School's Out

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Binita's smug and proud smile hadn't vanished just yet after she had showed off the ability provided to her by her strange weapon. It was clear that she held a certain amount of satisfaction regarding the somewhat-complex uniqueness of the weapon, and thus wanted to show it off, if only to make sure that it would bring an emotion out of someone like Ume that wasn't mild disinterest or plain disgust. At first, the results were rather mixed. Her eye visibly twitched once she heard the scientist summarize her ability as mere telekinesis yet again, and for a brief moment, it seemed like she was on the verge of spitting another mean comment in the researcher's direction. However, once she heard the rest of Ume's conclusion, her smile brightened almost instantly. "Oh, it's not just fetching! Like, I can do a bunch of my grappling stuff from afar like this! It's real cool shit~," she exclaimed with a singing tune brought about with her last words and it seemed as though she was going to keep up the teasing for a bit longer. That was, until she heard the next three words that came out of Ume.

"I want one..."

It was faint, muttered with nothing more than a whimper, but she was able to hear them loud and clear, and consequently, it did not take very long for a certain malaise to start setting in. Of course, Kimiko heard it too, and doing so brought about a notable frown of understanding. This frown was only exacerbated once she then heard what Ume had to say next about both her attempts at communicating with the spirit within her blade - or rather her attempts at not doing so - and the following explanation of what her weapon was supposed to be. Quite frankly, both seeing and hearing the scientist treat her weapon with such disappointment and derision was enough to cause a fair bit of frustration to return to the Captain's senses. She truly could not believe that someone from the Twelfth Division couldn't understand the veritable significance of the Zanpakuto to all Shinigami, no matter how powerful or how meek they could be, and a part of her wanted to outright hit Ume for holding such opinions about her weapon. 

But even so, she remained silent for the entirety of the researcher's explanation. She let her speak the woman completely answer her question without any notable reaction, taking in the words as much as she could, all the while Binita would just stare at the girl like she was even more of a freak than she let herself out to be. Not even the act of outright dropping the weapon onto the floor and the loud clanking sound that followed suit would cause her to react at a glance. Yet, right as Ume declared that she would be keeping the sword around simply out of curiosity more than anything else, the girl would very quickly realize right after her gaze left Binita that the Captain was now holding onto the blade that she had just dropped. There had been no hint of her picking the weapon up or even so much as beginning to crouch down in order to do so. It was as if the blade had suddenly appeared in her hands, and the process had been so utterly swift that it caused even Binita to lightly stand back in surprise.

The superior officer would stare at the steel of the Zanpakuto's blade for a moment. Her scarlet eyes gazed at it with clear respect and perhaps a little bit of pity, as though she was attempting to see if its fall against the floor had somehow damaged it. Then, her eyes turned from the blade towards Ume. This time, they became more judgemental again. However, the frustration that was previously there was gone, instead replaced with something that was a bit colder. "... You're right. Zanpakuto are swords, and swords are weapons. In the end, their purpose is to do nothing else than allowing us to better do our jobs as Shinigami, and I'm sure that must be boring for someone like you who only sees the world as just a bunch of information to gather," she would say then before she approached Ume with the scientist's Zanpakuto still in hand. "What you don't understand is that a Zanpakuto, in spite of being a weapon at its core, can be molded by its user to be anything they want."  

Her scarlet gazed remained fixated on Ume as she stood in front of her with that blade. It felt so small and light in the Captain's hand, the equivalent of a child's toy. Yet, just by holding it, she knew that there was something about the blade that was somewhat strange. In a way, the sword didn't feel like a sword. It instead appeared otherworldly to her, alien. Maybe it was just her instincts shooting up as they attempted to identify this odd problem. Maybe it was a strange spiritual dissonance created by the fact that she was holding onto another Zanpakuto. Either way, this would cause her to eventually grab the blade by the handle with one hand, then one of Ume's wrists with the other before giving the blade to the researcher. "If your soul really doesn't fit the purpose of the Shinigami, then your Zanpakuto will eventually evolve into a tool that will be at odds with it too. The only way that can happen, though, is through acceptance. If you can't do that, then you'll be stuck with nothing more than just a weapon."

Once Ume would be holding onto her weapon, Kimiko would stand back from the woman, then look down towards the wooden blade that had been left on the floor, the one that the researcher had left there in order to show off her Zanpakuto. Initially, the teacher simply wanted this training to be achieved with the practice gear... though now, she wanted to try something different. The girl wasn't powerful. That much was obvious. However, the odd sensation that the Captain felt from her weapon was enough to cause her to believe that that it was on the cusp of something greater in spite of Ume's complete unwillingness to properly communicate with it. If no communication can be had through the typical means, thus leading to the stagnation that the Zanpakuto was most evidently experiencing for the time being, then Kimiko was going to force a channel of communication to be born right then and there through another way entirely.

Binita had decided not to say anything just yet. She believed that it was best for her to remain quiet during that time so that her Captain could properly express what she thought of this entire situation on her own without any interference from her subordinate. However, once she saw said Captain suddenly unsheathe her white blade, her eyes widened. "Woah, Kimiko, what are you doing? That girl can't even fucking lift her sword yet!" She would ask with a surprised tone as she tried to understand what was happening. Evidently, she had been expecting that they would eventually be using real weapons, as Kimiko always preferred to use them instead of practice weapons. However, she never thought that they would use them at the very start of this training session, and she also didn't think that Kimiko - of all people in her entourage - would believe that pitting a beginner against her in proper Zanpakuto combat was a good idea.

