Steel pillars.

“BAKUDOU #75 FIVE-PILLAR BRACE OF STEEL!” Were the first words I heard. Now, you ca probably imagine that having massive steel beams dropped unto you is a very unpleasant experience. Therefore my words, “I am back.” Turned into “I am baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh.”

“What?” Hiyori shouted, everyone else followed suit and it took Hirako three minutes to believe me that I was actually in control. “That is entirely unfeasible.” He said while poking my cheek. I was still unable to move so I had to take it.

“Is it? I have no experience in the matter.” I stated calmly, ignoring the second hand that was now pulling on my other cheek. “Yeah. Ichigo needed more than an hour. Yet you tell me that you did it in under three minutes.” “I don’t have stupid teenage insecurities to deal with.” I replied, “I am a soldier.”

He continued to rub on my face, “But I don’t see a mask on you. Until you do show me that I am just going to assume I simply failed putting you to sleep.” The Visored nodded. Can’t blame them after what happened with Ichigo many of them were hurt in one way or another. However there was a bit of heavy pressure on me, namely my back.

“Well, how do I summon that mask then?” I asked. “Just try to do it, it should come to you instinctively.” What great instructions. I closed my eyes and tried. His words were proven true and I felt a material of spiritual energy laying itself over my face.

Suddenly the pillars didn’t seem all that heavy anymore. With a bit of groaning I rose, the pillars collapsing and disappearing. Hirako jumped back, hand on his sword ready to defend himself. Seems like he was assuming that it only had begun.

Me calmly walking towards him and saying. “Good enough?” However, put him at ease. “Yep, good job, you did it. In record time. After the disaster that was your ‘Hiyori-Walker’ training that was pretty good.” I had the desire to punch him in his smug face. A common occurrence when I talked to him. Guy just ticked me off.

The mask broke off. “Forty seconds.” Lisa said in the background. “Is that so? We can work with that.” Hiyori added. “Pardon?” I asked for an explanation. Hirako raised his shoulders, “Now that you have subdued your inner hollow we need to work on the time you can keep the mask active. We have another month before Aizen strikes.”

And thus the training began anew. A month of either trying to get the uptime of the mask higher or mastering my bankai. I finally found out what it was as well. No, I will not tell you what it is. Yet. Suspension my friends, suspension. However, I will disclose that it is, essentially cheating.

The final battle came closer every day. I managed to get the uptime to three hours, not the highest, not the lowest. Well, it was hard to be lower than Ichigos eleven seconds. He still could kick my ass though, something I experienced first hand a few times. At this point I am not even going to question his ridiculous power level. People are born inherently unequal, that’s just how it is.

A week before the final battle Ichigo disappeared. I didn’t know why. When I found out later that Orihime had disappeared I understood. He was breaking the plan to safe his girl. I can sympathize with that a bit, what I was doing was essentially the same after all. However, Soifon would be on the main battlefield and therefore that is where I was going.