White Howl, Black Scales [Tento, Lerna]

This was most certainly interesting; he was not much to show his ‘nerdy’ side but when it came to kido it was one of the few interests he was very happy to share. What he witnessed was a bit of a wonder. It was nothing he knew personally and even more so, nothing he could recall hearing about before. The finer details of his study aided in a bit of elimination though. Her zanpatuko was sealed so this had nothing to do with that. There was no incantation channel felt so the possibility of kido was unlikely to him, and there was no energy felt involving her spiritual energy or any real pressure. It…was different yet still her. It was something that she was doing, unique.

“Insight, opinion, or a misguided guess of what it is. I would like to think so though. Everyone wishes to be strong. And I at least wish everyone to be strong enough to protect themselves, and what is important to them”, Tento said in response. “At least…that is what I feel in my heart at least. That, I know I can be honest about”. As a spirit there was not much else he could do. He needed food and nourishment unlike many other souls. What better way than as a Shinigami? They were respected, they had an impact, and they could do good. Beyond the whole….keeping the worlds from collapsing on each other. He could find a home in any division, hopefully. Time and friends would grow love; time plus exposure equaled influence. There was no single division whose main duties jumped out to him that he HAD to do. And the Gotei, well the Gotei’s purpose would come true no matter what division he was in. The only thing left…well.

In comparison to others, Tento did not give some god forsaken reason why he chose the 4th division. Not anything dramatic. No revenge, no iron will believe in a select group to change the world. He only had someone important to him. Someone he wanted to fight alongside, someone he wanted to have to rely on him. It was not bold; not worth a large note or a dramatic movie picture. But his strength in it was all the same one of pillars he stood on. His determination was undoubtable to himself. As Lerna continued to speak, her smile came strong in her tone. It was a much different story than his own, but one he could feel some connection to. Lerna got inspired by someone like he did. “It does sound like she helped you a bit finding some comfort. I do know the whole picture of what you may have gone through as a mod soul but I would assume it involves issues of being watched, threats of being erased, and pure hostility?”.

Wishy washy or not it sounded similar to him. It sounded like Lerna did trust Murasaki, followed her even in terms of working under her like any other would once she was stationed under her. That did not mean that Lerna had fogged goggles though. She saw the woman as well as the uniform. Tento silently listened. The life of a Mod soul was hell, and prior changes to the former Gotei they might as well have just been slaves. A being with a soul as well as consciousness; breathing just as anyone else. Memories, feelings, everything you needed to be a person in Tento’s opinion. But because they were once a scientific experiment created and used as a tool, that was all they were. That was their destiny in the eyes of the past, and even now Tento was not sure of that topic.

“I am sorry that you have had to go through being oppressed and used in the past. Regardless of what others may think or say, you are a person; Mod Soul or not”, he said with a calm look towards her. A soul was a soul with its own personhood and individuality. Lerna was a Shinigami fighting like anyone else when deployed on earth. She played a key role in the monitorization and defense of the balance. Captain Commander Murasaki’s influence or not, it should be noted and respected. Beyond that it sounded like Lerna was doing fine in her division. She liked the ease of still being home on earth and defending it first. Hopefully her division treated her well regardless of her mod soul status as well as a sub-shinigami from the outside looking in there was no true way to tell how her relationship with them was.

“Well, be as it may it sounds that you are doing good for yourself now. A substitute Shinigami not only attached to a division but a seated officer. You came a long way and should be proud. You don't need me to say that though”, Tento said with a nod of his head and some words of encouragement. A soft smirk coming along at the end.

Tento wanted to give a smark remark to it. Like who said he couldn’t flirt with them hmm? But he decided to do something else. “Oh, alright I suppose. Still get to have a good time with cool people, try to get along with as many people as I can. Beyond that, my flirting with cute women hasn’t changed when it's a good time. People who seem to like my taste weren’t only in my division after all”. Tento said with a pause. Trying to not sound like a playboy or brag as much as his could.

