El Sagrado Cruzada, The Queen Returns!

Time to Head Home, The Last Battle Cometh!
A week had passed since the Alliance had retaken Soul Society.

For the Shinigami, it was a week that was used to restore everything to its rightful glory. The destruction that had been reaped upon the land was restored to its former glory, courtesy of the gratuitous Hankami. Buildings were put back together again, displaced refugees could come home safely and continue their lives and so forth. The statues of the Horsemen, Aizen and Ywhach were destroyed with zealous eagerness, erasing the oppressive presence that the enemy had taken. Everything was well and prospering.

For Casilda and the Espada Afilado, the week had seemed like an eternity. After all, while they had been directly assisting the Alliance in taking back their home, it was guaranteed that the Sennin Butai and their respective forces were wreaking havoc in Hueco Mundo. There were select few that could face them down just as the Espada Afilado themselves had done. But the Primera couldn't guarantee how long they would hold out, despite the comforting words of her parents. Although the week was necessary time in order for the evacuated force to gear back up, it just made everyone all the more antsy. By the time the week was over, they were practically jumping at the chance to leave the Soul Society.

Three Arrancar in particular were heading out to meet up with the gathered evacuation force - Casilda, Senkaku and Bernabe. The two males walked side-by-side with the leader as they talked about last-minute preparations.

"Is everything ready?" Casilda questioned, looking from one to another for confirmation.

"Our forces are prepared to march on your go, my Lady." Senkaku said smoothly, his hands folded behind his back as he walked in step with the other two. His gait resembled that of a butler's, lax enough only to allow a lack of stiffness in posture. "Nicolao says that the jump gates have been connected and are set. They will activate once you've given the command."

"Everyone is more than ready to brandish their weapons again." Bernabe added, a pleased smile crossing his face as he looked over at the other two. "As they should be. Once we step back into the sands of Hueco Mundo, the enemy will realize just what kind of grave they've dug themselves in." His teeth briefly flashed with malicious anticipation, and he clasped his hands together to pop his knuckles. "Oh, what I'm going to do to that punk Dorado..."

"Just make sure not to jump out of line, Bernabe, and we'll all get what we want." Casilda said simply, to which the Segundo chuckled in amusement.

"Of course. The desire tearing an enemy to pieces can easily be suppressed in favor of your word, my Lady. I'm no child, after all..."

"Lady Selestino..." Senkaku asked, a sliver of hesitation within that calm tone of his. It garnered the curious attention of both Casilda and Bernabe. "With all due respect, you look unwell. And you seem to have been acting like this ever since the war's end. Are you sure you are able to participate in this battle?"

This didn't suit well with Bernabe. His smile quickly turned into a scowl, and he glared at Senkaku with thinly veiled irritation. "And who would you be to ask such a question?" He snarled, disregarding the Primera's own reaction to the question. "Are you questioning the ability of our Primera, Tercera?" His hostile response caused Senkaku to raise his hands up in an attempt to placate Bernabe.

"No, I--"

"No, he's right." Casilda promptly cut Senkaku off before he could defend himself, her answer causing Bernabe to regard her with confusion. She lowered her head and took in a deep breath, her eyes closing for a moment. "Senkaku, I'm afraid I can't answer that straightly. A lot of things have happened... things that have shook my resolve, my morality and probably my sanity. I'm tired, and raising a sword to anyone is something I'd rather not do at this point. But if I don't, we'll never get rid of the enemy that plagues our lands. Besides," She opened her eyes again, a hawk-like glare focused ahead of her. "I have yet to know just why my own mentor would play a part in this tragedy. At the very least, I deserve to find out."

"Of course, my Lady." Senkaku gave a brief bow. "I meant no disrespect." Bernabe himself scoffed at this, but said nothing in response to it.

With that being said, the three reached the door that led to the courtyard where their forces were at. With another deep breath, Casilda pushed open the doors and stepped outside.

What greeted the three Espada was a massive gathering of Arrancar soldiers, with their weapons at the ready and their bodies exhibiting nothing but anticipation. Heading the force was the remaining Espada Afilado, standing in various idle positions as they waited for the other three to arrive. Nicolao was separated from the group a little bit, shouting orders to his own underlings as they made sure the said "jump portals" were in place. In the sky, a multitude of what appeared to be massive birds were flying through the sky. They were a mix of biological and mechanical make, their appearances making them look as if they came straight from the earth itself. All in all, this was certainly a force ready to invade - or rather, take back - a land.

It was during this moment that the triad of high ranked Espada Afilado would feel a gust of wind kick up behind them. A trio of feet would land gently after such a dramatic use of Shunpo was employed. Haoris enraptured their beings, as each of them looked steeled for action and join the Arrancar Army.

"On behalf of Captain Commander Yūgure," Kukkyōna declared, his onyx eyes locking stoically on what would be Casilda's, "we've come to lend you our aid against the remaining forces of Aizen's Army."

Now this was a moment of surprise for all of them.

The eyes of the three Arrancar widened in various degrees when they saw the three Captains appear before them, joining with the looks of surprise that the idle Espada Afilado had. None of them had expected the Shinigami to lend their assistance, especially with such few numbers. The closest thing they had expected was a proper send-off and a final farewell before they re-entered Hueco Mundo, courtesy of the newly established Head Captain and her escorts. It made Casilda meet Kukkyōna's gaze with contemplating silence, which dominated the atmosphere for a few seconds. When she spoke, her voice would present itself in a calm and soft manner. "Might I ask what brought about this particular decision from Hana?"

"And what makes you think that we need your help?" Bernabe asked not-so-nicely, ignoring the subtle glare from Senkaku for his sudden addition to the conversation. He folded his arms across his chest, giving a scrutinizing glare at the three Captains. "I believe we are fine taking our land with our own two hands. You've done quite enough, thank you very much!"

"You misunderstand, Arrancar," Kaze interjected, waving his free hand while his rightmost one leaned against the gleaming skull cane. His cold yellow eyes stared boredly at Bernabe for having to explain this to someone whom outranked a fellow intellect like Nicolao. He wished that he was speaking to him rather than the prior. "Captain Commander Yūgure understands that this is a personal mission of vengeance for your race. That's why she sent us three. We're moreover expressing our support as allies, not overtaking your mission entirely."

"The imbalance among the various Spiritual Realms has required a number of high ranking members of the Gotei 13 to spread our resources thin. Stabilizing various lands has been key. However, we don't forget our comrades who helped us in our own time of need," Kōjaku interjected, smiling in a disarming fashion as he waved his hands in emphasis, "there had been a list of people whom were asked by the Commander and we happened to have volunteered first."

"Whether you believe us to be inhibiting you or not is irrelevent. We're here under orders as support upon the Alliance that has been formed between our two races," Kukkyōna explained in a much more brisk tone, his eyes shifting from Bernabe to Casilda, not even bothering to move his impassively straight stance, "it's that simple."

After looking at Kukkyōna for a moment more, Casilda turned her gaze to an annoyed Bernabe as he returned the disinterested stare of Kaze with his very own brand of stink-eye. He was quick to turn his eyes to Casilda once he saw her staring at him, emitting a sigh and giving a slight shrug of his arms. as he stepped back. Seeing this as a gesture of surrender, Casilda gave him an acknowledging nod before turning back to Kukkyōna. "Very well, Captain." She said, folding her hands behind her. "Your support is greatly appreciated, and I certainly will remember this gesture of kindness later on." She turned her eyes and voice to Senkaku. "Senkaku, could you call Nicolao over here? If the Captains are going to join us, then they've got to know about our plan of attack."

"Yes, ma'am." Senkaku confirmed, stepping away from the other two Arrancar before switching his attention to the directing Nicolao. He waved a hand. "Hey, Nicolao! The Primera wants you for a moment!" He couldn't help but cock an unseen eyebrow at the way Nicolao's shoulders sagged briefly before the man walked in a somewhat annoyed manner over to their location. "Um... might I ask what's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing." Nicolao muttered with a hint of irritation, waving off the question. "It's just these last-minute preparations. Everything's settled out accordingly, but sometimes those damned underlings cannot understand the most simple of orders! They're nice to have around, but it'll be quite a long before I learn to trust them with my life." He gave a brief sigh as he folded his hands behind his back. "But my complaints about my subordinates aren't important. What is it that you need?"

"The Captains here will be joining us in our counter-attack." Casilda explained, nodding towards the Shinigami trio and causing Nicolao to glance over to them. "Explain to them how our entry will proceed."

Nicolao's face brightened up at this instruction, and he took a few steps back from the group in order to gesture. "Well, it's about time I get to do something productive!" He said pleasantly, before turning around and walking to the massive crowd of Arrancar soldiers. "Come on, then, I'll walk you to where the entryways are located and tell you everything you need to know."

"Bunch of show-offs, these scientist bastards..." Bernabe muttered under his breath.

"Good to see you again, Nicolao," Kaze said in a sincerely grateful tone, glaring at Bernabe over his shoulder as his more stoic comrades turned on their heels and followed the intellectual Arrancar. "I'm taking that this plan of yours will be a bit more intricate than simply charging in like barbarians?"

"While the ones behind it were our enemies," Nicolao said readily, looking behind him to see if they were following him as he instructed. "The blitzkrieg attack certainly was an effective one. Had the surviving force of the Alliance had reacted a second too late, they most likely would've succeeded in making their presence permanent within the first invasion! This is an opportune time to reenact that moment upon the enemy that lies in Hueco Mundo! When the signal is given, the Bloodwings," He motioned to the flying creatures above their heads. "Will fly through their designated portals and commence an aerial bombardment once they're out. There are plenty of them to sweep Hueco Mundo if necessary. The Espada Afilado will move in next and serve as a direct distraction for the commanders of the enemy forces, followed by the foot soldiers. Each of these portals are set to varying locations, where control is key."

"Employing chaos to ensure that unity is impossible among their forces. I cannot wait to hear the screams of panic among their ranks once we arrive," Kaze chuckled darkly, clackling his staff against the ground as he walked alongside Nicolao.

Looking up above at the winged beasts, Kōjaku let out a low whistle. The gusts of wind that the frightening creatures created as they would swoop low and high likewise cause his violet hair to buffet over his white coat covered shoulders. He could only admire in silent awe at the various beasts of burden under the Arrancar army's control.

"How did you get such a large fleet of avian creatures in such short notice?" Kōjaku couldn't help ask aloud in pure curiosity.

"Oh, them?" Nicolao asked rhetorically. "They were always there. The Tercera and I had kept those particular weapons of destruction hidden, and due to circumstance, they didn't have a good chance to be deployed until now. It's a good thing, too, considering that the enemy will most likely not expect such a force to hit them. As far as they are concerned, we're bringing a new card to the table and abusing the absolute hell out of it!" A wide grin came across his face as he said this.

At this point, they had made their way to an open space in the courtyard, where a marvel of science was taking place. Generator-like machines, governed by several of both Nicolao and Kaze's underlings, were firing near-transparent beams towards a certain point in space. These beams ended with what appeared to be a tear in the atmosphere, which had the appearance of a sealed cut in the sky. There were a total of four of these closed tears, with a particularly large one directly in front of the group, two flanking it from a scattered distance, and another one high in the sky. Nicolao allowed himself to turn towards the group and gesture to the work in progress.

"These are the portal entryways we shall be using." He explained, gesturing towards the portal directly in front of them. "This one uses instantaneous function, allowing the Espada Afilado to come from here and appear in Empresa without delay. The secondary portals," He gestured towards the side portals, "Are what the armies shall be using. Unlike what we'll be going through, those portals lead to pocket dimensions in which the soldiers will hide until the signal is given. The same concept applies for the Bloodwings," He pointed up to the tear in the sky. "Which will head through that portal up there."

"Well, it's nice to see that you've given us an advantage for a change." Bernabe said gruffly, giving an acknowledging nod towards Nicolao. "Good work, Jandro."

"Oh, I can't take all the credit!" Nicolao gave a light shrug, before giving a nod of his head towards Kaze. "Had it not been for Captain Sasayaki's contributions, I would've still been trying to figure out how to keep the things from opening automatically!"

Chuckling with bemusement, Kaze waved his free around in a dismissive manner, "Interdimensional travel is still a hazardous thing, even for us Shinigami. It took us centuries to find an effective route through the Dangai without losing half as many Shinigami we send through that barely come back intact. That is, what little remained that we could allocate, of course."

"Thorough flanking procedures. I don't think the Sennin Butai will expect such an organized assault on their base of operations," Kukkyōna voiced aloud how impressed he was by the set-up of this dual pronged assault staged for Hueco Mundo. He could only fathom the casualty rate is going to be for the opposing side before the first Arrancar boot touches the sandy soil to take the battle to them directly. "this battle may prove to be their ultimate undoing."

Bernabe sneered. "Of course they wouldn't." He said in haughty disdain. "They said we were nothing more than mindless beasts, animals relying solely on brute force! Well, this will make them ever regret that line of thought ever came within their heads!"

"My Lady!" Casilda's head abruptly snapped towards the direction of Findor, who was approaching her and the rest of the group with a brisk walk. She stood at attention as he stopped in front of her, giving her an acknowledging nod. "Queen de la Cruz has informed me to tell you that the portals are fully mature enough for transfer. We can head out as soon as we're ready."

"And I think we're all ready at this point..." The voice of Loly drawled from behind them. If they turned around, they would see the remaining Espada Afilado and their respective Fraccion standing there. It was noted that all of them were wearing gray hooded cloaks - more specifically, cloaks that would mask their spiritual signature from the enemy to prevent early detection. The figure who had spoken up had her arms folded across her chest as she looked at her leader. "What's say we get this over with? We're just dying to kick some ass..."

"Since you didn't pack any additional cloaks for us to wear," Kōjaku took note, raising a hand to acquire the attention of Casilda herself, "perhaps we should use Kidō to maks our own approach? This would give us a significant advantage to land our own surprise attacks unseen to the unaware forces of Aizen's Army."

"I'm fairly certain we can all mask our own visibility and spiritual projection," Kukkyōna said in an assuring tone, returning his own gaze to Nicolao and the other high ranking members of the Espada Afilado, "unless you don't plan on us being invisible to the enemy? Would you rather have us bait them or remain hidden from view?"

"It matters little to me," Kaze waved his cane around, circling in the air, "the battle begins as soon as they appear. Whether we're concealed or not makes little difference."

"However you feel you'll fit into the attack is fine with the rest of us." Casilda said, her eyes fixated on the portal. "We weren't exactly expecting the Shinigami to lend their assistance in any way outside of a simple farewell send-off. It's up to you to find a way into this."

It was here that Senkaku made his own contributions.

Stepping a ways off from the group, he cupped his hands around the area where his mouth would be. A noise reminiscent of a bird's chirping rang loud and clear, catching the ears of the massive sky creatures. They abruptly stopped their random flying patterns, moving their direction towards the tear high in the sky. Abruptly, that tear would widen to expose a "window" of the other side and the location they would spawn at. The enemy would see no signs of it, but when the birds came out, they would appear to spawn from out of nowhere - a perfect scare factor for the unexpecting soldiers.

"When all of this is over," Casilda continued, her voice gaining a much colder and venomous edge. The malice and murderous intent dripped from her tongue like an unsatisfied venom. "I want not a single one of them alive. No prisoners, no compromoise. They tore our world apart, slew our brothers and sisters without so much as a second thought. Here is where we'll make them all pay." She grasped the hilts of her swords and swiftly drew them out, brandishing them threateningly at her side. Her irises and pupils had shrunken, the fury on her face ever so clear. It would be the first time that the Captains would ever see her like this.

"Especially you... my beloved mentor."

She stepped forward, just as the first Bloodwing flew its way into the portal...

Blood for Blood, The Vengeance is Me!
Uncertainty.

That's what was the general consensus among the large cohort of remaining forces that made up Aizen's forces. Due to the rapid way of travel from dimension to dimension they had largely kept the bulk of their forces from suffering a counterattack. But it had been a week and their current encampment in the ruins of Empresa was supposed to be largely temporary, composed of tents and stony structures made out of the city's own rubble.

Without the god that Aizen's legion were fixated upon they had all but grown lethargic and nearly docile. True, they would respond should a battle be called for them, but their unity was officially dwindled since the war's end. It was an unsettling sight to see such a collective mass of unsettling pressure become more like a calm dark ocean than a maelstrom of death.

It was for this reason that, once again, Rey Dorado came to verbal blows with the official leader of the Sennin Butai.

"Why have we remained here, Jigen?!" Rey inquired in a heated tone, his gleaming golden armor reflecting the lunar light cast by Hueco Mundo's sole moon in its starless sky. He paced to and fro across the desert ground within the middle of their camp's highest elevated spot, being what would be seen as a large upraised partition that had been part of a shattered wall of Empresa. While various members looked on with feigned or genuine interest, it was the two aforementioned that seemed most engaged in this repeated subject.

"Orders," Jigen said in a dutifully level tone, as if scripted for the same answer to the same question sent his way for the past week they had arrived. He sat upon a makeshift seat made out of a perfectly carved debris chair, his ten sheathed blades leaning on either side of his chair. His hands clasped in front of him as he stared down at the ground, not bothering to lock gazes with Rey's angry red orbs.

"Whose?! Last time I had been made privy, Lord Aizen was felt by us all to be no more! Why is the army here when its leader effectively destroyed?!" Rey questioned heatedly, clenching his golden plated digits into a fist, holding it for Jigen's slightly upraised immovable orbs to see.

"Assumptions can be dangerous," Jigen said plainly, leaning upwards, keeping his hands upon his armored thighs, "if we leave now, under the impression that Aizen is truly dead, wouldn't that make us the ones in the wrong?"

"Let me twist that back right at you! You're assuming that a ghost is coming back where it cannot escape. He's dead, Jigen! Murasaki is gone, too! It's only a matter of time till this war is brought back here by the Alliance. What is your plan then, hm?!" Rey snarled with doubt, increasing with every passing second.

"Calm yourself, Rey," Senkenteki said smoothly, his two visible eyes looking at him from the pillar his shorter statured body leaned against casually, "remember how long we had to wait to launch our invasion in the first place? If you cannot simply sit still for a single week without Lord Aizen around, then you truly are weak willed. Need someone to hold your precious golden hand, child?"

"Careful whom you speak to, Korai!" Rey growled, turning his staunt frame in his direction, pointing visibly at him, "you may be an aged old spirit, but your power cannot protect against my absolute divinity!"

"Like you could," Senkenteki quipped with a purposeful smirk, earning a violent twitch from Rey.

"Why you-!"

A thunderous stroke of pressure caused all to become silent. Rey looked over, unnerved as he would see Jigen having grasped a single sword, unsheathing it an inch, bathed in a aura of silver and black. Eyes colder than ice glared in his direction strengthened the command in his voice, "I will have no infighting or insubordination as long as I am in command, Dorado. Be silent or feel free to arrest control from me now!"

Rey sneered, quickly turning on his heels, flourishing his crimson cape behind him. He'd create a golden plated platform of energy underneath his soles as he'd tread out into the middle of the air, carrying him away as he'd cross his arms over his armored breastplate. One could imagine the sheer indignant fury crossing his facial features.

"My-My," Tenshi chuckled, rising from his own seated position to crouch next to Jigen's seat. "seems Rey's been as antsy as our army grows bored."

"It shouldn't concern him," Jigen said with a sigh, sheathing his blade before leaning its scabbard back against its stony spot, "Aizen had ordered us to be patient for centuries. If he wants us to wait for his return here, in Hueco Mundo, then so be it. Wait another hundred years if that's what it takes."

"Well, we were close to our goal. I think that's the one thing that's bothering him as much as its bothering the rest of us," Tenshi suggested offhandedly with a shrug, "perhaps some of us would have rathered to stay and fight instead of retreating back here. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Honor has no place in death," Jigen said with a hardened, forlorn gaze, "honor is only how one treats one's life and follows their own ideals. Betray it, at the very end, and you are worth nothing. No matter the good you've done it can never amount to the betrayal to yourself that'd be caused from it."

Shrugging once more, Tenshi rose to his full height, looking across the sandy vista that was offered by their perch, "Who knows if what you say holds water or not. All I know is that I'd rather be anywhere than this dreadful place..."

