Noblesse Oblige

**Date Started:** 21 November, 2021
**Date Completed:** Ongoing
**Previous Role-Play**: N/A
**Next Role-Play**: N/A
**Users Involved:** User:Ash9876, User:EmperorSigma, User:Sekiro of the mist, User:Sir Ice Man, User:ComicMaster619, User:Nearó\_Unlimited. User:Dal101
**Setting:** Seireitei (Sixth Division Barracks)
**Characters Involved**: Kurome Kuchiki, Kamui Shihōin, Seikyoku Kuchiki, Shizuka Kurogane, Sakata, Soichiro Tenma, Aya Jūsuke, Tetsuyama Kobushi

## Thorn in the Heart

Within the Sixth Division's barracks was a lone woman in the Captain's office. This spot was generally reserved for the Captains or, at the very worst, the Lieutenant of the Division. Neither of these positions were filled, and the lone woman was forced to take this seat until worthy hands took it from her. This woman was none other than Kurome Kuchiki, second in-line to fill the head of the Kuchiki Clan, and one of the highest-ranking nobles within Soul Society as of this moment.

Should Kurome have wished, her ability and prestige would have taken her immediately to the Lieutenant position. There was a reason why she was sitting as the Sixth Division's 3rd Seat, but she wouldn't unveil why. Instead, she was busy focusing on her tasks. Her slate black eyes scanned the documents and profiles of the individuals scattered on her desk.

Various seated officers' names were sprawled across this desk. Kurome scanned each of them carefully, before finally speaking.

"They are all competent officers, but that is not enough. They don't have the strength, the talent, to keep up with us. In order for them to maintain their lives in this world they need experience..."

Kurome looked up as she was about to finish her sentence. "Would you agree, Kamui?" She seemed to talk to an empty space, but she was aware of who was watching her, and merely waited for a response.

As if her calling of his name were some sort of summoning, Kamui appeared right over her. His massive six foot, nearing seven foot figure, looked down over her with his golden gaze. Wind fluttered around the duo upon his appearance and leaves danced as they fell down over them.

"For once, yes." He said simply, "Though, you're caring for them shows that you're even weaker. A heart like that has no place on the battlefield."

"Weaker?" Kurome raised her eyebrows. "Says the fool who got caught in my trap last time and lost our 75th duel. I *am* one win ahead of you."

Although Kurome tried to be cheerful about the situation, she already understood the reality. What Kamui was telling her, why he was telling her. There was a reason why Kurome and Kamui, who were once friends that transcended the rivalry of the Shihōin and Kuchiki Clan, now couldn't talk to each other without it escalating into a fight.

"A Shinigami who cannot tolerate caring for others isn't *strong*, Kamui. Not being able to bear the burden of your subordinates, all so you can defeat your enemies...That so-called *strength* is nothing more than a farce." Kurome clenched her fist, restraining her temper.

"Strengthening our forces so that we have more survivors to impart our strength to is the logistically sound decision." Kurome's gaze warred against Kamui's as she spoke. "Yet, you choose to abandon them every time. Your decisions don't reflect the man with the reputation of holding the coldest logic in the Seireitei."

Kamui turned his gaze up to the sun. "You're a woman, Kurome. If I don't allow myself to get caught up, it will do more damage than any of my strikes will." Clearly he was joking, only something Kamui could get away with saying.

"I'm an assassin. We capitalize on striking from behind and the art of back dooring." This was the lightest way of saying it he could. What he truly meant was that he was willing to sacrifice his own Shinigami brethren if it meant the success of a mission. "I will let you be, Kurome. I have more important matters to attend to." He said, disappearing into thin air in the same fashion he appeared.

"You-" Kurome couldn't get in a word before he disappeared. Kurome sighed outwardly. It was unlike her to be so agitated. She breathed in order to retain her composure. "I'm already well aware, Kamui." Kurome wasn't talking to Kamui specifically, but she knew that he could hear her anyway.

"Kaguya-chan..." Kurome stood up, clenching the hilt of her sword tightly.

"I swear on my pride as a Kuchiki..."

Kurome drew her blade in a singular clean motion, releasing an arc of pressure that blew forward and rang the bell at the front of the division barracks. It earned a brief moment of serenity as Kurome retreated her blade.

"I will not allow another needless death on my hands."

She walked forwards, each stride purposeful. Her eyes looked towards the horizon, as she aimed to change this forsaken world with every swing of her blade.

## Black Silence

Kurome had sent an alert out to several Shinigami within the Gotei 13, specifically seated officers. These were officers who possessed fairly high ranks, but were still new to the world of Shinigami. They were elected based on *potential*, but potential did not matter in the face of superior opponents.

A Hollow would not simply wait for a Shinigami to reach their full potential before consuming them. It was either kill, or be killed.

It was time these recruits recognized exactly what that meant.

Kurome had planned for this training session to take place in a small forest on the outskirts of the Seireitei, teetering on the border of the Rukongai. It wasn't a threatening forest, but it had enough depth and breadth to host proper training.

Kurome herself wasn't visible, but she was there. She was waiting for those whom she called to appear. As she bided her time, she observed the forest around her, noting the usable area in her mind.

Seikyoku was one of the first to arrive on the sight. While he hadn't had the chance to talk to his sister about the training exercise, he knew, without a doubt she had the best intentions.

Walking calmly Seikyoku scanned the forest. It seemed to be a calm place, not that it mattered. Some of the most dangerous places could appear to be lush and clear waters. Looking at the zanpakuto at his waist. Seikyoku wondered if he would gain a better relationship with them. Even after all of his training he could barely manage to talk to them. Even when he visited the lieutenant of the 10th division, being that he was a young person. The boys words where not that pleasant.

*"why did you come to someone like me, wouldn't that sister of ours be better. I'll admit you have skill but your comprehension of your companion is lacking in so many ways."*  Those where some of the vague words, Suiiki gave him and he still didn't fully understand.

No matter that Seikyoku was determined to achieve a new stage through this training.

Among the many people intended to join the training session was Shizuka Kurogane. Well, not necessarily. Shizuka had replaced herself with another member of the First Division, who was truly called for the training. She could pass up the chance to see Kurome again.

Her mane of blonde hair bounced as she made her way into the scene. There was Seikyoku, the younger brother of Kurome, and a few other Shinigami. She smiled and tossed her arm around Seikyoku’s shoulder placing not only her weight but her bust on him, nearly weighing him down. "Oh, it’s Little Kurome’s brother! Oh my, oh my, where is she?”

Shizuka squinted her golden gaze and looked around the area. Her dazzling eyes scanned every corner but she couldn’t *see* it. “Kurome~~!”

"What are you doing here?" Kurome's voice broke through the emptiness of the forest, and soon her form broke through as well. A crack appeared in the air before the two Shinigami, as Kurome stepped out of it whole. Using kyokkō, she had masked her physical appearance and reiatsu almost completely. She intended on staying hidden, but the appearance of Shizuka prompted her to reveal her form. Her gaze was sharp, pointed and cold. She wasn't particularly amused by the situation.

"You know *exactly* who I called here, Shizuka. Why are you taking their place? You're not the one who needs training." Kurome's gaze soon turned to her brother, who had also appeared for this training.

"Seikyoku." Kurome addressed him, "You might be my brother, but remember I cannot hold back on this training. Don't hold it against me."

“Yo!” A voice echoed in the barracks, and so entered Sakata, the 7th Seat of the 13th Division. The moment she had heard that a training session was being organized, Sakata could not help but leap at the chance. Having experienced great peril only days prior, she could not wait to ascend in power. And thus, there she was in the 6th Division barracks with a cheery and welcoming disposition that could not even last until she introduced herself to Kurome. Almost immediately, she reverted to her half-shut gazes and a dry, angry disposition. In a much rougher tone, she repeated, “Yo.” She walked towards Kurome and spoke, “I am the 7th Seated officer of the 13th Division. Call me Sakata. I heard you had organized a training session, Kuchiki. Cannot wait to get really fired up.”

Tenma had heard of a gathering of shinigami for training from the rest of Kido Corps officers, more than peeking his interested and prompting him to take part, since he was recently promoted to his new position in the 5th Division, still feeling like a novice, this session sounded like the perfect way for him to break into his new promotion. A bit excited for the chance to hone his abilities, it was also a way to familiarize himself with some of the other divisions and how they acted among one another, all the while drawing him much closer to his end goal. Glancing from a distance, Tenma could make out a a small party gathering, his ears perking up and his tail flicked back and forth at the new faces, "pleased to meet you, I'm Soichiro Tenma, Lieutenant of the 5th Division, pardon the intrusion on my part, I hope you'll have me," he said in a modest tone.

“Merry to meet you, Lieutenant,” spoke Sakata to Tenma, “Oh, who am I kidding! I do not mean that. I stopped being merry a long time ago. No disrespect, though, sir.” She pointed at the hilt of her sword and asked, “Excuse me, can anyone help me learn this thing's name?”

Before letting the small feline Shinigami respond, a figure crouched down from behind whilst he was distracted before a firm fist would tap Tenma across his right shoulder. Playful at best to the person it belonged to, yet maybe a bit rougher than one would've preferred in a scenario like this. "Yo! Fancy seeing you here Big Shot." The figure belonged to that of Aya Jūsuke, a member of the 8th Division and one of their latest promotions as well. "I suppose I should thank you for the other day back in the human world... Got me this after all." A.J. reached out to the tap the side of her shoulder and the badge now strapped onto it, showcasing her advancement to that of the division's 3rd Seat.

Examining the young lady, Tenma glanced at her Zanpakutō, his focus switching back and forth from the sword to the shinigami, closing his eyes in order to feel the the size of her Reiatsu, and energy residing inside the nameless Asauchi. Although vague, Tenma could feel the faintest imprints she had left on the sword with her spirit, the two very similar, and from the feel alone, gave Tenma an adequate impression of her thanks in part to her spirit energy. "If you're Zanpakutō is anything like you, it won't be much longer, at least, that's the feel I get when I see it I guess," Tenma said half-awkwardly, scratching his head in order to not come off as too weird. Before he could say anything else, Tenma heard a familiar voice, the kind that caused his ears to duck down and his fur to rise up.