“No, but there is a first time for everything”, he offered back in remark. Before giving put a jokeful tone, “Just like I would imagine you have laughed this much in a day in a while”. Tento humored as he welcomed the lopsided smile on her face. He would have to give a shrug of his shoulders in admittance.

He had to give credit. What she said was fair. Not everyone wants to be strong. Just like not everyone wants money, or items. Heck, some just wanted to be smart. Everyone had a way to be who they are meant to be. And that's the same for being of aid to the Gotei. Perhaps that was just Tento's way. A defender. Or maybe it was all he knew and it was a defense to make sure he had people strong enough to watch his back while he watched their front.

However, her next action shifted the tone of the conversation. She walked right up to him, that sparkling grin shining like a bright diamond as she asked him a hard felt question. What would he be willing to do to get stronger? Why did he even seek it. Was it improvement for the sake of beating his old self Was? Was it an impact to not feel insignificant? Was it a desperation to protect a home he had now? To have the power to protect what he cherish? Or was it the thrill and bloodlust of battle that all members of the 4th seemed to have or was it something more?

What the heck else could he need when it came to fighting in the battlefield?? Thump. It echoed and rang clear even before she made contact with his chest. Speechless for once, there were no pretty words or attempts at flirtation or even jokes. Just a silence in wait listening. Without a word he drew his zanpakuto out as request. His hand on the hilt loose before digging into a strong vice grip, affirmed.

He closed his eyes and simply, felt. As the silence stretched on, Tento's inner world ignited. He could feel the pulsating energy of his zanpakuto, an extension of his very soul, calling out to him. With a sudden inhalation, his eyes snapped open, a fierce brown flame dancing within their depths. The ground beneath his feet cracked, energy radiating outwards as he drew upon the power of his spirit weapon. With a shunpo he was gone traveling forward in a vertical slash that would hold the intensity to make his sword strike was larger in size than it was. A skyscraper threatening to crash down.

As the accumulation of energy twisted and blended with his blade, crashing down as it met Lerna’s empowered hand. The black scaled armored hand banged against his zanaptuko. The clank was resounding and echoed even through Tento’s own bones. A quick jolt of excitement. His regards to Lerna’s strength were dead on. Only a soft cut on her defended hand was a fruit of his effort as sand and dirt flooded the air as Lerna’s footing sunken. A careful gaze examined her as the scales expanded, scaling up her arm and up to her neck. There was a lot more he could have done in his strike. But this was just a spar, not a life and death struggle on the battlefield. There was no one to protect, no mission or pride to protect. His aim was to show her his resolve. For their blades to talk to each other as they fought. What was strength? What was it for? What did he need in that path…

“Oh come on Lerna”, Tento began in a soft respite. Despite her words he could sense it. That stir of power inside her. The call and response to his spirit. “If you were ‘normal’ Shinigami I would not have dared to put even half of that attack at you. You are a seated officer, 4th. You are not someone that I would fear hurting from just that. I expect more from you from fighting alongside you. I know your base strength and you’ve only grown since. And if I did hurt you, I would regret it and make amends”, Tento said, calming in a bit of stern seriousness. The goofiness fading quickly at the gravity thrown to him. It was enough to know she saved Shura to know she was strong. It was one thing to fight alongside that woman and not get ridiculed if she regarded you weak. But to save her? That took power, ability, and guts to boot.

“The Fourth can be like that. I won’t lie to that case. I can turn a bit…aggressive too when the time calls for it. But I have no desire to be a caged murder who seeks any opportunity to spread violence. Hurting you would only come as a traitor, and you are no traitor to the Gotei, Lerna”. Tento gave a pause before dropping his seriousness. “But I will keep that mind for you and others. I do like the idea of feeling things out if you want”. Tento didn’t resist as she flicked his blade away. Letting the path guide to his side in a low stance to the ground.

