(General P.O.V)

Loud booms and noises could be heard coming from the Training Yard.

Another pressure wave tore through a group of Shadows, throwing them away.

"How long has she been at it?"

Deadman asked Cheshire as he phased through a tree branch, hovering beside the assassin.

"2 hours. She's been destroying them. All while using a Boken."

Cheshire answered, her left hand tightly grasped around the handle of one of her Sai's.

The object of their discussion, Lady Shiva sneered at the groaning shadows lying hurt and exhausted around her.

"Even with my current state, none of you should be this weak."

She told them coldly.

She twirled the Boken in her hands, pouring forth Spirit Energy into the practice weapon.

Spirit energy differed greatly from life force. Where the latter was mostly focused on reinforcing her physique, the former felt more ethereal.

Rama Kushna had made her an Avatar. Which was different from being a champion like Deadman. While Deadman only received a portion of the goddess power, Shiva received that and knowledge.

Knowledge on karma and balance. Knowledge on how spirit energy worked. How to increase soul power through meditative practice and motions.

The fact that she also possessed Ki made her the perfect teacher for Davian.

"Get up. Again!"

Shiva ordered.

A consequence of getting that kind of power added to her was that she needed practice to get used to wielding Spirit energy.

Practice that these shadows were barely even providing.

"I don't trust her."

Cheshire commented, her eyes narrowing under the feline mask.

"You don't look like the type to trust anyone."

Deadman snorted.

"Still..." The Disembodied spirit said gloomily.

"I know what you mean. She was dangerous before but now...now even if we were to merge, I don't think we'd stand a chance."

"Well, we have your goddess to thank for that, don't we?"

Cheshire shot back annoyed.

For his part, Deadman simply shrugged.

"She's a god. Usually that comes with the added perk of doing whatever she wants."

In the meantime, the 'spar' between Shiva and the shadows begun anew. Boken clashed against Katanas, with the Boken coming out on top.

Shurikens were merely parried without even sticking to the wooden practice sword.

"Disappointing!"

Shiva said, a wild discharge of Spirit Energy escaping her heels, pushing her speed to crazy extremes.

A few seconds later, the Shadows were on the ground again.

Cheshire got to her feet.

"What did you want?"

She asked Deadman.

"Oh, yeah, I came to tell you that he's awake."

He answered.

Down on the Training Yard, Shiva turned her head to look at the two.

******

(Davian's P.O.V)

I rubbed my face, swinging my feet off the bed.

It felt like I'd been sleeping for more than a week. My body felt exhausted and everytime I tried to remember what had happened, I received the sharp pangs of a headache.

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But first things first, I needed to check something.

"Chase, you there?"

I called out to my Zanpakuto.

"So, sleeping beauty is finally up?"

His sarcastic remark brought a relieved smile onto my face.

"Yeah yeah...how long have I been out? And where the fuck were you?"

I asked.

"A week and half. About what happened, what do you remember?"

He questioned.

What did I remember?

I scrunched my eyebrows as scenes and flashes of images passed through my mind, too fleeting to hold on to. I groaned.

"Nothing. I remember Killing Savage and then reaching out and grabbing something...but that's all. Kinda..."

I answered, using the wall to stand up. My feet were unsteady as I moved into the bathroom.

Splashing water on my face did little to actually help. My reflection looked sallow and thin. What the fuck had happened?

"You really don't remember a thing?"

Chase asked once more.

"No."

My reply was curt.

"You never answered my earlier question. When I arrived on the Island, Klarion's trap cut me off from you. But even when I destroyed the magic formation, I still couldn't feel your presence."

He went silent.

Then,

"I think I have a way we can jog your memory."

He finally spoke up.

I clamped down on the urge to call him out. He was clearly hiding something from me. However, getting back my memories seemed more important.

"Alright, what do you need me to do?"

I questioned, my reflection staring intently back at me.

"Nothing...just, hold on a second."

Chase responded.

"What do..."

I begun only to go silent when I felt the rush of foreign memories flow into me.

My lips parted, my eyes widened and the grip I had on the sink was so strong, my fingers tore into the ceramic.

Nick.

I saw him. My best friend came back to save my life.

He came back but was taken away. I remembered my promise to the one responsible.

"I'm going to kill Batman."

I said the words with a sigh.