Yet the Captain didn't respond to her question. At this point, in her eyes, this had become more than just a simple training session. It had turned into a more personal occurrence, something that she needed to confirm with Ume, but also with herself, especially in these most confusing times. As such, with this decision taken, she found herself staring deep into Ume's gaze and standing there with her blade in hand. "We're gonna start this with a basic spar!" She told Ume before she held her sword with both hands in front of her. It was a basic stance devoid of any potential traces of Iaijutsu, the kind that the researcher most likely knew wasn't entirely hers, given their previous experience with the turkeys from back then. "Come at me, Ume! Show me what you got! Maybe then, you'll be able to figure out what that Zanpakuto really means to you!"

SPOILER: Click to show

{Technique Used}
Technique Name: Akuma no Ishi (剃るかんめき, "Demon's Will")

Technique Type: Other | Strength of Will Buff

Technique Element: None

Usable by: All races

Class: 3

Technique Reiatsu Cost: N/A

Technique Description and Effects

The projection of one's own will to empower the hearts of others. The user channels the strength of their very soul within themselves before shouting it out, most typically either in a short inspirational speech or a motivational war cry. By accomplishing this, the user is capable of bringing forth the Strength of Will skill of all of their surrounding allies by one point for the next three posts, inspiring them to go further beyond towards victory even if such a thing may cost their lives. A master of this skill is said to have such a powerful will that they are able to instead bring the aforementioned skill of their allies up by two points.


Drawbacks & Weaknesses

As saddening as this may be to those who may be interested in learning this technique, not everyone is born with a powerful will. That is simply a natural, uncontested fact that cannot be refuted even by the greatest minds there is in this world. In so doing, it is not difficult to imagine that this technique will not always show any kind of positive effect onto the people surrounding them, especially if they are used by naturally-uninspiring individuals. In order to guarantee this technique's proper success, the user must possess a 2 in at least one of the following skills: Acting, Charisma, or Strength of Will. This technique can be executed by those who have a lesser version of these skills if they so will it; however, upon execution, there will be a 50% chance of this skill failing to provide any kind of inspiration to allies altogether.


Made by: Nakajima Kimiko

Reserved? : No

[Ume Oboro]

Ume thought the zanpakutou might clang a little more as she discarded it, but when she looked up and looked back, nothing much more than the blink of any eye, she saw Kimiko holding it. Ume's eye twitched as she looked at the Captain. She lifted her hand and pinched the bridge of her nose. She knew some  nonsense was going to come spewing out of her mouth. Did Ume really need another lecture from this woman? Everything so far had been so painful to endure that she was almost wishing one of the turkeys would have eaten her. 

Ume snorted as Kimiko spoke. She shook her head. "I never said you didn't serve an important role. I understand that in this world that I'm the anomaly and you are the standard by which the mold should be made and filled, but the world is information. Without it, there's nothing, so there's no need to be dismissive of what I can do just because it's not what you want. I don't need to tell my zanpakutou what I want so I assume it's incumbent upon them to figure out a way t  o make that happen." 

Before she knew it, though, she was being yanked, nearly stumbling and forced into holding her zanpakutou again. She gripped it with two hands and let it rest against her thigh as she leered at Kimiko and waited for what was next. Whatever  it was, Ume certainly didn't want it!

Still, she did feel something well up inside of her. She leered at Kimiko and took a deep breath. "I don't know what you want  from me, but if you just want to beat me up or humiliate me, then get it over with!" Ume growled. "I can't even touch  you and we both know that." Ume held her hands up and they wobbled as she raised her Zanpakutou above her head. 

"And, do you know something else?" She said. "If my  zanpakuou is part of my soul then she's just as smart as me, which means that she is not going to be tricked by you anymore than I am!" Ume said. "So don't treat her like she's every other zanpakutou!" Ume's hands dropped so that her weapon was pointed at Kimiko, but it was an obvious struggle to keep it locked in that position. "You aren't going to get anything out of her by smacking her around. You aren't going to get anything out of me by smacking me around, but showing off to people who worship you seems to be how you get your rocks off." Ume sucked in a breath as she pulled one hand up and let her other hold up her zanpakutou. It shook in her hand, even as she used her free hand to push up her glasses again. 

"This was never about me." She said. "Your ego won't allow you to take in data that you disapprove of without acting on that data. My own captain is more than happy to consider me expendable if I choose to be so. So, why can't you? A stranger? Someone who would likely never see me ever again if not for the fact that you acted on the data you received. You decided you needed to, though. As if my failure would reflect on you. I'm just a statistic. Easy to ignore, except... I'm not. Why is that, Nakajima-taichou?" 

When Ume finished, her mouth was hanging open and sweat was beading on her forehead. She could feel her matted hair dripping beads of sweat down her gnarled locks. Still, her eyes ramained focused. She hadn't blinked in some time. She also hadn't realized she had spoken about her zanpakutou as a female. 

[Nakajima Kimiko]

That word. Anomaly. This researcher really did like to use it constantly, huh? Not just that particular form, but plenty of others too. Every time she attempted to describe herself in front of Kimiko, she would always make sure to do so in a way that made her appear different in comparison to them. Whenever there was a conversation about strength, she would say that she was weak and insignificant, so much so that she made sure to point out that she did not deserve to be on the front lines. Whenever there was a conversation about swords and weaponry, she would say that she didn't need a weapon - not even a Zanpakuto per say - and that hers was nothing more than a burden that she could not really understand. It didn't even seem as though the girl so much as believed that she thought of herself as a Shinigami either, going as far as to say that her responsibility was truly not to cleanse souls, but only to do research for the Twelfth Division. Truly, this chain of comparison seemed never-ending... and it bothered Kimiko immensely.

