Heat Treating(5th and quests)

A training exercise. Since his mission briefing had not yet arrived Kalen figured that this was a good opportunity. Here he would get to see where he stood among those in the fifth division. Or so he thought, he was slightly disappointed that those that showed up seemed to be around the same level as him. Though his Reiatsu perception was not very well developed he could tell that much. He also noted that some had come from other divisions. Kalen wondered if and how much fighting styles varied between divisions. 

The thought raced to the back of his mind when the whistle came. He noticeable winced as the high pitch screech rattled his eardrums. Next came a loud shout and everyone scuttled into strait lines. He never did like ranks, dashing to get any spot you can find so you're not awkwardly caught in the open, and then standing completely still as someone in front of you goes through a lengthy speech before actually explaining anything. But Victoria did get around to explaining the exercise. 

A team based exercise where they are to fight their hardest. Did that mean they were allowed to use their powers? He hoped not, not only were his powers draining to use at his current level, he also didn't see them as a tool that could work well with others. Especially in a non-lethal manner. He felt he should ask for confirmation with the training officer, who was at this time going around dividing the mob of soldiers into groups.

By the time she did finally get around to him and the four others who had not been given groups he had dropped the "attention" position. Evidently the five of them would be a group and would have to divide themselves into teams. Kalen casually raised his hand to give the sign that he intended to speak. "When you say that we're to fight as though this is an actual battle, does that imply that we are to activate out zanpakuto," Kalen asked.


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Quite a gathering had formed despite the heat. Furthermore the fact that anyone showed up of thoer own volition meamt they were at least serious if not trying to get hurt. At least there is some sort of medical staff nearby in case things got to rowdy. Malix kept himself as unnoticed as possible, being known by name only it granted him a temporary repreive from having to interact with others. 

The call to attention kicked in his second nature as he immediately jumped into ranks. His eyes keen on looking for imperfections amongst his fellows of the Fifth. Any faults would mean he'd get to run drills to ensure they dont do it again. Luckily they were all on point, similarly the Wolf was too with her words. Stiff nods fell through the group as she eventually made her way to form the groups. A wide grin fell across his lips as he listened to a question posed.

"If deemed necessary yes, of we're trying to win then holding back prevents that doesnt it?  Besides, if you win without it then its on to the next group." Malix had broken the attention stance by this time and tried to carry himself with athourity. "If you feel that your release is too much then you get to be on the team opposing me." Pulling his gaze from the young man he looked over the rest. "As for the rest of you, Kame and Ryu are with me. Any objections to this?"

To be honest he didnt really know any of these people that well so dividing them up was more difficult. Then again this exercise would let him get to know them better and keep them all surprised when they engaed the other team. At least his quick thinking skills would be put to use, hopefully with good results. This being his first training exercise as a titled member meant there was more scrutiny upon him than the rest.

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Kalen listened to the man who had spoken up when he asked his question. He noted that this man was a seated officer so he probably knew what he was talking about. Still, he couldn't help but notice that the guy was grinning as he answered the inquiry, as though he enjoyed making it known that he was above others. Then there was his last comment. Kalen couldn't help but glare when Malix made that last remark. Kalen and this man had just met and already he didn't like him.


Kame and Ryu huh? "Yes actually, I don't believe two people going up against a seated officer like yourself and two other people is entirely fair," Kalen said bluntly. He didn't care all that much about winning, but he still wanted to give off the impression that he did. The group wasn't very diverse in terms of ability, but he found that two of the people opposing him would be slightly stronger than he was if Malix got his way. Plus he didn't plan on releasing his abilities in such a public area, so he needed someone to take the frontlines while he resigned himself to backup. Plus, if he was going to get anything out of this experience then he would have to find a way to prevent this upcoming ass-kicking.



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She wasn't surprised. One of the other division members had gotten a tad too eager and already drawn steel. More over, the crazy sod was swinging it about. The wolf's eyes narrowed from where she stood. He had no clue who she was otherwise he'd have known that doing such a thing was about as foolish a thing you could do in a training exercise being proctored by her. Had he known even a little about her the icy glare she had been shooting at him since his hand had taken position on his weapon would have stopped him. It appeared that she had a fair number of problems to deal with in this last group. Namely the poor showing of an officer in front of other lower ranking officers, recruits, and enlisted. That problem would be dealt with later in private but corrected in front of all to see. First though...

