Chapter 10: The First Battle

Ichimaru was lying on his back, looking up at the dark sky, as they were aloft the fake one that Aizen put up. Baraggan had promised to destroy this as soon as it was no longer convenient to them. By that, he probably means sending some of his new subordinates to do that job.

With any luck, that'll never happen.

"Ichimaru."

He leaned up on his elbow, seeing the woman who was talking to Baraggan earlier. She was the one who lost to the powerful spirit energy not far from Las Noches. "What's up?"

"Tell me who you're going to send with me."

"I'm sorry, Gin Ichimaru isn't home right now. Please leave a message at the beep. Beeep."

"... I don't understand what that means."

"Yeah, you wouldn't, would you? It's a... never mind."

"Tell me who you're going to send."

"Hmm... how about... no."

"Why not?"

"Because."

"Please explain further."

"Because I don't feel like it. Just take the first Arrancar you see."

"Ichimaru. Tell me who you want me to take with me."

"Oh, what are you gonna do about it if I say no again?"

"I'll have to kick your ass."

His grin broadened and his spiritual energy began to leak out around his body. His grin alone was enough to make it feel like a snake was wrapping around her throat. The spiritual energy added onto it made it seem like snakes were covering her entire body. "Go ahead." He told her.

She knelt to the ground. "Please, sir. Please allow me to take one of Baraggan's soldiers to fight the two Arrancar he wished for me to eliminate."

"That's more like it!" Ichimaru got into a sitting position, and ceased using his spiritual energy. "I assume you came back here with some news about them."

"I don't understand."

"Fighting style, weaknesses, and so on."

"The first man uses a Nodachi. He has a tail, and he is proficient with a Cero. One Cero of his is equal to three of my balas."

"And the other?"

"I did not see him fight. A thousand pardons."

"Come on, man! You only had one job!"

She bowed her head.

"Fine. You can strategize with him later. I can't send any of the strongest forces or Lord Baraggan will be furious with me. Most likely, any of the Espada are off limits. Which puts me in a bad position, because I have no idea of anyone else's abilities. However... based on pure spiritual energy alone... there is someone I have in mind."

"Who is it, sir?"

"I don't know his name. He has unkempt ebony hair, steel blue eyes, and wears a black gi. I don't recommend making him angry."

She walked around the canopy, until she eventually found a man who fit this description. He nodded to her. "Do you require my presence to fight these two?"

"I do."

He bowed to her. "Lead the way."

Is this man really the one that Ichimaru recommended? Lurk thought.

Nnoitra was sitting cross legged. "DAMN IT!" He shouted, pounding his fist into the ground. "Why the hell didn't Baraggan send me?"

"Perhaps he wanted to test the newcomers' abilities."

"Shut up, Tesla."

"Yes, sir."

"It's so damn boring up here! We might as well just attack them while they're training and get it over with! We're wasting so much time!"

"Lord Baraggan doesn't seem to be in a hurry."

"That's so stupid! The longer we wait, the stronger their forces will become!"

"Perhaps he's thinking the same of our forces."

"Whatever."

"We should strategize." Lurk said. "I will-"

"No need."

"Pardon?"

"As soon as I see the enemy, I suggest you step out of the way. I'll choose my target, then you go for the other guy. If you interfere, I might kill you."

"By mistake?"

"No."

"... You seem perfectly calm right now."

"Because I am. However, as soon as a battle starts I lose all forms of control. When I come to, all my opponents are dead and I don't remember anything. I only remember what people have told me. That I swiftly killed anything that got in my way. If you think that my spiritual energy is strong now, you should wait until you see me in battle. I hear it's one of the strongest there is."

"We'll just have to see."

The two made it to the place. Once again, Matthias was waiting for them.

"Tell me your name." The second Arrancar shouted to him. "As well as the names of your allies."

"Why?"

"So I can remember the names of the people I have killed."

Matthias crossed his arms. "I will not die here. However, I will tell you. My name is Matthias Iscariot. I work with Loly Aivirrne and Menoly Mallia. We have recently joined forces with Perrault Solomon." He drew his Nodachi. "Now. Which of you is going to die?"

"I am..." He clenched his jaw and orange energy began to glow around him. "Sartino Juare..." Suddenly all the orange energy vanished and brown energy shot all around him. He blitzed towards the large Arrancar as he drew his sword and slashed at his head.