"That voice." As soon as he felt that tap at the shoulder, Tenma could immediately recognized her Reiatsu, being an old classmate he had just seen not too long ago. "Aya? Heh, small world huh. And 3rd Seat already? No plans to slow down I see." Tenma was flabbergasted to hear this news, to think the brutal gorilla had already come along this far, was nothing short than amazing. He felt comforted knowing he wasn't the only one transitioning positions here, as it'd be of great help to see someone of similar rank perform in the same drills as him.

While he still had the full weight of Shizuka pressing against his form. Seikyoku gave his older sister a smile, " Ill keep it in mind. but thanks for inviting me to the training nee-san."

The boy new fully well he was going to be pushed, unlike his sister he wasn't a master of kido nor did he have near as much strength as her. But she was still his inspiration, The upbeat thoughts where cut off though when he heard the other shinigami, it was then he started confronting multiple of the shinigami present.

"To all of you however show some respect, And who is this rude Female who came barging in using the family name as if it was some casual greeting. ( Above all else somebody, Help, Me, Please) Seikyoku thought to himself trying to hide the fact that having Shizuka pressing against him and how she seemed to be around his sister made him uncomfortable.

Shizuka frowned up at Kurome's comments. "Huh?" She questioned the Shinigami, pushing herself off of Seikyoku so aggressively that the young Shinigami could have been sent tumbling to the ground. In a flurry of comedic dashes, she rushed over to Kurome's side and just before she was about to hug her, she stopped herself.

"What do you mean, why? I could use some Kido training. You could never train too much, it's how we create masters of arts, right? And eventually grandmasters!" Shizuka cut herself and held her breath. She then brought her finger up to her lip in a shushing manner. "Wait, that dooes have a nice ring too it." She smirked, leaning into Kurome and tossing herself onto the seated officer. "Grandmaster Kurome-samaaaa~" She sang, squeezing Kurome in her arms.

"Shō!" Kurome chanted, pointing her finger towards Shizuka and releasing a bolt of repulsive force to force Shizuka backwards as she attempted to leap on her. She sighed. The lack of decorum and respect in this place was astounding. Sometimes she sympathized with Kamui in times like these. People who can't even keep themselves orderly during training, how would they be able to tune in for battle?

"Ridiculous." Kurome took a step back and composed herself. She wished to address several issues in the room. Sakata's lack of decorum, Tenma showing up, Shizuka showing up, and much more. But she decided not to. There was a better way to deal with these unprepared Shinigami. Without warning, Kurome's body seemed to be warping away into the scenery.

Shizuka noticed Kurome trying to leave, and as she was about to speak, Kurome gestured with a shush, ensuring that Shizuka didn't say a word. Kurome had successfully removed herself from the sight and senses of those around her. Their greetings and attention to one another would prove to be their downfall in this first wave if they were not careful.

"I do apologize if I am late Lieutenant Kuchiki-dono, the intended recipient of the invitation informed me that they were sending me in their place too late for me to reach this location on time," a giant spoke as he entered the small clearing that his superior officers inhabited. "Tetsuyama Kobushi, Thirteenth Division reporting in," The shinigame bowed deeply with his apology, the rattle of the beads around his neck accenting his apology. A bow that was quickly repeated to the other senior officers within the clearing.

"*They continue to greet each other...*" Kurome looked down upon them from her aerial position. On one hand, she could sympathize with Kamui. On the other hand, his way of thinking was foolish. All individuals that freshly enter the military treat it as a game. It is only when one is confronted with life or death that they understand just how much strength is required merely to *live*.

Momo Hinamori, Renji Abarai, Izuru Kira and Shūhei Hisagi were examples she drew upon. These were all individuals that were faced with the truest possibility of death as students. This experience molded them when they grew from it. They later became some of the greatest examples of Lieutenants the Gotei 13 have ever had. They all possessed strength that excelled in one area, and could be honed to become Captains some day.

The soldiers before her did not have that experience. They were still wet behind the ears. In order to amass soldiers, the Shin'ō Academy lowered its standards. But that wasn't good enough. People like this simply weren't good enough to protect the Seireitei.

"*Tenteikūra.*" Kurome chanted in her mind, as her barrier of invisibility broke. Across her arms was black ink which soon projected outwards as two screens of ink from either arm. The casting of the spell would immediately alert all the Shinigami in the immediate vicinity that an emergency was afoot.

"*Raikōhō!*" Kurome chanted once more internally. Normally, Raikōhō was a spell that gathered spiritual energy, transformed it into a form resembling lightning, and struck it against their opponent in a concentrated strike that would resemble a lightning bolt. Kurome decided to change its form. After forming the lightning at the center of her torso within both of her palms, she segmented that energy directly in half and kept it held on both hands.

She fired the spell, not at any person, but rather, towards the Tenteikūra itself! The Tenteikūra was a spell that carried voices and projected them over, not distance, but to the very ears of individuals that have been targeted within the scope of the Tenteikūra. It was the perfect communication spell. However, in this case...Kurome's combination of spells could be called anything *but* communication.

The thunderous sound of the Raikōhō would immediately penetrate the ears of every Shinigami in the immediate area. It was a direct attack to the senses, and a particularly strong one. The spell's duration would last for a few seconds at the very least, as following the thunderous roar of the lightning spell, was the explosions in the forest that were channeled into the Tenteikūra as well.

This sensory overload was the first stage of Kurome's training.

"*A Shinigami must always be prepared to face a Menos Grande, or any opponent with spiritual pressure that is so overwhelming that it causes disorientation. A battle between spiritual beings is determined by the quantity of their reiatsu. But when faced with overwhelming power, is a Shinigami merely meant to accept defeat? Of course not! The incredibly pressurized sound within the minds of the Shinigami before me will replicate the oppressing sensation that one feels when faced with overwhelming power.*"

As Kurome thought out the reason behind this maneuver, she looked down at the Shinigami before her.

"*Now show me, Shinigami. How will you stand in front of overwhelming power? Will you be able to gather your senses? Will you retreat? Will you foolishly charge ahead to your death? Or will you find a different path! Demonstrate your resolve!*"

The assault was overwhelming, not just from an auditory sense, but the sensation pressing on his skin felt crushing, even more so for Tenma, his ears visibly shaking and clenching down to hide from the noise. "Insane, as expected from someone from the Kuchiki Clan, agh!" His first thought was to flee, a clear indicator that his survival instinct was welling up inside, telling him evade or increase the distance between himself and the source of the turbulence. But such a tactic would leave him vulnerable in a real combat scenario, and above all, was least expect from someone who sat at the Lieutenant seat, the one who served as the vanguard of any combat unit. With his senses in a frenzy, Tenma bit his lip with his feline teeth, focusing solely on the pain to drown out all the other noise in his head, drawing blood as it trickled down his chin. From the adrenaline alone, Tenma drew one of his Zanpakutōs with his right hand, keeping the other on standby in case he needed to use a Kido spell.

*Its her huh, Kurome Kuchiki...*Tenma thought, the only thing that he could focus on throughout this entire endeavor was that name. Before he was given his current position, he had heard among the senior officers of the 5th Division that someone prior to Tenma had been previously considered for the Lieutenant position. But for unspecified reasons, it was turned down. He hadn't questioned it till now, but seeing her in person, it only served to hit at his pride all the more, pushing him to strive even further to live up to his position.

There stood Sakata, absolutely stunned by Kurome's overwhelming display of Kidō abilities. She, too, could cast advanced-level Kidō spells, but to do so in rapid succession and in such overwhelming manner? Clearly, Kurome was in a league beyond hers.

What she needed to do was to get out of her current predicament. After a moment of auditory pain, the option was clear to her. Sakata's decades of interest in Kidō had availed her of some pretty interesting ideas for Kidō spell combinations. This was a moment to try one of them. It was easy for her to prepare two spells at the same time, but not when she was overwhelmed so severely. What she was going to do was risky.

She prepared to use a low-level lightning spell. The Hadō spell #4: Byakurai. A spell typically used to pierce a target, but when weakened and altered significantly, has nothing but literal shock value. With the spark of electricity at her fingertip, she placed it as far from her head as she could, and placed her other hand on her head. She then let the spark of electricity loose, with only a moment until it struck herself. In that moment, she cast her other spell. The Bakudō spell Bakufuku. A spell that struck herself unconscious and cut her the flow of spiritual power, thus disconnecting herself from the Tenteikūra. As her unconcious body started to descend, she was struck by her own spark of electricity that jolted her awake.

Freed from the Kuchiki's Tenteikūra, Sakata looked up at Kurome, and spoke, “Alright, Kuchiki …-zan, is it? Or -zama? No, pretty sure it is -sama? Or do you prefer -dono? Whatever. Do let me know. Also, speaking of letting me know, let me know how to perform such wonders in combat. Issue me a command, and I shall obey. Ask me a question, and I shall answer. Lead me where you want to. If I have committed any transgressions, please accept my apologies and correct me. Fill my cup with your knowledge, Kuchiki-zan.”

All while this had been going on, Shizuka found herself a seat on a nearby building. She watched as Kurome displayed a brilliance of Kido spells. But, to her, this was nothing knew. Shizuka was known for following around Kurome and had seen Kurome as well as many other skilled Shinigami weave through a number of impressive spells. But there was just something different about Kurome to where she couldn't help but to smile in blush as she preformed her skills. She was elegant, gracefully, and gentle with her castings. The very words of incantations sunk into her soul and caused her body to vibrate.