In normal circumstances, she would have discarded Ume's constant ranting as nothing more than what it was: ranting. There was no real substance behind her words, just a constant string of excuses used to avoid any responsibility of hers that did not involve what she preferred most. However, the further she understood how much Yume truly believed that she was different in comparison to any other Shinigami, the further Kimiko believed that she truly did not understand that, and it took every single inch of her willpower not to explode onto the researcher. Really, her differences weren't that significant in comparison to many other officers that remained within the Gotei 13. She was not special, not unique. All she was in every sense of the way was lazy, a brat who refused to do what needed to be done in order to secure the Soul Society against its enemies all in favor of her own work, which might as well be pointless data collection for the Twelfth. Obviously, the same could not be said for the Captain when it came to the emotional side of things... but it also could not be said for the physical side either.

If she would have been allowed to do so, the Captain would have revealed to the researcher what the meaning of "different" truly meant. She would have showed her that, unlike almost every soul of each person who remained within the Soul Society, hers was not solely composed of pure spiritual energy to expect from a typical Plus, but also of an encroaching darkness that ate at her every thought. She would have told her of the torment that she has had to endure almost every day and every night for what must have now been multiple decades on end solely to keep this maleficent thing at bay, of the effects it has had on her life since she has understood its existence, and of the pain brought about by its need of secrecy. Hell, she would have even told her that she could still see the creature who remained in her heart right about now as it remained in the middle of the room, simply staring at both she, the researcher and Binita with a calm and shifty smile. 

Perhaps, if Kimiko did tell her all of that, Ume would have truly understood where she currently stood. Unfortunately, she could not say such things. For one, she did not trust someone as petty as she to handle such information with secrecy. For all she knew, the very moment she would return to the Twelfth Division's headquarters later today, she will immediately start complaining about how she had to go train with a Vizard to her squadmates. For two, Binita was still in the room with them, and quite frankly, even though Kimiko felt as though she could trust her with her life, this wasn't the kind of information that she believed would be best to manage. After all, if there was someone within the Eleventh Division who was all about gossip, it was Binita. So, instead of having that talk, the Captain decided that it would instead be best to retain her focus onto the task at hand, which was to simply show Ume how to handle her Zanpakuto... or well, at least attempt to do so.

The researcher was unsurprisingly still very deeply uncooperative about this whole affair, and she made sure to let Kimiko know all about it. Once again, she had a speech of complaint. She ranted about her and her Zanpakuto's worth, trying to further explain that this was not going to bring her anywhere near the level that the Captain wanted out of her. She even tried to reason that this entire ordeal was not about her, but about Kimiko herself and how she could not accept someone who was as weak as the researcher. Furthermore, she described as a statistic, something that would be glad to be treated as expendable by her own leader. This would cause the Captain's crimson stare to widen, then darken with anger. Instantly, she was reminded of Lucien, of the Vandenreich, and of what has transpired between herself and they since she has last spoken to Aramis. Instantly, she was reminded of the people who truly were more than statistics, truly nothing more than expanses for their Emperor's own enterprise.

And so, instantly, she decided on what she would do next.

With no warning whatsoever, Kimiko would suddenly spin the white blade in-between her fingers before returning it to its sheath, then crouched into a Iaijutsu stance. Then, with a single Shunpo, she disappeared before reappearing in front of Ume and unsheathing her black blade straight onto the researcher's weapon. Her strike would be aimed upward, enough so that the momentum would send her left foot up. Once this strike would be finished, however, she would then very quickly descend her weapon down with the both of her hands in order to force herself into a standstill with Ume. "I'm so done with your shit! Fine! You wanna know why I care so much about someone like you? It's because I don't want you, or anyone for that matter, to be unable to defend the Soul Society!" She shouted into the researcher's face as sparks of iron flew about their blades. "Our job is to protect the Soul Society and its people! And so far, we've failed! Countless times! You failed, I failed, everyone has failed! Our realm is attacked every damn week, and we can't do anything to prevent innocent lives from being lost! We're not able to prevent Hollows from just teleporting into Rukongai! We can't even interrogate just one Quincy without preventing them from being turned into ash!"  

She had to admit that she was steadily starting to lose her cool here. It was unbecoming of her to speak in such a way, especially in front of someone of the Twelfth Division who knew all about such things. However, she didn't care. The more she had to endure the researcher's words, the more she felt every single thing that has been happening as of late return to her in one fell swoop. The inaction of the Gotei 13 in regards to what has been happening as of late with Humans and their activities regarding man-made monsters, Ruhe's immediate leave unconsciously dictated by Aramis, her subsequent conversation with Lucien, and even that awful trip down memory lane with Kaen. That wasn't even mentioning the enormous amount of hallucinations that she has been enduring at the same time as all of those things too. Everything, from top to bottom, was being shoved into the spotlight of her thoughts with the brightest projector imaginable, and it was being very clear that it was bringing her a very notable amount of stress.

Binita's eyes widened as he saw the image that Kimiko had been projecting all along as the teacher of her martial art schools slowly crack open to reveal what had been underneath it all along. She wasn't quite sure of how to react to all of this, but it was clear to her that this perhaps needed to stop. Ume didn't deserve to hear this. "Kimiko, fuck! Chill! You don't need to go so hard on her!"

"Oh, no, I think I do!" She spoke back to her friend and subordinate with a serious look, causing said subordinate to stand back in surprise before the Captain turned her eyes back towards Ume. "This isn't just about me! It's about us! And until you understand that, I will continue trying to train you and to make you understand how to use her! Because that's what I think everyone should do as a Shinigami, even if they're only good at researching!"

