do so soon, and if he ever does, his Spiritual Pressure will rival Kimiko's. "You do not belong here, Captain of the Tenth! I will see that you are removed from this place at once!"

There was clearly a great sense of frustration within his words. Strangely enough, though, his speed was actually equal to Celes'. How odd.

---

Far away from the battle that has begun within the Fading Forest, there would be Yukito, the Inner Hollow. He stood alone in an Inner World that was presently abandoned. There was no Captain to torment seemingly without end in sight, and there was no Zanpakuto spirit to harm into submission. All there seemed to be were the trees of the forest, the rocks which populated their surroundings here and there, the temple that is not standing too far away from it, and finally the wasteland of a battlefield which stood by the forest itself. Naturally, given his nature, his loneliness did not please him. Though he was undisturbed and seemingly devoid of anything that may somehow bother him, he had no one to interact with but Mother Nature herself, which did not really have many words to speak to him. Really, it was no surprise that he found himself so bored; after all, a being crafted from the corrupt energy of the vile couldn't possibly enjoy itself without tormenting someone.

However, shortly after he found a place to stay, he would be able to realize that there was something odd about the Inner World. It was meant to be empty of life, but as he settled in the clearing, he would be able to sense someone's presence. It was faint, so much so that he would be unable to properly point out where it was supposed to be located, yet it was there with him in this forest, and that alone would most likely be more than enough to cause many questions to arise. Eventually, footsteps would be able to be heard from the north of the clearing. Each of them would be calm and confident without any alarm, almost as if whatever this was supposed to be had planned to somehow intrude this supposedly-sacred place. A figure would eventually be able to be seen by the Inner Hollow, and by the time it finally reached the clearing, he would realize something else. This was not Celes or Yunorashi. This... was someone else altogether.

"Hello~." A greeting came from the newcomer as she - for it was definitely a she - moved into the clearing towards Yukito sporting a quaint smile. "It's a nice place you've got here. Trees, rocks, a temple, a graveyard, really, you've got it all. I'm impressed~." The sight was a very odd one, to say the least. She looked like Kimiko, the person Celes considered as her protégé, but there was something odd about her. Her skin was pale, almost white, and her eyes were of a glowing silver behind rectangle glasses. Moreover, her hair was more properly kept compared to the person she shared her appearance with to the point that it was combed and set into a ponytail, and she wore what appeared to be a black school blouse paired with office trousers and shoes. For all intent and purposes, it was as though she was meant to be some kind of Japanese student. Well, a student with two swords on left hip, that is, both of which were set so that one would be above the other.

Whether Yukito decided to reply to her presence or not, the woman would simply head towards one of the nearby rocks and sit upon it before staring at the Inner Hollow with that same smile. As she did so, she would deliberately release some of her spiritual energy to the man, enough so to reveal to him how dark it was. "You wouldn't be able to guess how long I've been meaning to talk to you!" She said after she sat on the rock, shortly after her smile turned into a grin. "It must have been years. Oh, no... I bet it has been even longer than that~."

[Celes Castellanos]

As Celes peered over at Kimiko, the Captain could feel the intensity in the air. Despite her unwavering confidence in the two of them, she could not deny that there was still a very real danger. After all, as they began to draw further and further into the forest, the darker it became. It was completely unlike her own Inner World or even the plains where they resided not more than ten minutes ago. It was this visibility that unsettled Celes the most. On top of that, Kimiko admitted that this Zanpakutou Spirit was one to ambush others. That could certainly prove problematic. She'd let out a gentle sigh as she allowed herself to relax. She couldn't allow herself to be so tense. Clearing her mind, somewhat, she steeled herself against what was to come. 

As they passed tree after tree with seemingly no end in sight, Celes wasn't sure what to expect anymore. She kept her guard up, but she was becoming disheartened. Would he even reveal himself? Would he be able to offer any information that Shizukakane couldn't provide? Well almost as if on cue, through the thickened shadow that draped across the forest, Celes could make out the silhouette of a figure. The Captain would stop in her tracks, her hands placed calmly upon the hilt of her own twin blades. With every breath, the figure seemed to draw closer. It would take a moment, but Celes would soon be able to make out snow-white hair. As he drew closer, more could be identified. His clothing, his movements, they all spoke of lifelessness. Celes' senses were rather sharp, but even she had to admit that it was eerie. She couldn't make out a sound of his coming approach. He was shifting through the environment with great expertise. 

The Captain's eyes widened. "It's fair to assume that this is our man. Yet.. he's approaching us head-on? That's unlike how Kimiko described him..." In that moment, as the Spirit passed another tree, nothing would emerge from it. Immediately everything in Celes' body was on high alert. This was completely unlike what she had seen before and yet... something in Celes' mind roared at her. An almost primal feeling. "Hes coming..., but from where?!" The Captain quickly skimmed her environment. It was difficult to say the least. The thick shadows made it difficult to make out specific signs of movement. The wind that blew didn't help either. Suddenly, as Kimiko turned to meet the blade head on, Celes heard the clash of steel. Whipping her head around, she saw the form of their assailant as his and Kimiko's blades grinded against one another, small sparks flying from the initial hit.

Celes was astounded. Had it been her... Celes might have taken that hit. She had underestimated their foe. She gritted her teeth, her hands still idly resting upon her own Zanpakutou. Yet... she wouldn't make a move. Not yet. Kimiko had intercepted the attack after all. As they remained there... locked in this deadly embrace, the Spirit spoke. "So the old man has convinced you to bring her here after all," His tone of voice was not pleased at all. Celes' eyes widened. She had a suspicion of what was going on, but she could not make an informed decision on it. After all, this is how Kimiko described the Spirit. Combative and borderline abusive. This would be cemented as he roared "What a waste... of time!" 

Celes could feel the anger that had arisen from the spirit. A swift kick sent her disciple tumbling and rolling. The shock of this awoke Celes from her stupor. "Kimiko!!" The Captain's eyes narrowed immediately as she focused on the Spirit. Yet in that moment, the Spirit disappeared for a brief moment. The Captain's instincts roared at her again. She felt the pressure that emanated from him. It was more than Spiritual Pressure. Could it be killing intent? Celes was not entirely sure, but she wouldn't take any chances. The visibility put her at a disadvantage and he was closing in with ferocious speed. She'd groan as he appeared before her, ready to deliver the Iaijutsu strike as he yelled. "You do not belong here, Captain of the Tenth! I will see that you are removed from this place at once!" His pose... It was immediately identifiable to Celes! As the blade emerged from the sheath, Celes' own arms and torso flickered in response. Her own movements left a strange after image. It was Shukuchi-Ho.

Normally, a technique used to close distance similarly to Shunpo. Unlike Shunpo though, Shukuchi-Ho was specifically designed for close quarters combatants like Celes. Her experience and mastery of the technique allowed her to use it in smaller ways while taking a half-step in at incredible speeds. In this case, her arms ascended with incredible speed as she swiftly tensed the muscles of her upper body. As the Spirit went for the strike, no blood would be drawn. Quite the opposite in fact. The blade would clash against her body, unmoving. It would feel as though her body was as hard as steel. Everything in her mind told her to counterattack and she would've... had it not been for Kimiko laying on the ground. The Captain's mind was made up.

Mere moments after being struck with the blade to no avail, Celes utilized a Shunpo herself. Though as she did, something rather unique happened. A one-meter-long shockwave suddenly burst from the Captain with no warning. If caught up in the sudden shockwave, Taishokukane would find herself being blasted back. While the blast itself wouldn't deal any real damage, it would be more of a concern if he slammed into a tree with a force akin to 1000 Strength. Celes held little back in the shockwave. She knew that Zanpakutou Spirits were durable. This was their domain after all and they took after their Shinigami partners. Using the speed of the Shunpo Eichi, Celes brought herself right next to Kimiko. If she was still lying on the ground, Celes would wrap her arm around the disciple effortlessly raise her to her feet with her impressive strength. 

Assuming that Kimiko could remain on her feet, Celes asked swiftly, but with care. "Hey, you okay?" Immediately afterwards, she'd swing her head over at Taishokukane's direction as she roared furiously. "You're right! I don't belong here, but I'll be damned if we came all this way just to falter now!" There was genuine anger in her voice. After all, the Zanpakutou Spirit had just seemingly knocked the wind out of the Kimiko. "We just seek information on the Inner Hollow that resides within her. I'll happily leave of my own volition of you can provide that!" Celes growled under her breath. She was not one to walk away usually, but she knew the effects of Jinzen Kyoshin. Zanpakutou Spirits could become aggressive from the foreign presence of another soul. She hoped that Taishokukane could see the utility in agreeing. If not, she knew that this could get even more ugly and she preferred to avoid unleashing herself upon the Zanpakutou Spirit...

---

As Yukito stood in the clearing, the calm breeze that flew overheard causing the leaves of the countless trees to rustle, made him sigh. Leaning into the tree and looking up for a moment, his eyes flicked over to a noise. The snapping of a small branch that lay on the ground... A calm stride marked by the crunching of the occasional leaf. Yukito scoffed for a moment as the presence made itself known. It was not Celes nor Yunorashi, but someone else entirely. Tilting his head, his wild black hair blew in the calm wind and his piercing blue eyes focused on the form of this woman. Clad in what could only be described as a school outfit, rectangular glasses and a rather neat ponytail. Though these were not the most striking features that Yukito noticed as he looked at her inquisitively as she spoke.

"Hello~." A little smile adorned her lips as she continued to speak. "It's a nice place you've got here. Trees, rocks, a temple, a graveyard, really, you've got it all. I'm impressed~." The Inner Hollow merely chuckled at the comment made by this woman. As she took her place atop the rock, Yukito could easily make out more of her features. Pale white skin... silver eyes. More than that... she looked just like Kimiko. Well... a warped, colorless version of the Third Seat. Yukito simply smirked, speaking out in a very neutral tone. "Yeah, well, unfortunately it's only half mine. My place becomes a little dreary so sometimes I come here for a change of scenery..." 

A short moment after, Yukito felt a sudden surge of spiritual pressure emerge from the woman. It was quite impressive. Though among it, Yukito sensed a prominent darkness. As the waves of pressure emerged from her, the Inner Hollow simply waved his hand. With a gentle wave of his hand, the Inner Hollow redirected the burst of pressure upward before dissipating. He chuckled for a moment, closing his eyes before peering at her again with icy blue orbs. "No need for posturing. To puff your chest out. You're in good company here. After all... I've been eager to meet one of my own." Yukito smiled a little as the woman seemed to offer similar sentiments. 

"You wouldn't be able to guess how long I've been meaning to talk to you!" The Hollow raised an eyebrow for a moment, merely taking in her words. The smile then became a grin. "It must have been years. Oh, no... I bet it has been even longer than that~." Something about her intrigued Yukito. She seemed almost playful. A natural predator. He smirked once more. "Well, I'm happy to hear that you share the sentiment. However, as my guest, may I at least know the name of my secret admirer?" While his tone also became somewhat playful, there was a calculating tone to it. He'd never take his eyes off of the other Inner Hollow. Quite the opposite. He was curious about her motivations. Her capabilities. Hell... her personality alone was intriguing enough for the Inner Hollow and yet.. none of that made him take his guard down. Not that he felt threatened by her, but he knew better. After all... he was just like her. 

