White Howl, Black Scales [Tento, Lerna]

The war with the hollows in Africa had come to an end. Asher was defeated, their forces divided and broken running amok as individuals once again. Not gone, but the threat to the human world is now far more reduced than the constant that it was for several months. Be as it may there was little celebration on Tento’s end. Homes were destroyed, lives, although they would be in the end saved and continue in their flow within the soul cycle. Had ended too quickly. The number of souls consumed by hollows or just created puts more work on the Shinigami's duty to guide and maintain a balance. Thankfully it was not in such a mass to threaten the balance of the realms but such a drag all the same.

That was just one issue that pushed at Tento’s mind. Comrades were lost, and he could not feel any happiness about his promotions. When it all started he was just the 20th seat, but now here he was. The 5th seat of his division. Once he had no shikai and only scratched the surface of what he had with his kido. But now he had grown in his relationship with his zanpatuko for more than he could ever comprehend. Once silent nights came whispered conversations to sleep. One there was no name, and now he knew them. He had connected to learn his swords name and even its true name. It was an unexpected growth that seemed inhumane to him in his mastery of his shikai in so little time. And yet, each time it was borne from a bitter taste in his mouth.

First it was just a desire to be of better use to grow. To enjoy the clash of wills and test himself. But soon it changed as more and more people fell, his comrades. He wanted to make fights such as the first wave a sooner operation. He needed to make a difference in people living another day. But in the end all he got were nothing but win-loses in his eyes. He may have clawed out victories from bloody battles. Enemies may have been forced to defeat. But he could not defeat anyone. He kept getting told that he prevented MORE people from dying, but it did not look like that case to him.

What good was the rank if you could not protect the people under you? Tch.

For one reason or another, that was his past and he had to move from it. Try to at least. Tento would continue to walk forward. Training, smiling, and laughing as he held things within. Trying his best to keep a good spirit for the sake of himself and others. Taking that chance on a rare of day, he decided to visit some divisions. The last on the random list was the seventh division. After entering the division there was not much going on. For a few minutes it just seemed he walked around adn talked to people. An average day, but soon he heard the familiar pounding of a training dummy being thrashed. Investigating the sight he saw a familar face going at it with, ice forming on the dummies. “Hey Lerna!”, Tento said in a call out waving his hand. “What are you up to??”.