She made three steps and she was on him. In those three steps her arms had unfolded from behind her. Her men had moved out of her way knowing immediately what their divisions mad dog was about to do. True, they too had drawn their steel but only in defense of themselves but she could not fault them for wanting to put steel to steel if this non-fifth made an attack. His steel came about and her right hand grabbed the blade above the guard and her left hand planted firmly on his chest and she sent him flat to his ass with the extension of her arm. Tossing his steel to the ground she took one more step and put her boot on his chest and flattened him out beneath her. A hush rushed across the field as she wolf stood over him looking down her delicate nose at her spread eagled opponent.

"Who said you could begin?" her voice was calm as she looked down at him over her nose. She lowered herself to a squat pressing her weight into him slightly reminding him that there was nothing he could do to escape her. No way to throw her off. Nothing he could do to shift her. His only hope was to lay there quietly. "Did anyone hear me issue the orders to begin?" she asked all those present and was given a resounding 'No Ma'am'. "Good, I didn't think I did and wanted to be sure I wasn't going senile in my old age. Now tell me..." she reached into her trapped students collar and checked the tag of his hem for his division, "my second division pupil. If everyone else here didn't hear me issues the order to begin, why did you?"

She held up a delicate finger and pressed it to his lips to keep him from responding, "Shhh, be silent. It's time like this when you should listen to the person who's been winning wars for her country for centuries longer than you've existed. 

I don't know how you do things over there in the second division and frankly I do not care. What I care about is what you do in my division. You step through those gates and set foot into my grounds you follow my rules. You follow my orders. You bark when I say bark. You don't do anything without me ordering it. I think thats fair. You come here to learn from us. To see how we do our jobs and what makes my division so good at its job. Take a look at everyone here thats my division. Even our recruits are more disciplined then you. Do you know why they're so disciplined? Because myself and every other training officer in this division work very hard to turn unrefined ore into hardened steel. We make weapons. We teach those weapons to fear nothing. To dive into the maelstrom and fear no death. We're in the business of winning wars and breaking our enemies and we only achieve that by everyone knowing how to follow orders. I think you should seriously consider apologizing for getting ahead of yourself. Maybe apologize for threatening the safety of my men with your over eagerness. 

Men!" she addressed the crowd again as she kept her eyes locked on his the light dancing in them like thousands of wind swept flakes of snow. "What happens when orders aren't followed?"

"People get hurt and good men die!"

"Good," she smiled a bit causing the right side of her face to tighten under the heavy scars. She'd removed her finger and squatted, her foot still on his chest, with her arms across her knees. "Do you see why we follow orders? Its not because we enjoy it. Its because it keeps us alive and unhurt. Especially when you're a member of another division visiting the fifth and by the good graces of her leaders are being allowed to study with her people. So, I highly suggest you start playing by our rules second division because this right here won't happen a second time. Next time you decide to not follow my orders I will throw you out of my division grounds and I will file a formal complaint with your commanding officers. Am I clear?" Stepping off him and turning her back to him she addresses him one last time before putting her attention to the next matter she had to deal with, "Do not get up until I tell you to."

She took a breath before her voice cut the air with the same volume she'd used when addressing the entire body of people, "Officer Katir! Recruit Tirair! FRONT AND CENTER AT ATTENTION!"

She barely waited for them to get to her before she began, "I know I didn't tell you to go to ease. I won't even bother asking everyone else if I did because I know that answer. So why were the two of you at ease? Why were you talking in ranks without waiting for me to address you? Who gave you that order? Last I checked I was proctoring this. Last I checked one of you is barely a year into his tour of service and the other is still within the first six months of his. So who gave you the order? It wasn't me, I know that for certain. So who gave you that order? I hope you were listening to my talk with our second division friend over there because it applies to you both as well. I expect so much more from you two because you're fifth. I shouldn't be having to have this chat with you right now. Get back in formation. I'll be watching you both the rest of this exercise. Am I clear? And Katir, you and I will be having a very long talk about this in my office after this is over."

