Paradigm Shift: Nori Haruo vs Senkaku Ningensei

The day was very cloudy. Although no rain was going to come any time soon, the wind was blowing like crazy. The heads of the trees were swayed to the side left and right, almost as in a hurricane. The very air itself roared with a blind intent as it traveled through the grassy plain, and nearby animals scrambled for cover in order to save themselves from danger. The storm was setting in.

And yet, throughout this, in the middle of the plains, there were two lone figures standing still in the distance. One was an elderly woman, wielding a cane with a blue orb on it as her standing crutch. The other was sitting cross-legged, a katana sword in his lap. The sitting one seemed to be meditating, while the old woman seemed to be looking on.

A lone figure trudged through the terrain alone, the dark green shawl it was wearing to shield it from the wind wrapped tightly around it's body. It stopped for a moment, hooded head surveying the plain slowly, before finally snapping back into attention and marching foward against the wind. A sudden updraft caused it to lose it's footing, making it slip on the already-wet grass and into the muddy ground below.

"Bullshit... Everything is bullshit... Can't go one fucking day without getting bullshitted..." it seemed to grumbled to itself, standing once again whilst whiping the mud of it's clothing.

"Hm?"

The old woman's ears perked up, and she looked in the direction of the rather coarse language in disdain. From the sound of things, it seemed like a young man was talking in such a manner. Yet, at the same time, she felt rather amused: who would dare step through such a threatening environment condition alone? Well, aside from them, of course.

It seemed to be coming towards them. She drifted her gaze towards the young man sitting in his hypnotic meditative trance. She only hoped that he would come back into the realm soon... whatever was coming could be a threat.

The young man, as his voice had identified him, paused suddenly. More people...? he echoed, the question resounding in his head more than once. More people, out here? He was supposed to find a suitable invasion point, to get all of Hell's forces in Soul Society at the same time without anyone noticing. Not find two little rats here nibbling on cheese and shitting all over the place.

Growling, he ripped his sheathed Zanpakuto off his and held in in front of him, shaded eyes glinting brightly despite the sun being blotted out by the weather as he continued towards them. An old hag and a sleeping brat. It'd be easy. Maybe he'd toy with them a little bit~!

"Well... what'd we have here?"

This bold move did not surprise the old woman any. An amused smile crossed her face, and she stood so eerily calm. "To threaten defenseless souls like us in this part of the forest..." She stated, looking over him carefully. "You're quite a cruel young man, aren't you?" She moved her walking stick...

...and gently nudged the young man behind him.

Instantly, he snapped out of his trance, eyes opening in surprise. "...Hunh...?" He muttered cluelessly, his head turning towards the old woman in confusion. "Why'd you snap me out of it...? I was close to--"

"We have company, Senkaku."

That was when Senkaku's eyes drifted towards the man in the threatening position. He did not have the same calm and rational actions that she did; he instantly sprung up to his feet, hand on the hilt of his Zanpakuto. "What do you want?" He demanded immediately, though with a tensely serenic voice and tone.

Defenseless...? Nori chuckled inwardly, amused. She called them defenseless, when obviously the boy had a blade of his own. It wasn't as if they were sickly, pale fat pigs who's stomachs were so swelled that they couldn't move on their own. Killing and eating the pigs would be nice. The Old Woman looked especially tasty.

"... Directions." he lied, continuing to march towards the Youth and the Hag. This would be easy! More so than usual if they believed him.

Immediately, Senkaku moved in front of the old lady, wasting no time in drawing his sword from his sheath. He tossed it away for the moment (much to the old lady's dismay), and raised it into a defensive stance, both hands on the hilt. "Don't you dare take another step!" He warned, voice raising in volume slightly. "What directions are you looking for?"

Nori's figure turned entirely red until it disintegrated completely, the ashes left over from his former figure scattering away in the strong winds. The silence it left them with for one long second was eerie. Then, finally, his form rematerialized behind Senkaku and the Old Woman, sword drawn. "Hallo~!"

He swung, aiming for blood.

CLANG!

