"Damn Cat." I hissed, following in Yoruichi's footsteps.
She was intentionally waiting for and slowed down enough for to catch up only to then speed off again.
I had to admit though, I did enjoy watching her move. And it wasn't entirely because she was wearing skin tight black pants that hugged her in all the right ways. It was because she was a Master of this technique, and I was learning a lot just by watching her.
"Hey." She suddenly popped up at my side with a coy grin. She spun my tie on her finger in a mocking way. "Took you long enough to catch up."
I ignored her taunt. "I'm amazed that you were able to take that off of in a split mont without noticing."
"Maybe I have a lot of experience undressing~" She laughed. "Catch or I might take your pants next!" She continued laughing as she disappeared again.
I could vaguely see where she headed, fast enough that at tis, there were multiples of her running around.
And she was heading further into town.
I grumbled again but followed along. As we got to a more pedestrian street, she disappeared from where I was eyeing her and landed on top of the nearby building. It was a small comrcial district that only had a few people outside at this ti of day.
I wasn't upset because it was difficult to follow. I landed easily at the edge of the closest building and began following. I was annoyed because one of us was a spirit and couldn't be seen by normal people while the other was a fully living being that would be seen running across rooftops at inhuman speeds!
Thankfully, I was sowhat prepared for situations like this. I did make a ring that sort of disrupted people's perception of . Granted, it was mostly supposed to be used when just casually andering on the street, not flying through the air at breakneck speeds.
I teased Artoria about her competitiveness....but honestly, I'm pretty similar.
I really do hate to lose, and having Yoruichi taunt did ignite my competitive spirit.
At least it was getting on in the evening so I wasn't too worried about being seen. Not to ntion the Giant Hollow that the people probably mistook for an Earthquake, they were probably bunkered down for the night.
Seeing Yoruichi not too far in front of as she jumped from one rooftop to another, I did what I did before. I took a step, overlapped many more steps in that single mont and I shot forward with an intense speed. I was more prepared this ti, enough that I didn't fall on my face. Granted, I stumbled slightly, I was not used to the abrupt speed change even when using the Whirlwind shout.
With the Whirlwind shout it was more....enveloping. I beca the whirlwind itself and was an aspect of it.
With this, I felt like I was more on the outside and having to compensate accordingly.
It was enough that I was within reach of Yoruichi but as I went to grab her, she suddenly disappeared and reappeared another few dozen feet in front of .
"So close~" She teased, her head turned over her shoulder grinning at . "But too slow."
I moved again, it was slightly easier and I could feel myself getting used to it. However, the flaws were making themselves more and more apparent. What I had deduced before was pretty spot on, this wasn't the correct path to take with this if I wanted to learn the actual technique.
Still, I got within arms length of her again and she flashed to the side, sliding across the edge of the rooftop and jumping off.
I looked over the ledge to not see her.
"Looking for ?" She chucked, poking in the back. "Hmm, need to work on your Reiatsu sensing cause I wasn't really trying to make myself hard to detect there."
Right, I could only vaguely sense her. She had the speed to slip through my perception.
"Add it to the list of things I need to work on." I grunted, reaching for my tie, only for her to disappear again in a burst of speed.
My eyes shot over to the side and I could sort of anticipate her movent there before she fully moved.
I didn't give her a chance to open her mouth this ti, figuring it would be an opening right as she went flat footed. I did the sa maneuver as before and shot at her.
She blurred and my hand passed through her before dissipating.
"An after image?" I saw her do that before, but to see it close up....it was impressive.
Though I didn't give her a mont to answer, I strained my perception, I grabbed hold of my Reiatsu and did my best to sense hers. I could vaguely feel it and followed the feeling. I stomped on the ground to stop my montum and tried sothing a little different.
Thus far, this thing I've been doing only allowed to move in a straight line for a certain distance. It was rigid and left no room for maneuverability. That was its main flaw in addition to being predictable once soone saw it enough.
So, I tried to pivot in one move and in another step forward many tis all together.
I certainly did move how I anticipated, but I also felt pain as I reached my destination that made co to a stop. With a hiss, I rolled up my pants leg to see my ankle swollen and red.
"Oh shit, you alright?" Yoruichi appeared next to .
"Tried to pivot and move at the sa ti." I told her.
Well, this is certainly a dangerous way of moving that I was doing in an attempt to copy her. It was enough that even through my ridiculous biology I apparently sprained my ankle by trying to do that.
