Two Hearts, Part Three (Solo)

Spoiler:

Shioshi could honestly say that the test before him seemed insurmountable.

In all of his years, both as a human and then as a Shinigami, Shioshi had faced many challenges. He'd defeated plenty of Hollows, even battle some powerful fellow Shinigami. His duels with both Bishamon and Draylon were some of the best fights he'd ever participated in. He had known there were tougher enemies out there, but still, he'd only ever thought of them as some distant threat. And yet, here and now, in his own spiritual world, he was facing an opponent unlike anything else he'd ever imagined. His own Zanpakutou was quite easily and thoroughly wiping the floor with him. It wasn't even his speed or strength that made the Zanpakutou so formidable, even if he did outmatch Shioshi in those areas. No, it was the sheer skill and finesse with which the Zanpakutou utilized his weapon.

Never had he faced someone with such incredible skill with the blade. He was being pressed on all fronts, his Zanpakutou's sword, a hand-and-a-half scimitar with a blade about three and a half feet long, seeming to give off a strange, light-blue glow as it came down upon him from what seemed to be every direction at once. Shioshi was forced into a rapid retreat, several times almost backing up into one of those pillars that seemed to extend forever in every direction. It took every ounce of skill he possessed not to be cut to pieces within the first few seconds of their fight, and even with that he knew that his Zanpakutou wasn't really going all out yet. He was probing Shioshi's defenses, searching for the perfect opening with which to exploit in a way to completely and utterly demonstrate the difference in skill between the two.

Suddenly, and with a yelp of surprise, the flat of his Zanpakutou's scimitar struck Shioshi's hand, causing him to react instinctively and drop his blade. That was all it took, and, seemingly effortlessly, the Zanpakutou swept the Shinigami's legs out from beneath him, then brought him to the ground with a carefully controlled descent that kept his knee right at Shioshi's neck. For a few moments Shioshi could do nothing but gape up at his opponent, speechless at the perfect balance and strength it took to do what had just been done, especially when it came to the fact that the Zanpakutou had halted his own descent with his knee a few centimeters above his master's throat.

"H- how did you do that?!" Shioshi gasped, still panting from the ferocity of their shortly lived match. The figure simply stepped back, allowing the Shinigami to return to his feet, his confidence completely shot after what had just occurred. The Zanpakutou, however, didn't speak, instead returning to his ready stance, scimitar held before him, slanting outwards, the wickedly-curved blade keeping it's tip trained upwards. Shioshi, realizing the only way he'd get any answers was through the blade itself, shut his eyes, steeling himself as he slid into his own ready position. Somehow, someway, he had to pass this test set before him by his Zanpakutou, because otherwise, not only would he fail himself, he would be leaving his new found friends to fend off the threat of the renewed Hollow attack, his Zanpakutou having told Shioshi of the reinforced assault on the warehouse in the conscious world.

Suddenly, the figure was moving, too quick to follow with the eye; but Shioshi, who had been training with the blade for as long as he could remember, instinctively brought his blade up, carving a semicircle to the right that caught and redirected his opponent's attack. Ducking down, he slashed out with his own attack, but the Zanpakutou not only jumped over the slash of Shioshi's weapon, he also rolled across the Shinigami's back, coming down behind him and immediately lashing out with a powerful roundhouse-kick that struck Shioshi hard in the ribs. Gasping in pain, he staggered backwards, once more under heavy assault by his foe and rapidly having to give up ground in order to survive. He couldn't think of any way to break through the onslaught and counter, and that caused his irritation to flare.

That, of course, caused him to slip up, and he quickly found himself with a scimitar pressed up against his throat from behind, the Zanpakutou having spun around him and then brought his weapon to Shioshi's throat in order to further ensure that the Shinigami knew the difference in their strength. Of course, instead of slashing his master's throat, the Zanpakutou simply planted a swift kick into the back of the Shinigami's legs, causing him to collapse heavily to the ground. Hissing in pain, Shioshi forced himself back up to find his foe already read for another round. Clenching his hand harder around the hilt of his blade, the Shinigami shot forward, not even bothering to get into a stance. He managed to strike out with a few powerful, but reckless, attacks before he found himself flipped over his opponent's shoulder to land hard on his head, immediately dazing him and, more infuriatingly, preventing him from returning to his feet.

After a minute or so, Shioshi was able to stand, rubbing at the growing lump on the top of his head. He knew it was only a temporary wound since he was in his Inner World, but that didn't make it hurt any less. He cast his eyes about in search of the Zanpakutou, but found himself alone now, which served to further confuse him.

'You're sloppy, my master. You're letting your anger fuel your movements, instead of remaining collected, as you should,' the Zanpakutou spoke, and Shioshi whirled about to find him standing, once again, just a few feet away, scimitar at the ready. Instead of lashing out with his anger again, though, the Shinigami took his opponent's words to heart. He knew them to be true, after all, especially since he often forced himself to block out the majority of his emotions during a fight so that he could focus on keeping calm. He'd been so caught up in trying to rush through the duel so that he could return to his fellow Shinigami that he'd forgotten one of the most important rules of the blade.

