[13th Division] Sparring Ground ~Seiryuu~

[jmustang]

John grimmaced at Toshi's dexterity. He had managed to evade seemingly all his attacks and had even lauched a counter measure. Swinging his blade back in a flurry he crossed his weapon across his body and tucked his head into his raised trapezius muscles. He had litterally curled up into a ball in bracing for the incoming attack. As soon as it made contact John was sent hurtling back with immense force, as the attack enveloped him, incinerating indiscriminately different sections of his body. He lay motionless a good 20 feet from where this had all eminated from, before he began to rise to his feet.

Round 2...Sir?!

 Spoiler: click to show

 Spoiler: click to show

Hey don''t worry about it dude absolutely fine, if you're busy, you're busy, nowt wrong with tha post anyway

[Tosheee]

As Toshi's Oukasen struck his mark, he fought the urge to feel sorry for John, his killing intent must be felt...but if he continued on like this, John actually was going to die. As his vision began to slowly work its way back into his eyes fully, he spotted John rising up, looking a mess after the kidou spell.

a bit of advice John...you might wanna listen for your zanpaktou spirit. If you don't listen for it, you'll never be called into your spirit world, you'll never learn the name of your zanpaktou and you'll die here. So I advise you to hurry and do something before you die.

I think it's time to pull this out...give him a bit more motivation.

With that thought, Toshi looked up at John, glaring into his eyes, his reiatsu began to rise incrimentally, causing the grass around him to lean away as if there was a wind.

Kumiawase (Come Together)...

As he spoke those words, his Dao shattered as if something had struck it.

Chikyuu no Shugoshi

With that, a blade made of fire projected from Toshi's tsuba, following the same path his Dao had been on previously. This formed his Fire blade. Before John could have time to take in his zanpaktou, Toshi channeled reiryoka into his Fire blade, causing the fires to blaze more intensely. Then, slashing his zanpaktou downwards, he projected an arc of fire about 20 feet tall and 5 feet wide towards John.

[jmustang]

Toshi's weapon entered it's released state. A terrifying onslaught followed, as an enormous inferno that eminated from one of his swings, began to bare down upon John. As it went, it indiscriminately incinerated all within it's path.

Quick...tell me your name...No more time for your games tell me your name...

Tell me your name you b*******!

He become so enwrapped in berrating his zanpakuto that he'd almost lost sight of his current predicament. He returned his attentions to the attack which was now too close too avoid. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth.

I'm sorry.

He opened his eyes completely bemused at what he was seeing. He had not expected to be able to open them again, let alone be where he now found himself now. He was within a strange castle of some discription. It's archetechture was gothic, and sinister. More puzzling still was the fact that everything was seemingly within black and white, as if he were in a dated horror film of the 1920's. He made his way through the halls each with a bizare feature too them. A room of mazes lay ahead that seemed to take a life time to traverse. Followed immediately in succession with a room of stairwells which seemed to defy gravity. The entire domain was non sensical.

This...must be my zan's spirit world...

Correct.

He pivoted sharply to see a young man before him. Fresh faced, with a porceline complection. His hair was perfectly feathered in texture, and his garments seemed indicative of stature.

Then you must be...

Indeed.

Wow...you know...after all your condescending talk of stragety and warfare...wow...you're nothing but some twinkletoed pretty boy...

John began to advance, a smirk adorning his face as he spoke.

Hell...the long hair...the makeup...you look somewhat like an emo ki...

Before he could finish his body succame to some unseen force and his throat was dragged into the spirit's hand.

Very droll...lets not forget why you're here...and that within this domain...I am god...and you are nothing! Lets also not forget that within YOUR current time line you are upon the precipice of being severed in twine...hardly the time to be making jokes I feel.

Fine...kill me then...you're part of me anyway...better you kill me then some shinigami scum.

You really hate them don't you...too the point where it even impedes your rationality. I've been within you...dormant all your life till this point...so I want you too listen to me very carefully...you make such a song and a dance that you are likely to reveal your hand too soon. You've become impatient, pre-emptive...you are making people nervous...you need to calm down...establish your force with care for once...then act. Remember, the one thing you have...is time.

Well not if you don't help me.

Relax...you're an interesting child...to use a cliche'd line...you are my world...litterally, and i've grown quite accustomed to existing...I have no intentions of entering the domains of oblivion so soon that I have developed a voice...My name is what you came for and it is what you shall get...H

Massatsu, Hiraborei!