[Nakajima Kimiko]

The kick that Kimiko received was harder than she expected it to be. No, that was perhaps of a bit of an understatement. She hadn't expected it to come at all, especially given the proximity between herself and Celes at the time of the strike, and so she had not prepared herself to be hit in that particular spot. Such was how it usually goes whenever she fights the shade, and oh, was it so frustrating and humiliating. Even now, she could feel her anger and her deep hatred for the being that was she supposed to call her second Zanpakuto spirit slowly boil within her once again. Unfortunately, there was not much she could do in that moment as the momentum brought her tumbling away against the ground from her mentor and the shade. As she was, she would painfully bounce against it a couple of times before she would find herself sliding against it, causing the gray blades of grass below to be ripped from the earth. Eventually, she would finally stop near one of the great trees which surrounded their position, which would give her just enough time to look up and witness what occurred between the other two participants of this battle.

Taishokukane was relentless. Though it was clear that he was strangely not reaching the top speeds he should be using at this point in time, he still wished to fight as rapidly as he possibly could in order to best Celes. His Shunpo was exactly perfectly, and so was the Iaijutsu strike that he had thrown towards her direction. However, despite these immaculate executions, this Iaijutsu strike and the assault that then followed it was to no avail. Indeed, rather than cause any lacerations, the man's blade would simply smash itself against Celes' body and stop right then and there, as though it was hitting a wall of steel. None of his hits would cause even the smallest of scars, causing the man's eyes to widen, then frown greatly as he saw what the woman was doing. He did not recognize the technique, but he could tell that whatever she was doing was going to lead to a counterattack and it was going to hit him head-on. "Tch!" He would let out as he immediately tried to Shunpo away. However, before he could do so appropriately, he would feel the shockwave hit him and, soon enough, its effects would kick in.

The spirit was flying across the area with unmistakable force. The propulsion of his body was such that it caused the ground to briefly shake and further blades of grass to be ripped from their roots. Despite not actually being capable of dealing any damage, the shockwave applied such a great force to the silver shade that it caused him to hit one of the other immense trees nearby. Seeing as the force that hit him was so great, the impact of his body crashing into the tree was enough to cause the titanic wooden monument to be covered in a thousand cracks which formed almost instantly. The cracks were large, long, and appeared as though they were about to cause the tree to destroy itself at any given moment. Even so, the tree held on, and though the spirit was hurt, so did he as he stood on his feet in the middle of the literal crater which now was situated within the tree. His legs now slightly hurt, but he was a spirit, and so he was still going to stand. For now, at least.

As he recovered from the impact, Kimiko had risen back up from the ground by her lonesome. The Captain would quickly be able to realize that the Third Seat upon approaching her that her apprentice was furious at the shade, if not more so than she was. Her body was slowly starting to exhume spiritual energy, and the swords she somehow still held tightly quietly hummed the sound of distant bells. "No," she would simply respond to her friend as she raised her gaze to her. It was if the Third Seat of the Eleventh Division had turned from a honorable Shinigami of the Gotei 13 to a beast who happened to wield blades. Her eyes had widened greatly from the anger, and she was baring her teeth, clenching them against one another with such strength that it caused her jaw to tremble. Even her hair, which was typically simply unkempt, had turned wilder than before from her frustration. It was an impressive, if not fearsome sight.

At the very least, it appeared as though the spiritual energy Kimiko displayed was not as dark as back when Celes saw her act this way during that undead nightmare. It showcased that whatever influence she had before was not currently affecting her. However, given how it seemed she was going to behave, that was perhaps the least of everyone's concern. This became more apparent as she turned her angered gaze towards Taishokukane's position and awaited the answer to Celes' request. "All you talk about her is her, her, her... That's all that's on your mind, and that's what you always to keep on my mind... and yet you never tell me what she is. It's all secrets with you. I'm tired of your stupid excuses." As she spoke, the bark of the tree located nearest to her and Celes would vibrate from the pressure of the spiritual energy she was exhuming. It was slow at first, but as she continued to speak louder and louder, it would vibrate more and more, causing a sickening noise to be heard from beneath the wood. "Tell us what she's supposed to be! Tell us what Shizukakane doesn't know! TELL US! TELL ME! NOW!" 

The silver shade who remained within the crater of the tree would let out a huff as he raised himself back, inhaling and exhaling in sharp successions as he resisted the pain which resonated within his body. Despite being angry at first about the Captain's presence here and the information she sought, Kimiko's fury was what actually caused him to hesitate. There was a moment in his demeanor in which he paused and almost appeared... vulnerable, as though he was not sure of what to say. Unfortunately, this moment would soon pass, and once it did, his previous behavior would soon return. "... You have learned nothing from our experiences," he spoke loudly enough to be heard from where he stood as he prepared himself to battle once more. "You are still an impatient, insufferable fool who refuses to acknowledge your weaknesses! I have been trying to teach you how to behave against her, how to fight her, and yet you have ignored every single one of my advises! I will not tell you anything. You do not deserve it."

Silence would soon befall the area after his words resonated throughout it. Kimiko would simply remain still, staring ahead with a look of pure incredulity as the words reached her ears through the intense rustling of the leaves above. It came out as a quiet snort at first, a very brief fit of laughter born from pure disbelief. Then, her demeanor would start to change. Slowly, her blood boiled to a temperature that she never thought it could possibly reach, making her eyes to almost see red as she bared her fangs like a wild beast. Her spiritual pressure would rise to a shocking level, causing her surroundings to be immensely affected by gravity. The nearby tree was the most affected as it winced and ground and cracked from the pressure. Eventually, it reached a point in which it felt as though the entire area was subject to a massive earthquake, and as it seemed as though the entire area was about to subjected to a literal bomb that was going to turn everything surrounding she and Celes to nothing but gray waste...

.... she let out a loud, terrifying cry that seemingly caused the light bathing the forest to turn a merciless blood red. She had enough of it. All the contempt that she had been holding since she acquired her Bankai, all the rage that she specifically had conjured towards the questions that remained within her mind for so long finally fully came out of her. The scream was so powerful that it resonated throughout the woods with great intensity, causing it to echo powerfully throughout the woods, and spiritual pressure that followed it was so powerful that even Celes would be capable of feeling its power as it further cracked the tree nearest to them. Black and white "ink" surged from her body in the process, causing the blades of grass around her to be pulled from the ground as they were pulled up by the energy, and her swords were raised high with their tips pointing forward. Then, as suddenly as this outburst occurred, she and the pressure conveyed by her energy would suddenly disappear, causing the forest to briefly return to quietness.

Taishokukane was completely stunned by the sheer emotional explosion that he witnessed, causing him to hesitate once again and become unable to respond to what happened in the following few moments. Unfortunately, these moments would be crucial to him, as all so suddenly, Kimiko and the terrible pressure that surrounded her would appear right in front of him. This would cause the crater of the tree to shake tremendously and cause many more cracks to appear before she would attempt to deliver onto him yet another twin Iaijutsu slash. Knowing that receiving such a hit would most definitely hurt, the spirit would instinctively immediately Shunpo out of the way onto another tree right before Kimiko would land her attack. Fortunately, this time, he was able to dodge it. The poor tree, however, took the brunt of it, and the sheer spiritual power behind Kimiko's blades was enough to cause the crater to greatly expand from its previous point of impact. It was, at this point, a miracle that it was even able to stand.

Upon noticing his dodge, Kimiko would immediately give chase to Taishokukane in a raging assault, causing quite the visual spectacle to occur from Celes' side. She and the spirit would bounce from tree to tree, causing trails of "ink" and massive sword slice marks to appear onto each of them. Eventually, they would unconsciously head straight for the Captain's position. She would have to act fast, to say the very least.

---

The strange being which intruded the realm within Celes never once lost her confident stride as she stepped forth into the clearing. She did not flinch upon being stared at by the Inner Hollow with that look of confusion he sported, and her smile barely even so much as hinted at lessening. It was as though it had been etched directly onto her face as though the latter was a mask, which made her appearance appear more and more unsettling after a prolonged view of it. In fact, its existence would cause one's attention to eventually drift away towards some of her other physical features. Her posture was seemingly forever straight even as she walked, so much so that it almost seemed like it was being kept as such through supernatural means, and each of her steps appeared to be calculated so as to accentuate this fact. It made her appear confidently graceful and unabashedly proud, yet also unpredictable and prone to sudden change. It really was no wonder that the Inner Hollow who resided within this world would be so confused to see someone who appeared as such. 

After she would reach the rock, the woman would quaintly showcase the might of her spiritual prowess. What was presented was not its full potential, and yet it remained shockingly impressive. If anything, it was undoubtedly more powerful than Kimiko's, and it was mainly due to one thing: control. The Third Seat has always had an unimaginably high potency for spiritual pressure. Every time she released her energy from her core, it always caused great havoc upon her surroundings. It left them cracked, damaged, and more often than not, outright destroyed. This appears to be a good thing in the eyes of many officers, but in reality, it unfortunately is not as it transformed a powerful ability into an indirect force that can cause considerable collateral damage. What happened in her latest battle against the fearsome Teresa was a testament to that. Even to this day, it is unclear how many Humans and Souls found themselves crushed to death by her and the Hollow's spiritual pressure combined.

In comparison, this was totally different. Each of the bursts of corrupted energy swept over the surroundings like waves. They swept over every rock and tree, reaching for far distance at wide margins, but they never caused any damage to it all. All they would do is simply brush over them all like a mere gust of wind. However, although it was not inherently destructive, this did not mean that their effects were null. Instead of destroying everything through a sudden and intense change in the nearby gravitational force, they instead caused a light downward press. It was gentle, soft, like a person simply pressing their hand on one's shoulder... and yet, it was greatly endangering. It was not as obviously dangerous as a display of a Captain's spiritual power, rather more intimidating. Anyone affected by such spiritual energy would feel as though they could be reduced to dust at any given moment, and that the only thing that prevented them from being granted such a fate was how the being felt about them.

Naturally, none of this would matter in the grand scheme of things. Yukito would simply brush the burst that came towards him away, and the conversation would continue as intended. "Oh, well, that's good to know~," she would affirm almost innocently after the matter was settled. However, what happened would most likely be more than enough for the Inner Hollow to gather more about what that person appreciates in life. She was clearly a playful being whose actions would be difficult to predict even to those with ample social skills, one who preferred to have those who surround her submit their lives to the will of her mercy without their consent. In other words, she treated all that surrounded her not quite as people to be acknowledged or respected, but rather as mere characters in a game that she could discard at any given moment without any real consequences for her to be subjected with some major exceptions. In a way, it felt cruelly right for this being to have been born from Kimiko's soul. She was her polar opposite in every conceivable way.

Once her words were spoken, she would stare quietly at the Inner Hollow as he made his comments. She appeared to be glad that this talk was going well so far, though with that smile of hers, it was hard to say whether she really was happy or not. It was just large enough to appear as though she was always satisfied by the interaction, but that was it. With that said, upon being asked her name, her smile would widen before it would then be followed by a light chuckle. "A name, huh? I never thought about having one before! I think it's fun to see people try to figure one out for you~," she would remark nonchalantly as though she had no qualms about the effect that particular decision has had on the people she has personally met. However, after the fact, she would them quietly with a hand on her chin. "But I won't have you do that for me now. That'd be rude." Eventually, her silver eyes would brighten a bit before her hand would move from her chin to her right cheek.

 "You can call me... Yume~."