"Give it time," Jigen said in a proclaimation, saying it more to the rest of them than it was merely for Tenshi, "we'll be long gone from this place soon enough. I swear it!"

Then, the unpredictable.

High within the sky and within a distance away, a murder of massive winged creatures spawned and flew. They were like jets, racing across the skyline with the speed and ferocity of runaway demons. One of these monstrosities let out a loud screech that seemed to shake the foundations of the very earth itself. They were shadows cutting through the clouds to locations unknown, at least to the ones below them. As intimidating as the sight looked, it was clear that they didn't seem to pay attention to the encampment.

That is, until a bird flew a little bit too low towards their location.

Without so much as the slightest indication of what it was going to do, it unleashed what appeared to be a pillar of red lightning upon the target area. It caused both an explosive and incendiary effect, blowing apart objects and individuals unfortunate enough to get in the way as well as igniting others in a fierce blaze. As the creature continued to fly, it would "drag" that pillar of lightning through the encampment to maximize damage and hopefully kill the individuals caught in the crossfire.

"Damnation?!" Senkenteki swore aloud, leaping off his leaning perch and hopped to the edge of the wall partition they were all settled upon. The sheer mass of light that had tore a fissure through the ocean of soldiers at their command was not only alarming but a wake-up call. Whatever manner of beasts these were, they could only come to one conclusion: the Alliance has returned to finish the job!

"Shukun! Senkenteki!" Jigen said in a commanding voice, strapping his ten swords to either hip, walking in long strides to the edge of the wall, "I want you to take command of the north and south formations of the Legion. Make sure to spread them out to minimize casualty rate and increase damage to the invaders. Go now!"

With a swift dispersal of movement, both Korai and ethereal spirit vanished from sight, leaving but the company of standing Sennin Butai to witness the avian flock of nightmares circling above.

"A spacial rift has been created," Ariana noted, narrowing her scarred brow line at the faint cracks within the spacial fabric that wasn't hidden by the ungodly flock, "obviously through technology and not by a spell of some sort. It looks too deliberate and focused to be anything otherwise!"

"We'll need to seal that," Jigen said with authority, nodding to them all, crouching to his knees with preparation, "follow me!"

A sonic boom would be felt as all of the Sennin Butai would shatter the partition they had been standing on -moments ago- with the sheer force of their instantaneous acceleration. Flourishing upwards, they were soon joined by the aerial craft of Rey's, discharging streams of virulent energy around at the creatures as the commanders of Aizen's army would land upon its solid deck. Three of the creatures would circle around above, avoiding the ship's auto-fire, as they began to charge the incinerative lightning within their mouths.

Jigen merely twitched his blade in their directions, causing their bodies to be eviscerated into a shower of gore they'd leave behind as they'd near the fissure of space.

"Looks like the Alliance has sent some form of pet project after us," Rey said from his throne, glaring upwards at the abominably circular hole the creatures funneled out of, already being cut down to size by his companions. He even aided with a nonchalant blast of Kidō in the direction of the creature as they'd ascend further, "too cowardly to face us head-on, hm?"

"I doubt that the Alliance had these creatures at their disposal," Jigen said pointedly, slashing his sword across space to cut another wide line of winged beasts within his line of sight, "these are something new. But what sent them and where did they come from? Something doesn't feel right..."

"Indeed," Magatta said with a suggestive slash of her Zanpakutō, the fragmented blades chained by the whip bifuricating another screeching beast as they'd slow their upward movement via airship, "this seems too coordinated and planned. Where are their beastmasters to send them through the tunnel?"

They would get their answer through violence.

Another attack of a different variety would hit them hard and without warning. Rey's ship was suddenly wracked with an implosion. The material that made it up would quickly and violently collapse inwards on itself. Just like the Bloodwing assault, there was no indication of when it came or what exactly had caused it. The effects on the commanders that boarded it wouldn't be as harmful on them as it would to the freshly destroyed aircraft, which would fall from the sky in pieces. But this time, it wouldn't be long before the source of the attack spoke up from the ground, his voice carrying an almost jocular nature as it called out to them.

"Excuse me! Hello!" If they looked down, they would see a hooded form waving a dark-skinned hand out towards them. "We're done here, if you're done using our birds for target practice! I apologize for misdirecting your attention, but it was the only way to get your attention, if that makes any sense!"

"It doesn't..." A female's voice muttered, causing the male hooded figure to pop a comical vein.

"Right then!" He continued to shout out to the commanders. "Could you come down here so we can talk? We have tea and cookies!"

The majority of the Commanders had scattered upon the instance of the ship's implosion. All but Rey, whom had remained seated upon the ship's throne, had evacuated the doomed aircraft. By the time the aviator's minute supply of debris would rain down, in tune with the attacker's voice from below, one could see the silhouetted outline of Rey hovering within the smoldering cloud of destruction that had ensued. Still seated upon the throne which remained surprisingly in untouched state, Rey himself looked visibly annoyed.

"Oh look," Rey would call out to those who surrounded his throne's vicinity, idly casting his red eyes down towards the ground where their enemies were gathered, "bugs have come to gather the attention of those infiinitely their greater."

"I suggest we teach them the error of their ways," Magatta said in a scornful manner, her Zanpakutō instinctively sheathing back into its more compact state.

Jigen wordlessly blurred downwards, landing with a soft tap onto the desert floor to stand before the cohort of enemies. His eyes stared impassively as his own assembled force of allies lowered down by his side. Jinsoku landed on his left knee, with his right upraised along with his right hand holding his scythe upwards in a demonically presenting manner. Tenshi had his hands within his pockets, idly staring at the gathered assemblage of opponents he'd have to face with a unreadable grin upon his own visage. Kugyō rested his left wrist over the pommel of his sword, staring at the interlopers from over his shoulders, creating a pose that seemed to emanate confidence and menace at the same time. Magatta had her blade tapping casually over her right shoulder, smiling with a cold and malicious manner that hinted a bit of boredom, as if seeing the task to be as mundane as the initial invasion of Hueco Mundo. Finally, Ariana herself held her sword aloft with one hand, while the other remained tightly clenched at her side with the only heated glare among the Sennin Butai's ranks.

Seeing that the majority of them wore cloaks, hiding their identities as well as their presences, Jigen beckoned with an upraised gesture of his solely unsheathed sword, "Since you're all here, I suggest you reveal yourselves. It'd be pointless to fight faceless enemies after the way you introduced yourselves into this domain."

The outspoken hooded figure immediately thrust his arms in an incredulous shrug. "Really? Faceless enemies, you refer to us as? Come now, master of the sword. I thought that you, of all people, would have fit the pieces together. The Bloodwings should have been a dead giveaway as to who we are. After all, they were creatures of our kind..." With that being said, he grasped the front of his cloak while giving a mockingly disappointed sigh. "Oh, well. These were painstakingly made, and I almost hate to see them go. All right, everyone, cloaks!"

Then, each and every one of them shed their cloaks to reveal themselves.

There was Nicolao, the one who had dared to speak up to Jigen with his arms folded across his chest and a considerably smug grin on his face as he looked at the Sennin Butai's leader. There was Loly, who bore a scowl on her face and sat in a crouched position with her trademark knife in her hand. There was Bernabe, who had his arms folded across his chest and a scrutinizing glare directed towards his foes. There was Senkaku, with a face hidden by a mask as he kept his arms folded within his sleeves. There was Tierra, holding an almost idle yet clearly guarded stance as she gave a hard stare. But most notably, there was Casilda, with her dim eyes holding nothing but an ice-cold glare that certainly would've been capable of killing. Lastly, there was the presence of the Queen and King of Hueco Mundo, who were standing a few ways off from the main group.

"So, be honest..." Nicolao said, lowering his arms to his sides and grinning toothily. "How much did you miss us?"

A piercing screech would be heard as a bolt of Kidō lightning would sing through the air, rushing forth to hit Nicolao dead in between the eyes. Whether it'd hit its mark or not mattered little to Rey, as he floated nonchalantly on his throne, leaning on one set of golden digits while the other casually aimed a single yellow plated finger in the direction of the jeering Arrancar. To him, seeing such annoyances reappear before his eyes just made his stomach turn.

"Does that answer your question, little Arrancar?" Rey asked in a bland tone.

"To be honest," Jigen said in a calmer, cool tone as he ignored Rey's attack outright, fixating his gaze upon Casilda's wrathful one intently, "it had been awhile since I've looked dead in the eyes of those beasts. They used to dominate the skyline of Hueco Mundo, hadn't they? It has been...quite a lifetime ago since I remembered those days, Casilda."

Bowing his head, he idly counted the grains of sand at his feet for a good long while before raising his face to stare coldly at the Primera of the Espada Afilado, "That man you knew as your beloved mentor is gone. I am the successor and confidant of Lord Aizen's will. He has charged me to guard his precious territory here and await further orders. You shall not get in the way of that directive, Primera!"

POW!

Had it not been for Rey's sudden attack, Casilda would've responded immediately to Jigen's declaration.

She only took a glance behind her as she saw Nicolao get struck by the Kidō bolt, his head jerking back and his form staggering a few steps. She felt the rest of them tense up at the sudden and abrupt attack by the man on his throne. But none of them chose to attack. Instead, they simply watched as Nicolao's form stopped in its tracks. It looked as if with that simple bolt, the scientist had been killed off as easily as one would swat a fly.

That is, until they heard him take in a deep breath, slowly bending his body back to his former position. Other than the knock-back, there was no sign of damage. Of course, Rey may just been holding back for analysis, or maybe just to antagonize his victim. But if there was any sign of shake in composure, then it certainly wasn't showing in Nicolao's expression. The best received was a look of irritation as he swiped at his forehead, then an expression of query as he regarded Rey. "Of course I'm little from down here." He replied smoothly, with a subtle dose of sarcasm. "We all do from your point of view, don't we? Just us little ants scurrying around with you high in the sky. I can see what you were talking about, Segundo."

Bernabe gave off a scoff, folding his arms across his chest. "It's a bitch, isn't it, Quinta?"

As they talked, Casilda was quick to recover herself and answer Jigen's statement. "Then you will be waiting forever." She said, her voice controlled but the venom as clear as crystals. "Sōsuke Aizen, your beloved Lord and master, is here with us no more. He is dead, along with the Quincy King Ywhach."

"I knew it!" Rey hissed lowly, his red eyes glaring at Jigen's backside. Immaculate brows twitched with frustration at seeing Jigen not even moved by this news. The least he could expect was a flinch or a retort of anger, but he seemed to not even acknowledge Casilda's declaration "the Hell is your game, Jigen?!"

"You're a fool, little Casilda," Jigen said in a chiding tone, eyes filled with dispassion to her words that seemed to strengthen the conviction in his voice. "Lord Aizen is beyond the scope of your understanding. Even if you have destroyed his body, he will soon reincarnate himself shortly after. He's transcended the bounds of your imagination by becoming the consciousness of imagination. I don't know what you believed you did to him, but rest assured of one thing that is certain: Aizen will return, and your meaningless squabble here won't deny the inevitable."

Rey twitched with a bewildered expression, akin to that of Jisoku's and Magatta's. Only Tenshi seemed to just smile and shrug at those who met his gaze with indifference. Whatever their leader thought, crazy or not, it was a little comforting to see him so assured in the face of the enemy.

"It could be a ruse by the enemy too, or on the flipside a cover for Aizen," Rey concluded with furrowing of the brows, leaning his head back against his throne headrest while tapping all ten of his plated digits against the armrests. "Aizen's power to will nothing into something, or whatever it exactly is, cannot be denied. I doubt any real spiritual being could do him any permanent damage, no matter the height of power..."

It was all Casilda could do to prevent her disgust from showing to the surface. Sure, Jigen's strong words caused a bit of doubt to well up within her, and for the briefest of moments she wondered if Starrk had really killed him. He had sacrificed a half of his soul for the sake of killing him, the first companion he had ever had. Aizen had to have died, otherwise--

Mentally shaking off her apprehension, she opened her mouth to speak. But another beat her to it.

"And what if he does?"

The voice of Nohemi rang out to Jigen's ears, solemn and composed in contrast to the cold venom Casilda had exuded within her own voice. In addition, she seemed to be regarding Jigen and the rest of the Sennin Butai with a passive and relaxed countenance. "Twice he has came to break the rules of our existence." She spoke out to him, earning her daughter's surprised attention. "Twice he has been defeated by someone he never thought would pose a threat to him. Several years of planning, deception and work... all of it shattered to pieces in a single battle. If he is truly not dead, then surely his soul must be crushed and his mind warier than before. He will take this moment to recover, regain himself and attempt another invasion of existence. But if he is not wallowing in the seas of denial, then he is aware of it. The moment he returns, there will be someone up and ready to challenge him to his limits. That time may not be here and now, and the obstacles may not be us. All this war has done is given his enemies all the time in the world to prepare for his proclaimed return."

Hearing her mother's response held Casilda's resolve back in place once more, and she had to resist to urge to smile in relief. This was strengthened when Nicolao spoke up again, slipping his hands in his pockets. "But that will be whenever, won't it?" He questioned rhetorically, still maintaining a semblance of confidence in his voice. "This is the present time, and as of the present time, he is dead. So I ask you, sword master: are you going to just stand here floating on your," He let out a derisive chuckle. "Thrones of delusion while your enemies stand in front of you? Or are you going to make way for your master's so-called return? Think carefully now, I don't think our dear Primera has much patience left."

The woman in question almost rolled her eyes.

The man standing next to her -Jinete-, would cup his hands over his mouth, raising his voice's volume to ensure that Jigen would hear him, "She's got you pegged, big guy! Can't we all just call it a day and just leave these guys to us? I'd hate to see you get diced and minced by my little girl's possy!"

"Please," Jigen spoke with disdain, raising his blade to be in a beckoning manner, "I'd like to see any of you try and draw blood from me!"

Jinete would sigh, leaning over to Nohemi's side, whispering with a disappointed tone, "I tried to warn 'em..."

"Enough of this pointless rhetoric!" Rey snarled aloud, his hand letting lose the remnants of a blade already dispersing into a field of glittering dust, causing the entirety of space to warp around the atmosphere. With Jōten Taiyō activated, Rey took charge by grasping what looked like a marble handled hammer, a behemoth onyx-hued end with the design of a roaring lion would emerge from the vertically aligned "water" that had emerged above his head. "let us end this score, not with talk, but with action!"

In an instant, Rey swung the large hammer effortlessly forward, watching it pinwheel with incredible velocity towards the midst of Arrancars. With curtails of purple light streaming in its wake, it seemed as earth was gravitated towards it, like a singularity well was imbued within the center part of the hammer itself. The sensation would almost feel like a lunar body being thrown in their direction.

All at once, Jigen and the rest leaped up into the air, scattering as they would avoid the violet trails of energy weaving out and about from the thrown maul. Anticipated destruction of a grand scale would be expected, all the while Rey would watch from his comfortable seat on the hovering throne.

And from his position, Bernabe gave a pleased smirk.

"Perfect."

With a movement that put him in the lead position and a lone outstretched hand towards the oncoming blast, he stood his ground alongside the rest of his comrades. He could feel the winds pick up as the attack approached them, his hair and clothing billowing violently in the intense winds generated. Despite the approaching power and the brilliant light, he took it all in with a malevolent grin and a glint of lethal clarity in his eyes. What he was about to do would possibly have meant suicide for anyone under lesser caliber. But it would quite possibly change the outlook his foe had from the first fight.

When the surge collided with his palm, the build-up of energy would grow unstable and immediately destabilize. The earth that had been swept up with the thrown hammer fell back down to the ground, having no power to control its path. The hammer itself would collide into the Segundo's hardened palm via its staff, allowing him to catch it and stop it in its tracks. Within seconds, the attack had completely destabilized and disintegrated, leaving the group of Arrancar to stand unscathed. It was a demonstration of just how much had changed and a foreshadowing of what was to be faced by the Sennin Butai.

"Pick your opponents, brothers and sisters..." Bernabe whispered. "I can handle this one."

"Remember your orders!" Casilda snarled, gripping her two blades tightly and bracing herself. "No one leaves this realm alive! No one!"

Upon that command, the Espada Afilado promptly took off, with each one choosing their own opponents. Only the King and Queen would be left standing below, considering both their distance away and their own considerable power. The latter of the two would be staring at it all with a solemn and somewhat saddened look on her face. "I wish this was something that didn't have to happen..." She said softly. "Seeing our daughter like this carves a wound in me that no sword of this life could. This was the very same man that we had trusted her to, the same individual she looked up to. Does it really have to end in such a bloody and uncivilized manner? Student and teacher fighting as if they never were to begin with...?"

"Any kind of warfare is regrettable, Nohemi," Jinete spoke in a soft tone, placing a hand on her shoulder, giving her a comforting squeeze. He'd even add a smile of reassurance as he winked at her, "don't worry about it too much. I think, knowing Jigen, he'd have wanted one last battle with his star pupil. Whatever changed the man over the ages since we last saw him, deep down he still has the longing to have one last honorable exchange of blades before passing on."

Tap-Tap!

Upon Jinete finishing his speech, a pair of boots tapped upon the sand nary a dozen meters behind them. The King of Hueco Mundo would slowly turn his head around to see the lone Hankami member of the Sennin Butai, Kugyō, The Defiler. His parallel aligned pair of blades stemming from a single hilt and oval shaped guard gleamed with lunar luminescence, held aloft at his side as he approached the pair. A carnally delighted smile of a forcefully subdued proportion stretched across his visage, his blue eyes danced with hidden embers of malicious intent that he wished to inflict upon them both.

"Greetings, your Highness and Majesty," Kugyō said in a eloquent, if not entirely sarcastic tone as he did a halfhearted bow before them with his free arm. "I promise your return trip hasn't been tiring on your aged bones?"

It didn't take long for Nohemi to recognize the voice, her stance straightening in the slightest manner as she picked up that voice.

It was him, the one she had beaten before but hadn't killed. She could still sense the malevolence radiating off of him, just the same as it had been the first time they had fought. The sensation caused her stomach to turn somewhat, and she slowly closed her eyes in a slightly pained expression. Although it didn't really affect her that much in terms of constitution, she still hated the feeling of blood lust. But even as it was made clear that he hadn't changed much from their first encounter, she could pick up something else. His power, for whatever reason, was much more potent than what she had felt in their first fight. She didn't know how much it had risen, but she could safely guess that if he had the stones to challenge them both, it was going to be enough to challenge her this time.

Still, it didn't prompt her into turning around like her husband. She spoke to him, keeping that calm edge within her voice. "Jin, Kugyō, and the Defiler. Those were the names you said you went by, didn't you? I note that you've managed to heal yourself well after our last encounter..."

"Flesh wounds are all you ever inflicted, dear Queen," The Defiler said with a haughty flaunting gesture of his arms, placing his free hand on his hip for emphasis. "I could have come back from such a state you put me in easily."

Snorting, Jinete had to cover his mouth slightly at hearing those words from the Hankami. This, of course, earned a curious glare while retaining his passive sinister grin.

"Something amusing to you, your majesty?" Jin asked with narrowed eyes.

"Nothing...it's just, if you knew half as much about my wife as I did, I think you'd know that behind closed doors she'd not allow such a wuss like you come out at all," Jinete chortled with a snicker, amused at the innuendo he had laced into the comment.

Kugyō glowered without a smile, finding the nonchalant nature the two treated him was nothing but short of insulting, "It seems you both need to take me seriously. Here's an example!"

Charging forward, the Hankami flourished in a movement that caught Jinete by surprise -still in mid snicker- at his sudden materialization. A sudden plunging his dual bladed katana into the soil beneath them would only further to the confusion, just shy as the entire earth around them for hundreds of meters began to darken. As if the very essence of Hueco Mundo's soil had been tainted, noxious fumes spouted upwards, dictating the incoming mineralized spears of carbonized grains jutting out at a number of angles below and around them to ensure maximum damaging affect.