Matthias was only barely able to block it.

Lurk walked passed them and approached the house. As she got closer, the door opened. A massive man, covered from head to toe in hair, stepped from the door. He held a glaive in his hands. "Stay away from my house." Solomon growled.

Lurk jumped a few steps away from him and drew her sword and buckler.

Solomon pointed his weapon at her.

He's got greater range than I do. And not only that, a glaive takes much finesse to operate, not just strength. So he's likely very fast. Perhaps even faster than I am. I am better off trying to fight the other Arrancar.

Solomon leapt into the air, soaring down toward Cirilli Lurk. She quickly lifted her shield to protect her face and neck. However, she wasn't his true target. He kicked off of her shield and flew toward Sartino Juare.

Matthias dodged out of the way, and Solomon slashed his polearm at Sartino. The Arrancar dodged the attack and slashed Solomon hard across the leg.

Matthias slashed hard, slamming his opponent into the side of the head.

Sartino was sent flying away from them, landing in a heap of sand. Blood dripped from his temple. "RRRRAAAAAAAHHHHH!" He was immediately back on his feet, charging toward the two.

"That was a mighty slash." Solomon said. "It should have taken his head off. This guy is stronger than I expected. However, if we can cut him, we can beat him. Do you know anything about bull fighting, Matthias?"

At that point, Sartino blitzed toward them, slashing at Matthias. The large Arrancar leapt through the air and fired several bala at him, via his tail. Sartino tanked all of them with only minor injuries.

"Never heard of it." Matthias told him.

"That's a shame. I'll have to explain how to do it, then."

Lurk was creeping around from behind them. If I can take one of them out from behind, Sartino can take the other out with his speed. She thought.

"Not so fast!" Loly said. "That is my warrior out there, and you won't lay a hand on him while his back is turned!"

Menoly stepped out to her other side. "That's right. You won't get anywhere near Matthias."

"I'll make sure you die quickly." She told them, pointing her sword at Loly, who had a knife in her hand. They had quite a distance between the two. Nothing Lurk couldn't Sonido through, but there were two of them, they were on opposite sides of her- which presented a problem. She could take out the one, but not the other. They didn't seem to be all that strong, but being as there was two of them, they might be able to overwhelm her.

"Basically," Solomon said, as he dodged parried a slash from Sartino. "When he goes in for a charge attack-" Matthias kicked him hard in the back, forcing him forward. Solomon held his spear out to stab him in the neck, but he flew up into the air to avoid the attack. "-he can't slow down fast enough to change directions." Sartino soared down at Matthias, who shot a Cero at him. Sartino defused it with his own cero, at the cost of his free-fall speed.

Taking advantage of his slowing down, Matthias punched him hard in the stomach, sending him flying backward.

"So all we need to do is dodge him, then attack him while he's still charging forward. His momentum will keep him traveling in the same direction."

Matthias' eyes widened and his eyes light with anger. "Solomon. I will be back in a moment. That female Arrancar is threatening our companions."

He nodded. "I can handle this guy." But can I? He second guessed, but didn't dare tell Matthias that. He knew Matthias had to do this, and his unconfidence shouldn't affect someone else's work.

Both of them dodged away from Sartino's next attack. However, Matthias took off to go help Loly and Menoly.

Sartino went to chase him, receiving a stab wound to his back as a result. Damn it... Solomon thought. Anyone else that would have went straight through their chests. This guy's powerful...

Sartino spun around, a bala charged on each of his fingers. He smacked at the air and the balas flew at Solomon. The glaive-master leapt into the air, dodging most of them, but the one that came from his thumb collided with his shin.

Solomon roared as he slashed down at him. But Sartino blocked it with his sword.

Matthias charged at Lurk, sword drawn. Her eyes widened. She went to flee, but Matthias tackled her and snapped his jaw into her sword arm. Blood dripped to the ground and she screamed.

"Who the hell sent you? Was it Harribel? Baraggan?"

"Screw you." She smacked him in the head with her buckler, then shot a Cero into his chest. This created enough air between the two of them so she could fly away. I'm not an idiot. I can't defeat that man... even though our spiritual powers are close in level and I'm faster, I won't be able to defeat him. Perhaps Sartino will kill them.

However, someone else showed up. Someone powerful. "That's enough." Said a stern voice.