But he had instead hit steel. The cold, hard steel of the boy who was now directing a hardened glare towards him. The old woman, however, did not seem to react to the sudden presence behind her, only turning her head to look at the both of them. However, she did step away slowly from them, knowing now that swords were drawn, there would be no negotiations.

"You really picked the wrong person to screw with..." Senkaku snarled, thrusting his Zanpakuto forward to push the man away.

"Oh really~?" Nori taunted, putting pressure on his right foot and tilting then moving his blade left, deflecting Senkaku's Zanpakuto upwards. Grunting, his lifted his left foot and thrusted it at the boy, sending him staggering a few feet backwards. His attention shifted to the Old Lady. "You're weird."

Landing in a crouched position, Senkaku scowled as he stood back up, a loathing acknowledgement for the man's physical strength. In response to the old woman, she sent a huff in return. "Hasn't anyone ever taught you manners, child?" She responded slyly, with a hint of indignance. "Your parents must've not paid much attention to you."

"They're dead." Nori growled. She was getting on his nerves. He'd have to kill her sometime; why not now? Using kogeru, he disintegrated once again, reintegrating above the Old Woman and swinging downward, aiming to split her in two.

"Don't take your eyes off of me!"

Once again, his path was interrupted by another body slamming into his side - or particularly, Senkaku's body. The mid-air position he was in increased the distance he went to as he flew back, away from the two. Once again, Senkaku raised his blade defensively, his expression still tense as he looked at Nori. But a more calmer aura was felt from him. Obviously, he had used that time in order to regain his nerve and attack once more.

Mud piled up and overflowed, nearly burying Nori and covering him in filth. The wind blew more of it into his eyes, and from that distance on the ground, he was pelted by tiny pieces of wood, dirt, and rock that had been picked up by the storm. Immediately, the grass around him was flattened, and a funnel of wind surrounded his crumpled figure.

Needless to say, he was not pleased.

Immediately, he appeared before Senkaku, blinding him by throwing a combination of sand, dirt, and mud into face. Angling his Zanpakuto perfectly, he lunged at his damaged eyes, aiming to impale straight through the back of his skull.

Senkaku let out a strangled shout as the debris came into his eyes. His next move was instinctive: jumping back in order to avoid what would've been a fatal blow and an early end. When he landed on his feet again, he attempted to open his eyes, but was forced to shut them again. "...very resourceful." He said vehemently in compliment to Nori.

He had to admit, the guy was pretty tactical.

Once again, Nori turned on the woman, violently, lunging at her only for a strong gust of wind to knock his sword off course and miss her completely. Frustration rose within him, making him angrier than he would normally get. He stepped closer towards her, swinging horizontally so she would not be able to sidestep.

"...you seem to want to kill me quite badly for some reason."

This time, she didn't dodge. But she did raise her walking stick off of the ground. She twisted and lifted it with not the sickly movements of an old woman, but the movements of an experienced fighter. Her cane collided with the sword, but the blade seemed to only cut halfway, lodged into the wood and stopped by something underneath. With a reverse flip of the cane, she forced his blade down to the ground. "Hmph... and I was hoping you'd be a bit kinder and play with my son for a while..." She muttered in disappointment.

His eyes regarded the old woman coldly. Son... he mulled over, wondering what he should do. It was quite obvious to him, at this point, that the old woman was more experienced than himself. In a fair fight, he would lose, obviously. So why fight her? If he killed him in front of her, it'd leave her traumatized, most likely...

"What do I get for doing so?" he prodded, stopping his agressive movements with a look of intrigue.

"Oh, nothing. You're free to do whatever you want..."

The old woman released the grip her cane had on his sword, allowing him to remove it from the ground. A smile once again donned her face, even as she looked into the cold gaze of what anyone could assume was her enemy. "After all, who am I to stop you?" She asked innocently, eyes looking over at a rather irritated son. For the moment, he had lowered his blade, but his eyes continued to glare into Nori's back distrustfully.

Nori frowned. He wanted a reward. "Then I'm free to fight you as well?" he asked innocently, leaning Nasuka on his shoulder. His cold, agitated look changed into one of whimsy. He could just go into his Demon Form and bite her head off.

