Testing Dummies

[Ken Shirogane]

Ken was making his way to the training field at a casual pace, stepping along with no real haste, whistling a tune to himself. He was of course hoping to improve his Kido skills. Progress had been a little on the slow side, but he was happy that he had been able to unlock at least some skill with Kido before graduating from the academy and being allowed to join Squad 11, albeit as one of its newest unseated members.

He was proud of his sword skills, and squad 11 had plenty of great swordsmen, but that frankly just made him more conscious of the fact that when it came to his skills he didn't feel as though he stood out. How could he make an impression if he didn't make a bigger impression? Sure, he might be able to impress a few people with his sword skills, but that wasn't enough for him. His pride would not allow him to be just another good but altogether average soul reaper.

And he did frankly enjoy using Kido. It was a skill that he had never held in his first life! If he'd possessed such skills in the first place then perhaps he would have survived the battle where he first died. But wishing for an alternate past changed nothing. All he could do was look toward the future and seek to improve his new skills. It was a beautiful day in the Seireitei, and he intended to make the most of it.

[Gaz]

Shiro #1

---

“Tagachi!” A flat and commanding voice called into the testing facility in the Squad Twelve barracks, the door had barely opened, and the owner stepped through the door, her long captain’s jacket fluttering behind her as her silvery blue hair fell to land softly on her back, obscuring the logo on her captain’s coat. “I have a new invention for you to test right away.” The woman added, coming to a stop at the edge of a safety line.

The lanky man that stood beyond it with the top half of his uniform stripped away and replaced by a bulky padding turned his head, his face twisted in a range of emotions that settled somewhere between annoyance and acceptance. “Yes captain.” He replied with a sigh before a heavy leather ball flew at him at a high speed and impacted into him in the side of the torso with enough force to knock him off of his feet and into a tumble towards the captain. “Ow!” He yelped as he did his best to adjust his fall and miraculously landed on his feet.

“Good! Record your results here and take the two items I have left just outside of your door to the Inter Squad Training Field, I want you to get everyone who is there to attack them with Kido, record what happens and the readout on the display and then come back. Be sure to hit each one with the strongest blast of your Shikai as a control.” The captain explained to the man that was looking at her with an awfully hidden face of annoyance. “Oh, wipe that look off of your face, when you are done you can go and fulfil your promise to Captain Adachi.”

Shiro’s eye twitched and he sighed as he started to peel off the armour he had been testing. “You know Captain, Lenalee and you should talk some time.” He said, his annoyance winning out again and speaking what should have been left unspoken.

“We will, when it is time. Now you have a job. Get too it.” Captain Saeki spoke, her flat tone tinged by her own annoyance. The woman shifted and in a smooth motion walked away from the interaction and out of the facility without another word.

“Don’t worry about recording this Shiro, I got it!” A new voice called from behind a bunch of equipment at the far end of the room, it was feminine and nasally. A mess of long green hair popped out from behind the units and quickly vanished with a red tint to her face. “Get on with your new job. Then go and see Miss Lena.”

“Thank you Shizu!” Shiro called as he finished getting his uniform on straight. Without a word he dashed out of the room and hefted the training dummies into a cart and started pulling it to the training field, it wouldn’t be a long walk, all the main roads passed by it.

---

Shiro: 7319e6
Captain Saeki: 92c25e
Shizu: a4ffa4

[Ken Shirogane]

It seemed that someone was working hard, harder than him at least for the moment when he noticed Shiro towing a card towards the training field, taking note of the dummies in the cart that he appeared to be taking there.

Ken hummed to himself wondering what that was about before deciding the best way to find out would simply be to ask. So he approached the other man. "Hey, what's with the cart?" He got right the to the point. He supposed that the dummies just might need to be replaced.

Looking Shiro over with golden eyes it was at least clear that he was a graduated Shinigami too. Yet he was doing this kind of manual labor. Was he being punished then? Or was this simply an assignment he had been given? He would have expected that such a chore would normally be left for those who had not yet graduated from the academy, assuming that the task in question was a normal one and not of some special consequence.

