“Heh, I should be saying the same for you, taichou,” he called, for once calling Tsubaki by her rank and not her name.
Turning to the other Third Seater, he offered her a smile before pointing behind him. “I’ll take the west flank.”
Without another word, Ryoujin turned to the bewildered soldiers that were assigned under him, motioning for them to gather around. It was odd for him, the Co-Third Seat, to be leading half of the division into combat especially considering the role befit Kyuketsu more. As Vice-Captain, the other Templar should have been standing here, not him, and this fact alone only produced more confusion and discomfort amongst the troops.
What should I say? I’ve never been one for speeches, he thought before a voice interrupted him. Kyuketsu…
After all this time, the man’s innate ability to perceive things was still as shocking as ever. He hated that aspect of Kyuketsu, but at the same time, he realized that the question that his friend posed had good intentions. In the past month, not only had he nearly escaped death, but in addition to that, a struggle to establish some sort of connection to his soul slayer’s spirit took place. Moreover, a particular incident involving a second division scout turned rogue along with a maniacal Advent Human still remained fresh in his memory.
Was he truly alright with all of this? A part of him knew that he didn’t exactly agree with Tsubaki’s decision in telling him to lead instead of Kyuketsu, and the other part was unsure if the current situation was desirable. What experience did he truly have at taking the reins of leadership? Compared to Amaya, he was inexperienced. She had ventured into Hueco Mundo and survived those dunes, escaping anyone that may have tried to incapacitate her. She had even bore witness to many of the hardships that would have driven any shinigami insane.
Shit. Something inside of him nagged at the sudden train of thought. Since when did I ever have to compare myself with others?
“Yeah,” Ryoujin finally replied to Kyuketsu’s earlier query, “I’m good.”
Drawing his zanpakutou in a flash, he raised it into the air before relaying the orders that Tsubaki told except with an added touch.
“I’m not exactly your speech type of guy," he began, "but trust me, I will make sure that each of you make it back to the Seireitei in one piece.”
“In addition to placing your faith in each other," he continued, conviction finally beginning to lace his every word, "I’m gonna assign lance commanders.
...The first will be our fukutaichou, Reijuu Kyuketsu. He’ll be in charge of the heavier combat that we may get into. Trust his insight and judgment, and I can guarantee you that there won’t be any casualties,” he said, watching as the majority of the Templars nodded in approval.
As auburn orbs scanned the crowd, they fell upon a certain bespectacled death god. Opening his mouth to speak once more, he closed it just as abruptly. As much as I hate the way you do things, I can’t deny your skill with the blade plus that leadership mentality you have. With all of the recruits you’ve trained, it’s a surprise that you’re not even seated yet.
“The second will be Yamamoto Kenji," he finally announced after reconsidering it, "His patience and knowledge will benefit all of us. Again, I promise you that your trust is well placed with him."
When all of the lance commanders were called, Ryoujin turned towards the direction that he was assigned.
"For now, we're going to be securing the area. Keep your eyes open, and as Kyuketsu told us before, don't be heroes. The one-on-one duelist policy is long gone. We're Blood Templars," he concluded, watching as everyone got into position.
Using this time to advance towards the fiery-eyed woman he had noticed before passing through the gate, he asked, “Hotaru Maruyake, right? This might be sudden, but I’m going to need for you to stay with me for the moment. Be ready though because I might have to assign you under the care of either Kyuketsu, Kenji, or someone else at any time. Hopefully I’m not disappointing company for now though, haha," he said, adding the last bit to ease the woman's apprehension after assuming that she was probably suffering the most from unfamiliarity... which by now seemed to be the biggest issue for all of them.
...Just what were they up against?
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