Yume. The Japanese word for dream, short and sweet. It was obvious that this was the one who responsible for Kimiko's nightly suffering, and perhaps that was the point. She would let the name linger in the area almost dramatically, letting its soft resonance be heard throughout the Inner World. After she felt a sufficient amount of time has passed, she would stare at the Inner Hollow once again, then grin quaintly once again. "Now that that's out of the way, this secret admirer wants to chat with yours truly about a most interesting conundrum~," she would speak with a less modern and overly mannerly tone as a friendly jest about Yukito's tone, seemingly purposefully using the word "conundrum" in a wrong way. However, after she spoke in such a fashion, she would decide to return to her normal manners with light nonchalant gestures of her hand, eventually pushing herself off of her rock as she did so.

"Lately, Kimiko-chan's been... hm, let's just say pretty down~. Feeling like shit seems like it's all she does nowadays, and you know how people who feel like shit are in a fight. I've been trying to think of something that could get her to stop being so whiny again, but that hasn't done anything for me lately. Really, it's disappointing." There was a bit of seriousness behind her voice as she spoke, which was rather surprising given how she's been behaving so far. It was like she was actually truthfully taking her host's emotional state to heart, so much so that it was bringing curses out of her. Of course, she did not keep this tone for much longer, as then, she would glance back towards Yukito with a smirk. "Buuuut now that we've met... I've just the right idea to get her to stop being so sad all the time. It'll help Celes too! It's going to be a win-win for the both of us~."   

[Celes Castellanos]

It seemed that Celes' choice of defense had paid off. As she flexed her muscles in preparation for the incoming slash, her body became as hard as steel. It was this skill of hers that allowed her to fight those with bladed weaponry without the use of her own Zanpakutou. As the blade came into contact with her skin, Taishokukane would be faced with the near impossible task of cutting through the Captain's flesh. Slash after slash, it would prove to be futile. It was in this moment that Celes utilized her Shunpo Eichi to not only move towards Kimiko, but also to create notably distance between themselves and the Zanpakutou Spirit. After all... he had proved himself to be vicious... and relentless. Celes' presence clearly angered him and the Captain was more worried about what it may compel him to do. 

As Celes began to approach Kimiko with the impressive speed of a Shunpo, the Captain would be surprised to say the least. Kimiko was rising to her feet. Regardless, Celes was... relieved. She was happy that her friend had not been taken out of the fight. Her eyes darted over to Taishokukane. The Spirit had just recently crashed into one of the many trees that almost seemed to eclipse the sun with their mighty crowns. An astounding number of cracks formed on the durable bark. Celes knew that it was enough force to kill any ordinary man. Yet... this was not any ordinary bar fight. They were all spiritual warriors and as such, Celes watched the Zanpakutou Spirit rise. Regardless, Celes had a feeling that the impact had hurt... quite a bit.

Something about all of this did not sit well with Celes. This was Kimiko's Zanpakutou Spirit. They shouldn't be fighting. All of them were on the same side... At least that's how Celes saw it. She'd try to plead with the Spirit. He was obviously not very happy about Celes' presence. The Captain had no issue removing herself if needed. She just wanted the answers that the sought. After a few moments of silence, however, it was Kimiko who would speak. "No," Celes turned her gaze to Kimiko, her expression showed that she was dumbfounded. "What the hell does she mean, no? We've come this far. If we can find common ground... shouldn't this fight be over?" As she wondered this, she felt a pressure emerge from her disciple. 

Celes raised an eyebrow. It was Kimiko's spiritual pressure. The Shinigami had terrible sensory skills and yet she could feel this rather well. Upon further inspection, this did not feel... darkened. It felt like her regular spiritual pressure and yet... this was partly alarming to the Captain. She had discussed prior that not only could grievous wounds give an Inner Hollow a reason to posses the host, but so could a violent emotional response. There were two positives to the situation. First, Kimiko's reiatsu did not feel off. Then again... Celes had pathetic sensory skills, but she knew the reiatsu of her disciple well. It did not feel tainted. Second... they were in her Inner World already. The Hollow would have no reason to take over. Despite these reassurances though, Celes was worried about attracting the Inner Hollow to the fight. Suddenly, Kimiko barked at Taishokukane. "All you talk about her is her, her, her... That's all that's on your mind, and that's what you always to keep on my mind... and yet you never tell me what she is. It's all secrets with you. I'm tired of your stupid excuses."

As she spoke more and more, the splintered bark of the tree began to vibrate. The cracks rippled, running farther along the bark of the tree. It was a miracle that it could still stand with the incredible strain. Yet the cracks seemingly grew with every word that the Third Seat spoke. "Tell us what she's supposed to be! Tell us what Shizukakane doesn't know! TELL US! TELL ME! NOW!" Her demands couldn't have been more clear. As Celes looked over at Taishokukane, his hesitation was quite clear. Celes' eyes narrowed. This would persist for merely a moment until he found his will again. As he began to take his stance again, Celes cursed under her breath. "... You have learned nothing from our experiences," It was so disheartening for Celes. This conflict of views and interests was so great between these two that they simply could not see eye to eye.

As Taishokukane went into detail, Celes frowned somewhat. "You are still an impatient, insufferable fool who refuses to acknowledge your weaknesses! I have been trying to teach you how to behave against her, how to fight her, and yet you have ignored every single one of my advises! I will not tell you anything. You do not deserve it." Celes looked over at Kimiko during the moment of silence. It seemed that there fight would have to continue. Something seemed to stir within the Third Seat for a few moments, but not even Celes was prepared for what was to come. Her disciple let out a loud and agonizing yell of fury. It was unlike anything that Celes had seen Kimiko do before. The Inner World seemingly reflected her emotions as the once dim sunlight became a darkened, blood red. Celes bit her lip in response to this. Suddenly, Kimiko's Spiritual Pressure leapt forth, threatening to crush anything around her. Thankfully, Celes didn't find herself affected by the pressure, but she could not deny its strength. 

The Captain watched as black and white ink seemed to surge from her much like her reiatsu. Celes' eyes widened. "Great! Now she's using her Shikai... Oh this won't be pretty." Shortly after, Kimiko vanished from sight. In response to this, the pressure vanished. Everything would be silent. It was almost eerie. For a moment.. the forest would have its peace. Shortly afterwards, as Kimiko and the pressure that emanated from her reappeared, it would be a terrible wakeup call for the Zanpakutou Spirit. Kimiko was clearly infuriated and Celes had a feeling that no amount of consoling would put her at ease. The Captain gritted her teeth as Kimiko went for her devastating sword slash. "Great... even if we do get the information, I may have to try and quell Kimiko as well or hell.. maybe even stop her from accidently killing him..." As Taishokukane dodged the Iaijutsu slash, it would be clear from the force that that the tree was exposed to that Kimiko was not playing around.

Despite the Zanpakutou Spirits' dodge, it seemed that Kimiko would not let him get away that easily. She'd give chase and as they fought, as if playing a game of cat and mouse, Celes was mesmerized for a moment. The colorless and dull forest would be like their canvas. "Paint" would spread everywhere. There was a certain beauty to it if the stakes weren't so high. As Kimiko's assault continued, Celes took note of the way they were fighting. After all, soon they'd seem to- "Well speak of the devil!" The two would race towards Celes' position. The Captain growled as she drew one of her Zanpakutou a little from its sheath. She sighed as she spoke quietly. "Walk the Earth, Yunorashi." Suddenly, her blades would glow a noticeable red.

Despite her frenzy, Kimiko had seen Celes' Shikai and Bankai before. She knew that the Captain received a spear and shield upon utilizing her Shikai and that her Bankai had her clad in durable armor. Yet.. Celes had never told her disciple exactly what had happened recently. Regardless, it would become incredibly clear. The Captain's Zanpakutou that she held in her hand merely vanished. Shortly after, so did the other. Suddenly, a wave of reiatsu shot out from Celes. This pressure increased for a moment until a red haze began to overtake the Captain. A red haze that soon took shape. An 8ft tall ribcage formed around the Captain. With that, Celes and her haze would vanish from sight. A Shunpo. Moving swiftly, aiming to be above Kimiko and Taishokukane, Celes formed a spectral arm that erupted from the ribcage. Immediately slamming down with it, the Captain attempted to pelt the Zanpakutou Spirit with a devastating shockwave, the size of a Cero. Unlike the earlier one, however, this one would certainly have an effect other than pushing him back if it hit. If it collided with him, not only would it send him flying to the ground most likely, but the air itself would lash out at him, tearing at his flesh with minor lacerations. After all, while airborne, this shockwave would be much more difficult to dodge.

Even if it didn't collide with him, perhaps it would provide Kimiko with a distraction that she could use. After all, Taishokukane now had to focus on an entirely different angle that rocketed at him with impressive speed. Even if nothing came out of it, Celes would continue forth with her trajectory, focusing on her projection. As she did, another arm leapt forth from the ribcage. Additionally, as she focused further, a 5ft head would form atop the ribcage. Hollow orbits soon became an eerie yellow which when combined with the spectral appearance of the skeletal body she was producing, made it even more imposing. Now, with all the essentials formed, Celes gave her focus to the projection. The bones would seemingly harden, becoming less spectral in appearance to contrast the red haze that radiated off of the bones like wisps. Opening her eyes, Celes now had a clarity that she did not have before. Her senses had become far sharper. She could now see quite well amidst the dim lighting of the forest as she was surrounded by a projection that seemingly protected her. Using her newly acquired range, one of the 15 ft arms shot outward, digging itself into the bark and hanging off the side. Celes looked around, trying to make out the state of the battle.

---

As the battle raged on between the three of them, things were notably calmer in Celes' Inner World. Yukito, her Inner Hollow, was having a surprise meeting with the Inner Hollow of another Shinigami. It was an entirely new experience for Yukito, but once that he welcomed. After all, much in the same way that Yunorashi longed to meet with another Zanpakutou Spirit, so was Yukito eager to have the chance of meeting with another Inner Hollow. Yet as they shared general interest in one another, Yukito would stand on cermony. After all, he didn't even know the name of someone who claimed to have wanted to meet him for a while. Besides, Yukito was intrigued. It was he who had named himself. Would it be the same case for this one? 

His icy blue eyes peered at her as she spoke. "A name, huh? I never thought about having one before! I think it's fun to see people try to figure one out for you~," Yukito simply looked at this Inner Hollow with nothing, but intrigue. Once again, she seemed playful, but there was more to it. She seemed like a spider. She liked to play with her food. Not unlike how Yukito did. Now this... this is someone who he understood. Who he could relate to. As she brought her hand to her chin though, she'd continue. "But I won't have you do that for me now. That'd be rude." Finally after a few moments, Yukito would get that which he sought.  "You can call me... Yume~."

The look of intrigue would soon become a grin. He tapped the black scarf that draped his neck, smirking. "Well. My pleasure to meet you, Yume... and trust when that I don't say that often." His smirk vanished as his facial features hardened. He'd simply peer at Yume, curious about what she had in store for him. Soon she'd grin again. Yukito tapped his scarf once more as she spoke. "Now that that's out of the way, this secret admirer wants to chat with yours truly about a most interesting conundrum~," He could not help, but grin in response to this. He'd wave his hand, offering her to continue. It seemed as though she'd oblige. "Lately, Kimiko-chan's been... hm, let's just say pretty down~. Feeling like shit seems like it's all she does nowadays, and you know how people who feel like shit are in a fight. I've been trying to think of something that could get her to stop being so whiny again, but that hasn't done anything for me lately. Really, it's disappointing."

