Homewrecker (Elyss/Murasaki)

Murasaki's relationship with fighting was a bit of a complicated one. She didn't really like violence, or senseless bloodshed. That sort of thing was just an unfortunate necessity, nothing more than that. But she was still a sword, and a sword was made to cut. To fight. She'd be lying if she said that she didn't feel at home when she crossed blades with another, but when she got Elyss' letter, it wasn't something she especially looked forward to.

They'd never fought on good terms, after all.

Getting outside the Rukongai wasn't that hard for someone of her speed. Out here, where nobody was going to see, was probably the best place that Murasaki could fight. Much as she didn't like to sneak around, she'd kept her zanpakuto's change quiet for a reason. It was an ace in the hole, and even if she was confident the Gotei could beat the Vandenreich, she didn't want to fall to some other unknown foe just because she was cocky.

"I'm here."

It was a less cheery greeting than Murasaki normally gave. This was a less cheery circumstance than she was normally in, to be fair. If this ended up a friendly spar, a matter of training, that was one thing. But she didn't think that's what it would be. Elyss' zanpakuto had never been good news.

It wasn't hard to tell what this was, even if she hadn't been so aware of the nature of a zanpakuto. Murasaki's expression remained stern, a stark contrast to her usually pleasant demeanor, and she drew her sword without any hesitation. A lone blade, without her father there to accompany it as she'd used for so long.

"A zanpakuto is part of who we are. Maybe not one we like, and definitely not one we're forced to embrace. It's more than just a tool, but it doesn't define us, either."

There wasn't any fear or concern in Murasaki's eyes as Elyss pointed her blade toward her. Yes, Elyss was a strong opponent. But Murasaki had never once let go of her own ambitions, to be the greatest Captain Commander that had ever led the Gotei. Reaching that apex demanded strength, and she'd pursued it with an intensity that most would probably call unreasonable.

"Go ahead, Captain Kishimoto."

Elyss was fast, but Murasaki was far faster. And in a bout like this, a genuine match rather than simple sparring for training purposes, she had no intention of holding back for even a single second. Between her mastery of swordplay and her unfathomable speed, avoiding the upward cut was easy, and Murasaki stepped to Elyss' side as her zanpakuto cut through the air toward the Captain. There wasn't any hesitation in the strike, and she knew perfectly well that a zanpakuto at her level could probably cut through even someone like Elyss.

Well, that was the point of a fight, wasn't it?

"Who said anything about running? Is that what you think it is to have self-control?"

That single cut was followed by countless more, strikes so quick that it would have taken someone else at Murasaki's level to keep track of them all. She had no intention of losing this bout, and if Elyss wanted a real fight, she'd have it.

"As opposed to what? Running from them?"

Murasaki practically spat her retort back at the woman, unafraid of peeling apart the contradictions in her assertion. Murasaki had gone through a great deal of her own reflection, and she had no intention of letting someone else speak to her as if she hadn't. Least of all when it was spoken by a blade she'd come to hate so viscerally.

"People aren't perfect. Acting like we are is just lying, to ourselves and to the world."

She was an honest woman, and she always had been. That was why, as she ripped her blade away and once again stepped out of the way of Elyss' swing, she simply uttered her release without the faintest hint of doubt. She'd been keeping it quiet just for the sake of security, but that didn't mean she was going to hide who she was.

"Cut, Kiaishi."

Though the blade in her hand didn't change, the already overwhelming spiritual pressure of the Captain Commander grew exponentially more intense with this shikai. It was a release none in Soul Society had seen before, and when compared to the shikai she had used for the past years, it was obvious even from the first instant that this far surpassed anything she'd had before. Murasaki's blade arced toward Elyss like a flash of light, but at the very same moment, an image of her had already manifested behind the Captain, another sword slashing through the air.

Murasaki knew what it meant to speak through battle. To learn through the clashing of swords. And in this bout, she had a lot to say.

"Who cares what the world wants?"

As Elyss pushed back on both of the strikes, the false Murasaki simply vanished after her attack had been made. No sooner than she disappeared, however, two more appeared to take her place, cutting toward Elyss without any hesitation or doubt. There wasn't a place for that in a battle like this.

"It doesn't matter how long it takes. What matters is doing it at all. Finding yourself, not succumbing to the worst parts of who you are. No matter how long it takes, reaching that enlightenment is everything."

Before her opponent even had time to react, Murasaki had already stepped back, another Murasaki taking her place effortlessly to strike at Elyss. A single breath in, once, not to be replaced until the strike had been made. Then she swung her blade, an effortless Senmaioroshi coming down upon her opponent.

She wouldn't hold back. Not for a friend.