Returning her attention to the second division member she took a breath, "Get up and get back in formation."

Turning away she made her way back to where she had been before she'd had to step in. Everyone, whom had left their place in formation quickly scurried back to their places as she refolded her hands behind her back. Turning she faced the group, "At ease! Divide into your teams and make ready to begin."

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NOTE1: Post order is Kalen Tiriar then Malix then Osamu Shimazu.

NOTE2: Make one post each reacting to my post and figuring out who's fighting on what team etc and then I'll make a post setting you on your merry way of fighting. I'll post when needed and if needed after my next post.

Everything happened so fast. As Kalen was thinking about how annoyingly condescending this apparent upstart from the second division was being, he heard a sword snap out of it's sheath. Just barely able to get his own zanpakuto out in time to hastily block this surprise attack Kalen took several leaps backwards to regain his composure. Then the training officer came out of nowhere and suddenly the assailant was on the ground. Kalen couldn't help but be amazed. Not only had the training officer neutralized the threat before he had even assessed the situation, she had done so without even drawing a blade, apparently preferring to simply take this man to the ground with her bare hands. Now Kalen understood why the members of his division called her "the wolf". As much as he hated other people barking orders, he did feel that the wolf had some degree of authority. He could respect a man, or woman rather, who could handle a bad situation effectively.

Then he realized that he had been completely useless. All he had done was draw his sword in a blind panic. He was luck that he wasn't the only one who hadn't taken action. It even looked as though the others preferred to back up and let the officer do her thing. It seemed that she had quite the reputation with her soldiers. "The wolf that leads a pack of dogs," Kalen thought to himself as he sheathed his blade.

As the rhetorical questions came from the training officer's rebuke of the unfortunate guest from the second division Kalen answered loud and clear with the rest of the soldiers. He was luck that he had received a tip from another recruit who explained the kind of thing to say in this sort of situation. Kalen couldn't help but hear the officer's spiel to the member of the second. He couldn't tell if it was just him or nor, but her voice sounded a lot colder then when she was up barking at the mob that had assembled here. 

Then her explanation of orders came. His sense of admiration was lost as Kalen couldn't help but take her words with a grain of salt. In his opinion it was important to follow orders yes, however a soldier should not be an obedient dog. When the orders are wrong and everything's going to hell, a soldier needs to be able to do more than follow orders without question. Nothing gets resolved if you throw yourself onto an enemy blade because someone of a higher rank told you to. 

His contemplations were interrupted when he heard his name called. He went with the seated officer he wasn't getting along with. He nearly rolled his eyes when it turned out the training officer was making such a big deal out of the fact that he had stropped standing stiff like a complete idiot in the middle of a half empty field with clusters of people discussing strategy and the like. He would have if nor for the knowledge that he would be pounded into the dirt for it. This officer seemed like the kind of higher up that didn't take any bullshit from anyone, no matter how minor the offense may be.

They where sent back into their little group to make another attempt at organising their exercise. "So, I believe we where discussing the teams before that, interruption. And aside from one...unhelpful remark, the issued I presented was never addressed. Specifically the obvious imbalance of power and ability that were present in your original division of our group," Kalen stated while looking at Malix. In his experience with this group getting anything helpful was, challenging. It appeared as though nobody was taking him seriously, preferring instead to hold the belief that his concern was nothing more than the whining of an inexperienced recruit. It looked like the only way to get people to listen to you in this division was to show that your strength was worth recognising. And though he hated the thought that someone may be injured on account of his own lack of control, it appeared he would have no other choice. Nevertheless it was imperative that he prove his own strength. Which meant that there may be a use for this little trial after all.

The look in Kalen's eyes said it all. He was serious, and now he wanted to win.


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Unblinking and unmoving when the man drew his blade to try and initiate combat, Malix knew there was absolutely no threat to be had with a blade at least. He did however soon realize he broke attention before being given the order so now he was in the hot seat. Not good, especially when he was trying to learn from the very officer he'd just broken form in front of. Out of all the rules to break in this division, when it came to orders and respect, you did not mess with them. Lead by example, yet here he was still displaying signs of a damned greenhorn. 