Now things were getting interesting. Yukito raised an eyebrow as Yume seemed to be getting sentimental about her host. If he were anyone else, the Inner Hollow would be moved by this. He knew better though. There short interactions had shown Yukito once thing. This Yume was facetious in her meanings. One thing could mean another. Besides, Yukito knew how they thought. They rarely had their hosts' best interests in mind unless they had something to gain from it. Regardless, Yukito would let her finish. After all, he was far too intrigued by her nature and intentions to simply let this go. Just before Yume continued though, Yukito felt a tug at his very soul. His eyes would move away from Yume and look off into the distance. He could feel Celes call upon her Shikai. This gave the Inner Hollow reason to smirk. After this short interruption, he'd return his full attention to Yume.

"Buuuut now that we've met... I've just the right idea to get her to stop being so sad all the time. It'll help Celes too! It's going to be a win-win for the both of us~." Yukito peered at her, unmoving. Suddenly, the Inner Hollow broke into a fit of laughter. It was completely unlike anything he had displayed thus far. He'd laugh in an uncontrollable fit for a few moments before composing himself. He'd tap his chin for a moment. "Oh, you are truly a wonderful delight, Yume. While I am intrigued, I doubt it'll be of any true help to Celes. Regardless... I'll hear you out. It'd be rude of me to ignore you after all after you came all this way to meet with me." His grin slowly curled into a smirk as she gave her his full attention.

[Nakajima Kimiko]

The rage that Kimiko felt in her mind and body was hotter than the surface of the sun. She was beyond furious, wrathful, scorned. Even now as she moved faster than she believed her body could have ever moved before, the anger scalded her skin and boiled the blood below, causing her to see nothing but a blinding, shimmering red. This red was so blinding that it prevented her from thinking about anything but what she had set out to do as she pushed herself towards the direction of the silver shade at breakneck speed. She could not think of Celes and her useless pandering, of Shizukakane and his disappointing wisdom, or of the being in her dreams and her wish to kill everything that she holds dear just for the sake of it. All she could think of was Taishokukane, the arrogance and selfishness he had displayed to both her and her friend as he refused to provide any explanation about her woes to them, and the sheer blood thirst that she now felt.

In the matter of a few seconds at best, the air above Celes turned into a noisy, chaotic scene. The air was supercharged with spiritual energy and killing intent, more so than possibly ever before in these parts of the Inner World. The great gray trees saw their trunk marked with craters that spanned for many meters, and their trunks shook terribly from the many impacts they received, causing the leaves above to shake frantically to the point that it filled the area with the terribly-loud sound of shimmering leaves. It was truly a most frightening scene to behold, and yet as Celes observed, one could say that there was beauty in the chaos. The trails of "ink" which followed Kimiko's every move was akin to a painter given the liberty to draw whatever he wanted on a canvas of black and white. At times, the trees which were damaged by the Third Seat's growing blades even appeared almost to be splattered in the white and black energy.

But Kimiko did not care. Of course, she didn't. Never once before has she cared about the effects of her blades. All they were to her in her eyes were aesthetics, something to make the people around her aware that she had released her Zanpakuto. They probably had some hidden significance related to her in some way or another, most probably her relation with ancient Japan and her liking of it, but she had never thought about it any further than that and she clearly was not about to do so now. So, she would ignore it entirely, instead focusing on attempting to deliver several Iaijutsu strikes to Taishokukane. The spirit would dodge or block most of her attacks, but the more she pressed on, the more she would realize that she was gaining ground. Either way, that too didn't matter. She just wanted to beat the information out of him, whatever the cost. "RAAAAAH!!" She would scream powerfully as she attacked with those wild eyes of hers, swinging seemingly endlessly towards his direction as she broke tree after tree.

The spirit, on the other hand, was now clenching his teeth. In his eyes, this was absolutely unprecedented. He has long since gotten used to witnessing his wielder become incredibly angry whenever she was confronting him in a fight; after all, it was very clear that she did not like him, no matter how many times she attempted to justify the effects of his work on her. However, all she had shown thus far to him was simple anger, frustration. It was normal for someone to become angry at a trainer if the previous trainer they have gotten so used to meet has always treated them in a much softer manner. This, in comparison, was fury, rage, wrath. It was something that she had been keeping inside of her so long, and it decided to come out all at once right onto him. "Fool! You are letting your rage consume you once again!" He attempted to shout back at her as they fought. "Do you honestly think I will give you what you want now that you have shown your true colors to me?!" 

"SHUT UP!" The woman would immediately scream out in response to the man's words before swinging her blades at him once again. In only but a single exclamation, she made sure to make him understand that she did not want to hear any more words from him, or at least none that she personally found to be particularly relevant to her current predicament. She had enough of his constant scolding, enough of his constant sneering, and all in all, she just wanted to make him choke on his arrogance until he tells her what she sought. Then again, from the way she wildly attacked him from tree to tree and delivered those powerful attacks that left them in splinters, it was hard not to argue that she probably didn't even want to hear about that kind of information either; after all, she even resembled a wild animal. Rage was the only thing that was driving her forward now, and it was demanding that she spills the shade's blood.

This frantic scene would pursue its course for some time, and unfortunately, it would eventually find itself downright barrelling itself towards Celes. Kimiko was far too angry to be preoccupied by the Captain's position, and Taishokukane was simply too busy dealing with Kimiko to be made aware of it. This gave the woman plenty of time to prepare herself and release her blades. Upon hearing the command which would release Yunorashi, the Third Seat scoffed. She had seen the Captain's Bankai before, and quite frankly, she doubted it was going to be any good here. What the hell was a suit of armor going to do in this situation? Sure, it'll provide her ample defenses, but it's not like it's going to deter the spirit. Hell, all it'll most likely do is just make him continue to focus on Kimiko and nobody else. Unbeknownst to her, a pulse of spiritual energy would suddenly burst from the Captain, and as she saw her then Shunpo up above their position, the Third Seat and the silver shade would both find themselves briefly stopping.

What surrounded the Captain at that moment was not the suit of armor that Kimiko had been expecting to see. Not in the slightest. What instead did was some kind of strange bony construct that resembled a sort of rib cage. It was a frightening sight, and quite frankly, seeing it caused the wild woman to briefly snap out of her rage and just stare in amazement. "What...?" She briefly muttered. Soon after, before she could say anything more, a literal arm sprouted from the rib cage and smashed itself into the opponent that she was previously pummeling. The spirit barely had any time to react due to the suddenness of the attack, which caused him to be violently sent down into the ground. By the time his body stopped bouncing against the ground, he found himself standing back up with a groan of pain. His clothes were tattered by the wind and ripped in places, and there were many a few cuts here and there on his body. However, he stood strong.

"Now I understand your foolishness, woman. Your mentor is just as foolish as you are," he huffed as he fought back against the pain which struck his body. Slowly, black "ink" would start being exhumed from him, slowly surrounding him as he raised his blade in front of him. Suddenly, the redness of the area which surrounded her presence would immediately lose all of its color, turning into a colorless veil. It was a rapid development, but it had been rapid enough to almost seem instant as it caused his blade to grow to a size about five times as large than its base state. As he held it by the side, he gaze a serious gaze towards the two Shinigami, then let out a sharp yell before dashing forward into the air towards Celes. "I will see that she understands what she rewards!"

He was faster now. Faster than before. Back then, he was only as quick as the Captain, but now he was slightly faster. Maybe it was to accommodate for Kimiko's raging self who was already starting to move on from the surprise she felt from Celes' new ability, but at this point, it might also be out of pure self-defense. Even now as he rushed towards Celes, the Third Seat attempted to rush him down, and she was just as ruthless as before. She swung again and again, causing him to fight back at a speed that would surpass her so as to quiet her down. At one point, he would deliver a rapid slash to the woman's stomach that would spill blood onto the grass below them, then rush towards the Captain in a way that made it seem as though he was preparing himself to counter-attack.

This was not going to be pretty. Far from it.

---

Yukito had every right to remain cautious of Yume's sayings and mannerisms. Though she appeared to be honest as she spoke of her disappointment of Kimiko's current emotional predicament, there was something about the way she handled herself in this conversation that made it incredibly difficult to tell whether she was being entirely serious about the fact. Maybe she was indeed hurt about her host's depression and was indeed frustrated by how she wasn't getting better, but at the same time, it was entirely possible that it was all an act to bring herself on a more relatable level in Yukito's eyes. Then again, maybe it was because of the way she expressed herself as she spoke of the matter. She wasn't speaking like she was talking about being disappointed in a person or a dear friend. It seemed different. It was like she was treating Kimiko as something that was lesser than her, not quite a plaything but also not quite someone that she believed herself to be equal to.

At the very least, so far, there was nothing that suggested the silver-eyed being treated Yukito in a similar fashion. There was no subtle mockery or downplaying, no taunting to be expected from most Inner Hollows. Rather, there was only light teasing and jesting about how they behaved. It really wasn't anything to be afraid of. Even though she carried those two swords at her hip and seemed as though she could ready herself to use them at any given moment, it was becoming increasingly clearer as she interacted with Yukito that she hadn't planned to do so in the slightest prior to coming here into this realm. If she did, she would have probably already attacked him in a long time ago. In a way, this was somewhat unprecedented as the grand majority of the corrupted beings are depicted as being cruel, vile, and exceedingly violent in every part of their lives. Surely, she didn't just come here to have a conversation with him, now, did she?

Upon witnessing the man's odd reaction as he turned his head towards the horizon, Yume said nothing, instead simply observing him. There was a bit of intrigue in her eyes as she achieved this process, especially once she saw the male Inner Hollow smirk so satisfyingly. However, eventually, she would appear to share his enthusiasm as she came to understand that look of his and found herself briefly gazing towards that same direction. "Wow, speak of the devil! So angry. I was expecting Kimiko-chan to release the old man's blade against that new spirit of hers, but that spirit's own blade too! Oh, I swear... That girl may be depressed all the time, but her drama with her spirits? Ten out of ten material! You could make a whole book out of it~," she would eventually find herself commenting shortly after the fact. No, it wasn't just a simple comment this time; rather, it was clearly mockery again. Or was it friendly banter again? Either way, there was a bit of endearment in there, and just like before, it was quite the strange thing to witness.

Shortly after the moment passed, the mischievous woman would tell Yukito of the idea she possessed in order to fix Kimiko's emotional problem. A normal being would have been quite shocked to see the male Inner Hollow suddenly explode in a loud fit of laughter, maybe even embarrassed; after all, it was very clearly a reaction that was born out of sheer amusement of the words that were said. Yume, however, did not react so intensely to it. If anything, her reaction was barely perceptible. All she did as he laughed so uncontrollably was simply wait there on her rock with that same little smirk, gazing towards his direction with those sharp yet clever eyes. Her left hand - the one closest to the hilts of her blades - had barely even moved towards their direction. Instead, its palm remained flat against the rock. Again, it was another detail that made her quite the unusual creature, as another of the corrupted beings would have most likely reacted very differently.

It would not take long for the laughter to eventually end, and by the time it did, Yume would have the chance to explain her little idea. She was not at all surprised to see that he did not have much confidence in her plan potentially being beneficial for Celes, but even so, it did not deter her nor chased away the smile on her face. She would raise herself from the rock with a slow, fluid push before she would proceed to walk around the clearing with her hands behind her back. "I call this idea of mine Operation King of Fighters~," she would start with an excited tone in her voice, as though she was rather proud of the name she found and wanted to hear Yukito's opinion on it. Nevertheless, regardless of what he would say, she would then continue: "Don't worry, it's a very simple plan. You don't need to remember anything specific~. What I want us to do... is take over our hosts, and have ourselves a little spar."

