Crispen's solo training

Crispen went to Karakura with one goal in mind: training. His swordsmanship skills were subpar, so he needed to work on that. He grabbed his sword and used shunpo to get to a clearing in the forest. After surveying the area, he found no humans in or around his newly found training grounds.

Crispen started by exercising. He did fifty pushups, fifty jumping jacks, and fifty sit ups. Now that he's stretched his muscles, he drew his sword. He then sheathed. Once again he took his sword out form his sheath, and once again he put it away. Crispen knew that whoever had his sword out first was the most likely to win. So he spent the next two hours drawing and sheathing his sword.

Before Crispen started, it took him approximately two and a half seconds to draw his sword. He knew this was a problem since someone of a higher caliber could easily kill him in less than three seconds. Now, after he spent two hours repeating the same exercise, he could draw his sword and stand ready in one and a third seconds.

After spending two hours working on sword drawing speed, Crispen decided to work on his balance and speed. Although he felt sure of himself not to slip in battle, there might be a time when he needed more precision in standing. He also felt that he was a little too slow, and he wanted to increase the range at which he could use shunpo; it wasn't that impressive to be able to advance a hundred feet.

Crispen looked around the clearing for a few moments. He was unsure on how to incorporate both balance and speed into one simple exercise. As he stood thinking, he heard a bird screech loud above his head. He absentmindedly looked up. At the top of a tree he saw large black bird. It was then that he knew how to train for this.

"I wonder..."

Crispen had to use shunpo twice to get to the top of the tree. He looked down and only saw a long fall. He looked out and only saw the tops of other tree. He was skeptical to his own idea. As this was his only idea, however, he thought he should at least try.

He stood up and put each foot on one branch. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Then, with determination, Crispen used shunpo to get to the next tree that happened to be thirty six feet away. He did his best not sway on the flimsy branches, but he had to grab the trunk to keep from falling. Now, with courage, Crispen did it again. He used shunpo to land on a tree that was twenty eight feet away. This time he didn't need to grab onto something. Crispen was filled with self confidence and began to flashstep from tree top to tree top. He nearly slipped a few more times, but for the most part he was able to stand tall after landing.

After thirty minutes of this warm up session, Crispen decided to get his feet wet. He chose three trees, each about forty feet from each other. He then flashstepped to each tree top consecutively, without a break on any tree. On the last one, he subconsciously grabbed the trunk to stop himself from moving on to the next tree. He spent an hour doing this, eventually moving up to five tree tops without breaking or needing to grab the tree trunk.

After finding a new clearing, Crispen thought what he should work on next. He looked at his sword. When he started, it just felt like metal. Now, though, it felt... more than that. Crispen didn't know how to describe. It's like it gained substance through his training. He picked up his sword. He drew and stood ready in one second flat. Crispen looked around him and noticed that many of the trees had low branches.

"Hehehe..."

Crispen, with his sword sheathed, stood three feet away from a tree with seven branches that could be reached by his sword. He analyzed it, picked the order in which he should hit each branch, and visualized it in his head. He put his hand on the hilt. Crispen stared the tree down for five seconds before drawing his sword and followed the plan in his head. He cut two of the three branches on the left side of the tree, then cut the branch pointing at him, and nicked all three branches on the right side.

Crispen began cutting branches all over the place. During the course of the next forty five minutes, he more or less cut every branch surrounding the clearing.

"What the hell do I do now?"

He looked up and saw another black bird fly overhead.

"Hmm..."

Crispen flashstepped halfway up the closest tree. He looked around him. The trees were, for the most part, maneuverable enough. He looked at his sword and immediately decided he should do it. He flashstepped to a tree about thirty eight feet away from him. Before he got there he started to swing his sword. Right as he landed he flashstepped to the next tree thirty feet away. He looked back and saw an unclean cut where a branch had been. He smiled triumphantly. He spent the next an hour flashstepping around the trees cutting branches as he went. Crispen didn't realize it, but his sword got sharper as he trained.

Crispen was now sweating profusely. He was not used to this kind of training before. He increased his shunpo speed and range. His balance is now more perfected. His sword accuracy and thrust has become more deadly. Crispen accomplished a lot for a day's training.

He was unaware in the changes in his zanpakuto, however. It had grown twice as sharp and gleamed in the sunlight like never before. There was one change in it he did notice. His zanpakuto used to feel heavy. It was only now that he was able to wield it with the greatest of ease. He assumed his muscles had just become more used to the weight and dismissed any notion that his powers were any better. It was, after all, one training session.

Crispen spent the last few hours of sunlight in the forest, using shunpo to further increase his speed and range. He could circumnavigate the entire forest in around twenty shunpos now.

To end the day, Crispen did a hundred pull ups on a branch, a hundred squat thrusts, and a hundred knee lifts.

Crispen found a clean river in which he washed off in. He had never felt so alive. His muscles may have been sore, he may have been tired, and he may have thrown up a little, but he felt great on the inside.