Oh yeah. She hadn't missed the use of that pronoun. However, she had to admit that she didn't quite care about it anymore. At this point, this had turned into something more than just a little spar, and she wanted to make sure Ume would understand that.

[Ume Oboro]

"Owwwaaahhhuuhuh-Ghhhhkkkhhh!" 

The swift strike made Ume caterwaul as her sword was flung upwards, nearly out of her hand, and then clapped again. Her shivering hands immediately dropped her zanpakutou as it clanged to the ground. She shivered as the reverberations ran up her body and she held out her shaking hands as her glasses bounced askew off her face. 

"Stop it!" She whined. 

Ume hissed and narrowed your eyes. "You don't think I know the Soul Society has problems!? Your solution is to personally train every single grunt!? Now that is the most inefficient use of a captain's time I have ever heard of!" She bent down and picked up her zanpakutou, but let it hang at her side. She then pushed her glasses up. "This is not how you deal with a systemic issue, captain." Ume said, surprisingly calm against Kimiko's growing annoyance. "If Hollows are just teleporting in, then we build a barrier they can't teleport through. If Quincy can't be interrogated, then we find a way to keep them from turning to ash. Maybe, the biggest threats to the Soul Society should be found and eliminated preemptively. Isn't that what Captains should be doing? That's why you have the power!? Dispersing it amongst the rank and file is begging for trouble. Especially when said rank and file is clearly not built for that purpose." 

Ume held her blade up again, this time with the flat of the blade facing Kimiko. She peered over the edge of it, past the blade and at Kimiko. "In the time it took to set this up, get me here and chastise me for not being able to use my zanpakutou, I could have provided you with information on a high value target that you could have eliminated or captured and that could have saved far more innocent lives than making sure I hold her the right way!" 

Ume looked at her zanpakutou again. "This is precisely  why your squad has the reputation it does. If you can't win a verbal joust, then you just literally cudgel your opponent into submission... Just flex, Nakajima-taichou. You want me to submit, so just make me." 

[Nakajima Kimiko]

It took a moment for Kimiko to properly register what had happened to Ume after she had struck her. Her attack wasn't meant to be powerful. It wasn't even meant to disarm her target. All it was supposed to do was keep the researcher in place so that she could liberate her rising frustration for this conversation. However, it somehow achieved more than that. Somehow, the nerd had once again proven that there was not an ounce of strength in those arms of hers, and she made sure to make that fact as plain as possible by shrieking like some kind of beast after letting go of her sword. It was not just her sword too. Indeed, even her glasses had bounced away from the original position, 

like the vibrations of the strike alone were enough to completely destabilize the girl. It was needless to say that this was nothing short of the most pathetic sight that the Captain had seen in a very long time. Not just the most pathetic, but also the most frustrating.

Should she have been a normal citizen of Rukongai, the Captain would have understood her current predicament. Those who are inexperienced with the sword typically have a hard time not only holding the blade appropriately both during neutral and striking stances, but also while they are being stricken themselves. Some could not even hold proper blades while moving, which leads them to often drop their weapon in the middle of a spar. The problem with these facts was that these were not things that should be applied to a Shinigami. Whenever one enters Shin'ō Academy, they are required to follow a set curriculum. There are optional classes one can decide to attend to in order to become a more specialized offer, but ultimately, there are many classes that they cannot not attend, for they were mandatory. One of these classes was the standard Zanjutsu course, which took the form of a notable amount of lessons centered around basic swordsmanship. Ume should have gone through those classes. Moreover, she should have passed them with flying colors. And yet, here she was, wailing like a child and demanding this spar to be stopped at once.

There were a few who could perhaps say that there were not many differences between Kimiko's own experience at the Academy and Ume's; after all, whereas Ume was clearly incompetent in anything that required physical effort, Kimiko herself was herself even more incompetent in anything that required magical effort. Yet not once has the idea of bringing this subject into their current conversation crossed the superior officer's mind, for she wholeheartedly believed that they were quite simply not comparable. Even now, she could remember how much she had attempted to learn how to Kidō. She could recall how she had spent days trying to remember every single incantation by heart, only for each and every one of them to explode in her face whenever she attempted to use them against a wooden target. Ume, though? She did not believe that she had gone that far. Someone like her could not have worked hard to get where she was at. Someone like her... probably paid her way into the Gotei 13.

When Kimiko came to that assumption, it was like something clicked in her mind. The purple hair. The dark skin. The golden eyes. The attitude. Tch. Now, Kimiko understood. It took a while for her to get it, but now, it all made sense. This wasn't some annoying and lazy researcher who happened to have a temper for anything that required physical effort. This girl was a Shihoin. Why she had decided to call herself "Oboro" was beyond Kimiko's understanding for the time being, and thus, this was probably just a random guess among many others she made beforehand throughout her Shinigami career. Even so, her frustration had boiled over, and now, her mind was forced to come up with certain conclusions to justify her anger. No wonder she was worse than any other student she had met thus far! No wonder she was worse than Dai, who had been the most stubborn man one could have ever believed him to be for the longest time, all because he was a descendant of a minor Noble clan! 

If Ume was indeed a member of the Shihoin clan, then this explained everything. For all Kimiko knew, this was a spoiled brat who was forced into the Gotei 13 by her aforementioned mother in order to become something more than a waste of space rotting in her basement. This should have made her stand down... but it did not, especially not while Ume was still trying to make herself appear as the superior person in their conversation. Instead, it only made her even angrier, enough so that she openly bared her teeth to the researcher. "Don't you DARE question my efforts and those of Jūichibantai !" She shouted again at Ume as her spiritual pressure began to rise around her. It caused the wooden floor to whine and crack around her, and the air to become heavier and heavier, enough so that it sent a chill even down Binita's spine. In fact, it was such that it caused her to stand still in widened eyes, briefly frozen as she tried to combat the emotional pressure expelled from Kimiko.