Ken was no academy student either, wearing the black robes of a Shinigami, his white hair shifting idly in the breeze as he moved to follow Shiro, assuming the other man didn't pause to explain the situation. Though if he did, Ken would stop to hear the explination.

[Gaz]

Shiro #2

---

As Shiro was trapsing through the training field he was getting quite a few stares from all of the other Shinigami who were there to train their skills, and spar with others to see how well they could stand. Most simply took the sight in and carried on doing what they were doing, few left their gazes just a bit too long to hide their interest. One person however asked the all-important question, “What’s in the Kart?”

The young officer cracked a grin, this was all the attention he needed to get the ball rolling on his experiments. Shiro stopped his movement and moved around to the back as he pulled the tarp that was covering his cargo away. The dummies that were underneath were made of a hard and dense looking white metal; they had an approximate form of a humanoid that stood on one solid leg instead of two. With a grunt they were hefted out one by one and placed onto the ground base down with a heavy thunk.

“This is Captain Saeki’s new invention. A training dummy specifically for taking kido and providing a readout of the casters output and skills.” Shiro explained as he stretched out his back and shoulders by raising his arms up and out to either side. “Not just kido but kido like abilities a Zanpakuto’s Shikai can create.” He tacked on as he started to walk away from dummies having pulled away two small objects from their backs.

He then looked to the man who had questioned him and pushed out a hand as if to shake his. “Tagachi Shiro, Twentieth seat on Squad Twelve. Good to meet you. Do you want to help me in the testing?” He asked, a bright smile on his face as his free hand moved up to push back his mop of brown hair to clearly show his face to the man. There were a few minor healing cuts dotted about but other than that the young man was healthy looking. Shiro himself still had a bit of a reputation about him after his Shinigami Entrance exam where he and his partner Lenalee fought a Hollow that was mid transformation into an Arrancar and lived to tell the tale. Some thought him quite heroic and others pretty damned stupid for jumping into a situation the captains on site should have cleared up.

---

Shiro: 7319e6
Captain Saeki: 92c25e
Shizu: a4ffa4

[Ken Shirogane]

It was kind of amusing how Shiro ended up reacting to the question like he was just waiting for someone to ask him before making the grand reveal. It did seem that this was indeed an assignment given to him and by the captain of squad 12 no less. Although hearing that Shiro was part of squad 12 did make Ken tilt his head slightly.

He supposed that he should not be so shallow as to judge a book by its cover, given that some might think he didn't fit in Squad 11 based on his appearance. But Shiro did not look like someone who would fit into Squad 12. That was the science division after all, and from the wounds lining his face, putting the pair beside each other anyone would have been likely to guess that being asked who was in squad 12 and squad 11 the answer was likely to be the reserver of the truth. Though part of that was likely because Ken had yet to do much.

Ken took the offered hand and shook it with a little nod. "Shirogane Ken, squad 11, unseated." He replied with a smirk that showed obvious amusement for several reasons. Amused by the situation as well as their names. It wasn't quite the same, Shiro and Shirogane, and with Shiro being the given name, and Shirogane being the family name, but still. "You can call me Ken, or Kenshi." He mentioned his nickname with even greater amusement, it was a joke on his father's part back when he was alive, and yet it had been a very accurate nickname fusing his given and family name together. Since Kenshi simply translated to "Swordsman".

"So these dummies can measure our output of energy? I would definately love to test these things out. Can I give it a shot then?" He asked seeming eager to sling some Kido at these dummies. After all, it was the entire point of why he had come to the training field today. And he was eager to see what kind of score he would get, and how much he could grow, if at all in a few hours.

[Gaz]

Shiro #3

---

Shiro nodded to Ken, acknowledging that he heard the name and the smile he flashed after the fact was in recognition of the pun. Kenshi is a squad eleven lad that isn’t afraid to use Kido? That was strange, nearly everyone in squad eleven was known for their hatred of the practice and in some cases inability to make the magical arts work.

“Go ahead! Let me enable the read-out devices and you can have the first attempt.” The young officer announced as he fiddled with one device in each hand. It was awkward but after a moment there was a click and each device lit up with a flash and then settled on showing the number 0 on the face. As they did that the eyes and joints on each of the target dummies flashed an ominous red colour.

