Educators, Vizards, and Manga [Tento | Chizuru ]

As they fought, Shiōmaru continued to offer subtle guidance and encouragement, slipping witty remarks into Tento’s mind to keep him sharp and focused as they dealt with this mysterious creature.

Try not to damage the training area too much. Those repairs aren't cheap. The wry comment brought a brief laugh from Tento even as he parried a vicious strike.

I'll keep that in mind, Tento thought, his determination solidifying. With each clash of their bodies, he felt himself growing stronger, his will hardening like steel. But would that give him the answers he sought on this day?

Tento tilted his blade at the last second, changing a side way slash to a oiercing stab. Managing to land a powerful blow, but the shadowy hollow only seemed to grow more formidable, its yellow eyes narrowing with a chilling intensity as the blade pierced it's flesh finally. The creature retaliated with a fierce counterattack, forcing Tento to summon all his strength and agility to evade its strikes as it appendages stretched from behind pincering in at him from all corners, barely missing taking his blade from him.

Despite the close call Tento kept his feet squared and let a smile form on his lips. ”I won’t back down,” he thought, his resolve unshakable. I will overcome this.

With a fierce battle cry, Tento channeled his spiritual energy into his blade, pushing back against the hollow with renewed strength as he delved back into its incoming wave of attacks. The clash of their energies lit up the darkness within him, a beacon of hope against the encroaching shadows.

The hollow recoiled, its yellow eyes narrowing as if in surprise. Tento pressed the advantage, striking with precision and determination. He wouldn’t let this new threat dominate him. He would fight, and he would win. But as he continued to battle, the hollow's tactics shifted. It became more aggressive, its attacks more calculated and vicious. Tento found himself on the back foot, forced to defend against a relentless onslaught. Each blow he blocked sent tremors through his body, wearing him down bit by bit.

Damn it, sweat mingling with the chill in the air. This thing is relentless. How does it keep getting harder to fight!?

The hollow’s serpentine form twisted and coiled, striking from unexpected angles. Tento’s movements became more desperate, his breathing labored. The oppressive energy was suffocating, and his strength was waning.

Stay focused, Tento. You can’t give in now.

”I know, I know ”, Tento thought, gritting his teeth. "I have to mix it up. I wont let it beat me."

But the hollow’s eyes seemed to glow brighter, its attacks more ferocious. With a sudden, powerful strike, the hollow broke through Tento’s defensive guard, sending him sprawling across the ground. The impact knocked the wind out of him, and he struggled to rise, his vision blurred. As he knelt there, the hollow loomed over him, its yellow eyes burning with a malevolent light. Tento’s heart pounded in his chest, a mix of fear and determination fueling his resolve.

The viciousness of the fight was growing and a frown crossed Chizuru’s face as she observed. Tento was taking a bit of a beating at this point and while the Vizard had faith in him still, it seemed that his opponent was gaining the advantage. She made no attempt to intervene at that point, knowing that doing so would ruin any chance of what he was trying to achieve. All she could do was wait for the time being, hoping that he would soon enough turn the tide again. It was certainly a spectacle to watch and Chizuru struggled to think of an encounter quite so violent, outside of her own inner battles.

The amount of energy bursting throughout the training area caused her own inner hollow to stir with her although a quick mental yank on its leash would push pay to that. There was no room for debate when it came to their relationship and Chizuru kept it pinned down permanently. All she heard was a growl from within, which was pretty much the limit of its speech capabilities. While it was somewhat of a pain that it was unable to speak to her in one way, Chizuru had come to appreciate it, as having one loud mouthed spirit within her was enough, namely her zanpakuto. The thought of a spoiled dragon and an aggressive hollow yammering was enough to give her a headache.