Meanwhile, the Captain continued to approach Ume. By that point, she didn't care about the spar. She just wanted to let out all of her frustrations right into Ume's face, to release the pain and the misery that she had purposefully hidden from everyone right into this brat's face, no matter what. So, once she finally reached the researcher, she grabbed the smaller girl by the collar of her robes, lifted her up, then forced her to stare right into her crimson eyes. "You're right! We're good at killing things! That's what we do, and that's the only thing we've been doing since the demons showed up! We've slaughtered so many things, I've personally lost count! And what have you guys in Jūnibantai done since then? Nothing! Your Captain has told me, every other Captain, and Ningen-taichou that you guys were going to build a greater wall around Seireitei! I'm pretty damn sure preventing Hollows from teleporting into Rukongai and Quincies to get turned to dust by their Emperor is also your job, not mine! So tell me, Ume, where is that wall?! Where is that anti-teleportation system and your anti-disintegration device?! Let me guess: they're in all of those arcade machines you keep in your super sci-fi bunker that looks like something shat out of Evangelion! They must be, because I CAN'T SEE THEM! Not with my eyes or in my reports!"

Ume tried to argue by that point that this was all a waste of time that could have been better spent hunting down a high-value target. On one hand, Kimiko could agree with that. This was clearly getting nowhere, all thanks to the researcher's greatest efforts to undermine the Captain's. On the other hand, it only made her blood boil even further, so much so that Ume would start feeling the gravitational pressure around her start to hurt her. "You think that I need you to kill high-value targets? That's precious. I don't need you to know that there's something out there that is too powerful for our normal troops to handle. Do you know which squad provides me information about them almost every single day of my life? KYŪBANTAI ! THE INFORMATION DISSECTING SQUAD! THE THING THAT EXISTS SOLELY TO GIVE EVERYONE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON! Not a little shit like you, not the emotionless robot that you call your Captain, and not Jūnibantai! Them!"   

The spiritual pressure that had arisen in the room was now starting to feel like an earthquake was happening right in the middle of it. Ume would feel Kimiko's pressure further press itself against her skin, with it feeling as though she was being slowly pressed further and further with a literal boulder. In the meantime, the floor continued to whine and then almost shatter under the Captain's weight. It would become ever-clearer as this went on that the superior officer was about to do the exact thing that Ume had requested of her. She was going to make her submit, both with fear and with pain. Such would be made most evident as she remained silent with that cold stare. She wanted to hurt this girl, to force her to understand that this wasn't some pointless game or pointless book in her mom's pointless basement. Worse, she almost wanted to kill her for her insolence, for her insults, and for her constant undermining of her work and the efforts of her subordinates.

However, at a point where the gravitational pressure almost seemed on the verge of downright starting to break Ume's body, the Captain would suddenly stop and stare at something behind Ume with a look of what appeared to be distress as a very small patch of darkness appeared in the sclera of her eye. It was like a being had materialized behind the researcher completely unbeknownst to anyone in the room, even though there was nothing there. Then, just as Kimiko's grip on Ume's robes lessened, she was suddenly grabbed from the back of her own robes and subsequently launched across the room. The speed at which she was launched was such that it caused her to crash against the nearest wall before she could react, causing her to not only hurt her back, but also lose every bit of oxygen that was previously in her lungs. She would land on the floor, coughing in pain and confusion before a loud voice was heard across the room:

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

Taken aback, the swordswoman would lift her head up towards the source of the voice before she witnessed Binita standing near Ume. She was holding herself in a combative stance, with the both of her palms open and facing Kimiko as she remained there clenching her teeth. Evidently, she was angry by what had just happened, and she was going to make sure her superior officer would understand that. "This is over! Get the fuck out of here, Kimiko! Go take a breather! Now!" She shouted straight at Kimiko with no care in the slightest about rank or decorum. It was clear that she was not talking to the swordswoman like she was her subordinate or fellow soldier, but rather as her friend, or at the very least someone who was close to her. This would cause the superior officer to stare at her with an incredulous look on her face, one of shock and disbelief. However, eventually, her expression would soften into one of regret, but of resolve as she slowly stood up, sheathed the black blade she had still been holding onto, then silently walked out of the room.

The grappler would wait for the sound of her Captain's sandals to slowly fade away as she headed out of the training facility and headed who knows where. Once she could confirm that she was not present anymore, she let out a huff, then looked down towards Ume. "You okay, girl?" She asked, concerned. In spite of the person Ume was in her eyes, she knew that she did not deserve the verbal beating Kimiko had just lashed out at her. "I think you've seen enough. If you wanna, I can bring you back to the Twelfth Division's headquarters. Hohō's not super my thing, but like... there probably isn't anyone around right now who can bring you back to Seireitei faster than I can."

SPOILER: Click to show

{Technique Used}
Technique Name: Akuma no Sakebi (悪魔の叫び, "Demon's Cry")

Technique Type: Other | Fear Inducement

Technique Element: None

Usable by: All races

Class: 2

Technique Reiatsu Cost: N/A

Technique Description and Effects

The projection of one's own will to strike fear in the hearts of others. The user channels the strength of their very soul within themselves before screaming it out with monstrous energy, similarly to how a beast howls or roars. Though it possesses no physical or spiritual attribute of note, the manifestation of this power is considered to be so intense that it can induce terror to the targets that have to face it. Those who do not possess an ability that would allow them to resist the effects of such a demonstration - namely a superior Strength of Will, Calm Mind, or Lack of Fear skill, or a Aura of 100 - will find themselves so taken aback by the scream that their combat performance will worsen, rendering them sluggish. Masters of this technique possess such fearsome cries that their targets are literally stunned by them for one post, unable to fight against the terror they have injected into their soul.