The last line was said with a bit more gravitas. She wanted Yukito's full attention on this, his full understanding. "It can happen anywhere, any day, any time," she explained with that smile of hers as she continued to walk tranquilly around the clearing. At the same time, a little bit of darkened energy calmly exhumed from her body like a trail of spiritual corruption. "What that'll do is send our cute little officers a cute little message~. Either become stronger as the one true being who should rule over our vessels... or fodder that only deserves to be thrown away in a trash can." By the time she was done laying down her plan, she found herself nearing the male Inner Hollow with that same confidence she carried ever since she appeared from the forest. It made her appear incredibly intimidating, though eventually, the darkness would dissipate and she would take on a more relaxed tone. "So, what do you think~? It's an absolute win-win, right~? It'll test our strength, it'll freak the girls out, and it'll be fun!"

[Celes Castellanos]

Shunpo'ing above the two as they fought while revealing her new Shikai seemed to put Celes into quite the favorable position. This would become even clearer as the ribcage surrounding her suddenly sprouted an arm that unleashed a devastating shockwave upon the incensed Zanpakutou Spirit. The winds suddenly roared into life and descended upon Taishokukane, knocking him to the ground and causing him to bounce for a moment as the sudden wind pressure tore at his clothing and flesh. It'd be a brutal display of the Captain's strength as she coasted over to a tree using her momentum and dug her hand into the bark beneath.

As she was hanging there, forming more of her Astral Soul, the combination of ribcage and limbs suddenly gained more form. They gained more shape, appearing more akin to a skeletal body. As the eys of the head gained their eerie yellow glow, Celes blinked for a moment. Finally, being able to see more of the forest with a significantly heightened vision, Celes had a new appreciation of the forest. There was a natural beauty to it as the wind blew solemnly. It was a peaceful place where only Taishokukane resided. The cracked and marred features of the trees and the landscape changed the appearance somewhat, but this was a battle that scarred it. Suddenly, she felt saddened. Did they have to fight this Zanpakutou Spirit? Could they have not reasoned with him? Celes was not sure... 

As the winds stopped, Celes' attention returned to Taishokukane. Could this have been enough? Was the Zanpakutou Spirit ready to give up? Celes hoped, but something deep within her... the warrior spirit that never quit told her that this would not be the end. As Taishokukane rose to his feet, seemingly brushing himself off, Celes sighed. He would keep getting up after ever brutal assault. Perhaps there was only one more tactic that the Captain could try without resorting to beating the shit out of him. Celes prepared herself for a moment, but she would be surpised as the Zanpakutou Spirit spoke. "Now I understand your foolishness, woman. Your mentor is just as foolish as you are," 

Celes simply scoffed in response to this, but her senses would sharpen as she peered at him. He raised his blade before him, black ink bubbling from him and collecting around the blade. The blade that he wielded suddenly lengthened. The environment around him began to lose its coloration. In fact, it would appear just as dull and lifeless as how the forest appeared at a glance. Regardless, Celes had the feeling that an attack was coming. After all, Taishokukane seemed to be more than the type to simply puff his chest out. He meant his words... he'd act on his threats. Finally, it happened.... a roar. A battle cry emerged from the Zanpakutou Spirit as he raced towards Celes. "I will see that she understands what she rewards!"

Celes narrowed her eyes as the Spirit approached. She could immediately tell that something was off... She could still see his movements..., but they were becoming ever so slightly blurry. Her mind shot several warning signs. "Did.. he seriously get faster?! Great..." She was preparing herself for an attack and yet... Kimiko seemed to rush in. Celes' eyes widened. If anything, it would be the perfect time to strike. They had two combatants against one... A fact that they could exploit. As Kimiko rushed the Zanpakutou Spirit, attacking him, Celes quickly crouched upon the tree. Celes' incredible physical bulk and strength was well known. She could punch through steel walls... she could stop blades with just her hand. Yet there was another application that she would make well known in this fight.

Kimiko's short exchanges could potentially give Celes the opening she needed. The pressure built up from her crouch would be released as she effectively kicked off of the tree. The moment she did, a crack form upon the bark that quickly raced outward. Celes suddenly raced towards her disciple and the Zanpakutou Spirit as the force of her leap shrouded herself and her Astral Soul in a cone of wind not unlike a shockwave. This high-intensity wind would afford Celes another layer of protection as anything that came close would be jostled by the powerful winds. Celes hoped that Kimiko's assault would be short enough that she would not be affected by the severe winds.

Regardless, Celes had to push onward, attempting to draw closer and closer to the airborne Zanpakutou Spirit. The winds threatening to push him aside if he was near her, Celes would try to use this short moment of disorientation, utilizing one of her spectral arms. Her goal? To surround Zanpakutou Spirit with one of her hands, trapping him. As she reached for Taishokukane, the arm would change. Tendrils began shoot out from the ribcage, surrounding the arm. The tendrils thickened and produced something akin to skin, hardening the limb even more against any oncoming assault. If she was successful, Celes would keep a tight grip. It would be not nearly enough to kill, but she knew her strength was dominating enough that it would not feel comfortable if he was caught by it, effectively immoblizing him. She'd attempt to maintain this grip if she was successful, landing on the ground and slowing herself by digging the other arm into the ground beneath them. 

---

Yukito peered at Yume closely as she spoke right after he felt Celes utilize her Shikai. "Wow, speak of the devil! So angry. I was expecting Kimiko-chan to release the old man's blade against that new spirit of hers, but that spirit's own blade too! Oh, I swear... That girl may be depressed all the time, but her drama with her spirits? Ten out of ten material! You could make a whole book out of it~," There is was. That idle mocking tone that Yukito expected. The Inner Hollow merely smirked as he listened to the continuing conversation with this Yume. Yukito had to admit... it was nice to meet another Inner Hollow. Plus she seemed to playful.. though it was chilling. Despite that, Yukito didn't mind and simply enjoyed the company. 

Soon the conversation would become somewhat amusing for Yukito. He'd make his stance clear that Yume's plan seemed facetious. That he wasn't buying into how she worded things. Yet.. Yume did not show a moment of resentment. Quite the opposite. The Inner Hollow seemed to still smile. Regardless, Yukito would give her the floor to share her plan. They had nothing to prove to one another... no dominance to flex.. this made Yume appealing to Yukito. The one trait he hated about Celes was that despite all of her strength... she never used it. She cared more about helping others improve than fighting for her life. To treat a battle like what it was... a struggle for survival. Yume, however, showed herself to be competent and was not afraid to use it to threaten or intimidate. This is was garnered his respect.

As Yume pushed herself off the rock and solemnly paced around the clearing, she'd make her plan known. "I call this idea of mine Operation King of Fighters~," the Inner Hollow gave a notable chuckle with a raised eyebrow. The name was certainly enticing though it sounded familiar. He did not know its origin. He simply nodded and grinned, enough to illustrate that he was intrigued. "Don't worry, it's a very simple plan. You don't need to remember anything specific~. What I want us to do... is take over our hosts, and have ourselves a little spar." The Inner Hollow crossed his arms, listening intently. This was getting more and more interesting.

Yume seemed to continue as she caught his attention. "It can happen anywhere, any day, any time," As Yume continued around the clearing, Yukito could feel a darkened reiatsu eminate from her. He chuckled. "Well... she certainly seems passionate and excited just to tell me about this..." Yume continued, detailing what was sounding like a fascinating idea. "What that'll do is send our cute little officers a cute little message~. Either become stronger as the one true being who should rule over our vessels... or fodder that only deserves to be thrown away in a trash can." As she finished, the Inner Hollow approached Yukito. He'd watch her movements closely as her reiatsu died down. He's simply smile as she approached what seemed to be a few feet away from him. "So, what do you think~? It's an absolute win-win, right~? It'll test our strength, it'll freak the girls out, and it'll be fun!"

Yukito chuckled, his piercing blue eyes fixated upon Yume for a moment. A few seconds of silence would pass until Yukito tapped his chin. His voice would be ring with curiosity and some level of excitement. "Well.. I've to admit it's certainly a lovely little idea..." He'd begin to shift around for a moment, following a similar path that the female Inner Hollow did, pondering. "I will also concede that I am definitely interested in sparring a fellow Hollow." He'd grin as his eyes met Yume's. "Though I've already made it clear to Celes that she'll have to fight me for dominion over this body... It was quite easy actually. All I had to do was brutalize her precious Yunorashi and she caved to my whims." He'd chuckle a little at the memory, clearly satisfied by the results. Soon the Inner Hollow shifted over to the rock where Yume sat not a few minutes ago. He'd gently kick off the ground, leaping atop it with minimal effort. A small shockwave subtly push through the ground, shaking the Inner World for just a moment.

He'd sigh, his expression stoic until he grinned again. "Well, my dearest Yume... consider me interested, although..." He'd pause for dramatic effect before continuing. "I don't have to tell you that our hold over their bodies is both limited and taxing... Their will fights back, unfortunately. I've had two occasions where I've possessed her and they pass out not too soon after. Now I'm also sure that I don't have to tell you that Soul Society does not value our existence too much. Two Inner Hollow reiatsu in Soul Society would be a sure-fire way to get executed. Are you following?" He grinned for a moment, not needing any conformations. "As such, how about we avoid this little spar of ours around here." He'd smile and rise to his feet, disappearing from sight. It could easily be identified by Yume as Yukito would appear a few inches away from Yume, still smiling as he leaned in. His stance was non-combative and his motions would be slow after the Shunpo. "You've got yourself a new friend, Yume." 

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Though she should have expected this to happen. Kimiko didn't think Taishokukane would suddenly become quicker. As far as she has been aware of his existence, she had always believed him to be about as fast as she was, if not somewhat slightly faster. He potentially did have the capability of suddenly becoming much faster and stronger than she was at any given time; after all, he is a Zanpakuto spirit and such beings are typically very powerful from the get-go. However, he always acted not unlike Shizukakane in the sense that he would mostly use technique over raw power in order to show her weaknesses to her. In other words, no matter how unfair he appeared to be in a fight, he never used more spiritual power than he really needed to in order to teach her anything. Sure, he was a greatly frustrating person to interact with, and so this fact didn't really matter in the long run... but it was still among the positive things she could say about him.

The slash that she received on her stomach as she attempted to battle the spirit in the distance between Celes and himself had made sure to completely eliminate that past modicum of positiveness she had. Even though he was cornered and more wounded than he has ever been in the past, he showed to both women that he was still too stubborn to admit defeat, and so he is now tapping into the power that was granted to him since his conception in order to have a chance to win this fight. This was more unfair than anything Kimiko has seen thus far from the spirit, and it caused her anger to boil even further. It caused her to clench her teeth as she recovered from the slashing wound that she had received near one of the many great trees that surrounded her, and her immense spiritual pressure to slowly crush the trunk of the tree as it was unleashed further against it. She wanted to rush back in, to assault Taishokukane again until there is nothing left of him.

Turns out, Celes did that for her.

As she would turn towards where the spirit was while she was recovering from her wound, she would notice that the strange construct which had formed around the Captain had launched itself towards their position. She saw as the spiritual pair of arms, its head and the torso that kept them connected altogether were all brought forward down towards where Kimiko attempted to drive Taishokukane back. The sight of the massive spiritual entity caused the Third Seat's eyes to widen. Even though her rage still burned so bright, her beastly instincts warned her of the incoming projectile which blast itself from the trees and headed straight towards them in a veritable hurricane. They were telling to flee immediately, to escape what what it would entail should she get hit by it, less she suffer a most painful death. So, upon seeing it come towards her position, the Shinigami would immediately find herself utilizing Shunpo to bring herself away onto one of the trees she previously heavily damaged.