However, what she had truly been feeling were the side effects of Kurome's spell. Her lips began to curl upward as her body shook. Shizuka closed her eyes slowly and her smile expended even further. Her palms were pressed directly against the building she remained in a seated position. This sensation, it felt way too good for her to try and fight it off. She licked her licks as an mental image of Kurome played in her mind. "Oh, Kurome-sama~

It had only been moments since the Kido where launched at all of them. Seikyoku had been one of the ones to feel its effect the worse given his proximity to the caster. The overwhelming force assaulted his senses this brought him to his knees almost instantly. Instinctively putting his arms to his ears. All the while he still had his thoughts and was not completely helpless

" Need to think of something what would he think of," Seikyoku thought to himself while remembering the training he often sought from lieutenant Suiiki, he then thought of one thing he had learned. Suiiki would often speak of martial arts teachings and will *" A Sword is only as good as its wielders will, mastery over yourself above everything else, then any thing can be as sharp as a blade, at least that's what my mother said to me" Suiiki had said to Seikyoku once before*

Using this Seikoku thought of a way he could escape, He looked down at His swords and drew one out of its sheath. Only then did he do the one thing he could think of, if he couldn't will his way out of this then he could at least do this, Taking up the sword Seikyoku slashed his arm creating a small cut, the wound was small but did the trick. He instantly regained his senses back and sheathed the blade. At the same time he let out a quick sigh, before wrapping the wound.

The woman's gaze had quickly shifted to the source of the pain, the danger, and yet her body had made the next decision even before her eyes had fully found its target. A.J.'s hand reached out to the figure closest to her, this being none other than Tenma, before grabbing him by the collar as her body flickered as she'd find herself with the feline as far as possible inside the vicinity from the 5th Lieutenant. Yet as they appeared, her wide eyed expression seemed to suggest that her actions had even surprised her more than anything. *Why didn't I just go for it!? What the hell!* Her thoughts spoke of her preference in battle for sure, but it would appear that her last few endeavors really did knock in the teachings of the 8th Division to provide backup and support more than she'd thought. But those words inside her head would disappear as quickly as they'd arrived as evident by the tenuous expression spreading across her face as the tremors continued to pulsate inside her eardrums and tension spread inside her muscles.

"Fuck me!" The female Shinigami called out as her hands found themselves covering her ears as to even provide the slightest dampener to keep her sense of hearing from feeling like they were about to erupt. Gritting and showing off her teeth whilst the woman's eyes shifted rapidly to that of Kurome and then the other woman that had asked for help concerning her Zanpakutō, only to see that Sakata figured something out on her own. Yet even then it was clear that A.J. looked frustrated at her own inaction. She was too slow at making out an Kidō in a moment like this and who knew what would happen if she had gone straight for the Lieutenant like she had initially hoped for... *I should've gone for it..!*

Tetsuyama looked up from his bows, noticing that their host wasn't around. *Did I arrive too late?* he thought to himself for a moment, noting that the rest of the trainees looked fresh, which implied that it hadn't started yet. He considered inquiring into this when his head filled with screeching thunder and rumbling explosions. Tetsuyama was aware of Kido, he even used the lower tier of spells. But he had never heard or heard anything as loud as the screeching that assaulted his head inside and out. He was unaware of what was going on, and had no time to process anything. All he had time to do was act.

His instincts said retreat, but his sense of self said fight. So like in all things, he compromised. After all, all inaction in times of crisis does is lead to death.

The giant leaned backwards as he pushed off the ground hard, getting out of the clearing into what his gut told him was a more advantageous position in a single leap. In the same moment, his sword was drawn, a weapon that would be considered a katana to a normal sized plus looking like a wakizashi to him. After all, if he dare not retreat, and not know where to attack. Then all he could do was present his greatest defense until he had time to get his bearings.

Tetsuyama pushed the cacophony to the back of his mind through willpower alone as he brought the voice of his Zanpakuto thorugh the noise. "Pray for Salvation, Rokudo Juzu!" he commanded into the din. His weapon shattered towards the shinigami, the fragments disitegrating towards his arm as the dust rolled into a series of beads wrapping it. He raised his right arm as if in prayer, the beads jangling unheard through the sound of the spells.

"Om Mani Padme Hum" He chanted, his bearings finally righted even as the noise continued to pound in his head. He was incapable of preventing the assault on his senses, but to have an iron body one must have an iron mind. Tetsuyama would be found wanting in neither.

Kurome observed all the individuals who entered the training. She was immediately grotesqued by Shizuka's reaction, and could only roll her eyes. "*Of course, she is simply here to see me struggle. Typical.*" Kurome dismissed her and went back to the task at hand. She was surprised, to say the very least, at the varied reactions of the Shinigami before her. There were those who did not take any action, others who released their zanpakutō, or inflicted themselves with pain to remove the overwhelming sensation within their ears. However, there was a common denominator in all of this.

These methods were simply too slow. Any truly powerful opponent would not give time for the Shinigami to reprieve from their disoriented senses. While Kurome demonstrated a little bit of mercy, she could not continue to do so. Complacency was a sin for Shinigami. In times of struggle such as these, a true test of an individual's mettle came from their ability to adapt. A genius or an ordinary Shinigami were no different when they were dead, after all.

"Bloom from bloodshed, Kikka Monshō!" Kurome chanted passionately, as those final words were the last thing that the Shinigami below her would hear from the Tenteikūra. The black curtains had been dispelled, and with it, the sound of thunder and explosions no longer ran in the ears of the Shinigami. Those who thought the threat was over would soon find themselves regretting that decision. Kurome's sealed state, a katana, transformed into what appeared to be a typical European longsword. Across the entire edge-length of the blade, however, there were sixteen petal like extensions, each glowing with a purple aura.

"Kikui: Shikotate!" Kurome stated, as four of the glowing petals' dimmed. From them, four beams of purple spiritual energy were sent to surround the Shinigami in all four cardinal directions, before transforming into circular shields each the average height of the Shinigami present. These shields did not intend to harm the Shinigami directly, but they would be wrong in thinking that the shields sought to protect them.

"Not all of you passed that test. But that is understood." Kurome stated, as all of the Shinigami's attention was drawn back to her. Their eyes clearly demonstrated their thoughts. Defeat Kurome, and that'd be the end of this exercise. Their gazes sought to cut her down right where she stood. "Remember, defeating me is not the point of this training. Understand that this is the scale of opponents you will be fighting for. There won't be a moment reprieve. In the world of Shinigami, failure results in death. That is a cardinal rule that all of you have yet to understand."

Kurome's being once again surged with spiritual power as she prepared her next move. She stabbed her sword into the ground, and from both of her hands, red orbs of spiritual energy conflagrated. "Shakkahō!" The flaming red orbs were propelled from her hands and sent towards, not the Shinigami initially, but the *shields*. The nature of the shield caused the spiritual power to bounce off it and accelerated the flame spell significantly. With each rebound, the spells bounced off each shield repeatedly, as Kurome sent six more flame bombs in the time that the first two began accelerating.

Within the cage of four shields were eight orbs of fiery spiritual power that, with every bounce they made, accelerated and strengthened as they sought to make contact with the Shinigami interrupting their path. The shields would eventually break down and give way, Kurome was aware of that; she also knew that if the Shinigami did not react swiftly enough, however, they would all be targeted with a hyper-accelerated Shakkahō bullet that could easily break bones if it made unhindered contact.

Kurome sought to replicate the essence of an Arrancar's Bala. It was a fairly modern technique among Hollows that sacrificed raw power in exchange for great speed. However, more than that, this was a test of these Shinigami's reflexes and decision-making skills. Would they be able to use their speed to escape this situation, or would they find a situation that would reduce the damage? Whether they worked together or individually made no difference. As long as the end result was successful, Kurome would be able to pass the trainees.

Sakata could not hear Kurome utter her Shikai incantation, but she stood firm and was ready for anything. As soon as she saw Kurome's sword transform, she prepared to make her flicker, but she waited just long enough for Kurome to make her move first. In a combat situation, a victor may be the one who strikes first. However, victory could very well shine upon the one who successfully intercepts the first strike. Which shall it be? Sakata could not wait to find out. As soon as the walls arose and the Shakkahō was fired… well, Sakata had, in her youth, seen her fair share of traps to know that unless she moved fast, she was bloody doomed. She flickered, but her Shunpo technique was imperfect. Before she could move out of the way, the Shakkahō had already reached her. However, Sakata knew full well that her Shunpo technique was imperfect, and had placed her confidence in her Kidō technique. She had already prepared the Bakudō spell #8: Seki. Instead of trying to repel the Shakkahō away from herself, however, she repelled herself away from the Shakkahō. This awailed her a moment, which was more than enough to flicker out of there and rise above, looking at Kurome face to face. She knew that Kurome had multiple targets below to study their reactions. Wishing to push herself beyond her limits, she prepared to attack the instructor herself.

Seikyoku watched all of the walls came into being, he knew instantly to move towards the ends of the barriers however he suddenly felt something coming at him from all directions. Seikyoku didn't have to think of where to move he felt the flow of the Reishi and moved accordingly. First ducking his head down to avoid the first coming her way. Then placing his arm out Seikyoku scooted forward and propelled himself in the air using complex body movements to twist his body in the air. So far it was enough but the next ones came at him with only more speed. The young shinigami moved still undeterred. As one came to his right he tilted his head and swayed, fully sending pulses to his body the boy jumped in the air twisting. Upon landing he spun around 380 degrees and preformed a back handspring into a layout backflip. while he flew through the air Seikyoku drew each of his swords from their sheaths and landed in a cross blades position.

It was only then did he see Sakata launching her self using the kido as a boost. But this wasn't the end of it. Seikyoku was taken by surprise by the woman's next move. He knew someone like her would stand no chance against his sister, but the sheer act couldn't be left unchecked. Seikyoku released his spiritual pressure and shot into the air. The points of his blades coming together as he neared Sakata. focused on intercepting her attack.
"The hell do you think your up to Sakata!"

Seikyoku's voice and the echo of his blades swinging in the air shook Sakata. She stopped her action, and within her heart, cursed herself twice. Once for stopping, and once for wishing to attack Kurome in the first place. For because she stopped, she knew that the heart of a warrior she once had had stopped beating. A consummate warrior would not be stopped by a voice and a few sounds. Also, for because she wished to attack Kurome, she had violated the Kuchiki's words that defeating her was not the objective of the exercise. Sakata spoke aloud, “A thousand apologies, Kuchiki-zan!” She then turned to Seikyoku and spoke, “Thank you, Kuchiki …um …-kun, is it?”

