Wrath of the Archdemon: Ares

Onslaught! First Stage of the Invasion!
''"I am tired and sick of war. Its glory is all moonshine. It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, for vengeance, for desolation. War is hell." '''

-General William Tecumseh Sherman

The next few days happened as if it was only moments for some of the Soul Reapers preparing for war. Civilians were all sent to secure shelters where they'd be protected by Captain Unohana and a number of select volunteers numbering up to two hundred able bodied Soul Reapers. Captain Unohana's Lieutenant would manage the hospitals and emergency med teams as best as she can, and is ordered not to engage hostiles unless her med teams are in danger.

Regular patrols done by the Stealth Force and joint equipment utilized by the 12th Division scoured any cracks within security as well as send a few scouts to check the outlying Rukonagi Districts for possible enemy infiltrators. Their ninja-garbed bodies moved to and fro with swift speed and caution, not wanting a repeat of what happened to their comrades when discovering Ultharon.

The Gate Guardians were on full alert, honing themselves and keeping in sharp readiness for any incoming intruders who might try to make it for the gates. With revitalized strength and vigor, they are eager to prove themselves after the humiliation of failing to stop the Ryoka Invasion prior twelve years ago to this date.

The 7th Division worked in conjunction with the 11th and the 9th Divisions in order to patrol along the large circular wall of Sekkiseki, making sure no single side could be breached without their knowing. Sajin Komamura almost hesitated in working near Kenpachi Zaraki again, but Kensei Mugurama kept the two of them from fighting, and the powerful fighting force worked in a cohesive, necessary manner around the walls of the Seireitei.

Despite the walls being as resilient as they were, the fact that Ultharon was able to penetrate its defenses as if there was no barrier or wall in his way was nearly beyond belief. With this in mind, Captains Shinji Hirako, Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake operated the central internal security force with their respective Divisions and Officers, in the event the enemy got past the outer Seireitei gates and walls.

Waiting on standby would be the 10th, 3rd, and 6th Divisions underneath their respective Captains: Toshiro Hitsugaya, Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi, and Byakuya Kuchiki, along with their respective Divisions and Officers.

Genryuusai Shigekuni Yamamoto would be directing all strategems and oversee the battle on Sōkyoku Hill, his Division in full force and battle readiness surround the rocky formation in strategic locations, but make sure not to be too close to their leader. When the Head Captain reacts, there would too much collateral to his own men to make it worth securing them nearby.

With all this being said, Seu-Feng was finally able to be released from the Hospital under Isane's orders, only if she didn't do anything reckless like she did fighting Ultharon. While she said she'd make no promises, she assured her she would approach this war with a more tactful, calculated outlook than before. She wouldn't be a burden to anyone...especially now.

"You okay?"

Next to her stood Akisame, his weapon slung over his back and his hands in his pockets as he looked over to his comrade. His face didn't show it, but his voice gave a slight hint of concern. She had just gotten out of the hospital, and still probably not capable of fighting at her full capacity.

"Its been three days, Akisame," Seu-Feng said offhandedly, fastening her forearm protectors as well as her additional shin guards, made of specially crafted material to add protection while granting light weight to allow her maximum speed abilities, "if I stand around while my men patrol out there, I'm doing both a disservice to the Stealth Force as well as to myself. Its not like I'm going to use Bankai outright...its usually not my style," she eyed Akisame briefly, before smiling at him with hidden meaning.

In return, the man gave her a slight smile, and looked back out into the distance. "I'd say so. I've never seen it up close, but based on the bright light that I saw in the Cracked Valley, I'd say that it wouldn't be the best thing to use in here."

Seu-Feng smiled wryly, patting him on the cheek as if touching a child, "Nice try, but you'd have to get me incredibly willing to disregard all my practiced forms of combat in order to use such a flashy attack like that. Especially just to show off for the likes of you," she then turned around and adjusted a breastplate over her black linen uniform, before grasping her Haori, "its the burden we Captains cannot unload. Going into duty, despite if its convienant or not, is what we swore to do as we taken these positions of distinguished, honorary titles."

"Last resort eh?" he smirked, rifling around an object in his right pocket. "I can understand that. But I can be impressed pretty easily."

Seu-Feng smirked, crossing her arms as she arched her brow, before her voice asked her from behind, "Really?"

WHIZ!

Within a blink of an eye she disappeared before his eyes as she had initiated the Flash Step maneuver that made her almost nigh invisible. It was...almost in comparison to Yoruichi if Akisame would think back to his times as a boy who looked up to a godesss.

"Okay okay, you got me."

He let out a sigh, still retaining his smile. At first he was initially taken aback by her incredible speed, and how similar to Yoruichi the woman was. "She taught you everything, didn't she?"

"Not everything," Seu-Feng said with a tinge of remorse, clenching her knuckles lightly, "the one art that the preceeding Commander-in-Chiefs of the Stealth Force always carried with pride and honor, was Shunko. Not even my Lady could harness its full potential, as it was said to rival the use of even a Bankai at its prime."

"Oh." he replied, looking down slightly as if he regreted bringing her up. "I've heard of Shunko. It's a fused variation of the user's hand to hand prowess and Kido, right?"

"Which is a incredibly difficult art," she answered readily, grasping her Zanpakuto and properly fastening it onto her waist horizontally in a habitual manner, "one must be both a master in the Kido Arts as well as Hand-to-Hand combat in order to utilize its fullest potential. By harnessing its core on the users back and shoulders, this allows all momentum to the limbs to be incredibly augmented. You need a incredibly high amount of stamina and physical resilience as well as complete fluid control over the millions of spiritrons vibrating around your body, and then harness the release of spiritual energy simultaneously with personal speed and physical strength," as she finished adjusting her Zanpakuto, she then turned around to wrap a yellow border-black headband across her forehead, before adjusting her hair into a single braid to let it flow freely down her shoulders past the small of her back, "in other words, if even my late Lady Yoruichi couldn't even perfect it, neither could I. No...I think the next generation will get it right, I'm sure of it."

"If you keep at something for long enough, you're bound to get it right someday." he added, putting his hand on her shoulder reassuringly, and giving her a cool smile along with it. "Who knows? Given enough time and patience, you may just be the first to perfect it after all."

"Yeah," She said before shrugging off his hand, walking towards the exit of the hospital room, "in another decade or so, maybe. If we survive this war, I'll maybe show you a thing or two about it...perhaps you could learn a thing or two from it."

"Might just do it, though from what you've probably guessed, i'm a pretty slow learner." he said, catching up to her as they both left the hospital to greet the shining afternoon sun.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot...."

He then pulled out a black and silver necklace, with a black wolf pendant at it's very center, having it's mouth open as if it was howling with two diamond eyes that one could see themselves in if they looked.

"Here." he said, holding it out for Seu-Feng to take it. "It's an old good luck charm that a chief of a Native American tribe gave to me when I was wandering around the Human World. It's a good luck charm for leaders of warriors of the tribe."

Seu-Feng looked at Akisame strangely, almost as if he was giving the wrong kind of gift to the wrong person. Then, she thought it would be rude to refuse a gift like this, so she extended her hand and grasped it gently, letting it string down to hang in front of her eyes, letting her look at the beautiful reflective diamons engraved within the pendant, "Its beautiful craftsmanship...though I'm pretty sure they don't make these any more," she then looked at him peculiarly, jingling it in emphasis, "are you sure you want to part with something like this?"

He smiled warmly as he put his hands back in his pockets. "I'm sure. I always intended to give it to someone special anyway. Plus if I keep it then it would probably get broken, since it would be in my pocket." he finished, rubbing the back of his head.