Jinete reacted accordingly. Leaping upwards, he had dodged the initial discharge of earthen grain spears and the fumes itself, but the more elongated ones would overtake his jump. Crossing his arms over his chest, his physical flesh would briefly shift in a flurry of violet-black flesh before transforming into a pair of organically grey hued limbs. Extending what looked like arcing shaped blades, protruding from veins, he'd swing them outwards in an arc that shattered the earthen spearing columns that had chased him, ripping large geysers of blackened sand below him.

"Phew, that was close," Jinete commented, now hovering the air, his fur-laced cloak whirling around his partially transformed figure. Turning his head towards his wife, he'd call out, "you okay, honey?!"

"!"

Needless to say, Nohemi was surprised by the sudden attack. Considering that he had attacked just as quickly in their last fight, it wasn't his abrupt assault that surprised her. This time, his attack carried much more potency. It was a kind of attack that served as a much bigger threat against her - biological toxins. Had it come from just one or two directions, her shield would've served as an excellent defense. But with the infected sands closing around her, it would only make her a sitting duck trying to defend herself. She had to move.

With a Sonido, she boosted herself up into the air and allowed the tendrils to follow her. Pulling herself out of her flip, she turned herself around and extended her hands outward. A flash of energy burst from her palms, crashing into her pursuers with enough force to send the earthly weapons back down to their proper place. She looked over towards her husband at his query, giving a quick nod. "I'm untouched!" She confirmed, switching her glance down to her enemy. "But I have to admit I wasn't expecting this. I figured he would've grown stronger after the first fight we had... but just by how much, I wonder?"

Beauty and Rivalry, Venomous Vixens Clash Again!
Thrumming through the air, like a guided viper, came Magatta's Zanpakutō. Having already been released prior to this engagement, Magatta had went on the immediate offensive, not wanting to give any upperhand to the offensive Arrancar known as Loly. She was in mid-air, swinging her blade to make eloquent and confusing spirals, contorting to strike her at the upper torso and lascerate her in a perfect bifuricating thrust.

That and it would attempt to come back around as she would retract the blade back into a compact stance.

"Oh how I wished I had finished you off without interruption," She swooned aloud, placing her free hand to flip her hair back over her crown, smiling with resigned pleasure. "but, you did me a favor by coming to me. Now we can settle this without anyone to save you from your deliciously bloody end...Arrancar!"

To this attack, Loly would perform an impromptu counter.

The twists and turns of her opponents whip were hard to predict, that was for certain. But the first battle gave Loly a chance, a sort of practice run. When that deadly blade came racing towards her, she moved and twisted herself to avoid it. Her body was a ribbon blowing in the breeze, dancing and weaving to evade the cutting edge. Occasionally, she'd use the knife to bat away the blade if she was in a position to do so, or even her limbs if it was safe enough. But all in all, she kept up the brief routine of her unorthodox dance. It was here that one could note that although her eyebrows were furrowed, her eyes held more focus than they did in the first fight.

When the whip returned to its original form, she straightened herself up and locked her eye onto her foe. Then, she slowly settled into a preparatory stance with her knife at the ready. She let out a slight breath, reminding herself to keep her focus. "Oh, there won't be anyone needing to save me." She answered, a mocking tone of her own lacing her otherwise cool voice. "You, on the other hand, will be wishing that the Sword Saint finished you off while he had the chance to." This was emphasized by a smirk that emphasized one of her canine teeth and a beckoning gesture via two fingers on her free hand. It was a clear contrast to how they had started off their first fight, with Loly getting agitated from the very start.

"Aren't you the confident one?" Magatta chuckled with bemusing humor. Taking long strides towards her enemy, she couldn't help but curl her luscious lips into a tight-lipped smile that withheld an apparent veil of menace. Raising her blade to have its edge visible divide her facial features, she expanded her smile into a toothy grin, in sync with an audible declaration. "I won't leave even bones in the wake of your death!"

In an instant, her blade discharged upward, disassembling into a dozen segmentations that scattered and became embroiled with scarlet light. Without any visible muscular indication to their change in direction, the spiritually empowered blades sung through the air, creating warping trails of light within their wake. They'd spin in a manner not unlike a flower, rotating around as they'd thrust in the direction of the Arrancar's direction, intending on impaling and shredding her with a substantial amount of discharging force around their metallic frames.

To dodge, or to counter?

Loly's mind ran through that question as the parts of Magatta's Shikai shot down towards her. Dodging would've certainly given the impression that she simply couldn't take the hits on and check off a possible weakness. Magatta would become more aggressive and give pursuit, pressuring her until that weakness was exploited to its fullest extent. The battle would be won just like that, and she wouldn't even have much of a chance to fight back. But it was clear that Magatta wasn't taking into the account that Loly might have improved in their time apart. She would have little to no idea as to what she was in for.

That kept the smirk on her face, even as she began her attack.

A Sonido kicked her off, and she was racing towards her opponent with superhuman levels of speed. Her form was a multitude of blurs that circled her target, vanishing and reappearing with disorienting images to the eye. Every now and then, one of those blurs would cross Magatta, the temporary center for the circle, with a precise knife strike. There were strikes to the joints, to the head and vital parts of the body. Her strike pattern was irregular, and her aim was lethally accurate. If anything, she was moving like a professional assassin now.

"She's faster than before!" Magatta realized in a single blink of an eye, witnessing her spin out of the way of her charging Shikai blades before making a charge towards her location. She had to rely upon pure instinct to predict the various afterimages that were produced by the Sonido'ing Arrancar, moving by at intermediate charging intervals to strike at her exposed spots where her armor or guard would be weakest. Feeling a knife hand hit the backside of her left leg and another hitting her underarm, she couldn't help but visibly wince in pain -no doubt the Hierro laced digits causing extra added impact-.

However, the Shikai blades returned after a dozen seconds of the high-sped hit-&-run attacks of Loly's. Having tore a fissure of sand in their wake, it took awhile for it to subtly burrow underground back to Magatta's aid. Without any indication of their arrival, Magatta would allow another ridge hand to graze her neck, only to have her free hand grasp the wrist.

"That's enough, Hollow slut!" Magatta snarled as she thrusted the blade-less pommel of her weapon into the eyepatch mask fragment of Loly's. Even if she hadn't taken the blow, she used the extra momentum to kick her away, all but a small distance away before a surprise attack would occur. That being a sudden eruption of scarlet-refracting pale grains, as a dozen six inch long blades thrusted towards her at all angles, intending to shred her apart without warning.

"Nngh--!"

Loly's teeth instinctively clenched when the pommel slammed into her face, the force naturally sending her flying towards the destinated spot. But the blow hadn't stunned her enough to keep her from recovering. Her body flipped and twisted, and she skidded against the sands before stopping in a crouched position. As she started to get up, her senses picked up the disturbance that the buried parts of her enemy's Shikai made. But they were too close for evasion, too fast for her body to move and parry them. She had to admit that despite her enemy, it was a clever impromptu trap. Now that she had her head in gear, she could grudgingly give Magatta credit for it.

But that was where that feeling ended.

A pulse of her spiritual energy, and the attempt on her life was stopped in its tracks. The fragments of Magatta's Shikai dissipated into pieces of ash and dust when they got too near Loly, blown away by the constant breeze that blew in the area. She slowly stood up, locking onto her opponent with a single eye of amusement. "What's the matter, old hag?" She taunted, allowing herself to slowly saunter towards Magatta with her knife held in a backhand position. "You shouldn't be calling out "That's enough" right now. After all, I'm only getting warmed up." She stopped once she was at an adequate distance enough, placing a hand on her hip and tilting her head to the side. "Should I give you a moment to take a breath? I don't want this to end too quickly, after all..."

Magatta sneered at the efforted shattering of her Shikai projectiles. Mentally invoking Zassō Sodachi, her blade grew back from the guard in a flash of scarlet light, returning it back to its compact state. Once her weapon had been reformed she could only glare heatedly at the wench who verbally and physically disgraced her. The only thing she could take value from these insults was time for respite and to plan her next assault.

"She's gotten notably stronger, even within a short amount of time this is a huge leap from the brat I faced when we invaded. I might need to employ some more...devious tactics," Magatta thought with a slowly returning smile, tapping her free hand's notably sharp nails against her exposed left thigh.

"Quite the comeback you made, Loly Aivirrne," She spoke in a sincere tone, laced with disdain as she visibly appraised her from head to foot, "who knew Lord Aizen's pawn had become such a substantial knight of Hueco Mundo's land? But alas, it is nothing in comparison to a Field General whom has seen more battles and engagements than you could even conjure in your thick head..."

Swinging her free hand upwards, a practically invisible field of energy stirred the earth around Loly, causing it to form what seemed like a maw of pale-hued grains to enclose around her in a matter of seconds. After doing so, she thrust her fingers in its direction, enwrapping it with dozens of lime lit vines of binding energy, soon creating a cocoon of confinement for her Arrancar enemy. As a red flower bloomed over the elliptically shaped formation of energy and carbonized grains, all hardened to make escape almost impossible, she smiled with finality.

"Observe! Sunarenge Shukkan!" Magatta declared with a final swing downwards, causing the insides of the verbally declared coffin to spike in temperature. The outside would shimmer with orange glow, soon changing the color scheme from emerald to crimson, until all at once a pillar of scorching fire would erupt in a geyser of molten flames. All the while as a crimson luminiscent would overcast the surroundings, leaving a silhouetted Magatta with a sadistic grin on her face.

"!"

For a moment, Loly's amused expression changed to one of shock once she saw the earth stir around her. But once again, the trap had been activated far too quickly for her liking. She let out a startled yelp when the makeshift coffin wrapped around her form, and she found both her seeing and her breathing cut off. Instinctively, she struggled against her bindings in an attempt to get physically free. But it was only for a few seconds before she stopped, realizing that she wasn't going to get out that easily. If she wanted to free herself, she would have to push a little harder. So when she got into that mindset, she called upon her spiritual energy once again. Her indigo eye glowed underneath her trappings, even as the temperature began its spike.

When the explosion began, so did the exertion of her spiritual energy. At first, she made it subtle. Her body glowed with her spiritual aura, burning away her bindings and keeping her safe from the fire. She could still feel the heat upon her skin, sweat beading down her face and body as she became more and more unveiled. When she found the ability to move her arms again, she upped the amount of spiritual pressure in preparation for her next attack. She spread her arms out as she felt the surge increase, growing little by little even as the flames burned all around her. When she was at her zero point, she took in a deep breath and let it all out.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH~!"

Her brief scream, loud and furious, echoed the explosion of power that she released into the open. The crimson fire was replaced by a brilliant indigo, the flames being smothered out. Within that flare of energy stood the Sexta as she slowly extended her hands out to the sky. With a swing of those hands, a multitude of what looked like condensed beams shot towards the sky. They would change direction when Loly moved her hands toward Magatta, locked on and throwing themselves in her direction. Each of them would carry considerable penetration power, and upon contact with the ground, cause a small explosion effect. The minor storm Loly was unleashing would cause a contained yet undeniable amount of destruction.

Magatta only allowed a second to have her sadistically gleeful expression switch to one of indignant shock. While the spiritual pressure would lapse over her body like a concussive wave, originating from the point of the indigo pillar of light shrouding her foe, it'd do little to move her physically. The literal shooting stars of spiritual energy raining down from the heavens, however, ensured her attention wouldn't be solely focused upon her enemy's visual splendor.

Visually distorting her image, several afterimages would be deployed in the wake of her high-sped evasive maneuvers away from the downward spiraling blazes of light. Each one had enough temperature to glass the grains they impacted with, shattering with the concussive force that would follow, leaving dozens of concussive ballooning shockwaves to pepper across the landscape in front of Loly. To the Arrancar, it'd appear like an entire kilometer of sandy dunes and wastes were being obliterated and riddled by her own power.

During her many graceful twirls and leaps, it'd seem that Magatta would shimmer into view, unintentionally into the way of several compressed beams of light. What would transpire would be three coalesced foot-wide spears of spirit energy that would jettison through her body, leaving the left side of her face barreled through along with her upper left breast and her navel. A look of horror would be etched across her face as she'd distantly sway with little control of her bodily functions.

In the instant of her fall to her knees, a sudden thunderclap of force would be emitted, upon the waking thrust of a attack. An attack aimed at Loly's backside, coming from where the real Magatta lied, her visual duplicate long sense fading from view as her extended whip Zanpakutō had extended for over thirty meters away. Bathed in rivulets of scarlet-hued spiritual energy, the compressed and extended series of blades would extend another twenty meters past its prey, buried within a dip within the sandy and glassed landscape in front of her.

"Shinkirō is such a useful technique. By displacing enough spiritual energy into a Shunpo Clone I can make it visually indistinguishable to myself, even allowing it to take damage and atmospheric recognition to its surroundings. A perfect fallback should I need such a tactic," Magatta thought with a malicious curl of her velvet smooth lips.

Raising her Zanpakutō's guard near the left side of her face, facing her enemy in a perpindicularly fencer styled stance, she couldn't help but mock her enemy from afar. Whether her attack made any significant damage -having happened in such a short time equivalent to a thunderclap- she had reinforced it with the utmost integrity the sword could manage and at its maximum length. Now she could fight as she pleased, without any inhibitations.

"Does that hurt, bitch?!" Magatta crowed in rhetorical query with a magnified voice. Swinging her hilt to the right, either creating a bisecting slice or a follow-up stroke of her blade to chase her down it mattered not. It'd be as if all the segmented pieces of her projected weapon had created a solid, versatile whip of shredding power, swinging around with frightening speed. Just by moving it cut entire standing hills of sand and glassed grains into pefectly bifuricated slices, leaving an exorbitant amount of heat in its wake along with little structural integrity.

This time, Loly didn't need her spiritual senses to figure out the one who fell in front of her wasn't her enemy.

Although she almost allowed herself to get gleeful when she saw the clone collapse, the feeling had lasted only for only a millisecond. Realization kicked in. Would such a strong foe have really fallen to the likes of such a simple attack, when she had shown herself to be nearly indominable in their first duel? It was laughable to think that Magatta assumed Loly to be foolish enough to fall for such a trick. Her eye narrowed in disdain, and she immediately twisted herself to face her real opponent once more.

But she didn't expect the following attack to be so quick.

"Fucking rodent--!"

She only had time to move her hands in front of her when the sword whip struck her, the force lifting her off her feet and blowing her backwards. She gritted her teeth as she held the extending whip, requiring a moment to shove it off to the side before jumping back from it. Although she heard the crow coming from Magatta, she didn't have time to deliver a sneering response back before the blade came towards her again. But in the face of such speed, her muscle memory came to fruition and her reflexes kicked into high gear. She found herself moving her knife to swing at the steel ribbon of death, with only one thought coming into her head.

"No... but this will!"

The knife connected.

Upon contact, Magatta would feel a brief yet searing sensation through her body. It was not a pain of the body, nor was it a pain of the mind. It was as if someone had taken a blade straight to her very essence, cutting through it as easily as a physical blade would cut through the flesh. It would be one of the most painful sensations a being like her could've possibly gone through This would delay the whip for a good moment, allowing Loly to straighten up and look at her opponent. "Well, I don't know! Does it?!" She fired back, her teeth flashing with her very own sadistic grin across her countenance.

Magatta felt stunned. The radiating power that had been coalescing through her Zanpakutō had almost all but vanished, causing the light to dissipate along her hyper-extended weapon. Shards clattered into the sand at high velocity, all but evading the whiplashing affect it normally would've had if it was still interlocked. Now she was frozen with a sudden pang in her gut, as if a piece of herself had been struck violently by the supposedly innocent dagger.

"Shitsuru?!" Magatta whispered harshly, eyes widening at her shaking hand, holding the bladeless hilt and guard of her prized weapon. After hearing no voice speak back, she'd almost scream the name of her Zanpakutō, "SHITSURU?!"

"Quiet!"

"Shit...suru?" Magatta thought with shock, recoiling from her sudden yelling that had happened out of sheer panic.

"You're too loud, sis,"Shitsuru would speak, psychically appearing beside her, all but invisible to the enemy. It'd be a young woman that looked remarkably contrasting in appearance to her. Leafy green petals cupped a small bosom, a black stamen corset wrapped firmly around her petite hourglass shaped waist with white seeds acting as buttons going up her navel to between her covered cleavage. Vines would flow in between beautiful black hair, wrapping around her forehead and neck, draping down into a pair of green sleeves that would halt into gloves, extending her nails into thorns. Lily shaped petals with a pink hue would flourish around sparkling creamy legs, ending with a pair of wooden clog shoes. Red eyes looked over at the woman just half a head taller than her, placing her hands on her hips as she huffed with annoyance, "I'm fine, alright?!"

"Thank goodness," Magatta inwardly sighed, as time seemed to have relatively stopped on the outside, having all but retreated to her inner world. A land filled with flora large and small, vines sprouting to wrap decadently around the most exotic of trees filled the landscape around her. It would only be compared to  a world alien to the material realm's or even one potentially resembling back to the beginning of its existance.

Despite this, the two of them stood within a meadow filled with red roses, able to converse freely.

"What just happened?" Magatta inquired, shaking a upraised fist with confusion laced demands.

"It seems that our friend here has learned a way to attack our spiritual connection directly," Shitsuru surmised, rolling her hips in a peculiarly cute way, eyes looking all but too serious in comparison to her bodily language. "I felt as if she had hit me as much as she hit you without ever leave a scratch. I'm not sure I'm anxious to fight against something like that head-on."

"So what do we do? Just give up?" Magatta asked sardonically.

"Don't be stupid, sis!" Shitsuru scowled, crossing her arms over her chest, "even if that was a viable option, I wouldn't forgive you for such a cowardly act!"

"So, what are our options?" Magatta rolled her eyes with her repeated inquiry, her shoulders sagging with frustration, a left set of digits rubbing the bridge of her nasal bone.

"Don't let me touch that blade of hers physically," She instructed, fixating serious eyes at Magatta, "I feel like something terrible could happen if she uses that nifty trick of hers again. Do whatever you have to get rid of that weapon of hers and then hit her with whatever you got. Just remember not to try to rely on my powers too much, sis."

"I can take care of myself, thanks!" Magatta gruffed out, causing her sisterly ethereal partner to laugh in a musical tone.

"Just don't say I didn't warn ya!~"

"!" Magatta felt her connection with her Zanpakutō, stronger than before. More than that, the resolve flowing through her strengthened her, causing an enveloping cloak of scarlet light to discharge from her pores. Such intensity it was that it would feel to her opponent as if the desert floor would dip a dozen meters inwards for countless metric meters. Pale grains of sand rose upwards in a mimicry of anti-g, adding to the eeriness of now scarlet-white eyes glaring at Loly from a distance.

Raising her Zanpakutō's bladeless hilt towards Loly, she began to mutter aloud, "Wreathed in flame, Embodied by Beauty, Cursed by Blasphemy; let all those who view your grace be rendered asunder! Shukuyū!"

In a matter of moments, a trail of flames would flow from the point where the scattered shards of her Zanpakutō lied about. As if they spewed forth animated flames resembling vines, a ring of molten tongues would soon engulf the twenty five square perimeter of where Loly stood. What she would face would resemble a beautiful flower-skirted woman, with hallowed eyes of pure white and a ghastly orange furnace for a mouth. Her hair would flourish back like a curtain of embers, all of which took the shape of petals of lotus blossoms.

When the semi-sentient Kidō roared, it would be deafening enough that it would shake the very air of which Loly would stand upon. During this seismic quaking, hundreds of fiery roots would spring up around her, entwining her and searing into her skin. The intensity of the barrier of flames would equal to that of her newfound bindings, making her earlier Kidō trap a paled imitation of the one that inended to disassemble her now.

When a hood resembling five lotus petals circled around her head formed, the ashen banshee would swing itself down upon her, aiming to embrace her in an infernal blaze. Such was the intensity of the pyrotechnic explosion that would be unleashed, that the caster herself would leap high into the air, employing Shunpo to reach a safe enough ascent to narrowly evade the waves of searing tongues aiming to burn her with her target.

Looking down below, a vividly glaring Magatta would stare down, in wonderment of how durable and determined her enemy had become since their last engagement.

"Be ready for her counterattack!" Shitsuru reminded.