Tetsuyama centered himself as the screeching in his head stopped, his senses calm as he walked back into the clearing to listen to the senior officer. He took a deep breath as he watched the burning orbs form, the giant taking up a defensive stance as the onslaught began.

The first shot that whizzed past him didn't even for the shinigami to move, it passing several feet to the right. The second however was far closer as the giant hopped to the right an instant before it passed through the space Tetsuyama had just vacated. He jumped up high for the third pass, leaping over the projectile before falling to his stomach for the fourth.

A chaotic dance ensued as Tetsuyama worked dilligently to dodge each and every projectile that came his way, though each pass was closer and closer. This continued until he eventually realized that the shots were coming far too fast to dodge now, the projectiles having continued to speed up with each bounce off the of the Noble's shield.

Tetsuaya stepped down hard, the ground cracking as used his body's power to accelerate his open hand forward, the arm strengthened by his Shikai until it was as hard as spiritual steel. A lighting flame impacted his open palm as he slammed it into an approaching projectile, the impact briefly struggling against the hyper-accelerated projectile before it lost containment. It exploded on the palm of his hand, throwing up dust and fire all around the giant shinigami, though as the initial blast cleared, he remained standing. Tetsuyama was not the most proud of his speed, but if there was one thing he was willing to count on it would definitely be his durability.

Tenma was glad that he'd made it the next section with his quick thinking, nearly getting a heart attack from Aya's death grip, tempted to scratch her eyes out from nearly choking him out, "you crazy woman, are you trying to kill us both," Tenma yelled, coughing while trying to catch his breath. But as he did so, his ears perked up, now more than stable enough to resume their normal use after the previous ordeal. From Kurome's shikai barrier up, Tenma noticed immediately what the red orb flying toward their group was, all too familiar with the iconic red glow and crimson orb that belonged to the Shakkahō spell. What he didn't account for was the pin-ball effect this barrier was having, ricocheting across the walls, growing faster the more momentum it gained as one was heading to their direction. “Aya!” Pushing her away from the incoming Shakkahō,Tenma could make out at least several spheres bouncing all over the place, getting on all fours like a cat and running. Staying as close to the ground as he could, Tenma darted all across the floor, taking the time to erect various Kidō barriers in front of him in the shape of ramp, jumping off it as he weaved numerous hand signs in the air, creating several more in mid-air for him to zig-zag between for cover.

Standing on one of his barriers to catch his breath, it was tricky, but with the speed increasing by the minutes, it was only a matter of time before the next one landed a clean hit. If he couldn’t dodge, he wasn’t about to be a passive player either. “This composition and spiritual pressure, levels within projected estimates…” Tenma began reciting to himself.

Closing his eyes, Tenma felt the volume and concentration of Reiryoku used to compose the Shakkahō, keeping track of the flying orbs. Jumping as one came racing from his back, Tenma pushed off his barrier, nearly hitting him dead-on, cinging the sleeve of his shihakusho. If he was going to survive, but more importantly, pass this part of the test, Tenma needed to adapt a new strategy aside from simply dodging. After all, the position Tenma was vying for required nothing less than his best, as the Grand Kidō Chief was expected to perform at least beyond this level. It was nothing he didn't experience in the Kidō Corps, if anything, Tenma felt at home with all the Kidō flying around. And now was no different. If anything, the only thing that was out of place was the simple fact Kurome’s barriers made interacting with the flying energy more difficult to handle as another orb was racing for impact.

All Soichiro had to do was analyze the structure of its spirit particles, speed and trajectory, and compensate accordingly. Elevating his Reiatsu, he matched to the output that was generated by the scarlet orbs, as well as the general force it had. Raising his hand, it began to glow with an effervescent blue light, planting his feet as hard as he could on the surface of the Kidō in order to brace for impact, stretching out his hand and pointing his open palm to the incoming orb of energy. A powerful crash reverberated from above, electricity flying from the two forces acting in complete opposition to one another, nearly identical in their composition. “It’s about what I expected,” he exclaimed, Tenma hitting Kurome's spell with a Kidō of the same quality and quantity as her Shakkahō, the contrasting natures of the two causing it to dissipate in his hand. The technique was a modified version of Hanki, with Tenma adding his own spin on it, foregoing the reverse rotation in favor of an opposing force that pushed in the opposite direction.

"Oi oi!" A.J. called out as she was being pushed aside by the feline Lieutenant, only to realize after the fact of what he'd done as the crimson red spehere flew passed the two shinigami and ricocheted off the wall behind them. Not only that, but for a moment she had been left standing there upon witnessing how Tenma was dealing with the situation, almost like watching a cat running after its laser pointer but on a completely seperate level... But it also seemed to cause a glimmer to shine through her eyes as A.J. seemed to have gotten an idea of her own because of the man's actions. Yet her distractions wouldn't last long as whilst turning her head to follow the Lieutenant, A.J. would find herself coming face to face with one of the red orbs as it suddenly covered her entire field of view in her now shocked and widened eyes. Her body moved on its own in that same instance, much like it had during the first spells from the Kuchiki woman, flickering in place A.J. appeared anew just a few meters away and underneath one of Tenma's many barriers. Yet even for a brief moment, A.J. would be confused at what she saw as she could've sworn that the shinigami saw herself still standing there as the spehere of Kidō flew through the air from where she once stood and onto one of the walls of the vicinity.

With a loud exclaimation, the air inside the woman's lungs left her as the pressure subsided for that short moment and A.J. could feel a drop of sweat now running down the side of her face and temple. *Fuck me..! Could've lost an eye there,* Counting on that the barrier covering her would do its job, her mind wandered but so too did her eyes as they started to try and track where some of the red sphere were head and not currently being dealt with in their own regard. "There they are..." A.J. muttered to herself as her feet sprung into motion and she'd find herself at the far end of the room where one of the spheres were currently headed, "Bakudō #8. Seki!" Lifting her right hand in the path of the red orb, its inevitable collision came with that of a small, blue sphere just in front of the the woman's hand before the blue one abruptly burst open like a ballon and send the crimson sphere back where it came from.

Smiling at her own actions and ideas, A.J. flickered in place yet again as she'd spring forth next to the very same red orb and utter incantation once more - but this time steering her hand towards the spell with her own and repel the sphere in the direction of her choosing. Yet she had underestimated the velocity of which the orb had travelled after having being reflected the first time, causing it to pass her by just in time to bounce off the wall again before the shinigami would be able to land her technique. Something of which sprung forth at it greater speeds as the blue sphere would burst once and send the red one flying across the air and on towards the one who made it in the first place.

## Twin Lotus, Burn Brightly

Kurome stood above as she observed the reactions of the others. More than anything, she was surprised that Sakata took the approach she did. While attempting to attack her, Kurome did briefly lose focus and attempt to guard herself. Although, before she had the chance to respond to Sakata, Seikyoku had already dealt with Sakata's rampage. Surprised, but relieved at the outcome, Kurome retrained her eyes back to the other Shinigami. It was intriguing to see the different responses to her attack. Whether it was tanking the hits directly, using barriers, or even reversing the flow of the spell against itself to direct it away from the individual. These were all fair, and much better responses than what was initially presented to her. Kurome purposefully simplified this attack, because it was merely a set up for her next one.

Kurome's four barriers that were struck by the shakkahō finally broke apart. With the shattering of the purple barriers, their spiritual energy was dispersed across the entire area covered by where most of the Shinigami were standing, with the exception of Seikyoku and Sakata. With Kurome's reiatsu dispersed to such a wide degree, she also had firm control over the remaining orbs of flame, including those that had been reduced to cinders by the counter attacks of the Shinigami below her. Kurome made a surprising move and dove into the center of the arena, and stood among those who were currently facing against the might of her spells.

"As Shinigami, we all face attacks who measure well beyond the might of an individual. Your next task will be to prevent that attack from obliterating you all. Be aware that I will not make this task easy for you."

Kurome's spiritual pressure flared outwardly from her position, as the reiatsu that was dispersed over the environment seemed to compress and condense into a solid, rope-like form. "Fushibi!" Kurome chanted, spreading out the compressed reiatsu into a net that dispersed across the entire area. A net that was an almost burgundy color due to the fusion of her own Shikai's reiatsu with the shakkahō she fired before. Although it appeared harmless at first glance, the volatility of the net was easily discernable by the brief flare-ups of the reiatsu. Any direct contact with this rope was bound to cause explosive results. Of course, Kurome would not end there.

"Tsuzuri Raiden!" Kurome chanted, as she gathered electrical energy on the tip of her fingers before propelling it to the flame-wrapping net. The electrical energy surged quickly across the stream of reiryoku, which had now electrified an already extremely volatile technique. Simple speed wouldn't be enough to cut it. Kurome had, quite effectively, blocked the path to herself. Without dismantling the kidō or tanking an explosion, the Shinigami wouldn't get anywhere. To add insult to injury, Kurome had also caused four more barriers to appear from her blade, which caged her from all four sides.

Kurome placed both hands at chest level, parallel to one another, as she began to chant. "Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh," It was the chant to one of the Kuchiki Clan's signature spells, the Sōkatsui. But it wasn't any old Sōkatsui, it was the empowered Sōren Sōkatsui. Should Kurome manage to finish the incantation, then someone with her reiatsu and mastery of Kidō would surely incinerate the whole forest if the spell was let loose.

This was the test Kurome had prepared for these Shinigami. How would they, together, manage to find a way to overcome Kurome's three-layered onslaught?

“Alright! Here we go!” Sakata yelled, “There are four things we need to counter. The strings of fire, the lightning that surrounds it, the barrier that she has set up around her, and the great balls of fire she is about to unleash.”

