"What if they're real and we hurt them...well....you hurt them." Deha was under no illusions as to her own strength. "We should probably try to find out instead of slash no, ask questions later."
"Deha, we don't have time for that. I can't feel any reiatsu off them, can you?"
"Well, no. But I can't feel any off you either." she pointed out. "Unless you're suppressing it."
"No. It's the stone."
Azdeha looked around and for the first time noticed they were surrounded by sleek dark grey stone, like the stone around Seireitei. "So we have no way of telling if they're real."
Byakuya shook his head. Deha thought for a moment then, never taking her eyes off their opponents, directed her thoughts to Byakuya. "The lab where Mayuri had me...I couldn't feel your reiatsu then either. Not until after you took me off the table."
"The table Mayuri used was made of the same stone."
"So how could you tell I was real."
Byakuya thought for a moment, then, "Your eyes. Every fake I've come across has shown no emotion."
"Ok...so we just have to get close enough to look into their eyes. Piece of cake." she groaned, knowing full well the closest she was going to get to either of the shinigami in front of them was about 20 meters if they had their way.
"There's one more thing..." Byakuya gestured towards their zanpakuto. "No reiatsu, no release, remember?"
Azdeha looked down at Kurobara, only just noticing that the usual vibrations that ran through her sword were gone. "Son of a...."
"It's better for you...we're now all on equal footing. If we can't use our release..they can't use theirs. It's all down to swordsmanship."
Azdeha's shoulders dropped. "Still."
"I'll take Renji...you and Chusei are more equally matched in height and strength..and you'd no doubt get distracted fighting your own brother."
Azdeha groaned again, hoping with everything she possessed that Byakuya was right about their opponents not being able to release their zanpakuto either.
"Here goes..."
