A/N: Yo guys! I decided to write this part relatively quickly because I felt that it was left hanging somewhat. I need excuses to do things like this now. :/

Shoutout Time!

randomguy24: Hey, thanks for the detailed explanation on Sues and Stus. On that note, based on you explanation I would like to say that I never planned to Sue my character. xD

ComfortablyConfused: Hey...that cake sounds REALLY good right now~ :X Hungry :D I hope that whatever I've planned is epic enough to suit your taste!

Furionknight: Whaddup! Here it is. :P

And on the side note, thanks for reviewing, guys! It's very much appreciated. Well, here goes!

Opening Song: Karma - Bump of Chicken

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, Tite Kubo does. I do, however, own the OCs thus far.

Chapter 13

"As I explained earlier," Toshiro recapped, "there will be five matches to test your capabilities."

I was standing alone near the centre of the dojo, awaiting further instructions from the snow-haired captain. The asauchi elf-lady had modified before now radiated with some measure of power. I tightened my grip.

Five shinigami, including Shuhei, were told to stand by one of the walls, presumably my opponents for this session. Toshiro had deigned to repeat the rules once more for them. Upon further inspection, I noticed that three of the shinigami were rather plain-looking men in the customary uniform. The fourth, however, was a breathtaking beauty of a girl with startling long white hair, tied into a ponytail, and a calm disposition. She noticed my gaze, and gave me a quick smile.

"You will be facing some of our squad members, starting from an unseated member. It will be used to gauge your prowess in many fields. All forms of Zanjutsu, Kido, Hoho and Hakuda can be used. However, as per usual, you are prohibited from releasing your zanpakuto." He briefed, explaining the rules of the test.

Even without their zanpakuto, I was still at a severe disadvantage. I only knew two Kido spells among the 198 registered spells, and I'd heard that most shinigami could use up to the 40th spells of both Hado and Bakudo.

"As you will be using real blades, and not the wooden swords they use in the academy, be careful not to land a lethal blow. The battle is over after a decisive victory. Any wounds you that you received will be healed by Squad Four members after the battle." He motioned at the shinigami standing around the dojo. This piece of information was for my sake than the squad members, as it was probably a formality.

He glanced at the five shinigami present. "You will begin with fighting Takashi Motosuwa, one of our newest members from the batch intake just last year." He indicated to the man standing at the far right. "Are there any questions?"

I did a quick assessment of Takashi. He was medium-built, and taller than me. But then again, nearly everyone in the Gotei 13 was probably taller than me at my current height. Of course, this also meant that everyone in the Gotei 13 was taller than the 10th Division's captain, but I digress. Still, Takashi didn't look very confident despite the height advantage.

"No." I replied, answering Toshiro's inquiry.

"Alright then. Get ready, Motosuwa." He instructed, not even sparing a glance at the unseated shinigami.

Takashi almost jumped at his captain's orders. He walked rather unsteadily towards the centre, already sweating. He must've had a very low opinion of himself. It was something I should probably fix.

Shiro, you can end the fight before the battle even starts if you wish.

I considered it for awhile, but decided against it.

His confidence is already shattered. I'm going to pretend to struggle for this one. Maybe just a little bit, and knock him out so he doesn't see the rest of the battles. Besides, the next guy I fight would probably underestimate me more if I did that.

Elf-lady didn't answer, but I sensed her approval of my proposed actions.

Takashi reached the centre and drew his sword with shaking hands. I suppressed the urge to smile, knowing that if what I planned worked this match, it'd do him a world of good.

"Begin." Toshiro said.

Takashi lunged at me with a clumsy stab which I could've sidestepped easily, but didn't. Instead, I blocked using my asauchi and attempted a half-hearted slash. He dodged that one and countered with a little more confidence, thinking that I wasn't such a tough opponent after all.

The battle went on for about three minutes in similar fashion; I continued to allow myself to appear hard pressed. Takashi's swordplay was becoming more and more decisive, and his footwork was getting better. I started including dodges as a sign of desperation to put myself out of the way, and countered with wilder attacks to enforce that belief.

I stole a glance at his expression. Takashi was sweating profusely, but his eyes showed that he thought he had more than a chance of winning this battle. The ends of his mouth were flickered upwards, and I could tell that some of the lost confidence had returned to him. He was having fun.

I feigned weakness for a few more of his attacks before beginning a rather complicated manoeuvre around him and knocked him out with the pommel of my asauchi before he could realize what was happening.

He crumpled to the floor, and I caught him by his arms before handing him over to one of the Squad Four members. She nodded at me and gave a quick smile before taking him over to the next room. I turned to Toshiro, serious now. If I had been fighting seriously with him, Takashi would've ended up dead after my first strike.

"I don't want to intrude on the way your squad works, but you shouldn't pit him against anyone until his self-esteemed issues are resolved." I remarked rather coldly at Toshiro, who was surprised by my tone. His turquoise eyes hardened.

