3. Das Zerreißen der Flügel von einem Kerbtier
OUTSKIRTS OF NEW KARAKURA
Lucy stood her ground as she blocked the oncoming sword with her two working vectors. She didn't want to appear weak in front of this foe – he would have savoured that.
"Look at you dressed up like that," Zaraki taunted "I can't believe a whore like you could be so deadly."
Enraged, Lucy brought down her vector upon Zaraki's open torso. It struck perfectly but instead of cutting him Lucy spontaneously bled from her torso – exactly the same spot where she struck on Kenpachi.
"What...Is this?"
"Now you see the difference between you and I. I don't want to tear up your lovely body so if you'll come along peacefully I won't need to tear you limb from limb."
"I've had my days as a test subject over a long time ago. I'm not going through that again." Lucy said gasping from the wound.
"Oh well. Let's do this!"
The behemoth leaped forward in a position ready to strike. Lucy used her vectors to jump, dodge and step away from the oncoming attacks. Her best hope was that he would tire soon and then she could inflict the killer blow.
"Is that all you're good at? Dodging my attacks. Come on I didn't come here to play tag."
Lucy studied his attacks closely. It seemed this man was not skilled in many fighting techniques, rather he just came out with a huge swing then had to take his sword back towards his body. She found the perfect opening.
"Here I come," Kenpachi performed one of his typical sword motions. His body was temporarily in a stretched position as he reared up for the next strike. As he swung back his arm he heard a loud chink. As he turned his head he noticed his sword-wielding arm had literally been amputated.
"Ahhhhhhh! You bitch how the hell did you do that?"
Lucy didn't respond instead she picked up his sword with her vectors, leaving behind the arm which flailed about in spastic convulsions. She would now used it to her advantage.
"How would you like to die by your own sword?" Lucy said as the battle swung in her favour. She threw the sword directly at Kenpachi's torso. The sword went right through but before she could pull it out Zaraki grabbed it with his other arm.
"I don't know what kind of witchcraft your performing but I'm gonna kill you now. I don't care what that geezer says I'm-"
He was cut short by another chink. Now it was his left leg. Kenpachi belted out a huge roar to reveal his pain and frustration that he was losing the battle. He had to do it.
"Looks like this is a real battle goin' on here," Kenpachi ripped off his eye patch to reveal an awesome amount of reiatsu. It radiated yellow and formed into a giant mouth as if it were about to engulf Lucy. It was too much for Lucy as she collapsed under the sheer weight of his enormous reiatsu, or so it seemed.
Confident he had obtained victory, mighty Zaraki hopped along towards her idle body. His sword ready to come down to finish her off.
"You don't deserve any mercy but you have been such a worthy opponent I must honour your defeat."
Lucy's head turned almost 180 degrees as she revealed a sickening grin. Her vectors struck Kenpachi in the eyes, completely blinding him.
Zaraki did not expect that and seemed to stand idle like a tree in the breeze for what seemed like an eternity before he realised he was in bad shape.
The mighty Zaraki fell to the ground in a heap and made incoherent curses towards his enemy. Lucy stood up ready to finish him off. Just as she came down with her vectors a small object knocked her over. When Lucy stood up she could see it was a small girl with pink hair.
"I can't let you kill my Kenny. Not like this. It would be unfair," Yachiru picked up the sorry man and made a small, unstable Senkaimon gate. "Kenny will play next time when he's better."
Kenpachi made a brief sigh of disappointment"You should have just left me there to die. I am so ashamed."
The two Shinigami left the real world en route to Soul Society.
Lucy remained in the lonely road in a pool of blood and limbs from the battle. Two figures sprinted up the road to discover the bloodshed.
"Thank goodness we found you Nyu," When Rukia saw past the darkness she could see the destruction. She gasped in shock "What's happened here. Are you alright Nyu?"
Ichigo noticed the arm and leg. Ichigo had seen death before so was almost unfazed by the scene. "Do you think this explains the strange feeling from before?"
Rukia was too distracted to answer as she parted Lucy's long hair to reveal a blood splattered face.
"She must have seen it herself. She must be so scared."
Lucy shrugged off Rukia. The two had no idea she was in her altered state. Her eyes were blank and registered no emotion whatsoever. Lucy knew the man from before was from that strange place called Soul Society so therefore he wasn't human. These two were indeed human so she had to maintain her oath to Kouta.
Lucy, just like before, collapsed in a daze.
SOUL SOCIETY – SERETEI INFIRMARY
Fourth squad was in charge of relief and ran the hospital for Seretei. A new patient had arrived late at night and was in a really bad state.
"We may need captain Unohana for this one," a relief squad officer said to one of the orderlies.
"What seems to be the matter." a gentle voice called out. A woman wearing a long haori and hair platted in front of her body came up to the patient. "How are you feeling right now Captain Kenpachi?"
"I wish I was dead. Please don't treat me, I don't need it," Zaraki was so ashamed of his defeat he couldn't bear the thought of surviving. He was blinded and lost two of his limbs including his sword arm. Even if he survived, what was his prospects of fighting to the level he did before?
"Isane," Unohana addressed a shy, humble woman with grey, roped hair. "Could you get me the anaesthetic and the necessary surgery tools. We may be up all night treating him."
"Um, yes madam Unohana, right away," loyal Isane paced towards the supplies.
Later that night Kenpachi was placed in the recovery ward. He could not sleep as he was only thinking about where he went wrong in the last battle.
"Dammit I underestimated her. My arrogance nearly killed me."
"Hey Captain." an unwanted voice called out from the door. Zaraki may have been blind but knew all his squad members well. "You're pretty fucked up even for my experiences with that woman."
"Who the hell are you and why should I care?"
"Name's Bando. I came here recently after my second battle with her. I thought I had it in my grasp, but her arms just got the better of me – those fucking arms." Zaraki could hear a bashing noise against the wall.
"So that's how she cut off my arm and leg." Zaraki seemed to accept the inevitable a bit more after hearing that.
"Yes. Apparently she has a range of two metres, but she's not the only one. There's one with vectors which stretch out five metres and even one with many vectors which stretch eleven metres."
"Bloody hell. I didn't realise how powerful they could be."
"Well you rest up big guy because I'm gonna do what you couldn't. Kill her."
"You fool" retorted Zaraki. "You're not even a Shinigami. You're just a pathetic soul."
"Sorry to correct you but I have qualified as a Shinigami and after talking to the other captains might even qualify for a high seat."
"Bah. I didn't go through all that nonsense to become a Shinigami. I just knew how to fight, and kill."
"Same here. Hey why do guys carry a sword and not some cool gun or something."
"Only wimps who don't know how to fight use guns."
"Good point. Anyway I'm off now."
"What are you gonna do?"
"Need I say it again. I'm gonna kill Lucy."