This time he'd wait till the command was given, and as soon as it was Malix did his best to save face. "Well, to answer your question Tiriar, you two can always take me on. Or we can make this a bit more interesting." He bit the inside of his cheek while he looked between the two before him, trying to gauge a reaction or sense of attitude with the current offer. "If you're still worried about being out classed then perhaps teaming up with me to challenge Officer Aeserninus." His hand raised as he gestured to the now irritated woman he was now doomed to contend with after this was all done with. "Those are the only options I'm seeing that can satisfy everyone's preference. If you're still worried about 'fair' then honestly this day won't end well for you. To emulate war like conditions, you got to prepare to come face to face with someone who could easily wipe the floor with you."


His air of confidence was still there, albeit a bit less noticeable given the current situation. He awaited a final answer from both of them before they'd officially begin, either way the young officer was going to be worked on. Weather it be a more manageable one via two people roughly his strength, or all of them taking on the Veteran of countless missions. He was fine with it either way, every beating has only pushed him to become better. 


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Before he even knew it, she was upon him in an incredible and humbling display of agility and finesse, planting him firmly on his back, his body sprawled unevenly against the hot concrete, face running hot in embarrassment. Her beratement began, then full weight of her ire pressed firmly against his chest. She was the type to make public examples -- he could respect that.

She called out a question and a dog of hers barked loyally in response. He made a mental note of who and where, and would take them down if not first, then eventually.

He tried to not let her get under his skin, despite the misunderstanding being pretty understandable, as he saw it. After all, they were told to abandon honor and battlefield tradition all before being divided, a process which took several minutes with a closing order for a handful of others split themselves, himself included, to divide themselves as they saw fit. It seemed clear to Osamu the rest of the participants were prepared, and he didn't care who chose his side.

However, he bent his knee to the one with power, sitting quietly and obeying as she hushed him, continuing. He took the time to consider that he had indeed been rash and impatient, even if he felt justified. He knew he was eager to test himself, to benchmark himself against his peers and develop his skills. He wanted to make something of himself and he wanted people to know his name, and for the right reasons. One day, he swore to himself, he'd formally challenge her and flip the tables, have her at his mercy for all gathered to see.

He was still embarrassed, but even more prepared to prove himself to the rest of the group by the time he was ordered up and at ease to split themselves accordingly. Like recruit Tirar, this also spurned in Osamu a strong desire to chase a position of authority himself. He knew, though, the trials that stood before him before he could even come close, which is why he found himself here to develop on those aspects. As he saw it, he deserved punishment. He should be pressed and grilled as hard as the fifth and other parties could manage. He would only then, on the precipice of his prowess, manage to push himself beyond that point to something higher -- and higher is where he intended to be.

Malix of the Fifth Divison suggested to Kalen that they could all team up against the commanding officer. While really the idea was interesting and certainly exhilarating -- after all, getting revenge, even as a team, would feel wonderful if all her dogs were there to see it -- with his growing attunement to the sensing and shifting of spiritual energies, he could see the scale by which she outclassed not only each of them individually, but even collectively. He'd even wager she'd have little problem taking on most, even all attendands present. The few of noteworthy strength gathered simply were no match.

"No." Osamu replied finally, his first words croaking out definitively. "Trust me on this, with the exercise she's laid out for us, there's no going easy. And if she went at us with even a fraction of her strength, I'm sure we'd still be no match." He reasoned, using his period of silence and close physical contact from earlier to peer into her spiritually, probing at her to surmise the depth of her power. With his skill and newfound precision, he was sure of that summary.

"I've been made a fool of publicly, before many members of the fifth. Let me redeem myself by trying my hand at the both of you, at least. I'm sure I'd be plenty for you in place of Officer Aeserninus," he said, concluding with a couple of quick hand seals, resetting his reiryoku, keeping Andromeda at bay, and suppressing his reiatsu signature. "What do you say?"