A brilliant beam of light bathed John and his reiatsu level momentarily spiked. He swung his blade through the one coming attack and sliced it in half. He wasn't able to stop it, thus the respective 2 halfs bore off in opposite directions, again destroying all within their path. John stood with his newly released weapon. It's blade seemed impractically long. It appeared almost less a sword, and more a scythe due to it's length. Light could not escape it's surface as it was a brilliantly sinister black. He sheathed his weapon methodically slowly baring an intensive stare, not at Toshee but rather past him. It was as if he were experiencing an out of body moment, and was functioning on a proverbial auto pilot. His eyes met the horizon. He let out a faint sigh that seemed to exhaust all the oxygen left within his lungs, before he fell on his back enconcious. He lay there beaten with his body littered with wounds of varying natures. Yet he also lay with a distinct look of purpose, a tear on his cheek, and something rarer for John altogether. A wide genuine smile.

[Tosheee]

 Spoiler: click to show

OOC: EXTREMELY sorry for the late reply, but school work plus band stuff plus lazy tosh equals delays.

As Toshi's arc of fire drew closer to John, a change in John's reiatsu tingled Toshi's senses.

Ooh, looks like we finally got somewhere...he was pretty close to dying too.

And sure enough, Toshi watched his arc of fire get bisected, the bottom half driving into the ground, tossing a shroud of dust into the air; the top half spiraled skyward, eventually disappearing from sight until it finally reached a height where fire could no longer be sustained. As the arcs of fire went their separate ways, Toshi got his first glimpse of John's released zanpaktou. It was a dark scythe-like, ridiculously long sword. However, Toshi didn't get too long to see it before John collapsed. However, Toshi knew that his job was finished...John carried with him an air of confidence that could only be achieved by getting to know your zanpaktou.

Come on bud...let's get you to the infirmary.

With that, Toshi hoisted John into the Fireman's carry and shunpoed away.


************************************************** *************************************
THIS TRAINING GROUND IS NOW OPEN. PLEASE SEE ZE TAICHOU OR FUKUTAICHOU FOR RESERVATIONS...arigatou

[Maeko Saionji]

 Spoiler: click to show

Seiryuu is now being used for Roo's kidou training. Ta!

Maeko wandered idly across the wide, grassy plain. Despite her time as captain, she had spent little time here in the Seiryuu training ground, and she looked around her with interest. The coarse, long grass hissed as the constant breeze flew across the open space. Apart from the greenery, and the occasional tree, the smooth ground was undisturbed by hills or crevasses, and the captain could see for miles around. No Ryuuki yet though.

It's a little worrying that she was able to produce a physical reiatsu disturbance with absolutely no training... It freaked her out almost as it surprised me... it's important that she learns to control it, sooner rather than later...

Pushing the spiky grass apart, Maeko made a spot in which to sit, almost concealed by the long grass that waved around her. Twining a long, wiry blade around her finger, she hummed softly to herself as she waited for the arrival of the seventeenth seat, to begin her training.

[ryuutohime1982]

It was a beautiful, balmy day in the Seiryuu training ground. In fact, if she hadn't walked past the big carved sign that had said "Seiryuu training ground, this way," Ryuuki might've thought she'd taken a wrong turn and ended up in an expansive meadow of wild grass more suited to the feral Rukon than the heart of military Seireitei.

She skipped along, humming a tune to herself under her breath. Maeko-taichou had told her to come here that morning, at breakfast, but she had been busy trying to consume the largest stack of pancakes and tallest glass of milk she had ever been given in her life, and had only half heard the instructions. She had hurried to the location as soon as she could, but she was only half sure that the Captain had said Seiryuu.

In fact, it was only the fact the training ground had a dragon in the name that had made her come this way.

Was Maeko-taichou already here?

Ryuuki put a hand to her brow, scanning the field for any sign of her commander. Had she come to the wrong place, or was her superior officer hiding somewhere, ready to jump out at her at a moment's notice...?

[Maeko Saionji]

Ah, she had arrived.

Maeko unfolded her legs from beneath her, and stood up once more. Ryuuki had arrived in the clearing, and was looking around for her. She began to pick her way through the grass, waving.

"You found it alright then?" she called as she approached. "Seiryuu is a bit of a walk from the barracks, but its location makes it ideal for kidou training. It needs a fairly large safety zone..."

She offered a bright smile. "I brought some targets," she waved vaguely at the grass behind her. "but first we need to work on the manifestation part. It's all very well being able to bring out the energy, but it's not so useful if it explodes before you can make it do anything."

Reaching inside her shihakushou, Maeko pulled out a thin metal circlet. It was hinged on the edge, allowing it to click open and closed. Holding her right hand palm up, Maeko muttered the words to shakkahou, and held the red light in her hand.

"Watch."

With her left hand, she clicked the bracelet closed around her right wrist. The red light disappeared.

"This band will absorb reiatsu. The first couple of times might be pretty tricky. If you're about to lose control, I will put this on. Otherwise it might drain you, or explode, or even knock you out. And training will take a whole lot longer if that happens..."

