He admits it

He seems hesitant to reply and it's natural, of course. You find yourself more confused as to why you've **** yourself into this corner, having no idea who or what could have caused such uncharacteristic musings to emerge without your permission, but it seems pointless, now, to worry about them. After all, you have no time to regret. It will do you no good to wonder if what you've said to him is actually worthy of either of your times or not.

"Perhaps, Byakuya."

The formalities are gone and it does surprise you. The heat of the tree forces you to take a step back. So it is true... your actions these past years have been trying on your spirit, on your partner. You knew this. He can't hide it from you. You feel it every time you release him and slay another enemy. He bears a grudge, one he won't express because the two of you are one and without you, he is nothing. Without him, of course, you wouldn't have accomplished anything, either. A shinigami is useless without his zanpakutou. A zanpakutou has no purpose without a shinigami. It's a fact that no one, even the most proud, can deny.

Even so, you know that a zanpakutou, while a blade that slays hollows, saves lives and sheds blood, is not a tool to simply be used at your convenience. He's probably the closest thing... to a friend that you could possibly have. He knows you would not **** his power but at the same time, you know that what you've used him for these past few years has not been for any other purpose than freeing yourself from your indecisiveness, your own silly weakness and it must have cut him more deeply than any sword could to know that, in the end, it took his and your defeat for you to see the error of your ways.

You don't see it coming, the cloud of cherry blossoms that circle you like a predator stalking its prey.

"Games? You know I have never been fond of such silly things," you say coolly, reaching out to swat at the petals and prove your point, only to receive a shallow slice to your finger. It's no deeper than a papercut, but you withdraw immediately and watch as the shadow moves slowly on the other side of this cloud.

"It goes without saying, Byakuya, that you have wounded me." His tone sends an unpleasant shiver down your spine, but you will not let him know such things. You were, after all, the one who asked for it. "How shall I have you make it up to me?"