A.N: Well, I am once again bedridden due to a second knee surgery (no more high-intensity sports for me). On the bright side, I got to finish up this particularly difficult chapter. Hope you all enjoy it

Chapter 10: Made to Fight You

Vasco Xuan stared at Tetsuzaemon Iba in utter shock. "A glaring weakness? What are you talking about?" Vasco asked angrily.

"Jishin creates earthquakes," Tetsuzaemon explained. "Earthquakes create sound waves that travel underground. Depending on the intensity of the sound, ears can be severely damaged. You say you have an unbeatable defense, but you doomed yourself the minute you turned your body into water."

"I dont understand…"

"I'm amazed at how little you know of what your Resurreción is composed of," Tetsuzaemon continued. "Sound waves, as I mentioned before, travel very well across water. Basically, when you released your Resurreción, you turned your body into one giant ear."

Vasco's eyes went wide upon realization. "What's more is that you're basically feeling the entire force of an earthquake inside of your body through the sound waves."

Tetsuzaemon grinned. "In other words, my Jishin was practically made to fight you."

Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa looked out at Tetsuzaemon. "Whoa, I never knew Tetsuzaemon's Zanpakutō had an ability like that." Ikkaku admitted. "I always thought that that thing was a direct combat Zanpakutō."

Yumichika nodded in agreement. "He does a good job hiding his Kidō-based ability inside of that hideous thing."

In spite of the insult directed towards Tetsuzaemon's Jishin, Yumichika couldn't help but feel his respect for Tetsuzaemon grow. Like him, this clearly hid his Zanpakutō's true nature while a part of Squad 11. However, unlike him, Tetsuzaemon was clearly not afraid to show it. Of course, this may have been because now he didn't have to worry about Squad 11's unspoken rule now that he was a part of Squad 7, but Yumichika had always felt that even if for some strange reason he were to leave Squad 11, he would still hide the fact that his Zanpakutō out of fear of his former squad mates. Yet here was Tetsuzaemon, proudly showing it to his opponent as if it didn't matter.

Vasco immediately regained his composure and glared at Tetsuzaemon once more. "So what?" He asked angrily. "I just have to avoid that sword of yours and I'll win, right?"

Vasco readied his tentacles. "You may have found a chink in my armor, but you still are outmatched, Soul Reaper! I have enough offensive prowess to completely overwhelm you!"

Vasco launched his tentacles at Tetsuzaemon. Tetsuzaemon quickly leapt out of the way and started ducking and dodging underneath his tentacles. "You can't dodge them forever, Soul Reaper!" Vasco shouted.

Jishin starteed to glow. Tetsuzaemon blocked the tentacle. The tentacle vibrated and then exploded. Vasco cringed as he felt the sound wave travel from the tentacle to his body. Luckily for Vasco, the sound waves weakened by the time it had reached his body. The majority of the vibration had hit the tentacle that had exploded.

"I admire your spirit, Arrancar, but sometimes a warrior needs to know when he has lost. It allows that warrior to fight another day." Said Tetsuzaemon.

Vasco glared at Tetsuzaemon. "What kind of cowardly ideal is that?" He asked angrily.

Tetsuzaemon shook his head. "You're right, normally it would be. And I'm the type of guy who doesn't like to run from a fight, especially considering that I got my start in a squad that never likes to run. But you need to understand this from the point of view a soldier in the Thirteen Court Squads. The idea of living today and fighting tomorrow has never been more true. I love to fight until the end, but I'm also the Lieutenant of Squad 7. I have a duty to my captain and friends. I can't die, not when I've still got men under my command who need me. Not when I have friends who need me to fight with them. It's a pretty manly ideal, don't you think."

Vasco nodded in understanding. "That is a 'manly' ideal as you put it. I can understand the need to remain alive to support your superior officer."

Vasco lowered his head. "I've been working under General Orgulloso for years. He is my idol, he is my mentor. I have more loyalty to the General than His Majesty."

Tetsuzaemon nodded. "I can understand that. I am loyal to Head Captain Yamamoto, but I also hold a great deal of loyalty to Captain Komamura, even more than the Head Captain himself."

Vasco readied his tentacles once more. "It appears that this has become a battle of loyalty Tetsuzaemon Iba."

"Lets see whose loyalty is stronger."

Akio Yamamoto gritted his teeth as he tried to force Cortez off balance. Cortez leapt backwards but charged him once more, thrusting his rapier forward. Akio dodged to the side and prepared his own attack. "Raiba!" He shouted, as lightning enveloped his Kaminari.

Cortez Sonido'd out of the way. The lightning remained on Kaminari. "Raiba is the strongest attack my Shikai has to offer. It coats my Zanpakutō in lightning, powering up regular attacks."

"Impressive power, I can see why Queen Halibel warned us about your potential. You have quite the growth rate."