In comparison, Taishokukane was not deterred by the sight. If anything, upon witnessing the coming of the great spiritual manifestation, he appeared even more encouraged to fight on and supposedly protect the pride he so cherished. With resolution, he rushed onward into the air towards Celes with the use of Ashibumi Daichi, wielding his extended dark blade to his side as he formed multiple circular discs of energy that would allow him to move. As the "ink" of the blade followed him like a trail madly drawn by an invisible artist, it would find itself forcibly drawn towards the spirit's person as he would suddenly sheathe his weapon upon seeing the arm that was coming towards him. This would cause the energy's typical ringing to grow louder, louder and louder still until the spirit would suddenly shout just as the enormous hand created by Celes would reach him, slashing towards the hand's palm in the process: "Nibui... Hakai!"

It was a rapid process, one that Celes would have a difficult time properly witnessing as the giant arm she produced would be positioned in front of Taishokukane. However, as he called the name of this apparent technique, the "ink" around the blade would unexpectedly vanish. The air would grow tense, charged with great spiritual energy, and in the span of what appeared to be a second or so, the arm of Celes' Astral Soul would suddenly receive ten powerful cuts brimming with such spiritual pressure that they would potentially destroy the arm. The first two cuts would target the fingers - one for the little finger, the ring finger and the middle finger, and the other for the index and the thumb - so as to cleave them off of the hand, then the rest would be accomplished so as to slice the arm into multiple pieces. It was a very powerful technique, one that Kimiko could actually use. Unfortunately, she had never shown it to Celes just yet, and so had not informed her of the possibility of such a thing happening.

Whether this process is successful or not, Celes would then be able to witness him standing near her position shortly after she would land on the ground below. The grip around his lengthened blade was still just as tight, though his legs were a bit shakier than before. "I am Taishokukane... spirit of the cleansing blade!" His voice would huff as he stood his ground with the wounds he has thus suffered. Despite the fact that he still stood proudly in front of the Captain, it was clear that he was exhausted and hurt. It was possible that the many cuts that he received from the wind previously propulsed towards his position had caused much bleeding over the course of time, and now he stood weakened. This did not mean that he was totally out of it just yet, but he was most certainly in a worse shape than before. Unfortunately, this did not quell his temper. "This will be your very last warning, foolish teacher. Begone from this place immediately! The abomination you have conjured is no match for my swo-"

Suddenly, before he could finish his sentence, a raging Kimiko would appear from behind a tree that they stood nearby, and dash straight for Taishokukane. She shockingly accomplished this assault with more speed than usual, with trails of white "ink" to come out of her body as a form of mist that appeared to be drawn around her person. Celes would potentially be able to remember this technique: it was Kagayaku Kasoku, an ability provided by Shizukakane which allows the Third Seat to be faster than usual. With the aid of this technique, she would savagely crash the scabbards of her blades into Taishokukane's back, causing him to let out a pained cry before the both of them would land near Celes' Astral Form with Kimiko's knees pressed onto the man's chest as he landed on his back. Surprised, the spirit would simply stare at the Shinigami as she sheathed her white blade before then rapidly delivering several blunt strikes to his head with the scabbard of the black blade. The woman's screams were nothing short of fearsome. 

At this point, the man was completely overwhelmed, and as terrible as the situation was, this would allow Celes to act.

---

The woman clad in school clothes would patiently await the man's response after she explained what she had in mind for them. She did so with that same smile she has been maintaining for some time now without ushering any other word. Needless to say, coupled with the fact that she still stood so straight seemingly without any imperfections in her posture, it all made her appear rather unsettling. Even though she did absolutely nothing and really was not planning of doing anything more than what she had set to accomplish within this world, it still felt as though she could change her mind at any given moment. Was it because she had previously liberated some of her strange spiritual energy? Perhaps that was indeed the case; after all, the effects of the first few bursts she had unleashed a few minutes ago could still be felt to this very moment. Either way, it made the conversation almost more tense than it should really be.

Fortunately, Yukito was not at all affected by her behavior. If anything, he remained calm and assertive before the fellow Inner Hollow, something which Yume noticed and appeared to enjoy as she listened to his response. She was pleasantly amused by the way he followed her previous path to a tee, or rather at least as similarly as he possibly could, and was very satisfied to hear that he was interested in pursuing the so-called "Operation King of Fighters". The way her smile widened and her dark aura quietly shone for a brief moment upon hearing him properly declare himself interested in the matter was a testament to the happiness she felt in that moment. Well, at the very least it appeared as though she was quite happy to see the matter unfold as it did. For all Yukito knew, it could simply be the recreation of happiness or the subduing of something that was much more intense. That was simply how this Inner Hollow appeared to behave, after all.

With that said, there was of course a catch to his interest, a very clear "although". Despite wishing to properly spar with Yume, the male being would ascertain that the officers would fight back against their holds and that their time will thus be quite limited. Moreover, this spar could also not occur within the Soul Society, as it would most likely cause its leaders to immediately call for the officers' execution. The female being's expression would not change once she was reminded of those things. As Yukito himself said, he did not need to remind her of those conditions. "Of course," she would tell him after she was asking is she was properly following the man, closing her eyes as she did so and letting her smile widen just a fair bit. "I was not planning for this operation to happen in the Soul Society anyway. As cool as that would have been, I don't want our cute little officers to be killed by smelly old men just because of one little spar. That would just suck~." 

It was unsurprising that she appeared to not have much respect for those who led the heavenly realm, though the way she spoke of the Soul Society was surprisingly more interesting in comparison. It seemed that she admired it to an extent, or saw it as something that had a net positive outcome in her mind. In a way, she appeared as though she understood its utility, and saw it as being evidently useful in one way or another, most potentially because it could help Kimiko became a greater warrior. However, like everything she has spoken of or reacted to so far, she did not treat the potential loss of the access to the Soul Society Kimiko has been granted since her death as being particularly worrisome. If anything, the confidence she showed as she spoke of the elders who rule the realm showed that she wasn't afraid of the judgement they would lay down upon the Third Seat for Yume's existence, like she believed that she could either face them head-on or simply flee from their grasp if it ever comes to that.

Eventually, the matter would be truly settled and a deal would be made. They would take over the officers one day when the time and situation allows it outside of the Soul Society, and then they would spar in order to send a warning. Become stronger or die. It was a simple message, one that went straight to the point, and Yume at the very least believed that it was going to be effective. Unfortunately, it was hard to say whether her belief was certifiable on the matter or not, given that the being was playful and noticeable difficult to emotionally track. However, her thorough knowledge of Kimiko was not something that could be argued against. If the message would not reach Celes, then it would reach her host specifically, which would indirectly also affect Celes due to their connection; after all, a teacher never gives up on their student. If they do, they are a bad teacher and - in the specific case of the Captain of the Tenth - a terrible friend.

After Yukito would accomplish his Shunpo, Yume would show no reaction once again. She did not appeared shocked or even so much as surprised by the suddenness of his movement. Instead, she would simply open her eyes once again and smile back at him as he now stood very close to her. "Perfect~. I wouldn't have asked for a better one," the being would compliment as her quaint smile grew bigger once more. After she spoke her words, she would slowly side to the left of the male being with her body being exceptionally close to his own as she did so to the point that she almost brushed herself against him. As to be expected, this caused the air between them to grow tense and dark once again. It was akin to a cat remaining close to the legs of their owner, with the only difference being that it was unclear whether there was any affection in the act this time around. Once it was accomplished, she would direct herself towards the rock once again and hum. "Looks like we have some more time on our hands. I say we commemorate this friendship a little bit further!" She would exclaim as she moved. What happened next was rather unprecedented.

In the blink of an eye following the sound of unsheathing steel, the aforementioned rock would be remodeled by the Inner Hollow. It was all accomplished with extreme speed and superhuman precision beyond the highest level even a Shinigami could reach. The rock's top would be cleaved in two by the white blade, leaving only a flat surface and a remaining piece that would be swiftly cut into multiple smaller rocks, and its sides would be sliced so that it would take on the appearance of a smoothed surface. The pieces which remained from this particular step would also be cut into smaller rocks too. After this first process was accomplished, the smaller rocks would be set aside around what remains of the larger rock, and the flat surface which now occupies the latter's top would suddenly have its rock engraved with a square grid. Each square within the grid was cut with enough accuracy to allow for a perfect equalized size. None of them were smaller or larger than the other.

Eventually, this remodeling would be completed, and Yukito would be able to behold the result of Yume's labor. From the looks of it, it was a large shogi board carved in a table of stone, surrounded by four seats. It had been created masterfully, almost as if the female being had actually done something like this before. She hadn't. Appearing as though she had never unsheathed her swords to begin with, she would calmly walk towards the seat opposite to Yukito's position with a calm smile, then sit down in that same stupendously-straight posture before lifting a hand, then swiftly flicking it towards the board multiple times. Smaller rocks would be released from her grip in this process before landing on the board, quickly revealing themselves to be shogi pieces to be used by opposing players. "Let's play a game of shogi," she would tell her fellow Inner Hollow after she was done. "I haven't played this in a while, and I think you'd be a really cool opponent to play against~." 

[Celes Castellanos]

Without wasting much time, Celes launched herself at Taishokukane as the wind curled around her enlarged astral form, threatening to consume anything in its path. Thankfully, it seemed that Kimiko would get the hint. She needed to get out the way now! The Third Seat executed a quick Shunpo to launch herself away from the coming assault of the Captain. Closing in on the Zanapkutou Spirit, she was ready to grasp him with her spectral hand. After all, the Captain had made up her mind. Instead of beating on Taishokukane, quite apparently a difficult task, she would aim to restrain the Zanpakutou Spirit. Among the three of them, she was positive that she had the most physical bulk. All she needed to do was grab him... that couldn't be so hard... right?

Well unfortunately it seemed that Taishokukane was not the type to let himself be captured. Quite the opposite in fact as he steeled himself. Even despite her intent, Celes could feel the determination. She could sense the roaring fire of the Zanpakutou's will. At this rate... he'd never give up. As the Captain's spectral arm was nearly upon the Spirit, the black ink that radiated from him suddenly began to collect around the blade. Celes had no good view of it, but something about this didn't feel right. He was going to face her head-on? All kinds of warning bells rang in her head. The Captain's eyes widened... she was walking straight into a trap.

With this renewed understanding, Celes began to reorient her Astral Soul. The spare arm descended, slipping effortlessly through the skeleton that surrounded her. As soon as she'd make contact, she'd utilize a Shunpo to get to the ground as soon as possible. Unfortunately, Taishokukane was faster and she'd not get out of this situation unscathed. Despite the winds that seemingly tore at him, for a moment, he would remain calm. That was... until he unleashed a brutal sword swing upon Celes. The words burned within the Captain's mind. "Nibui... Hakai!" The sword would finally be unleashed from his scabbard, assaulting Celes with a vicious strike.

The Astral Soul was an extension of her will. Contact with the hardened skeleton could be felt, but this was different. As the second passed, she felt her arm be struck a multitude of times in that short fragment of time. It would be absolutely vicious. The arm was cut with almost surgical efficiency. Fingers were bisected... the wrist was sliced... the arm was dismantled piece by piece by the time she executed her Shunpo. Actually... the Zanpakutou Spirit seemed to dissect the spectral arm even as it began to dissipate from the power behind the first few strikes. So quick would this be executed. Using her Shunpo, Celes blitzed toward the ground, sliding swiftly along the ground. Looking to her side, the Captain groaned for a moment as her spectral arm had been reduced to nothing in mere moments.