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Malix gestured for her to approach the problem group again. Her strides carried her to them and she stopped at the fringe of their group. "Yes, Officer Katir?" she began clearing her throat and casting a gaze about the group. Tension ran through the group. It appeared Malix had suggested something that the second squad member did not agree with. On her approach she'd tuned in just soon enough to catch him say that he would be plenty to face both Malix and Tiriar. How hard was it to figure out who would be the one versus the two? "Have you three decided on your teams? I would suggest in this case that because its three of you that you two," Victoria said as she motioned between the second squad member and Tiriar, " team up and face Officer Katir. He's stronger than you both individually and has seen actual combat in the recent invasion. He's not strong enough to beat you both together outright but he should be capable enough of beating one of you soundly while keeping the other at bay. Or... you three could face me as I assume Officer Katir suggested before I arrived. Either way a decision needs to be reached soon so this exercise can begin."

She looked about the group gaging reactions and the subtle shifts in spiritual energy that indicated hidden emotional shifts. If these three wanted to face her she'd come at them with a measured strength. She was aware of the distinct difference between her strength and theirs. With perhaps half her strength she could easily hold them off and allow them to go full out against her. If she were to use her full strength she was likely to flatten the lesser two and give Malix a difficult time retaining his feet if she didn't flatten him outright as well. With her full strength she was likely to punch right through whatever guard they put up it would simply be a slaughter. 

"So... what is your groups decision?

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This was not an ideal situation. Once again the training officer was here, Kalen couldn't help but be on edge whenever she was around. That didn't matter though, at present he was faced with a much worse decision. The training officer had suggested two possibilities, neither of which were ideal. However it seemed that no matter how this went it wouldn't be easy, so he had to think fast.


Kalen ran through the scenarios in his head, or rather what he could determine of how this would go given his limited information on his group members. He could already tell that even all of them combined didn't have a chance against the training officer. so given what Kalen could sense of each of their powers, facing Malix would give greater odds of success. But, there was still the member of the second. If this upstart continued to act without thinking he would be a problem. He seemed very cocky earlier, however there was a very low chance that his bravado was backed up by any real power. Whether or not he could be controlled would likely be the deciding factor, outside of his actual capabilities. It was highly likely that Kalen would have to use his powers here either way. Of course there were many unknown elements here.

"Very well," Kalen said with a slight sigh. "It's quite obvious that even the three of us stand little to no chance of beating you," Kalen sighed while looking in the training officer's direction, "so I'll go with the suggestion that we go with a two on one against Officer Katir," Kalen stated. 

Kalen could tell this was going to be difficult, even with better numbers. From his limited knowledge of officer Katir, he was known as the spellblade, which meant that he would likely be using kido as well as zanjutsu. Not to mention that he had no idea of what his powers actually were. Kalen could only wait and hope that this second member A: had some kind useful ability to help them, and B: could refrain from being an idiot long enough to follow an actual strategy. This was going to be something all right.

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Malix Osamu Shimazu Victoria

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A bit coerced, but with the final decision over teams decided, Malix could finally start plotting against the challenges before him. A member of the second, supposedly fast and deadly. Then there was the other Fifth member, meaning there would be no shortage of combat. The hand signs though, meant he might actually have to worry about Kido from this exercise. Though who to take out first was a tricky endeavor. Either way he was going to be pressed if he hoped to come out on top, however unlikely it might be.

"To be perfectly honest this isn't even about winning," His shoulders shrugged as his head shook slightly. "Even if we stand no chance, it would at least teach us how to bide time with an overpowered foe until someone more suitable to handle it arrives." Now he rolled up his sleeves to keep them out of the way while he stretched his arms. "Unfortunately that will likely have to happen another day so off we go."

Lifting both arms in front of himself, his fore arms parallel to each other while he leaned his weight onto his left foot. Placing it directly under him with his right leg forward, he was ready to deflect and move. Any time he could get to analyze the skills of these two would go a long way to keeping him ahead. With a soft smirk he awaited for the legitimate start of the match to begin. Whatever is to transpire here will reflect greatly upon weather or not Malix is deserving of the title spellblade.

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