"I know that!" Magatta barked, regrowing the blade into its compact state in an instant, ready for a close quarters blade for which her enemy has seemed to favor most. All she had to do was wait for her to escape the hellfire she had placed her in and see just what kind of damage she had inflicted upon her. That is, much to her chagrin, the possibility if she had any at all...

"What the hell?!"

If Magatta was aiming to make a habit out of shocking the Sexta, she was certainly going down the right path.

Her eyes widened as she felt the sudden surge of power erupt from her enemy, her form stumbling somewhat as the sand pores were raised all around her. Her lone eye regarded her foe with clear disbelief, as she hadn't expected the enemy to retort in such a fashion. Although she knew the fight was just barely getting off its feet at this point, she was still taken aback by the amount of spiritual pressure exerted. Just what was she capable of at her full power, when she got truly serious?

She was even taken more aback when flames surrounded her position and she was left staring a wraith in the face. But she barely had time to react much to it before it released its roar, forcing her to shield her face with one of her arms. It was just one thing after another, as far as she was concerned, especially when she once again found herself forcing that arm back down due to the vines wrapping around it. She clenched her teeth and hissed as they wrapped around her form, the heated bindings pressing against her hardened skin. Her glare was directed towards the Kidō-constructed monstrosity as it rushed to envelop her in flames.

"Trying to keep me held down, eh? Pointless."

With a smug grin on her face, Loly once again summoned her own spiritual pressure to her aid. At the rate the creature was racing at her, she only had time to get her arms free. But that was all that she needed. She spread her arms out to the side just as the beast neared her too much, bringing her spiritual energy out once again. It manifested in the form of a spherical shield, with the semi-sentient monster crashing into it and causing its own foundation to destabilize. It and the flames that made up the attack would become attracted to this indigo shield as it swirled around the Sexta's form, giving it an eclectic fusion of orange, red and purple. In a matter of seconds, there was nothing but a massive flaming ball where Magatta's enemy was - a foreshadowing of the counterattack Loly was going to employ.

"Cero Espejo!!"

The energy of both the shield and the flames that made up Magatta's attack would be launched towards their designated target, racing through the space between them and scorching the very air. Loly watched from her position on the ground, looking on with satisfaction and her trademark smirk on her face. It could be noted that despite several black marks on her form, she looked relatively uninjured from the second trap thrown on her.

"Here it comes, sis!"

Magatta mentally nodded, seeing the coalescence of light being formed within the wake of Kidō inferno. Recognizing it, even from a distance, as a Cero Magatta quickly unraveled her Shikai back into elongated links. By the time the multi-colored sphere had been fully primed, the Shinigami had begun the thirteenth rotation of her extended blade links -having extended into a length of nearly twenty five meters in circular radius- building up a sizable momentous current of rotating air currents. Placing her golden nailed hand over her sword-spinning wrist, Magatta shouted in sync with the Arrancar below.

"Tenran!!!"

VRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRR!!!

A sizable typhoon of energy propelled aero-power would be released, looking to be like the proverbial finger of God sent down to crush the ground below. As such, the powerful sphere explosive and fiery condensed energy briefly clashed with the tendril of the accelerating twister, creating hyper friction within the swirling winds itself. This would create an unintentional increase of the vortex's strength, transforming the distortive maelstrom of air currents into a diagonally powered stream of electricity.

The infernal orb had been created of far more durable substances, however, making it unable to be simply split or destroyed. Instead, it became a focal point of the lightning cyclone's thrust, like a bullet at the end of a high velocity lance. Shrieking across the air faster than sound could produce the said affects, the blast would aim to crash directly into Loly's vicinity, creating a cataclysmic explosion following a gouge within the sandy horizon.

It was clear Magatta didn't intend to give her foe much thinking room.

With the massive twister closing in on her position and little time to think of a counter-strategy, Loly narrowed her options down to dodging or taking the attack head-on. Whether or not Magatta was aware of how strong her Hierro was, the Sexta wasn't sure of. But it was clear that her enemy was at least a little bit aware of the fact that the Arrancar had gotten stronger. Trying to pussy-foot into this situation was only going to cause her more trouble than she wanted. So in a decision to throw everything away and go with the flow, Loly grit her teeth, narrowed her eye and raised her hands towards the attack. It was time to show just how tough she was.

When the blast connected, there was a surge of energy that enveloped the area Loly was in. From Magatta's point of view, it would look like a miniature supernova had went off and took the sands with it. The full power of the attack was being demonstrated here, and for a good moment, it appeared as if the Arrancar had been destroyed.

That is, until she was right in front of Magatta. Courtesy of a Sonido, she had boosted herself like a torpedo towards the airborne enemy feet-first. It was a destructively enhanced form of a drop-kick, carrying the potential to smash through both her armor and body. But regardless of whether or not it connected, she would keep up her offensive. At first, her body turned and twisted to deliver a few roundhouse and snap kicks. But then, she would switch to the primary mode of knife-fighting. Her hands were like snakes, moving with supernatural speed and striking at the weaker parts of Magatta's defenses. It was a demonstration of using the advantage of a small weapon to its fullest, as well as a tremendous display of close-quarters fighting.

"This isn't the same Arrancar I faced in Empresa..."

That line of realization was the one that crossed Magatta's mind as she could vividly see the wraith speeding frame of Loly slicing through the air via Sonido. Not willing to take any chances of risking a direct impact from her enemy's feet, her body swiftly spun to the left, allowing the thrust to miss her entirely. When the roundhouse kicks was delivered, she swung her compacted Shikai to block the sole with the flat of the sword, producing a cacophony of showering sparks and loud clangs.

As the dreaded knife came into play, Magatta decided to employ a new tactic against her enemy.

Sprouting from her own flesh, underneath vinyl and armor sinew, came forth bright emerald vines and roots. By the time a knife would strike her side, it'd be repulsed by a thick and tensile weaving of floral armor embedded into the Shinigami's flesh. Throughout the exchange of swordplay that'd parry her knife thrusts, those of which that had not garnered through her defense -perhaps purposely- struck in a futile manner. By the last time her knife snaked up to impale her throat, having dodged a slash of Magatta's, it'd produce a series of sparks as it'd strike the supposedly weak spot and would be stopped as if striking diamond.

Grasping Loly's wrist, Magatta would smile back at her Hollow nemesis as a collar of flaring pink petals would surround her head, just as her own face seemed to become imbued in the organic armor her body had been endowed with. What was once a sultry -if not cougar appearing- woman was now a creature that would be out of storybooks. Draped head to toe in vines that took on the characteristics of roots and flesh as one dermal piece of floral armor, her skin would be as sheen and attractive as if she were a nymph of a beautiful garden. Even her hair had taken a sheen of emerald, having extended from short tuffs of bleached white to lime-hued wreathes of multi-colored flowers, similarly protruding over different parts of her nubile flesh.

Even her Zanpaktō seemed to be interwoven with roots, retaining sharpened edges while seeming to resemble more of a floral sword with gnarled thorns surrounding its guard and pommel.

"Nugaisō is my ultimate defense," Magatta said with a pur, her grip tightening around Loly's wrist as she would no doubt take in her situation and witness her full transformation. The mere contact with her pores would cause what would look like sporadically growing vines to sprout across her exposed skin, quickly working its way towards her upper arm and around her body. Embedding into her body would be chemicals designed to transform the makeup of her frame while twisting her flesh into that of a floral appearance. "and my ultimate offensive Kidō. Employing the rudimentary basis of binding energy, I can create a spiritronic metamorphosis to change the physiological makeup of my body to increase its defensive capabilities to excel far beyond what any Shinigami can physically produce. Likewise, I can use the catalyst of organic components of my binding energy to produce a form of destructive energy. Breaking down the fabric of my enemies on a cellular level, I can change your body from a humanoid one to that of a beautiful floral one. I can either kill...or utterly twist my enemies in this frame..."

Spreading her smile, Magatta couldn't help but let out a seductive pur as she'd tighten her grip around Loly's wrist, pulling her body closer to hers. "How would you like to become my slave?"

Loly's eye shot open wide at the chain of events, the grin being wiped off her face.

First, the initial appearances of the armor. Every time she thought she had her target, her knife would get deflected by whatever kind of defense that sprouted to it. She gritted her teeth and let out a frustrated growl escape her throat as her attacks were thwarted. Her irritation only increased when Magatta grabbed her knife wrist, and she raised her head up to glare her foe in the eye. But when she Magatta's head become enveloped in that Kidō, her irritation was quick to exchange itself for complete shock. It was just like looking at a living embodiment of a plant, a mutilated form of flora life. It was even more unnerving when those accursed vines began digging into her skin, forcing their chemicals into her body and initializing a gradually growing pain inside of her.

But just like before, where the vines had enraptured a broken body, she found herself grinning widely. Her body started to shake not with pain, but chuckles of amusement and the slightest amount of sadism. Even as she felt the first signs of transformation - a flower sprouting from behind the ear, her Hollow hole being encompased with signs of green vines - she still felt the urge to grin and chuckle. "Me? A slave?" She repeated, incredulous as to what Magatta was saying to her. "Are you going full senile already, hag? I, Loly Aivirrne, am no one's slave, much less yours. I sure as hell don't intend to be made into one, especially by some puny Shinigami's black magic." Her free hand slowly clenched into a fist. "But it seems like you need a lesson as to why. Allow me to teach you!"

Then, she activated her spiritual pressure.

All of a sudden, the vines that were trying to invade Loly's body were burned away and disintegrated. The effects of partial transformation would disintegrate into thin air within the blink of an eye, as well. The vines that held her would start to smoke and sizzle, cursed by an acidic effect that was slowly burning them away. But that was hardly the worst of it compared to what was happening to Magatta. Not only would the burning aura eat away at the defenses, it would also chew at the flora armor, the regular armor and the flesh underneath. It would be like standing next to a big toxic sun. Throughout it all, the sadism in Loly's smile would increase even as she got her knife hand free just enough to grasp the back of Magatta's head.

Then, with another hand aided by the pressure around them both, she thrust it towards the front of her foe.

That hand would punch straight through the Kidō, the fabric defense and the meat underneath. Her arm ripped straight through Magatta's stomach, with a bloodied palm exiting the back. The suffocating energy would seep into the open wound, invading and slowly burning away their target's insides. "Metamorphosis? Changing the makeup of your body? That's fine and dandy, because my body of poison will burn all of you away no matter what you are!" She pulled Magatta's head down as best as she could while in her position, pushing the acidic effects as hard as they could go. At this point, Loly was gaining a manic edge to her expression, the idea of causing her enemy pain all the more appealing to her.

"So go on! I want to hear it, little piggy! Squeal!!"

Magatta's pleased visage would contort into grimace. She knew full well that her enemy was based on poison and corruptive pressure. Their last exchange she had ultimately aimed to maintain minimal contact with the acidic compounds her poisonous released frame generated. Now here she was, as close as close could get, receiving the full brunt of a newly enhanced batch of degenerative toxins into her flora enhanced flesh.

The hand that had held and continued to hold Loly's wrist would be seen becoming dark in tune with the pain rushing through her system. The leaven flesh would decay as the burning aura lapsed over her body, causing her to precipitate heatedly. She had to will herself not to cry out at the sheer horridness of the malicious assault upon her body. The spearing thrust of Loly's toxic hand caused her to gasp aloud with a silent scream, hissing between her teeth as she closed her eyes and dipped her head forward.

"SIS!" Shitsuru cried out, feeling the acidic compound begin to eat away and corrode the protective layer of leaven armor fused onto the blade itself.

"Shut up!" Magatta snarled out loudly, both to her Zanpakutō's mental cries and to Loly's jeers. With a swift thrust of her blade, the entire length became embedded into Loly's midsection. Ripping the blade straight off the guard, leaving it lodged within Loly's body, she'd use a surprising amount of strength to twist Loly around in the middle of the air and hurtle her towards the ground many a distance away. Doing so would dislodge the poison wreathed digits buried within her gut and also put the "Poisonous Sun," far enough away that it wouldn't continue doing damage to her.

Heaving slowly, Magatta's body seemed to ooze bountiful quantities of sweat. What would come after would be the visible appearance of her steaming a violet curtain of smog, seeming to porously eject the toxins within her body's system. As for the degenerating segmentations of Negaisō, something curious begain to happen as the toxins were vacated from her system. While the majority of her limbs' exposed skin was reddened and bleeding from acidic degeneration, the core around her torso to face seemed to be intact. In fact, her flesh seemed seemed to "grow back" what was lost and seams where the partitions of bone began to chip. The flora membrane began to regrow over where it was broken down and returned back to its primal beauty that it had upon primiering.

With a sigh, Magatta redirected her gaze back downwards with a glare, even as a smile encroached back onto her face.

"I did tell you this was my ultimate form of defense, didn't I?" She asked rhetorically in a chiding tone, "I say that first and foremost for that what it is. Even if you begin to break it apart with toxins or viruses, weeds have a fancy way of never going away no matter how hard you try. With a little sunlight and nourishment, even the smallest of plants can come back after a plague. My Negaisō only requires my spirit energy to replenish its lost structure and to anatomically annihilate foreign substances intending to destroy it. In addition it can also heal wounds that I sustain from such a grievious attack, of any physical kind."

Rubbing her midsection, showing that the hole where it was ruptured by Loly's hand had sealed up, she could only brandish a toothy grin. Swinging her Zanpakutō to the side, a flash of scarlet light would reveal another growth of a compacted double-edged blade, showing her renewed resolve to continue their battle anew. "Slaves shouldn't strike their mistresses so willingly. For that, I'll ensure your punishment is excruciating as it will be pleasurable to me!"

"Gah--!"

Although she was barely aware of the idea of retaliation, Loly hadn't expected the Shikai to rip through her stomach as easily as it did. The insane smile twisted immediately into a pained snarl when she felt her enemy's weapon rip through her body. Blood spurted from her mouth once that blade twisted, left within her gut and abandoned by its user. She could only brace herself when she was taken and tossed aside, her form slamming into the sand dunes below. It was enough to kick up a brief sand curtain, which briefly enveloped the visage of Loly that would've been seen otherwise.

In the time that the cloud was up, she allowed herself to lay in the sands for a brief moment. "Can't believe this bitch still had the ability to pierce through my Hierro." She thought to herself, taking in breaths to calm herself. "And that damn Kidō's more of a nuisance than I thought it would be. Not to mention she screwed up my plans of finishing her off when the fight was at its pinnacle." Her mind drifted to the first blows she had landed in the instance she had used Sonido. "Right when she was pushed to her limit in Bankai, I'd just snap my fingers and she would've been nothing but a mess of flesh and organs. Guess I'll just have to fight this battle the old fashioned way..."

She sucked in a breath and forced herself up to a sitting position. Her free hand grasped the blade lodged within her stomach, causing a jolt of pain to shoot through her form. But she did her best to ignore it, clenching her teeth and sucking in a breath before ripping it out of her body. She let a grunt as she tossed it away, forcing herself up to a standing position. Notably, the newfound injury started emitting smoke once she got upon her feet. If one looked closely, they could see the open wound slowly closing itself and sealing up in a display of moderate regeneration. The pain of the wound eased somewhat, and Loly's mind could focus a little bit better to Magatta's declarative words. Throughout it all, she had a scowl on her face, as she clearly didn't like being lectured.

Upon her last words, however, her lips slowly curled into that trademark malicious smile. Her eye narrowed with clear hostility and anticipation, her knife hand and free hand clenching. Although it agitated her to no end that Magatta still found a way to smile, it satisfied her to know that she was now capable of striking her. She had the capability of ending her life, wiping that smug grin right off of her face. Satisfaction and revelation filled her being, standing alongside the hatred she held for the woman. She settled into a preparatory stance as she prepared to reengage, calling out her own particular threat. "Oh, we'll see who punishes who..." She said lowly, her legs tensing one final time. "Right after I'm done smearing you across the sands!"

Without hesitation, she lunged at her foe with her knife ready and her hands all too eager to kill...

The Loud Light & The Musical Melody, Murder and Compassion Clash!
"What a beautiful one you are," Tenshi commented aloud, his feet touching down upon the ground casually, hands in his pockets as he admired his chosen nemesis. A thin smile veiled in a vague sense of menace but held no true effort. Cold blue eyes glistened with fascination but no full-on malice as his compatriots would withhold. His coat would lap at his legs and black linen covered frame, emphasizing the only true animation of his features besides his voice.

Most notably his exposed Zanpakutō's sheathed frame jingled within the wake of distant ruffling winds causing his silver hair dance around his face, making it known he had yet to draw his blade to begin their exchange. With a light-hearted shrug emphasized further with a lengthy sigh, Tenshi rolled his eyes with annoyance, "It's a shame that you have to die for Master Aizen's cause. Ah well, you win some and lose some, right?"

In a manner similar to him, the female Arrancar didn't hold true malice within her form.

She stood with her hand resting on the sword of her Zanpakutō, regarding Tenshi with a passive look of analysis. According to what was recorded out of the time the Ahijados and the Espada Afilado were working together, this was the very leader of the cult that had attempted to destroy existence. She was dealing with a very severe threat, that was for certain. If she wanted to win, she would have to keep her mind and body on the alert. If he couldn't overpower her, he could outsmart her. If he couldn't outsmart her, he would have to find some other way to deal with her. This time, she most likely wouldn't have the luxury of being spared from the grasp of death. The ruthless man would take no hesitation in slaying her if she wasn't careful.

Still, the idea of death didn't phase her more than the idea of failing her leader. Thus, her voice was soft yet strong as she spoke to him. "If I am to die here," She answered readily. "It won't be for Aizen's cause. It will be for my Primera, the only leader I dare to follow. But I suppose that's unfortunate for you, because I have no intention of dying by the likes of you. Even if it takes every breath within this false veil of beauty, I will stop you, Tenshi Chinokatsubō."

"That's the spirit!" Tenshi would practically shout in a gleeful tone, his eyes widened and a delighted toothy grin would be emblazoned upon his visage...

SHFT-Tap!

...simultaneously, a cold killer's gaze would be emoted by an identical cop -a Shunpo Clone, if you will- as his pair of feet would briefly tap the air above the sandy soil in exiting his swift movement. Before his enemy could realize it, he leaped up and curled his knees towards his chest, allowing him to lift both feet up and snap both of them square into her backside. The force would be great enough that it'd create an audible crack in the air pressure, distending the earth and rippling across the sandy landscape.

Landing back onto his feet, both Tenshis -Clone and Original- looked on with nearly contrasting expressions, awaiting the reaction to settle in from their mutual enemy.

"Way of the Onmitsukidō #8, Shadow Step Strike," Tenshi explained with a pleased visage, watching the Clone fade out of existance a few seconds later, "while my enemy focuses solely on me, I preemptively form a Shunpo Clone to move around within the shadows of our surroundings. It'd then strike as it'd land in your shadow, completely undetected and striking unaware."

And certainly, Tierra had been caught off guard.

Her eyes widened when she felt the sudden presence of the clone behind her form. But the time that he took to attack was time that she didn't have to react. Her head had reflexively turned, her gaze swinging over her shoulder. But that was all she could do before its feet crashed into her back. She let out a yelp as she was sent forward, the force put behind the attack catching her by surprise. But fortunately, her hardened skin kept any possible injury from being formed by the surprise attack. In addition, she didn't go far before regaining control of her body. Her feet caught on the sandy grounds, and she skidded to a stop before twisting back around to face her enemy. With the knowledge that surprises in plain view could be possible, she quickly grasped the hilt of her katana and drew it from its scabbard.

Not only did this man have the capability of a mastermind, he also had the abilities of an assassin. A second's worth of hesitation, the smallest moment of letting down her guard and she would be done for. That very first move, had he been using a weapon, would've certainly finished her off and ended any altercation right then and there. She exhaled a slow breath as she settled into a preparatory stance, the tip of her katana pointed towards her foe. Her hand would have to be quick and her heart would have to be strong if she wanted any chance of bringing this particular foe down.