"Do you need to –"
I weighed my options and just decided to cast a healing spell. The sa warm light filled my hand as I covered my ankle. Not only that, but Avalon was working on the opposite end, so it served to hide that at least.
And my Aura was being held back, so this would suffice.
"Huh, that's neat. So healing spell or whatever?" She watched intently.
"Pretty much. Kind of basic, but it gets the job done." I replied, pushing myself up off the ground and putting so weight on my ankle. It felt better, it hadn't been too bad to begin with. But the surprise of actually harming myself in such a manner probably made take it more seriously.
How long had it been since I've accidently hurt myself like this?
"That thing you're doing isn't gonna work. I could honestly slow myself down to a tenth – no, probably even a twentieth of my normal speed and you'd still not be able to catch . It's way too easy to just watch where you're going and dodge." She plopped down, sitting cross legged.
"Yeah, I know. I wasn't really forcing it to work. Like you said, I was just going to start working down from here to get to where you are. I think it's a better approach than working up from the bottom since we're skipping a bunch of steps like you said." I was just getting so experience for now.
"And I realized, besides learning Shunpo. Your Reiatsu sense is pretty bad. It'll help you learn this if you get better at it."
"I know, I know." I muttered.
It was one of the many things I needed to work on. I was lucky that I could sidestep the issue of 'ti' to a degree due to my Magic by staying in this work. If I had to go back to Chaldea as I was now...there wouldn't be much of a difference.
This was partly a training trip, and partly a way for to calm down and evaluate my circumstances. It would do no good if I continued to feel anxious and rush myself. That's why I was taking things slow and thodical while enjoying the free ti I had.
"On a side note." I pointed my finger towards her. "Bakudō #4, Hainawa." At my command, a rope made of Spiritual Matter materialized and shot towards Yoruichi.
"Cheating dick." She squeaked, rolling to the side and jumping to the air, reminiscent of her feline body. "You like Kidō so much, huh? How about this – Bakudō #21, Sekienton." She declared and at the point of her palm, an influx of red smoke burst out in all directions.
I quickly stepped back, surprised by the spell. It was one I should have information on, being only 21, but I hadn't had the chance to look through them all yet.
"Did you just ninja smoke bomb !?" I exclaid as my vision was completely covered. And now that I tried to probe with my budding spiritual senses, it couldn't penetrate this smoke, or rather, it was being blurred.
"Ninja cat!" A black mass shot out of the smoke. It was fast enough that I didn't react in ti. Yoruichi in her cat form landed on top of my head, and in one motion, used as a springboard to head off into the distance.
She still held my tie in her mouth...
I felt my eye twitch violently as I quickly turned to chase after her.
[***]
"Oh, so close!" Yoruichi continued to tease, narrowly escaping my clutches. Her form flickering several tis with each step she took, she was dozens of yards away from where she was previously.
I stomped on the ground, doing my best to keep up but it was futile at this point and I knew it.
However, this ti I made a calculated risk. After running around for so long, I felt like I had a better idea of what I was doing and reduced the amount of 'steps' it took for to move.
It slightly took her by surprise as I did it without warning. I could see her fur shoot up, and her speed instantly increased several degrees to escape right before I could grab her.
"Damn, you seriously almost got ." She chuckled, coming to a stop outside of my 'ho'. "Didn't expect you to make that much headway so quickly."
I bent down, rubbing my leg. "Kind of forced it, but progress is progress."
"Don't feel too bad, no one can catch if I don't want them to." She said smugly.
"Really? How do you compare to all the other Shinigami?"
"I was known as the 'Flash Goddess', y'know'." She preened noticeably.
"Flash Goddess?" I quirked an eyebrow.
"Yup."
"Did you get that title by flashing people all the ti?"
"Maybe it was! You seem really hung up on that, I bet you can't stop thinking about , right?" She exploded in a puff of white smoke, and her humanoid body appeared. "I can't bla you. With this hot body, who wouldn't?"
"Right." I rolled my eyes. "But why aren't you naked?"
"What?" She blinked.
"You have clothes on....?" I gestured to her body.
"Yeah? What's your point?"
".....so you're just an exhibitionist. I thought it was a planned joke, but that's just your normal default, isn't it?"
"who knows." She grinned. "If you ask nicely, I'll take my clothes off~"
"No thanks." I answered imdiately.
"Urghk." She coughed. "Don't be so quick to say it, ass." She huffed.
