Thank you so much for over 30k views, over 100 reviews and 400 follows!
As a reward, I figured that you guys would enjoy a big reveal… I'm looking forward to your thoughts!

Thank you Sassifrass for being an amazing Beta and helping me out when my weird English habits strike!

OCs appearing:

Kobashigawa Hinagiku (11th)

Kida Rini (11th)

Matsushita Koichi (11th mentioned)

Tanaka Jirō (11th)

Suzuki Kazuo (11th)

You guys know the drill, here are some wise words of inspiration:

Loyalty means I am down with you whether you are wrong or right, but I will tell you when you are wrong and help you get it right.

-Anonymous

Chapter 17: Tournament VII: World

It is dark. Here, where I dwell. But, I've learned to adapt to this darkness. It is now an old friend.

But, I cannot wait for the day when the light will shine once more. I yearn for it. I wish to feel it once more. I wish to see once more. I wish to be free once more.

Step. Step.

Here she comes.

Step. Step.

She's walking towards me.

Step. Step.

And we shall perform katame-no-sakazuki.

Step. Step.

And if we die, to the death I shall follow you.

Hinagiku had always had trouble dealing with nerves. She could still remember the incident from her mother's funeral, where she had managed to upchuck her tiny breakfast into the bushes in front of the whole household. Luckily, back then, she'd been just a little girl and nobody had thought much of it, beyond that fact that she'd been overwhelmed with grief. However, now, in front of this door, she had no excuses.

For the nth time, she brushed her uniform to perfection, pulling on the sash even tighter so that her kosode would stay securely closed. It was unnecessary and she could feel it digging into her waist, but she did so anyways. She couldn't feel her fingers anymore.

This wasn't just a fight, after all.

She was standing in front of the door which could finally lead her to her future. After decades in a Division she loved and protected. After years of working until the dead hours of the night in the office hoping for some semblance of recognition. After hours and hours on end of rubbing her eyes underneath her reading glasses and feeling glad for doing one small piece of work for her Captain. That day was the day she'd never dreamt of. It was the time when she finally had a chance to go out there, into the arena, and fight for her own spot at the top.

This was her fight of a lifetime.

Her left hand was clutching the hilt of her katana now, tracing the daisies on the wrapping gently, as had become her habit. But, while her face and breaths were calm, inside her was a storm. Hinagiku was staring at the door in front of her and suddenly it seemed way too big for her.

With a strangled sob, almost like a gasp for air, the young Shinigami stepped back from it, turning around with her eyes screwed shut. You can do nothing right. Her Grandmother's stern words echoed in her mind for the thousandth time that day. You are ruining everything I have built with every single step you take. Hinagiku could practically see the woman now, a cold look in her eyes. Her Grandmother had never shown anger openly. But, she would get that one cold look in her eyes whenever she was feeling enraged.

Then, I won't step forward again.

Another hacked gasp for air came from her lungs and Hinagiku almost fell to her knees. However, a strong arm grasped her elbow, pulling her up.

"What the hell are you doing?" Kida Rini stood there, looking down on her with a scowl on her pretty face. The left corner of her mouth was twisted upwards, like it always was when she disapproved of something.

"I-I-I can't." Hinagiku finally managed to gasp out. "I'm going to withdraw." She told her fellow officer and friend. At the idea of not going through the huge door, the feeling in her legs slowly returned and her fingers didn't seem all that cold. In fact, even her empty stomach, a wise precaution, had stopped giving its acrobatic performance.

"Grit your teeth." Rini instructed in an authoritative tone. Hinagiku was about to ask why, but she listened on base instinct, cursing the military training for once. Rini's hand came from a wide arc, leaving a terrible stinging sensation in Hinagiku's cheek. "Awake yet?"

Her friend had slapped her.

Hinagiku managed to suck in a breath, finally, and she blinked a couple of times, trying to gather her bearings. However, Rini had never been a patient woman. Before the smaller Shinigami knew what was happening, she felt a symmetrical stinging sensation in her other cheek. She blinked once more.