Stay. Calm.

Shioshi readied himself once more now, shutting out his anger, his worry; anything and everything that interfered with the here and now. Then he opened his eyes and struck. Skipping forward, he brought his blade forward in a series of quick thrusts to make some room before then snapping his arm back and around, a feint that disguised his true attack; he slid one foot forward and then lashed out with his fist. He managed to skim the Zanpakutou's cloak before his foe ducked under Shioshi's feint and then brought his hand down in a powerful chop that struck the back of one of the Shinigami's knees, bringing him down into the rising Zanpakutou's knee, which caught Shioshi right in the chin.

Head snapping backwards, Shioshi wasn't even able to let out a cry of pain as the air was stolen from him. He hit the ground hard, completely stunned. It took a bit of time for him to recover, but even then he was still a bit shaky when he returned to his feet. Once again, the Zanpakutou had disappeared, and Shioshi readied himself for the words that he knew were about to come. He wasn't angry this time, no matter how much that blow had hurt; he would remain calm no matter what. He had to, in order to keep his head clear and his wits at their sharpest.

'Good, good. You've calmed your boiling emotions. That's the first step, my master,' the Zanpakutou said, and Shioshi allowed himself a small smile. 'However, there is more to mastering the blade than just swinging it around,' the Shinigami's opponent continued, and instinct drove him to spin and raise his weapon just in time to block another attack. The Zanpakutou landed easily on the ground, balancing lightly on the balls of his feet as he spun on one while raising the other in another kick that Shioshi managed to block with his arm, although the impact still sent him skidding.

'Balance is what keeps your blade steady, your movements fluid. Without it you may as well be a child playing at being a man,' the Zanpakutou said, before launching forward, flipping over Shioshi while at the same time lashing down from above with his scimitar, causing the Shinigami to bring his own blade up to block. However, he found himself lose his balance as a strange sense of vertigo overcame him due to the awkward angle of attack. He felt himself falling backwards, and the only reason he didn't completely slip up and crash to the ground was because the Zanpakutou caught him with a powerful elbow to his back, sending him forward again.

Shioshi whirled, lashing out to give himself some space. However, the Zanpakutou was gone yet again, allowing the Shinigami a few moments to absorb the fresh knowledge supplied to him by his foe and yet future ally.

'Then there is structure, the foundation of combat. Footwork, first and foremost, is a part of this, and can mean the difference between life and death,' the Zanpakutou continued. Shioshi found himself once more assaulted, blow after blow raining down upon him; and, as he glanced down, he saw that the Zanpakutou's feet were planted firmly and steadily, with each swing, each retreat forced upon Shioshi, followed by another step forward. It added naturally to the power of the Zanpakutou's attacks, and Shioshi instantly realized just how much training he had before him if he ever wished to reach the level of his Zanpakutou.

It took only a moment longer for the Zanpakutou to disarm Shioshi yet again, and send him sprawling back on the ground. He rubbed at his arm where the scimitar had struck, not too badly but enough to send Shioshi's weapon from his hands, and when he looked back up he found his Zanpakutou standing a ways away, his back towards the Shinigami.

'There is more to the way of the blade than that, of course, my master. But the time for further teaching is not now,' the figure said. He turned to face Shioshi then, before tossing his scimitar off to the side, where it seemed to almost dissolve in the air. The Shinigami wanted to argue, but then realized that the Zanpakutou had a point; he didn't have time for this when his fellow Shinigami were under attack back in the conscious world. He needed to help them, and in order to be of any use against these stronger foes... he knew what was needed.

'I'm sure you know it now, my master. Think; search yourself, and you will know it. You will know my name...' the Zanpakutou said, before giving a slight nod towards Shioshi and then, like the scimitar only moments ago, seeming to melt away into the shadows. Shioshi stood in silence for a moment, his mind racing through every moment that he'd been here, in this Inner World of his.

"Your name, huh?" the Shinigami muttered under his breath, brow furrowing in concentration.

He looked at every aspect of his Zanpakutou's spirit. Everything that made his Zanpakutou different from anything and anyone else. Then he heard something, not like the whisper of his Zanpakutou's words, but like a mighty gale...

No, he realized, not a gale, but the sound of many swords, all slicing through the air in unison. Moving in harmony. Balance... structure..... the way of the sword.......

"Your name..." he whispered, and then, it clicked, and he felt more foolish than ever he had felt before. For what else could his Zanpakutou be called? What could so sum up everything about the Zanpakutou's spirit?

"... is In'nākāmu," he finished.

Then there was a flash, and he found himself sputtering back to consciousness, bolting to a sitting position as he gasped in massive lungfuls of oxygen. He looked around, panicked and confused for a moment, before he heard the sounds of battle outside and above. And then he remembered everything, the moment of confusion over, and he stood, his wounds apparently already treated, although they still hurt somewhat.

It was time to beat some fear into the Hollows that had dared to attack his new friends.