Seu-Feng made a blank-looking face as she said, "Figures."

She then pocketed the pendant, making sure it was fastened safely and securely, before heading out of the room, "Did you get an assignment from Head Captain yet? I don't believe I know your specific post within the Soul Society's defenses..."

"As a matter of fact..." he began, shifting his hands to his pockets and following her once more. "...he assigned me to you. I'm to follow your orders like all the other subordinates under your command."

"Great," Seu-Feng looked blank and unamused by the sentiment, "it seems my superior won't forgive me for not subduing you, so he placed the troublemaker within possession of the Stealth Force leader's hands. I guess he's counting on the fact that if you step out of line, I'll put an end to you...how much of a pain this is going to be, I can't even fathom," she grumbled with the blank, bemused expression on her facial features as she walked out of the 4th Division's barracks, vaguely noticing the additional security of some spare 1st Division members, all garbed in their traditional borderline regal attire.

"Hey I'm not that tough." he replied, walking alongside her. "You could end it in one swift movement....unless I'm in Bankai of course." he said, retaining his teasing smile.

"Don't flatter yourself," Seu-Feng said with a fox-like smile, speaking a bit evilly as she narrowed her eyes into sharp corners as she sideglanced at him, "you wouldn't even see me coming. That is...the nature of a Stealth Force Soul Reaper after all, and I am their Commander-in-Chief and Captain. So, even if a Soul Reaper releases the true form of their Bankai, I can still move as fast as if they were standing still...you've not even begun to grasp the true prowess of my abilities."

"How do you think I held out against that Vasto Lorde?" he said back, still smiling in a teasing way. "If my Bankai is activated, physical attacks do very little to no damage to me. The opponent would have to resort to using ranged attacks like Kido to do anything."

He then folded his hands on the back of his head, looking up to the sky. "But then again. You are a Stealth Force Captain after all, and Yoruichi-"

He stopped himself before he could say more, knowing how sensative of a topic Yoruichi was to both of them. "...And there was only one other person capable of finding a hole in it's physical defense."

"You don't need to coddle me," Seu-Feng said in a almost spiteful manner, though she made no inclination at any anger towards him other than his forgetfulness as she fixated her eyes upon the secured road, "I'm an adult and I know how to handle grief when appropiate. Shell shock is something even Captains can find themselves susceptible in, if you haven't already guessed."

He let out a sigh in response. "Sorry. It's just-"

"Captain."

A youthful appearing man then appeared before the two of them. He wore the standard Soul Reaper attire, save for a metal armor piece on his left shoulder and a blue strap that went diagnally towards his lower right waist. His eyes were grey, and his hair was long and blue as he knealt before Seu-Feng in the manner that all subordinates would.

"The Commander has requested an immediate update on your status." he said plainly.

Seu-Feng briefly acknowledged him with a narrowing stare before she spoke back in her professional tone, "Tell the Head Captain I'm back on my feet and ready to fight to the death, if necessary, for the betterment of the Soul Society," she then briefly closed her eyes, before reaching out with her Spiritual Pressure to her outlying men, feeling them move swiftly and silently through the outer reaches of the Rukonagi Districts and the edge of the forests beyond it, "what's the status of our security?"

"It hasn't changed, unfortunately." the man replied, still kneeling. "The Research Department still hasn't been able to discover how the enemy manages to breach our defenses, and at least six of our scouting parties have gone missing in the past two hours."

"Then they aren't far off." Akisame commented to himself, crossing his arms and having a serious expression.

"But that only means that the enemy is holding back the bulk of their forces for when they actually breach our defenses," Seu-Feng deduced, looking over to the horizon in emphasis, "the fact that they're laying low and taking out only the scouting parties means they intend to wait until the last absolute second before deploying their full strength. Even if Ultharon has raised an army as large as he claims it would be suicide for hundreds of Hollows to launch a berserk strike against both the outlying Stealth Forces and the Gate Guardians protecting the wall. They'd need a great deal more bodies or more powerful ones if they'd force the three Divisions off the wall to aid in the fight."

"One of our scouts managed to send a report before going off the hook." the Soul Reaper replied, standing up and folding his hands across his lower back. "They've spotted at least three Vasto Lorde level Hollows. One of them is the supposed Pale Rider himself, and one of the other ones appeared to be a feminine Arrancar. They appeared to be heading towards our east flank."

"Caius," Seu-Feng said with a grit of her teeth before narrowing her eyes, "the fact that the Leader of Ultharon army is heading towards one direction means they intend either a ruse to direct our fighting force to repel them needlessly while they infiltrate another position, or they intend to call upon the bulk of their forces behind them and charge with the support of three Vasto Lorde Hollows."

She then turned her attention back to the officer, speaking in a commanding tone, "I will take Akisame and meet the enemy headlong. Tell all scout parties to pull back and make patrols within the Rukonagi on all angles possible. I don't want infiltrators coming in from opposite directions if this is indeed a ruse."

"Yes ma'am."

With that, the officer used a Flash-Step, leaving the two of them to their devices.

"Ready when you are." Akisame said, looking over to her and smiling. "Captain."

"Right," Seu-Feng said, before shimmering away in a near soundless Flash Step, leading the way for her new subordinate. Hopefully, she could slow them down enough...she hoped.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

"So this is the Eastern Rukonagi District?" Rana said with mild disdain as she traversed across the dirt road of the now abandoned neighbourhoods. Rows upon rows of shacks bunked against each other to make a conglomerate of metalic, ceramic, and brick constructs that barely passed as reasonably living quarters for the citizens of the Soul Society. Within the borders of the Soul Society, it already looked like a near-hellish existence for these pathetic creatures. As they've drawn nearer, she could hardly say the living space was...impressive at all.

"I'm thoroughly disappointed in them for making such a dump of a living space for its citizens," she proclaimed as she closed her eyes, her crimson-black bordered robes swayed within her slow wake and flourished around her impressive figure, her Zanpakuto slightly jingling with each step she took in the Soul Society.

"Did you honestly expect any better from the likes of Soul Reapers?"

Just next to her was her superior, Caius Louisenbairn, on top of his mighty steed while steadily and smoothly traversing the abandoned buildings. "The only thing of concern to a Shinigami is the preservation of it's military might, and the protection of that useless Royal Family."

"Its the arrogance that they think they're in the right when they treat their own kind this way...that sickens me most," Rana said with a hissing sound, looking around the slum-covered landscape. She could faintly feel subtle Spiritual Pressures flowing to and fro just beyond reach of them, apparently taking caution to what they heard happened to their scouts.

"It seems like their gate is the only thing standing in our way," Rana pointed out as they neared the structure of the gargantuan wall, its height only second to the towering walls of Las Noches, as their distance was merely fifty yards away, "and yet they're not sending anyone to attack. Do they think this is just a mere ploy to break away their defenses?"

"Remember General Rana," Caius spoke to her in a subtle and respective tone. "Our objective is not the front gate. With recent events, it is almost certain that the bulk of their defenses will be based on the inside. Our goal here, is to lure them out of the Seireitei, and out here to strengthen their forces and thus leave the inner area past the gate open for the King."

"Right, I'm just saying-"

PHEEEEEW!

"-incoming!" Rana spoke aloud as she leaped to the side as a large projectile, over the size of a grown man, flew towards the group, with enough concussive force that it caused a pillar upheaved from the earth, with a wave of dust in its wake.

Caius had felt the oncoming attack before Rina ever even spoke the words, having used his Sonido to avoid the blast, his horse doing the same. He reappeared on top of one of the shacks, still on horseback as he looked out towards the source of the attack.

"Well now. You came earlier than expected." he said to the attacker.