"Tch." Rini commented, swinging her arm wide once more. However, this time, Hinagiku's hand shot up, her forearm slamming into her friend's one and holding it at bay. "Finally." Rini groaned, seeing the furious look in Hinagiku's eyes. "Now, go give 'em some 11th Division lovin'." The 15th Seat imitated her friend's accent with a happy grin, causing her to finally smile.

"You are aware, Rini-dono, that you cannot solve all of the problems in life with a beat down?" Hinagiku asked with a sigh, her arm leaning in a relaxed manner over her Asauchi. Rini laughed.

"I can damned well try." The woman replied. Then, her eyes widening in recognition, she pulled something out of her kosode. "I swung by the office before coming here. This was on the 4th Seat's desk, addressed to you." She handed over a paper box.

"I'm thankful." Hinagiku replied with a small nod of her head. "It must've been troublesome bringing it here." She had begun to open the box, when her friend spoke once more.

"Not at all." Rini grinned, used to the shorter girl's formality. She turned to leave, before tossing over her shoulder. "And, Hina." The Shinigami in question looked up, surprised to see the bloodthirsty look on Rini's rather attractive face. "If we meet in the maze, don't you dare go easy on me."

"Not at all." Echoed Hinagiku with a small smile.

The doors opened before her and Hinagiku rushed forward. A small box made out of paper had been left in the corner of the doorway, where she'd sworn to return for it. In there lay a note with a few words in a simple, yet elegant handwriting.

Relax your shoulders and,

On the paper, there had been a single flower. A white carnation. Hinagiku ran into the maze she'd helped design, not knowing where she would end up. Her footsteps echoed and she could hear no commentator yelling in her ear. After all, Koichi was in there, with her, ready to defend his title. Everything was deathly silent, breaths held in, as the crowd watched the participants run around the maze. They were waiting for a clash between Shinigami.

and, good luck.

The meaning of the flower had been singular, as it had been carefully chosen. Hinagiku had allowed her mind to briefly run through the list of people who could've given her such advice and been familiar with the meaning of the plant. Tomoka, she had settled upon. If her friend was telling her to relax, then obviously she needed to. The noblewoman had always been better than her at the Academy, after all.

Hinagiku forced her mind to empty itself as she heard the first clash of the swords somewhere to her left. The crowd exploded in cheers. Then, a charge of power almost knocked her off her feet and she was slammed into the wall.

The first Zanpakutō of the day had been unleashed.

Kida Rini had never had the problem with fighting. In fact, she'd always excelled in the physical aspects of being a Shinigami. Using her fists had come easily, due to her origins from the outskirts of Rukongai. Wielding a blade had been a tad more difficult, but she'd managed to perfect it. Kidō had been a pain, so she'd mostly forgone it. Bakudō had also been problematic, but she'd passed the class. Kaidō, she hadn't even attempted. Altogether, she'd known for a long time where her place would be.

Right here.

Her waraji made almost no sound as she flew across the wooden floor of the arena. It had been set up as a giant maze, which altogether looked like a terrifying western house. It had been a monster of her own design, not Hinagiku's. She'd gotten the inspiration from a mission of hers in Gense. There had been a big screen in a building, where you had to pay to enter, and then, you could watch people who weren't there do something on that screen. He'd called it the cinema and he'd shown her something called a horror movie. It had been in a big, old, Victorian house. Altogether, positively terrifying. Yet, she hadn't shown her fear or surprise, only her wonder and awe of the invention. It was certainly different from the video conference which the 12th Division used.

So, when Hinagiku had begun talking about a maze of sorts where the top contestants for the Seated positions would battle, Rini suggested a horror mansion. It had been a fleeting joke, now turned into a thrilling reality as she raced through its corridors. This time, she would be the man with something called a shotgun who would kill the ghost.

She was going to the top this time.

The familiar sound of a sword being drawn had Rini freeze in her tracks. She skidded a bit, holding her breath carefully, so that they wouldn't hear her panting. She calmed down her heart and lungs, telling her eager Zanpakutō to wait just a moment longer. Her back pressed against the wooden wall, listening carefully for the sounds of the other Shinigami.

Rini considered herself lucky.

