Training Endlessly [Kozakura]

Ichika's ears picked up the sounds of bullying going completely wrong. Turning her gaze that way, she saw some people from the Eleventh Squad bullying a woman. Judging by the spiritual pressures, it was clear they had picked the wrong fight. Well, it was understandable since this place was not frequented by the truly powerful that often. Even then, Ichika had been holding back half the time so whoever was subject to her strikes would not die.

When Ichika used to be part of the Ninth Division, whose job entailed breaking up fights like these, even if the victim could defeat them like crushing dry reeds and smashing rotten wood, she still had to do it. Now, she no longer had that duty. However, with the recent influx of the Crisis Core substitute shinigami, the Gotei 13 suddenly has a face and reputation. She did not know if there was any of those shinigami nearby (since, after all, they had spiritual pressures resembling those of Shinigami), but if one of them came over this situation, there would be problems.

Then there was the "victim" in the middle. Ichika was definitely interested in training with that person. However, approaching after this lady kicked the butts of the others would make her look like she was envious of the lady's power. At least, that's how it was perceived the last time something like this happened.

So, she had to take action first. With a single flash step, she disappeared from her location and re-appeared in front of the red-haired lady.

"Do you expect an injured person to cook?"

Beating up a group of people with this kind of power was no problem at all for someone like Ichika. It was as easy as lifting one's hand. Employing the fastest speed she could muster, she sent them all flying while holding back so as to leave them with just heavy bruises. Breaking bones was easy at this point, but she would not do that.

"If you're hungry, I'll cook for you sometime."

Turning to the red-haired lady, she quickly greeted her.

"Hello, are you here to train? If so, do you mind if I train with you?"

She stated her business too, just in case this person got suspicious.

Well, the lady's remark to Ichika's actions were like thunder from a clear sky. Since Ichika looked like a teenager and most people she was acquainted with looked like adults, few people ever inquired into her love life.

"I... don't have a lover..." She mumbled quietly in response. Watching her take out a box of candy, she contemplated telling her name now, since she was quite used to doing so before engaging in combat with anybody. She already accepted, though. Since that was the case, Ichika did not have to delay any longer.

Feet shoulder length apart, knees slightly bent. One shoulder faces the target. Closest hand in a fist, placed forward. Furthest hand chambered back. This was one of the basic stances that Ichika had come up with for the fighting style she had been trying to develop. It was a stance to observe the opponent and strike in an opening.

"I accept. Let us exchange pointers."

Ichika had already made a few assumptions of this blank faced and fiery haired lady. Since she had such a large Zanpakuto, it was likely that a fight would not involve her trying to blitz the opponent.

Spreading her spiritual sense in case her first move is to Flash Step, Ichika prepared herself to receive the opponent.

As Ichika predicted, the first move was a flash step. Sensing the spiritual pressure was now coming from behind her, she pivoted towards the lady. Ichika had the same stance as before, but her right fist was forward and her left was kept in the back. Yet, the attack she was supposed to receive was a finger directed at her, which was cut off as she jumped back. A wise choice, since Ichika would have countered right then and there.

On the second approach, Ichika decided it would be better to play until the person could bother to pull something seriously. As the opponent approached, Ichika kept the exact same stance, yet something miraculous would happen.

Without moving the arm away, the finger that was supposed to poke her elbow would not reach. If the lady paid any attention to Ichika's feet, she would notice what was happening. Ichika had essentially slid away from the opponent without even lifting her foot. There was some sound, but it was mixed in with the sound of the lady's own approach. Even if the lady was to continue her approach, Ichika would just keep moving backward. At the same time, she would just pivot to keep her sideways stance with her right fist aimed straight towards the lady. If the lady changed angles, Ichika would turn towards her. If she approached, Ichika slid away with barely a sign, making her miss.

She would have to put more effort into her approach to provoke a better response.