When she was ready, she moved to attack. A Sonído threw her back at her enemy, and her sword in the motion of being thrust towards Tenshi's face. In figuring that her opponent would either dodge or block it, she bent her knees and twisted herself to deliver a horizontal sweep towards the legs. They were two simple motions, but a fusion of precision and grace could be seen from each one of them. She was a skilled swordsman, and nothing less should be seen from her, after all.

Tenshi would respond as if it was all rehearsed. The high sped thrust of her blade would be dodged preemptively with a subtle blurring shift to the right. The sweep of the legs would be met by a reactive leap, producing a right footed snap kick to her angled face. This time the physical attack alone wouldn't be what she'd face.

Almost instantly his body would appear in duplication, axe kicking down at her skull, unleashing a fissure of sizable spiritual power. This alone would indent the sandy wastes they were combating indent by two dozen meters. The pale grains alone would be producing flecks of silvery spiritual flame as a result of the output's intensity.

Finally, to symphonize the trio of chained attacks, Tenshi would be at the outer precipice of her impact site. A single hand, christened with a halo of golden light, already coalesced with a highly compressed attack of electrical nature. With a delighted light behind his cool blue eyes, he'd simple utter in something resembling a whisper.

"Raikōhō!"

KRAK-KOOM!

A voluminously expansive fissure of Kidō lightning would slice through the air effortlessly, aiming to strike the Espada Afilado full-on, creating a searing impact and an expectant explosion in its aftermath.

There would be one thing that she noticed throughout it all.

He wasn't drawing his sword.

Now this was something that was starting to irk her. It was forcing her to engage an essentially unarmed opponent, and despite the clear skill he demonstrated in hand-to-hand so far, she wasn't pleased to fight an enemy without a weapon. Not only was it a stab at her own silent code of honor, but it also gave the impression that he didn't think of her as someone worth using a weapon on. That alone made her clench her teeth and narrow her eyes in irritation as she ducked her head to avoid the snap kick towards her face. Her sword wrist twisted, and her weapon moved to slice the clone in two before it could deliver its strike.

In the very brief interlude that she was allowed, she began to correct herself on that thought. From a tactical level, this wouldn't be a means of just toying around. This was an attempt to gather information, to gauge both his and her strength accurately before putting forth an actual effort in attacking her. It was a test of willpower, a challenge to see who would break first and reveal their hand. As she saw the Kidō blast directed her way, she was determined to rise up to that unspoken challenge. If Tenshi wanted to play, he would find himself dealing with a rather rough playmate.

She swung her sword in an effort to cut the Kidō blast in half.

But at the last second, when the surge of power was a millimeter away from touching her blade, she vanished with a Sonido movement. Her form reappeared behind her adversary, her cutting edge moving to slash at his back. She would follow this up with a pull-back of her blade and a lunge thrust towards his torso. In contrast to his movements and the use of rather explosive spiritual pressure, hers was contained in the use of her physical attacks. It was a demonstration of good energy control and subtle use of her power.

Again, Tenshi seemed to respond as if the attacks upon his person were perfectly choreographed.

Unpocketing his left hand, he'd swing it up in a pendulum motion to preemptively meet the bisecting sword swing aimed at his back. A flash of silver-hued light would be emitted at the point of contact between his knuckles and Tierra's sword edge. To the sharp observer, a finite layer of compressed spiritual energy laced around his flesh to perfectly counter the force sent his way.

When the sword would be pulled back for a thrust at his spine, he'd spin around, gliding around the spearing motion created by the Arrancar's weapon. Doing this he also spun around his former Kidō firing hand to point its index finger directly at her face, less than a foot away from where the center of her eyes be.

"Bang!"

KRAK-KOOM!

A similar discharge of electrical energy would be released but at a much swifter interval. The Byakurai spell's searing heat would slice through the air, intending on carving a new hole into the skull of the Arrancar's face. All of it timed perfectly within the finale of Tierra's sword thrust ending.

"Tch!"

Letting that particular sound escape from her lips, Tierra used the smallest use of a Sonido movement to evade the Byakurai spell shot at her face. Making sure to mask the movements of her hands, she used her free hand and thrust it out. But it would not be aimed at him. Instead, it would be aimed at the sands in front of him. The swiftness of the Bala would minimize the time Tenshi needed to properly get away from it, and the explosion would kick up the sand between them. It was at this time that Tierra shut her eyes, moving through the brief sand curtain that she had created for herself.

Once she was in his face, her hands spoke for themselves. With both hands on the hilt of her katana, she began a series of quick swipes towards him. She pushed herself forward in an offensive barrage, her sword moving like a hyperactive snake. Her movements were not only meant to hit him, but also to direct his evasive movements for better accuracy. It was her attempt at herding sheep into a pen.

Using one arm to shield himself from the sudden blast of dust, scattered by the sand around him from the explosion before him, Tenshi could only smile. Such a tactic was useful in situations such as these, limiting his options of evasion and to fight back by blinding him and inhibiting his defenses. That is, if he hadn't noted the trajectory of the attack from the moment it was aimed by Tierra's hand.

Upon her many swipes, it would all but appear that he began to dance expertly out of the way. Each sidestep maneuver would allow him to spin and twirl around with the direction of every sword slash and stroke, as if anticipating and moving with the flow of her sword slashes that she sent in his path. It was all but simply uncanny.

Then, a pair of hands reached out of the sand, just underneath her leaping feet. During a sword stroke upon what was now confirmed as a Shunpo Clone she targeted, the pair of emerged hands would let loose a crimson blaze of fire, spreading outwards like a spontaneous combusting firestorm. A dwarf star, if ever witnessed in its birth, would be the closest description to the power being projected from his palms sent from underneath her.

Regardless if the strike would hit its quarry, Tenshi would rise from the sand, dusting himself off from pale grains that clung to his immaculate black attire. Swiping off the last grains clinging to his left sleeve, Tenshi would narrow blue eyes coldly at Tierra's vicinity, "Way of the Onmitsukidō 4, Gaia Palm. You shouldn't ensure that I wouldnt' be able to strike from below as well as from all above, Tierra my dear."

The period of that sentence would be marked by Tierra's blade sliding into a spot by his head, which was emphasized by a foreboding click of the katana.

She was standing beside him with her own stare etched into the back of his head. She held the blade with one hand as she maintained the edge at Tenshi's neck. Her passive expression remained firm, even as she listened to his lecture. Having learned from the first time, she was all too ready to evade another surprise attack made from the assassin. A well-placed Sonido an a flaming blast to mask her movements had allowed her to sneak up on the assassin and put her in the position she was now. But even as she seemingly had him at her mercy, her mind was riddled with thought.

How was he moving like he was? Every strike made seemed to be evaded as he saw it coming ahead of time. Every movement she made and rhythm of attack she produced was countered, almost as if he had a picture of those moves in his head right before she executed them. Was his analysis capabilities that potent? Or was it something else, something that she was unable to clearly see? It staggered her mind.

"I may not be the smartest out of the Espada Afilado." She said firmly, a slight glare flashing in her eyes. "But I'm far from a fool. I'm quite capable of learning from my mistakes the first time they happen." She lowered her sword from his neck, allowing herself to take a few steps back. "But you knew that, didn't you? After all, you could've killed me from the first strike you made and I wouldn't have been able to lift a finger. It's stupid to say such words, because I already know you want it this way," Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Don't you?"

"Smart girl for an Arrancar," Tenshi murmured quietly, only just barely audible to his enemy's hearing. Turning his body slowly to face her all she would see would be a cold, venomous expression within his eyes and thin lipped smile. A single hand slowly grasped his Zanpakutō, withdrawing it from its sheathe with a provocatively slow pace that seemed quite methodical. "did you know that I was the first subordinate to have been contacted by Lord Aizen since his infamous disappearance, or as the Soul Society would have liked to believe, death? Of all the Sennin Butai I have been valued as his most effective and lethal servant. How about I show you a little bit of the why I believe this to be true."

VOOOOOOOOOM!!!

In the instant the blade had been released from its scabbard, the conical Zanpakutō and himself became enshrouded by a vibrant indigo aura that quaked the sandy landscape around him. A dust storm of epic proportions would be formed in a matter of seconds, with himself and his eerily glowing blue eyes shining through with lethal intent at his enemy. With his blade held aloft he seemed to hungrily stare at his target with nothing but absolute malicious intent, a contrast to the offsetting indifference he held towards her minutes ago.

Then, he attacked.

"HA!" Tenshi crowed out the moment his body seemed to materialize next to her unguarged flank, draging his sword along in a diagonally rising arc to bisect her body from the lower left side across her right collar bone. What would be left behind would be a fissure of incredibly condensed spiritual pressure, honed in with a blaze of fiery Kidō energy to increase the cutting power that'd assuredly leave a definite mark on her body. Hierro or no.

His body was quick.

But her mind, which was gradually attuning to the more rapid strikes, was able to catch him before he could catch her.

Her free hand shot out like a snake, his wrist crashing into it and her arm bending reflexively from the initial force. She grit her teeth, letting out a brief yell as she twisted her body around. Her hand lifted Tenshi off his feet and hurled him away from her with surprising force. It was only a second later that she used a Sonido to boost herself after him. Her sword was gripped in two hands as she neared him, ready to be swung on his form the moment she neared him.

But just as she neared him, she vanished.

An instant later, she reappeared in the path of his sailing form while continuing to charge him. Her sword was thrust out towards his back, preparing to shish-kebab him. Throughout it all, her eyes were narrowed and a concentrated scowl was on her face.

And a pained expression seemed to cross Tenshi's face, just for a moment. That moment would be replaced by another superceding it that would be a sinister smile, hidden by the fact she struck from her back. His body would seem to evaporate into pale grains of sand, having been fused together by spiritual energy and the deft employment of Shunpo Cloning.

"Way of the Onmitsukidō," Tenshi whispered behind Tierra's frame, thrusting his blade up towards her backside with unparalleled momentum and force, "Cicada!"

"Hah!"

With a show of acrobatics, Tierra bent forward to avoid the thrust aimed towards her spine. In that same movement, she used her free hand as a brace and swung her legs upward in the movement of a handstand. In the process, she let out a kick that smacked away the danger that was Tenshi's blade. Her palm twisted herself around so that she could land back on her feet. As soon as her crouched form hit the sands once again, her sword hand was swung backwards in an uppercut that had the chance of slicing him in two. Then, she would once again push her assault by unleashing a series of two-handed strikes at him.

But even as she moved, her mind was starting to work itself again. Despite the show of spiritual power, the one that had attacked her was nothing more than another clone. They had all been clones, and the latter ones had her played up to that very point. Even though she was adapting to the surprise attacks, she had no idea of how to tell if the one she was currently engaging was also one. But if it was, then why wasn't the real one showing up? What point was there in sending up all these fakes if he wasn't going to engage her directly? All he was doing was toying with her.

Unless, she thought it from a tactical point of view once again. If she looked at it that way, there was only one word that could summarize just what exactly he was doing.

Reconnaissance.

If this one was a clone, then the real one was in hiding somewhere watching her every move. That would explain the strange way he was fighting her earlier, the way he was reading her moves right before they were even performed. He was monitoring her, "calling out" her attacks to whatever clone sent up to engage her so that they could be prepared ahead of time. But that could only be a viable result if the one she was engaging was a clone.

There was only one way to find out.

"Almost finished..."

That voice would ring aloud within the Tenshi's head that was now facing Tierra, downward stroking his blade to meet her sword's uppercut. Even after the shower of sparks were deployed, their metal edges sang across the air, flowing past the orange fireflies of friction dispersal to repeatedly collide with each other. Every blow was expertly deviating each other's aim, only aimed to overwhelm and dissuade the other from making a true strike.

"You're getting better at anticipating my moves, Espada," Tenshi complimented in mid-guard, parrying another flurry of thrusts with his own redirecting slashes, "you're every bit the subordinate of the Primera I'd expect you to be!"

It was then that Tenshi's body blurred to the side, reappearing at her left and right, seemingly duplicating in directions as he spun around her frame at a rapid pace. Each time he'd reappear spinning around, lunging, or side-stepping by her body with a thrust, a pommel strike, or a series of flurried slashes. He aimed to use his advantageous employment of Shunpo to keep her from guessing precisely his next move, using numerous steps from predicting individually swift ones.

"!"

His sudden movement almost caught her off-guard.

Her eyes widened as she was suddenly forced to stop her assault, reeling back when he "divided" himself. Her stance was guarded now, and she was made to face an assault from all of her flanks. This time, it was considerably harder to defend herself. Every time she prepared to block, he would feint. Every time it seemed like an opportunity to duck was made out to be a push towards another danger zone. He was all around her, trying to pierce her defenses through speed and precision. She had to keep on her toes during this time, lest she wanted the slightest mistake to kill her.

"Focus, Doncella." She told herself, keeping herself as concentrated on the task at hand as possible. "These are after-images. If you can just focus, you can pick out his true form among these false veils he's putting out for you. You just have to focus, concentrate and wait..."

Time slowed down for her, even as the flurry of attacks kept coming. As she felt her mind begin to soothe itself, she found it a little bit easier to defend herself against the assault. The multiple paths she would've perceived Tenshi taking gradually began to fade from her perception, little by little, until she saw the one true pattern her enemy was taking. Her body began to attune itself more and more, parrying and blocking until the difficulty lessened to a more bearable level. It was here that she felt the moment to strike.

"I see you!"

That was when her free hand reached out to catch Tenshi's sword arm by its wrist, stopping his attack in its tracks. If he looked her into the eyes, he would see a glare of resolve and determination. She gripped her sword tightly in her remaining hand. "There is nothing less demanded," She declared, swinging her blade upwards to slice her opponent across the chest. "From the likes of my Lady!"

SNATCH!

A sudden thrusting hand would erupt from the sandy ground beneath their feet, grasping her slashing blade hand's wrist, halting its momentum. Following that in exact synchronization would be a sword that would thrust upward, aiming to impale her abdomen and out her back through the other side. It would be after this attack that Tenshi's Shunpo Clone, whom she had nearly slain, would finally dissipate and the genuine article flash a satisfied grin on his face.

"Analyzation complete," He'd whisper aloud, pulling back his blade while casually eyeing her with his venomous azure eyes, "your moves to me now...are that of a child's book. Unless you try something truly unorthodox, there won't be anything that can surprise me. At least, not at the caliber you've been fighting at."

"Oh no...!"

She hadn't expected him to attack that quickly, in the midst of her own strike towards his duplicate. Her eyes widened, and she let out a small gasp when she felt her sword arm halted. But she had been too stunned by his appearance to make an effort to evade. Even if she had, the grip on her wrist had restricted her movement in that very moment. She mentally cursed herself for having not been prepared for it, bracing herself for the punishment that was coming.

She bent over when that steel punched through her stomach, letting out a pained hiss through clenched teeth as pain shot through her form. When he pulled the blade out, she was quick to leap away to distance herself from him. Drops of blood would follow her path, dropping down and staining the sand where she stood. There were slight beads of sweat that fell down her face, courtesy of her own shock. But even as she spoke those words of finality, there was nothing but defiance in her eyes. "You've only begun..." She countered vehemently. "To see me fight...!!" To emphasize that statement, she lifted her blade up to point it at her enemy in a preparatory yet challenging manner.

"Is that right?" Tenshi cocked his head to the side, his smile widening with feigned intrigue. Closing his eyes he would let loose a throaty chuckle. When he'd reopen them, he'd raise his own sword to visibly divide his visage, eyes coldly glaring in her direction. "then I shall fight as I truly mean it as well. Though I doubt you'll be able to read me as easily as before, considering I allowed you to read me...!"

"Entrance," Tenshi began to speak, just as the blade of his Zanpakutō began to shatter. Within but a few seconds, the blade shattered and dissipated into visibly disappearing shards of metal, dancing in the air before outright vanishing from view. "Kyūrekikei!"

With nothing but a conical shaped guard and a tubular hilt in hand, Tenshi waved around his bladeless weapon in hand, as if testing its weight and heft. Unlike before where the sheer weight of his motions had cause ruptures in the air, there was little to not sign of disturbance in the environment. In fact one would almost assume, had they not been fighting Tenshi, that he was holding a useless remnant of a powerful weapon.

"Now then," Tenshi raised his gaze back to hers, his visage enshrouded by a malicious silhouette that would only reveal his cold blue eyes, "try and doge this!"

His arm would blur around in a diagonal arc, seemingly doing nothing to the air but rather disorientingly shifting the various visual frequencies the eye would interpret to the brain. All in all, the attack would be instantaneous, cutting a rift within dunes nearly a kilometer behind her as much as some of the sand directly aligned with the direction his blade would be cutting towards her body. The baffling attack would be an undeniably frightening tool to Tenshi's arsenal.

This time, Tierra's pupils shrunk slightly and her heart stopped for the briefest of moments.

There was no visual of the attack. There was nothing to indicate that a force of physical being was headed straight towards her form. The only sign that her life was in danger was that she could feel it coming, her instincts telling her that harm was approaching. Without hesitation, she used a Sonido to took to the air, barely missing the wave of power as it washed over the spot where she was before. She could only gaze down at Tenshi with clear apprehension, her nerves tingling more than they should've been.

"I couldn't see it." She thought to herself. "The distortion that would've been through the air as the wave moved towards me... I couldn't see it as I normally would've! I know for a fact that under any circumstance, such a simple attack would've been caught by my eye. It's that Zanpakutō of his... somehow, it's disrupted my ability to properly discern his attacks with my eyes!"

"Predictable," Tenshi's voice would announce aloud, his body shimmering swiftly up ten meters behind her as soon as she halted her ascent. The move would seem to be naught but invisible, his Shunpo's timing being on par with her own Sonido. It seemed he had moved in perfect synrhonization with her retreat, as if he directly anticipated her retreat.

And with a rotationally swift thrust of his sword arm's wrist, the invisible force would corkscrew towards her abdominal and lower back region. It'd be a foot wide in diameter and would seem to instantaneously cut a swathe through the skyline, visibly steaming the air seconds after the attack's wake would be recogized. The wraithly attack would continue to baffle any opponent in Tierra's position.

When he appeared, Tierra quickly spun herself around with her sword at the ready. Her mind was running at a frenzy once again even as she faced down his next attack. "It's only on instinct that I'm able to evade and dodge his strikes. At this rate, I'm going to get cut down before I even have a chance to land a hit!" She instinctively swung her blade up to meet the attack, using her arm as a brace against the back of the blade when it crashed into her. But even as it collided, it was as if she was fighting with the air. She couldn't see the very thing that was pressuring her.

But now, she could pick something else up.

"Wait a minute. I hear something."

Her tense face, for a brief moment, changed to one of confusion as she picked up a brief and very unusual sound. It wasn't the sound of his weapon clashing against hers, nor was it the effects of his weapon as it tore through the skyline. "It was so brief, I couldn't tell just what exactly it was. It sounds like it's right in front of me, but there's nothing there but him and his Zanpakutō! Just what exactly was it?!"

She didn't bother to think about it too much. As soon as the confusion faded away, the conviction came back. The blade of her sword briefly glowed with the orange light of her Cero, and she let out a yell as she swung her sword forward. The blast would come out in a horizontal expansion, growing wide enough to consume Tenshi's form and even more so.

Seeing that the thrust was deflect, albeit barely, Tenshi's arm didn't revert from its outstretched motion. Instead, any pressure that Tierra would have felt would seemed like a projectile rather than an elongated blade. That was purposeful in of a sense, as he aimed to check how she'd react to his attacks. So far her instincts have been saving her, but how long can one rely on their own gut to save them from the unknown?

"Tenkan."

SHHHHHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

In the moment the horizontally aligned Cero was slashed in his direction, the entirety of its expanse seemed to halt in midair. As if slapping into a solid wall, the Cero's fabric would flatten, becoming a square aligned construct of volatile energy. Then it'd shatter, becoming billions of orange hued sparks, followed by the distinct impression of a wall of dismembering pressure flowed past the Cero and aimed to hit her dead-on, disembowling a upraised mountainside in the distance.

"Shift."

Tierra's eyes narrowed as the force raced towards her, her sword gripped in preparation. Although she was baffled at the way her Cero had been neutralized, that particular bit of confusion wouldn't last for very long. Her thoughts would focus back onto the command that was stated to release the attack, the command that released his Zanpakutō to begin with. She couldn't even begin with "shift".