Not like Madarame Ikkaku, whose axe had obviously been dunked into honey somewhere, but still, fairly lucky. However, she knew that she didn't have that kind of fortune on her side. Considering the strength of some of the people in the maze, and the fact that there were thirty-six of them in the arena, she was bound to meet someone stronger than her soon enough. However, Rini wasn't prepared to give up. She was definitely going to the top this time.

The redhead stood still, waiting, listening to the sounds of the Shinigami on the other side of the wall. There was a crossroads right in front of her, with the options of left or right. She wanted to know if this man, the one behind the wall, would be coming up in her way in a moment.

Then, a battle cry sounded, shortly followed by a scream.

She easily recognized the voice of the yell. On the left side of the wall was Madarame Ikkaku in the flesh. She grit her teeth, eyes narrowing. She knew that if she faced that monster she wouldn't be reaching the top. Heck, she might even never leave the blasted maze. With a single glare and a silent curse of her fortune, Rini blew the stray strand of hair from her eyes in a silent huff.

Then, she ran.

Rini knew that if she spiked her reiatsu their 3rd Seat would follow her like a bloodhound on a rampage. Hence, she ran without any help, only relying on her stamina. Thankfully, years of being chased about Rukongai had her in quite a form. Not to mention that since she'd joined the Gotei 13 Captain Zaraki had had her training every single day. Soon enough, she was almost at the end of the path to her right, as far as possible from the monster of a man behind her.

With a sigh, Rini allowed her senses to lose focus of him and instead, scout the area around her. She couldn't feel anything, so, she chose a random path on the next crossroads. She really hoped that she wouldn't end up matched against Hinagiku. With their promise not to hold back standing, she knew that she would slice down any chance of a Seat for the girl in a second.

In was funny, really.

Kida Rini had entered the Division years after Hinagiku, yet, she'd risen in rank fairly quickly. But, the funniest thing was the fact that she hadn't even known that the short girl existed until recently. Contrary to what one might think after catching a glimpse of judge Kobashigawa, Hinagiku was a meek, almost shy presence, hidden among the rules and guidelines of the Division. She preferred solitude and was mostly exempt from group outings – as they usually ended in brawls.

Rini could remember seeing the petite girl from time to time at their favorite restaurant. It was only after hours, when there wasn't a lot of work leftover, that the Paper would join them in their celebration. The 15th Seat could recall her vaguely only because the small thing had managed to consume a surprising amount of strawberry sundaes in a short amount of time.

Now, the situation was different.

Rini couldn't really think of another day at the office or a mission without the comforting, calm presence of their favorite paper pusher. She'd never been good at making friends, especially not with girls. She was considered crude and disrespectful most of the time. Perhaps that had made her fit into the 11th Division so well. But, even the other female officers in the Squad had never paid any mind to Rini. She preferred sparring with the men in the dōjō, anyways. These days, though, she found herself looking forward to a nice cup of tea with her roommate after a hard day's work.

With a smile, Rini turned the corner.

There was an unsuspecting man standing there, and she slowed down. Calmly, she walked up behind him, smirk growing on her face. She let out a single puff of air towards the back of his neck, making him yelp and jump up. However, the fight was over in an instant and the inexperienced Shinigami laid on the floor, unconscious, a bump sure to grow on his head the next day.

Hide and seek had always been a favorite game of hers.

Rini continued on her way, footsteps still silent, but this time, she chanced a small amount of reiatsu, propelling her forward faster. She mused on the topic of her friend. While she really hoped that Hinagiku would achieve the status of a Seat that day, Rini was also aware of her friend's faults. It had been noticeable during their spars, and obvious when she had watched the petite girl's earlier battles.

Hinagiku was too focused on the rules.

There was no improvisation in her movements, no wildness. She didn't know how to let go and simply enjoy the fight. Instead, she would hold herself properly at all times, tight rein on her reiatsu and a steel grip on the by-the-book movements. Cruel as it may seem, Rini knew that this would be the girl's downfall.

After all, how could one learn to relax? Especially if they were told to do so.

Shaking her head in dismissal of her troubled thoughts, Rini stopped in her tracks for the second time that day. Sweat slowly poured down her face from using her Shunpo and the blistering heat, and she hadn't even fought a battle yet. However, she could feel it. A familiar presence was coming closer and closer. Then, a man burst behind the corner. Rini couldn't help the grin that formed on her face in delight.