She narrowed her eyes, focusing upon Taishokukane, her mind racing. "That was impressive... He actually stood his ground and took out the limb before it even reached him... No. It's more than that. He sliced it to ribbons before it even had time to crumble. He's a fighter alright... I have to him credit.." Her eyes focused on him anew as he descended to the ground. He tried to put on a tough act, but Celes was an accomplished warrior. She had an eye for the constitution of her opponents. His legs were twitching. His eyes burned with a fire, but she could tell that he had sustained quite the significant hit from her shockwave earlier. He could posture as much as he wanted to... Celes knew.

Regardless of his physical condition, the Spirit seemed to continue to proclaim his dominance to the pair. "I am Taishokukane... spirit of the cleansing blade!" Celes did not raise her hand towards the Zanpakutou Spirit. Quite the opposite, she'd maintain a calm disposition as she continued to peer at their opponent. Despite the resolute sound of his voice, his breath was betraying him. The heightened eyesight of the Astral Soul gave her the ability to even see his breathing. It was uneven. Yet the Zanpakutou Spirit continued to boast. "This will be your very last warning, foolish teacher. Begone from this place immediately! The abomination you have conjured is no match for my swo-" Her hyper fixation upon the Spirit left Celes completely unaware of her disciples' own motions as she came barreling into Taishokukane.

The disciple came barreling in, swiftly and mercilessly ramming her blackened scabbard into the back of her Zanpakutou Spirit. The impact was vicious as Kimiko moved at newfound speeds that made even Celes blink. The only thing she noticed... a white trail of ink that seemed to follow the Third Seats movements wherever she went. Soon the relentless assault would leave Taishokukane on his back, sliding on the ground as Kimiko was atop him, slamming her scabbard into the head over her Zanpakutou Spirit. The brutality was shocking... even to Celes. The Captain knew she had to act quick, the two combatants before her, before Kimiko went too far. Concentrating upon her Astral Soul as Kimiko continued mercilessly, the Captain would quickly form. Normally, this would be an impossibility for her, but her time in this fight had ended, giving her time to give her undivided focus. Now... she needed to mediate.

Suddenly and without much warning, Celes yelled at the top of her lungs. "Alright! That's enough!!!" an arm leapt forth once more to replace the just recently splintered shards of her Astral Soul's arm. At the same time, her other arm leapt for as well. The goal? To restrain both Taishokukane AND Kimiko. If she was successful, her spectral arms would grip both with impressive strength. It would not be crushing, but no amount of struggle would allow either to simply break free. Quite the opposite. They'd be nearly immobilized! If she was successful, she'd hold them both before her. Looking at the Zanpakutou Spirit, she'd sigh. "Taishokukane.. Guardian of the Cleansing Blade. We only seek information about the Inner Hollow that ails Kimiko..."

She had a feeling that she had to appeal to the Zanpakutou Spirit in some way. They'd likely get nothing out of each other by behaving like animals. "I know my presence angers you. I concede that I should not be here. Would you be willing to share what you know if I vow to never return?" For a moment, she'd study the Zanpakutou Spirit, looking for any emotion that she could appeal to. Right now, she was trying to quell his anger. This required trust and sometimes... a leap of faith. The Captain simply sank her body, kneeling on her knees. "Allow me to act in good faith..." With that, the spectral arm around Taishokukane would fade as the ribcage that surrounded Celes would split, opening a path to the Captain. Meanwhile, the Captain would continue to hold Kimiko with her spectral arm for now. "I place my continued existence in this realm in your hands... Taishokukane. All I ask is that you award Kimiko the information she seeks so she may defend herself when the time comes..." With that, Celes closed her eyes... waiting to see what judgement would befall her at the hands of the Zanpakutou Spirit.. she hoped that she had made her case well enough...

---

Meanwhile in Celes' Inner World, as the male Inner Hollow took his place atop the boulder, he'd make his stance perfectly clear. They were Inner Hollows, despised by the likes of Soul Society and Central 46. They owed the two of them nothing despite the decorations of their Shinigami host. Yukito knew that his continued existence relied on Celes not getting herself killed. He would make sure that Shinigami was safe under any circumstances simply to protect his own life. It seemed as though Yume was sensible enough to share the sentiment. "Of course," There it was. That smile again. Yukito merely peered at her. The topic was serious enough for him to lose his playful attitude for the moment. 

"I was not planning for this operation to happen in the Soul Society anyway. As cool as that would have been, I don't want our cute little officers to be killed by smelly old men just because of one little spar. That would just suck~." This elicited a quiet chuckle from the male Inner Hollow. "Well... that's certainly one way to put it... doesn't matter to me. Long as she doesn't get us killed." Despite the kinship that he felt to Yume, she had her differences. Every now and then... Yukito felt that she did not take this too seriously. She felt too... unhinged. She wasn't crazy and yet... something felt off. That she was even more demented than him. Yukito respected it... hell. He even admired it, but he recognized it for what it was. Dangerous!

Regardless, they'd seem to have their little plan all figured out and sealed as a done deal. In that moment, Yukito would rise as his Shunpo carried him towards Yume with impressive speed. Even despite his sudden appearance, the female Inner Hollow would not flinch. She wouldn't even move. It was commendable. It would mark the moment that Yukito declared himself a friend to Yume. There was little deception behind it. Hell... he appreciated the more interesting company. It seemed that his new acquaintance agreed. "Perfect~. I wouldn't have asked for a better one," Then Yume began to move again. Yukito felt it clear as day. That darkness that emanated from her. As black as the night and somewhat predatory... This only affirmed the nature of Yume to Yukito. He really did have to watch out around her. Instead of feeling fear though... he'd smirk. "How exciting..." 

As Yume began to hum, she made a comment that admittedly caught the Inner Hollow off guard. "Looks like we have some more time on our hands. I say we commemorate this friendship a little bit further!" Yukito gave her an inquisitive look. The sudden burst of speed and the delicate cuts would be recognizable to Yukito. Each stroke of her blade was calculated... There was no randomness to her movements. Given his expertise in swordsmanship... Yukito could tell that this was a creative mind at work. Soon, he'd be able to witness the product of that skill. A shogi board. Each cut was meticulous. Not the faintest error. He grinned. This was practiced...

He began to approach one of the two seats before Yume even spoke though he would listen as she placed the corresponding, finely carved pieces. "Let's play a game of shogi," Yukito chucked and interjected before she could continue. "Intriguing. It seems you are full of wonderful surprises, Yume." He'd take his seat as the fellow Inner Hollow finished her thought. "I haven't played this in a while, and I think you'd be a really cool opponent to play against~." He grinned and chuckled at her flattery. "Well... it would be impolite of me to decline. Though I've to admit... I'm unpracticed. Celes once tried to learn it and gave up... I like to think that my patience is greater than hers." He'd grin, idly tapping the board. "Well then. Let's play!" For once in the past few minutes, Yukito sounded... excited. This was more than their last ten or so minutes of banter. He genuinely seemed interested in this continued partnership of theirs. Only time would tell whether he'd come to regret it...

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Kimiko's rage was fully showcased to both the spirit that inhabited these depressing woods and the Captain who stood nearby as she pummeled him. It was very clear that, in her anger, she had sacrificed any patience she may have had for the man up until this point and now fully delivered onto him what she had holding within her heart for so long. It was a destructive and swift assault, one fueled with blood thirst that caused every strike she delivered towards  his head to become faster and faster. In her strikes was even a modicum of killing intent that could be felt in the air around her, a fragment of dark that tainted her spiritual energy. Maybe she never once believed she wanted to kill him before. Hell, it never seemed as though she ever once harbored such thoughts, as despite her hatred of him, she never expressed wishes of violence towards him... but regardless of what she thought then, she now was driven by emotions, and quite unfortunately, these emotions demanded blood.

As this wild presentation of the Third Seat's pure and unadulterated wrath proceeded, the spirit could barely find the strength to defend himself, or at least appeared to be at his limit. His body had been broken by the Captain's sheer physical strength, and what lies within it has been weakened by the cutting wounds left by both the wind expelled by Celes and the blades that Kimiko possessed. Though the blade he still held hummed with the black "ink" energy that surrounded its steel with such power that it drained its surroundings of all color in the blink of an eye, he didn't raise it into his assailant as an attempt to defend himself. Despite the fact that he had just used it against Celes to slice the arm of her Astral Soul to pieces, he did not seem to dare wish to use it against Kimiko here. Not even once. Instead, he merely raised his left arm in a veiled attempt to block and potentially catch the scabbard that was aimed for his head.

Unfortunately, his attempts appeared to be futile. He did not catch the scabbard. If anything, the fact that he was even trying to catch it to begin with was only making it all worse, seeing as it would cause him to not anticipate the hit against his cranium several times over. Naturally, this resulted in several head injuries. Since he was a spirit, head trauma was perhaps the least of his worries for now, especially since Kimiko was not using the blade of her weapon to hit him. However, the hits were already leaving him with several ugly marks, such as a bloodied lip and several contusions near his forehead. The further it went on, the more contusions he received, and the less accurate his movements became. Nevertheless, he remained hopelessly stubborn, never once declaring defeat against the maddened Third Seat even as his face became more terrible to witness by the second and his eyes became almost bloodied by the wounds.

The scarlet-eyed woman did not see this contusions, or rather she simply did not wish to consider their existence as worrisome. In her angered mind, it did not matter, and so she simply continued to pummel him over and over. There was no logic in her decisions, no hesitation, simply emotion. Perhaps, if she would have been allowed to proceed any further, she would have actually outright caused the spirit to die somehow; after all, even if they are notoriously sturdy in their own right, they are not invincible and can eventually be defeated by a being, whether this being be their own master and someone that can somehow enter the Inner World. The fact that Shizukakane even took the threat of the being within Kimiko's dreams was a testament to that fact, as otherwise, it would have just been totally ignored. Fortunately for everyone involved, the Third Seat would not actually be capable of dishing out any more damage to the spirit that could be dangerous to his life.

Celes took the opportunity when it showed itself to her and responded accordingly. Despite the sheer size of the Astral Soul, she would use Kimiko and Taishokukane's inattention to prepare the spiritual construct and grab them both. Since they were so focused onto one another, the both of them were unable to see the arms coming until the very last second, and by the time they did notice it, it was far too late. Kimiko appeared almost manic as she was grabbed. She would find herself briefly continuing to vividly smash the scabbard of her black blade forward towards Taishokukane's head, almost as if her movements were automated, and once she would finally realize what was happening to her, she would clench her teeth and forcefully attempt to liberate herself from the grip. "NO! NO, I HAD HIM! LET ME GO!" She found herself shouting at first all the while almost flailing angrily, rapidly hitting the hand with her scabbard, seeing as her right arm was the only part of her she could move while being detained. The Shinigami would continue to do this for some time before she would eventually stop herself and simply press her face against the hand, all the while holding her scabbard her the right side of her head. "Let me go..."

Her eyes were still burning with the desire to hurt, and so Celes' idea to keep her detained for the time being was seemingly quite sound. It was better to maintain her as such until she could find the strength to calm down. Meanwhile, the spirit simply remained quiet as he was separated from Kimiko by the Captain. Though he hissed in brief pain due to the force that was pressed by the hand onto his wounds, he did not mutter a word in the moment, instead deciding to maintain a cold gaze towards the higher officer. As she spoke to him, he would continue to remain quiet with that glare of his, making sure to have her understand that he still held no apparent appreciation for her and therefore had nothing more to say to her other than what he has been telling her for the duration of her time in this place. However, this coldness would change once the woman suddenly removed the rib cage that protected her and the arm that held him.