The old woman shrugged her shoulders lightly. "If that's what you want."

"Mmmm... Maybe later..." Nori mumbled, stabbing his Zanpakuto into the ground while still facing the woman. It glew bright blue before turning white completely, lengthening into a barbed staff. It's spikes pricked his hands, and he relished the ability to release it without the command. He'd have to make use of it in battle sometime.

"Seiiku." he stated dully, turning his head and watching in boredom as a sturdy pine tree burst out of the ground under Senkaku.

The boy's eyes widened, and he immediately jumped onto one of the developing branches before he dived off of it in a crouching lunge, landing in an expert roll. When he came out of it, he raised one hand off of his sword, a finger pointed towards his newly found opponent. The tip of his finger glowed an eerie green.

"Cero."

Upon his command, a mighty blast of condensed, green reiatsu tore from the finger and straight at his opponent with immense power and speed.

Gripping Nasuka tightly with both hands, Nori managed an incredibly powerful over-head swing against the cero, making it explode on impact and keeping the cero from actually reaching his person. Unfortunately, that didn't protect him from the explosion. He was thrown back a considerable distance.

This was the second time Nori had been caught off guard by a cero. It reminded him of that woman. Tereya..?... The name stood alone in his head for a moment. Why was he regarding her with happiness? She had been annoying... He growled. He shouldn't have just left like that. He should have stayed. He should have asked her to dinner or something.

"Why am I so stupid!?"

The pine tree behind Senkaku sprung to life once again, growing a considerably long arm-like trunk and slamming it's prickly top into his side.

This caused Senkaku to growl in irritation, his hand meeting the spiky weapon of the tree head-on. His sword bristled in the other hand. Why did he have to summon another moving thing that attacked him onto the battlefield? It was annoying enough his solo opponent already considered him to be boring. But, he really didn't care at the moment; the man had the gall to ignore him and attack his mother, and elderly woman! Some courage there.

He swung his blade upwards. The sword, backed by his own immense strength, cut cleanly through the branch that dared to strike him.

Nori himself took this oppertunity to appear behind Senkaku, using the tip of his staff to nudge him in the back. The pine tree moved accordingly, putting itself in front of Senkaku and extending it's quills, sharpening them to the extent where they'd be able to pierce normal skin. Finally, Nori willed Nasuka to extend into the tree, taking Senkaku with it.

Now, it was all too clear.

This man was toying with him!

The rage curdled inside of him, and his eyes narrowed dangerously at the man as he was "escorted" away. Uncontrollably, he could feel his spiritual pressure exert itself violently, a result of the fury intensifying, despite his cold expression. This man wanted to make a joke out of him? He was getting a nasty surprise.

With a combination of immense strength as well as Sonido, he ripped himself away from the tree. With horrifying speed, he managed to close the distance between him and his opponent in a matter of seconds. Judging from what his attitude was, Senkaku could safely assume this move wasn't one to be predicted.

With the momentum built up with the burst of speed, he swung his blade in a diagonal, power-amplified uppercut.

Nori wasn't able to dodge in time. The half a step he had taken neatly kept him from being cleaved in half, but the blade still ripped straight through his side, releasing an awful amount of blood and gore. He fell to the ground limply, possibly unconcious, but most likely feigning so that the boy would come closer.

Senkaku was smart enough not to fall for such a trick. He lowered his blade for a moment, glaring down at the body for a tense moment. It didn't matter to him that the man in front of him could be dying. He aimed for what could've been possibly a helpless old woman before him - his mother. And he had treated the fight as if it had been some sort of joke! His mouth was curled in a wolf-like snarl.

He hated everything about Nori.

He even hated the sight of his bleeding corpse.

Which is why he leveled his two fingers once more, reiatsu forming at the tips. "Good night, you bastard..." He whispered, before he unleashed the blast of energy upon the fallen warrior.

A large, meaty hand extending from the corpse below engulfed Senkaku's tiny hand in it's massive grip as he fired the Cero. Small amounts of a red, blood-like mist were able to escape through the fingers before it snapped violently to the side, sending the Arrancar flying into his mother.