Aramaki Makizō stood in front of her in his full, mustached, glory.

"Kida." He clicked his tongue at her.

"Aramaki." She grinned, blood boiling in her veins. He was simply a few Seats above her. He was the 12th Seat. She was the 15th. This time, today, she would end him and send him back to the beginning. It was time for her to shine. She would finally go to the top. She was ready.

"I don't enjoy fighting women, but I don't have anything against it." The man shrugged, drawing his katana. He stepped to the left, slowly, sizing her up. Rini chuckled briefly.

"I remember you trembling at the sight of Yachiru-fukutaicho." She chided, following his footsteps. The dance of the battle had begun. And, she wasn't about to lose.

Their swords clashed.

Hinagiku's back slammed into the wooden wall, causing it to rattle under the sheer force. The air from her lungs was expelled and she gasped for a second, her knees stinging from the hard impact of her body landing clumsily onto the floor. She gasped and wheezed for another second, trying to get the black spots to clear from her vision.

But, there was no time.

The sword of her opponent came down and she moved just in time. The man had sliced through the wall planks, his katana getting stuck in the material. Hinagiku scrambled to her feet, holding her sword tightly as she wheezed. There were still black spots swimming about wherever she looked, but they weren't so bad. She could see well enough.

Suzuki Kazuo was her opponent.

He was a fairly tall man, towering over her short form, with icy gray eyes that always seemed a bit too narrow for his long face. He usually looked like he was squinting while peering down his long nose at you proudly. His hair was long, as well, almost reaching the middle of his back, and it was always in a neat ponytail. Though, all summed up, he was a rather handsome man, objectively. Rini had thought so. However, for Hinagiku, his hobby was the complete deal-breaker.

Suzuki Kazuo loved fighting.

Despite the clearly Buddhist meditation beads around his wrist, the man's name could be found within almost every single brawl report. When assigned an individual mission, he was the perfect soldier. His reports held no incidents. However, as soon as you paired him up with his partner in crime, Tanaka Jirō, you had a long report to fill out. The two always managed to get into some sort of trouble together.

Has Hinagiku pointed this out to the Captain?

Numerous times. In fact, she'd blatantly suggested that he separate the two Shinigami in order to lower the cost of their mission expenses. However, Kenpachi had outright laughed and commented how he liked his Division lively. Put them together, Paper. He'd chided her. They're good pals. Then, he'd signed the papers she'd brought and proceeded to drink without a care in the world. Useless to mention, the costs of the missions hadn't gone down at all, like Yamamoto-soutaicho had asked.

But, right now, Hinagiku wasn't planning a mission.

The girl grit her teeth and sheathed her katana. Suzuki, as reckless and eager as he was, had great skill as a Shinigami and practice as a brawler. She needed to gather her strength and deliver one, decisive strike. Otherwise, she would be surely overwhelmed by the man's sheer physical strength and experience. Though, as her vision slowly cleared and the girl waited for the Shinigami to wrench his sword out of the wall, she felt her body go numb in a second. And then, her vision went completely black.

A single light lit, just above her.

Hinagiku blinked, finding herself in a familiar place of her dream. She was standing in the darkness, nothing around her. But, she knew what was in front. There were steps, surely. Without looking down, without checking, without being cautious for once, Hinagiku stepped forward, the words from Tomoka's note ringing in her mind. Relax your shoulders and good luck.

And Hinagiku flew down the stairs at an incredible speed.

It didn't matter that she was rushing into the dark. It didn't matter because it wasn't the unknown. It was her dark. She understood now. She'd realized. She knew exactly where she was going. She knew exactly where she was. Her breath caught in her throat and her hands trembled in excitement. Finally, her foot slammed onto the floor, signaling that she'd found the last step.

Hinagiku stopped, panting a bit, and turned around in a circle, looking. However, it was pitch black everywhere around her. She couldn't see anything. There was no light. There was nothing. It was empty. With her gut twisting in disappointment, Hinagiku turned back towards the stairs, trying to find them with her foot.

However, there was nothing there.

The stairs were gone. The small Shinigami gripped her Asauchi to herself and took a deep breath. There was no going back now. There was only one way out of this mess.

