(Davian's P.O.V)

Shiva's routine was only part of my training.

I knew I couldn't rely on just her to get strong. I only needed the foundation. My true power would lie in what I alone could intuit.

And while things were tense between Chase and I, he was still my Zanpakuto Spirit. The source of my strength. Without both of us cooperating, I wasn't sure I could retain everything I'd lost.

"I need you to help me get stronger."

Hence I found myself in my inner dimension one night after falling asleep.

The two of us, Chase and I were looking out into the wide expanse of my dimension. We both knew we would need to fix whatever issues we had.

And maybe spending some time training like we'd done a few months ago was the way to go.

"That's...not going to be easy."

My Zanpakuto spirit had replied, throwing his top hat to the sky.

I threw a hand out and pulled onto the soul of my inner dimension. A warmth on my chest registered through my physical body as the gem on my necklace glowed.

The hat reached the apex of it's ascent and shot towards me, fast.

I smirked at him, wearing the hat before tilting it up by tapping it like a Cowboy.

"Are you saying you can't do it?"

Chase' ears twitched in annoyance. He snatched the hat from my head with a huff.

"No. I never said I wouldn't help you. I only said it wouldn't be easy."

"Okay." I smiled.

"No time to waste then. What do you think I should work on first?"

Chase looked up in thought.

"The female assassin is already working on your foundation and physical conditioning. It would be redundant and a waste of time if we tried to bolster those areas."

He rubbed his chin.

"No...what we need to do is help you get your skills back and hopefully unlock Bankai once more."

He looked at me up and down.

"Maybe come up with an effective way to use Tairyoku other than for healing your body. Remember, Ki offers an even stronger enhancement to your body than spirit energy. That's an angle we can play off to ensure you won't be completely helpless infront of a strong enemy. Especially one who knows your tricks."

I ground my teeth a little, knowing who he was talking about. Batman.

"I don't have a problem with that." I replied.

"So how do we start?"

At this Chase smiled.

"Didn't you hear your 'master'? A true warrior learns on the go."

His body begun to morph right before my eyes.

Bones snapped audibly, as the joints rearranged themselves. Silver and purple fur sprouted all over his body as he completed his transformation into a giant humanoid cat.

His muscles were bunched up together, rippling with power as he loomed over me.

"You have to fight to get stronger."

Chase concluded in a deep voice, his 7 foot frame releasing an intimidating aura as he deployed sharp claws from his digits.

I did something I hadn't done in some time, I refused to unsheathe Chesha Neko. Instead, I settled into a Baguazhuang stance.

Despite emphasizing we weren't going to learn any new Style, I'd picked up on a few moves from Shiva.

Late evening practice ensured I was incorporating the right breathing techniques while performing deadly physical arts that could shatter bones and crush flesh from the inside.

"I will warn you now you Rob Lucci looking motherfucker, I know Kung Fu."

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

I said cheekily.

******

The final day of the month, Shiva changed tactics.

I woke up at the usual hour, cleaned up and joined her at the training yard. This time, we had a guest.

"What is she doing here?"

I asked Shiva, motioning at Cheshire.

"She's here because I want her here. Is that going to be a problem?"

Shiva shot back.

I shrugged.

"Not really. She wants to get tortured, I get it."

A Sai covered the distance between Cheshire and I in an instant. Unfortunately for her, I had gotten so much better, snatching it out of the air and throwing it back was more like a reaction if anything.

The Sai nicked the strap on Cheshire's mask, causing it to slip off her face. Dark eyes met my own as Cheshire glared at me.

"She can speak for herself."

She ground out, staring at both Shiva and I.

"Attitude. I like that."

Shiva chuckled.

"Line up."

She added.

Knowing the order was for me, I swallowed whatever pride I had that told me, they were both beneath me and my power, and walked to stand next to Cheshire.

She stomped on my foot as revenge. It didn't hurt.

"Today, we're doing things a bit differently."

Shiva begun, pacing across the yard.

"Davian, your combat skills are at an acceptable level. Still your progress has been phenomenal enough that you will extract more experience from fighting different opponents than you will one."

She faced us.

"Not everybody moves like me. We need to break you out of the habit of memorizing someone's combat style and countering it. It's not always that easy. I want you to always be ready for anything or anyone."

She concluded.

That seemed to be the signal as Cheshire immediately threw a kick towards my face.

The attack was sudden and fast. Faster than I could have reacted to without access to Reiryoku.

However, I'd been learning. Getting better slowly.