She turned to Seikyoku, “Kuchiki-kun! I need you, and do it quickly, to unveil Kuchiki-zan's barrier!”

Tenma could recognize the spells used in conjunction with one another and the display caught him by surprise by the innovation of it all; it was more than it needed to be, but that made it all the more elegant to watch. He knew that if this combination of spells were to finish as soon as he uttered the last words of her incantation, their very lives could be put into jeopardy, regardless of whether or not it was for the sake of training. His Zanpakutō would be of excellent help at this point. Drawing both swords out, Tenma pointed one sword up, and the other down, his Reiatsu rising sharply to signify its release. “Ivory Trail That Guides The Midnight's Flow, Ebony Stone That Reveals Morning's Destination. Higanbana Onmyōkoi.” With its utterance, a large cloud of smoke rose from his position, his spirit energy exploding from the use of his Shikai. Once the debris cleared, Tenma glanced down to his swords, only to realize in horror of what had transpired, greeted by what appeared to his Zanpakutō still in its sealed form, the energy he had built up dissipating, vanishing just as quickly as it had arrived.

“No. No. Not now. Can’t you hear me, Higanbana?” Tenma said dejectedly, bewildered that his Zanpakutō would reject him now of all times. But now wasn’t the time for it. If he couldn’t keep his emotions under control, how could he be put in command of others. Sheathing his swords, Tenma recollected his thoughts, taking in everything he had at his disposal, the people present, and how much time he had.

"Everyone, get behind me!” Locking his hands together, five small yellow orbs of spirit energy slipped between his clasped hands, the skinny tails of energy trailing behind as they rose above his head. With a sudden shock to the terrain, his eyes sharpened, the embers forming a circle above him. Raising his hands above his head, the circles spread out into the sky, Tenma closing his eyes to focus on the next segment. *"Walls of iron sand, a priestly pagoda, glowing ironclad fireflies. Standing upright, silent to the end.”* Although it wasn’t necessary, applying the incantation would provide additional power to the spell, and at this point, he needed as much as he could get. Tenma elevated his Reiatsu, treating this as seriously as he could, the pressure alone taking a very real effect on the area around him, as branches began to snap, all the leaves were falling off the trees even the ground cracked from the force.

“Bakudō #75. Gochūtekkan!” Slamming his hands down, the orbs planted themselves into the ground, as a bright light from the sky brought down five five tall thick pillars, connected together by chains. Designed to bind and hold a target with their immense durability, Tenma was going to repurpose it for something entirely different. “Bakudō #73. Tozanshō!” With its utterance, Tenma pointed his hand toward where the five pillars were situated, pointing with his right index finger. As if it was a cue, the spell came to life from that single point, as blue strands of energy stretched into four directions, tracing the lines to create an inverted pyramid. Taking on the form of a powerful barrier, it was an unusual sight for anyone who knew how to use Kidō, as the barrier wasn’t around him or used to trap his opponent inside, the latter being a simple issue of distance. However, Tenma adjusted the conjuration of the spell, using it to encompass his Gochūtekkan, creating a makeshift bullet.

Tenma took a glance at everyone in his immediate vicinity, his ears perked up as he sensed the quality and distinct nature of everyone’s Reiatsu, a bad habit he adopted when he began his training, but he was more than surprised that there were a few that piqued his interest. “Listen to me, a spell of this nature is powerful, but the stronger it is, the longer the incantation will be. I’ll do what I can to weaken the barrier. As soon as it connects, time you’re attacks.”

The best he could do was create a wedge that could throw off her incantation for a moment, and at best, break past the barrier and hit her altogether, but that was wishful thinking on his part. But the success was questionable, and largely based on the stability of both their spells. If nothing else, he was going to take advantage of some of the highest degree Bakudō spell’s he could muster, channeling their defensive power by turning them into the perfect battering ram, giving the rest time to act accordingly. Running his fingers through the air, Tenma repositioned his spell, slowly shifting toward Kurome’s position, the lower end perfectly pointed to her purple barriers. “Release!” Pressing agaisnt the back of his barrier, the amalgamation Bakudō was sent flying, torpedoing as fast as it could toward Kurome.

Sakata saw Soichiro Tenma prepare his Kidō spells, knowing full well that they will not be fast enough to stop Kurome from uttering her incantation.

“Everyone!” Sakata yelled again. She would definitely need a glass of warm, salted water with a dash of honey and lemon once the day is done. “I need at least two or three of y'all to prepare a Daichi Tenyō casting. We need to levitate these strings of fire and lightning away from ourselves! Once you are done, I will cast a Hyapporankan to pin the strings away.”

Sakata then prepared her own incantation, “Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini!! Look upon yourself with horror and then claw out your own throat!” Clearly, the incantation was far more vile than the intentions of Sakata's heart.

"I would, seventh-seat Sakata," Tetsuya said as he observed the situation, "But the highest spell I can reliably cast is Bakudo #49."

“Bloody seriously?!” yelled one exasperated-to-the-blazes Sakata. Definitely, she will more than just lemon and honey after this training session is done. With both herself and Tenma done with their first incantations and Tenma starting his second incantation, Sakata could not help but wonder if Kurome had already completed hers.

“If you want something done, do it your-bloody-selves!” Sakata's body was glowing in red energy, but instead of casting the Bakudō #9: Geki, the spell that she had been preparing, she had to cast another, the Bakudō #58: Daichi Tenyō.

Using the spell Daichi Tenyō to levitate the strings of flame and lightning around them, she lunged them at Kurome's barrier. Hoping that Kurome's barrier would be broken by her own incendiary and electrifying strings, Sakata casted the spell Geki to cause paralysis to Kurome. Should the spell work, Kurome would no longer be able to complete her incantation.

*\*Tick tick..\**

*Break the barrier.*

*Follow command.*

*Distrupt her concentration!*

*\*Tick tock..!\**

*But no, the woman from Squad 13 has an idea!*

*But so does Tenma. I can trust the Lietanant, he knows what he's doing!*

*Sakata doesn't seem to believe in it though...*

*\*Tick tock tick!\**

*Tetsuya says he can't do as she asks!*

*Can I even do it..?*

*But time is running out!*

*\*Tick tick!\**

*Wait, Sakata is on the move!?*

*She's doing it but... I can't do it...*

*Follow your gut... Punch.. Kick.. Run.. JUST DO SOMETHING GOD DAMMIT!*

*\*Tick... TOCK... TIIICKK!!!\**

"Nnnggggaaaahh FUCK ME JUST MOVE IT!" The veins across A.J. facial exterior seemed to pop out of her skull as she threw the words out of her mouth, grinding her teeth together as the echo of her steps vanished amount the numerous Kido spells being in play as she'd make her way next to the Lieutenant of the 5th Division without standing in his way. Evidently, the 3rd Seat put her faith behind the orders spoken by Soichiro, be it out of duty for his rank as a Lieutenant or out familiarity for an old classmate, who could say at this point.

The Shinigami would lower her posture as she made a full stop, an open palm came into view in front of her whilst the other curled their fingers as it was being pulled back to her body. The stance continued to take shape as she dragged one foot back and had her toes pushed against the floorboards whilst tilting her heel upwards. Like an athelete making themselves ready for a 100 meters sprint, A.J.'s frowned gaze pierced through the crowd and kept concentrating on the woman that had been put them here. She wasn't even realising that her foot was already making cracks underneath it from the pressure as looked for the opening Tenma spoke of. She knew exactly what she wanted to do... See a crack in the barrier? Break it. If Kurome was exposed? Go for it. End it.

*...End it?*

The woman's furious gaze lost its tint as she realised what kind of thoughts was swirling inside her head. Picturing how wrong this could go if the opportunity really presented itself to her. Would A.J. really be able to hold back in this mess and not risk something that she'd regret? It was clear as day that she was already hesitating. With wavering eyes she'd turn to look at Soichiro, then Seikyoku. Followed by Sakata and finally Tetsuyama. Maybe she could take one and leave or at the very least protect them in someway?

*\*Click!\** Too late.

This training session showed everyone around just how powerful each of these Shinigami were. Everyone present was talented in their own way and that meant a promising future for the Gotei 13. They were weakened sure, but the talents recruited by the Captain Commander made it a bit easier for him to cover up their lacking forces. Among these many watchers was Shizuka. She refrained from truly getting in on the training session, but she couldn't miss the oppurtunity to watch Kurome go to work. She was never truly allowed or capable of watching the woman's grand battles against Kamui Shihōin, she couldn't miss this one. Throughout this all, Kurome showed exactly why she was considered one of the greatest to be born to the Kuchiki Clan.

"Oh, Kurome-sama~! Just hearing you incite a spell gives me the chills." Shizuka yelled calmly as he face drifted back to the clouds then back to Kurome. She took her eyes off of Kurome for just a moment and there the rest of the those around had been sending off combined attacks at her.

Shizuka quickly jumped to her feet. "Hey!" She exclaimed, drawing her Zanpakuto from its sheathe. In its current state, the blade took the appearance of a average katana with a circular guard, white hilt with yellow diamonds along the side. "How dare you all gang up on Kurome before she is able to get off her spell!" Her beautiful brown skin had immediately turned red in anger from the actions the Shinigami took against Kurome, completely getting rid of the fact that this was a training session.

"*Shine bright*," said, holding her sword right in front of her face and closing her eyes. Though her vision had been cut off, her sensors were still working fine using her ability to sense the spiritual pressures of those around to her advantage. Her Zanpakuto suddenly began to emit a bright yellow light which flashed in a similiar fashion to glint. As the light flicker away, Shizuka revealed her Zanpakuto to have changed. For the most part it still resembled that of a katana, but the hilt and blade itself had changed. The diamonds that were along the handle turned into circles which were just as white as the hilt. The only thing that made them noticible were the black outlinings that gave them their shape. Along the flat portion of the blade, flash-like designs could be seen as if they were etched by her reiatsu. "*Amaterasu*!"