"Not as good as Ichigo's though," Akio admitted. "It's a century too early for me to take someone of his caliber on. The same goes for quite a few of the captains. I could probably beat Sajin and Renji in a one-on-one fight. But that's it. I'd tie Shaolin, Byakuya, and Tōshirō if I went all out, but I'd definitely lose to the rest of the captains."

"You have quite a bit of faith in Ichigo Kurosaki's strength, however." Cortez observed.

Akio nodded. "He's my best friend," said Akio. "What kind of friend would I be if I didn't show absolute faith in his abilities. Trust me, he's going to destroy that stupid cannon of yours."

"I can respect that," said Cortez. "What kind of subordinate would I be if I didn't show absolute faith in my king."

Cortez Sonido'd towards Akio. "But in gauging the strength of your comrades, you failed to gauge the strength of your opponents. Your best friend will fall to us, just like the rest of your comrades."

Cortez thrusted his rapier straight at Akio's chest. Akio stopped it with a timely block. "You will die," Cortez insisted. "Be it before or after Sentencía fires again."

Cortez looked up at the cannon. "Only ten minutes left, Captain Yamamoto." He said to his opponent."

Akio frowned. Crap, this is getting worse by the minute. He thought to himself. It's actually, literally getting worse by the minute.

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez kicked Ichigo backwards with an impressive display of physical strength. "Is that all you've got, Ichigo?" He asked angrily. "This can't be all the power that you used to defeat me all those years ago."

Ichigo got to his feet. "I'm just getting warmed up, Grimmjow." He simply replied.

Grimmjow cackled. "You take a seriously long time to get ready, you know that you little bastard."

Ichigo looked at the core that was behind Grimmjow. I can't afford to waste too much energy fighting him. Ichigo thought. My focus needs to be on the destruction of that core. Otherwise, my friends are going to die for sure.

"Come on than, Ichigo!" Grimmjow said tauntingly. "I can't fight at my full strength until you are doing the same! What's the point in me kicking your ass when you're currently fighting like a pussy."

Ichigo couldn't help but chuckle. "You haven't changed a bit, Grimmjow." He said.

Grimmjow grinned. "You haven't changed a bit either, you're still the same weakling I know who got lucky once."

Ichigo looked at his rival. "And you're still the same sore loser I remember you to be."

"I don't lose fights!" Grimmjow shouted angrily. "That bastard Nnoitra got in the way when I should've won that fight!"

"You could barely stand up!" Ichigo reminded Grimmjow.

"And I still would've beaten you, because you were and always be the sum of all weaknesses, Ichigo!"

Ichigo sighed. "You're right, I am weak." He said.

Grimmjow was taken aback by this. "I've lost count of so many times I've failed to protect the people I care about. I couldn't save my mother, there was a time when I couldn't save the woman I loved, I couldn't save my friends at times, I couldn't even save my sworn brother from those injuries he received from the Cazadore Captain."

Ichigo's resolve hardened once more as he stared Grimmjow dead in the eye. "But do you know what I've found, Grimmjow, no matter how many times you fail in something, you can't dwell on it and let it define you, instead you need to make sure it doesn't happen in the present. That's how I'm able to keep fighting, no matter how many times I've failed the people I care about."

"You clearly never did figure it out," Ichigo continued. "You and this damn grudge you hold against me, I'm sick of it Grimmjow. A real warrior doesn't dwell in the past. You say you're some kind of king, and now I'm realizing that to you 'king' means greatest warrior, but how can you be strong when you hold onto something in the past. I told you after that climactic fight that I'd fight you any time, but for now you had to let it go. Yet here we are, three years later, and you still haven't let it go. You're fighting because of the past Grimmjow, you can't become strong that way."

Grimmjow glared at Ichigo. "Don't you dare lecture me on what true strength is!" He screamed, charging Ichigo.

Ichigo was pushed back a few feet after blocking Grimmjow's sword with Tensa Zangetsu. Damn, I'm running out of time. He thought.

"Six minutes left, Ichigo." Grimmjow said sinisterly.

"Hurry up and die!" Vasco shouted angrily.

Tetsuzaemon ducked and dodged more of Vasco's tentacles. In spite of his success in avoiding injuries, he was still frustrated. He was currently unable to do too much damage at long-range. The sound waves that travel across water weaken by the time they get to Vasco's main body. I need to come up with a new plan and fast, he thought. The more I drag this fight out, the more everyone else is in danger from that cannon.

But the question, how do I get close enough. He continued. Those tentacles of his are sacrificial lambs at this point, but the problem is those lambs are unlimited. No matter how many times I destroy the tentacles with Jishin's special ability, they'll just keep coming back. I need to take his focus off defending from Jishin. The tentacles then surrounded Tetsuzaemon. "This is the end of the line, Lt. Iba, you die now!"