"Entrance, Kyūrekikei... Lunar Light."

But maybe she could work with the name of his Zanpakutō. She had yet to understand what the "lunar" part of his Zanpakutō was. But thanks to the way her Cero was neutralized, she could safely guess where the "light" part came from. It would also explain just why she couldn't see the attacks; he was bending the light and distorting her vision of them. But if she could still "feel" the attacks coming, then that influence hadn't expanded to any more of her senses. In fact, if she listened carefully, she could actually still hear the oncoming force as it was barreling towards her. It allowed her to better ready herself.

With a single swipe of her sword, she split the force in two. Her free hand swiftly thrust out towards Tenshi, her index and middle fingers pointing outwards. Once again, the telltale orb of a Cero began to form. But this time, the orb had blackness within it instead of the standard orange. It could be also noted that the color of Tierra's eyes had faded away, leaving a similar void of black within her eyes. Her target was set, and her aim was prepared.

"I hope I'm right...!"

Her mouth spoke the next two words in a harsh whisper.

"Cero Estridente!"

What was released was not the beam of a normal Cero. Instead, a multitude of focused sound waves were shot out from those two fingers. They raced to their target with speed comparable to that of a Bala rather than the Cero it was. A sound of eardrum-shattering proportions was produced by the attack, with the closest summary of it being a point-blank high-pitched jet engine. Its power distorted the air around it, making the visual appearance of the environment gain an almost surreal edge to its form.

Tenshi's reflexes reacted faster than his sense of surreal observation of Tierra's attack. Knowing the minute basis of his invisible force was being as easily deflected as it was deployed, he knew that such a force would need to be properly dispersed. A twist of the wrist would all be required before slashing the air in front of him.

"Mikazuki!"

What would appear between himself and Tierra could only be described as vibrant fireworks. Silver arcs of streaming energy would bow out in a crescent shape, causing the audible claps of sonic ruptures within the air to explode in localized areas expanding to ten meters in gait. As soon as the the Ceros would dissipate, Tenshi would chuckle with audible amusement.

"Quite an interesting ability of yours, being able to produce sound waves by vibrating your own spiritual energy into pressurized discharges. A good counter to my Zanpakutō," Tenshi would jeer all too cheerfully, holding up his bladeless Shikai with emphasis, as if he knew that she had discovered it's secrets but didn't vocally confirm it. "wouldn't you say so?"

The seemingly jovial attitude was not shared by his opponent, who continued to regard him with a firm stare. Although she lowered her sword back down once again, she didn't lower her guard. Inwardly, she was relieved to see that she had guessed correctly. His Zanpakutō was light-based, while her own powers revolved around the concept of sound. Would that make it easier for her to fight him, make the path to his heart a little more clear? Time would only tell.

For now, her eyes fixed him with a scrutinizing stare. "I find it ironic." She said. "A killer, a genocidal extremist and an assassin who prefers the darkness as his home using a weapon of brilliance? If not for the current situation, it would've been quite funny to me."

A humored laugh would be his response to Tierra's rhetorical inquired statement. Such to the point where he'd use his free hand to palm his face, dramatically dragging it off to reveal his cold eyes, almost delighted to have heard such a thing. Brushing his digits through his fine lunar hued hair, he smiled at her as he waved his bladeless weapon around casually, "Oh come now. You mustn't believe everything they tell you. As part of the Onmitsukidō, I've done some of my best work in plain sight. Isn't it that what they say? The best assassins are the ones who blend perfectly with the background?"

Taking a few moments to sigh, he'd close his eyes, opening them to reveal a very much more detached visage. Almost as if he had returned to the persona he had adopted for the beginning of their encounter. As if this battle held little meaning to him in the slightest. "Perhaps a demonstration is in order, hmmm?"

Raising his hilt into the air, iconically touching the visible bottom recess of Hueco Mundo's own crescent moon, he'd solidify this statement by breathing out a simple word. "Hakkōtai."

In all but a handful of seconds, the upraised arm down to his feet began to shimmer, as if he became a living embodiment of a mirage. This disappearing act would commence in a distorting wave, all the while smiling dispassionately at her, not bothering to project anything of himself while entombing himself in light. Without a thought or word, his entire being would be transparently untraceable, and unlike his invisible force attacks from prior, he would seem even less apparent to the observing eye.

Tierra's eyebrows furrowed in surprise. As she watched her foe disappear from her sight, her body tensed up immediately. Now, he was entirely invisible to her sight, with nothing more than the desert around her. Nevertheless, her eyes instinctively swept the area for any possible sign of him. It she had been a few minutes earlier into this point, she certainly would've been a lot more worried. Come to think of it, had he simply released this ability earlier, he would've had a better chance of slaying her. It was just another reminder that he was leading her on a stick for his own amusement.

...no, that couldn't be right. He couldn't be getting anything out of this, not with a face that detached from the conflict. If he was truly amused, surely he wouldn't catch himself wearing such a disinterested expression. The emotional side of her was indignant, believing that he believed her to be not worth his time. The rational side of her asked why he was bothering to fight with such a distant attitude. If he didn't want this, he had the ability to end it quickly before it got too out of hand. He could be done with it, done with her and leave without having to exert too much effort. So what the hell was could this man be thinking?

It was during this monologue of his enemy's that Tenshi would attack.

A searing cut from behind, emanating as a massive wave of shredding light particles as invisible was he was, taking care to be deployed in an X formation to cover more angles and guaruntee more damage being delivered. Next would be a swift thrust towards her torso, creating a rupturing drill of invisible force aiming to penetrate her defense shortly after deflecting or attempting to evade his last attack. Lastly a final horizontally descending wave of shredding pressure would hit her from above without any sign of him moving overhead, blasting away the ground beneath her as it expanded a good kilometer in range.

As he'd unveil himself, keeping a visibly shimmering appearance akin to that of a mirage, Tenshi smiled at her with a cold grin spread across his face, "You might wonder how I'm so unpredictable. Something I've learned when fighting others with a high caliber of perception is that there are those who can sense my Killing Intent even within attacks that shouldn't be sensed. By detaching myself in those certain instances I am literally incapable of being predicted. Do you understand, Tierra Espada?"

Instinct was once again her tick-off.

Her body had thrown itself forward, evading the stroke of his sword by a few inches as it tore past her. In the time that she could, she closed her eyes and once again focused. Gone was the perception of her sight, and in came the reliability of her hearing and feeling. His Zanpakutō, a light-based ability, would do no good if it was against a target who didn't rely on pure eyesight in order to engage. It was up to her other senses to protect her.

When she hopped off to the side in order to avoid the drill that was his thrust, she once again heard that particular noise. It was coming from the likes of his weapon, and this time with her focused, she could pick it out more than she had the first time. It was a brief yet loud howling, one not too different from the howling of a ferocious wind. The sound unnerved her, but as she began to process it in her hand, she began to realize just what she was hearing. It wasn't the sound of his attack trying to rip through her, nor was it any physical sound that his body was making in its own movements to kill her. It was a sound that no one else would've picked up, and she could safely assume that even he couldn't hear it.

With a Sonido, she pulled herself out of the way before the final overhead strike could hit her. Although she would spare a glance at the damage inflicted upon the sandy grounds, she would instantly feast her attention on him once he came back out. She remained silent as she listened to his speech, lowering her sword back down to her side. Even as she heard the declaration that his detachment made him virtually undetectable, she did not falter in her calm yet firm countenance. She was patient, waiting until the very last word was spoken. Then, with a blend of confidence and composure, she delivered her verbal counter.

"Detaching yourself, you say?" She asked rhetorically. "What an excellent theory. To detach yourself from the battle even as you attempt to kill your opponent. To dismiss everything within you as you bathe your sword in the blood of its victims. It would be such an effective way of dealing with your battles, having the ability to hold no attachment towards the conflicts you participate in and the casualties you cause." She slowly opened her eyes back up to look at him. "But you and I both know that there is no such theory that can be applied... at least not here."

She brought her sword up to chest level. "The sentient mind is one resistant to change. It cannot simply be flipped like a switch from one composition to another within a second or two. It requires time to adjust, a gradual transition no matter how fast it goes. Unless you carry some sort of mental disease within that head of yours, you're unable to shift from genuinely happy to genuinely sad in the time that it takes to snap a finger. Likewise, you can't expect me to believe that you can shift from carrying the desire to kill me to not being interested at all. Even if you're genuinely trying to change your emotional output, there will always be at least a small sliver of once was that will lag behind before it disappears completely."

This was where her eyes narrowed, her gaze becoming more piercing. She lifted her sword up so that the tip would point at him again. "And I can hear it. Every time you attack me, every time you swing that sword, you expose yourself more than you intend to. I can hear that remnant of killing intent every time you make a move to end my life. Even as you hide behind that dark mask of yours, I can still hear you, Tenshi... and behind that mask, you are screaming."

Tenshi couldn't help but furrow his brows and withdraw his smile to a thin lipped expression. Hearing what she had to say countered what he believed, something he genuinely disliked. But as her words drug on, he began to understand what exactly she meant behind her reasoning to bear logic he could conclude to be true.

"She can hear me? Of course," Tenshi narrowed his eyes at his blade, the source of his transparency and light-bending capabilities. "she's the essence of sound, capable of creating ruptures within the air of high frequencies. Such an entity would only be able to hear things that I alone couldn't hear. Even Kyūrekikei has to conjure the light somehow and what better way than the act of conjuring than by a frequency that no physical ear of normal make could interpret?"

But the last emphasized word of her aforementioned explanation caused a chilling smile to resurface. Slowly but surely the transparency would fade, allowing his being to re-emerge in its entirety. Gripping the hilt of his Zanpakutō he pointed it in her direction, his eyes adopting a swiftly dramatic -if not entirely manic- expression as his entire body would shine. Shining like a star as the blaze of his Zanpakutō's aura harnessing his Hakkōtai in the inverse output in a flux of light particles.

"You think I was screaming before? I'll show you the true epitome of my blood's calling without any restraint, Arrancar!" Tenshi shouted in a all too delighted tone. Volumed to a point that it shook the air as much as his pressure and the blaring light that flourished across the horizon above her.

With a dramatic swing in her direction, a blaze of searingly blinding light would be cast. What used to be invisible waves of shredding pressure would transform into a very tangible wave of concussive force. Such power would be placed through the stroke of his blade that a tidal wave of indented sand would be hit directly behind her, being blasted away before showing waves of searing steam left in its wake. Heat and concussive power placed into a singular attack, all meant to overwhelm her defenses and senses equally rather than subdue to sneak past them.

"So bright...!"

When Tenshi enveloped himself within his own light, Tierra had to flinch at the incredible brilliance. She was forced to shut one eye and squint the other, raising an arm in front of her face to keep herself from being blinded. She was shocked at the way he was presenting himself now, the way he was shouting at her and the very volume of his voice. But most of all, she was stunned by the blast of destructive light being sent her way. At this very moment, he had shifted from dangerous assassin to an incredibly powerful berserker... and she was the target.

But she was quick to regain herself. Her hand gripped her sword in preparation as the wave came closer and closer. When it was upon her, she was forced to close her eyes, lest she wanted to become blinded by the light. But that sword hand moved, its tip thrust and held towards the blast. When the light collided, it was stopped in its tracks. The collision point gave off a series of ripples, which were similar to what one would see after throwing a rock in a pond. The power of Tenshi's attack made her hair and clothing billow with the intense winds it generated. But she held firm, and it only took a few seconds for the entire wave to disintegrate under her counter-strike. She glowered at her foe, gripping her sword in two hands and settling into a stance.

"Show me everything, then. Show me the fullness of your resolve to take my life. Allow me to hear those murderous screams just a little more! Allow both your sword and shield to become as strong as they can get, for I intend to hold nothing back! This time, I will carry out the orders the Primera has bestowed upon me with zealous will and laboring hands! I will bring you down, Tenshi, even if it costs me my very life!"

It'd be at the end of her screaming declaration that Tenshi's location would seemingly transport instantly in front of Tierra. Flourishing in an aura resembling that of a star, Tenshi swung his bladeless hilt and produced another luminous shockwave, creating the equivalent of a plasma-induced explosion. The indentation created would send ear-splitting fissures that'd web throughout the sandy landscape, cutting directly into the fabric of the Menos Forest canopy below, burning the pale ember branches holding up the pale grains culminating above it.

"Hikarimono," Tenshi whispered, now hovering over the decimated hole that used to be a desert plateau. Staring at her with azure-out eyes, his hair would ripple and flourish with animated movement along with the rest of his body. The mantle of luminous lunar-hued light shined all around him, stemming from the power of his Zanpakutō, "I intend to show you exactly that, Tierra. Until your body mellodiously crack with ever fracture and every rupture my blade makes upon your flesh into bones. I'll enjoy hearing you squeal in agony!"

With all of her courage, resolve and determination pushing her movements, Tierra swung a sound-enhanced blade to meet the weapon of the false angel. When her power met his, she found herself clenching her teeth against the power of his strike. Her sword almost rebelled against her hands and slipped away from her grasp, but her stubborn grasp kept it from abandoning her. Although it wasn't enough to completely nullify his strike, it was potent enough to offset the light and keep her from getting hit by the brunt of it. She would hop away to her own distance as she stared at Tenshi, her sword gripped tightly in one of her hands.

"Last time, I was bested by an enemy stronger than me. I allowed myself to falter, I allowed myself to break. But not this time." She pulled the hilt of her sword behind her head with the tip facing Tenshi and her free hand acting as an aiming point. "I'll defeat my enemy. I'll come back home, help rebuild what was lost here. Wait for me, men, women and children of Empresa... my brothers and sisters of the Espada Afilado... especially you, my Lady."

With a battle scream, she threw herself at Tenshi to begin the battle anew.

A Battle of Gods, Usurper vs Royalty
"HAAAAAAAAA!!!" Jin howled out with feral delight, swinging his blade in a wide arc in his enemy's direction. What would be produced could be described as a blaze of animated dark flames. From within the clout of heated tongues would sprout forth dozens of dragonic heads, all of which would snarl and snap at the couple's direction. Faintly within the background, one could see the faint violet-hue fumes rising from tainted grains that once made up the pale landscape around them.

Though this didn't stop Jinete from countering this latest attack.

Hopping back and forth, he'd avoid the plummeting thrusts the dragonic heads numbering up to fourteen made at him. Each lung would seem to be undeniably swift, such to the extent that he felt that he had to remain constant alert. It had been many ages since he truly had to put forth effort in a battle, let alone fight a battle of such a scale.

"Uh-oh!" Jinete exclaimed, eyes widened with surprise as he found all fourteen black flaming necks flow around him, creating a barrier from which he couldn't hop around. This ring of flames would be the cage, while the heads would act as the upraised executors. Each of them possessing maws of ghastly violet and ruby tongues with venomous teeth, he knew that any bite by them would be undoubtedly unhealthy; even if it would be just a graze to his person.

As they all bowled forward he found an opening and took it. To the outside observer, such as Kugyō or his own wife, it'd appear as if they all crush them under the weight of their culminated maws. But upon further inspection, the semi-sentient entities would only have bite-fulls of paled grains, quickly turning into poisoned minerals upon contact with the venom within their mouths. The fourteen heads would look vaguely upwards as a dramatic spike of Spiritual Pressure could be felt above them.

Jinete's left arm was transformed back into its organic obsidian makeup, now having what would pass as a physically segmented bow within his skin. With his right hand pulling back taut the bristling string along with what seemed like four spikes, the King would simply smile as his eyes narrowed with careful precision. With a dramatic release of the string, the arrows would fly, creating a semblence of a sonic boom clap from the momentum and velocity placed by their launch from above.

Striking the bases of the necks where the maelstrom of flames created the dragonic serpents, a thunderous release of kinetic power would eradicate the beasts from back to their horned skulls. With the hyper-friction inducing a collateral blaze of orange-red fire in its wake, all would be quiet on Jinete's end, causing him to sigh with relief.

Raising his transformed hands up to his face, he'd comically cup around them and shout to his wife, "How are you doing, honey?!~"

Likewise, Nohemi would perform her own movements to evade Jin's attacks.

Performing multiple Sonido, she kept a constant pace as she danced and evaded the dragon constructs. Like him, she would find the speed of their moves to be particularly challenging to her - something that hadn't been done to her for quite some time. Her eyes were focused on the enemy's projectiles as she moved to dodge them, though she took careful note not to divert attention from the actual enemy. Once she was at a certain point, she would stand her ground and let the dragon heads shoot towards her.

When they were close enough, she swung her hand out. "Greed!"

The dragons stopped within their tracks, their colors abruptly shifting from black to bright blue as their master's control was pulled against. With a swing of her hand, Nohemi quickly diverted the dragons away from her and to a different path in the air. They would destabilize and disintegrate afterwards, allowing the woman breathing room once more. She exhaled a breath as she looked over at her foe, still bemused at how powerful he had become.

Her husband's humorous call diverted her attention away from Jin, causing her to sweatdrop.

"Still nonchalant as usual, dear?"

Deciding to humor him, she put on a cheery disposition of her own. Her free hand waved in a display of her own carelessness, with an expression of mirth to match. "Oh, I'm fine on my end, sweetie~!" She called back in a bit of a sing-song voice. "Just getting my exercise in, that's all! I heard that dodging flaming dragons could work wonders for the hamstrings~!"

"That's the spirit!" Jinete exclaimed as he materialized next to her, his cloak billowing around his person upon soft landing. His own hawk eyed gaze would lock onto his enemy, noticing how he strode forward with the utmost confidence. Thumbing the release of his own sword, Jinete began to unsheathe it as he asked his wife, "what do you think, Nohemi?"

Jin could only chuckle aloud, his vicinity plagued by every foostep he made, "Go on! Study me all you like. You know what I am and I alone am to the likes of you. I am Death's Decay Embodied!"

In that moment a thick wave of darkening ichor rose up from the toxic sand. Bubbling like tar and producing a thick veil of fumes no doubt to be poisonous. What rose out of it would be depraved, causing what looked like rotting corpses of bubbling ooze for flesh. Glowing eyes of various hues adorned each being, dark violet gouts of gas escaped their rotted maws and exposed teeth. The most disturbing would be the skeletal structures didn't look human in the slightest...but that of long dead Hollows.

Less than a minute would pass and an entire legion of damned Hollows would rise out of the grains of sand turned muck from which their bodies had long since dissolved into ages ago. The full conglomerate projected a ghastly and terrifying Reiatsu, shaking the air with as much intensity as there was a thick cloud of noxious smog flowing just a dozen meters in front of the royal pair. All the while Jin just smiled with a malicious aura flowing off him like a dark, dying collection of embers.

"Say hello to the oldest of Hollows long since your time, your majesty and grace! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Jin let out a cruel laugh cascade the air, holding a hand over his face as he nearly bowed back from hilarity.

Had it not been for Jin's action, Nohemi would've gladly made her summary of it all.

The blood-like fluid that bubbled from the sands would not touch her personal bubble, and the fumes that were emitted from its foundations would not grace her form. It was courtesy of a subtle use of her Destruction ability - she was producing a mild cloak of heat to burn away both gas and liquid, shielding herself while not expending unnecessary energy. She remained passive as it was spawned, her eyes taking in everything she could.

But it wasn't a moment sooner that she wished she hadn't.

When she saw the carcasses of Hollow long gone, the composure on her face shattered like glass hit by a brick. Although they were mostly destroyed, there were still subtle signs of recognition she could pick up. There were Hollow that had fought alongside her in the Great Schism, Hollow that had lived and died in the growing civilization that had been the ancient Hueco Mundo. Some of them had even came to be known personally by the Queen before their passing on. Now, seeing them resurrected in the unholiest of manners caused her heart to sink, her eyes to dilate and a mixture of sadness and horror. She was almost at a loss for words.

"...all of these men... all of these women..." She whispered, traces of tears building up in her eyes. "I knew them..."