As Rana observed the projectile from a safe distance, she could tell it was incredibly dense mineral as through the impact it stuck out of the ground without as much of a scratch on it. It was easily her size, with a girth about a meter & a half, with it being perfectly shaved to a smooth surface with slight spotch marks from large hands grabbing it.

A large, bestial appearing man appeared with a stomp onto the ground, as his appearance was as dramatic as his attack. His face gleamed with an evil, feral grin as he showed off yellow teeth with his mane-like hair hanging down his tall back. Although slightly crouched, he stood over two stories tall, with thick roiling muscles curled around his limbs and torso, his bandoleer roman-esque outfit showed that he was a warrior and didn't have any particular affiliation anybody would recognize but the Rukonagi Easter District.

"You shall go no further, Hollow scum!" Kaiwan spoke aloud as he stood to his full height, already unholstering another of his human sized spikes from his bandoleer as he spoke, "you will be a fine addition to my collection, with your masks and skulls slung on my pikes! For I, Kaiwan, Guardian of the Eastern Blue Stream Gate, will slay you where you tread!"

To this, Caius gave a reluctant sigh, looking down slightly in dissapointment. "A Gate Guardian? How insulting for the Gotei 13 to send one as pathetic as yourself to stop beings of our calibur."

Kaiwan growled, moved at a incredible pace as he disappeared from sight, rising high above the airspace where Caius was, throwing down his spike with a incredibly ear-piercing screech as it reached him and his steed within moments, "YOU DARE MOCK ME, DECREPIT CREATURE?!"

"I wonder if he can even feel our Spiritual Pressures?" Rana asked with a bland, unimpressed look on her face as she saw the Gate Guardian engage them in combat.

TANG!!!!!!!!!

With just one arm, Caius blocked the oncoming attack, using no visible effort as he grasped the weapon with his hand. He then looked at the gate guardian with two piercing red eyes.

"Begone, abomination."

SPLURCH!!!!!!

A massive cut appeared on Kaiwan's gut, a green surge of electricity shooting out from it as Caius let go of the weapon. Just to the building across from them, another figure, the source of the new attack appeared, his back facing Kaiwan and his head tilted back to look at him with an almost disqusted face.

Rana crossed her arms, not even bothering to fight against such a low level opponent. She just decided to watch the prowess of her fellow Hollows, and see how quickly they could take him down.

"GAUGH!" Kaiwan clutched his gut as he fell to the earth with a mighty crash, dust and debris flew towards different directions. However, Kaiwan managed to slam his fist into the earth, standing back up as his left hand clutched his wound while snarling at the other Hollow that had attacked him, "beat me at my own game, will ya?! I'll show you! I'll show you scum what Kaiwan the Guardian of the Blue Stream Gate can really do!"

Grasping multiple spikes simultaneously, he moved with renewed speed towards the new target, moving at surprising speed despite his stomach wound he bore. With a wide-eyed manical gleeful expression on his face, he leaped and appeared behind the new attacker, throwing two spikes towards him with inhuman strength before rebounding to another position, throwing wave after wave of spikes at his opponent...before reappearing above him, unsheathing his butcher blade and swinging a precise, brutal strike towards its neck, shouting, "DIE HOLLOW SCUM!!!!"

WHOOSH!!!!!

SPLURCH!!!!

The new Hollow disappeared, then reappeared just behind Kaiwan. This time, an even bigger cut appeared on the giant's shoulder and went all the way down to his lower left waist in a diagnal direction.

"Such a waste of my time." he commented in a raspy, hollow like voice.

"GAUK!" Kaiwan's eyes widened with bewilderment and pain as he fell down heavily, unable to even utter a response in the wake of a devestating attack that was inflicted upon his person.

Rana sighed as she flicked some of her bangs off her face with her hand, "Well...that was boring to watch. I was hoping he'd hold back a little so it'd last a little longer."

"No point in it." Leon replied, letting one of his razor sharp fingernails come out as he examined it. "Something like him wasn't even worth our time. Besides, we came here to fight real opponents, not pushovers."

"I agree." Caius said as he and his steed landed back on the ground. "Let's keep this up. The more commotion we cause, the more forces they send out to attack us."

PHEW-PHEW-PHEW!

A number of throwing knives and projectiles came upon the group, both accurate and more lethal than the prior, despite their downgraded size. The silent shadows that blurred around them at random, but did not come out to engage outright made it clear. The Stealth Force Reapers have arrived!

"Get down!" Rana spoke out as she used her Hierro to batter the majority of the projectiles before they reached a potentially viable point, but also used a number of graceful flips and sidestepping in order to avoid them, not having to move too much despite the rain of weapons coming upon her person, "they may be just Reapers, but they're still capable of harming us. Don't hold back against them!"

Of course, Caius and Leon were prepared.

Caius easily swiped the oncoming projectiles away with his hand, sending them spiraling away from him and into several houses next to him on both sides.

Leon, on the other hand, promptly avoided the oncoming attacks with relative ease, swerving his form to and fro to avoid certain harm by the blade's tips.

"Perhaps I will end up dismounting my horse for this fight." Caius commented.

As the barrage of weapons stopped, the figures fell back, retreating with haste and with subtlety, making Rana furrow her brows with caution, "They're falling back...why would they waste their time with such a meaningless set of attacks if they didn't intend to-?"

C-CLICK-WHIRRRRRRRRR...!

Rana's eyes suddenly widened as all of the knives that they had previously batted away suddenly glowed brightly, as blue sparks flue from the hilts and now apparent explosives that had been strung them armed themselves.

"Oh He-"

SCR-CRACK-CRACK-CRACK-BOOOOOOOOOM!

As all of the knives were somehow strung by spirit energy twine, a massive explosion commenced, causing a wide city block radius of devestating destruction to envelop the Vasto Lordes', with enough force to create a immense indentation within the earth, with only a few yards away from the Gate itself.

At a first glance, it would appear as if the Vasto Lordes were all incinerated in the massive column of fire.

But if only it were so.

"How amusing...."

Whooooosh.....

With a fast and strong wave of his left hand, the now dismounted Caius blew away the fire pillar while releasing a bit of his own Spiritual Power to send the flames away.

"To think that they would believe us so primitive to fall for such a pathetic tactic." he said, casually walking out of the burnt crater that they all were previously in. Leon appeared to have avoided the blast outright, having reappeared on top of another building well aways from the explosion.

"Not fast enough if you ask me."

WHIZ!

Within the smoking aftermath of the explosion, a immensely swift and unseen being moved behind Leon, launching a powerful kick while in mid-air with enough force to send him hurtling beyond into the crater's recess near Caius. Seu-Feng would then land onto the building top, before standing up slowly and dramatically looking over the collective three Vasto Lorde with narrowed, dangerous eyes, "I should've known you'd be the one leading this diversionary force...Caius Louisenbairn."

Feelings of Bitterness! Old Wounds Reopened!
Of course, Leon was slightly taken aback by the move.

With a low grunt, the kick sent Leon off of the building, but he quickly regained his balance and stood straight back up, looking over towards Seu-Feng with his own dangerous glare.

Caius himself let his head turn in her direction, his piercing red orbs of his eyes looking straight at her grey ones. "And I should have known that you would have been foolish enough to actually come out here to attack me, Captain Seu-Feng."

"Not foolishness, Caius. Necessity," she stoically stared down all three Vasto Lorde as her Haori cloak and ponytail flourished a deadly beauty within the wind as the tension grew thick in the air, "in order to survive, we beings of rationality and logic must preserve ourselves by doing things that may appear to be foolishness to those of drunken, arrogant statures like yourselves."