With a single step, Shizuka warped out of existence before reappearing right in front of Kurome. From thin air a circular object appeared in front of Shizuka which, on the side opposite of herself, showed the reflection of the attacking Shinigami. This was a mirror and a technique of her Zanpakuto known as **Kōkyō**; a mirror created from light particles that perfectly replicate and reflect what is seen through it. The combination technique created by the Shinigami would spit from the mirror and align perfectly for a head on collision that would send the caught up area into a raging explosion. Dust and debris filled the area in a giant cloud, swallowing up all of the surrounding Shinigami as everyone would prepare for what was next.

"That woman is getting on my nerves. Sakata have you ever considered not everyone will have the same skill set. Don't go blurting out orders and expect people to follow when you obviously know nothing about your comrads." Seikyoku still had his two zanpakuto in his hands but unlike his sister he wasn't focused on kido. Seikyoku chose to focus on swordsmanship so he could make up for the field in witch kurome didn't focus all of her studies. But he did pick up small things that would help him in battle. Twirling his swords simultaneously until they where both in an upside down position. Staking them into the ground. He put his hands together in a clapping motion

*"hado number 11 Tsuzuri Raiden"* withought using an incantation. An aura of lighting surrounded his hands. Crackling like a hum of chirping birds. Taking up his swords the lighting surged from his hands onto the blades. Looked over at the now defending Shizuka
"by the-will somebody get that obsessed woman away from my sister.

His form flickerd and dissapeared as Seikyoku puts himself closer to the others. . Lifting his leg seikyoku twisted his form and preforms a tsunami kick. With the move a layer of light follows his foots trail. *"Bakudo 26 kyokko"* should this move be successful it would completely remove the presence of him and the others attacks granted kurome could take focus away from her incantation to remove the spell. But this would ultimately give him and the others a chance for attack undeterred.

"Shizuka...!" Kurome exclaimed loudly, dispelling her barriers and returning the reiatsu that comprised them into her blade. She had already stopped her incantation upon noticing the combination spell performed by Tenma and was prepared to react in another way to the cumulative attacks sent by Sakata and Aya following Tenma. But everything came to a standstill when Shizuka intervened. It was an unnecessary intervention, and Shizuka knew that. This was merely to anger Kurome, but angry she was nonetheless.

"You fool!" Kurome swung her blade with great fervor, intending on slashing Shizuka across her back.

Of course, Shizuka predictably knew how Kurome would respond and giggled as she vanished in a single step, appearing behind Shizuka and waving. She didn't say anything, but simply responded with a big, bright smile.

Kurome shook her head in irritation. She wanted to stop the training here, but she supposed this was as good a time as any to move on to her final lesson.

"I apologize for that." Kurome said, bowing, despite her status. "I should have known Shizuka would pull off that kind of stunt, and I didn't stop her adequately." Kurome looked at all of the Shinigami as exhaustion began to wear them down. Truly, Kurome's spiritual power was also taking a hit from the consecutive spells.

"Let me move to our final lesson today. I will not actively use Kidō to strike. Instead, I shall unveil what my Zanpakutō is capable of."

As Kurome moved to a stance reminiscent of a neutral Kendō stance, she asked her students in the forest one question. "Tell me...do you know *why* Hollow and Arrancar fight the way they do?"

Sakata sighed. *My attack was so brilliant and this stupid bint mucked it up.* She then heard Kurome talk. She had mixed feelings about the training session coming to an end. On one hand, she was definitely relieved; she did not take much pleasure in long and hard days. On the other hand, she could feel both her power and skill rising by the second, and she definitely wanted more. When she heard Kurome's question, she was already about to be done with the day. “Is ‘I do not know and I do not care.’ a viable answer?” *No, that is not the right attitude …I think. I never really know.* “No. Of course, it is not. Do enlighten us, Kuchiki-zan.”

Kurome stared at Sakata with a very cold stare, dismissing her lackadaisical attitude. "Hollow and Arrancar are beings who cannot produce and maintain their own spiritual power. They must absorb other beings to strengthen their spirits. That is why all Hollow and Arrancar fight with their spiritual *pressure*." Kurome said, as she readied her stance while walking to the center of the arena, in-between all of these Shinigami who now most likely found her presence aggravating.

"If you wish to learn just what it means to fight a being that relies on their reiatsu, then come, face me with your blades!" Kurome readied herself, watching every Shinigami with her eyes like a hawk. It was one versus many, in a situation where Kurome did not specialize in swordsmanship. However, that didn't matter to Kurome. As long as she got her message across, it would be enough.

“No disrespect, Kuchiki-zan, but I am not going to engage in a fight where all of us pounce at you, mostly because it will be disadvantageous to me. I am not a team player. So, I shall be the first to pounce at you.” Sakata drew her sword and raised her spiritual pressure. It had risen considerably since the incident at Akatani, but still far from her peak, akin to a singular petal in a massive forest. Sakata took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. *The only way to get back what is mine is to fight for it.* She exhaled slowly, and opened her eyes, her glare a sheen of cold iron. With no stance or preparatory movements, she simply, as she said she would, pounced at Kurome with her sword, aiming for her right thigh.

Tetsuyama observed quietly as Kurome made her way between the trio. He had already failed to make much progress at the three tasks that had been laid before them. He knew he was the weakest of the shinigami here. A mere tenth seat. While he had been sent in place of another, he believed that any training was worth taking in a field where an ounce of power could be the different between life and death.

"Om Mani Padme Hum," He chanted as he took up a low stance. While Kurome had said to come at them with their swords, at this point that was quite difficult for Tetsuyama to convey without resealing his zanpakuto. After all, his arm was his sword.

Sakata, ever the hasty one, made the first move. Charging Kurome head on, she aimed for a direct strike. While it may be dishonorable, combat rarely is, Tetsuyama decided to take advantage of the formation the three shinigami were in. After all, Kurome couldn't see in three directions at once.

It took only a single stride for the giant to close the gap between the two, Tetsuyama almost doubling the third seat's height. At the end of his stride, he stood behind the Kuchiki, his right arm raised skywards. His right foot cracked the earth even as he brought his wrapped arm down, a spiderweb of broken rock spreading beneath his feet as he poured his body's leverage into this blow.

His knife-edged hand swung down towards Kurome's shoulder with a whistle as he uttered, "Setsudan!"

Seikyoku watched as both shinigami attacked his sister. It was only natural instinct he moved. But in the middle of this he forced himself to stumble, stopping all movement.
"Although it is a great pain. Kurome said to attack her, she didn't state wether or not for it to be solo. No matter what happened he would stay put, only if he was certain her death was assured" ( I will not fail her like him. My resentment is towards a dead man and for that I am shameful. But he that she must think otherwise)"

Even while she was attacking Kurome, she could help but shift her singular focus from Kurome to the giant swinging his attack at her. With the speed of a swift gale, Sakata swung around and countered Tetsuyama's attack with her sword, yelling, “Upstart! I said I will fight Kuchiki-zan alone! Byakurai!” She aimed for Tetsuyama's shoulder and let loose a sharp bolt of lightning from her fingertip.

If she had blinked. Sakata would have missed the flicker that was seikyoku. The kido he cast earlier still shrouded his blade. As such the flash of lighting was almost blinding given the speed seikyoku approached. He swung both blades in opposite directions. By having the right blade swinging downwards. And his left in a reverse grip clawing upwards. The path of both collides with the stream of lighting and split it in two. By using the lighting cloaked swords he was able to match the charge of sakata's and change its direction.

"I'm tired of your idiotic antics. You are here for training and as such endangerment of allies will not be tolerated. Keep this up and I will put you down myself now finish your duel and quit whining like a child who's lost their plaything"

Tetsuyama's blade passed right through Sakata's and inflicted a cut on her shoulder. It was at this point that Seikyoku intervened. Sakata pointed at Seikyoku, trying her best to keep her volume down, but clearly failing, “Please be quiet, Kuchiki-kun. If you wish to say something, tell everyone to not interfere.”

Shrouding her blade with her spiritual pressure sharper than ever before, she once again charged at Kurome, this time aiming for her left knee.

Sheathing his sword, Tenma took this opportunity to rest up, channeling his energy across the palm of his right hand, glowing a bright green glow, applying it across his arm, using Kaidō to recover from all the running and dodging. From his point of view, it was looking like they were more interested in fighting among themselves rather than the single enemy that had proclaimed herself their opponent for this portion of the exercise. “How bothersome, I thought this was a team effort?” Tenma spat, simply sitting on the ground, waiting for his own opportunity to rise to duel Kurome, not too keen to jump in in the middle of all the squabbling. With so much chaos erupting, it would only hinder his own abilities. Letting a single hand rest on one of his Zanpakutōs, Tenma took note of Seikyoku’s intervention, walking up to the young man and placing the same hand charged with Kaidō on his shoulder, removing some of his fatigue.

“Don’t concern yourself on their behalf Seikyoku, if she wants to fight and fail that’s her business, the only thing you should be thinking about is what you’re going to do when it's your turn.” For the time being, Tenma was going to observe and see how this plays out, if anything, her antics could create an opening, intentional or not, for him to step in.

All Kurome did for the last few moments was observe the chaos around her. She was stupefied at how little Sakata cared for her surroundings and fellow Shinigami. It was detrimental, completely so, and she intended to teach the foolish woman a lesson. The moment Sakata aimed for Kurome's knee, she countered by stabbing her own blade downwards to clash against Sakata's strike. The collision wasn't particularly fierce, but the force that Sakata imbued into her strike was notable. However, it wasn't enough to deter Kurome. One of her Shikai's petals began to turn white, and when it turned completely white, Kurome began her next maneuver.

"Hirake!" Kurome exclaimed, releasing a burst of reiatsu from her being that would no doubt force Sakata back a considerable amount and likely injure the Shinigami in the process. It was an attack that absorbed part of the reiatsu of any strike that collided with Kikka Monshō and countered it by adding Kikka Monshō's own reiatsu into the mix. Compared to most Shinigami abilities, it was one that most closely resembled the method an Arrancar fought. Kurome stood, cleaning the dust off her clothes, before looking at Sakata.