"Sorry." I cleared my throat. "You're a very beautiful woman." I said as monotone as possible.
"I think this is the first ti I've been called beautiful,and it's been insulting."
"I retract what I said then, you aren't beautiful." I corrected myself. "Happy?"
"You have this amazing way of just...stabbing soone, right in the heart." Yoruichi dramatically fell to the ground.
"Oh, stop being dramatic." I kicked her foot.
She hopped to her feet. "Hmm, you didn't do bad today." She put her hands behind her head. "And it was fun to have soone to play with. It's been awhile since I've been able to play around like that."
"What about Mr. White Van Candy Salesman?"
She snorted, laughing. "He doesn't really do anything fun these days. Too busy with his own boring stuff."
"Well, I don't mind If you keep coming around. You've been helping a lot, if you wanna co play so more, it's fine." I actually did enjoy her presence. She's fun and relaxing despite her teasing and kind of playful deanor.
"Mmm, maybe I will." She yawned. "You got a Zanpakutō, right?"
"I do, you saw it."
"And you didn't just steal it off so Shinigami?" She eyed suspiciously.
"I can promise that I didn't steal this Zanpakutō off a Shinigami." I said with complete honesty.
"....I feel like I should make a note that you specified only that Zanpakutō specifically, but I don't really think I care in all honesty." She just shrugged. "I'm guessing you're trying to communicate with it, yeah?"
"....I suppose? I'm sort of muddling around with it." I had yet to find the proper direction to go.
"Co on, I'll teach you how to properly ditate with it." She nudged towards the entrance to my little abandoned building.
"I won't say no to help. How about I handle Dinner?"
"Really?" She perked up. "I could go for so Tuna."
"There's a cat joke in there sowhere."
"Make all the jokes you want as long as I can get so fresh Tuna." She laughed.
[***]
I breathed in and breathed out.
I centered myself.
I allowed all distractions to simply disappear from around . Only my Reiatsu and Aura flowed out soothingly as it enveloped both and my blade.
There was just and my sword.
Its weight pressed against my lap as I sat cross-legged on the ground.
Yoruichi taught a couple days ago and I've been ditating whenever I have free ti.
Jinzen, as it's called. Or Sword diation. It was a thod Yoruichi described as sothing honed over thousands of years in Soul Society.
With this thod, I just have to continuously imprint my Soul upon the sword. Let the power of my Soul nourish the sword.
Honestly, the more I heard about this thod, the more I realized.... my Aura may be a cheat here. My Aura was the physical manifestation of my Soul, it's being nourished much more directly than if I just kept it next to and gradually imprinted on it.
I just have to keep doing this.
And Yoruichi said that eventually I'll be able to hear the voice of the spirit that develops.
[OooOoooH, this is the spirit of your sword.]
"...how odd my sword sounds exactly like a certain dragon."
[Of course, I would sound like the mighty and magnificent Red Dragon Emperor, the greatest role model I could ever have.]
"I can't argue with that logic. And what's the na of my new sword?"
[You want to hear my na? Are you worthy?]
"Well, I'm the partner of the great and mighty Red Dragon Emperor." I continue to play along.
[Well said, well said.] My 'sword spirit' replied. [Then, if you want to know my na, repeat after .]
"Alright, I'm waiting."
[Shout as loud as you can!]
"My excitent has reached the tipping point." I deadpanned.
[Ripen – Waterlon!] Ddraig roared.
I was about to respond, but I felt my sword ever so slightly tremble. The very faint connection I had with it so far, there was almost an echo of a reverberation I felt through my Aura.
"Die." I sighed.
[Hahahah!]
"I swear to God – specifically the one literally inside the spear. If this sohow influences my sword...."
[What will you do?] Ddraig said mockingly.
"I'll make you roommates with the spear."
[.....Good thing this isn't Ddraig, but the spirit of your sword.]
"Uh huh." I summoned the Boosted Gear onto my arm. "Can the Sword say that again?"
[.....damn, choose this mont to have a mont of intelligence.]
"Only this mont?" I huffed. "I'll have you know I'm very intelligent."
Ddraig made a spectacle of clearing his throat. ['Be my won' the idiot says to the Eldritch Goddess he just t.]
"Touché." He did have a point.
But on the other hand, I can hop over and pull her to my bed pretty much whenever I wanted.
I dusted myself off, climbing to my feet. I held my Zanpakutō in one hand and looked at the Boosted Gear. "I wonder what would happen if I put the sword in there with you...?"