Tento looked on at Lerna with a calm focus as she spoke. He expected more of an immediate response but it seemed she wanted to talk more while they fought. That was fine with him, talking while sparing took nothing away from him unlike some in his division. But this was a rather long way to go about it if he was getting what she wanted to say. A lot more than just being strong than being strong? If he was still a boy in the hood trying to live he would have laughed about that. But, he learned that lesson a long time ago. It was character, will, mind. A physical advantage was just a tool in a vessel, strength and power came more with that working together. And heck, with being a Shinigami it was a lot more than just swinging a sword. “Let see…4th members last shorter than 7th because we die on the field more often. Central force when big things happen and all. Bigger threats…more chance of death, no offense to yall with always being on earth constantly”. Tento said in a deadpan serious answer. That was one way to answer…but far to self centered on his own division.

“Or maybe it is the good old childish trial banter of…my division just is better than yours”, Tento seemed to continue a steady calmness as he felt the chilling reiryoku flare, a flash of ice formed into a spike streaked towards Tento before a sudden large spinning disk of condensed Reiatsu yellow energy formed in front of him. Tento’s chantless Bakudō #39. Enkōsen . Eating the attack and breaking a delayed second, a light piece of the ice hit his chest before weakly spreading across his chest, straining to reach his shoulder and neck as its power as well as effectiveness reduced.

“But those are both the dumb easy answers. Perhaps it's because your divison has people who have been Shinigami longer? More time to develop and grow. Perhaps it is because there are many in my division that follow steady the old 11th, blade and body only. A lack of understanding of the four arts leaves an incomplete warrior”. With a swipe of his sword to the side Tento flexed his muscles, the lingering pieces of ice shattering as they fell to the floor. “Tell me, am in the ballpark or am I way off, Lerna?”.

It would not be a surprise if Lerna did not have an immediate recognition. It had been a long time since the both of them handled those hollows together in the world of the living. It was far in the back when Tento was still a newbie within the ranks of the Gotei United, but he got the chance to see her strength and ability firsthand. The add up by reports and witnesses seeing her bring Shura back from THAT hollow was more than enough.

With her appearing in front of him out of a shunpo, Lerna’s fist would find no spinning disk there to meet her punch as her ice destroyed it. Instead, she would find the quickly lifted dull face of Tento’s blade up to crash into her blow. A shockwave traveled past his frame as the wind kicked back the force she unleashed. The angle of her punch pressing him down into the ground on a knee before he muscled up staying on his feet. As well defended it may have been, her own brutal strength was shown in full there, she lacked no physical power at all.

With a soft sigh, Tento let his muscle flex as his spirit relaxed. Eyes trained at Lerna’s narrowed gaze and calm voice. It was a bit silly how he could get that and she had to spell it out. But then again, was this not something every Shinigami and every division had to face? Hollows were unique creatures when a threshold was met, their own abilities and emphasizes a chaos to deal with in the unknown. “I get what you mean there. But I would include the unique characters of a hollow in their strength…”. Tento countered in a calm voice before twisting into a friendly smirk. “But if you are more experienced than me. Maybe you can help me get some more exposure”.

Hopping back after he, hopefully, managed to get to his feet using the redraw of her arm as an opportunity. His blade held out in front of his body with both hands as he listened for a moment. His spiritual energy drawing down from his fire before to a reserved steady tremble. “Normally, we dont get deployed often. But ME. I get deployed a lot. I ask and somehow I’ve been put out a fair bit. I think that is partially why I’ve grown so much. I am going in and out more than my division members. Training is good but yes, real life experience adds much more value. But…”. Tento shifted his feet, lowering his stance as he raised his blade overhead. “That does not take from the preparation”, Tento spoke as she began her tactics. Was this going to be a game of hit and run? Her circling him felt like a hunter watching prey. A lion or snake waiting in tall grass to strike at a gazelle.

Likely any other, many, in the 4th would see this as some sort of lecture. Mocking their ability as a warrior. Thankfully, Tento was not quite taking it that way. Yet. Nothing was wrong with her tone, and she held no lie in the words she spoke. Those things were the basics. And should always be remembered, but sometimes Tento wondered how well the basics worked if that was all you focused on. There was no number of times he found it easier to cleanse a hollow by cutting its mask after cutting a limb or two quickly off. Sometimes you had to work with what you had. The situation was not as easy or by the book when dealing with Arrancars.