Drawbacks & Weaknesses

To unleash fear onto one or many beings at once, one must be able to be physically capable of unleashing such a thing in the first place, and unfortunately, there are a few who will be forever incapable of doing so. Some are simply too softhearted to even express such terrible power, while others are too discreet to even let out such a loud scream to begin with. Considering this, the main users of this technique will possess a Strength of Will skill of 3, which is just enough for them to be capable of properly unleashing Akuma no Sakebi. However, there is an alternative in the form of Dark Aura. Those who happen to be monstrous enough to possess fully-darkened energy will be capable of using this technique just as well as the aforementioned wilful individuals, for better or worse.


Made by: Nakajima Kimiko

Reserved? : No

[Ume Oboro]

Ume could feel the tension beginning to thicken in the air. It was different than before. She didn't need to see Kimiko's flashing canines to know that the woman was about to absolutely lose her shit. As she had just plainly explained, civil discourse was not a part of the Juuichibantai repertoire. Ume, however, had a bit of a Pavlovian response to the mounting pressure that demanded a release. 

The scientist's pupils dilated as though she stepped into a dark room. Her lips relaxed with the rest of her body. Her features took on a blank, nonplussed look as she took the captain's impassioned outburst with practiced ambivalence. It wasn't as though she didn't hear what Kimiko was saying. The words slammed into her ears, even as the captain puffed up. It was more like it didn't matter. Whatever Kimiko had to say was invalidated by Ume just because  of how they were being said to the diminutive scientist. Her head lolled as she was grabbed and pulled close to Kimiko. 

As Kimiko's spiritual pressure grew , Ume felt her chest tighten and her body begin to shake. The more the captain poured out her feelings, the more Ume felt like she was being crushed by them. To her credit, though, she never took her eyes off of Kimiko, even as the outburst continued to crescendo. In fact, it kept her keen eyes focused and when Kimiko started to lose control, Ume definitely noticed it. 

"C-captain... y-you're..." 

That was all that Ume could manage before feeling the weight of Kimiko's pressure crushing her body. She fought back as much as she could, her body completely shivering and quaking even as it was crushed to the point of straining her muscles and joints. It hurt, and Ume whimpered in pain, but she didn't cry out. She just trembled in pain as she looked helplessly up at the captain. 

When Kimiko suddenly stopped, Ume finally blinked, but once again noticed something different about Kimiko. She was still panting heavily, but as she was dropped, she curled into a ball and hugged her body. She heard Binita scream and the crash that went along with it. She could look up and check, but she chose to stay curled up as her body was still wracked with pain. She just focused on what she saw. The unmistakable change in Kimiko's eyes. That made perfect  sense. Why the woman was so irrational and on edge about everything. If Ume's intuition was correct, Kimiko wasn't just a captain, but she was hiding her true form, one that the Gotei had deemed kill on sight as far as Ume knew. 

Ume groaned when Binita approached. "I think..." She said. "She crushed all of my cans..." Ume muttered after a moment. She sat up and pressed her hand against her head. "I can get back fine. Thanks, though." Ume said, trying to smile politely at Binita. "My Hohou isn't bad, but the walk might be what I need." After a moment, Ume stood up. 

"Unfortunately, despite her tantrum, she's not right." Ume said. "But clearly the point can't be argued by someone with no ability to reason properly." She paused and looked at Binita. "Sorry. I don't intend to bring it back up. I don't gain anything by arguing with her about it." Ume said and then looked away. "Also unfortunately, I now need to speak with her about different  matters, but I suppose I'll have to figure that one out on my own." Ume sighed. Her ribs still hurt a little from being gravitationally crushed.        

Ume then glanced at Binita. "Thanks, again. You could have let the captain do what she wanted to me..." Ime paused and stared at the ground. "Uhhhh... I meant what I said about you're zanpakutou too. It's cool. A-Anyway... See ya..." Ume said without looking at Binita. She turned to face the door and leave. 
 

[Nakajima Kimiko]

The tension that remained within the air of the room remained for longer than anyone could have anticipated. Even though the one who was responsible for the emotional energy had long since left both it and even the entire school as a whole to go somewhere else entirely, anyone who remained within the former could feel how awful it felt against one's mind and body. It was ice-cold, freezing, like one had suddenly been transported in the middle of a frigid wasteland. It was also heavy. So, so heavy. Heavy enough to cause even the greatest of warriors out there to potentially buckle their knees and barely be able to fight back against it. It truly was no wonder that anyone who dared to fight long-enough against the Captain of the Eleventh Division on serious terms found themselves stunned by such a powerful ability whenever she released it. That, more than any sword technique or art, was something that the enemies of the Soul Society deserved.

When Binita realized the sheer meaning behind that fear-inducing ability, it only made her realize how much things had escalated. Ume was annoying. That much, she could not deny. While there were times that the grappler herself wasn't exactly better than her in comparison, the researcher appeared to enjoy pushing buttons if that would be enough to get her out of a situation she doesn't want to a part in. Case in point, she had specifically gone so far with her rants to avoid training with Kimiko and, from the looks of it, all future physical training for both herself and the rest of the Twelfth Division. But even if that was the case, even if she had been trying her hardest to criticize Kimiko and her actions and those of the Eleventh Division as much as she possibly could, she did not deserve what had just happened to her. She deserved a scolding, yes, but that was something else entirely. If Binita hadn't been there to put a stop to it, there was nothing that could have prevented her from potentially actually wounding Ume.