"A Shinigami that does not know how to fight with their comrades against a stronger enemy should never be put on the front lines." Kurome spoke coldly. "An opponent will not wait for you to have your fun with a fight before you fight seriously. I told you already, you kill or be killed."

Kurome looked around, her tone and eyes visibly more angered than before. "Would anyone else like to foolishly attack me alone?"

“What a frightening woman,” Tenma remarked, watching Sakata’s attack be countered by Kurome’s Zanpakutō. The look of anger on her face and tone reminded him of an upset mother scolding her children, it wasn’t her anger that surprised him, but her disappointment that made him feel a twinge of regret on how things had played out. Regardless on how he felt, one thing was clear, they had to stop going on their own and attack together. It was at this moment that he remembered the old sermon they told them at the academy, *"Do not seek beauty in battle. Do not seek virtue in death. Do not make the mistake of considering only your own life. If you wish to protect that which you must protect, slice the enemy you must defeat from behind.”* At this point, Tenma was more than prepared to do the latter, no matter what it entailed. From what he had observed, Kurome's Zanpakutō had displayed two abilities so far: the power to create barriers, and from what he could make out at a first glance, an ability that reflected attacks through its blade, based solely on Sakata’s reaction after clashing blades. Its powers gave it an incredible defense unlike anything he had seen or heard of, more than making up for any lack of skill or number of opponents she would face. “Aya, Seikyoku, come here for a moment. I want to show you something.” Glancing at his Zanpakutō, Tenma had to face the hard truth, that he had reached his limit in his current state, and that he would have to escalate things a bit as a show of respect for their training.

Huddled together, Tenma greeted the pair, his expression grim, “based on what we’ve seen, her defense is almost flawless, it's too much for any one person to handle. So I’ll be the diversion, and I'll draw her fire and force her to use her Zanpakutō on me. While she’s distracted, hit her from her blind spot, I’ll provide as much cover as I can and buy you the time you need.” Tenma was fully intent on receiving her attack head on, even if it meant taking on the full brunt of Kurome’s Kikka Monshō, all so he could create an opportunity for the other two to move in to strike while he was down. But to take on such a monstrous ability, he would have to use one of similar nature. It was only natural, in order to stop a Shikai, one would need a Shikai to do so. Unsheathing only one sword, Tenma slowly walked toward Kurome from a reasonable distance.

“Just don’t tell anyone you saw this.” Holding his Zanpakutō upside down, he twirled it several times between his fingers, Tenma’s Reiatsu began to rise sharply, the color changing from its traditional blue hue to separate hues of black and white. “Balance All Things In The World, Onmyōkoi." In a flash, his Zanpakutō cracked and shattered into pieces, black ink exploding all over the place as what took its place was a long black blade, bleeding from its guard and scabbard, a mysterious black substance that erupted in a steady stream to the ground. From the sheer volume alone, the ink began to pool around his feet, staining his white tabi and fur. It was the first time he had shown his “Shikai” to anyone in Soul Society. Tenma was almost jealous of Kurome's Zanpakutō, while it had beautiful petals with a splendid complexion that exuded majesty, Tenma’s own was a starch contrast to it, unsightly and messy, with a very visceral body as it bled ink everywhere.

“This is why I don’t use it, it leaves a damn mess everywhere, in more than one sense of the word. It's why I bothered to learn Kido in the first place,“ Tenma sighed profusely, almost disappointed in himself for saying these words. But it wasn’t out of shame or embarrassment. But rather on the nature of his Zanpakutō Spirit, clashing with the image he had for himself. As someone who kept things in perfect balance and considered all things. His Shikai, whether it was “real” or “fake” only saw the world in black and white, with no grey area to consider. Taking a practice swing, Tenma slammed it to the ground, as if trying to remove the ink from the surface of the blade, leaving behind a long stain across the ground, ink trickling down the point of the sword. “It should be enough.” Swinging with even greater force, Tenma used a horizontal slash to throw excess amounts of ink on Aya and Seikyoku, blackening parts of their skin, hair and clothes. “Consider this insurance,” he mumbled, taking a readied position as he crouched down to the floor, his small posture letting him get much lower than what a human could, and sprinted off the floor, headed to Kurome.

While he moved, Onmyōkoi left a trail of ink behind from all the frantic movement, as if a brush had stroked the ground he passed. Even the most miniscule of motions on his part sent ink flying, his hair and face caught up in this as well. Gripping his Zanpakutō with both hands, Tenma stopped at the last possible moment to deliver a diagonal slash at Kurome from such a low stance, aiming to slash her from the chest, his scabbard spilling ink across the floor from the sudden stop in movement, prepared to clash with her if need be.

The sheer force of Kurome's counter blew Sakata off her feet. By the time she fell, she was already wounded in the leg, which was bleeding profusely. She cauterized the wounds on her leg and her shoulder with a couple of tiny bolts of lightning and sat cross-legged. “So it finally comes down to teamwork, eh? Alright, teamwork, it is.” She raised her hands and raised her voice, “Let us all join forces and vanquish the challenge before us!” She lowered her hands as well as her voice, “I knew that sounded sassy, but I meant that very literally. I would very much prefer to go the distance, but if I really cannot, I am prepared to seek y'all's help. I know all too well the need to rely on others.”

She placed her Zanpakutō on her lap and closed her eyes. Almost immediately, faster she herself could have expected, she was in a world of her own. Completely alone in a forest full of cherry blossom trees. “Looks like your old pal is caught in a sticky wicket. Whatever shall she do?”

A voice echoed among the trees, “Attack, and do it tenfold!”

“What? Tenfold of what? And how?”

The voice echoed again, “Say my name.”

“What is your name?”

The voice echoed yet again, “Do not be pinned down in your mind.”

“That is your name? Of course it is not.”

The voice seemed annoyed now, “Of course that is not my name. Everything I have told you is a command!”

“You know, I hate you because you are a vague rascal.”

“And I hate you because you are just a rascal!”

Sakata opened her eyes and saw Tenma talking to Seikyoku. “Lieutenant! Kuchiki-kun! Go ahead, please. I will most certainly be joining you.”

She then turned to Tetsuyama, “Accept my apologies, please. Turns out, we need each other.”

As Tenma prepared to strike Kurome, Sakata set her focus straight on the preceptor, ready at any moment to attack, support or do whatever that was required of her. As much she hated being in such a situation, she had no choice but to adapt herself according to it.

Seikyoku took it upon himself to aid in any way he could. Seeing Tenma dash forward Seikyoku Followed his movements. The body of the shinigami, Flashed leftwards. Seeming to move in tandam with tenma as his legs dashed with suprising speed. Positioning the blades to align with each other on his left side. Pressing his power into the blade then outward into his kido.

"Once more, *hado number 11 Tsuzuri Raiden*. This time the lighting sprange forth a bright and vibrant red with golden hilights. Aside from this some of the lighting was still of a golden color. **Aka Raiu.** . Begining to spin like a sheer storm of ligting. Seikyoku's figure was almost morphed into a raging tornado of pure steel and lighting. This lighting a deadly red, sparks where sent flying every witch way. The move was indeed flash but also hard to parry. If Tenma's Distraction pulled off. Seikyoku's own attack would Slam into the ungarded side of his sister. Sending waves of static throught the air and thrash her inner system. on top of this it would light up the air surrounding him in a circular direction. It would not effect the fellow shinigami he was teamed with as Seikyoku pored his own essence into the kido, this symbolized by the change in color and ferocity.

Having stood idle on the sidelines now for what could definetly be described as that of an eternity, the woman and Third Seat of the 8th Division had found herself at the edge of the room at this point. Watching and waiting. No... Not waiting... Trembling. Her lips had cracked whilst biting down on them as she watched Kurome manage to fend them off. Fingers had grown strained from clenching them too much against the palm of her hand whilst witnessing Tenma keep his cool and trying to re-organize the situation along with everyone else.

She peered down at her hands as they kept begging to do something. It had all been so frustrating. This wasn't her kind of battle, A.J. wasn't one for casting one Kidō spell after the other like these guys or use some mechnical gimmick like that of her sister. Hell, she wasn't even about to start swinging her sword with the same precision as that of Frida either. Clenching her fists together, her eyes shifted to the other shinigami that was still giving it their all.

"Y'ALL ARE GOING TO BE LIKE THAT?! FINE BUT DON'T FORGET ABOUT ME!" She'd call out from the top of her lungs, only to repeat the movement from last time and knelt down, pushing her feet back against the floorboards as the wide rows of teeth flared up with renewed excitment. *"Lets try this again then, aye?"* A.J. thought to herself as she waited for the others to get closer to Kurome... And she waited... And waited...

"Peek-A-Boo!" Her voice called out, yet not from where she stood, but rather from behind the woman in charge of today's entertainment. Reaching out with both hands in an attempt to grapple the Lady of the Kuchiki Clan from behind her back and restrain her arms from doing anything further. Looking back at where she had stood, the wide eyed and smiling sillohute that stood in place would still appear in view, albiet without a shed of movement coming from it. It would seem that A.J. had been able to replicate the same move from earlier today, leaving an image of herself behind whilst having used Hohō to appear behind Kurome.

"*A three-pronged attack as expected...*" Kurome noted the movement of Tenma, Aya and Seikyoku and found herself in a slight bind. After all, no matter how much she boasted, Tenma, at the very least, was an opponent on the level of a Lieutenant. His zanpakutō was also unique. She suspected that the ink had unique properties, but she didn't have the opportunity to dissect its true nature. Not that it mattered. Ultimately, Kurome had to pursue teaching her students just what obstacles they had to face in the future. It was the duty of the Kuchiki Clan to record the history of the Soul Society. But that duty was a selfish one. The Kuchiki Clan constantly kept their knowledge to themselves. It was frustrating to someone like Kurome. This was perhaps sacrilege to her duties as a Kuchiki Clanswoman...but she was fulfilling her duties as a Shinigami.