"The way I handle my squad is my own business, Aragaki." He returned, equally cold. "You have a point, though." He added grudgingly, causing my respect for him to return. Anyone willing to accept his or her mistake was worthy of it.

"Fair enough." I conceded, not wanting to incur his wrath any further. I rested my sword on my shoulder and looked towards the others I had to fight. "Who's next?"

"You'll be going against one of the 20th seats of our squad next, Hideki Makoto." The man that was standing next to Takashi earlier stepped forward. He had a thin smile on his face, one that reflected his belief that he was superior to me. I wanted to laugh right there and then. That guy didn't even have any reiatsu worth mentioning. 20th seat or not, I wasn't going to take that trash from anyone weaker than I was.

Okay, maybe I was biased against him from the onset, but some people just ticked you off, you know? I was wondering about how I should deal with him when elf-lady's earlier suggestion came to mind.

Elf-lady, you were saying something about finishing the fight before it even starts?

Yes. If you release your reiatsu and just intend to kill him… well, just do it. You'll see the results for yourself.

Alright.

Over the past two weeks, elf-lady had been tutoring me about reiryoku control more than anything else. I had to learn to control it before moving on to the more difficult exercises she had planned. Although my control was far from perfect, it was decent, and I knew how to do certain things, such as releasing reiatsu and holding it back.

"Begin!"

Hideki immediately began to launch himself at me.

I stared at him. In that single instant, I found many things I disliked about the 20th seat. He seemed to hold others in disregard, and saw them as beneath him. His eyes told the story of dishonesty, and his mouth seemed cruel. Yes, there were many things about the 20th seat that I disliked.

Alright, perhaps it was still biased, but what can I say? I held him in contempt the moment I laid eyes on him. I released my reiatsu, intending to chastise this seemingly arrogant squad member.

Hideki's eyes widened before he even got his feet off the ground. His attack was disrupted by some unknown force, and he seemed to have trouble breathing. He dropped his sword and collapsed on his knees, clutching at his throat. His face was beginning to turn a little blue.

And then I understood. It was the same thing that I did to the villagers who were in the Rukongai and also to Moustache… I forgot his name, but I do remember that he was the 20th seat for Shuhei's squad. The only difference is that this one is focused.

I was choking a man without even touching him. It made me feel powerful, like I could do whatever I wanted.

Stop that, Shiro!

I snapped out of my reverie. What was I thinking? It wasn't like me to be so…power-hungry.

Before I could do anything else, however, I felt a cold presence radiating from behind. I turned around, and saw remarkable sight.

The Captain of the 10th Division had a powerful pale blue aura emanating from him, and his expression was stern. He shook his head almost imperceptibly, and a freezing wave of disapproval washed over me. Toshiro wasn't happy about my performance at all.

I looked back at Hideki and found that he was really suffocating. I decided to release him from the effects of my reiatsu before I accidentally killed him. As soon as I did, he crumpled to the floor on all fours, taking deep breaths. I walked right up to him and placed the blade of my sword onto his neck. It remained there for three seconds before going back to its initial position, resting on my shoulder.

I turned around to face the other shinigami with the intention of asking who I had to fight next, but instead I found Toshiro there with a nettled look. He wasn't glowing anymore, but it was obvious that he was displeased with my actions.

The snow-haired captain took the advantage of the delay to call me aside for a quick chat.

"Don't do that again." He warned. He seemed to take what I did as a personal insult, and was struggling to control his temper.

"It was the first time I actually did it willingly, so I didn't know the effects would be that bad." I defended myself. "My zanpakuto didn't say anything about what would happen."

Somehow, even someone as impervious as I was uncomfortable remaining in Toshiro's bad graces. That was most likely why he was captain and not just some seated member running around doing errands. His presence alone was probably enough to break a lesser person into a quivering mess.

He gave me a long, hard look before reverting back to his indifferent attitude. "Whatever. You get a five minute break before the next round begins." He turned around and walked off, heading for the door of the dojo.

I released my breath, unaware that I was even holding it. Since I wasn't even tired, as the last two rounds took virtually no effort, I decided to spend my time leaning against the nearest wall I could find. I'd barely reached there when Rangiku and Shuhei approached me, the former with a surprisingly sobered expression in stark contrast to her usual light-heartedness.

"Those sure were some exciting fights." Shuhei said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Despite being involved in those fights, I had to agree with him. For an onlooker, that must've been boring to watch. The first battle was so bad that it would make a squirrel cry, while the second was just watching someone suffocate, although that was fun in a peculiar way.

When did you turn sadistic?

About the same time I met him. I don't tolerate people who look down on me for no reason. You should know that, elf-lady.

I do indeed.