Throwing her friend against the wall like that hurt the grappler, but she felt as though it was the only thing that could allow her to realize what she was doing in that very moment. Moreover, it was the only thing that could allow Ume to survive whatever she was being through, as well as take a break from Kimiko as a whole. Right now, that seemed to be the right move to make. Maybe the grappler will regret it later, but she had better things to care about right now. One of these was Ume's safety. "Yeah. I'm so sorry about that. I shouldn't have started that floating cans stuff. It was stupid," she apologized, if only to make Ume feel a little bit better and slightly less shaken by what just happened. The cans had indeed been completely crushed by Kimiko's gravitational pressure. While many of them had been emptied by the researcher prior to their theft, many others had not, and now their contents were spilled all over the spot where they had been kept. The sight wasn't pretty, to say the least, but one positive could be ascertained from it all. "Well, hey! You didn't get dirty, though! Your whole get-up would've stank bad if they all went off on you." 

Mentioning this was enough to bring a smile out of the grappler and a little bit of the previous social energy she was holding. However, that wasn't enough to convince Ume that she could be accompanied back to Seireitei. Looking more regretful, Binita would watch as the researcher proclaimed that she maybe needed the walk after what happened and perhaps a later discussion with the swordswoman regarding different matters. There was an attempt of apologizing for bringing back the previous rant into the conversation from Ume's end, like she feared that further criticizing the Captain would cause Binita to lash out at her like she did not that long ago, yet she didn't do that now. Instead, she merely frowned and looked away towards the door that Kimiko left from. "Nah. I think that I should talk to her this time." Her tone had become iron-clad, resolute. "She's always had some bullshit going on that she never told us about, even before this whole dojo thing. I thought that she'd be more open after becoming a Captain, but yeah. I guess I was fucking wrong."

While she tried to appear more in-line with the idea of trying to reach Kimiko this time, there remained a hint of hesitation and perhaps even sadness in her voice that Ume would perhaps be able to notice. Ever since Shin'ō, she admired Kimiko. Even though the swordswoman was more of a quiet bookworm back then, the grappler saw in her something unique and rare, a person that both had the will and the guts to dive head-first into battle without any hesitation even before every other person in the Eleventh. Not only that, but she also saw someone who was willing to teach others how to behave this way and how to survive while doing it. Yet, since then, it feels like all of that was just a facade for something else. The outbursts every now and then, the sheer emotions that she releases whenever she has the chance to do so. Seeing Kimiko like that... It hurt her, tremendously so, and seeing her categorically refuse to open up about those problems of hers only made Binita feel worse about it all.

Her gaze eventually returned to Ume, and at that point, she found herself lightly biting her lower lip at the sight she was given. The poor girl looked like she had been traumatized by what just happened. Twice now had she thanked Binita for her response against Kimiko, and she even went as far as to compliment her Soul Cutter again. The slow walk towards the door was the cherry on top for the grappler. At that point, she stepped forward towards the researcher. "Sorry, girl. Gonna sound annoying as hell, but right now, you need someone to look out for you!" She insisted with a bright smile before lightly patting Ume's shoulder in a way that she hoped would not accidentally hurt the researcher. The researcher's body had just been applied quite a fair bit of pressure, and so it was fair to assume that she must be sore in quite a few places now. "Imma bring you to someone who checked up on me at the Fourth that one time! Blonde, tan, big tits. Like, real big tits. Bitch loves showing them off too." She showed off a light pout of jealousy upon mentioning that, right before she brightened up again. "She shouts a lot, but like, you'll feel a lot better once she's done with you! Trust me!"

And with that, the grappler would attempt to accompany Ume out of Nijūkan. Whether the researcher appreciated this or not, perhaps this was for the best. At least, it was in Binita's eyes.

Maybe one day, after she comes back to talk about it... Kimiko will understand that too.

---

An arctic wind swept over the top of a mountain by the western edge of the Soul Society. It was a place where the sun currently didn't shine on, as it was left hidden behind a sea of white that, for once, was located far above at an altitude which even the rocky bodies could not reach. For miles and miles, clouds covered the sky, preventing the rays of the celestial fire above from reaching the earth, and with their bleakness came a bitter cold and a bitter snowfall. There was nothing appealing about the flakes which fell from the sky then. They were numerous, all pushed by a gale that spread them across the area like an endless storm, and they were heavy, enough so that small mounds of snow could be found here and there across the steps which led towards the mountain's summit. This should have stopped anyone from climbing these steps and to reach the abandoned area above. However, it did not stop Kimiko. It could not. Not now.

Shortly after she stormed off from her previous location, the woman blitzed from the 40th district of Rukongai to this place. She crossed several kilometers without stop, passing by a countless amount of settlements and refuges. By foot, this voyage should have taken her half a week should she had decided to cross it at a leisurely speed. Yet, with the aid of her skills in the art of rapid movement, she was able to accomplish this feat in the mere span of a few minutes. Once again, amidst countless other feats of speed that the master had accomplished, this should have been cause for celebration. It was another proof that she had become superhuman, a literal demi-god like only but a few select other individuals in this world. In spite of this, she felt nothing but regret, anger and worry, all bundled in a mass of black that coerced her to stop by the base of the mountain and cross its dangerous steps towards its summit like any other normal person should.

