Bleach: Cero Devastador

"Sakuya".

"Good morning, Ryōma".

The following day after the kids' departure, I saw Sakuya first thing in the morning doing her training on her own with me, even though Mikoto was still sleeping. As for Kurayami, she was nowhere to be seen, I assumed she was doing her own thing. 

Yesterday those two had quite a row at one another that ended up with me having to interfere for Sakuya's sake. That night she went to bed frustrated and didn't even come to me. Kurayami seems to intend to go into the offensive and Sakuya has realised that she can't stop her. 

"...I am proud that you have been quite proactive with your training".

"Thank you".

Sakuya's answer was dry as she focused on hitting that log in the same spot mechanically with a perfect stance that no longer needed my input. It was the most basic of moves... but she mastered it. 

As she struck that tree. I noticed something I hadn't seen before in her, this realisation made me smirk inwardly. 

There was anger in her strikes. 

I put my hand on her shoulder before she could strike again, she stared in confusion. 

"This phase of your training is done. There is no point in you continuing to do this" I grasped her wrist holding the bokken tightly like it didn't want to let go. The way you're supposed to hold a weapon. She now knew what it meant to hold a sword... whether it was to protect something or cause pain to someone, it didn't matter. 

"What should I do next?" She asked in bewilderment, perhaps too used to this basic move.

I took a katana from the weapon rack, a sharp one. Unsheathe it, checked the edge and nodded in approval, then I presented it.

Her first real sword. 

Sakuya took it from me like she was taking a treasure. 

"Now, you're ready for this," I said and took her bokken, then made some distance between us.

"What you're doing to do now is come and me... and strike me as if I'm that tree~" I pointed my bokken at her, "Obviously, I am going to retaliate... your training is to look at me and learn from me as we fight, understood?".

"..."

Sakuya stared at her sword with shivering hands then pointed it at me. As the seconds went her shivering hand shook so much that she fell on her knees. Now I was the one confused. 

"I-I can't do it..."

"... Huh?".

"I can't do it!".

"Why?".

"I can bring myself to hit you..."

"..." I frowned and walked up to her, picked her up by the wrist and flung her to the tree. 

*BAANG!*

She spat some saliva and staggered up, looking at me in disbelief. When she was about to stand back up I swept off her feet and she fell back down harshly, staining her kimono with dirt and mud. 

"Have I been so kind to you recently that you have forgotten what we're here to do?"

"Even so I can't! It doesn't matter what you do to me, you can break my legs if you want... I won't do it!" I saw in her eyes the same determination that she had to strike the wooden tree, it didn't even look like what I did to her hurt or even budged her conviction. 

"I won't hurt the one I want to protect".

*WHOOSH!*

"What about me?" We heard a soft voice speak next to us and a hazy breath flashed past, Kurayami materialised with that grim of hers as if still mocking Sakuya for yesterday's incident.

"Can you do it if it is me–"

*BAANG!*

Before Kurayami could even finish her sentence, a Katana struck her afterimage and crashed sharply on the floor with a loud bang.

I grasped at Sakuya who now had a thrilled look on her as if she forgot Kurayami could steel whoop her arse. 

"Girl... you didn't even let me finish, are you that eager?~".

"I just have to hit her like she's a tree, right?" Sakuya asked me. 

"This tree hits back is gonna strike back you know?!".

Kurayami didn't use Shunpo her movements couldn't be any slower, but she still managed to kick Sakuya's abdomen and send her flying back towards the tree where she stumbled. The woman didn't wait for my input, she took her sword back and tried to strike Kurayami again. 

And so it began; Sakuya's training arc. While merciless, Kurayami knew how to hold back, she disagreed with my training methods, but she didn't doubt their efficiency. I did the same with Mikoto who had no qualms about coming at me like a savage beast. 

*BANG!*

This girl would even use her fists, something I quietly appreciated. 

"You can use all resources available all you want, but I'll still correct your mistakes, girl".

"Please, sensei!"

I didn't know why... but to be called Sensei by Mikoto made me a bit embarrassed yet eager. I never had a proper pupil before; in my previous life no one on the streets was quite interested in learning how to use a sword, they'd rather use a gun. 

"UGH!"

"Come again".

She would stumble and fall but didn't miss a chance to come at me with those intoxicating eyes of hers that indicated potential. While in the 78th District, Mikoto was a street girl... she would hang out with thugs, talk to people, bribe and move her way around in similar ways to Murasaki to make sure they had bread for the night. Although that was not what Sakuya wanted for her, that was the best she could hope for other than becoming someone else's plaything. 

In Mikoto's sword, I noticed a passion... as if she finally saw the opportunity to get stronger and no longer be stepped on, no longer have to rely on anyone. 

Unlike Sakuya whose desire was to just protect, I could tell Mikoto would reach great heights. 

*BANG!*

That's why no matter how hard I hit her, she would stand up... just like me back then. 

"Again!"

...

Like my father used to do with me; at the end of our sessions, I would talk to her, correct her mistakes and her stance... tell them to focus on me and not on my weapon, to use their peripherical vision to enhance their perfection and to ultimately notice the range of moves I could execute on every stance. 

Thanks to Kurayami, I also had another perspective which I hadn't taken into account: "Pay attention to the flow of your and your foe's Reiatsu, it will determine their next move. A shinigami who is unable to sense his surroundings is doomed to fail".

She gave insight that even I was missing. 

...

Months went by filled up to the brim with training until I finally received a challenge in the underground.

And what a challenge it was. 

*WHOOSH!*

I entered the stage and immediately felt the powerful reiatsu of at least three captains. All of them fixed on me as if analysing. 

Before I noticed my right cheek was bleeding and that man with a fox mask was pointing his sword at me, I could feel the grim concealed in that mask...

"The name's Gin. Come, Kamishiro~".

****

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