Rana narrowed her eyes at this Captain Seu-Feng, having heard tales of how she had managed to defeat Caius' brother in open combat, the former King of Hueco Mundo. Whether it was only half the truth, regardless, Captains were not to be underestimated, and she kept her hand on her Zanpakuto readily, but did not accept an invitation to speak to her. Her eyes shifted back and forth, as her feet emanated a pulsation through the earth and then back again, using another unique form of Pesquisa to sift through the desolate wasteland that was once a slum.

"There is another nearby," she whispered, unintellibly to no one in particular, but she knew that if the other Vasto Lordes were paying attention, they would notice the faint spiritual pressure within the atmosphere, attempting to flank them.

And sure enough, there was.

Nearly 8 shacks behind the group was Akisame, his back to the wall of the closest building as he heard them speak. He whipped out a razor sharp army knife that was so clear he could see every detail of his own face. He held the blade out of the building's vicinity just enough to where he could see the 3 Vasto Lordes and his comrade's elegant form in it's reflection, his eyes paying more attention initially to the latter.

''Man. She is so cute when she's mad...''

Snapping back to reality, he briefly tilted the blade up towards the sun just enough to where Seu-Feng and Seu-Feng alone would see the split second flash, a signal to her that he was in position.

"Not foolishness as in arrogance, Captain..." Caius spoke to the woman, unintimidated and unimpressed with her stature. "...foolishness, as in recklessness."

"You know nothing," Seu-Feng said closing her eyes briefly, as the wind picked up once again before she disappeared, reappearing in front of Caius while throwing a high-sped punch with concentrative concussive force towards his skull, "of our resolve!!!!"

Rana lifted up a hand towards the direction where the enemy was, a slight gathering of spiritual energy wrapped around her palm before...discharging in a incredible rush of dark red energy, blowing away several buildings before violently exploding at the building's apex where he stood.

VRRRRR-BOOOOOM!

For a few seconds, time seemed to slow down.

Caius bent himself backwards, his hands still behind his back in a casual stance as the woman's fist barely came within a cenimeter of his chin.

WHOOSH!!!!

He then used his Sonido to disappear from her view, before reappearing just on top of the building that she previously stood.

"As I said before...." he began as a red sphere of energy began to form just between his eyes, red and white lightning surrounding it briefly.

"....reckless."

VVVVVVRRRRRBOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!

A small, thin red line of energy shot out from the sphere in the form of a very small Cero straight at the ground where Seu-Feng stood, creating a surprisingly massive explosion in the form of a giant red pillar of fire and smoke.

Damn!

Akisame, in the mean time, used a quick Flash Step to avoid the onslaught of red destruction that nearly obliderated him, reappearing near another set of shacks just a few meters away from them. Drawing his Zanpakuto and sheathing his knife, Akisame prepared for Rana's next strike.

Careful Sophie.... he thought to himself, thinking about the one that he swore to protect. ...I know you've been through alot of fights, but Caius is a different story.

As it seemed Seu-Feng was caught within the midst of the diabolically large explosion, her pain-stricken form before being incinerated...was replaced by her Haori coat, lost to the massive pillar of energy that burned it within moments upon touch.

"Way of the Onmitsukido, Cicada..."

Seu-Feng had already reappeared, using the highly effective Flash Step technique to appear at his blind spot as he spoke his last word, slamming a palm-heel strike towards the Vasto Lorde's spine, initiating enough concussive force to sending hurtling a good distance while intending to stun him.

"So," Rana scraped her Zanpakuto along the ash-ridden earth, taking measured steps to her right as the blade made a distinctive scraping sound, "the mouse can run, can it? Well then," she then smiled, initiating a Sonido which allowed her to disappear at a incredible rate of speed, reappearing above Akisame as she employed her attack, "I'll just have to keep up, now won't I?"

BRA-BRA-BRA-BRA-BRA-BRACK!...

With a singular stroke of her sword, she launched a number of spear-headed balas towards him, intending on using their incredible speed and penetration power to put him down, causing large explosions within the earth in its wake upon each impact.

However, Caius didn't take the hit.

SNATCH!!

Just between him and Seu-Feng emerged Leon, catching Seu-Feng's wrist with both hands. The power put into the strike was enough to make him grunt and even scoot back a little had he been careless.

But now that he had her within both hands, he proceeded to swing her to Caius's left side, intending to fling her a good distance away from both of their vicinity, and then proceed to chase her form down to continue the assault.

Akisame in the mean time, felt the oncoming projectiles tear through the sky just above him. Forced to use Flash Step again, he did so and reappeared to Rana's left side at least five meters from her, holding his sword out towards her as it began to glow with a fiery orange.

"Gaia Eikyo!"

BRACKROOM!!!!!!

A powerful burst of flaming heat was sent her way, dust and debris shooting from the building ruins and ground below and around his vicinity as the flaming ball of heat threatened to burn a hole through her gut.

"Ngh!" Seu-Feng growled as she felt herself forcefully yanked from her target, the fellow Vasto Lorde needlessly interrupting her fight with their unofficial leader. She felt herself flying, but within moments righted herself as he did when she got the drop on him, slamming her feet onto the recess of the crater, before propelling herself towards him as he charged back at her, causing an uplifting wave of dust and ashes in her wake.

As soon as they made contact, Seu-Feng initiated a number of high-speed thrusts of her arms and occasional arcs of her legs and feet, using her heightened martial artistic expertise to her advantage. While doing this she knew there was no definite way of actually inflicting the damage she wanted, it also allowed her to probe his weaknesses and strengths, allowing her to think of a strategy of attack that would be more successful than a mindless brawl.

Rana's eyes watched the flames emit from the Soul Reaper, her eyes drawn down to a knitted expression that borderlined murderous intent and anger, "That form of attack,"

SWING-SLICE!

Within mere moments of making impact, Rana used an unrivaled mastery of swordsmanship. With a single stroke of her blade, she sent enough cutting power and speed to slice the fireball in equalized halves, sending them hurtling behind her, causing a bright pyrotechnic explosion. The pillar of fire momentarily caused a overshadowing of her form with a menacing, crimson glaze to emanate from her eyes as she finished speaking,

"...won't work on me, Soul Reaper."

She then moved into a stance within the air, a semblence of a professional fencing, as she raised her sword level with her shoulder and pointed at Akisame. Putting one foot perpindicularly in front of the other, while the other pointed to her left, she then whispered, "Here I go!"

BZZT-BZZT!

Appearing in front of him within a instant, she slashed upwards a mighty arc of scarlet cutting spiritual energy, before disappearing and appearing behind him, causing two opposing arcs of energy to converge upon him at once, "Danza Mariposa!" (Eng Lit Translation, "Monarch Dance.")

As Leon and Seu-Feng exchanged equally devestating and masterfully swift blows, Akisame's expression wasn't all that surprised.

"Well at least it hit something..." he muttered to himself. His eyes then widened in surprise as the Arrancar reappeared infront of him and then initiated her attack. Two massive waves of crimson energy heading straight towards him would be highly difficult to avoid...

...but it wasn't impossible.

Whoosh!

BOOOM!!!!!!!

He quickly used a Flash-Step to just barely avoid the attacks, feeling the scalding energy from both of them just as he got out of their way, causing a massive red explosion to take place middair.

He reappeared to the left of Rina, swinging his larger sword towards her in a movement to slice her in half from the waist up.

Seu-Feng narrowed her eyes as she found that he nearly matched her each move as she did to him. With a slight predatorial smile, she knew that she found her most favored form of combat open to her here. Within the last punch Leon would send his way, Seu-Feng rolled around it before shimmering away from his position, reappearing above him as she launched a devestating kick towards his head. The force behind it, was nearly mirroring her own mentor's technique, the one that was capable of smashing through Aizen's 2nd form's Hierro, however had been faintly tinged with a crackling silver energy, almost transparent in nature as it homed in on its target.

