Awakening, Throwing - A Pit. In that order.

My consciousness slowly drifted back to the surface. I had expected the sharp sting of pain in my chest but there was nothing, something else was missing as well. Something I was used to so much I didn’t even recognize that it was gone but only vaguely aware that it wasn’t there.

I opened my eyes and stared at the unfamiliar ceiling. It was painted green, a simple lamp hung from it otherwise it was very unremarkable. The lamb was currently turned off.

“You are awake, finally.” I bratty voice came from my side. I looked to my left and saw a red haired kid, maybe 14 of age, reading a comic book. “Ururu, tell the old man his guest has waken up.” He shouted. I heard some weak mumbling from further away as I straightened in the bed.

“So how do you like your new body?” The kid asked. I froze. “Pardon me?” I quickly inspected myself but everything seemed normal besides the fact that I was naked. “Well your Gegeh, or whatever it’s called.”

“Gigai.” I corrected him absent minded. “Yeah, the old man’s special Gigai, you know the one that turns Shinigami human and all that jazz.”

My eyes widened in shock. That was missing, I sensed no spiritual energy at all, not even my own. ‘Merc? You in there, buddy?’ I thought as loudly as I could, which was a weird enough experience. Silence was the answer.

I clawed at the bedsheets and suppressed my rage until Urahara entered the room with his usual smile. “In the name of God, what the hell are you thinking Urahara Kisuke?” “Ah not much, you are mad about the loss of your powers I assume?”

“More like absolutely livid.” Urahara waved his fan into my general direction. “Cooldown there, Nize. I have a plan that will make you as strong as I can make you, provided you survive.”

The gears in my head were turning. It didn’t take long for me to understand my mistake. Because of the earring he followed my request to the letter, he wasn’t at fault here. I was. With a sigh I let go of my rage, I would just have to live with this and carry on.

Or I would die trying, also a very real possibility. “So, are you ready for the next step of your training?” Urahara asked. “As soon as you give me some clothes.

10 minutes later I was inside a huge ass cavity beneath the shop. I call it that because these were the exact words Urahara had shouted the second we had arrived here. Not that it mattered much. “Your first test will be her.” Urahara said and pointed at a black haired girl before pushing his cane into my forehad, driving my now powerless soul out of it. The rattling of the chain of fate was slightly unnerving. I made a couple of movements, they seemed off. Not that that was surprising. Urahara apparently waited for something. “No questions?” he asked, seemingly disappointed. “No angry remarks?”

“Nah, I know what this is about, getting used to your form and all that. You know I studied at the Shinigami Academy right?” I said and grabbed the protection the girl threw unto the ground in front of me. I remembered something and turned to Urahara. “Actually take these for a minute would you?” I handed him the earrings.

I didn’t want to run into any situation were giving a normal answer would be a hindrance. “Can we start now?” the girl’s voice was so meek I barely heard it but after I took a stance I simply said “Yes.” And the fight started.

It was over in a second. She charged at me with enormous speed, power not expected in such an apparently frail body. Well you wouldn’t expect it normally, to bad I’m 200 years old and have seen some shit in my day. I caught her arm in front of my chest, turned and threw her to the ground with her own ****.

It was a pretty basic throw, one you learn sooner or later if you train to fight every day. I got an imminent sense of danger of the girl now lying in a crater but Urahara stepped in before anything else could happen.

“That was pretty good.” Urahara said. If he said so. I was no one to turn down a compliment. “So for the next step – I will get you your powers back. This will likely kill you though.”

“If the last test is anything to judge by I do doubt that.” I said and was promptly shown just how wrong I was. Urahara unsheathed the sword that he had hidden in his cane and promptly used it to cut the chain of fate that connected me and my ‘body’.

Next a hole appeared beneath me and my arms were bound by some kind of Hakudo. I didn’t like where this was going. Especially not as the fall ended and I crashed into a stone floor.

Falling roughly 10 metres is not exactly pleasant. Urahara’s voice echoed from above. “Well here is the second test: Shattered Shaft. At the bottom of this pit you have 72 hours to get out before you turn into a hollow – but seeing how able you are let’s push that down to two hours, alright?”

“I get the feeling I don’t have a say in the matter.”