With a chuckle Shiro nodded to Kenshi. “Okay Kenshi of Squad Eleven. Hit them with your strongest Kido. They should absorb it and give me a readout of overall power here.” Shiro explained as he wiggled the devices he was holding just in front of his own face. He himself was utterly useless with Kido, he didn’t have the patience to recite incantations, or even remember them properly. Shiro was a man of action and stopping in a fight to recite poetry and focus on Reiatsu moulding was stupid to him.

---

Shiro: 7319e6

[Ken Shirogane]

Ken while interested in Kido was still a long way from being any kind of expert practitioner. In that sense at least he was far from the most skilled. But he had a growing interest in the practice of course. He still loved the sword and wielding one, there was no question in his mind that he fit into squad 11 in terms of his skill with a blade. But coming from a life where he had never had access to such powers, and never believed in them until he came here, it was apparent just how narrow his worldview had been.

Frankly speaking, he would have wanted to master it all. Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, Kidō. He wasn't satisfied limiting himself to a single aspect of this world, not anymore, not now that he knew the potential he had. Hakuda, and Hohō would have to come later though, since he only knew a little Kidō at the moment. Hohō in particular was something he wanted to work on since agility in particular had always been an important skill for him to maintain.

"Well, I'll hit it with my strongest Kido, just keep in mind that I am still a novice." He noted lightly, clearing his throat once the dummies were set up and ready to go. Pointing a finger at the nearest dummy, and gathering his Reiatsu. "O storm cloud! Loose thy blade and run mine enemies through!" He chanted the short incantation, keeping his finger pointed before unleashing a concentrated bolt of lightning made from spiritual energy.

The bolt would hit the dummy in a flash, being quick and accurate. Ken looked forward to the day his mastery became great enough that he could forgo the chant. Eishōhaki would be an important skill. Even if the damage of the technique was reduced thanks to lacking the proper chanting, that could be easily overcome as he became stronger. He also intended to work on battle chanting, because he agreed with Shiro. Stopping in the middle of a battle to chant was stupid. Which was why he intended to work on performing chants without pausing. It had risks of course, if he was interrupted the Kidō could backfire, but having some skill with battle chanting would help reduce that from happening in the future compared to if he never practiced battle chanting at all.

[Gaz]

Shiro #4

---

The young, seated officer watched as his new friend did his best, proclaiming to use his best kido to attack the practicing dummies. It was an impressive start up, a swift burst of spiritual pressure in the immediate area as Ken began his reciting. It was short and sweet but helped with the moulding of his power. Then out of one finger the final product was released, a brilliant bolt of light that made a clean hit with the target.

Shiro was grinning with anticipation as he looked down at both of the readout meters and watched as the red lights that shone on them still showed the number 0. Then he frowned and shook both of the devices with an annoyed grunt. “That was a clean hit! Why didn’t you work!?” He growled to the stupid tools, cursing his captain internally as this could have easily been a practical joke to make him look like an idiot in front of everyone. That was not her style though.

He sighed then rotated each device to show Ken the Zeros. “One second let me test it.” Shiro grumbled as he slipped both of the indicators into pockets on his shihaksho, then drew his Zanpakuto.

“Strike The Heavens! Rairyu!” Shiro called, being in a permitted practice area he could use his Shikai freely. As his call finish and the blade flashed a brilliant purple light the form had changed completely, the sword was longer with a dark metal and a brilliant steely cutting edge. The guard had transformed into the open maw of a dragon and storm clouds billowed out of it. Electricity arced from the clouds to the blade and the floor as tiny cracks of thunder rumbled.

---

Shiro: 7319e6
Captain Saeki: 92c25e
Shizu: a4ffa4

[Ken Shirogane]

He wasn't sure why the device had not worked, surely his power could not be zero!? No no, calm down. Absolutely not. It wasn't as though his kido had fizzled or backfired. It had been as perfect as could have been expected of him at his level. But even the brief flash of a doubt sure did wound his pride.