Rana would not be deterred by a boy, who's skill was a fraction of what she's capable of...

SNATCH-CRK!

"You've obviously have been fighting normal Hollows too long, boy," Rana spoke as her hand had grabbed his shikai blade barehanded, scratching her Hierro upon impact but did nothing to deter her as she squinted with dangerous eyes, "if you think fancy footwork will save you here!"

SNAP-CRACK!

With a deft, athletic limberness Rana exerted, she sent one of her long curved legs up to his face, intending on kicking him backwards before she executed a roundhouse kick to his gut, intending on sending him reeling across the air with a fair amount of physical strength employed within each strike.

However, she had done just what Akisame wanted her to do.

As he barely felt her leg graze his chin from his quick reflexes, his blade began to glow with the same fire hue from before.

"Gaia Eikyo."

Her second kick wouldn't hit him, at least not at that point.

CRRACKBOOM!!!!!!

Discharging the fire attack from the end of his sword, of which was partially pointed at Rana's chest, a massive orange explosion ripped through the skies and even sent Akisame scooting back quite aways, his feet making a trail of steam as he struggled to regain his balance middair.

"Don't know about you..." he said, an amused grin on his face. "...but I think it's kind of hot when girls call me boy. Just saying."

ZZZZZCRACK!

Meanwhile, Leon had used a strange green spark of electric energy to avoid Seu-Feng's devastating blow. It was very fast, but it didn't feel like Sonido, but more natural. It felt as if...

...it was just him moving.

He then reappeared under Seu-Feng, his hoove like foot going straight up towards her chin with enough force to send it through her skull.

"Ngk!" Seu-Feng arched her neck to the side, earning a nick from the sharp hoof of the Vasto Lorde's appendage, before she siezed an opportunity she couldn't pass up.

SNATCH!

With a vicious grasping motion on his leg, she then propelled her leg towards his face, intending on kicking his face in to return the favor for attempting to do the same to her.

Within the smoldering cloud of smoke and flames, a simple exertion of spiritual pressure sent the flames away, showing a slightly scalded Rana with a very unamused face turning towards him, "Using your Shikai on me won't cut it, Reaper. If you want to have a hope or prayer of surviving this,"

BZZT

"...you'll have to use the same Bankai you used against Gravich. Gacela Danza!" she whispered before she launched at a series of thrusting motions with her Zanpakuto, sending cutting spears of scarlet spiritual energy towards him at amazing spees and a wide gait, intending on hitting him instaneously within the moment of her arrival.

"Crap!" Akisame said aloud as he struggled to use the flat end of his blade to block Rina's strikes.

''TING! TANG! TING!''

One by one, the Arrancar's razor sharp blade slammed into his Zanpakuto with enough force to stagger him slightly. She was right, he would have to resort to Bankai soon if he hoped to stand a chance against her.

But not at the moment. Drawing his Bankai out now would only decrease it's usefulness later.

Whoosh!

Of course, just as Seu-Feng's leg came closer to his face, he used his body weight to do a middair backflip and then sling Seu-Feng off of her grasp of him and towards the ground.

Seu-Feng used the momentum and flipped her body over and over rapidly before landing deftly without a sound on the ground, splaying out her feet and left hand on a semi-primal stance. Raising her gaze up as her ponytail flourished around, she smiled as she spoke with acknowledgement, "Not bad, Vasto Lorde! I haven't met many Hollows who could keep up with me with such skill."

Within the effortless wave of projectiles within her calculated thrusts, Rana raised her hands up in a meticulous manner, gracing her smooth lips with her fingertips. With a exhale, she made a kissing motion with her fingers leaving her mouth while blowing out...a wide-casted scarlet Cero, screaming in intensity towards his form in the wake of the dozens of energized spears.

Leon's pose was straight up, looking down at her with a solemn gaze and his russian accented voice coming down at her like a solemn echo. "Right back at you Soul Reaper. I've had yet to fight one of your capability. So far, i'm very impressed."

Akisame's face became comical upon seeing the Cero come from the woman's initially seductive appearing advance, his eyes becomeing big and solid white with thick black outlines and large cartoonish sweatdrops flailing around his head.

But it was a brief moment of surprise before he used the flat end of his blade to block the blast. Typically, it sent him careening away from the far more powerful Arrancar.

With a great burst of his spiritual power, he used every bit of his strength to fling the blast off into the distance away from the Seireitei, creating a large mushroomcloud of scarlett energy.

"That...was epic." he said lowly in response to the manner of firing the Cero.

"You're easily...," Rana whispered as she had soundlessly appeared above him, swinging her sword in a dramatic arc that was dragged along with her blade's edge as she intended on making the swing amplified upon contact, aiming for his left shoulder, "distracted!!!"

CRRK-BOOOM!

"While I am flattered at your compliment," she said as she laid a hand upon her Zanpakuto, inching it from the sheathe with a click, she narrowed her eyes upon the Vasto Lorde, "the fun and games end here!"

WHIZ-WHIZ-WHIZ-WHIZ-WHIZ!

Within a moment's time, she had replicated herself into many identical solid body copies, all of which had drawn swords and acting in unison with voice and movement.

"Let's see if you can take me on multiplied!" She said with a growl, all of them propelling themselves at him at multiple angles, moving all at the same speed she had interacted with the Vasto Lorde earlier. Swinging, punching, thrust, kick, elbow, and all manner of sorts of martial combat maneuvers were used upon him, intending on overwhelming with sheer speed and numbers.

Leon looked down at all of the clones with slight dissapointment, letting his arms fall out of their crossed positions and to his sides.

"With pleasure."

''ZZZ! ZZZ! ZZZ! ZZZ! ZZZ!''

The Vasto Lorde crackled with a green electric aura before he flew down at the onslaught of clones with speed that seemed almost unreal. As soon as he stopped between all of them, he let loose a massive barrage of claw strikes, kicks and various other means of striking the clones, his speed easily matching the Captain's.

Akisame awoke to his senses and held his sword in a horizontal position, before swerving himself to the right and thrusting the side of his blade at the Arrancar's, knocking it to Rana's right side while not taking the full blow of the attack itself.

Rana seemed unphased as he knocked away the sword, as she swung in a acrobatically graceful manner, slamming her left foot's boot into his jaw, intending on sending him reeling towards the ground as she used a fair amount of physical strength to repel her attacker, "You're not a Captain, kid. You lack the decades to centuries of experience a Vasto Lordes have over Captains, and you're even among their ranks. Just what makes you think you stand a chance against us?"

Seu-Fengs' eyes widened at the barrage of attacks, and the clones were all matched evenly, and even half of them were blown back by the surprising rush of lethal, accurate strikes made by the Vasto Lorde. However, the whole useage of the Clones were a feint, as Seu-Feng reared around the Vasto Lorde within a instant, her Zanpakuto changing in shape as it reverted into its wasp-stinger vambrace form.

With a silent strike, she aimed to the top of his neck, aiming to lay a mark from her infamous two-hit kill Shikai, Suzumebachi, to begin the bells of his funeral.

BOOM!!!

A spurt of blood and saliva shot out from Akisame's mouth as the blow sent him from the air into the ground in just a second, forcing a geyser of dirt and debris to shoot up into the sky.

Within the rubble, he quickly stood to his feet and looked back up at Rana with an amused grin. "Well, I don't really have anything over you specifically, but I've held out this long haven't I?"

WAZZZIIINK!!!!!