"As did I," Jinete said with an audible growl. Clear blue eyes that hinted of humor and mischief burned with rage. The growl turned into a hum, echoing the power that began to flourish around his body, causing the grains around him to flow in an opposing manner around him and his wife. The sword in his hand radiated with anger, as if the metal itself was howling with mutual wrath. "I knew every last one of them!"

"Does that anger you as much as it hurts her, my Kin-?"

Jin's humored retort would be cut off by a dramatic wave of his sword, blurring forth with enough speed to make even his daughter's eyes spin. A scream would tear across the air, rippling with enough pressure that it easily bisected the disassimilating gases that clung to all bio-matter. When it would reach their vicinity a violent exhale of a blinding blue-white Cero that would encompass the horizon would engulf Jin and his legion of damned creatures that took upon the visages of lost loved ones.

"Does that answer your question, you sick bastard?!" Jinete yelled aloud, his eyes now brimming with an equal amount of gold and red hue, emphasizing his enraged disposition.

"Yes," Jin would respond, his sword upraised and still trailing with the volatile attack's essence that was launched his way. His smile would be intact, as various bodies that had been struck weren't entirely destroyed by his attempt to wipe them all out instantaneously. The bubbling mire that imitated flesh seemed to have dissolved and lessened in mass, but it only left them more skeletal, erasing the gases they were exhaling at the moment.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!" The collective of undead Hollows roared titanically, spreading out an audible shake of their own immense output of Reiatsu. Mindlessly they wobbled forth, gradually picking up speed as they would rush lopsidedly past their necromancer. In but a few moments they would be a horde of sprinting bodies, no different than the basest of Hollows clambering forth towards a bait; in this case, the Queen and King of Hueco Mundo.

"Feast on their flesh to your heart's content," Jin crowed out, laughing with a wave of his sword and unarmed hands with emphasis, "that is, if you ever had hearts to begin with!"

Now, it was Nohemi's turn to show just how much she appreciated Kugyō's attack.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH~!!!!"

She let out a skyward scream, clenching her fists and partially holding them out of her side. Her scream was in parallel with an attack of her own, a tsunami of blue flames that enveloped the army of the undead en masse. The heated winds caused her cloak and hair to dance wildly about her, but it did nothing to shake her from her position. For one of the few times she allowed herself to be seen with one, she had a death glare leveled at the smug face of Kugyō. "Have you no shame, Hankami?!" She snarled, her limbs being enveloped in the nuclear fire that she had set the environment ablaze with. "Is this what you've been reduced to?! Desecration of the dead for the sake of fighting your battles?! Was this an attempt to break us, shatter us and make it easier to keep your delusional title of Death?! I WILL NOT STAND FOR IT!!!"

Without hesitation, she threw herself at Kugyō with immense speed. In her wake, the ground underneath their feet was set ablaze by the blue fire she had summoned. It only took less of a second to close the gap between her and her opponent, and when she re-appeared, she was hovering over him with a leg raised over her head. She swung that leg down like a hammer, unleashing the combined power of physical force and energy into one strike. Her connection would mark another violent explosion of nuclear fire, which was massive enough to illuminate the entire battlefield in a foreboding light of blue. Its source would look on with rage, her tear trails leaving their respective tattoos on her cheeks.

"The first defeat may have not been enough to humble you." She seethed. "But I guarantee that once we're done with you, you will truly know the meaning of the word "pain"! Defend yourself, Defiler!!"

The axe kick of coalescing cobalt tongues would clash with the horizontal pair of blades that was Kugyō's sword. At the same time, his virulent aura would ignite and fiercely roar underneath the buckling seismic thrust her nuclear equivalent reaction her kick packed. Even as the legion of undead Hollows were incinerated beyond repair, he'd do nothing but tighten his grin and narrow his eyes up at her.

"Such a fiery temper, my Queen!" Jin sneered upwards, his mouth exuding a blanket of toxins to blossom over her body. Such would porously decay her flesh and pilfer her lungs with its presence. It'd be both painful and numbingly cold to the contact had it made tactile or respiratory contact.

His veil of poison, just like the toxins before it, would have no effect on the Arrancar.

The heat she generated from the flames offset the poison that her enemy had unleashed against her, causing it to overshadow her form instead of overtaking it completely. But even as she defended herself, her eyes narrowed as they took in the perpetual smile that crossed his face. Even as his armies were destroyed, even as the undead were put back in their proper place, he still had the audacity to grin at her. Was it because of confidence? Or was he simply getting off on her outburst? In either case, she would make it a priority to beat him into submission. She would make him pay for desecrating the bodies of her comrades as he did.

A swing of her other foot crashed into his defense, sending him skidding through the sands. As for her, she performed a backflip and landed in a kneeling position. Her flaming hands buried themselves within the ground she knelt on, her energy being sent underground to intercept him. It took only a few seconds for that flaming energy to erupt, taking the form of a spherical cyclone that took Kugyō in as its epicenter. The flames gave off a continuous roar as they circled their target, slowly closing in on him with each passing second. If it couldn't harm him, it would at least be a means of distracting him for Jinete to get his blows in. She clenched her teeth as she focused her power, giving it her all into destroying the monstrosity known as a god.

"Do I anger you, your grace?"

That would be the last words Jin would speak before being kicked away viciously. The pop of air pressure left behind created the equivalent of a artillery gun going off. His body tumbled head over heels before skidding to a halt. Rising upwards he could see the geyser of flames form a omnidirectional prison that bore in on his presence.

"Caging me with your flames in an attempt to execute me without resistance? How very Hollow of you," Jin murmured aloud, his voice overrun by the roar of tongues choking the air around him. Raising his sword up into the air, he'd smile briefly before swinging it around in a spiraling fashion above his head.

"Succumb!" He commanded voluminously, his presence glowing a nefarious dark violet-black. This essence bathed the tongues aiming to incinerate and imprison him. What was once brilliant azure light turned into bright ominous purple fire. It roared and glowered around him, forming an instinctive shield around its new master. Said flames even manifested crimson slits that imitated eyes, glaring back at Nohemi with a maliciousness that bordered sentience.

Leaping forward in a blurring thrust of speed, Jin thrust his blade forward with the pyre of flames surrounding him like a mantle of power. A chilling smile spread across his face as he intended to impale her while pushing her own fire bent to his will. A fire with a seemingly semi-sentience of its own.

"Muro Cero!" Jinete called out as he thrust his sword into the ground, his own body being a good two dozen meters behind his own wife's. In that instant a singular wall of white destructive Reishi jettisoned upwards. The force emitted a shockwave to that of a rocket launching, spreading out to a good kilometer in width to shield her from the incoming attack and the abysmally tainted flames.

"Nohemi! Don't rush in blindly!" Jinete called out to his wife in a more alarmed manner than a reprimanding tone, "his abilities are uncannily dangerous to us. We can't demolish him in a simple attack of ultimate force!"

"I know." Nohemi said grimly, standing her ground as the energies collided. She allowed herself to leap back, landing in crouched position and analyzing the reaction. Although her voice was composed, the venom couldn't have been thicker. "I've known ever since this fight started. How couldn't I, seeing him carry himself as he does despite the defeat I handed to him before? Although his arrogance hasn't changed, he's clearly learned from his mistakes." She spread her legs apart in a preparatory stance, her fists readied in front of her. "Still, after witnessing what I have, retreat isn't an option anymore. If he is not above resurrecting those meant to be long dead, then what else will he do if he is allowed to roam free? He has to be stopped, here and now. But this time, it'll take the both of us to suppress him."

Her gaze fell on him.

"I'll be with you, Jinete, if you are with me."

"Is that a question or just a statement of the obvious?" Jinete asked coyly, resting his sword upon his right shoulder. "I'll stand by you till the bitter end. Either by oblivion or by the sword."

"I can promise both to you," Jin suddenly declared aloud, causing Jinete to turn his gaze at the Muro Cero. A dark rivuleting wave of violet-black flames seemed to part the wall of Reishi, decaying its properties and nullifying it completely. The infernal power would go in both directions till the entirety of the technique would dissipate into nothing but a shower of dancing azure sparks. Pointing a blade in both of their direction, the Hankami couldn't help but sneer at their visages, "this god is going to proclaim your damnation here and now!"

In response, Nohemi stood firm. She stared down the blade pointed at her with narrowed eyes. "You shamelessly call yourself a god, even under these circumstances?" She questioned rhetorically, with only a slight dose of disbelief. "With each and every second that passes, you seem to be more and more of a lost cause. You serve another, one who should be a considered a mere mortal compared to the likes of you. You commit acts in the manner of a psychopathic brigand or mindless serial killer. You are naught but a delusioned man pretending to reside in the heavens, as far as I am concerned." She settled into a preparatory stance, the ice reflecting off of her gaze like light from a mirror. "It must make you sick to know that it will be us heretics that will crush you."

"You'll wish you never pointed that sword at us, Hankami," Jinete stated in a cold, level tone as he sheathed his blade back into its scabbard. Curiously, it seemed like he was withdrawing from the battle, due to how calm and collected his disposition appeared. Yet one could still feel the stifling Reiatsu clinging to his frame, subtly kept in check and bristling the surface of his body. Like a volcanoe ready to spout forth red-hot lava. "surrender, and we'll spare your life. Continue and you will die."

"HA! Confident are we?!" Jin asked haughtily, not caring for either of the answers given to him by the King and Queen of Hueco Mundo. Stabbing his blade into the pale grains of sand beneath him, the Hankami glared up at them with a revolting sneer. His tongue would drag along his jaw as he would mutter lowly, "rise up, ol' ancient ones!"

What would erupt forth from the sands all around them would look Hellish in comparison to the legion of damned the Defiler had summoned before. Large skeletal hands would claw their way up from the pale grained land, pulling up decayed and Hollow pointed skulls upwards, dragging a horde of very much revealing Hollow carcasses of which their remains clung to it like rotted flesh. Numbering up to six, the Menos Grandes all stared ominously down at the two, mouths agape and hissing out noxious fumes.

Then, a gathering of enormously proportioned Ceros accumulated around their rotted mask. The eerie lights created a crimson overcast over the two, the pressure vibrating the sands that weren't already disturbed by their bodily eruptions. They truly seemed to project the emphasis of "Doom Blasts" by their accumulative and ancient power.

Jinete would then utter lowly to Nohemi, "Let's show him our true power, my Love."

The Father of Hollowity would then leap upwards, his body turning into a blur as he'd reach up to the altitude the colosal sized beings assumed. In a single breath, a voluminous pyre of black flames would erupt from his being. Akin to what would look like an inferno, it all but overcame the undead Menos' heads in just a single moment. When revealed, Jinete's entire form would have transformed into a dramatically different shape.

Adopting a centaur's bodily shape, Jinete's frame would be jet black in color and be rippling with acute muscles. Two jagged spikes would jut out of his shoulders at an angled fashion, while two horns would crookedly do something similar from his head with a mane of hair to follow in a backward widowspeak of sorts. His mouth would be sealed over by flesh, while two red tattooed lines would run down his cheekbones and above his browless glowing red eyes. Similar lines would outline the rest of his torso, depicting a true warrior creature out of myth. Like his wife, he would lack any sign of a Hollow hole.

"This is what it means to be a Hollow who's evolved past the emptiness of its heart," A voice seemed to echo everywhere, piercing the very mind of the Hankami as well as his wife's. His eyes glowered down from above as his Reiatsu seemed to expand ten fold to expanses that would be felt long into the horizon. As the bodily husks fell backwards with mighty crashes, he would raise up an organic bow and pull back corkscrew shaped arrows that seemed to grow from the shaft itself, spewing bowstring like webbing. Withdrawing the string back to his cheek at a horizontal manner, Jinete would finish with a ominous declaration. "Jinete la Muerte is the name of this form and my full name. Remember it in death, Hankami!"

With the release of the arrows, they spiraled down in a pattern similar to a sparrow. When they struck the ground, a cacophony of burgundy hued explosions would be emitted, releasing the organically compressed bombs that his arrows contained. Like localized WMD's, they tore through the upper partition of the Menos Forest long before a dazed and profusely wounded Jin seemed to skid across the sands like a stone.

Gasping, Jin seemed to be nursing a pair of stumps that used to be arms, having cushioned the blast as best as he could. Eyes widened with incredulity at what he witnessed, he began babbling more to himself than to them, "Inconceivable! I should have decayed the arrows long before they reached me! How could they have stored so much Reishi?! How could he have such control over such vast power?!"

It was a power that Nohemi had felt once before, many years ago.

She closed her eyes as she felt the immense power released and as her ears picked up his challenging words. Before their meet, she would've been wary of this very same power. But now, it was on her side and put to great use. Her cloak billowed violently in the winds generated by his attack, and she had to squint her eyes in order to keep herself from being blinded by the brilliant lights. But her form held firm, up until the very point in where Jin was forced back.

Then, she made her move.

A Sonido brought her in front of her foe, her attack having already commenced. A flying knee, unrestrained and focused, crashed into his jaw with a loud bang. The potency of the attack was so potent, a collateral shockwave was produced to caused As his form was sent flying off, she swung one of her hands out in his direction. The area in which he would be sent towards would be illuminated with an outlining light, a concentration of energy invading that particular part of the atmosphere. It would only be for a second that she would hold that hand out, waiting until her target fell right into its epicenter. Then, she curled her fingers.

Destruction sang.

An explosion, instantaneous and brilliant, was unleashed to consume a massive part of the battlefield. Even the sands underneath and nearby the attack radius were disintegrated, if not turned into a mixture of ash and glass. It was a light of purification, purging all that Nohemi deemed to be undesirable. But even as it commenced, she spoke to the Hankami in the belief that he had survived. Even as it progressed, she raised her voice to speak for the presumably alive opponent to hear. "Did you come to challenge us, not believing that we were capable of carrying such power within us? Here I thought you were learning from your mistakes. But it seems like much more education is needed for the likes of you. Not to worry, though." Her eyes narrowed. "I am a very patient teacher..."

As Jinete's physically larger frame would land gracefully next to Nohemi, Jin's form would visibly stir among the glassed sand.

Muscular tissure and veins seemed to wrap around a faintly glowing object, while another held the sword manifesting Shinsei energy. His entire being seemed to ooze a toxic poison, down to his celluar structure. If one would be brave enough, the mere odor would cause nauseousness that would fell even the most seasons of warriors of the Soul Society. A skull with freshly regenerated eyes would glare up at the two of them as he rose up from the soupy sand that drowned on his blood. His body rose up as clothes retaining the venomous Shinsei would roil around him, a much finer grade of energy jettisoning from his being, seemingly rising up to their level.

"It's coming...It's coming...It's coming!" Jin said in a chanting whisper, his freshly formed lips stretching maniacally across his face as he glared at them both. "catching me off guard isn't changing anything! I am Hankami, born of flesh of the Punisher and Reaper! I cannot die and soon, you'll die! Painfully...Slowly...Agonizing over your power being reduced to nothing! Your final hours will be defiled for what's coming for you, your grace and majesty!"

Return of the King, True Dominance Beheld!
"Hm?"

From his position, Bernabe took a moment to glance over in the direction of the explosive clashing of energies. Even from here, the winds generated graced his form just enough to cause his hair and clothing to billow a bit heavily. A slow smile crossed his face as he took it in, recognizing them as the energies of his Queen, King and the enemy Hankami. He drank it in through his nose, reveling in the scent of war and conflict for a brief moment. "Ah, how they engage with such violence and hatred." He commented. "Such a ferocious clash of wills, and so much power... it almost makes me question who's going to come out alive today. But,"

His eyes drifted towards Rey. "I just can't allow myself to put faith within that question. After all, the Primera is expecting me to destroy you, as she expects the rest of the Espada to destroy every single one of you termites. I just have to uphold my end of the chain..."

Rey, from the start, hadn't taken any serious investment in this rematch with his enemy. Clashing his unreleased sword while occasionally tossing a unfocused Kidō at his foe, he too had been more attentive of the myriad of Reiatsus bristling across various other separated battlefields. With the most verbally proclaimed one by his Arrancar opponent, he could only compare such a fight to the one obviously being had by his superior and the Primera herself.

Tapping the flat of his blade against his armored side, Rey returned his gaze back at Bernabe just as he finished speaking, "I cannot speak for the others you mention, but I am far from the description you so poorly chosen. Then again, a beast such as you doesn't deserve to see my magnificent power a second time, since you should have died the disgraceful death you had been sorely rescued from. Whatever improvements you've made, they matter little. The precipice I stand upon is a thousand years too soon for you to reach, Arrancar, and can never be reached in any lifetime you live."

Raising his blade in a proclaiming manner, Rey sneered at the Espada Afilado Hollow and clicked his tongue against his teeth, "You don't deserve a fight against my glorious Zanpakutō again."

"Is that a fact?" The Arrancar questioned rhetorially, one corner of his mouth lifting in a smirk. He folded his arms across his chest, seeing little reason in keeping his guard up in the face of such an apathetic adversary. "You're convinced that you could kill me without releasing that Zanpakutō of yours, even after what you saw? Well, if that's the case, then why do you seem so uninspired to put forth the proper effort in killing me? These half-hearted Kidō bursts, these unenthusiastic sword swings... they mean nothing to me. It'd be easier for you to just release your power and be done with it, right? The beast would be quelled and you won't have to deal with it being a pain in your backside any longer..."

His smirk gained a hint of malicious clarity. "Or is it that you're trying to bide time? Are you hoping that if you drag it out long enough, someone will come save you? I didn't know that a king needed his allies to come save him from a fire that hasn't even bloomed yet. Even more so," He cocked an eyebrow. "I didn't know that he needed the help of the very creature he seems to detest so much. Tell me, is calling yourself a king some sort of vain comfort for when Jigen puts you in your place?"

An indignant vein would protrude from his forehead. Rey's displeased eyes would stretch to outright wrathful. His normally composed Reiatsu would discharge in a voluminous manner that seemed to warp the air and cause it to become an outright hazard to be within. The ground he hovered purposely above widened with a distening manner that billowed the sandy grains upwards, cracking each individual grain as they rose up to be strangled by the dense Reishi emitted from his being.

"You speak without knowledge of things us intelligent beings do! Do not grasp at words you have no inclination of using properly! It just makes you outright disgusting to listen to, impudent wretch!" Rey yelled out loud with a forceful swing of his blade, releasing hold of it to let it dissolve into particles of golden hued reishi particles that melded into the fabric it holds reign over. The ominous pressure would give birth to a dramatic rippling force that would release a blinding fissure of light, the very Cero that had once crippled the Espada in their last fight, right at point blank.

"SAY GOODBYE TO YOUR HOMELAND, ESPADA!" Rey shouted with hands outstretched and eyes widened to equal the near maniacal smile stretched across his face.

Because it was at point-blank range, Bernabe had little room to dodge or evade the attack.

As such, the twin Cero that had taken him down before crashed into and enveloped him in their destructive light. It wasn't as spectacular as what would've commenced from the more prominent of secondary battles - more specifically, the tri-fight between Arrancar and Hankami. But still, it was vibrant enough to cause the entire area to glow with a dim crimson hue. With its width and power, it was all so easy to say that the Espada had been consumed in his attack once more. Any time now, his body would be falling out of the sky, charred and burned with no hope of recovery.

Only, that wasn't the case.

When the smoke cleared, there wouldn't be a burned and charred Bernabe standing there. Instead, a perfectly untouched Arrancar would be seen holding his pose, his arms still folded across his chest. There was no sign of injury, not even a scratch on his person or a muss of his clothing. The only thing that had changed was his smirk, which had lessened to a more subtle degree.

"Unscathed?" Rey breathed aloud with a tone of inconcievability dripping from his words that followed, "he buffeted himself with his own Reiatsu against an attack that left him all but crippled in his released state?! How did they become so much stronger?!"

A sudden recall would dramatically "ding!" within Rey's head as he remembered the first one he targeted upon the Espada Afilado's return. The smarter one of the bunch, namely Nicolao Jandro, seemed to have also withstood an attack that should have easily killed him during their initial invasion of their city. Now that he took account as to how the others didn't seem to be wrapping up their battles so easily, he could only fathom the leaps and bounds the other Arrancars made in their own personal stores of strength.

