Keep Pushing! (Hono/Hana)

Hana always hesitated to draw an actual blade against someone, especially a friend. Yet, the past year of sparring and training had shown her it was a necessary step for progress. She nodded and drew her zanpakuto, signaling the start of their spar. Hana's stance was impeccable, though fundamental. She focused on mastering the basics before attempting anything more advanced. This was the stance she had practiced the most, and she felt confident in its execution.

"Understood." Ready, Hana stepped forward and raised her blade high, bringing it down over Hono’s shoulder with the determination of someone fully committed to their training. Her expression hardened, eyes intensely focused on her actions. The strike was precise and carried a decent amount of Hana’s strength.

Hana concentrated intensely on her swing. She saw the leg sweep coming but couldn't react as swiftly as she wanted. Hono's kick succeeded in tripping her, sending her legs out to the side. Hana ended up on the ground. A moment later, Hana was back on her feet, showing no sign of giving up. She took a deep breath, resumed her stance, and launched into a barrage of powerful swings, determination in her eyes. And this time, it would prove much harder to trip her.

Hana was surprised when she really landed a blow. There was a moment of silent panic, wondering whether she hurt Hono, but the following laughter lessened that worry. That panic once again set in, however, when Hono decided to release her shikai. Hana had not gotten there yet, so she was not expecting to have to fight against one. Yet, here it was. Hana watched in awe at the transformation.

When Hono rushed in at her, Hana’s focus fell completely on blocking. She knew shikai often had special abilities, and she did not know Hono’s. She would have to figure that out and avoid being cut at the same time. She was completely on the defensive. And with the boost shikai gave Hono, Hana found herself struggling to block and dodge the incoming attacks. Still, she did not waver.

Hana began utilizing shunpo in order to dodge Hono. As the attacks came in, she would shunpo out of the way. After Hono’s final attack, Hana took the chance to shunpo to Hono’s side. She swung her sword at Hono’s rib for her first attack, and then followed with another shunpo that brought her to Hono’s opposite side. At this second attack, Hana attempted another downward swing at Hono’s shoulder.

As their blades collided, Hono could see there was a shift in Hana. Her eyes were wide, but without emotion and giving off a robotic vibe. The girl retreated into her mind and was fighting off instinct, but with a hyper-focus that increased her accuracy. This was a state Hana fell into when she was doing one of two things: in fear of bodily harm or death or she was trying to communicate with her zanpakuto spirit. In this particular case, Hana was actually doing both.

‘She activated her shikai. She’s going to kill me!’

‘Hana, she must believe you can handle it if she pulled out such a thing.’

‘I can’t handle a shikai!”

‘You’ve never been against one! Hono wouldn’t just kill you, Hana.’

‘I can’t stop attacking. I can’t stop moving. The moment I do…’

‘Hana, she won’t kill you! She’s your friend!’

‘FRIENDS LIE.’

Hana was suddenly kicked square in the stomach. Her body was hit with enough force that she was sent back a few feet. However, she twirled gracefully in the air and landed on her feet, sliding a back a few more feet before looking back at Hono. Gripping her sword, Hana shunpo’d forward again, giving little time for respite. She closed the gap between Hono and herself, sword already high above her head and being swung down toward the shoulder that held Hono’s zanpakuto. During this, Hana's reiatsu was being released, the air becoming colder by the second.

‘Hana, be careful!’

'Just tell me your name!'

The feel of a shikai was new to Hana. The boost of power was alarming, even intimidating. Hana’s focus was hard to keep as the panic began to set in, and she worried about really getting hurt. As Hono moved in to attack, Hana’s reflexes and fear of pain pushed her to move. Hana shunpo’d back as the cleaver swung in to slice open her chest. Hana was always quick on her feet, but she wasn’t perfect and panic weighed her down. She felt the blade cut her open just enough to make her bleed. Luckily, the wound was not life threatening at all. At the moment, Hana seemed more focused on dodging and blocking than anything else.

‘Why won’t you tell me your name!’

‘Hana!’

‘I don’t understan—’

‘You already know my name!’

‘What…’