Out of one the strange bone like objects that was just below Leon's left shoulder, a green blade of sorts shot out from the part, stopping after expanding out nearly six feet from him. The energy blade's flat end blocked Seu-Feng's strike from reaching his neck, before he quickly used it to parry her strike away from him and then twist around and slam his right leg into her form, aiming to send her crashing to the ground as her comrade was just seconds earlier.

Caius, in the mean time, watched the four combatants battle in the skies above, his gaze somewhat interested in the prowess of the warrior who had allegedly managed to hold her own against his younger brother. Truly, she was a very competant warrior if she actually managed to defeat him, but he knew that what she was up against now was a force that even Barragarn had once feared.

"Such an interesting little war we will have on our hands today...."

"Do you like watching?" Said a voice that suddenly revealed itself, garbed in a makeshift Soul Reaper Academy teacher garb over a uniform, but his Spiritual Pressure was definitely clear. He is Love Aikawa, the Visored and former Captain of the 7th Division, and had his Zanpakuto already drawn, tightly in his fist, "or do you actually use that shiny piece of yours?"

SWING!

Love swung with a violent attrition and speed, aiming to take the Vasto's head off in a clean motion, while remaining in a position where he could easily parry and counterattack should the Vasto repel it.

Seu-Feng managed to keep her composure in the midst of the unorthodox method of deffense, swinging her lower body upwards to narrowly avoid the leg before grasping it. Using it as momentum, Seu-Feng grabbed his calf with both hands before sending a double-powered kick to his face, intending on utilizing the momentum the Vasto used to knock him off balance towards her attack.

Rana sneered at him, noticing that her attack didn't have the effect she wanted. She narrowed her eyes before flaring her Spiritual Pressure with murderous intent, intending on sending that smirk of his down into a look of despair. "You'll regret for taking me lightly, boy!"

Snatch!

SLAM!

Leon managed to catch her dual powered kick with his free right hand, his larger hand managed to hold both of them as he reared his head back and then slammed it into Seu-Feng's.

Akisame then began to bristle with an orange hue of spiritual energy, his eyes transforming from blue to orange as he looked back up at Rana's radiating form with excitement.

"I was about to say the same thing to you....except for the boy part of course."

Tingchingclacksingting!

Wordlessly releasing his Bankai, Akisame became drapped in his signature colored armor, his black cape flowing around him in a noble pose and his much larger sword swung over his shoulder. "Your move." he said to her, his voice taking on a slightly cybernetic voice as a result of having his head covered in a helmet.

TANG!!!!!

Using his left bone like gauntlet, Caius managed to block the oncoming attack with little visible effort while turning his head slightly to acknowledge the new attacker, recognizing the dual Spiritual Power within him almost instantly.

"Ah. A Vizard enters the fray?" he said casually, his form beginning to bristle with an electric red aura and the area beginning to shake around violently. "Excellent. I shall enjoy adding your mask to my collection."

BOOM!!!!!!

The Vasto Lorde then released a massive burst of spiritual energy that leveled the buildings around him within at least a fifty meter radius, aiming to fling his opponent away from him.

The War of Hollow Blood! The Vizards against the Pale Rider!
Rana's eyes widened at seeing his Bankai released, measuring his Spiritual Pressure output now that he suddenly released his full power. But...what her Pesquisa failed to tell her, was what her opponent's appearance was going to be. Needless to say, when she saw the peculiarly shaped and designed armor...it made her hysterical!

"Hehehe," Rana snickered at seeing the form of her opponent's Bankai, holding up her free hand to stifle her giggles, "I'm sorry...I know this is rude, but your Bankai looks...ridiculous! Nyahahaha! I was looking for a better display than a measly suit of armor for a Bankai! NYAHAHAAHAHAAHAHAHAHA!"

Love grunted as he backpedaled in alarm at the level of Spiritual Pressure that was emitted, only needing to step back 10 meters in order to raise his own reddish Spiritual Pressure to divert the flow of hostile exhaust of his opponent's energy. His shades cracked from the sheer intensity of the pressure emitted as the poor excuse for buildings crumbled around the being, with only the far off Sekkiseki wall being left unmarred by this spiritual assault.

"That's some mighty fine Spiritual Pressure you got there, for a Hollow," Love said with a smile, despite sweatdropping slightly in the wake of the menacing pressure within its power. He raised his left hand up to his face, saying with a narrowed glare behind his shades, "however..."

SPHIZ-CRACK....VRRRRRRRRRRRRROOM!

"...you're not the only one who's capable of releasing that kind of Spiritual Pressure!" Love retorted as his body permeated a even greater reverberation of Spiritual Pressure, sending a shockwave of its own around his body, though not in the nearly wasteful destructiveness as his Vasto Lorde counterpart.

Seu-Feng felt her heartbeat as she felt herself wrung around to meet the impending target, with her head being the said target. She then exhaled, closing her eyes as she felt herself calm and focus. Focusing on one thing. The one opening the Hollow Lord left open for her in his purpose to injure her.

SPRAAAAACK-CRACK!

Within a millisecond of striking her forehead, a bright electric transparent veil of energy wrapped around her head, sending a incredible surge of energized, kinetic force as she urged her own head forward to meet his, with a violent attack to clash with his own intended strike. The display of energy also momentarily flailed her hair around like a flag within the wind, with her eyes open wide with her eyes glazed over by a silver light that reflected one thing. Killing Intent!!!

Akisame let out a sigh, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah I get that alot. I will admit, it is pretty goofy looking, and there are points where I sometimes wish it was something else. But, like everyone else that I've fought with it on, you judge it based on it's appearance..."

Schziink!

With an electric burst of orange power, the knight-like being was just behind Rana, his back up against hers. "...and that's a pretty fatal flaw."

SLAM!!!

Whirling around with greater speed than before, Akisame slammed the flat end of his great sword into Rana's shoulder, aiming to fling her down to the bottom of the ground and show her just what kind of power this "ridiculous" Bankai was capable of.

"URGH!!!" Leon grunted as the unexpected burst of Spiritual energy flung himself away from Seu-Feng's radiant form, a large bruise with blood spurts appearing on the point of impact.

"Guess the fun and games are really over." he said as three more energy blades shot out from his back, making a strange "X" shape of green on his back side, giving the impression of wings.

Caius, in the mean time, stood calmly as the burst of Spiritual energy shot around him, forcing his cape to fly around his back while his tall form remained in place with his hands behind him back.

"Your uniform does not match the attire used by other Soul Reapers of your calibur." he said, looking over at Love with curiosity. "Tell me, what is your position within the Gotei 13?"

"Teacher," the mask-donned former Captain spoke out in a hollowed voice, his speech almost liquid in comparison to his prior, "at the Shinō Academy. Retired from the position of Captain of the 7th Division. Anything else you want to ask about me, damned Hollow?!"

WHIZ-WOOSH!

Within a instant, a augmented form of a Captain's Flash Step made him appear faster than one would anticipate normally, appearing before him while swinging his sealed Zanpakuto with incredible strength towards his chest. This was the same strength he used to rip a Menos Grande's mask and head, directly in half...improved past that since his time as a a rogue Soul Reaper.

Seu-Feng then stretched out the aura as she stood in the air, flourishing her hair violently as well as her black cloth of her Stealth Force Commander-in-Chief uniform, crackling with incredible intensity. The rubble and air around her begin to distort and rumble with power, as she took a pose she remembered Yoruichi did when she showed off her more improved form...a form, she seemed to have adapted even further since then. "I should warn you," she said with a deadly, bland look on her face as she spoke softly to Leon, "I don't have complete control over this technique. There's no telling what might happen...from this point forward!"

