It was another soul-crushingly long Wednesday. Worse, it was another soul-crushingly long day in Newark, New Jersey: one of the most Hollow infested sites in the 'States- if not the entire world.

Fortunately all was not lost. There had been only three relativley weak Hollows around the whole day, making it by far one of the easiest(and anxious) days that Segato Sanjiro had ever had since he'd been assigned here five years ago.

Since that day, Segato had assumed "full responsibilities" in Newark; a burden absolutely nobody had ever wanted. A shinigami with "full responsibilities" did not have a fixed area where they performed Soul Burials and eliminated Hollows, it was their duty to survey the entire city, performing the duties of a shinigami where the usual shinigami was absent or could not perform the duties themselves. This was especially tough in Newark, where few shinigami stayed for long and there was such an abnormally high number of Hollows. Some days, it felt like he was the only shinigami in town, the fate of Newark resting squarely on his extremely tense and sore shoulders.

But not on this particular Wednesday; this was a quiet day, and Segato was actually contemplating popping into his gigai and seeing a movie. There was a new one out that he'd overheard many of the mortals talking about while on his rounds; something about vampires and a phase of the moon. Segato was quickly heading back to the abandoned warehouse where he stored his gigai, quietly singing one of his favorite songs he'd heard in the world of the living. "Friday, Friday, everything's great on Friday..."

Just as he landed on the rooftop, he sensed the presence of two Hollows: one of slightly above average power, and the other of very great strength. Segato sighed. The movie would have to wait. And theeeere goes the weekend.

He turned to face them, and found they had already approached, stopping about fifty yards away. One had four legs, vaguely lizard-like, and with a disturbingly human-looking mask; the other- Segato started- was an Arrancar, one of the most powerful classes of Hollow. He was tall, with chocolate brown skin and curling dark hair. The remnant of his Hollow mask was in the shape of a headband. He wore very long shorts and a sleeveless white top. There were numbers on his shoulder that Segato couldn't quite read. He spoke:

"Your time is up! My time is now, shinigami!"

"Really? I think it's time I cleaned your clock." With the mandatory cliche one-liner out of the way, Segato used his fastest flash step to close the gap, and unleashed a powerful blow to the lesser Hollow that shattered its mask and sent it crashing down. One down, one to go.

The Arrancar chuckled. "The shot clock of life runs out for everyone, Segata Sanshiro. You are no different."

Segato sighed. He could count on one hand the number of people who got his name right. "The name's Segato Sanjiro, and what business do you have here, anyways?"

With a smirk, the Arrancar said, "Lord Aizen has plans for Newark, shinigami- he's putting anutha bullet in the chamber for the game of roulette, if ya know what I mean. I was sent here to dispose of you." Grinning now, the Arrancar drew a chakram from a sheath with a familiar pattern of curving and intersecting lines. "Espada number Twenty-three, Michaelon Jordano!" With that Michaelon whipped a strike at Segato, who flash stepped out of the way.

"Segato Sanjiro, Fourth Seat of the Gotei Thirteen's Second Company!"

Michaelon cackled. "A mere Fourth Seat? Pfaw! He's sent me to kill a baby!" Michaelon went on the offensive.

Segato frowned. The Arrancar was good, but so was he. You don't survive two years under full responsibilities in Newark without some kind of skill. Suddenly, Michaelon kicked out at Segato, knocking him down onto the warehouse roof. Segato guessed he now would need at least his Shikai release to end this. He recovered and blocked a quick flurry of strikes, then took two long flash steps away.

"Running away?" Laughed the Arrancar.

No, just the opposite, thought Segato. Time for his zanpakuto's Shikai. "Blow across the moon, Wind-Shadow!" With a silvery flash of light, Wind-Shadow was released: a no-dachi, with a slightly wider blade that had a pattern of holes along the spine; a silver and white wrapped handle with a white tassel, and a gauntlet hilt of smoke and wind.