Step forward.

Breathe.

And for the umpteenth time, she listened to the thick Shinigami manual that had been seared into her head and walked forwards on her shaky legs. She walked for a seemingly hours, yet, she knew that it was mere minutes. Then, as she realized she was getting nowhere, Hinagiku stopped and took another deep, calming breath. If she was where she thought she was, then, nothing was as it seemed. Everything was an illusion. She needed to look into her own mind and to find the answers.

Yet, her mind was drawing a blank for once.

With a shaky laugh, the girl allowed herself another deep breath. It was ironic really. She'd begged her Zanpakutō so many times to take her into the inner world of their minds and tell her its name. Figures that the blasted sword would choose now, in the middle of the most important fight of her life, to take her into this maze of illusions.

Hinagiku took another deep breath.

She felt calmer now. Her hands had stopped shaking and her legs weren't as numb. Then, she realized. She'd been smelling that familiar, almost nostalgic scent around her the whole time.

"Old books." Hinagiku whispered. She took another deep breath without moving and smiled. "And gardenias."

"I planted them for you especially." A feminine voice said from somewhere in the darkness. Hinagiku didn't search for the person, knowing that there was no use. It was too dark. Instead, she closed her eyes and took another breath. "Do you like them?" The voice was somehow vulnerable and it seemed to come from everywhere.

"I love them." Hinagiku replied in a small whisper, surprised at herself at how her normal accent came out, instead of the refined speech her Grandmother had schooled into her. "How do they grow here, without sunlight?" A few moments passed, but there was no answer. Hinagiku didn't show the gnawing fear in her blood, but she asked another question instead. "I would love to see them, if you would turn on the light?" An annoyed click of a tongue was heard.

"I cannot do that." Replied the distorted voice. "I am but a resident here. You are the master." Then, there was another moment of silence. "You are my master." The voice seemed closer now.

"Then, how do I turn on the light?" Hinagiku asked, still not opening her eyes. If this creature coveted the darkness and wouldn't let itself be seen, she wouldn't frighten it, no matter how much its sneaking about frightened her. "Is there a word? Or something I must do? A switch, perhaps?" The Shinigami asked.

The voice in the dark laughed, a clear, bell-like sound that jumped off the sheer magnitude of the space. Suddenly, Hinagiku realized just how big the room she was in was.

"How to turn on the light, she asks?" Laughed the voice, now clearly in front of the Shinigami. "What do you think, master?" Now, it was sneering, angry. "Have I made enough cranes? Have I wished enough wishes?" Hinagiku trembled at the anger, but held her ground, keeping her eyes tightly shut.

She was terrified.

Silence ruled for a moment before soft shifting was heard, almost like a flutter of thousands of paper wings. A soft caress passed Hinagiku's cheek and she almost flinched. However, she remembered everything that her Zanjutsu instructor had told her back at the Academy. Stand your ground. Be firm. This is your Zanpakutō. They are your Soul. They are you, in essence. Yet, this fickle… almost violent thing living in the dark… It didn't seem like her at all.

She loved light, after all.

"I've waited long to serve you, Kobashigawa Hinagiku." The voice seemed almost pained now, all the previous rage gone from its tone. "I would do anything for you, Kobashigawa Hinagiku." Another caress passed her cheek. "Won't you call out my name and use me as your own?"

"Then." Hinagiku opened her eyes, finally catching the glimpse of the seemingly distorted voice. There were purple eyes there, shining from the darkness, much like her own. She managed to see a small amount of armor there, almost like from the old days. The eyes, however, they were surprised, curious even, like they had been amused entirely by the whole ordeal. Hinagiku's, in contrast, held a certain conviction. She was determined, for perhaps, the first time in her life. She could feel her blood boiling. "Swear yer loyalty ta me." Her voice was strong and authoritative, not leaving any room for discussion.

"As you wish, master." The purple eyes vanished for a moment, as the creature bowed. And Hinagiku finally caught a glimpse of armor. A paper was extended to the petite Shinigami and she reached for it, reading through the perfectly written kanji in blood red ink. It was a contract, swearing loyalty to her. This thing, from the darkness, it was swearing its life to her. This monster. "I will exchange sakazuki with you."