Quiet still for the first few moments following his liberation from Celes' grip, the man would stare at her with a glare that evidently grew less cold the further he maintained it. He appeared to be hesitating again, much like when he told the words that caused Kimiko to emotionally explode. His anger was still there, especially now that he supposedly had been defeated, though there seemed to be a part of him that actually did care about what happened to an extent in another way. Eventually, the dark "ink" which was exhumed from his blade would slowly dissipate, causing his surroundings to progressively regain their color. He looked over his shoulder towards the direction from which the women came, more specifically the direction in which the divide - and therefore the Fields of Tranquility - remained. Finally, his gaze would stop onto Kimiko who was still very angry at him, and by then, his eyes would close and his hands would move to sheath his blade. "I am not interested in putting an end to your existence. I wished you to leave. That was the only thing I asked of you," he reiterated as he straightened himself. Suddenly, he did not seem so tired anymore. "But now, I see that you are never going to leave. Not until I give you what you seek from me."

"No shit..." Kimiko would find herself sighing quietly in response, maintaining her head down against the spiritual construct's hand as she did so. "You're our only lead... There's no one else we can talk to about this..." She had visibly calmed herself down quite extensively, but that did not mean she tolerated the spirit. "We went to Shizukakane first for a reason." If anything, from the looks of it, she still hated him, and the only thing that kept her from being any angrier at him was, well, her own tiredness which had now returned in full force. Thankfully, due to the emotions she felt at this point in time, she did not notice that he was suddenly acting less wounded than he really was. If she did, she would have probably exploded again.

The spirit would stare at his master with a calmer, yet still stern gaze once he heard her speak. Like Kimiko, his opinion of her hadn't changed extensively. However, it was undeniable that something in him had changed as he hesitated yet again. At this point, he would realize that it was obvious he was hiding something, and in turn, he would decide to turn his head in Celes' direction. "Since she has finally defeated me by accepting one of the lessons I have given her... I suppose I can grant her this, at the very least. Besides, I have long grown tired of the old man's ways, and what I have seen today has proven to me that the secrecy of this matter can no longer stand." His eyes would briefly turn towards Kimiko to see if he had gotten her attention. From the looks of it, he did, as his words caused her to raise his head. Noticing this, he would cross his arms and position himself so that he would be able to stare at the both of them. "The being that resides within your mind, Kimiko, is not a dream. She is what your teacher says."

Kimiko remained silent at first as she registered the information, though slowly, she raised her hand and simply stared at him. Celes believed that the being in her dreams was an Inner Hollow... so what Taishokukane said in this moment more or less confirmed it. She was like Celes, meaning that she was someone who held enough darkness within her to cause something to be born from it. It was a very sudden answer, yet it admittedly felt somewhat cathartic to actually have one of her many questions answered in such a direct fashion. In fact, just hearing it caused her to simply calm down quite a fair bit. "So... I'm like Celes," she simply repeated what she thought in her mind at this point almost word for word, after which she would then huff as frustration began to build up again. "Why didn't you tell me that from the beginning? I would've felt less stressed... I would've... I don't know, I would've tried to get someone to fix this!"

"Because this cannot be mended by anybody else but you, and you were not ready," the spirit responded bluntly, which caused Kimiko to pause abruptly and stare again. At first, the anger would appear in her eyes again, though he would immediately proceed to talk further in order to silence her frustrations. "This "Inner Hollow", as your teacher described, is not a simple beast. I know this, because the very first task that I have accomplished in this life was crossing blades with her. She is a cunning trickster who manipulates and orchestrates her every move to the point that even I struggle to face her. The second task I have accomplished was evaluating you, and as you were before... she would have crushed you in mere seconds. The result of that evaluation has not changed." As the Third Seat simply remained stunned from the explanation, the spirit would approach her and frown. "I have kept this information secret so that I could shape you into a warrior that would be able to defeat her in time. This responsibility of mine still stands, and so does the old man's."

It was a lot of information for Kimiko to suddenly take into account. Arguably, it wasn't much, but it felt like it could allow her to piece together answers for the rest of the million questions that were currently resting into the pile in her head. "... What is Shizukakane's responsibility?" She asked then, wanting to hear what he had to say about this. In return, the spirit hesitated once again, though he eventually took on a more serious gaze.

"To shield you from harm until I have accomplished mine." 

The two would remain silent after this, with Kimiko simply taking the information in and Taishokukane standing there. It was clear that a part of the Third Seat was hurt by this revelation, as it proved that Shizukakane's life has been on a countdown for much longer than she thought it had been, more precisely ever since the silver shade was brought forth from that second Asauchi. If she would have actually followed his teachings to the letter, even if they annoyed her greatly and went against her beliefs, then all of this could have been prevented just a little bit faster. Hell, maybe the being in her dreams would have been defeated by now and they could have all moved on without even the need to ask for help from Celes.

While she would think about this further in a slightly-melancholic fashion, the spirit would turn her gaze towards Celes. "As for you, the reason why we have fought here is because I wished to evaluate you as well." He revealed this calmly with a sharp eyes. "As of yet, your performance is commendable. You indeed possess strength that is greater than most. However, as you are now, this Inner Hollow will crush you as well." There was no hesitation in his words. It was very clear that his judgement of the whole situation was so far not going to be deterred from this point. He would remain quiet for a moment once again before he huffed: "Are you now satisfied?"

[Celes Castellanos]

As she let the Zanpakutou Spirit go, focusing her reiatsu to open a path, Celes was ready to accept any judgement that Taishokukane afforded her. The Captain kept her eyes closed, listening for any subtle change. She was going to accept anything as penance, but if she was to be struck by Taishokukane, she at least wanted to know about it. It would offer her peace of mind as she waited. The spectral hand that held on to Kimiko would ease up a little as she relaxed, offering her little escape, but not feeling as crushing anymore. Suddenly, Celes would hear the sheathing of a blade. Just as he did, Celes opened her eyes and gazed upon the Zanpakutou Spirit as he spoke.

"I am not interested in putting an end to your existence. I wished you to leave. That was the only thing I asked of you," The Captain nodded, fully willing to depart if he demanded it and yet... despite all his stubbornness, it was his realization afterwards that surprised Celes the most. "But now, I see that you are never going to leave. Not until I give you what you seek from me." The Capain's eyes widened as she stared at him for a moment. In her shock, she'd barely even hear Kimiko speak. "No shit...You're our only lead... There's no one else we can talk to about this..." Celes sighed as her head dropped somewhat. Her disciple had a fair point. "We went to Shizukakane first for a reason." Sensing that the air began to clear between the three of them, Celes would disperse the spectral arm that had found its way around Kimiko.

In mere moments, the Third Seat would find the pressure easing up significantly. Shortly after, the arm would seemingly disappear from sight. Around the same time, an eerie wail came from the head atop the ribcage which quickly began to fall apart, disappearing in a similar manner as the arm not more than a few moments ago. What was left was the reddened ribcage which continued to surround Celes as her spiritual pressure, now much gentler, had begun to leak from her as the red haze that surrounded her. She'd sit there, watching Taishokukane's demeanor to change. He had seemed to grow more... understanding. His body language did not speak of the need for further strife. Celes sighed contently as the Zanpakutou's eyes darted over to her and he spoke. 

"Since she has finally defeated me by accepting one of the lessons I have given her... I suppose I can grant her this, at the very least. Besides, I have long grown tired of the old man's ways, and what I have seen today has proven to me that the secrecy of this matter can no longer stand." This little comment. This made Celes raise an eyebrow. She'd peer at Taishokukane... not with malice or hate, instead she felt only curiosity over this single statement. "It's about damn time that we are finally finding something out, but... his wording. Did Shizakakune know more than he let one? What is he talking to Yunorashi about? Ugh... this is all so vexing..." Regardless, Celes would do her best to listen to everything that was going to be shared in the next few minutes.

The conversation deepened much more than Celes initially imagined. Her own questions and concerns would even be addressed. They spoke of how the parasite that lay within the soul of her disciple was in fact an Inner Hollow... He spoke of how cunning and crafty that the Inner Hollow was... how he traded blows with her in the past.. that she was a calamity of ability that was far beyond the Third Seat's reckoning. He spoke of how he tried to mold her into a warrior, capable of taking own her Inner Hollow and more interestingly that Shizakakune had the duty of protecting Kimiko while Taishokakune took up the duty of training her until she was ready. Celes' eyes narrowed. "He knew... Shizakakune knew all along didn't he? ....Damn him..." Celes heart ached for a moment. She wanted to condemn the Zanpakutou Spirits for keeping this all a secret and yet... was Celes any different? Did she not blindly live in ignorance... hoping that she was wrong about Kimiko? This realization made her anger turn to grief. 

Her attempts to protect Kimiko were only allowing her to suffer more. It was agonizing for her. Before she had time to reflect further, the Zanpakutou Spirits' eye fell upon her. With a brief wave of her hand, the ribcage around her vanished from sight. Her aura.. her spiritual pressure... it could still be felt. Her Shikai was very much active as the energy bled from her, but it could not be seen anymore. She'd look up at Taishokakune as he spoke. "As for you, the reason why we have fought here is because I wished to evaluate you as well." Celes' eyes narrowed for a moment. Her eyes were not filled with rage. Instead there was a gentle amusement. She would not speak quite yet as it seemed he still had more to say. 

"As of yet, your performance is commendable. You indeed possess strength that is greater than most. However, as you are now, this Inner Hollow will crush you as well." A compliment, an observation and the hard truth all in one. This one certainly did not mince words. Celes simply nodded her head as she waited for anything else, collecting her thoughts. His words would cut to the point and after a brief silence, he huffed. "Are you now satisfied?" Celes laughed softly as she nodded her head. "I understand that you tried to keep the threat real, but in the future, you know you just could have asked me to show what I was capable of... While I still hold to my vow never to return if you wish it, I have to admit that you have much to share.... Skill and technique that could even benefit a Captain like myself." She bowed her head respectfully for a moment. She had to admit that it upset her a little bit... Despite his rough teaching hand, the Captain was curious to spar with the shade some more... She wanted to see where she could improve. What she could learn. Her body language and tone would make it as clear as day. But... she made a promise and she would bind herself to it if the Zanpakutou Spirit wished it. Despite that though, Celes had more to say.

A notable sigh came from the Captain. Celes believed in improvement. She knew that hard work and determination could be a key to success. It was time that she held herself to those standards once more... "I will concede that in my current state... I am far weaker than Yukito..." She held her hands up, curling them into fists. Her voice became strained... as if she was reliving a painful memory. "When he... brutalized Yunorashi... I was powerless. I could only stand there as he beat my partner into submission to get to me... And even when I could stand to fight him, I was outmatched. His agility. His strength. Hell... even his spirit. They outstripped my own... I fear what such a being could... No. What he would do if he found a slip past the cracks. If he was able to fully possess my body." Once more, the Captain would sigh as he fist suddenly uncurled and relaxed. "All I can do is learn from my mistakes... Push myself to new heights to make sure that never happens." The anger on her face would resolve. Instead, she'd be smiling once more as she placed her hand on her hip, grinning. "I am satisfied. If you wish it, I will depart of my own accordance..." There was a sincerity in her voice as she truly meant it from the bottom of her soul.