Out of Kurome's sixteen petals, only eight were left. Four were broken by her own doing, the other four by Shizuka and Tenma's maneuvers. She only had eight barriers. This three-pronged attack was powerful. It was more than likely that it would take everything she had left to simply counter it. Kurome took a breath, and began her counter attack. As Tenma slashed towards her chest, Kurome swung her blade from upwards, intending on clashing against the blade directly, taking on the ink and all.

This was the intended win condition for the three-pronged attack. Should Kurome prioritize Tenma's strength, she would be caught by Aya's grapple and then taken out by Seikyoku's strike. She was surprised, truly, that Aya possessed the speed to outrun her vision, but she was used to such tremendous speed. And for Seikyoku...he truly had been honing his swordsmanship diligently. Unfortunately for the three...Kurome had to use one more display of power.

"Kikui: Hasseishiki!" Kurome announced boldly. From her blade, all eight remaining petals glowed brightly. At the moment Aya's grip touched her, she was repelled by the four sudden barriers on her back. Thereafter, as Seikyoku sought to strike Kurome's left side, four more barriers were sent to repel him. This defense wasn't perfect, and it wouldn't completely work. These were attacks far stronger than a mere Shakkahō. She felt it. No matter the defense Kurome put up, it wouldn't be enough to stop the resolve of these Shinigami.

She was pleased. The message that she sought to provide in this training session...it was given to them. As their attacks broke through Kurome's barriers, and as Tenma began to push against Kurome, she was stuck in a deadlock. It was technically the end of the line for her. But she took one last smile, and exclaimed boldly. "HIRAKE!"

The reiatsu that had been emitted by Seikyoku and Aya's attacks was significant. They were, after all, strong enough to break through four of Kurome's barriers each. Bright white began to form where Kurome was, before being released as a tremendous pillar of spiritual pressure, strong enough to repel all three of the combatants who sought to defeat her in this moment. It was a brilliant light, a light that signified Kurome's hope being renewed.

Slowly, the attack began to fade away.

His attack proved efficient. The brilliant lighting of seikyoku had pushed through four of kurome's barriers a feat indeed but rather than stop he pushed forward. Gripping the handles of his twin blades even more. Seikyoku was determined, he would hone his mind so that his blades grow stronger, little did he know there was one thing holding him back.

It was a flash of basking light that lit the area around kurome. Seikyoku already on the move knew just from the previous events and this attack the exchange would be their last. For that it would undoubtedly have power they had not attained. He and tenma still had their blades in hand however aya oboe had her fist. Seikyoku decided it be best to try to beat out the attack in front of her rather than prioritize himself.

Swiftly changing positions, Seikyoku brought the left sword outward, being his dominant hand he would use that to aid his comrad. The swords both slammed into the barrier exuding from kurome, the clash was a brilliant display of white aura crashing into the fierce red lighting. Bolts scattered as Seikyoku tried his hardest. Alas he could not overcome the attack. Succeeding and absorbing a brunt of the damage the boy was blasted backwards in a forceful way. His body came into contact with the ground and rolled several times violently. Lettting go of his zanpakuto in the process Seikyoku finnaly crashed into a tree with a large cloud of dust. He had no regrets as now whatever was left of the attack coming the way of aya should not effect her nearly as much.

Like that of her compatriots, A.J. had found herself being flung from her feet just before the point of impact. Her body twisting and turning in the air much like you'd expect from a feline, before planting each limb on the surface of those wooden floorboards and scrambling to keep herself from falling over. Yet by the end of it, the young shinigami would find herself down on all fours and starring back Kurome as her blood was still pumping, evident not only to herself but also in her exterior. Her face had turned red, as if fuming with rage, but the smile across her canvas suggested a thrill of adrenaline. It had been so exhilirating! Why stop now, she still stands and surely she could could coninue taking them all on for a bit longer! She'd barely graced the woman's jet black hair after all before really being able to sink her hands into that petite teacher of theirs.

Even as Kurome's brilliant display of countering them would seem to be enough to steer them all back and suggest a ceasefire, A.J.'s hands would plunge down into the ground along with her feet. Coiling her body together before leaping ahead like that of a spring let loose and return right back where she'd lost her chance at the Kuchiki member earlier. Yet even at such close-quarters, her body would flicker like it had so many times already, before appearing right infront of Kurome. With flared, red eyes and an even wider smile, A.J. reached out for the woman's collar to try and take hold of it as her head reeled back — Only to slam it forward with clear intent of bashing her skull against that of Kurome's own.

"AYA STOP!" A voice called out from across the hallway, one that was certainly not unfamiliar to the lot of them at this point and perhaps the one that knew A.J. more than anyone in here despite how little that truly was.

As those words echoed across the room, so too did a small orange barrier take form between that of A.J. and Kurome that was just large enough to cover that of their heads. Thus, as the shinigami with the smoldering hair sent her forehead crashing forward, the point of impact was only met with the mixed sound of a loud thud and the cracked fissures spreading across the surface of the Kidō Barrier created by the Lieutenant of the 5th Divison.

For a moment, A.J. would still be starring at the raven-haired woman through the orange, yet transparent wall between them before pulling her head back from its surface. Something which would reveal smeers of red blood across its surface as she did. Taking a step back and away from Kurome, she'd turn her head to face the one responsible for stopping her in this moment. Showcasing even more clearly the ichor that was trickling down from across her forhead.

"Tch..." A.J. clicked her tongue as her eyes had narrowed its vision on her former classmate, clearly irritated at having been stopped.

Before both blades could clash, Tenma took note of the change of colors in Kurome’s Zanpakutō, particularly the petals, noticing the fade in color the moment she used it to create barriers against her brother. As soon as he realized this, Tenma used his Kidō to protect Kurome, hence his earlier outburst toward Aya, going so far as to activate his Shikai’s special ability, the black ink swallowing not just Tenma, but Aya into its murky depths, warping them both to the initial spot where he released his Shikai. Letting out a sigh, Tenma gathered all the ink back to his scabbard, Tenma's Reiatsu normalizing as his Zanpakutō reverted back to its sealed form, undoing all the ink he had created, disappearing off Aya, Suiki, and Kurome. Simply sitting down to catch his breath, Tenma sat on the nearest rock he could find. She didn’t have to say a thing when he could already tell at a first glance: she was at her limit. It wasn’t surprising, given the fact she had used all manner of Kidō at the start of their training exercise, on top of her Shikai having been pushed the way it did, it must have drained her considerably. Turning this fight as a breaking point that he wanted no part in.

But what gave it away was her Zanpakutō. If it worked anything like his own and many others, the whitening of the petals were an indicator of how much spirit energy it had left, as it was all too clear that it was running out based on the number of petals left. Making a small jump, Tenma leaped up to give Aya a smack across her head, using a small karate chop to do it. “Quit your staring Aya, there’s no point in keeping this going, let's just call it a draw for now.” Heading to where Seikyoku had landed, Tenma used Kaidō to treat his injuries, focusing on the areas that were the most affected. Tenma wasn’t going to fight someone who was running themselves ragged, it would do nothing but devalue the victory, and everything they had done up until now. But most importantly, disrespect her abilities; as she was now, it wasn’t an accurate representation of her true strength.

"Haah..." Kurome panted outwards. Her brother had been knocked away while deterring the blast with a powerful attack of his own, but what truly surprised her was Aya's insistence to keep fighting. For the first time in this battle, Kurome felt like she was risking her life simply by standing. As she sought to retreat, a barrier protected her. She looked behind her, noticing the Lieutenant's Kidō. She let out a sigh of relief.

"I apologize, Lieutenant Tenma." Kurome said, uncharacteristically bowing to the Lieutenant. "It is shameful that I, as a member of the Kuchiki Clan, could not defend myself from her continued assault." Kurome stood up once more. Her blade had lost all its luster, indicating that its tenure in Shikai was complete. It automatically sealed itself without Kurome's input, and she sheathed it once more.

"I see that each of you are drastically different in your approach to being a Shinigami." Kurome said, hoping everyone could hear her. "I have exhausted myself, which is proof all of you possess your own strength. I will not reprimand any errors or failures you might have demonstrated. I am not an instructor in the Shinō Academy."

Kurome continued after pausing for a brief moment. "As Shinigami, we will all face great trials to await. We will be met with opponents that can crush the entirety of the Soul Society with their own hands if they so wished to. It is not merely enough to be strong. The Gotei 13's greatest strength are its Thirteen Divisions, but those are also its greatest weakness. To battle against a unified enemy as thirteen entities will accomplish nothing."

Kurome turned backwards and began to walk away, saying one last thing. "Although I am a member of the Four Noble Houses, even I was told this at the academy. A Shinigami should give their life to protect their friends and humanity." Kurome paused, allowing the Shinigami behind her a moment to process her words.

"I am a member of the Kuchiki Clan. I am bound by my duty...but so long as your swords swing true for either one of those things, you will be protecting Soul Society."

With another step, Kurome's physical body disappeared out of sight. She left the Shinigami to ponder their duties and purpose as members of the Gotei 13.

All he could do was watch her go, leaving them by themselves to plan their next recourse. “Duty huh? Dummy, you’re so worried about other people that you forget, you’re allowed to be a little selfish from time to time.” Tenma remarked, stretching due from all the sore muscles on his body, his stomach more than famished from all the running and fighting. Before he could even think about what he could do next, a somber thought hung above him. Tenma took in everything that she said to heart, reflecting on everything he had experienced today. But the very first thing was his Zanpakutō, grabbing it straight from his hip and clutching it by the scabbard, his face expressing a sense of remorse that made him look almost pitiable, “what a shame…what a damn shame…” Tenma repeated several times. By this point, he had other responsibilities he needed to get back to, particularly his project which must be nearly finished by this point. From what had transpired today, this was the second time his Zanpakutō refused to use its proper release, forced to use a fake one with not nearly the same power to its real one. It was made clear what Tenma had to focus on after today.

“Stronger. WE have to get stronger, whether you like it or not,” he muttered, staring off at his sword.