[.....Shit now I'm curious too. But you better not risk it.]
"Yeah.....I could always go steal another one easily enough."
[Eh, wait for things to calm down.]
"Point, point." I nodded.
I perked up after feeling sothing approaching. After doing these ditative exercises along with my casual absorption of Reishi, I've started to better develop my Spiritual Sense. I could vaguely feel Yoruichi approaching from a little ways away. However, I think she was intentionally flaring her Reiatsu so I could feel it.
I quickly put the Boosted Gear away and sheathed my sword, opening the door to greet her.
"Oh hey, you actually noticed." Yoruichi smiled, walking past without so much as a 'can I co in'.
I rolled my eyes, but didn't stop her. I basically knew her personality at this point.
Cat.
She was a cat.
As obvious as that may seem after seeing her as a, well, cat. She had a personality that is very similar to one.
"Haven't seen you in a few days." I closed the door behind her as she plopped to the ground.
"Mmm, was busy with so stuff." She yawned lazily. "Your Reiatsu increased again. How're you doing that? You aren't eating Hollows, are you?"
"No....can you eat hollows? What do they taste like?" I considered that statent.
"Pfft, not like that, you idiot."
"You an like devouring them to increase my own power?" I once more pondered that statent. "Wouldn't that leave so.....evidence?"
"Yeah, but your Reiatsu is strange, who knows what's happening there." She shrugged. "And every ti I see you your Reiatsu keeps increasing, I'm kinda clueless how it's happening."
"It doesn't keep increasing." I didn't mind sharing so things with her. At this point, I'd consider her a friend. "It's.....filling up."
"Filling up?" Her eyes lit up.
"My Soul is powerful." I settled on.
".....how much until you're full?"
"No idea."
"Hmm, sounds interesting. Though, you're at the point where you're gonna need to actively suppress it around normal people. You're doing a kinda diocre job of it right now. I'll show you a better way to keep it contained without feeling like a balloon about to pop to anyone with decent senses."
"Is that what I feel like?"
"Yeah, it's kinda funny actually."
I rolled my eyes again. "So, are you here for any particular reason or do you wanna play so tag again?" I asked, stretched my arms and back. Sitting down for so long makes a little stiff. "I've been practicing a little, I think I'm getting closer to actual Shunpo."
That and I've been practicing Kido as well as my other stuff.
"Yes!" She perked up. "But actually, I am here for sothing else. After the whole Hollow thing, I figured I'd give you a heads up so you don't run head first into sothing bad."
"I'm listening." I got slightly serious.
"So, rember that whole thing with the Kuchiki brat?"
"The thing about her doing sothing highly illegal by Soul Society law?"
"Yeah.....that's probably coming to a head in the next couple weeks. If you see or feel any big influx of Reiatsu surge in the town, it's probably so big shots coming to grab her."
"Are you asking to stay out of it or to interfere?" Because I could go either way to be honest.
On one hand, it's none of my business since I barely know them. On the other, fuck Soul Society.
"Stay out of it, it shouldn't involve you." She warned a little...warmly.
"I appreciate the heads up." The sentint was very pleasant. "But how do you even know that?"
"Eh, it was always a waiting ga. At this point, it's right around the ti where she's probably missed at least two tis she when should have checked in. And.....soone technically did co to investigate already. So seated Shinigami, a good guy at least. He said he was gonna push his report to the bottom of the stack when he got back."
"Ah....so they'll probably be getting to it around now by your estimates." She probably knew exactly how the bureaucratic system there worked and could anticipate such a thing. "It's none of my business." I let out a breath.
"Anyways." She kicked off the ground, back onto her feet. A mischievous grin made its way onto her face. "Rematch?" She offered.
I knew full well I wasn't going to win, but I was nothing if not stubborn. "Alright, round two. Let's try to stick away from people this ti."
"Alright, be a sour puss." She walked towards the door. "How about if you win....I'll let you take a piece of clothing off this ti~"
"Should I admit defeat now?" I replied without missing a beat.
She looked at with pursed lips. She moved quickly, probably close to her top speed. I could guess what she was going for and I could sense her better this ti, but I didn't stop her. My tie was missing again and her laughter filled the air.
"Round two it is." I muttered, imdiately going after her.
[***]
If you want to read 7 chapters ahead or support , visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / astoryforone
Another person is joining on Wilhelm's adventure soon enough.
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