The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the training ground as Sakura and Kazuki exchanged glances, their hands tightening on their sword hilts. Ishida stood before them, his posture relaxed yet alert, like a cat preparing to play with mice - except this cat had just become a Hashira.
"Both of us at once?" Kazuki asked again, a nervous laugh escaping his lips. "Against you? Unarmed? I mean, I know you got stronger, but isn't this a bit..." He trailed off, watching Ishida's calm expression. "You're serious, aren't you?"
"Completely," Ishida replied, his voice carrying that new weight of authority that seemed to have settled on him like a comfortable cloak. His enhanced senses picked up every subtle detail - the way Sakura's breathing had already shifted into a combat rhythm, how Kazuki's weight distribution changed as he considered his options.
"If we hesitate, we've already lost," Sakura muttered, her fingers flexing around her sword's hilt. The blade gleamed as she drew it in one smooth motion, the sound of steel against scabbard cutting through the afternoon quiet. "Water Breathing..." she began, her stance lowering.
Kazuki's eyes widened. "Wait, you're actually going to-"
"Second Form: Water Wheel!" Sakura launched herself forward, her body rotating as she created a flowing wheel of slashes aimed at Ishida. Her blade carved elegant arcs through the air, each one precisely calculated to either strike or force movement.
Ishida didn't move until the last possible moment. When he did, it was with such fluid grace that it seemed almost casual. His body swayed like a reed in the wind, each motion just enough to let Sakura's blade pass within a hair's breadth of his clothing without making contact. The water wheel technique, which should have been nearly impossible to evade completely, might as well have been moving in slow motion to his enhanced perception.
"Your form has improved," he commented mildly as Sakura's attack concluded, leaving her slightly off-balance. "But your breathing is still irregular at the end of the technique. It creates a small lag in your recovery time." As if to demonstrate, he stepped forward and lightly tapped her shoulder before she could bring her sword back to a defensive position. "See?"
"When did you-" Sakura started, but her words cut off as she had to jump back quickly. Ishida's hand had already moved toward her sword arm, in what would have been a perfect disarming technique if she hadn't retreated.
"Flame Breathing, First Form: Unknowing Fire!" Kazuki's voice rang out as he finally joined the fray, his blade wreathed in the visualization of flames as he struck from behind Ishida. It was a well-timed attack, taking advantage of what should have been Ishida's divided attention.
Should have been.
Without turning, Ishida bent backward at the waist, letting Kazuki's blade pass over him in a move that seemed to defy physics. His hand shot up, two fingers extended, and lightly flicked Kazuki's wrist. The precise strike sent a small shock through the nerves, causing Kazuki's grip to loosen slightly.
"Your attack speed is good," Ishida noted, still bent backward and speaking as casually as if they were discussing the weather, "but you telegraph your strikes with your breathing. I could hear the change in your respiratory pattern three steps before you attacked."
"Are you seriously giving us pointers while dodging?" Kazuki asked incredulously, readjusting his grip. "That's kind of insulting, you know!"
A ghost of a smile touched Ishida's lips. "Would you prefer I took a nap instead?"
"Now you're just showing off!" Kazuki charged again, this time coordinating with Sakura without need for words. They had clearly trained together during Ishida's absence, their movements complementing each other as they attacked from opposite sides.
Sakura and Kazuki's coordinated attack was like a dance they'd practiced countless times. As Kazuki's blade swept horizontally from the left, Sakura's strike came in diagonally from the right, creating a perfect cross pattern that should have been nearly impossible to evade without a weapon.
"Water Breathing, Third Form: Flowing Dance!" Sakura's blade wove through the air in fluid arcs, each strike flowing seamlessly into the next. The technique's multiple slashes were designed to be unpredictable, like a stream finding new paths around obstacles.
Simultaneously, Kazuki pressed his advantage. "Flame Breathing, Second Form: Rising Scorching Sun!" His upward slash created a perfect complement to Sakura's flowing attacks, forcing Ishida to deal with both high and low strikes simultaneously.
Ishida's expression remained unchanged as he moved between their attacks with almost insulting grace. His body seemed to flow like water while having the untouchable quality of smoke. Each movement was minimal, precise, and somehow both reactive and predictive at the same time.
"Your coordination has improved significantly," he commented, ducking under one of Kazuki's slashes while simultaneously leaning away from Sakura's thrust. "But you're both still thinking too linearly. Watch your footwork, Kazuki - you're about to trip."
"What? I'm not-" Kazuki started to protest, only to find his next step compromised by a slight unevenness in the ground he hadn't noticed. The minor stumble cost him his rhythm, creating a gap in their coordinated assault.
Ishida didn't waste the opportunity. He stepped into the gap with liquid smoothness, his hand darting out to press two fingers against Kazuki's chest. "Your heart rate spikes before each attack," he noted. "It makes your timing predictable."
"Since when can you tell people's heart rates?" Kazuki demanded, jumping back to reset his stance. Sweat was already beading on his forehead, while Ishida hadn't even broken a breath.
"Nine months is a long time," Ishida replied simply, already moving to counter Sakura's follow-up attack. She had used Kazuki's moment of vulnerability to launch into another form.
"Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide!" Her blade became a blur of motion, creating multiple simultaneous strikes from different angles. The technique was executed perfectly - her breathing steady, her form flawless, her timing impeccable.
Ishida's eyes narrowed slightly as he analyzed her improved form. 'She's grown significantly,' he thought, noting how her current execution far surpassed her previous capabilities. 'But...'
His body moved with impossible precision, finding the minute spaces between her strikes. To observers, it would have looked like he was phasing through the attacks rather than dodging them. "Your technique is clean," he said, "but you're still bound by its prescribed patterns."
As if to demonstrate, his hand suddenly shot through her defense, fingers stopping just short of her throat. "See? Traditional forms are foundations, not limitations. True mastery comes from transcending them."
Sakura's eyes widened, both at the speed of his movement and the implication of his words. She jumped back, landing beside Kazuki, both of them breathing heavily while Ishida stood relaxed, hands now clasped behind his back.
"How are you doing this?" Sakura asked, frustration evident in her voice. "It's like... it's like you're not even in the same dimension as our attacks."
"Maybe we should try attacking at the same time from three directions," Kazuki suggested, wiping sweat from his brow. "Wait, no, we only have two people..."
"You're overthinking it," Ishida said, and suddenly he was standing between them, having covered the distance in what seemed like a single instant. Neither of them had even seen him move. "Combat isn't just about speed or technique. It's about understanding - your opponent, yourself, and the space between."
Both Sakura and Kazuki instinctively jumped away, putting distance between themselves and Ishida. Their expressions showed a mixture of frustration, awe, and determination.
"That's easy for you to say," Kazuki grumbled, readjusting his grip on his sword. "Nine months of special training, and you come back moving like... like..."
"Like moonlight," Sakura finished quietly, her eyes narrowing as she studied Ishida's relaxed posture. "Untouchable, but ever-present. We need to change our approach."