"I'll try to spice it up a little for the next round." I promised, snapping out of the little inner conversation before they noticed. And I meant what I said too. The next fight was going to be a serious one.

"You'd better. You went way too easy on Takashi in the first round." Rangiku chipped in, speaking her mind. "Anyone could tell that you were holding back."

I looked at the door where the healers had disappeared through and commented on her statement. "Except Hideki, apparently."

"Don't worry about him. These things happen in the Soul Society all the time." Rangiku assured me, a little too quickly. I must've been wearing a worried expression on my face for her to lie like that.

"Don't worry too much about the Captain, either." She added, surprising me. I hadn't said anything about Toshiro yet. "It's just that he's had a bad experience with reiatsu effects like that. He hasn't really gotten over that part of his past."

I see. I'd better apologize to him later, then. If I knew, I wouldn't even have attempted it.

"Anyway, why'd you go easy on Takashi, anyway? It was a perfect chance to show how much better you were in contrast to him." Rangiku asked, carefully.

"He had no self-confidence. I couldn't just beat him up like he meant nothing after that." I answered, phrasing my reply with equal care. It was an honest answer, and I didn't want any misunderstandings here. Everyone was so on edge that the tension in the room felt heavy, and I knew that the slightest misspoken word could cause an unwanted chain reaction.

She nodded then, and smiled. Shuhei visibly relaxed as well. Looks like I passed whatever test they had.

We continued talking for a while, awaiting the return of Toshiro. After a short while, Shuhei and Rangiku got into an argument about who was paying for drinks later. While I caught on to some things, such as Shuhei paying for last time and something about Captain Kyoraku getting drinks, I was lost for the most part of the conversation.

I'd learned to be more or less invisible during heated conversations such as these, just so I could learn a few things. You'd be surprised at how effective that is, and how much people reveal when they get agitated

"Well, if you can get Captain Kyoraku to come along, then he can pay for the drinks." Shuhei proposed, seeking a peaceful end to the argument.

I watched them with a sense of amusement. Seeing them quarrel reminded me of Ayame and Yosuke. Maybe these two used to be classmates before as well.

"Fine, then. Maybe I'll go get him later, if he isn't already drunk." Rangiku conceded, ending the argument. I winced. What sort of captain would get himself drunk on a regular basis?

Just as their little conversation ended, Toshiro came back through the door. He looked noticeably calmer now, and I caught the ghost of a smile on his face. It was obvious that the recess given was more for his benefit than ours. He had needed time to compose himself.

"Alright, everyone, break's over." He declared. "Get back into your positions."

Rangiku and Shuhei both nodded at me before returning to their respective locations. Following the captain's instructions myself, I stepped back into the centre of the dojo.

"This is the third match, and you will be facing our 14th seat, Tomoyo Mikazaki." He stated.

As there was only one female shinigami there, I didn't even have to look where Toshiro's gaze was indicating to find her. It was the beautiful white-haired girl that I noticed earlier.

As with the other two members that I faced before, I gave her a quick assessment. She moved with effortless grace and the confidence of someone who knew exactly what she was doing. Being a 14th seat, she probably knew how to fight well, and her lithe frame portrayed that. Her violet eyes displayed a calmness that matched her elegance. This girl was skilled, for sure.

I glanced at her weapon. Since I wasn't planning to choke her with a wave of reiatsu, I figured it would be better to strategize now than later. But then again, until I actually observe her fighting, I wouldn't know how to deal with her. It would be a useless attempt.

I decided to look anyway. She carried a katana at her side, sheathed traditionally in a regular scabbard. Her right hand was already placed over the hilt of her weapon, indicating that she was prepared.

Tomoyo stepped into position and faced me, appearing to be ready for combat. For someone who was going to fight, she seemed completely relaxed.

"Alright then, begin!" Toshiro called, signifying the beginning of yet another battle. As with before, I observed rather than attacking first.

Tomoyo, however, showed no signs of hesitation. Before the last syllable passed from her captain's lips, she had already launched at me at incredible speeds. Her sword flew out of its sheath as she swung an uppercut directed at my torso in one swift movement.

Prepared for her quick movements, I charged forward as well, and her blade met with mine halfway. But even as I felt the jarring impact on my blade, she disappeared from sight.

Damn, she was fast! Much faster than Ayame!

Hearing the whistle of her blade on my right, I spun to defend myself, but just as before, she disappeared the moment my blade clashed with hers. She continued with similar attacks aimed at my back and sides, always vanishing after our blades clashed, leaving only the ringing sound of metal against metal. There was no pattern, no weak points that I could see.

Again and again she came in the same fashion, but I couldn't even follow her movements. Once or twice I caught her silhouette at the corner of my eyes, but that was the extent of what I could see.

I knew I was being overwhelmed. Sooner or later, I was bound to slip up and take a slash or two. I had to get out of this enclosing circle of Tomoyo's, and quickly too.