"So, you found a way to bolster your Reiryoku stores, have you?" Rey inquired rhetorically, straightening his stance, crossing his arms typically across his golden armored chest. While still a semblance of a scowl, Rey's lips turned into a smile as he deduced the newfound state of Bernabe's Reiryoku level through a brief glance of his Reiatsu. "that might explain a few things. Cero, if hit with enough force, can create a mere fraction of its power when dispersed. I'd wager you've increased your power by three to five times since our last encounter. More substantial than the last time, but I declare it's still a pitiful increase if you hope to match me."

This time, Bernabe allowed himself to chuckle. "Match you?" He repeated, almost as if he was surprised by the words. He unfolded his arms across his chest, lowering them to his sides. "Oh, no. You've got it all wrong. I didn't come all this way just to match you, fight you to a stalemate and give myself a lesser chance of killing you. I'm aiming to crush you, erase your physical form from this existence and see all of that pride come crashing down." He clenched his fists. "I am the Segunda Espada for a reason. This so-called newfound bolster of my Reiryoku was something that's been with me for quite some time. I just never came around to unleashing it yet. To be honest, I'm not exactly sure just what was wrong with me in the first fight. But I assure you that once I'm finished here, you'll agree that the mistakes I made the first time won't be so easily made this time."

Then, he released his spiritual pressure.

Instantly, the entire area seemed to be submerged in both a crimson color and a curtain of suffocating energy. Bernabe's body was glowing with a brighter shade of red, making him look like a twisted beacon in the fog he was unleashing. The potency of his power was so much that there were even hints of the atmosphere being distorted. Some were subtle, such as the sparks and flares that were popping in and out of sense. There were hints that weren't so subtle, such as the clouds in the sky being forced away and the sands rippling like an upset ocean. It was a power that would've certainly fooled anyone into thinking that he rivaled the Espada's commander herself.

"Now come on!" He shouted out to his opponent. "Entertain me! Show me the power that bested me the first time! I'll gladly show you how much of a beast I am, when I tear you into pieces!"

Dumbfounded.

That's what Rey was upon hearing the bizarre explaination as an ungodly amount of Reiatsu flooded the air. Warping space, a crimson overcast lit up all physical surfaces. Crimson tendrils of Reishi particles wildly spewed up from the earth and crawled across the air, a cacophony of chaos to symbolize the absolute force unleashed in its fullest.

It was when such a power was unleashed that Rey realized one thing. The victory he had was a farce, a stupid fluke that he hadn't unleashed this power in the first place.

"You...You..." Rey trembled with visible bodily quakes. As he did so a faint glow of golden particles trailed along his armor, causing his cape to ripple faintly behind him, disturbing his crown of widowspeak hair. Then, it all changed with an outcry emphasized with a bodily swing of his armored hands, eyes glowing a blank disturbing red. "YOU DAMNED BEAST!!!"

It would appear as if a geyser of molten gold would spiral up from his person. The damning atmosphere would warp in color, changing the hues of rapidly distorting tendrils and sparks into a orange light. It was as if the very anger drove him to a point he hadn't been in, not even against the Knight Commander of the RAC. His cape flourishing upwards, the ground rising up in a show of gravity defying propulsion, Rey began to tread across the air with his gaze locked upon his enemy.

"You mock me with a paltry amount of power...deceived me into believing that had been your best...and dared to think me your inferior when you show your true strength?! Arrogance must run in the animal kingdom for you are surely a haughty creature, Bernabé Lino!" Rey declared with a passive gleam of crimson pooling from his eyes.

Swinging his arm to the side, it would appear as if the entire space around Bernabe contorted into a visible ripple of golden water. Seconds later, hundreds upon hundreds of elegant weapons would be discharged at a high velocity, coated in magnificent solar light. Each of them possessed the individual properties to tamper with gravity, discharge energy, wield the elements, and transfuse poisonious toxins. Together they were a horde of javelins, majestic arrows intent on annihilating with the increase of Reishi acceleration provided by Rey's own Reiatsu.

Never had Rey felt such indignified. Never had he felt such rage. And never had he wanted to kill something so badly.

Weapons of varying ability, and an omnidirectional attack.

As the attack was summoned all around him, Bernabe's mind was working itself. His eyes swept his surroundings, his hand grasping the sword sheathed onto his back. Without hesitation, he drew the sword to reveal a rather interesting change. Instead of the jagged-edge sword he had wielded in the first battle, he was holding a smoother and more refined claymore. The once blackened blade was now shining with silver steel, which was ready to defend against the oncoming assault. He only had a few seconds to think out his form of counter-attack.

But when he graced his eyes upon the weapons imbued with the more poisonous element, an idea began to form in his head.

He swung his sword.

"Tornado Girando!"

The wake of his swing produced a mass of cutting winds, aimed specifically at the poisoned weapons. The cutting tendrils ripped through those weapons, releasing their volatile toxins into the atmosphere. He twisted around, making sure to give the exact same courtesy for the rest of the poisoned weapons. This started a chain reaction, with the poisons burning at the energy-producing weapons and causing them to detonate. The resulting explosions blew away and even destroyed the majority of the gravity-manipulating weapons. Within seconds, Rey's attack was mutilated and dissolved.

But remnants of that attack would remain to turn against its master. Bernabe swung his sword again, and the poison that had been released in the first place was thrown towards Rey in a storm of tendrils. They split up and found different routes towards their target, aiming to catch him off-guard with their irregular movement and speed. They were notes to his steel ribbon baton, and he directed them as he pleased. "It takes one to know one," He growled back. "You sad, deluded pawn!!"

"Look who's talking, Segunda!" Rey snarled back with as much venom as there was within the clouds of poison. Just as quickly as the weapons responsible for their discharge, the clouds of toxic vapor would shrivel up and dissipate in the middle of space. Cued in by golden ripples, a broad sword with double edges would fall into Rey's right hand, firmly gripped by his hand.

"Get ready to die!" Rey shouted as he thrust his sword into the middle of the space in front of him, visibly making it disappear. Moments later and the sword would reappear, penetrating the air towards Bernabe's chest where his Hollow hole would be. An attempt to wound him, Rey ensured his Zanpakutō did the work for him. He had no intention on fighting fair; especially with an Arrancar involved.

Bernabe could safely say he had been wrong before. He had carelessly assumed that the armor alone had been doing the strange warping effect on his attacks. Now, it was very clear that the Zanpakutō was the real culprit here. All the armor seemed to do was deflect his physical attacks. It was a perfect balance; while the Zanpakutō dealt with energy projectile-based assaults, his armor could deal with close-up battles. It was a perfect balance, as far as anyone was concerned. In addition, the spacial warps presumably took a certain amount of concentration, as they had never been used to counter Bernabe's more in-your-face barrages.

Getting in Rey's personal bubble was a possible edge he needed to take. He knew that with the poison having been assimilated, trying to drag the battle out would be drastic without some form of proper counterattack.

One of his hands swung out, maneuvering around the thrust to grasp the hand wielding the opposing weapon. With a yell, he threw himself down towards the ground. His catch was pulled with him, and the two were propelled towards their destination with tremendous speed. A swing of the captured arm, and Bernabe would slam Rey into the sands with terrifying force. The sands erupted, tsunamis spawning to rush away from the collision point with haste. Another swing of the arm would hurl Rey back into the air, and a Sonido teleported Bernabe right after his target. His claymore was readied, delivering a diagonal uppercut towards the chest.

Rey had been taken off guard by Bernabe's quick reaction timing, having used his own Zanpakutō's bending of space to launch the attack to begin with. Being thrust into the sands below, the Golden Shinigami could only grunt as his body felt the wind knocked out of him for a brief second from the impact alone. Thankfully the armor absorbed the majority of the force, allowing him to right himself even after being swung up into the middle of the air. Twisting his body around, giving it almost the impression he was turning his back to the Sonido employed Arrancar, he'd briefly flex his brows downward as a physical sign of performing a technique.

This technique would cause the diagonal strike upon his person to disappear within a ripple of golden water that spanned the space in between himself and Rey's caped backside. What emerged at the same time of the slash's absorption would be a javelin of immense proportions discharging from the portal and towards his chest, leaving a jetstream of flames in its wake. When it would make contact a voluminous explosion elliptically similar to a meteorite striking would be witnessed from afar.

"Hadō # 92," Rey followed up, his body suddenly bristling with a damning dark aura ebbed with dark violet and black tongues of Reishi. Twisting his body around to face Bernabe's direction, upraised and downward forefingers would be vertically aligned while golden plated wrists clasped together. Then, almost all at once, the entire land and sky around them became entombed with a pitch black void of the purest abysmal tongues of destructive flames. The screams let out would sound like a billion wraiths being extinguished from oblivion, a fitting audible pressurized release of sonic waves to emit from such a horrifying Kidō technique as he enunciated it during its deployment. "Matenrō!"

"He distorted my swing!"

Bernabe's eyes widened in shock when he saw his sword pass through yet another warp, his physical attack having been negated. This wasn't helped when during the duration of the swing, an explosive javelin was shot point-blank into his form. A surprised grunt escaped him when he was hit, his position enveloped by the violent release of energy. But as far as his Hierro was concerned, it was nothing more than a simple distraction. It wasn't long afterwards that he threw himself from the fading cloud, smoke trailing from him as he got out of the way.

"Damn it!" He thought to himself. "Just when I found a window, it's closed shut immediately! My long range attacks are assimilated and my physical strikes are negated, all thanks to that damned time-space distortion ability of his. As long as his Zanpakutō is released, I literally can't touch him--"

Then, the Kidō spell.

Bernabe's eyes widened slightly when he saw Rey's body glow with that dark aura, calling out the name of the spell as they stood face-to-face. But they widened even further when he witnessed and experienced the effect of the said Kidō spell. It wasn't a release from the body, but rather a remote detonation of the very environment around them. He might as well have been a mouse strapped to a trap, unable to move with the atmosphere set ablaze around them. The flames swallowed him whole, and for a good while, it seemed as if he had been destroyed in the oncoming blaze.

That is, until the flames subsided.

The Arrancar was left standing there with his arms at his side, eyes narrowed at Rey and a scowl on his face. Other than a few residual flames and several scratches on both his clothing and body, there was no sign of damage on his person. As the flames faded away, he straightened himself up to a firmer pose. "I don't know whether or not I should start pulling out my trump card just yet. There has to be a way to counter that Zanpakutō that I'm just not seeing. But what is it...?"

Rey could only glare with frustration mingled with apprehension. His enemy had taken his Kidō and his surprise attack by his Shikai with little to no damage. Guessing either his enemy had quicker reaction timing to deflect the majority of the Kidō's damage or it just lacked the yield of damage he sought to inflict didn't comfort him one way or another.

"It doesn't help that he saw how powerful my Zanpakutō was last time. Considering the vast release of Reiatsu he seems to be on a whole different level than I first faced him," Rey calculated with a angry sneer fixated over his brows, just as he turned around within the air to face his enemy. Crossing his armored limbs across his chest, his scowl narrowed further as he noticed his enemy taking time to analyze him, "he's also a bit more clever. The fact that he knew to pull me through the gateway my own Zanpakutō makes was startling in of itself. I should be more careful on launching attacks that involve my own person and my Shikai."

Rey then decided to break the silence by flashing a devilish smile down at Bernabe, "My, just look at you, Arrancar. All powered up and yet you still don't look happy. I honestly don't see how anything I can do will please you now. I had expected you to accept your fate within the wake of that Kidō and yet you simply just keep insisting on living. We can't have that, now can we?"

His words were the reason Bernabe gave a small smirk in return. "Yeah. It's not so easy this time, is it, Prince?" He fired back, readying his sword in a one-handed defensive position. "Just hit your enemy with a surprise attack and he'll be gone for good. Just fire a few Kidō spells and the thorn will be removed from your side, right? I told you before. Your halfhearted attacks mean nothing to me. If you want this kill, you're going to have to earn it just like everybody else." The smirk quickly faded, but his taunt continued on. "I'm no faceless soldier lining up to get killed by you, nor am I some greenhorn recklessly charging into a fight I can't win. I am a veteran of war, a harbinger of conflict and a father of bloodshed. I am the Segunda for a reason, little boy, and you are about to find that out soon enough."

"You keep saying that as if you're trying to prove something, Arrancar," Rey narrowed his eyes, visibly twitching from the string of insults sent his way, but not all the way goaded like before. Visible signs of efforted breathing could be heard faintly, the sign of having to use such a Kidō of high magnitude without incantation. Yet, he didn't allow this to affect him, and decided to mingle confidence with feigned bravado to buy himself time. "you had ample opportunity to reveal this power and supposed veteran authority over me in our last exchange. What held you back? Were you uncertain how you could best me, or were you simply ignorant of your own strength? It wouldn't suprise me of the latter, given how unintelligently you were defeated by me in our battle. Tell me, how did it feel to experience your own flesh being seared off by your own Cero? I bet it hurt like Hell, wouldn't you agree?"

As he spoke, his armor began to glow a vibrant hue. Flakes of the atmosphere's ambient Reishi, as well as the crackling sandy grains below, all began to flourish in a golden upward spiral towards Rey. A verified rise of Reiatsu from Rey could be felt as his own armor ensured that his own stores of Reiryoku not be entirely depleted or exhausted. This created a heavenly aura about him, contrasting the vicious red pair of eyes to sneeringly glare down at his foe as he waved his arms openly.

"You may be at a league much grander than you were when you were felled in our prior battle, but I hold the tactical advantage. My powers, be it Kidō or my Zanpakutō, far outstrip your use of brute force. Your clever wit will only carry you so far in this battle. In the end, you will fall to my brilliant weapons," Rey continued to emphasize with a wordless command to reveal hundreds of elaborate spears and large swords pierce the golden waters that stretched across the vast vertical vista behind Rey's back. None of them were launched, simply poking out from the vault that the Zanpakutō created. It was a simple demonstration to just how powerful the Shinigami is despite his adversary. "no Hollow can ever transcend a Shinigami's majesty, no matter how hard they try to hide the ugliness that is their Hollowity. My Zanpakutō is proof of that, as your release is sheer ugliness in of itself. You will die depraved and in the dust, just like any beast of your ilk will. Just like your bitch of a Primera!"

The mental glass that was Bernabe's calm abruptly shattered when he heard those words.

For a moment, he allowed himself to fall deathly silent. His stance abruptly broke, and the sclera and irises of his pupils shrank to a near-invisible degree. He seemed like an airborne leaf frozen in time, his ponytail and coat billowing lightly within the breeze. The demonstration of power barely registered to him, bearing less of a presence in his head than the last words Rey had spoken. The insults towards him could be brushed off. But to hear him speak so shamelessly about his leader, to hear him blatantly regard Casilda as he did? It may not have been a crime within Empresa. But it was a crime to him, as far as his enemies was concerned.

He would let Rey Dorado know this as gently as he could.

"My "bitch" of a Primera, huh...?" Slowly, his eyes narrowed into a hawk-eye stare. Without warning, he flipped his claymore around and sheathed it within the scabbard on his back. His voice was quiet, almost inaudible to his opponent. "You'll have to forgive me, then. I allowed myself to forget that you had a pink devil for a tongue, believing that I could actually enjoy the battle this time around. But it's clear that I just cannot be allowed that privilege." He lowered his hand from his hilt, allowing both of them to hang at his sides. It wasn't soon after that he allowed himself to slowly rise into the air to meet Rey's level. During this motion, his hands slowly clenched into fists so tight that the veins could be visible. "You want "ugly"?"

It was a few seconds after that he began to manifest an aura around his person. It was crimson in color and the only visible sign of the massive spiritual pressure that once again illuminated the landscape. But this time, it began to increase in intensity, to the point where the Arrancar's ponytail was undone. His long hair was left to billow and buck wildly in the growing winds, increasing the ferocity of his expression. His eyes had taken on a red glow, and he was now clenching his teeth in a snarl not too different from an angry animal's. "I will show you ugly, you delusional bastard!!" He snarled, his volume and rage slowly rising with each and every word spoken. "I will show you despair, destruction and the complete annihilation of your being!! I will rip you from that pedestal and drag you down to the very depths of Hell!! YOU WILL NEVER HAVE THE MIND NOR THE MOUTH TO INSULT THE PRIMERA OR MY KIN AGAIN, REY DORADO!!"

He swung his arms over his head.

"EXTINGUISH THE FLAMES OF LIFE, FALANGE!!!"

When he swung those arms outward to his side, an event of catastrophe was unleashed upon the landscape. The aura around Bernabe expanded violently and rapidly, and the Arrancar soon became the center of something compared to a nuclear explosion. The released energy touched down to the ground, completing a half-sphere of death that expanded without restraint or delay. As it progressed, its color slowly shifted from a radiant red to a foreboding black. It was a void that consumed a good portion of the battlefield, with anyone and anything caught within its grasp threatened with complete and total annihilation. The time span would be a matter of seconds, and in the end, an entire city's worth of area would be destroyed by the release of power.

When it all cleared, there would be a massive crater left within the sands. Above it would be the released form of Bernabe - but he would not appear as he did in the first fight. Instead of an animal's form, he resembled something of a dark knight. Reinforced armored plating seemed to cover his body, with the exception of his right arm. That particular limb was mutated to a more intimidating look, with spikes enveloping the majority of it. A helmet enveloped his face, resembling a mix of a ram's head and a human skull. Even as he finished the release, there was a loose and transparent cyclone of blackened spiritual energy circling around his form. "Now come." He demanded, raising his fists in preparation for the battle. "Come and be destroyed!!"

Heart to Heart: The Darkness Consumes
Bernabe would not be the only one filled with rage against her adversary.

Casilda smashed one of her blade against the blade of her master, their swords locked in a momentary struggle. As they pushed against each other, her vengeful and cold eyes stared into the stoic and detached ones of her former master. It was so infuriating how he kept himself so coldly composed, even knowing the role he had played in this war. He had shamelessly aided in the deaths of their kin, the potential extermination of Hollowity and the conquest of the Hollows' most hated enemy, and yet he had the audacity to regard her with such a look? She believed that maybe she would get a different one once she punched her steel through his throat.

With a brief growl, she brought her other sword into the mix and started her attack. Her swings were aggressive, yet they weren't carrying full strength behind them. In general, they could be summed up as testing. She was testing herself to see how far she had to go in order to win this fight. As eager as she was to punish him, she also understood that he was not going to be easy to take down. He had been her mentor, gave her the skills needed to grow and fight. He was the man who had helped maker into the woman she was today, and that meant he had a good idea of her abilities. In turn, she had at least a good idea of what he was capable of. But she didn't know just how much he changed in the years they had spent apart.

There was plenty of reason to be cautious as well as angry.

"Clashing steel against steel under the moonlight," Jigen said in a soft tone, almost unheard within the midst of clangs and concussive claps of force emitted between their swords. While the brilliant and long-lived swordsman wielded only one of the ten swords on his person, he fluently parried each strike of Cassie's, reading out her own increase of skills just as she was testing him. Every indention of sandy earth, every blast of air pressure, and every blaze of sparks that showered the wind with their brilliant beauty just gave him more than an occasional memory of when he was among her and her family as more than simply a teacher. He was a...

"This brings back so much memories," Jigen said as he expertly grasped the guard of a sword thrust, side-stepping its impaling gesture, allowing the blade to go between his left forefingers harmlessly. The other grinded his sword in a lock as he gained an intimate amount of her personal space so he may gaze deep into her eyes. There was no hint of anger or hatred, no despair or anguish; it just seemed, distant, as if he was yearning for something else to happen.

"Doesn't it, Casilda?" He finished while holding that proximity to her, breathing out as if a wave of nostalgia had been exhaled from his nostrils as suddenly as he inhaled it.

"Shut up." Was his vehement response. The Primera didn't relent her stare in the face of such soft words. His proximity surprised her, but it wasn't enough to unnerve her or suddenly make her self-conscious. Her shoulders lightly rose and fell as she breathed, her anger hastening the rate of her lungs. "I didn't come here to walk down memory lane with you. If you want to talk, then tell me this. Why did you do it? Why did you allow yourself to side with that monster? You turned your back on your own kind, turned your back on me. And for what?"