Nori stood.

Then smiled.

This was going to be fun!

Without bothering to check the state of the man he had just thrown, Nori scooped a large amount of the mud below into his massive hand and flung it at the two.

That was another mistake - for Senkaku had recovered quite quickly.

With the static noise he was so known for, he vanished before he could collide with the old woman, re-appearing behind the man's transformed form. For a brief second, he eyed the arm that through him with disgust, before he switched his blade to his other hand in order to confuse his opponent. Then, he twisted his body around, swinging his sword in a sportsman-like backhand straight for the skull.

"Pffft." Nori scoffed as the blade sliced into his cheek. It stopped abruptly, as if it had his another sword. Nori's teeth had blocked his Zanpakuto. He giggled at the situation. Senkaku was incredibly open! Hardening the skin covering the knuckles of his mutated arm, he brought it down hard on Senkaku's left shoulder.

"Tch..."

The blow came down on his shoulder with vicious force. If he was a Shinigami, then such a brutal blow would've crushed the bones and even rip off the limb itself. He would've been in much more pain, and possibly incapacitated for a killing blow. This was one of those times he had to thank whoever the supreme ruler of the universe was that he was an Arrancar.

"You're not the only one with hardened skin..." He said lowly, pulling his sword blade away from the mutated Nori and turning his back on him.

"Oh?" Nori's cheek healed the second the blade was removed from it. Senkaku was turning his back on him!? Perfect! Nori's neck extended to incredible lengths, until his head was hanging directly over Senkaku's. Observing his prey quietly for a moment, it only took a split second for his jaw open and adapt to a circumference wide enough to engulf the entirety of Senkaku's head.

And he did just that, lunging foward with it immediately, leaving the Arrancar's body hanging out of his mouth limply.

"Mmmm..."

Those jaws, on complete accident, seemed to close around the neck and close the gap between the rows of two teeth. However, there was a heavier shock to be recognized; what he had just attempted to decapitate was nothing more than an after-image. The real Senkaku had appeared a far ways off behind him, this time facing him with his sword lowered.

"...." Nori's body was back to normal within in instant, face and all. It was getting annoying to keep it with all those eyes and teeth just to spark fear into an opponent, which obviously wasn't working. Pumping power into his right leg and left arm, he pushed off of the leg, and in a moment appeared in front of Senkaku; massive palm threatening to break the cartiledge in his nose and drive it deep into his brain.

Senkaku scowled at the notion, but he moved to side-step the attack. Once he allowed himself to step forward, he thrust his blade into a lunge attack straight for the face.

Nori scowled and popped his neck, making it bend sideways at an impossible angle. Using his left leg, he drove his knee into Senkaku's stomach, using force equal to that of when he had launched himself from before.

This time, it had an effect.

A strangled yell came from the Arrancar as he was propelled backwards, feet skidding into the ground as he attempted to stop the force he was going at. He had to lower himself to the ground on one free hand in order to keep his balance. As he flew back, he could only think two things. One: What in the hell was this guy?

The other was: why did it seem so difficult for him to fight this beast?

He had no choice now.

With one hand, he leveled his sword defensively at his opponent, his spiritual energy beginning to exude from his body in a threatening manner.

Nori would give him no peace. Against an unreleased opponent, he should've won already. This was disgraceful, to lose against someone who's only in their sealed state while you're released; even if it was an Arrancar. This was unacceptable. Why not end it now?

Using the same leg yet again, Nori launched himself at the Arrancar, hardly intimidated by his reiatsu. "Hmm..." Nori mumbled to himself. What now? He was exhausting the possibilities of what he could do with his body. Sighing, he decided a punch would probably suffice. His left foot slammed against the ground, stopping his motion completely as he transfered the momentum to his right hand; wich was now so hideously mutated it seemed barely recognizable. It shot foward at Senkaku's stomach; slightly lower than the hilt of his sword.

"Equalize...Aqua."

Senkaku's reiatsu shot out of his body like a bullet, the intense winds stopping and blowing back Nori's physical attack. Sealed in his body for so long, he was thrilled at finally getting the chance to release it... especially against this opponent. A grin came across his face as he felt that rushing power surge within, his form changing to reveal his true form.