SPOILER: Click to show

Name: Slide Step
Class: Stepping
Tier: N/A
Type: Stepping
Description: A technique that can modify both regular in-combat movement and stepping. It is a technique that allows movement without moving the leg through naturally directed friction between one's spiritual pressure and the reishi in the environment. This allows one to keep their posture/stance but shift their position.

Seeing her finally charge straight in, Ichika was satisfied that she had managed to make the opponent exert their strength seriously. It wouldn't be right to beat her down without allowing them to, since her motive was to train and not to defeat people.

Before they were close enough to make an exchange, though, she seemingly disappeared. Ichika quickly tried to locate the lady's spiritual pressure and directed her eyes towards a leg approaching her shoulder.

Gathering spiritual energy, she turned her right fist into a palm and lifted it upwards to meet the leg, as if trying to lift her up. Actually, for a split second, Ichika really tried to lift her up. She noticed the difference between their skills in hand-to-hand combat, but Ichika chose to say nothing. She routed the spiritual pressure into her palm and let it burst outward.

With such close proximity, the lady would be blasted away as long as she did not have some last-second method to resist. However, she would not sustain any real damage as it was a defensive technique meant to disperse spiritual and physical energies with the blast.

"At least do it as a form of respect. That's how it goes around here."

SPOILER: Click to show

Name: 点爆　(tenbaku) [Point Burst]
Class: Reiryoku Technique
Tier: III
Type: Defensive
Range: Close (2m)
Description: Gathering spiritual power to a point in the body, the user detonates it in an outward blast similar to a reactive armor to forcibly blow away anything near it.

Well, Ichika was glad her opponent is finally able to get serious. Her attacks changed much in pattern, as if gone completely instinctual... Though Ichika only knew this more from her sword training than her fist training. The sudden appearance of cat ears and a tail was something Ichika did not want to comment on.

A cat's best feature should be maintaining balance at all times. Therefore, Ichika was going to see how she would react to a direct attack. Pulling her left fist back, she compressed a sizable amount of spiritual energy into it.

"Bakken (Fist-draw)"

Turning towards the fiery feline, her fist exploded forth with golden light, pausing short of actually touching her and allowing the rush of spiritual power to disperse like a row of flowing golden light.

"Ōkōsen!(Golden Light Spring!)"

SPOILER: Click to show

Name: 抜拳:黄光泉 (bakken: ōkōsen) [Fist-Draw: Golden Light Spring]
Type: Offensive
Range: Close
Tier: IV
Description: The first iteration of a fist-released bombardment of spiritual power. A chosen limb is imbued with a more complex and powerful reiryoku compression. At the moment of impact (or supposed impact), this compressed reiryoku is set forth, appearing like a spear of golden light. This can also be done with a leg.

The sight of her opponent able to eat a portion of the golden energy she put out was quite a surprise. Maybe she had difficulty performing the feat, but the fact remained that her mouth did open and Ichika's 'spring' was partially eaten. She even commented on it's taste.

"You can eat that?" a mundane question escaped her lips. Ichika was strong enough to react to her opponent despite her shock, but that question made Ichika curious. What if...

What if she could eat that?
"Well then, if you like it, I don't mind feeding you a bit more!"

Gathering spiritual energy into her body, she compressed it, then began to convert it.

A sudden outburst of golden energy flooded out, but did not escape even an inch away from Ichika's skin. It flowed in various set patterns, weaving into formations of varying complexity. Any attempt to lick her would make contact with these layers of formations.

Flowing but rigid. Soft but hard. Combining the spirit, the mind and the body. This was no longer just spiritual energy, but something magical. Kido energy. With this, she could prepare the formations for her techniques beforehand and also use it as defensive layers.

"Bakken: Shin-gi-tai" (Fist-Draw: Shin-gi-tai)

Ichika simply stood still and waited. Now that she had found someone who could cause an effect on her techniques outside her calculations, she wanted to know what this girl could do to it. This would let her improve on her tactics for later.