...whiz...

Almost soundlessly she appeared right beside him, slamming her shin towards his chest, sending a exhaust and uproar of spiritually augmented kinetic power, intending on sending him flying away, before she followed him with the sound of a rocket in her wake, strike high-speed punches and stabbing motions from her fists and needle blade, aiming to strike him down into the ground and across the Rukonagi district at incredible speeds.

"You don't understand," Rana spoke aloud as she moved at incredibly inhuman speeds of her own, using the form of Sonido to not just transport but just move her around in a incredible spin, her body seeming to distort while moving as grabbed the flat side of his Zanpakuto, with only a faint splurt of blood raining from her palm from the power used. However, the force seemed to wash over her like a gust of wind, sending her red hair in a stream of magnificent crimson flourishes, with her eyes staring impassively upon him, "Captains don't get goaded by a simple taunt like that. You're nothing...but a rookie."

Then...with a memorable kissing motion of her smooth lips...a spark of scarlet spirit energy exited her mouth...

VRRRRR-BLAAAM!

...with a Cero discharged at point blank towards his position, screaming at a incredible rush of incendiary properties and concussive force, soaring across the sky with the power of a transport jet, only to dissipate after a kilometer's reach ended.

The trap was sprung, and she intended to show him what rookies with too much power on their hands get treated like.

TANG!!!!!

Suddenly grasping the handle of a sword that was sheathed on his lower left hip, Caius pulled out the weapon and blocked the oncoming attack, a massive gust of wing shooting out from behind him, and his feet only barely skidding in response to the motion. As he held the weapon with one hand, the elder Vasto Lorde looked down at love with his red eyes. "Interesting. A Shino Acadamy teacher comes out of no where to battle a Vasto Lorde? Very admirable of you, teacher."

He then parried the attack by swinging his vine covered blade to the upper right before bringing it back down in a series of quick and powerful slices, still with only one hand. "Now teach me the true power behind that mask!"

Leon on the other hand, crossed his arms to take the blow as he was sent flying towards the ground. However, his form stopped at only a fraction of the anticipated distance, before springing himself back up towards the Captain, a massive boom of energy following him as his speed easily reached the same capacity as her own, releasing his own barrage of attacks.

Just before the Cero dissapated, Akisame's armored hand emerged from the scarlett onslaught of energy, unfazed by the attack before it grabbed Rana by her neck with great force. Inwardly, the Soul Reaper was surprised that he survived the attack, initially having believed that his Bankai was only good for taking physical blows, but apparently it could block both energy and physical attacks.

"Let me show you what a rookie can do." he said before he brought her head down and then slammed his armored knee into the woman's face.

"Grk!" Rana was taken aback that he managed to survive the Cero she unleashed, realizing that one of its biggest and most blatant abilities was absorbing attacks. When the gaunt wrapped around her throat, she felt her forehead smash into his knee. While the Hierro kept her face from being damaged, the inertia running through her skull made her see stars.

With a growl, she released a firm blast of Spiritual Power and Pressure simultaneously, striking the lesser part of his exposed knee joint with her sword's pommel then backpedaling away, aiming her fingertips at him with her left hand. With a brief spark of spirit energy, she sent incredibly heightened talon shaped balas, having incredible penetration power and speed, almost five times faster than an ordinary bala's speed. She fired them off in a rapid burst, sending many fast projectiles to keep up the pressure on the transformed Soul Reaper.

Seu-Feng swung in a graceful, deadly swerve of movements that matched Leon's, surprised to find that the latter could keep up with her body now it was covered with Shunko's properties. Then, with a backpedaling motion, she jettisoned herself into the air before flipping vibrantly, and then throwing herself back with a power kick aiming at the charged Leon, discharging a large burst of energy that enveloped the air for a good distance, creating a reverberating shockwave that leveled some of the slums below into the earth with ease.

Love's eyes narrowed as he had to keep up with the Vasto Lorde's incredible strength and swordsmanship, backpedaling while parrying with the powerful strikes with his own two-handed strikes. He knew being in sealed form wouldn't cut it, and now he had a good bearing on the Hollow General's strength, he had to respond in kind.

Love opened his Hollow mask's maw, gathering a orb of spirit energy before firing a Cero...

VRRRRRR-BLAAM, BOOOM!

...point blank with his enemy at the center, causing a explosion that would be nearly impossible for him to avoid. But this was all a diversion, as Love used his Flash Step to backpedal away from the powerful Hollow while swinging his blade left as he whispered in his Hollowed voice, "Crush Down," then swinging right, showing a transformed, red energy hued form of his Zanpakuto, "Tengumaru!"

Akisame stood motionless, the Bala attacks slamming into his armor and having visually no effect on him as he held out his massive sword towards Rana's retreating form.

"Gaia Eikyo."

CHITOW!!!

...

...

BOOM!!!!

He then fired a much more powerful and quicker blast of fire at Rana, this form of the attack yielding a much larger explosion and more damage than the Shikai version.

Leon suddenley stopped middair, briefly using Sonido to avoid Seu-Feng's blow. His voice became slightly more attentive as he spoke not to her, but to someone else.

"Yes my king? Of course.....yes.....yes m'lord......I understand.....As you command."

WHOOSH!

The Vasto Lorde suddenley vanished from her sight, going to another part of the battlefield.

Caius saw the massive Cero come towards him, not showing any intimidation as he prepared his own, thin Cero in between his eyes.

EEEEEOOWWWW!!!!!

BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Vasto Lorde then let out his smaller Cero, letting it connect with Loves before both of them created a monstrous and gigantic pillar of fire and destruction. Truly, this Visored displayed great power and skill, but would it be enough to overcome the undefeated Pale Rider?

Through the flames, Love's kanabō Zanpakuto sliced through the large pillar of fire effortlessly, its blunt round mace-like form with blade protrusions moved with the force of a speeding skyscraper heading to the earth. This was the true strength of a Visored. Combining the Hollowfied traits of his mask with his/her Zanpakuto's abilities, and maximizing its effects indefinitely.

Seu-Feng's eyes dialated before she lashed out at her opponent's retreating form.

"Hold it!" But it was too late. He had already used a long distance Sonido, and to pursue him would be unwise. She suddenly felt a violent rise of Spiritual Pressure from two different corners of the battlefield, seeing a large explosion resulting in Ceros colliding, and the other...

"Oh hell!" She swore, seeing the large yellow blast emanate beyond her sight, forcing her to make a choice. Would she aid Akisame, or aid the ally on the ground? With a grit of her teeth, she knitted her brows before dashing towards her selected source, hoping she made the right call as her body shimmered and darted towards its intended target.

Rana's eyes dialated, recognizing the name and the technique from how Gravich got surprised the last time. The fact the Bankai seemed to be a condensed form of his Bankai's power, it not only allowed him short burst of speeds but also significant protection and destructive attacks.

However, his speed was no match for her own...even as he unleashed Gaia Eikyo she could see the mere instances when the yellow tinted energy spearheaded towards her.

BZZT!

Lost to the sound of the roaring powerhouse of a technique, she used Sonido while feeling the edges of her Hierro marred by the attack, appearing a few meters to the left of where the attack struck. Her eyes glared at him for trying to upstart her like this, her Zanpakuto held tightly in her hand as she resumed her fencing stance, the blade held level with the direction where he'd be, "You're good, boy, I won't lie. Your demonstrations showed me you have a good grasp and control over your Bankai's power. However,"

BZZT-BZZT-BZZT-BZZT-BZZT-BZZT!