Wasting no time, Segato flew towards Michaelon. Wind-Shadow was faster in its Shikai, and Segato used this speed to unleash a dazzling array of strikes, the blade singing a song to end the world as it sped through the air, cutting the Arrancar's top to shreds.

Michaelon retreated a short distance, then smirked and clapped sarcastically. "So the baby knows a bit of swordplay! Ha! Open up wide, little baby: here comes the airplane!" Holding his chakram with his thumbs by the inside of the handle and blade, Michaelon fired a Cero.

Though the orange Cero was fast, Segato still managed to just barely avoid it. However, the attack grazed Segato's uniform, vaporizing the shoulder of it, revealing the seal that the more powerful shinigami bore that limited their power in the world of the living. Glancing down at the windflower symbol, he gritted his teeth and raised Wind-Shadow. Segato needed to get very serious now.

Flash stepping in, Segato traded a few heavy blows with Michaelon before putting on a burst of speed and flying around the Arrancar, lashing him with cuts like he was carving a pumpkin. But as he did so, he noticed the attacks did little more than cut the surface of Michaelon's skin.

"Stop scratching me, shinigami! It tickles!"

Segato flew around to face Michaelon. "Tickle yourself. Way of Destruction Number Four, Pale Lightning!" Then the Arrancar laughed, even though the spell had shot right through him! Segato looked where he'd aimed, and sighed. "You have got to be kidding me..." Below the Arrancar's waist, where certain organs would normally be, was his Hollow hole.

Segato looked at his blade. While it had its uses, those uses were not very useful for direct offense. There was one way left to win this, but Segato usually hesitated to do so because its vast power was still a little hard to control. That's what she said... or would say to me if she was here...

"Well, this was fun shinigami- for me, not you." Michaelon raised his chakram for another Cero. "Any last words?"

Segato wiped away blood running into his eyes. When did he get cut there? "Yeah. I'm about to make you play Russian roulette with a rocket launcher- Bankai!" With that, silver winds swirled around him, and when they settled Wind-Shadow's final form was revealed: a beheading blade, with three golden rings attached just ahead of an ornate gauntlet hilt in the shape of a dragon head, with a silvery mane flowing up his arm. The gold and white wrapped handle had a pure white tassel. The rocket launcher analogy was not wholly off the mark; where Wind-Shadow's Shikai was dedicated to stealth, its Bankai was about pure power.

Michaelon's face was ever-so-slightly more serious, and he raised an eyebrow. "Do you intend to hit me with that toy?"

Segato countered with a raised eyebrow of his own. "Hit you with Silver Wind-Shadow Dragon? I would never dishonor my blade like that." He flash stepped back a bit. "Judge, Silver Wind-Shadow Dragon!" As Segato gave the command, the seal on his shoulder glowed and burned.

Silver Wind-Shadow Dragon's blade vanished, and sound of rushing winds approached. To his credit, Michaelon Jordano tried to dodge, but he accidentally got caught in the full court press of the powerful swirling currents. At once, they converged on him, horribly contorting and breaking his joints and bones, snapping his neck. Michaelon Jordano fell lifeless to the ground.

Segato flash stepped back to the warehouse roof to rest for a moment. Using his Bankai was tiring because of the seal, and there were a few wounds he'd taken that would need stitches. Ah yes, the seal: apparently, when the limit was being challenged, it channeled the excess spiritual energy into a burning effect. Segato's burn was so bad he could hardly move his right shoulder, but he'd sustained injuries of this caliber before and walked away from the fight.

About to head inside and get his medical supplies, Segato stopped in his tracks when he sensed a gate to Soul Society open behind him. A member of the Stealth Force, from Segato's own fourth unit of it, stepped out. "Sir! Captain-Commander Yamamoto has requested the presence of all seated officers back in Soul Society! Please come with me, sir!"

Segato sheathed Wind-Shadow, and used it to stand up. What could possibly so serious Captain-Commander Yamamoto would order all seated officers back to Soul Society? "Alright. No time to waste then. Let's go!" They stepped through, the gate to the other side closing after them like it was locking them in with a nightmare.