You're not sure why Kimiya broke one of the only three actual rules and tried to impale you in the face just now and you don't really care. You turn, your back now facing the rest of the class, to watch your glasses fly through the air in a ballistic trajectory. You can't afford to lose them both for the sake of your vision and your image. When you look at yourself in the mirror without the glasses you squint and your eyes become a lot more menacing.
You reach out for your glasses but the world seems to have slowed to a crawl. That is not a problem with your recent training. You kick forward, spirit energy pooling beneath you, and leap forward. You go flying past the glasses and only just grasp the handle between your finger. The world returns to a more normal pass as you land four feet away and carefully put the glasses back on. You turn back to face Kimiya and your classmates. Their jaws have only now just begun to drop.
Kimiya glares at you. " A little overkill, don't you think?" You frown and your brow furrows. That's all he has to say? An idea immediately pops into your head.
"No, but perhaps this is." As before you vent your spirit energy only this time with no control over its shape, merely only making sure its aimed at the man in front of you. Kimiya immediately falls to one knee and you smirk as you step towards him, sword raised high with one hand.
You pause for a moment to consider the most painful blow you can inflict on him as permitted under the rules. Nagakiso raises his hand again.
"Stop."
After a moment, you lower your blade and both of you walk off. Kimiya doesn't even look at you instead he shoots a look towards Isshin. How strange.
---
"By the way, that was incredible how you just gave Kimiya the look of death," Isshin proclaims between frantic bites of ramen. The man eats fast and frequently.
"It's not really. It's a one trick pony. Anyone with a firm grasp on manipulating reishi would be prepared for it." You and Kaname consume your meals in a more reserved fashion.
"Yeah but the look you gave him was so intense too! It was like you were the buddha consigning someone to hell!"
"Uh, I don't believe that is how that works," Kaname chimes in.
"Well Aizen-sama in that moment looked like a man who could hold the world in his palms!" That also seems incorrect but you let it slide.
"I was merely upset at that outburst. Do you have any idea what brought that on?"
"He's been beefing with me lately," Isshin shrugs. "He wants to form an association of nobles among the student body or something? I told him that sounded pointless considering there's like maybe ten of us in the academy total right now. Then when he tried to talk about maintaining our dignity I told him it sounded boring."
"I don't see what I had to do with that."
"I guess he sees you as one of my peons? Maybe it's cause Watanabe-chan shot him down this morning."
"This is the first I'm hearing about that," You reply. Though that would make a lot more sense. Kimiya needed to blow off some steam and you were apparently the closest thing. "Do you think I should go talk to him?"
"Nah, screw that guy," Isshin slams down his bowl to accentuate the point. "If he gives you more trouble just kick his ass!"
"...But that's how this all started..."
"Perhaps you should challenge him to a duel and kill him," Kaname suggests stoically. You and Isshin stare at him waiting for the punch line to drop. It doesn't but you swear you hear a woman laughing off in the distance.
"That's messed up!" Isshin responds. You're just curious where this is going.
"It's the inevitable end point of any cycle of violence. Fisticuffs with someone just leads to greater alienation and hostility." Kaname speaks confidently as if he's a lecturer at the academy himself. Isshin's posture loosens.
"Oh you're just on another justice thing..." Isshin replies relieved.
"Though if Aizen-san wishes it, he will have my blade," Kaname adds.
Isshin knocks the bowl over as he reaches over to pull Kaname towards him and whispers hurriedly "Don't ever say anything like that in public again! The Omnitsukido is always listening!"
Kaname pauses in thought. "...I'm sorry. I did not think of the consequences. I apologize for any inconvenience I've caused you." He whispers. His tone is frantic and seems sincere and yet...
"I think we should call it a night," You suggest. You pull Kaname away and you quickly depart as the chef begins to quarrel with Isshin over the shattered pottery.
---
Before heading to bed, you decide to meditate. You close your eyes and when you open them again you find yourself outdoors sitting in a field of grass. Before you is a gondola on an elevated hill and a river bending around it. Beyond that your surroundings are a blur.
"Hello, Ou-sama. I'm so excited to finally meet with you face to face." The woman in the pink flower-patterned yukata smiles. Her hair runs long and hides her left eye. She gestures for you to follow her to the gondola. Crickets and Cicadas chirp and buzz as you kneel before the short legged table at the center of the gondola.
"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Miss...?"
"You already know my name. You just have yet to find a reason to speak it." The woman leans to the side and draws a tea set from under the table. "Though with how strong you're getting that might be a while."
"I was told being strong was generally requisites for communing with your spirit..." You take a sip from the tea, and then another, and then another. It's quite good.
"What if I told you clarity of purpose was more important to utilizing my power than martial prowess?"
"That would just make me curious what your ability is? Perhaps you could give me a hint?"
She frowns. "A sword without something to be swung at is just a trophy piece, Ou-sama. Please find a use for me..." Your vision begins to dim.
"Isn't protecting Seireitei enough?" You ask hurriedly. "Defeating hollows and maintaining the balance of the world and all that?"
"I am more than gardening equipment, Ou-sama... Surely there is something you want..." The world disappears and you're back in your room. Kaname sends you a glance, nods in recognition, and returns to reading his texts.
A goal huh? You'd never put much though into applying to the academy besides the opportunity to get away from a life of menial labor and accounting. You'd never fancied yourself becoming a great hero even after the initial exam at the academy suggested you had spiritual reserves on par with that of a vice-captain. Why would your inner spirit talk about such things?
A yawn escapes you and you decide to delegate the matter to tomorrow's Aizen. You depart to bed.
Over the next month two especially interesting events occur (choose two)
[] You have a word with Tsunyashiro Kimiya about the sparring incident. It goes well but he presents you with a... strange offer.
[] Onabara-sama sends you on a training mission to the real world with some upperclass-men.
[] You've been meaning to ask Shiba Isshin about that strange technique he used last month during the bar fight. Where did all that sand come from?
[] You ask Yadomaru-san out on a date. How bold!