My forearm came up and blocked the attack easily. A small shockwave spread out from the impact.

"You've gotten stronger Jade."

I complimented, then grabbed the foot, pivoted and threw her across the training ground.

Cheshire flipped and cartwheeled a couple of times to slow her momentum.

Her eyes widened as she saw me hot on her heels. I instantly caught up and let fly a fist headed towards her face.

She ducked and rolled away just as my punch landed on the perimeter wall. There was a loud boom upon impact and that section of the wall caved in.

"She really did turn you into a bigger monster."

Cheshire commented, eyes wide as she stared at the devastation caused by a simple blow.

I clapped my hands, getting rid of the dust covering my palms and knuckles.

"You won't win without going all out."

I told her.

"Shiva tries not to underestimate me but she always does. Maybe she thinks you can hold your own but we both know the truth. I'm stronger, even without Reiryoku. Even at my weakest, Jade. I'm stronger than you."

Cheshire's eyes hardened at my words.

"Arrogance. A worthy trait to have when you have the strength to back it up."

Shiva shot back.

"And you think I don't? I've surpassed your expectations time and time again. I have killed demons and gods. It's not arrogance, its self sufficiency." I held a fist up, pulling onto the Tairyoku within me and activating my newest skill.

My skin changed color. An inky black substance spread out across my right hand. An aura of beastly savagery spread out.

Silver fur sprouted across my firearms, the individual strands of hair hard and sharp as metal wires. My nails lengthened into sharp black claws.

Cheshire wordlessly unsheathed her Sais.

"You show dishonor by not facing your opponent with your true weapon."

Shiva pointed out, studying my forearms.

"I consider it a sigh of respect that she gets to be the first I try this newest skill on."

I countered.

Cheshire shrugged.

"Sword or not, it won't matter how I kick your ass. Only that I do."

She twirled her Sais.

"Very well then."

Shiva spoke up.

"I'll add a clause to make this even funner. Defeat your opponent, Davian and I'll deem you ready for the next step. Fail and the next month we're back to more sparring."

Shiva said, smiling sadistically.

"I'll take that bet."

I replied rolling my shoulders and jumping in place to get my blood boiling. She must be crazy of age thinks I'll lose.

"Be careful. This is nothing to you but always approach a fight as if your opponent is stronger than you."

Chase advised.

"Don't worry I..."

My words were cut off by a sudden burst of power. Cheshire's body glowed blue as her meager spirit energy reserves were increased dramatically.

"Sorry boss."

Cheshire's voice was layered with Deadman as she slipped into a not too bad Shunpo. Immediately I learned the play and why she'd been so confident, Deadman had possessed her body, giving her .ore raw power to contend with me.

We flashed all across the training yard, me using what I'd learned to refine my fighting style against someone much closer to my level of mastery.

Each clash ended with me overpowering in terms of physical strength while she outmatched me in the skill department.

Her attacks came uneven. She even relied on Deadman's other skills like Telekinesis to fight, sending debris and stones shooting towards.

My response to that particular ability was clapping my hands together and producing a shockwave that threw everything away including her.

With Deadman possessing her, she reoriented her body in midair and flew back, Sais poised to pierce through my chest.

I allowed it to happen. I could have spread more Tairyoku through my skin and hardened it, but I wanted this farce to end.

Besides with my current skill in manipulating Tairyoku to heal my body, I wasn't in any danger. Not really. She would have to either completely destroy my major organs or attack my soul to take me down. I had gotten even harder to kill.

The weapons sank through my chest easily. I could feel them puncture through my lungs. Blood would normally have begun to fill them but with my control over flesh, I kept myself functioning by isolating the damage.

She tried to pull them out and failed. Cheshire stared at me in shock.

"Oh fuck..."

She said.

I raised a hand and flicked her forehead with my finger. Deadman was thrown out of her body and into the air behind her.

That one strike was enough to shut down her biological functions. Her body fell like a puppet with it's strings cut. I held onto her, turning to Shiva.

"Well?"

She smiled.

"I guess I was wrong. Take her to the hot springs. Maybe a fresh dip in the hot water will do her some good."

I looked down at Artemis sister. My relationship with Jade was... complicated. It wasn't a lie I wanted both her and Deadman to work for me.

However, something told me Cheshire wasn't of the same opinion. So is that why Shiva pushed for this to happen? Did she send me to the hot springs with Jade to maybe improve our relationship?

"That woman is an enigma."

Chase observed as my 'teacher' left.