Chapter 4

Are you impressed? That I've got a nearly fully-developed bankai, despite having just graduated from the academy? I don't mean to sound like this, but I should hope you are. Basically the only reason the academy was impressed with me was because of my shikai and bankai, since I sucked so badly at kido. I could only get up to about level three kido, and even those were weak. Yeah, I know, pathetic. Shut up, OK! It's embarassing! But seriously though, my skill with the sword itself made up for my failure at spell-casting.

I decided to start the fight with my shikai, and then work my way up to bankai if necessary. It would be impressive if I could dispose of the hollow only using my shikai, but I sort of wanted them to see my developed bankai. For the first time since they'd met me, Rukia, Renji, and Captain Kuchiki got to hear me yell.

"Shatter, Sutoraiku!"

My Zanpakuto changed from its natural silver color to a blood red as I slammed the pointy end of it into the earth. The ground from my sword to under where the hollow stood split at lightning speed. The ground crumbled especially beneath it, the rocks and dirt splitting and peeling away from under its feet. This caused it to fall, and I was over there in a split second, using my flash step, to dissolve it by cleanly cutting through the head. With one last roar, the hollow disintegrated into thin air. When the hollow disappeared, the ground healed itself to the way it originally was. This was my shikai, Jishin (or "earthquake"). It split the ground beneath the enemy, breaking their roots and causing them to fall. Then, I used flash step to easily defeat my enemy before they even had the chance to stand again. This fight lasted a mere 30 seconds.

I was disappointed that I didn't get to use my bankai, but I thought Sutoraiku and I had performed exceptionally just using the shikai. I turned and gave a weak smile to my spectators. Their jaws were dropped, looking as though they could hang all the way down to the ground. Even Captain Kuchiki's expression had changed from his normal disapproving look to a slightly less, maybe-even-kind-of-impressed disapproving look. Renji kept switching his gaze from where I stood to where the raging hollow had been less than a minute ago. Rukia was simply in disbelief.

"Shina… you have quite a powerful shikai. It's a shame we couldn't see your bankai."

Damn! I knew I should have used it! Stupid, stupid, stupid!

I walked back over to Renji as I placed my Zanpakuto on my back again. Renji gawked at me.

"Shina. Wow, you're incredible."

I nearly fainted. My head spun and I swore I could feel the earth spinning beneath my very feet.

"T-thanks." I nearly whispered.

"How do you do it? Does it come naturally or just- wow, I can't believe how strong your shikai alone was."

He was actually trying to strike up conversation with me! I could finally really talk to him.

"Well, you see, I just-"

I was cut off by Renji yelling, "Look out!" and diving to push me out of the way of something. We both landed hard on the ground as something massive landed and rattled the earth. It had completely destroyed the pavement where I had been standing such a short time ago. I was seeing double, my breathing and heart rate seemed to off the charts. Renji sprang to his feet.

"Are you alright?" he called down to me.

I opened my mouth but nothing came out. Partially from my terrible shyness, but mostly because I was in shock. What was it? What had nearly just crushed me? I looked up to see just what I had feared I would see.

A Menos Grande.

It crawled out of the broken sky, facing us with its gaunt, pointy face, staring down with rounded red eyes. It was uglier than I'd pictured, since I'd only heard of these beasts. I gaped, horrified, gasping for air. I looked down at my left hand. It was coated in a layer of blood, all scraped up from the pavement. My right hand had a couple of little scratches, but my left hand was a disaster. I tried to grip my sword, but nearly cried out from the pain. It made the bleeding worse, too. I let go as the hot blood dripped down my arm.

"Shina! Your hand!"

I blushed furiously as Renji ran over and grabbed it to look at it.

"I-it's nothing." I insisted, tentatively grabbing the hilt of my Zanpakuto. I grimaced as the blood began to rush down my arm.

"Stop! Stop! Can you heal yourself with kido?"

I looked down in shame. Man, I didn't want to tell him I was a complete and utter failure at kido… so instead, I said, "Umm, my skills are kinda rusty."

He squatted down next to me.

"It's alright. Rukia's a master at medical kido." Of course she is. "Hey Rukia! C'mere!"

Rukia took her eyes off the Menos and ran over to me. Renji explained everything to her.

"When I pushed Shina out of the way, she got cut up pretty bad. Could you use some medical magic?"

"Don't worry. I got this." Rukia had this amazing reassuring tone. She sounded so professional that, though I barely knew her at all, I felt like I really was safe. Rukia held her hands just above my injured one and took in a deep breath. Suddenly, a sort of greenish halo appeared around her hands, and my wounds immediately began to close up. This cooling feeling engulfed my left hand, as though I'd just submerged it into a tub of water. It was sweet relief. When Rukia finished, my hand probably felt better than before I'd scraped it up. I examined my healed hand.

"Wow. Thanks." I murmured.

Rukia shrugged, wiping her hands off on her clothes. "It's nothing."

Renji smiled at her. "Thanks, Rukia."

She slowly smiled, her gaze locking with his. Her eyes filled with that glowing happiness again, and that passion returned to his. She replied playfully, "Come on. I said it's nothing." I bit my lip so hard I nearly split it. The roar from the Menos brought us all back to earth. I pulled my Zanpakuto, feeling focused. Captain Kuchiki drew his own sword as the beast lumbered towards us.

"This will be easy." He said.

"Wait!"

Using my flash step, I was in front of him, blocking his path, immediately. In that very second, all my shyness faded away, and was replaced by confidence.

"Captain Kuchiki," I gasped, my words marred by my heavy breathing. "can I take this one? I promise I can get it."

He looked down at me, wearing that now familiar stern expression. After taking a moment to think, he slowly nodded.

"Very well. Show me what you can do, Shina."

I faced the Menos, breathed in, and exhaled sharply. I gripped my sword so hard my knuckles turned white. I raised my Zanpakuto, and rasped out the familiar words.

"Ban-kai."