The Pale Training Grounds Carter

He didn't even blink as Tsubasa told him there would be a price for these lessons, nothing in life was free. The payment would be for him to become the fourth and final retainer to the Unabara Clan, that itself did throw Carter off a bit, he had expected to be sent to gather something rare or do something that would stain his soul, he hadn't considered being taken into a clan. Truthfully it wasn't the same as being "apart" of the clan but he would become a piece in a way of sorts. This forced his white brows to furrow in confusion for a moment as Tsubasa went on about a concoction he would need to ingest to gain something called a Cardinal Seal.


He didn't know what it would do but he really had no choice other than turn and exit the hall, spitting in the clan of Unabara's face and potentially destroying an ally The Gotei had. That wasn't going to be his choice. He has me backed into a corner and he knows it. It doesn't matter, I need this training to protect everyone. He thought rapidly to himself as to not appear to pause at the man's offer before stepping toward the cup and looking at the liquid inside, it was a mulled color, much like green tea after the steeping is done and it's left to cool in a late spring afternoon. The china was porcelain and pristine. A small sigh of acceptance left his mouth so soft that even The Pale Rider couldn't make it out before he ingested the contents of the cup, the drink was crisp and smooth, much like green tea infused with hibiscus and raspberries.

No sooner had he set the cup down had the feeling of his body searing apart fromt he inside overtaken him, a small audible gasp cut free of his lips as veins bulged out of his neck and forehead, his golden eyes went bloodshot instantly while he found his way to his knees, his hands grasping at the soft grass underneath looking for a purchase as to fend off the pain he was being assaulted with, it was without words to him. He had taken Mana ripping into his chest and placing a curse on his very heart, had suffered destroyed limbs, been subjected to baths in demonic acid, but nothing was half the pain this was. Every nerve in his body was inflamed, he could feel a burning down to the very marrow of his bones. His body wracked itself in an attempted to fight off the pain but he couldn't push it out, the pain was metaphysical in nature was well.

He could feel his own spirit energy ripping and shredding before reordering itself, his mind was screaming as it was pulled apart at the seams, his sense of person being stripped done to nothing before recollected itself once more as the last waves of the pain finally began to slack off. He wasn't aware he had been sweating until it was finally over but once it was finished he could feel something in himself, some new blob that would begin to shape itself into a power for his usage, something he would begin to awaken at a later time.

Gathering himself Carter stood again, aware that the drink had stolen roughly twenty minutes from him while he was altered to whatever he had been altered into. Even in that state he had heard every word Tsubasa had spoken of the dolls so when he finally walked over to the doll that had been set up for him to strike at he found Tsubasa smoking and deep in thought, even as distracted as he appeared Carter knew that man would be gauging his every move and mentally recording all his flaws in his swordplay. There was nothing left but to get to business. Taking a deep breath to settle the final bits of him his golden eyes closed almost to slits while his left hand drew forth his zanpakuto Nacuto. She wouldn't be waking up during this training but she would be needed to actually strike the dummies.

Bringing the sword out in front of his so the blade bisected his body and the tip of the katana pointed at the dummy Carter's right hand found grip on the blade as well, taking a two hand stance he rushed in, blades of grass shot up behind him like exalted followers as he closed in on the target, at the last moment his right foot shot out forward and his weight went to his heel before pivoting and bringing his left foot forward also on his heel, during this movement his arms had bent in so that his left forearm shrouded half of his face before again extending outward when as his spin completed itself, the blade of his sword cutting deep into the left collar bone to the center of the chest on the dummy but quickly losing momentum and power so that by the tip the blade stopped moving only the tip was still in the dummy.

Red splashed outward onto the dummy as a deep clean line cut across Carter, mirroring the wound he had inflicted onto the object in front of him, he had used too much speed and no enough strength, in action he had looked like a speeding star but his execution lacked the power to drive the attack home all the way and because of such the attack was reflected to him. there was not enough balance yet.

Blood dripped down his chest as he walked back to his starting position and took a deep breath, he would do it again, and again, and again. He wouldn't stop until he had mastered this or until he had cut himself to ribbons.