Although this was something to think about. Truth. Battles on the field was not a singular struggle. They were wars. Match ups. Teams. Resources, and energy. All of it played a role. A captain could be on the field but if they fought all day and night, then they were not up to par when the real threats came. Just like if a regular shinigami wasted time and energy with one hollow in the world of the living, then they would likely run out of luck at some point. Perhaps, that was the real reason the higher ups did not deploy the first time in africa. They had to be left in reserve for when the time was right. He had to give the 7th kudos. What they did was not an easy job, and they did it well. Mostly. For what it was worth, he really was listening and taking this in. He always told the others one hollow at a time and to fight together when mass stream of hollows came. But how many really listened? How well did they pace themselves? He could argue. Say that the muscle of the Gotei had no time to waste when deployed. Hit hard and hit fast. Save time and save lives. But how well did that work out? Shinigami still fell, was there simply not strong enough, or did they use up too much of their power before retreating? What was he giving them by giving them training sessions day in and day out? What was he teaching them as he helped them develop in what ways he could? Were they disciplined enough? Smart enough? Things felt so much simpler when Hanako was here… Captain Nagoshi was a fine Captain, and Rio was present as any Vice should be. They were good, but they could be great. Perhaps that was the truth. “...alright, I will think about what you said. But, each division is different. The 7th serves a purpose as does the 4th. Now…come, draw your sword unless you wish to be a bit fancy with me today.”. Tento said, flashing his sword in a stance, solid and ready before charging before Lerna. Jumping into the air with a straight forward stab aimed at her shoulder.

Coming out of his swing, Tento reached up from his squared up squat stance as Lerna looked down at him, shifting up to his 6’7 height to meet her gaze. It was harder then time, not jokeful or silly. It was that snort again when her energy flickered. Mockery. Not worthy of her time. Disbelief. It crawled at his skin and could make his hair grow stiff. Make him pause to breathe inside. It was arrogance, was she looking down on him because of her opinion? “No, reasons. Maybe, maybe not depending on how you see it. It is mine though”.

He was quite calm seeing his blade be caught in her hand. Startled and surprised internally by what she did yes, but such was trivial to his focus and willpower. He was not some arrogant fool, he did not think himself some sort of god beyond shinigami. He was a warrior, a student of the arts. He came to talk to Lerna and give thanks. He did that but what was that valued in the end. This…was unbecoming of her. She had comparable spiritual energy to him after all and she was concentrating it in a hard defense at a focus point from what he could tell. Why all of this though? Why the talk, why function this way in a spar, and why her mannerisms? Was she just showing off and wasting his time acting like she wanted to help and give some sort of genuine knowledge to him? Did she want to flaunt some self created sense of superiority over him??

He may have nicked her shoulder but she was deeper without even touching him.

He may not have been a Hakudo specialist, but he was an expert at it. He had to have beyond a solid foundation to tutor people at Shino after all. He may have went down the path of focusing his energy within the vessel of his blade, zanjustu and kido acting as one. But it was something he got after studying and from watching others. People in the Gotei had grown to be more and more often present with using their spiritual energy within their body. It was not something irregular to the foundation of a shinigami.

With a burst of speed that matched his own, his blade caught within her scale powered tightened grip. Tento stared Lerna square in the eye unfazed as he felt her spike the tips of her claws into his left shoulder after pulling him close in a lunge. He heard her speak and seemed to not have a word to say. Before she would feel an empowered strike filled with an overflow of energy hit her hips as Tento snapped with foot in a snap kick, the Hakudo strike intended to boost the effectiveness of the attack to force Lerna's body back away from him.

“Why? Because it is needed when we are called out. We get called to put things down, fast, not have drawn out battles. The foe is known. The cases dire. If we wasted time not aiming for the kill, we would give hollows opportunities to harm us, thus decreasing our military potential in the situation”, Tento said yanking back with his blade into a mid level rest.