An unexpected trip(solo)

[Thread used for Rank Up]

Once again it was time for Tim to train and again it was time to go to the training grounds. This place in the Seireitai was quickly becoming the most visited place by him. He would know the area well and begin to recognize a few faces of the students. Though he still did not know them, by name or anything. He had not been introduced to them, but he was making friends here in the Spirit World; one Anna and Haru.

The ground was a rough gray color as it was mostly sand. He could feel a bit of sand slip into his sandals as he walked through the grounds. Making his way towards the same training dummy as before, he gave a slight nod to the fellow Academy Students in the area. Once he reached that beaten training post he paused before readying in his fighting stance. His left foot slide forward ahead of his right as the right fell back a few meters. His hips turned to adjust for the maneuver that would follow.

Tim stared down the training post before he leaped into the air. Followed by flipping over his back and striking the top of the post with his right foot. He then landed softly in front of it. Regaining his stance once more Tim would round-house kick the post in the area that would be a torso on a human. His hands always in the now familiar position; wrist to cheeks and elbows to ribs. He remembered the training he received while he was still alive and punched the post repeatedly. Before returning to his stance again.

He then relaxed, moving his stance to adjust for sword combat. His right foot would move ahead of his left this time, with his hips adjusting to the movement. Left hand held firm on the sheathe of his blade, while the right gripped the handle loosely. Before he pulled the blade from its sheathe at an extreme speed slicing at the dummy in multiple areas; neck, torso and inner thighs. Or what would be those targets on a normal being.

In the midst of his training Tim became distracted. One of the proctors came over with a group of other students that he had rounded up. "You there, you've got some spunk about you. Would you be interested in coming with the rest of the class to the world of the living? We're going to be hunting down so lower leveled Hollows."

"Hollows you say, those evil spirits I have heard about? Sure encountering evil spirits would be much better training than on my own."

"Do not worry. I shall be watching all of your every movements and do my best to keep the entire class safe."

Tim nodded slightly. It would be interesting to see a Hollow for the very first time and to fight one. Also he was a bit excited to return to the world of the living. He had not been there since...since he was actually alive. The proctor brought the class to the edge of the grounds and opened the portal to the world of the living. A broad doorway appeared in front of the group with a door opening widely. The proctor would be the first to step through and as he did he spoke loudly. "Quickly now!"

Each of the students stepped through the portal and as Tim did, he felt his chest catch on fire. It was the first time he had stepped through a portal at all. Swirling lights flashed before his eyes as he walked through the threshold. Before he knew it he was standing on the solid ground of the Earth. Catching his breathe as quickly as he could, he exhaled loudly gripping his chest. The proctor looked onto the class and noticed Tim breathing heavily.

"That will pass with time. Now everyone get ready! We are very close to our target."
The proctor stated offering him a few words of relief. Indeed it didn't take Tim to long to catch his breathe and his chest no longer felt that way. The class made its way around a downed tree. It was a peculiar thing, this was the only tree in the area all by itself laying on the ground. A handful of the class rested against it, sitting down.

Tim was vigilant however, he was not one to let his guard down so easily. There was silence for a few moments, until the proctors' voice pierced the air. "Look out!!" The Hollow had appeared right over the fallen tree and was now gripping two students within its claws. It threw them to the sound and their bodies hit the ground with a solid thud. The proctor ordered the students to be cautious and organize their attacks, but Tim was way ahead of them.

Leaping into the air, Tim withdrew his Asauchi and slashed downward at the low leveled Hollow. Who was in fact distracted by the Students below. The blade cut into the Hollow, but not as deep as he had expect. The blade was common for students to carry and was definitely no zanpaku-to. The Hollow shrieked out and turned just as Tim had landed on the ground. Raising his own blade to defend himself, the Hollow now targeted him personally. Slashing at him viciously the Hollow's assault was daunting.

He did his best to block the evil spirits attacks, but there was not much he could do. He was not trained to fight these spirits, not yet anyway; had never even faced a single one before. He was pushed back a few feet as the claws of the spirit sunk deep into his shoulder. "Ahhh!!!" Tim screamed out as the Hollows claws cut deep.

As he cried out the students had now regrouped with the proctor and attacked the Hollow from behind. All he could do now was watch, he was shocked and stunned into place. For whatever reason, maybe it was fear, but Tim just could not move a muscle. As he watch the other students use the Kido spells that he had only recently discovered and began learning of. Even the proctor was using some strange new ability to his eyes.

Tim watched in awe as the proctor lifted his blade up and cried out a peculiar name that he did not recognize. Which in turn released immense amount of spirit pressure and energy around him. Followed by him attacking the Hollow head on and ending it with a single swing. "Such power..." He muttered to himself. It was truly impressive to his eyes. At least, he could not do such a thing at this point in time.

When the battle had finished he could once again move freely. Perhaps his nerves had finally settled, but whatever it was it had certainly seized him up. The proctor made his way with the class towards him and began to speak. "I think that's enough for today lads. Perhaps you weren't ready for this. However, you certainly showed no fear in the face of the threat." An odd thing for him to say as Tim had indeed shown some signs of fear. Perhaps not in the beginning of the conflict, but certainly once the Hollow attacked him and landed a successful hit. Either way, it was not his place to argue with his instructor. So he simply nodded once more.

The proctor opened the portal once more and the huge doorway appeared in front of the class. While the group made its way threw the portal, Tim and the proctor stayed behind a few moments. "Sir, what was that technique you used, where you shouted out a name?"

"Ah, you noticed that didn't you? Well, that is what we Shinigami call our Bankai. It wasn't the true form of it, but it wasn't needed either. When we become one with our zanpaku-to, we learn its name and then we can unleash its true power and our own. That is what you witnessed here today."


"So much power...Well I will obtain that power one day, I swear it." He proclaimed to the proctor, but he did not answer in return. He could tell that Tim was ambitious and had a certain power hidden deep within, but it had not surfaced quite yet. The two finished their conversation and made their way to the threshold. Ending their field trip for today and his own training.