It was time to remove the restrictions that had kept his body from his full strength.

"Seiiku."

A massive tree with spiked bark ripped itself out of the ground beside Nori, and he grabbed it's trunk, lifted it up, then swung it at Senkaku. This had to be his favorite part of the release. When enemies assume that he couldn't use his former abilities just because he transcended to a higher state.

This time, however, the Arrancar was fully prepared.

When the reiatsu flow stopped, a black hand reached out...

Crack. One palm was all that was needed in order to stop the massive tree in its tracks. The fingers crushed through the thick bark, the vice-gripping force causing a massive crack to form down the center. The body itself barely moved, as if the trunk itself was simply another fist or kick that was sent in his direction. With his free hand, he pointed at Nori, another Cero beam forming at his fingertips. When he unleashed it, it was in the form of an arc shockwave, the red cylinder of energy moving to consume everything in its path.

Nori simply used Kogeru to get behind the blast- And, by extension, Senkaku. He watched in awe as the cero effortlessly disintegrated everything in it's path. He was going to lose~! But he could at least try. He was bound to Hell, afterall.

"Tanpopo."

Immediately, several hundred Dandelions sprung up from the ground and released all of their seeds, forming what looked like a fluffy cloud right around Senkaku. Nori used Kogeru to teleport out of the area before they could go off.

"Where do you think you're going?" A cold, angry voice asked from behind him, and the Arrancar's presence could be felt from behind. Two fingers were like daggers pressed against his back, and another Cero could be felt charging at the tips.

Nori grunted. A large scropion-like tail exploded from his lower back and stung Senkaku in the arm. This was getting annoying. Losing was not acceptable. It would not happen. Nori would kill himself and Senkaku at the same time, if he had to.

The wide-spread Cero missed by a milimeter thanks to the misdirection, the red energy that would've shredded him safely distanced away. "Damn it..." Senkaku swore, missing the chance to end his opponent's life. But he would not falter; he would pay for daring to raise a blade against him. He let out a warrior-like battle cry, his hands grasping the end of the tail. With a twisting and turning of his body, he spun Nori around a few times before finally letting him go, the build-up of speed fueling his forceful descent.

If he couldn't kill this man, he would gladly settle for beating him to half-death. Anything to teach him a lesson.

Nori countered easily. The end of the tail, where the stinger way, grew what could only be described as a giant hawk's foot, and caught the ground easily, slowing Nori's speed while simutaneously balencing him on something sturdy. When he had finally stopped moving, the tail pushed, allowing Nori to stand on his own two feet again. If the boy was smart, he would have simply taken his sword and cut the tail off.

But maybe he wasn't?

Nori allowed two more arms to grow out of his mid-section; they rested just beneath his real arms, adjecent to his stomach. The tail retained it's claw-like composure, and Nori stood there, staring at Senkaku. He could make the first move. Nori didn't feel like it.

"....what in the hell are you?" Senkaku questioned, allowing himself to descend to the ground. This time, he unsheathed his blade, leveling it at Nori with one hand. Through the hardened mask, his eyes wavered slightly as they feasted upon the beast's form for the second time.

"A Demon." Nori replied dully, not bothering to explain.

"How about you be a little more specific? There are plenty of demons in this world, and yet you surprise me the most. After all..." A wry smile came across his face, despite it being hidden under the mask. "You do owe me after that surprise attack, you coward."

"It's a species. Demon is a species. In Hell. The gate that opens when you kill a Hollow that sinned in it's past life. Demons are a mutated species of Arrancar. A Demon." he stated again, with equal disinterest. Nori shifted slightly. He had to stop telling people.

"Oh..." Even though it was the tones were hostile, Senkaku had to admit it was calming him down considerably. He had gotten off on the wrong foot from the start of the battle, due to the sudden start. "So you're not only a coward... but a freak as well?" He asked dryly. "You must be very proud of yourself."

