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Over the next few weeks, Etui continued to give Izumi private training every Saturday morning so she could master her shikai. In regular classes, he had more pressure put on her by other teachers to out-perform the others.
She had no idea that he was pushing her to be so far ahead of the majority of the class, had no idea she was being tested to the level of a Third-Year student.
Only one person remained ahead of her, and that was Raidon Kuchiki.
Her shikai was very powerful. In the course of seven weeks, she learnt to unlock Fenikagi's true potential.
If she willed it, she could raise a wall of fire around herself as an impenetrable defence against any external attack that burnt everything but her.
Or she could cause arcs of fire to leave the fire-surrounded blade and strike an opponent (1), or cause the fire surrounding the blade to extend like a whip and use it on either the zanpukto of her foe or directly against the user.
She also unlocked the ability to manifest a phoenix from either her fiery wall or flame-encircled blade and send that at her opponent with the vocation of 'Fly'.
Etui was impressed. After careful study, her zanpukto was almost the exact opposite of Squad 10 Captain Hitsugaya's ice-based dragon zanpukto Hyorimaru.
After eight weeks of shikai training and increased theoretical and practical pressure, Etui held her back after Zanjutsu and informed her that her shikai training was at an end.
"I am also nominating you to take the Advanced Placement Exam to go straight into Fourth Year next year," he told her. Izumi looked completely taken aback. "You're easily outperforming the majority of your class, your kido has really improved, and you have a shikai and fully know how to use its abilities."
"I am honoured, Etui-sensei," Izumi said eventually.
"The exam will take place in the final week of the First Year," Etui said. "Until then, you must act as any other first year and not reveal that you have a shikai."
"Yes, sir," Izumi said. "I won't disappoint you, sensei."
Izumi hurried onto her next lesson. She slipped into a seat at the end of a row, noticing that she had Raidon was sitting behind her.
Before tension could spin out of control, their teacher for the one-term untested Spirit Basics module arrived.
"Settle down," she said distractedly, brushing a wispy strand of hair out of her face before looking around the class. "Alright, if you've done you assignments, pass them to the end and I'll collect them. If you haven't, stay behind after class."
Izumi pulled the parchment out of her bag and placed it beside her as the rest of the row passed theirs to her. They had been asked to explain the evolution on Hollows from the ordinary Human World invader through to the level of Vasto Lordes, the highest class of Menos Grande, and associated characteristics.
The lesson flew by, taken up with a lecture on Jibuko spirits (2), chained to the source of their pain and regret, hiding in the earth where Soul Reapers couldn't detect them if humans didn't disturb them.
"I want to announce one more thing," the teacher said at the end of the class. "A week today, we are going to the Real World to do a practical Konsol on spirits. It is compulsory and we depart from the main gates at noon. That is all."
The gong sounded, signalling the end of lunch and the start of dinner.
Naomi was already there, and seemed envious when Izumi told her that her class was going to the Real World next week.
"They won't even let us near dummy Hollows," she said.
"You'll get your chances," Izumi said. "And I'm sure real Hollows will run for cover when you're a full Soul Reaper."
Naomi's eyes filled with light at that picture.
"Are you taking him?" Naomi asked, lowering her voice. Her sister was the only person she had told about her shikai release and training.
"Probably not," Izumi said. "There'll be a Barrier Unit in position; they'll be keeping Hollows and anything else dangerous away."
"So who's 'him'?" asked a voice directly behind Izumi.
Raidon had been passing by and had stopped at the table ever since he had heard Naomi mention a 'him'. Izumi was extremely annoyed that he'd been listening into their conversation –she'd almost said Fenikagi's name out loud.
"Don't you know it is bad manners to listen into other people's conversations, Kuchiki?" Izumi asked, recovering from her shock and anger, ready for another fight with the noble snob. "And you call yourself a noble?"
Raidon grabbed her kosodo's front –something that he seemed fond of doing.
He had just about had it with the cocky girl. She was second in the class –she should show a lot more respect to someone who was her better in every way.
"What is going on here?" asked a curt voice from beside them.
"Etui-sensei," Raidon said, releasing his hold on Izumi.
"I trust you have an explanation for this, or should I have you both report to the Principle's office?"
Izumi and Raidon both gulped –the Principle was a very strict and fierce man. Neither of them had any desire to face him.
"Kihara had been disrespectful of my family," Raidon said.
"I see. Is there any reason for that, Kihara?" the Zanjutsu master asked. Raidon smirked –she was about to be blamed for everything.
"I was talking with my sister, and Kuchiki listened into a private conversation," Izumi replied calmly. She met Raidon's eyes as his smirk lessened. "I apologise if I insulted the noble Kuchiki name when I only meant to insult you."
Etui sighed as the two glowered at each other –this tension between noble and commoner had been going on since the start of term. And it had just got out of hand. This had to stop.
"Come with me, both of you," he instructed, and headed to Dojo 11 with both following him. Once they were there, Etui ordered Izumi to collect 'something', and she left to get Fenikagi.
When she got back, she saw Raidon was holding a katana. Something about it told her that this was his zanpukto. His eyes fell on her dagger, and he seemed to reach the same conclusion as she had about him.
"Both of you have had private training, and both of you have a shikai. Because of that, both of you have been nominated to take the Advanced Placement exam at the end of the year."
"You have Shikai?" Raidon asked, just as Izumi voiced the same question.
"I would like you to train together, under my supervision," Etui continued. He was anxious that the competition between the two might result in serious blows. So until he felt he could trust them, he would watch the training. "And I'm ordering you to keep the existence of the other's zanpukto secret from everyone else."
"Yes, sensei," the two said before turning to each other.
"Gallop through the misty lands, Umashiro (3)," Raidon intoned. His zanpukto changed until it had a white guard and grip while the actual blade remained cold steel (4). Mist started gathering in the Dojo –obviously an effect of his zanpukto.
"Blaze, Fenikagi," Izumi commanded, and her dagger took on its fire-encased katana form.
A horse-like creature reared out of the mist, charging at Izumi as she raised her fiery wall in preparation. The heat dispersed the mist and slight frost.
"Fly!" Izumi said from behind the wall of warm safety and defence. Raidon's eyes widened as a phoenix burst from the defensive ring of fire and flew at him.
It turned before it reached him, obviously controlled by Izumi and only meant to give him a whiff of its full power. He conjured up another horse from the mist and had it gallop below the soaring phoenix. It was quite a sight.
The phoenix returned to the flames around Izumi's zanpukto as she resealed it. He followed suit.
"That was an impressive display," he complimented her.
"You too," she said and held out her hand. Raidon didn't hesitate to shake it. Etui smiled –it looked as though the rift between the two top students of their year had finally and firmly closed.
(1) Imagine a fire-version of Getsuga Tenshou
(2) Chained wholes on the verge of becoming Hollows
(3)Literally 'White Horse'
(4) Similar to Rukia's Sode no Shirayuki's shikai form, but without the white blade and tassel