"I told you," said Tetsuzaemon. "I don't want to die just yet!"

With that, Tetsuzaemon had his plan. He slammed Jishin into the ground, creating a small earthquake that rumbled throughout the battlefield. Vasco suddenly lost his balance from the force from beneath the earth. "What the hell!" He shouted.

Tetsuzaemon then leapt at Vasco. By the time the Arrancar regained his composure, Tetsuzaemon was already in mid-swing and aiming straight for his head. Vasco screamed as the sound waves rocketed from his head to the rest of his body. Vasco was launched backwards by the force of the attack.

Cortez watched in shock as his subordinate fell to his opponent. Vasco. He thought solemnly.

Vasco Xuan was dead before he hit the floor. Tetsuzaemon resealed Jishin and walked over to the injured fighters. "You guys okay?" He asked them.

Rangiku nodded. "Yeah, thanks to you, Tetsuzaemon."

Momo nodded in agreement. "We owe you one, Tetsuzaemon."

Love Aikawa looked at Tetsuzaemon. "You did good, kid. It makes me proud knowing that you're a part of my squad. It's clear that my successor did a good job."

Tetsuzaemon nodded. "Captain Komamura…everything I am today is because of his teachings."

Love grinned. "I'm glad to hear that. Even after all these years of being under exile, I still wanted nothing but the best for Squad 7, the fact that it's doing so well under Komamura's command is…satisfying."

Cortez sighed sadly. Vasco, you fought well. I won't let your death be in vain. He thought, genuinely saddened at the death of his longtime subordinate.

Akio looked at Cortez. "You and Halibel are the only Arrancar I've seen who actually give a damn about their subordinates."

"I cared about Vasco. The young man had always been unquestionably loyal to me." Cortez admitted.

Cortez raised his rapier. "I won't let him die in vain!"

Akio prepared to resume his fight.

Two minutes left! Ichigo thought, now starting to get worried.

"Stop dodging and fight me like a man, Ichigo!" Grimmjow shouted.

I want to, Ichigo thought. But my friends are in danger as long as that cannon works. "Perhaps this'll get you to fight me like a man, Cero!" Grimmjow shouted.

Ichigo quickly dodged the light-blue Cero. His eyes then widened when he realized where the blast of spirit energy was heading: Sentencía's core! The Cero collided with the core, destroying it instantly. And for the first time ever, Grimmjow's face contorted into a face-fault. "Oh crap!" He screamed when he saw his mistake.

Back on the ground, everyone heard the explosion and took notice of the smoke. "That must be Ichigo!" Renji noted.

Rukia smiled. Great job Ichigo!

Komamura looked at Akio and Cortez, who were still engaged in heavy combat. This battle is quickly going in our favor, he thought, noticing the many fallen Adhuchas. But the young master must save his strength for the later fights, if he doesn't have enough energy to lead, how can others be expected to follow him?

On that thought, Komamura charged in. Akio and Cortez put some distance in between one another. Cortez glared at Akio for a moment, but was then suddenly sent flying with a punch. Akio's eyes widened in surprise as Komamura entered his line of vision. "Sajin?" He said.

"Go into La Torre, Young Master!" Komamura said to him. "I will take over this fight!"

"What, why?" Akio was shocked at this.

"Because you are the leader of this invasion." Komamura reminded him. "It is your duty to remain in front of those you are leading until the end. Do not forget that!"

Akio realized what Komamura meant. "Are you sure?" Akio thought. "He's really strong."

Komamura looked at Akio. "Another thing you must learn is to have faith in your subordinates Akio. You don't have to do everything yourself you know."

Knowing that there was no way he was going to talk Komamura out of this, he nodded. "Win, Sajin," Akio told his comrade. "Win."

Komamura nodded. Akio started running towards the entrance. "All Soul Reapers, follow me into La Torre. Bring the wounded with you!"

Cortez got to his feet and looked at the invading force as they stormed into La Torre. He then glared at Komamura. "You got in my way, foolish dog!" He said angrily.

"It is the young master's duty to lead this invasion until the very end." Komamura insisted. "So I will be your opponent from now on, General."

Cortez got into a fighting stance. "As you wish, Captain."

Komamura prepared to fight. Young Master, everyone, good luck in there. He thought.

"Prepare yourself, General!" Komamura shouted, raising his Zanpakutō.

A.N: Part of the reason this chapter was so difficult to write was because I recently realized that like Sasakibe and Isane, Tetsuzaemon Iba is rather underdeveloped as well. The only thing we really know about him is that he may be a momma's boy, he was once a member of Squad 11, and he is fiercely loyal to Captain Komamura. That's not much to go on, but I think I made it work. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, ND2014, signing off.