He watched Shiro as he unleashed his Shikai, the new form very impressive! Moments like these often left Ken wondering if he would ever obtain his own. He had yet to hear so much as a whisper from his sword as far as he knew. And he made a habit of spending at least half an hour or more every day meditating with the blade, just listening for any sign that his sword would speak to him.

"Subarashii!" He exclaimed after Shiro manifested his Shikai. "Well then please show me what you can do. And let's hope these stupid things work this time... And then I can take another shot..." He grumbled, before waiting and watching to see what Shiro's Shikai could actually do. But if the name of the sword and the chant were any indication he was expecting some really fancy lightning.

[Gaz]

Shiro #5

---

Shiro did not need to be told twice to show off his abilities, the mere act of calling Rairyu into the light of day uncorked his Reiatsu and washed the area around them with a heavy atmosphere. The mere act drew the attention of so many people that all eyes were now on Shiro.

The young officer let the clouds ebb from the guard on his weapon as he shifted and brought the blade to be level with his head and pointed directly at the target dummies. With a few shallow breaths he could feel his energies suffusing the clouds that were now pooling around his feet, those that shed from his blade. With just a thought those energies mixed, and a bolt of lightning sprang from his sword and arced in a powerful leap to the closest of the targets.

The white metal was resilient it took the impact and absorbed all of the energy and let the thunderous sound of Shiro’s power reverberate around the entire training yard. Those with a keen enough ear to hear through the calamitous noise would notice a small ding from Shiro’s pocket, one of the readout devices had come to life and was showing the power of the last attack.

With a grin Shiro let his sword dip to the side but left it in the Shikai form as his other hand moved to start patting his pocket to pull the readout loose from the confinement. As he did the number “8,000“ was showing. That grin grew even wider as he then pushed the device out from himself to show Ken. “It does work, the only thing I can think of is I was holding this and you weren’t.”

---

Shiro: 7319e6
Captain Saeki: 92c25e
Shizu: a4ffa4

[Ken Shirogane]

Ken watched the display with admiration. The sound and sight of the attack Shiro performed were certainly on another level compared to Ken's own Byakurai. If they two energy were to clash he was concerned that his own would have been torn apart as easily as paper by the true lightning bolt being put on display. Truly for Ken at the moment his Byakurai was little more than a paper tiger in comparison. It could not hold up to the real thing. Perhaps if Ken ever reached the pinnacle of his power it could, but even then he rather doubted it. In either case that was a far-distant future.

"Oh, alright. Well that lightning bolt was most impressive! But if the reader is working I wish to try again and see what my score is." He said reaching to take the reader so he could take his turn again, holding it in his free hand, while using his main to once more point at the dummy.

He spoke the chant once more before firing another white bolt of lightning shaped Kido at the dummy, looking to the device in his hand for the impute. Just how far ahead was Shiro in his ability? Ken would be surprised if his Byakurai was even a tenth as strong as the true lightning that Shiro cast with his Shikai.

And when he looked at the device, assuming it worked, would come up to 300. It was about what Ken expected honestly. He was still a relatively new practitioner of the Kido arts after all. But he didn't mind. At least it wasn't zero.

[Gaz]

Shiro #6

---

The pooling clouds rumbled and roiled around Shiro’s feet, his shikai Zanpakuto still billowing them out of the dragon’s mouth that made up the guard. Small sparks of lightning danced between the shifting clouds, the blade and Shiro’s body that was always exuding his reiatsu. Standing still with his Shikai like this felt wrong, Shiro felt as if he should be moving all the time. The power he had was a king to lightning in a bottle, always pushing to escape.

“Oh yeah… techniques like the one I just used show their true power when they have a name.” He mused to himself while Ken was reciting his latest spell, it looked as promising as the last one did for sure. Once the bolt of light left his fingertip.

The low ranked officer moved to look at the power on the readout device and cracked a large grin. “It worked! Congrats!” Shiro said as he moved to the side and saw a few of the others now interested in giving it a try. He grabbed the other readout device and nodded to what seemed to a queue that had formed of others wanting to test their abilities and get a readout.