"..." Nori's head lowered. If Senkaku was trying to lower his self-esteem, it was working, but it wouldn't get Nori to attack him in anger. "My Demon Form is no different than your Ressurecion..." he mumbled, "That doesn't make me a freak..."

"Oh, I'm sorry...a monster, then." Senkaku countered, raising his shoulders up in a light shrug. "And that accounts for both that disgusting form of yours and your actions in this fight. If anything, it makes me wonder who would even dare to create an abomination like you."

Nori seemed to grow smaller. "I... I..." Nori stuttered, his own self-doubt and disgust with himself getting to him. He was a monster; not just in appearance. The only thing he would never kill would be a little girl. They were so cute~! And Nori didn't have the heart to kill them. Everything else was fair game. But if this man saw him as a monster; as an abomination, a freak...

What was keeping him from being one?

All at once, Nori's skin boiled, several new eyes once again sprouting from his head and all over his body. Another set of arms grew inbetween the ones in his stomach and shoulders; all of them now sporting an pseudo-armor made from piled up hardened skin, shaped and pointed to be able to pierce. His legs lost their toes and grew the same talon appendages as his tail; digging into the ground as Nori crouched, and launched himself at Senkaku. Mere miliseconds from impact, Nori used kogeru...

And appeared right behind the Arrancar, five of his arms reaching out and clamping around Senkaku's arms, preventing them from moving on their own, while his spiked knee dug into Senkaku's lower back. Nori's free arm reeled itself back, then moved foward at devastating towards Senkaku's neck. Nori would kill him. This he was sure of.

"Get off of me, you freak."

RIP!

Before the killing blow could be delivered, however, Senkaku's Arrancar strength had once again come to save him. With a tug of his entire body, and with a pained growl, he thrust himself forward. With the vice grip that was on his arms, Nori's own was unable to withstand the sudden pressure. At they sockets, they tore apart, falling limp to the ground. With a swing of his sword, Senkaku sent an air fissure point-blank range at the monstrous Nori, forcing him away for distance.

"Other Arrancars trade their abilities for nothing but pure offense. However, my own ability is much different. It removes the limitations put on a humanoid body, allowing for enhanced physical stamina and prowess, the true power of a Vastro Lorde. If you really think that will hold me, then fool can be another word added to my list."

"Heh..." Nori giggled, which then turned into an insane laugh. The arms that Senkaku had removed from his person regrew immediately, and the ones that were still attatched to the Arrancar's body became bloated and unstable. Unimaginal amounts of blood and gore rained down on Senkaku as the arms exploded, their now-hollow frames unable to hold the reiatsu Nori had put into them without being attatched to Nori himself.

The thrill was returning to Senkaku once more.

He shut his eyes in time as the arms exploded, avoiding another scene of being blinded. He kicked into another Sonido, teleporting behind his opponent and unleashing a newfound assault on him; a series of rapid and deadly strikes fueled by his very strength as well as his excitement. He felt the adrenaline kicking up once again beside him, but this time, it was out of pure thrill and not anger. He could think clearly, yet he could also let himself go.

Against such an opponent, he never wanted to be controlled.

Without even turning to look at him, Nori's tail snatched Senkaku by the stomach and flung him haphazardly in the air. Nori glanced in the Old Lady's direction. "Are you sure it's okay for her to see you like this...?" he asked carefully.

In a second, Senkaku recovered, jumping back down and landing in a crouching position. He glanced over at the woman, who eyed the both of them. "She knows who I am... she knows my Hollow nature." He stated indifferently. "And she's strong. Don't be fooled by appearances, freak." He stood back up, slowly stepping back to allow the both of them some distance. "Besides... have you looked in a mirror lately?"

It was then that Senkaku himself noticed how they looked. He was covered in a mass of blood and dirt, looking like a serial killer straight from the grave, his gore-covered sword making him look like a monster. Nori's form could not even be considered human anymore, with the massive arms protruding from his body, and boiled skin covering nearly everything on him. It made the Arrancar stop to consider.

Had he actually been getting too into this fight?

Nori laughed. What a fool. How was it possible for him to get distracted just from a simple question?