Her monster.

"Hadō #2. Kaji." Hinagiku recited, a small flame focusing on the tip of her fingers. It burned the paper in her hands in an instant, despite the small amount of reiatsu the Shinigami had pushed into it. As the ashes fell down gloved hands extended a pure red cup forward, catching them. Hinagiku glimpsed forearm guards before the flame from her fingers went out. A sound of something liquid being poured briefly rang throughout the gigantic room and then, Hinagiku felt the cup being pressed into her hands.

"I will swear loyalty to you, Kobashigawa Hinagiku." The voice told her, the violet eyes connecting with her own in same determination. "I will fight strong. I will have no fear. I will never retreat. I will know no defeat." The shape in the darkness pulled the cup up, so that Hinagiku was feeding it the drink. It smelled strongly of sake. "We lose, we die. We die, we lose. We won't lose and we won't die." The violet-eyed creature drank once again. "And if we die, to the death I shall follow you." And the creature finished its sake. "This is my oath. Do you accept it?"

Hinagiku didn't even need to find her voice. Her response was almost automatic. "I do." And the creature filled the cup again. This time, it raised it to Hinagiku's lips, its violet eyes almost hungry.

"Swear to me." It demanded.

"I, Kobashigawa Hinagiku, the first of my name, accept your oath." Hinagiku drank, her painful endurance training for behaving like a lady the only thing keeping her from flinching at the taste. She really didn't understand why her Captain enjoyed sake so much. "I will fight together with you. Strong. Without fear. Without retreat. Without defeat." She drank once more. "And if death comes, I shall guide you through it." She drank once more, the cup finally becoming empty.

"And now, you shall have your light."

The sudden brightness had Hinagiku squinting, but, she managed to see her Zanpakutō, finally. It was a tall creature, clad in samurai armor, with a katana strapped to its hip. Its face was completely covered, the only thing visible were the two curious, yet seemingly vicious purple eyes. Though, there was a certain gentleness and grace to the figure as it lowered to its knees, bending down among the thousands of cranes lying on the floor in the most formal dogeza Hinagiku had ever seen. It raised the red cup, almost like an offering, before lowering it down to the floor in front of it. Then, it slowly sat back, one hand going to the hilt of its sword.

"Let us fight, master." The voice called, clearly and without any distortion. "Call my name."

The bright flash of light slowly faded along with the figure of her Zanpakutō and Hinagiku found herself looking at the form of Suzuki Kazuo once more. He struggled for a moment with his own katana, before pulling it out of the wall planks. Then, he turned to her with a wide smirk on his handsome face.

"No offense, Paper, but I'm taking that Seat." He bragged in almost a cheery voice. Hinagiku grit her teeth as she was reminded of her battle-battered body and she lowered herself into an almost crouch. Her Asauchi leveled in parallel to the ground and she sheathed the blade, switching her grip accordingly. Then, with a small smirk on her face, she whispered just enough for the three of them to hear.

"Orime (Fold), Kamisenshi." Seeing the frightened way Suzuki's eyes widened at the burst of her reiatsu, Hinagiku took the chance and drew her katana as quickly as her hurting body allowed.

There was a flash of bright light.

"W-what happened?" Suzuki stammered, katana raised up in defense. He looked about only to see the shocked face of his opponent.

Hinagiku stood there, her body in perfect position for a powerful quickdraw, holding her tsuka very threateningly in front of her. Her eyes were wide, staring incredulously at the sword. The blade was gone. The damn thing had sworn loyalty to her and now its blade was gone. Her mind was screaming at her and she felt her face go completely red in pure embarrassment.

"Do you want another try, Paper?" Suzuki teased, raising his own Asauchi to his shoulder in a relaxed manner. There was a smile on his face now. He was barely holding in his laughter and everybody looking could see it.

"Y-you'll regret that sentence." Hinagiku stammered plugging the tsuka back into the sheath. Once more, she gathered her reiatsu and called out for her Zanpakutō. A blinding light flashed as she drew her sword at top speed, again, bladeless.

Suzuki snapped.