“Right!” Shiro called, both over the din of other Shinigami chatting amongst themselves and the low rumble his own ability was giving off. “You get one shot to gauge your strength. Once you are done, please write you name, the kido you used or the name of your shikai and its ability in the book that is in the cart over here.” He should have been doing that himself but if he could make others do his work for him he could spend more time practicing with his Shikai and chatting to the people around.

“Ken, would you mind helping me keep an eye on this lot and make sure they do it right?” He asked before handing the one readout device he had to the young man at the front of the line.

---

Shiro: 7319e6

[Ken Shirogane]

"Oh yeah? Does it work that way?" Ken asked curiously. "Names of abilities from a Shikai have greater power like performing the incantation of a Hado?" Perhaps it depended on the Shikai, but he thought that maybe it did make sense to some degree.

He was glad these devices were finally working. It seemed that they had just not been doing it correctly at the start. But now they knew and people were lining up to give them a shot.

Once Shiro gave some direction Ken followed along as well, going to write the indicated information in the books that were set out for people to write their name and the kido he used. They didn't want the score though? Well, he could always go back and write it in if Shiro and his superiors decided they did, but he left it at that for now. Moving aside so that others could write in their info.

"Sure, I don't mind helping." He said standing nearby. It would probably be faster anyway, two devices for two lines that Ken and Shiro could pass around for people to make use of. "Are these dummies going to replace the old ones? I'd personally like that to help me measure my progress in the future." He noted to Shiro while people fired off Kido and Shikai abilities.

---

Number of Posts: 7

[Gaz]

Shiro #7

---

As the pair got the ball rolling and Shiro realised he hadn’t specified about noting down the readout score he chuckled. “Everyone! Please note your score as well!” He called before passing the readout device to the person that was in line with him. The small rumbles that followed him made his position known to everyone, this shikai was not very suited to any sort of stealth capabilities.

As the activity carried on, he himself stood nearby, not close enough to be caught in the blast radius of any large spells. However, he was close enough to answer questions or gauge if the dummies or read out devices were broken. As Ken asked his question Shiro shrugged, this was a last minute idea whipped up by his captain, a captain that was known to invent anything and everything that passed through her brain.

“I actually hope so.” He replied to the helper. “Captain Saeki can be a bit of a scatter brain with her projects. Some get through the first few stages then sit for ages in a storeroom until she remembers they exist.” Shiro admitted, half paying attention to what was around aswell as altering the flow of his Reisatsu to separate some clouds off from the billowed mass at his feet, making them float a little away without dissipating.

“I can see how useful these will be though, and I’m not even one of the smart boffins of the Squad. Just some lughead that was given a cushy seat to spite Captain Yorutatsu and made to test it all.” He half joked, his laugh resonating with the thunder that rumbled around his feet.

---

Shiro: 7319e6

[Ken Shirogane]

Ken could not help but laugh when Shiro finally added that he wanted to have scores noted down too. What a forgetful man, but how amusing too. Really, how did he end up in his squad? He would not say the man was stupid, but he certainly didn't seem at all the kind of person who enjoyed scientific inquiry. He really did just seem to be a grunt of the squad he was in doing these menial tasks. But Ken supposed if Shiro was satisfied with that then who was he to judge? Every squad needed its grunt work done by someone, and apparently, Shiro was one of those grunts.

Apparently, that estimation was spot on, because Shiro all but confirmed his position a moment later. "A scatterbrained scientist huh? I almost wonder what is more dangerous between a scientist who is mad, and one who is scatterbrained." He noted with a chuckle. After all, imagine making something dangerous and then storing it away to be forgotten, only to recall it's there on the day there is some great accident. Like an explosion going off in the basement and damaging a lot more than just itself.

"Hm, I guess it makes sense that you are seated. Most people with their Shikai unlocked are... I can't wait to unlock my own, but I wonder if it's possible for me to obtain a seat even before my Shikai is obtained. I think that would be a nice achievement even on its own. Attesting to one's skill and competence rather than the power of ones Shikai." He mused wondering if he should also make that a goal of his. Even if he only managed to get the 20th seat, it would be a nice mark in his mind.

---

Post Count: 8