SPOILER: Click to show

note: Advanced Hand-to-Hand, Mastered Kido

Name: 抜拳・心技体 Bakken: Shingitai [Fist-Draw: Shin-Gi-Tai]
Level: Intermediate
Description: Counts as pseudo Shunkō. The Shin-Gi-Tai refers to the Heart, the Skill and the Body respectively. The development of the Light Spring Style Fist-Drawing Technique took the “Heart” of the quickdraw, the “Skill” of operating spiritual energy, and the “Body” to execute the technique. This is the development of the ultimate technique that operated the circulation and compounding of the spiritual energy for hand-to-hand combat at the highest level. However, because Ichika had found spiritual energy not malleable enough to operate at such a high level, Ichika switched the source of power from pure spiritual energy to Kidō energy. The result is that Shin-Gi-Tai allows the user to constantly execute Fist-draw techniques at a power appropriate to the current Shunkō mastery. When it is activated, the countless flowing yet rigid formations circulate and manifest around the user’s body as if forming layers.

Well, Ichika might have taken the intimidation too far, because the girl just gave up. Ichika would not make a move at all and let her surrender peacefully, but she did not deactivate her ability, leaving the countless formations that surrounded her body flow endlessly. This was a stable but incomplete technique and there were too many flaws on a thematic, philosophical and mechanical level, even if it could be said to be powerful.

Now the topic changed to the bet they had beforehand... What was it? Cooking her a meal and doing any one thing?

"Any kind of cuisine or dish you specialize in?" She began with a question as she thought further about what Ichika could possibly want this person to do.

Lifting her hand, she looked at the formations surrounding her palm.

She had an idea. Despite it not being complete, she did have something she wanted to try.

"I am Amaori Ichika, 20th seat of the Seventh Division and I request that you become the first student to learn the Light Spring Style Fist Draw Techniques."

She was going to try to teach a person her style. She wanted to complete it, so she must also take into account how another person's journey through learning the style would work.

"I originally founded this style on a whim to improve my own skills at Hakuda, so I cannot attest to it being formidable or not, so I am not picky with you learning from elsewhere. I intend to finish finish what I have started but I do require assistance from someone willing to be my student for me to actually complete what I set out to do."

Pulling a fist back, one out of the various formations surrounding her sprang out and congealed around her fist to form a cone shape.

"Fist-draw, like it's name, borrows the idea of Battōjutsu: everything is compressed and sealed..."

Like before, she punched out like the thrust of a spear, then the 'spearhead' turned into a row of light as the compressed energy was let loose, flying forth like a geyser of golden light. It would not harm anybody since they were standing too far to be, but the rush of energy was something anyone could feel.

"...Then unleashed in a single moment to kill the enemy. It is called Fist-draw, but it is not limited to the fist."

Kicking out with a thrust kick, she reproduced the same effect again, a second row of light flying out. After the attack dissipated, Ichika finally deactivated the technique. She showed no sign of strain on her face whatsoever, as if the power she had displayed was just a casual matter.

"Well, how about it?"

Not a good student? That only meant that this cat was even better material. If Ichika could successfully teach her, then others with just as bad aptitudes can also be taught. Granted, Ichika did not intend to just teach everyone she could find, but she would not learn anything unless she tried. As for the matter of her being a Substitute Shinigami, Ichika did not really have much to say. As long as Ichika could somehow manage to match her schedule, there would not be too many problems.

"That's fine. I'm not going to be picky about my student's talent. As long as you have the time. If you don't, then you can turn it down and I can think of something else, but it benefits me the most at this moment."

As for a dish of spaghetti, Ichika quickly ran a rough ingredient list in her head. Pasta was not produced here in many places or often, so Ichika did not know if she would even be able to find someone selling the noodles. Unlike the sauce, the pasta would require more training and skill for it to be hand-made.

Tomatoes were also scarce since most of the Seireitei eats Japanese cuisine, but it was less of an issue. Well, since she said she would take care of it, Ichika did not bother to ponder this matter further.