"...does that even compare...to the centuries of lifelong battles I've fought...to get to where I am this very moment?!" She asked as she produced many afterimages around him, the distortions and buzzing sounds almost took akin to that of a swarm of insects as she moved to and fro from almost every angle, making it almost night impossible to predict her movements.

SLASH!

She'd strike from behind, and then...

SLASH!

...from below...

SLASH-SLASH-THRUST!

...from the front...

THRUST-THRUST-SLASH-SLASH!

...from above...and this relentless assault of precise, accurate strikes and unbelievable movements would make it difficult for even a seasoned Captain to keep up with her. She was pushing herself to show the gap of power between her and this boy.

If he didn't see it now...she'd have to resort to killing him outright...as much as she'd hate to spoil herself after wanting to see the look of agony on his face, he's starting to become a nuisance to her. Delaying the invasion because of this would definitely make her new superior angry...if the tactics wasn't to actually not to break in this way.

TING!

TANG!

TING!

CLING!

One by one, the strikes slammed into his armor, some not doing any visible damage to him at all, while others managed to successfully chip his armor.

"Don't get it, do you?"

He then went into deep thought. Her movements were fast, too fast for him to predict where he could accurately swing and hope to hit her. But maybe that was the key to actually hitting her. She was moving so fast to where she was hitting him at least twice every second. If he could just get a good calculation...

He then lifted up his blade and swung it to the direction that he believed she would appear next, hoping to have sent her flying towards the ground.

Caius then used his Sonido to avoid the oncoming attack from the towering mace that was at least five times his size, the impact it made with the ground creating a large geyser of dirt and debris. Caius then reappeared to Love's left side and delivered a powerful and deadly sword strike upon him, aiming to cut him in half from the waist down while he would be partially distracted with his mace in the ground.

Love's eyes widened, seeing the blade move nearly too fast for him to dodge, pulling back his long Zanpakuto's handle to absorb the sword strike with a loud clash of steel and dancing sparks, forcing him to skid back across the ground on the soles of his sandals, his white teacher's coat flourished around his Shikhakusho. He wrenched his weapon from the ground it was embedded in. With a rebuffed swing, the weapon tore into air with a unstoppable fury, intending on landing a blow on him this time around.

Clak-tick!

Rana's boots landed ontop of the edge of his unusual looking blade, with no real harm done to her as she looked like she was making a pose, "Saltamontes La Danza!"

"Those strikes weren't meant to penetrate," she said as she swung her Zanpakuto down, showing a now nigh indistinguishably vibrating blade, moving with the same intensity as a Sonido would as its static form crackled and buzzed like a hive of insects...the sound that was emanated before, "they were meant to lay time-delayed slashes across the surface of your Bankai's armor. In other words," she forward flipped as the buzzing suddenly picked up in intensity and suddenly...

BZZZZZZCRRRRRRKKKKKVRBOOOOOM!

...a magnanomiously large sonic inertia vibrated his whole armor, using the Spiritual armor as a medium for the vibrations maximum effectivness, with enough force to jar his insides and flesh underneath the armor itself.

"...I used your own Bankai's invulnerable surface as a medium to create a bodily sized sonic vibrator. The force I used shouldn't kill you," she then turned a callous, cold stare towards him, "but it should shut you up and tone down that arrogant look on your face."

"NNNNRRRRGGHHH!!!!!"

The pain tore through Akisame's internal body, making his entire form vibrate and shake around violently as if he was being electricuted with untelling how many bolts of electricity. When if finally stopped, he was struggling to keep his balance while middair, and breathing heavily as he looked back up at Rina.

"Heh....." he began chuckling and coughing at the same time as his helmet retracted, revealing his face and his orange eyes looking at the Arrancar, his grin still remaining.

"Still smiling.....bitch." he mocked, doing everything he could to tick the woman off.

Caius in the mean time leaped over the unbelievably powerful swing, before twisting around and throwing his blade at Love like a spear, intending for it to go straight through his chest and out his back.

SPRRTZZZZ-CRACK!

A large inverted blue pyramid blocked the strike of the sword, imbedding the weapon in its surface while temporarily locking Love within it.

"Bakudo #73, Tozanshō!" Spoke a suddenly apparent, rotund man, wearing the trappings of the Kidō Corps Captain coat and colorful garments that were contrary to that of the atypical black-&-white uniforms of the Gotei 13. His form had been previously been hidden by rays of light he bended with Kidō, hiding his presence and his Spiritual Pressure up until now, as he stood a good ten meters away from the fighting.

"What took ya so long?!" Love asked, having held his breath as he saw the blade move at a irregularly high speed he couldn't dodge while wielding his Shikai. The said blade clattered to the ground as the Kidō shield dissipated indefinitely.

"My apologies," the pink-haired man bowed humbly before speaking in his serious, yet polite tone, "I was studying the opponent whom you're facing. It is believed that Barragan Louisenbairn's brother was said to be the strongest of Ultharon's Generals. So I have been keeping watch from a safe distance, you understand?"

"Not really," Love said as he hefted the large weapon's handle onto his shoulder, the kanabō overshadowing his form while he put on a put-out look behind his mask, "fighting a Vasto Lorde is a lot more work than an Espada."

Caius landed on his feet, holding out his hand and telekinitically calling the blade back to his right hand as he looked at his new foe with slight curiosity. "My my, another Vizard? I've certainly come across my own share of surprises today."

He then pointed the weapon at Hachi, speaking in a surprisingly respectful manner towards the large man. "What is your name, Vizard?"

"Hachigen Ushōda, Captain of the Kidō Corps," he bowed, acknowledging the respect given by his counterpart opponent, "I'm here to stop you, and to aid in the effort of defending the Soul Society. I apologize we did not meet on better circumstances, for such a eloquent speaker as yourself would've made good conversation."

SPEW-BRACK!

Rana fired a Talon Bala with incredible speed with a blinding gesture of her hand, aiming to strike him in the face to end his galavanting and selfish heroics.

But then...

CLANG!

...Seu-Feng appeared within a instant, slicing through the Bala with her Zanpakuto's edge, before her body flourished her ponytail and lithe black trappings in front of him. "How're you handling yourself over here, Akisame?" She looked over with a smirk, saying with a once-over look, "You look beat up."

"Ah!" Caius said in acknowledgment, recognizing the name almost instantly from a Hollow survivor of the Winter War. "I recognize your name. You're the one who put an end to my younger brother's existance. I do agree, it is a shame that we are currentely at war. You have earned respect from both myself and my peers for defeating Barragarn.

He then gave the man a respectful bow. I am Caius Louisenbairn. It would be an honor to do battle with you, Hachigen Ushoda."

Akisame let out a chuckle at seeing his crush come to his aid, now being able to stand himself up fully. "She caught me a little off guard, but I'm not out just yet."

He gave the woman a teasing smile. "This clown still has a few tricks up his sleeve."

"You're mistaken, Louisenbairn-san," Hachigen said with a revered tone as he momentarily closed his eyes, "I did not fight your brother alone. I fought alongside a comrade, albeit a reluctant one, one of which I wouldn't have been able to attain victory due to that. Therefore," he raised a hand to emphasize the Hollowified Love, speaking firmly,"we shall fight you, as your opponents, Caius Louisenbairn-san."

"That's right!" Love spoke up, revealing himself to be behind Caius with a swift Flash Step while already swinging his kanabō Zanpakutō down upon the Vasto Lorde, intending on taking him by surprise from the start.

"Still have enough strength to joke?" Seu-Feng asked after turning her head to face the opponent, seeing her and feeling her Spiritual Pressure made her cautious enough to take pause, "cause I just got done fighting a Hollow-twin of myself and I don't know if I can take her by myself. Think you can keep up with me?"