She pulled off the bracelet, and offered a reassuring smile.

"But this is just me being extra prepared. Probably won't even need it. Now, are you ready?"

[ryuutohime1982]

So, the Captain was here already.

Ryuuki watched in bemused silence as Maeko did something funny with her legs, then started picking grass as she walked towards her through the field's greenery.

OOC: So I decided that this is division turf, so being mean is fair game here too! =D
Maeko was explaining a silvery bracelet, but Ryuuki was more focused on the flash of blood red energy that momentarily lit the whole area in its glow before disappearing into no more than the faintest of dying embers.

Something in this blaze of energy had connected right to Ryuuki's soul, reaching out to her as though tickling at her own spirit power and encouraging her forward.

But Mother said it's bad to play with fire. Still, Taichou is Taichou. She must know what she's doing.

Ryuuki frowned, struggling to bring her mind back onto what Maeko was saying.

"...explode, or even knock you out. And training will take a whole lot longer if that happens.."

Ryuuki wasn't sure what Maeko had meant, but from the end of the sentence, she decided it was safer not to ask. Instead she nodded, hoping she looked attentive as the Captain asked if she was ready.

"Yes, sir. I mean, ma'am. I mean, Taichou. I'm ready."

[Maeko Saionji]

Maeko tossed the small bouquet of picked grass over her shoulder.

Nyeh, two can play at that game. Behave.

She had noticed Ryuuki's eyes glazing over slightly as she spoke, and sighed inwardly in exasperation, but decided not to comment.

"Ok. Ninety percent of Kidou control is in your own head. You've got to concentrate. If you let yourself get distracted, or angry, you're going to get singed."

She thrust out her hand in front of her, pointing into the distance.

"You want to start like this," she gestured for Ryuuki to copy her. "You need to find the feeling that brought out the kidou last time. But instead of letting it come crashing out, try and hold onto it. Shape it into something. Don't worry about what. For now, just try to keep it seperate from you."

[ryuutohime1982]

Originally Posted by Maeko Saionji

Maeko tossed the small bouquet of picked grass over her shoulder.

Nyeh, two can play at that game. Behave.

She had noticed Ryuuki's eyes glazing over slightly as she spoke, and sighed inwardly in exasperation, but decided not to comment.

"Ok. Ninety percent of Kidou control is in your own head. You've got to concentrate. If you let yourself get distracted, or angry, you're going to get singed."

She thrust out her hand in front of her, pointing into the distance.

"You want to start like this," she gestured for Ryuuki to copy her. "You need to find the feeling that brought out the kidou last time. But instead of letting it come crashing out, try and hold onto it. Shape it into something. Don't worry about what. For now, just try to keep it seperate from you."

Kidou was in her own head?

Ryuuki mimicked Maeko's pose and screwed up her brow in concentration, poking around through all her thoughts and memories as she tried to dig up something that might resemble this thing that Maeko-taichou was talking about. Was it in her recollection of climbing trees with her brother? Had it been there the day she'd climbed in through the parlour window and Motomori-sama had almost blown her foot off when she had accidentally stepped in his sushi? Had it been with her the day she had first started swimming in the river, propelling forward furiously as she had tried to catch the longer strokes of her brother...?

Try as she might, she could not recall any time when this Kidou thing had been inside her head.

Not until the day she had been in the tree...reaching for the stone...and then...

Something flickered inside her, and she let out a gasp as a spark, tiny but definitely real sputtered at her finger before petering out. Her finger felt as though she had put it too close to the fire, and instinctively she put it to her lips, sucking on it.

Whatever this Kidou thing was, it seemed like learning it was going to be painful.

Maybe Mother was right. Maybe playing with fire is dangerous.

She took a deep breath, then pushed her hand out again, trying not to let Maeko see how much she was trembling at the thought of sending forth a firecracker like she had done in the recruit training ground.

It felt like the whole of me was going to explode that day. I don't want to explode here. For a start, it will make a mess, and someone will have to clean it, and Mother will be cross because I've caused a nusiance. She did tell me that cleanliness was a mark of a young lady, and so she'll be so upset if she finds out I exploded everywhere. She'll probably come and scold me - or what's left of me - and even if I am dead and scattered around, it'll still be embarrassing. That is, I suppose dead people can be embarrassed...

She frowned, momentarily distracted, and the fizzle of energy within her faltered and subsided as she cast the Captain a curious glance.

"Taichou, can dead people be embarrassed?" she asked earnestly, glancing at her fingers. "I promised Mother not to do anything to embarrass her, and well, I don't really like all this exploding and crashing you keep talking about...it sounds dangerous..."