After War Training

The question had become one of defeat instead of victory. Laskt simply lacked confidence in himself. But there wasn't anything Takehiko could do about it. This was a problem the knight had to address alone. It was something between him and them inside. Those who resided within him deep in his soul. That was the nature of his burden as Takehiko said a simple line. "One is two, two is one. But we must never forget that a third is present." He said his eyes glancing at Laskt hinting at his zanpakuto. Though this matter was still out of his hands. Takehiko had problems but not with his hollow. On his end, it lay with his zanpakuto. She wished to consume him and everything he had. That was Chi no Miru's end goal when it came down to it. Takehiko didn't have a solution or clever ideas for it. Had Akuma not come forward his doom was certain. Perhaps it was a clever ploy by the hollow. Maybe he was being taken advantage of in some way. But the reality was he didn't have a choice. Violence and anger were inside Akuma and within him.

"I can't do anything for you in this sense. I don't wield a power that lets me traverse another's inner world. But it's good to remember three exist within us vizards typically." Takehiko didn't know the relationship between Laskt or those inside. Truthfully he could only guess at that turmoil. Bejing shook things up inside his inner world. So maybe it did for his friend as well. They both had come to a fork in the road. This was now up to him to decide the path he took. Did he continue to fear his hollow endlessly? Or did he march forward and find a path. Not everyone was suited to hollow control the way Takehiko did it. He learned from Ulv but understood he could go deeper. He was unsure and unwise on many things. He didn't have all the answers in the world as a boy. He could only tell Laskt really what helped him. What he found stood out to him in the end. He was traversing a much deeper path with his hollow.

But that's because his zanpakuto was so designed with malevolent intentions. He couldn't use her without reason or recourse. Truthfully activating her was part of the problem. She could just as easily destroy him as his enemies. It had become evident that survival was upon her not being used. But that wasn't a solution to his problem. It was more a stalling of him being unable to solve it. Anything around it was merely a workaround. Just let her keep eating him until he kicked the bucket. That seemed to be all he had at the moment. She was a vampire and his blood was her main course. She didn't consume others or use any kind of blood. Fresh from the source was her main dish. That was where she stood on the subject. His hands hurt and still, the pain felt through his body. From using her powers even a little in Bejing. He wondered if Laskt had similar problems with his powers. If they were as self-destructive as his own. But he had no way of knowing that in reality.

"My world within was shaken up by what happened. I can't say if yours was or not, but it was bad enough that Akuma decided to stop watching for a takeover. Because Chi no Miru's powers didn't just hit me..they hit my hollow as well." Takehiko said finally as he looked off towards the targets again. It was up to Laskt what he chose from here. He could fight valiantly against his hollow and take over. But Takehiko didn't think suppressing them would work well. It was something deeper that had to be reached. Something within them that only they themselves could find the answer too.