Within an instant he was upon Senkaku again, eyes glowing with the intense hatred he'd harnessed for the man. It was a shame, really. Maybe if he hadn't been here, and they'd met in a different place, in a different situation, the two might've been friends. But no. They had to be here, training, in this exact time, just when Nori had come. There was no longer any possible chance for them to be friends. Unless, for some reason, someone else made them be friends. But that wouldn't happen.

A simple action, Nori one of his many fists towards Senkaku's chest. If he could just impale him and get this over with, that'd be great.

SLASLASLASLASLASH!

It was a mistake, for Senkaku hadn't lost focus. For that mistake, Nori's arm paid the price, torn to pieces by the many slices done by the man's sword. "Nice try..." He commented lightly.

A second arm grabbed the one Senkaku was holding his sword with. It might not hold it, but it would at least keep it from defending the main body without some resistance. A third arm reached out and grabbed Senkaku by the neck, while Nori opened his mouth and sent his tongue out, which was modified like a spear. It would stab him in the eye~! And then Nori would eat it.

"I said, get off of me!"

Promptly, Senkaku, angered, tore the arm restraining him off, moving his sword to cut through the tongue. As of punishment for the rather disgusting, he continued his hacking, cutting and slicing through Nori repeatedly with his strikes. He continued to carve death through his opponent again and again. However, neither them, or the woman, noticed a slender figure sitting in the branches, hidden in the shadows, and watching in slight amusement.

Nori recoiled immediately, using his tail to grab onto the ground as he threw himself far away from Senkaku. Blood was gushing out of his mouth and other places... Nori was feeling dizzy... Was he running out of Reiatsu? Again? He would finish this now! Not that he didn't say that before, but this time he meant it!... Not that he didn't mean it before...

Shaking his head in aggrivation, Nori took up a defensive pose against Senkaku, waiting for him to approach.

There was no words from Senkaku, only acknowledgement that his opponent was finally weakening. He raised his sword and charged one last time, blade poised to aim the finishing strikes onto his opponent. Once he was in range, he swung his sword upwards, this time aiming to cut completely through the man. "This is o--"

CLANG!

"...ver?"

Immediately, his eyes widened in complete surprise as he saw a second figure, sword unsheathed and out, block his oncoming attack. He looked into his interference's eyes... and saw nothing but the Hollowfied eyes of a Vizard. His pupils immediately shrank upon feeling the dark reiatsu that surged in the area. Even the old lady opened one eye in surprise to look at the new and obviously opposing contender.

"What the fu--"

Promptly, he was met with a fist to the face, which sent him back a few meters. He went skidding on his back, and when he finally stopped, lie there for a moment due to his shock and loss of comprehension.

Nori paused for a moment.

"What the fuck is this shit!?"

Immediately, he lept at the figure, intent on killing the person who had just interrupted his fight. He could've handled it! He didn't need any help! He didn't need to be saved! It wasn't like he was some princess holed up in a castle. He wasn't Orihime or Rukia. Nori's tail whipped over his shoulder, lunging at the neck of the intruder.

The figure didn't even have to turn to meet his attack... for the reiatsu gave it away. With a hand stretched behind it, it caught the tail before it could reach her. Yet, it made no move in order to counter-strike. Instead, it spoke, a familiar, feminine, and laid-back tone in its voice. "Weren't you satisfied the last two times you pointed a weapon to my head, partner?"

"....." Nori felt ashamed. He knew who this was. Immediately, all of the irregularities with his body reverted to normal, with anything extra disintegrating into ash. He didn't have the reiatsu to keep up the form, anyway. ".... Hallo Tereya..." he replied uncomfortably. Why exactly was she here?

She looked back at him, a smile decorating her features. She nodded her head in recognition and a sign of respect. "'Sup." She remarked, before turning her head back to the recovering Senkaku. "Such a fight going on here, a girl like me can't help to peek her head in the door to see what's going on..."

"Doesn't mean you had to interfere with my prey... Again." he added hastily, sheathing his Zanpakuto. He was greatful for it, really... But what fun was it if he didn't argue? "I bet you think you look all cool just because you punched him in the face when he wasn't expecting it, right?"