"So this is the world of the living?" asked a man with green eyes. "It hardly seems to be worth the trouble of sending us here."

"Patience," said another man wearing a black veil, "We're only here to observe what our lord wants."

"Indeed." The four of them stood in an open clearing, waiting.

They wouldn't have to wait very long. The person who they had come to find was on her way. A black shape darted into the clearing. She brandished a long black blade, shaped like a kitchen cleaver.

"That's her, who among us has the urge to fight?"

"I do," said the tallest of them, "I haven't had a real battle since I killed those pieces of trash who wanted to take my place." The giant screamed as it rushed towards the lone figure on the grass.

"Do you think he'll survive?" asked a woman with pink hair.

"I don't know," said the green eyed man, "But if he needs assistance, we'll give it to him."

"Soul reaper!" roared the giant, "You had better be as strong as they say, or you won't live long enough to give me some exercise!"

"Oh really?" She slashed at the monster, who caught the blade with his hand. "What?" She vanished in an instant, before slamming the blade down on the creature's head.

"OW!" he screamed, "Damn you!"

What's going on? That attack should have split him right in half. Yet he's not even bleeding, he doesn't have a scratch on him!

"Now it's my turn." He swung his fists at her slender form.

"Too slow," said the teenager, "You have quite a bit of spiritual pressure, but I don't think that it'll be much of a problem for me."

"SHUT UP!" A shockwave spread out from where his fists struck the ground. I finally got her. The giant had a grin from ear to ear.

"Looking for someone?"

SLASH

An arm plopped onto the ground. The same girl stood in front of him. Her sword was now slender and thin. She gave him an angry smile, before she charged him again. Another arm fell onto the ground beside the angry giant.

"I see that you managed to dodge that last one," said Kagura. "This one will take your head right off of your neck!" She sprinted towards her foe. His body barely seemed to move as she slashed with her sword, which stopped.

What?

A white face with green eyes blocked Tensa Zangetsu, with only its hand. The creature had no expression on its face, except perhaps, pity. Kagura jumped back from the new foe. She was unsure of what to do next.

"Why not let me give it a try?"

I don't need your help, thank you.

"Oh come on Kagura," said the voice in her head, "You like to win, I like to win. We both just want the same thing."

Go away, she thought.

"What if I want to stay?" Kagura noticed that a black shape was slowly coming out of the corner of her eye. Or to be more accurate, the corner of her eye was turning black.

What are you doing to me?

"Only what I've wanted to do to you for a very long time."

"Excuse me," said the man with green eyes, "Are you just going to stand there? If that's the case then it will be very easy to dispose of you."

"Who the hell are you people?"

"I'm afraid that you are mistaken," said the man, "We're not human. Couldn't you tell from our spiritual pressure? Have you ever felt a human with energy so strong that you could barely stand?"

"I'll take care of her," said the pink haired woman, "It won't take me very long."

"Is that what you think?" asked Kagura, "Because I don't care what you are, I'll crush each and every one of you!"

"Shut up." The pink haired woman materialized in front of her.

"Let me help you." The woman smashed her right arm into Kagura's face. The girl retaliated with a slash. "You know that I can beat her."

Shut up. I'm in the middle of something!

"I can beat her Kagura," said the voice, "You know that I can."

I said shut up.

Kagura was slammed into a tree by the pink haired woman. She could feel her bones creaking under the force of her opponent's hand. I need to end this now. Black and red light erupted upwards from the forest.

"Nice try," said the woman, "You almost got me there." Her fist shoved Kagura up into the sky. Blood dripped from the girl's mouth. The pink haired woman grabbed her by the shoulders. "It was fun while it lasted." She then screamed.

"I thought that you were a little tougher than that Kagura."

The girl looked up to see her old mentor, Minamo Kurosawa. The gym teacher ripped the woman off of Kagura. With a swing of her sword she knocked their enemy into the ground.

The man with green eyes looked up at them. Another shape appeared beside them. The three slowly descended. Tsk, tsk, he thought, such an inconvenience. He turned towards the man behind him.

"I think our lord will be happy with the information we have gathered today. Come on everyone." The man turned his head. "Are you just going to lie on the ground all day Celosa?" The pink haired woman appeared by his side. "Now carry these." The man gestured to a pair of arms that lay on the ground.

"Where do you think you're going?" asked Minamo.

"You of all soul reapers should know better," said the white faced man. "Even with the three of you against the four of us the odds are still not entirely in your favor. Former soul reaper Captain Minamo Kurosawa, and the lieutenant of squad two, the second in charge of the punishment force. Both of you are well known in Hueco Mundo for your strength. But at least we've learned what we wanted to know," said the white faced man. "Your friend Kagura, is simply trash."

A strange gateway appeared in front of the white faced man. The strange beings walked through it. He looked back with his green eyes. Kagura saw that same look of pity, as the gateway closed.

"Sakaki," said Kagura, "You're the second in command of the punishment force?"

"Yes," said the woman, "I was assigned to the squad shortly after you entered the Soul Society for the first time. It helped to…refine my techniques."

"Who were those guys?" asked Kagura, "I tore the first one to shreds but the other two I couldn't even cut!"

"They were hollows that have been given the powers of soul reapers," said Kurosawa, "They are called Arrancar and they are more powerful than any hollow you have ever faced."

"Hollows with soul reaper powers?" asked Kagura.

"We believe that they were created by someone," said Kurosawa.

Kagura felt her skin instantly chill. There was only one person who she knew of that could have done something like that. The same person who had betrayed the Soul Society, and nearly killed her in the process.

"You mean…."

"Yes," said Minamo, "We believe that the Arrancar were created by Nguvu Bastante. But we do not know why."