He was laughing so hard that he had to put his hand to the previously destroyed wall in order to stay upright. "You've got to be joking!" He was repeating over and over, tears in the corners of his eyes. Hinagiku, though, she felt her face flaming even more, if that was possible. She gripped the empty sheath as hard as she could, cursing the Zanpakutō in her head.

Then, with an extra hard squeeze, everything went black.

Suzuki and the whole corridor were covered in pitch black ink, which had come out in a blast from the girl's sheath. He spluttered for a moment, letting out a colorful string of curses as the liquid streamed everywhere. But, when he looked up to find his opponent, Hinagiku was gone.

"Where did she-" He began looking around, spotting a pair of waraji approaching him quickly through the air. Suzuki's gaze followed them upwards, only to meet the end of Hinagiku's sheath.

"I told you that you would regret that sentence." She huffed, pushing his unconscious body away with a satisfied smile.

Thoughts?
I hope that the Zanpakutō satisfied your expectations :D

Btw, I was curious, are there any Serbian readers out there? :)

Onto the reviews!

katiewinchester87:
Thank you for the wonderful review! I'm glad that I got you wondering what will happen in the next chapter :D I hope that it was alright :)

RedBexley:
Glad that you enjoyed the last chapter! I'm definitely working on building up their relationship slowly… Maybe too slowly xD

Hybrid301:
Jesus… Don't re-read my story you're making me shy! Actually… I also tend to re-read xD Especially when I'm anxious about what's going to happen next xD Anyways, I hope that you enjoyed the chapter and thank you for the support!

bookangel1624:
Hmmm I'll promise some Seated positions coming soon… Other than that… Hina and Tōshirō have a long way to go xD Thanks for the review!

Girl-luvs-manga:
I'm glad that you do! It was a bit of a risk xD

excited gasp:
Oh Gosh, thank you for the support! I'm so glad that you've been enjoying the story so far and I hope that this chapter lived up to the expectations :D I do a lot of research on my OCs and I tend to overthink their actions when writing, so I'm glad that you like them! I hope that you'll keep reading :D (despite my lazy updating schedule :P)

Stormglass:
I'm glad that you're enjoying the story! Thank you for the review :D

Nariel Helyanwe:
Thank you very much for reviewing! That made my day! I'm glad that you like Hina and Tōshirō's developing friendship :) Hinagiku's Zanpakuto was a bit of experimentation on my part, writing form-wise, so I'm glad that it's been received so well :D Btw, I was suuuper nervous for Tōshirō POV!
So, what do you think of the Shikai so far? :)

lizyeh2000:
Thank you so much! I hope that you liked the new chapter :D

Orange21:
Hey! Thank you so much for the lovely review! I know that I'm taking too much time on romance, but, hey, it's Tōshirō, right? I don't see him as someone who gets into a relationship easily… And Hina is also similar xD Looking forward to hearing from you :)

XxGrimShadowxX:
Thank you so much for the review! :D Hina's other side was bound to come out some time. She is in the 11th Division, after all :D As for Shin… I'm not done with him yet! :D

Omake:

Rini skidded back, landing onto her feet perfectly, almost like a cat. She looked up to see Aramaki panting on the other end of the hallway, his katana up, ready to attack. She smirked, despite her hard breathing and motioned with her hand for him to come over. The mustache man smiled widely and ran at her.

With a clash, their katana connected.

However, another thing happened at the same time.

"Luuuuckyyyyyyy!" The voice of their 3rd Seat rang out just as the wall right next to them burst apart. The two Seated officers moved in a flash, evading the flying body of Tanaka Jirō, the infamous brawler, which crashed into the next wall. Soon, another yell followed. "It's my win!"

Rini and Aramaki exchanged glances before giving each other a nod.

With that monster coming their way, there was really only one option for survival: escaping. They each turned towards the opposite end of the hallway, running as quickly as their reiatsu infused legs would take them. Soon, Madarame Ikkaku walked into the hallway, inspecting the limp body slumped against the wall.

"You're unlucky." He chided, poking the unconscious man with his unreleased Zanpakutō. "Now, where did the others go?" Asked Ikkaku, giving his bald head a pensive scratch.

Now, I'm actually done! See you soon for the next chapter :D