When she reached her destination, many snowflakes had been sprinkled all over her haori and her Shihakusho underneath. Her skin had been rendered cold to the touch, and her body was slightly shivering in response to the harsh environment that surrounded her. No doubt, she was going to develop a fever from this, much like how she had developed a fever many times before in response to her crossing of other dangerous environments. Yet, even so, her crimson eyes remained fixated on the immense statue of the clay deity that had been left there, and her breath remained hot enough to collide with the frigid air and be transformed into various puffs of steam that traveled the surroundings of the mountain. Silently, she stared at its many faces, at its many arms and at the many tools they held. Silently, she remained immobile, almost as though she wanted its judgement, its verdict for what she had just committed.

She knew she would evidently get nothing from it. This was not a deity. It may appear as one, but it was nothing more than a depiction of a war god described in many religious scriptures of the Living World. For all she and everyone who truly believed in the existence of this being knew, they were a Shinigami from times long gone, or perhaps something far worse in nature. Even so, she wanted it to say something to her. She wanted it to speak, to make her understand that what she had done to Ume and even Binita to an extent was not something that she should have done. She wanted someone that she knew that she could truly trust, someone that she knew would be able to tell that she needed to become a better person. Either that, or atone for what she has done through some kind of punitive act, whether it be imprisonment or physical pain. That would be better than what she was going through now. That would be better than this stress and this burden.

For a brief moment of weakness, the Shinigami wanted her Inner Hollow to surface. Her cruelty had become moot over the years, but it remained just-enough to feel right to the Captain's ears. But she did not see the dark creature in this moment. Instead, she received a different visitor. His gray figure stood in front of Kimiko, and his white hair lightly shook as he breathed. The latter appeared to be unaffected by the wind, but the swordswoman knew why that was. It was the man's nature, after all, that prevented them from acting that way. She would stare the Zanpakuto spirit for a moment, attempting to understand why he was here and why he, of all people, was giving her attention in a time of emotional weakness. Then, a scoff and a sarcastic smile appeared on her face. "I get it. I shouldn't appear so weak. I should just accept my mistake and move on," she reckoned before she took a deep frozen breath and sighed. "You didn't need to come here to tell me that, Taishokukane." 

"And yet, here you are, awaiting her arrival instead," the man retorted almost immediately. There was the usual pang of criticism that Kimiko had now become so used to. However, there was also a calmness to him that she was more unfamiliar with. It was... unusual to her, enough so that he felt it, but he maintained his composure. "Do you not understand the meaning of her presence? Every time she appears before you, we do battle with her. For you to wish for her to appear is-"

"Foolish! Yes! I know! I'm a foolish woman!" 

Her outburst caused the spirit to pause, almost as though he was not expecting the Shinigami to so suddenly raise her voice against her in spite of her frustrations. He also did not expect the woman to so suddenly wave her arms in anger during the act and to then show her back to him as she walked around the top of the mountain. Silently, he watched her go, seemingly unsure of what to say for the first time in his existence. This wasn't the first time he had seen Kimiko so angry, but it was the first time she had seen her become angry in such a way. It was both disappointing and shocking to him. An aftereffect of his conversation with his brighter rival, perhaps. Whatever the reason behind his current emotional state may be, he would eventually frown and speak with more authority: "Do you think that this tantrum will solve anything? You are a Captain and a master of the sword! You must act like it! If you do not, you will lose yourself!"  

"Act lik- Are you serious? That's your solution?!" Kimiko responded with a swift turn of her head back towards the spirit before she marched back towards him. The snowflakes around her were beginning to collide with an invisible force before being pressed down onto the rock below, instantly eliminated from this world upon contact with the stone. "Acting is all I've been doing for thirty years! And look at where it's taken me! I've lost I don't know how many districts! I've lost Ruhe! I'm even... I feel like I'm even beginning to lose Celes! And now, this shit... I've allowed myself to scream at someone's face right in front of one of my subordinates..." This statement would cause the Shinigami to clench her teeth powerfully against one another before she closed her eyes and slammed her palm right against her forehead. "I'm so... stupid! So fucking stupid!" 

"And your solution is this? To exclaim what you believe are your mistakes and to act like a child?" A huff left Taishokukane's mouth before he pushed ahead and approached Kimiko. Eventually, he would stand in front of her, standing at an equal height as he stared right into her eyes. "I will repeat myself just this once. You are a Captain and a master of the sword. You have reached a level of physical strength that is beyond even the common Shinigami. You are strong!"  

"What's the point of being strong if I keep losing?!"

A scornful look came from the spirit then, like he was resisting the urge to outright hit Kimiko in this moment. Somehow, though, he successfully resisted the urge, and instead merely stood there with his eyes wide open. "That... is something that you will have to find your own answer for." His voice had become graver, coarser, like his rage was such that it had twisted it into a growl. But that did not matter to Kimiko. What mattered was the answer that he gave to her. It caused her to wince, and to clench both her teeth and fists even more powerfully. Evidently, she hated that answer, and of course, Taishokukane knew that. He was well-aware of how much his master hated being told that she needed to resolve her problems by herself only with a select few hints. However, that was the answer that he was going to give her then, and she would have to deal with it. At the very least, that's what he believed. As such, once he was done, he huffed and turned his back to her. "That is all I have to say. Reflect upon this as much as you want."

 

And with that, the spirit would disappear from sight, leaving Kimiko on her own. The swordswoman would find herself staring at where he had gone for a moment, looking as though she wanted to fight him right then and there. However, eventually, she would slowly begin to calm down and look down towards the snow that covered the base of the clay statue. Reflect... Right...

Perhaps she could do that...

[ T O   B E   C O N T I N U E D ]

[Leonie Dallmann]

178 paragraphs counted, meaning 890 TP for both participants!

...Which, would normally be the case, but this is x2! So 1,780 TP!