Any chance of there being a peaceful resolution to our issues had flown out of the window.

It wasn't a promise anymore...it was an eventuality.

I palmed the green gemstone hanging over my neck. It was similar to Raven's gemstone which I had embedded onto the sheath of Chesha Neko a few weeks earlier.

This was Nick's last gift to me. A way to keep me in balance.

"So, I lost Bankai, almost lost Shikai and most of my Spirit energy control has gone to shit."

I mused, stepping into the bath to clean off the sweat that had accumulated after sleeping for more than a week.

"You would be right."

Chase replied.

The steam from the bath, clung to my skin as droplets.

I lifted a hand and tried to call onto my Spirit energy.

Push.

Pull.

A black aura appeared around my palm.

"Atleast I still have access to this."

Barragan's Ressureccion, Respira.

The Reikaku contained within wanted to lash out of my control. I sighed cutting off the energy. I needed to deal with the issue of my control first before anything else.

My clothes were nowhere to be seen, and I refused to wear the League of Shadows uniform, so I used the bathroom door to access my pocket dimension and grab a new change of clothes.

A generic gray t-shirt and sweatpants. A black pair of sneakers completed the look.

The Pale woman from before...she mentioned something about Training didn't she? I wonder what she was talking about.

"Duck."

Chase suddenly said.

"Huh?"

Unfortunately I was too late.

The next second, the wall was torn apart as something fast, burst through, smacking onto my chest and pushing both of us through another wall.

"Good to see you still have sharp reflexes."

Lady Shiva complimented, straining the wooden sword in her hand against Chesha Neko's bladed edge.

I'd brought it up the second I felt the raw and shocking amounts of Reiryoku within her frame. She was practically exuding an aura of Captain Level Reiryoku.

Her Reiatsu was crude, untrained but it settled around her like a cloak, dulling or slowing down any attacks sent her way merely by the pressure she produced.

Trees and vegetation broke under my back as we shot from one side of the island to the next.

I arrested my momentum by digging my heels into the sands of the shore on the western side of the Island.

The ocean gleamed under the sunny weather to my right.

In that fashion, we slowed down.

"What is the meaning of this?"

I asked, annoyed.

I was in a bad mood. Which was understandable in this situation.

I twirled Chesha Neko, still feeling a bit exhausted, then pointed the sword at the deadly woman before me.

"I won't kill you for that but attack me again..."

I let the statement hang.

For her part, Shiva smiled. Then she bent low, holding the Boken before her in preparation.

It was clear she wasn't going to listen. I ground my teeth, settling into a comfortable stance. The same one she had taught me.

Okay, if she wanted a fight, she would get it.

She studied my form and I caught the glimpse of pride before it was gone. Then she burst forward.

Oh good Lord was the woman fast.

I jumped back but she cleared the distance faster before my feet could land on the ground.

"How the fuck is she able to do a flash step?! What happened when I was asleep?"

I asked my Zanpakuto as I was forced to parry over a dozen fast attacks in a split second.

And her strength too.

I was pushed away, so I transitioned into a flip and released my Reiatsu in a wild wave of chaotic pressure.

The sand rose up into a cloud. A flash of light cut through the curtain of sand and Shiva was suddenly under me, Boken slashing up towards my groin.

A green shield appeared around my body, blocking the attack. Contact between the Boken and the shield saw the shield winning and her weapon broke apart into chunks and chips of wood.

A flash step took me behind her, One hand locking down her movements, while Chesha Neko's blade rested under her neck.

"I win."

I growled out, feeling darkness start to creep at the corner of my eyes.

My poor control was already making me suffer. I was much weaker than before.

Using Fullbring wasn't supposed to be this costly but I already felt devoid of spirit energy from the simple move of deploying my shield.

"Are you sure about that?"

Shiva asked, digging something pointy and sharp onto my belly. A small dagger.

I couldn't help it, I started laughing.

"You masters, always gotta be one step ahead huh?"

My body lost strength and I passed out once more.

Or rather, I was pulled into my inner world where Chase was waiting for me.

"We need to talk."

My Zanpakuto spirit said, sounding more serious than I had ever heard him before.

******

(General P.O.V)

Out in the physical world, Shiva walked through the hallways of the League of Shadows headquarters, Davian in her arms.

Deadman trailed after her, noticing that instead of taking him to his room, she took him to hers.