Getting an idea, I crouched low, my sword at the ready to defend against the next attack. I closed my eyes, feeling for the trail of reiatsu everyone left behind.

This move was a gamble. While searching for her reiatsu trail, my only defence against her was my instinct, hearing and reaction speed. Although I was relying on that before as well, I couldn't see her blade's direction with my eyes closed.

The tell-tale sound could be heard on my left, and my sword arm instinctively reached out to ward off the blade, allowing me to retain most of my focus on the search. I just needed to latch on to her reiryoku…

Her sword whistled at my right this time, and I spun, catching it in once more. I could feel a faint presence lingering there, and I smiled. I could finally recognize her presence and follow it.

Reopening my eyes, I could detect her movements and feel the trail of her reiatsu. Sensing her path behind me, I spun before she had even raised her blade to strike, and caught a glimpse of her face. It was pleasantly surprised, but only slightly.

Tomoyo stopped the attack midway then, and shunpo-ed back to the exact spot where she was standing before, her katana sheathed.

"Well, finally." She remarked. "It took you long enough. If I wasn't holding back, you'd be dead many times over by now." A faint smile graced her pretty face, and her eyes showed signs of amusement.

The most belittling thing wasn't her statement or her expressions of amusement, however. She hadn't even broken a sweat after all that. I mean, I wasn't sweating either, but I had remained rooted to the ground; Tomoyo had been moving at breakneck speed.

… Talk about disconcerting. Did she really outclass me that much?

"Get ready. I'm going to be a little more serious now, and I won't hesitate to cut you." She warned, before getting into a forward stance, her hand already on the hilt of her weapon. She launched herself forward akin to her first strike, and delivered another uppercut at my torso.

I brought my asauchi up to defend myself, and like the first time, she disappeared immediately after our blades crossed. This time, however, she didn't give me the time to gather my balance. I felt her presence moving towards my back and spun to meet her attack. As before, the out blades connected for only an instant, leaving me no time to counterattack.

The problem with this entire battle was her insane speed. Tomoyo was keeping me hard-pressed by attacking from all directions so I couldn't shunpo away without accidentally running into the edge of her katana. She danced with the blade like it was simply an extension of her arm. It wasn't the typical Zanjutsu that most shinigami employed; it was a unique style that she probably perfected on her own.

I was trapped. In terms of swordsmanship, I lost in every aspect. Tomoyo had beaten me in skill, speed and technique, and I could only defend myself in awe as she continued to attack me without tiring. The person on the defensive never wins the battle.

You're not thinking straight, Shiro. Stop being so unnerved by the prospect of losing and think!

Elf-lady was right. What was I missing in this battle? Something that I haven't tried, but could cause little or no consequence to myself…

"You will be facing four of our squad members, starting from an unseated member."

"It will be used to gauge your prowess in many fields."

"All forms of Zanjutsu, Kido, Hoho and Hakuda can be used."

That's right… all forms of Zanjutsu, Kido, Hoho and Hakuda can be used…

Do you understand now?

Yes, elf-lady. Thanks for the reminder.

"Byakurai." I uttered softly, pointing the forefinger of my right hand at the direction Tomoyo was about to attack from.

Her eyes widened with surprise, but the she simply swerved away, easily avoiding the pale blue projectile. The attack, however, had served its purpose in distracting her, allowing me to shunpo away. As long as I didn't remain in a single spot for too long, I could probably avoid being caught by her circle again.

Or so I thought. The moment I stopped, she appeared right behind me in an instant, her weapon poised to strike.

I turned around, barely in the nick of time to catch her blade with mine, but this time she remained after the blow, not disappearing like before. There was a satisfied smirk on her face, but before I could puzzle out the reason for that, a sharp explosion of pain erupted across my back.

"This battle's over." Tomoyo's voice came from behind me. "Don't worry, you fought well."

But…wasn't she right in front of me? I just deflected her attack with my own weapon, right? How could she be in two places at the same time? I twisted around, only to see her standing stoically with her sword already sheathed. The sudden movement sent another ripple of pain across my back, reducing me to one knee.

Damn, that hurts...

Careful not to move my back too much to prevent any more blood from flowing from the wound, I glanced behind slowly. I was just in time to see the other Tomoyo vanish into thin air, leaving scattered remains of cloth behind.

What the hell…was that?

Closing Song: Saikou no Kataomoi - Tainaka Sachi

A/N: Well, whaddya think of that? It had some action, and I hope that I conveyed it with enough detail. If it seemed a little too messy, I apologize for it. Action scenes aren't really my forte.

As for those with doubts about the characters, believe me when I say that I don't plan to go against whatever Tite Kubo has shown us so far.

Once again, it has to be said that Reviews would be Extremely Appreciated!

And encouraging.

And awesome! :D