Chapter 11: Fires of Sacrifice
Kenpachi raised his sword, watching his opponent intently. As much as he hated to admit it, the large blond man was right. He couldn't take to many more hits from that blade. And according to Ewart, the blade didn't have to necessarily hit him in order to deal damage. This is going to take some finesse Kenpachi groaned inwardly. He hated having to dance around an opponents strange ability. Usually he just charged right through it and overwhelmed them with pure power, but this guy wasn't someone who would be overcome so easily. I haven't faced an opponent this difficult in a long time he thought, smiling. Not even Ichigo or that Quincy Gremmy could have pushed me this far.
Ewart seemed to have taken the initiative as he charged forward, swinging the long blade in order to cleave the former captain in two. Kenpachi dodged out of the way, leaping farther than he normally would to avoid the resulting shockwave from the blade hitting the white sand. He gripped his sword, suddenly remembering something that he had long forgotten.
"Hey, blondie!" he called. "I never got your name, just the one of your sword."
Ewart seemed wary of whatever trick Kenpachi was up to, but relented. "I am Ewart Stormchaser. And yours?"
Kenpachi grinned even wider, switching his sword to his injured hand. He reached down, wrapping the loose white cloth around his hand, binding it tightly to the blade. Grabbing hold of it again, now with both hands, he grunted only slightly in discomfort as his broken bones moved and grinded together painfully. "As I said, I'm called Kenpachi. Kenpachi Zaraki to be specific. I'm far from the first one to hold the title, but I'm the only one who earned it from the first herself. I have been the strongest swordsman in all of Seireitei for the past 100 years. And this fight is over."
Ewarts eyes narrowed slightly at his opponents claim. "You seek to end this battle? Fine. Let us be done with this bloodshed and prove who is the better warrior. Come, Kenpachi Zaraki! I will test your blade!"
Both opponents charged, gaining speed and power. Yellow energy flew off of Kenpachi, forming around him in the shape of a golden skull. Meanwhile, blue bolts of lightning began to lance off of Ewart, carving deep furrows into the sand around him, trailing behind. When they finally met, both fighters swung their swords and clashed.
The explosion was unlike anything seen or heard before in Hueco Mundo. The power seen from even the fourth espadas Lanza Del Relampago would be an excellent comparison. There was no heat, no searing blaze, only force generated from both Ewarts shikai and the pure power behind Kenpachis two-handed swing. The sound was deafening, forcefully grabbing the attention of any being within sight. Those both above and below the compound stopped and listened, hoping to see the source of the blast.
When the wind had vanished and the smoke had faded away, it revealed two forms both hunched over. Ewart was using his sword, no longer in shikai, to keep on his feet. Kenpachi, meanwhile, simple swayed where he stood, only holding onto his weapon because he had lashed it to his hand. Both men were breathing heavily, and were covered in bruises and cuts, bleeding badly.
"I guess…nothing was settled…after all." Kenpachi muttered, still grinning despite his injuries.
"No…it isn't." Ewart agreed. He fell back, collapsing into the sand and dropping his sword as Kenpachi did the same. "Now we must wait… to see whose companions… arrive first."
Kenpachi chuckled weakly. "You had… better live…Stormchaser" he replied. "I won't…let this end…in a tie." That was all either could say before passing out from exhaustion.
Apache, Mila Rose and Sun-sun sprung back for what seemed like the hundredth time in a short while. The small, enclosed space they were in was starting to run out of placed to move, what with the fire and all. Standing in front of them and wielding a red whip was Isabella, large strips of fire surrounding her.
"Come on then!" she yelled, cracking the whip threateningly. It slammed into another section of wall, leaving behind a fiery gash. "That explosion earlier had to have been Ewart. Whoever was fighting him is probably dead now. One down, three useless chucho cueras to go."
"Don't think we don't know what that means." Apache growled, reaching for her chakram. "Just because you've got some kind of special whip doesn't mean you can take us down." She charged forward, Mila Rose and Sun-sun following reluctantly. They drew their weapons, a gladius and pair of sai respectively, and attacked at all angles.
"I told you its useless!" Isabella roared, flashing her whip forward. It crashed into the ground where Apache used to be, the arrancar using Sonido in order to avoid it. The trio was getting closer, but the closer they were the easier it was for Isabella to hit them. She pulled her whip back, spinning it around before lashing out, managing to hit all three of them. The weapon burned everything it touched, causing the three to cry out in pain, retreating to a safe area. They clutched their wounds, before Mila Rose noticed something.
"Wait a minute, we're not on fire" she said, eyeing the flames still dancing on the walls and then looking back to her arm. The burn was there, and severe from the look of it, but it wasn't actively burning like she had expected. "What gives?"
"I don't care if its on fire or not, those flames aren't half as tough as the old mans." Apache sneered.
"You mean the flames that nearly killed us, brought about by the strongest shinigami to ever exist?" Sun-sun asked. "No, of course there wouldn't be a comparison. Idiot."
"Why you…" Apache growled, turning to strike at her companion before the fiery whip lashed out at her again, forcing her to retreat. "Dammit! You stay out of this!" she barked at her opponent.
"If the three of you aren't going to take this seriously, then I'll just have to make you." Isabella sneered. She pulled the whip back, wrapping it around her shoulder protectively. "Odio Ardiente!"
The fire that had spread around them glowed white-hot. The light of it caused the trio of arrancar to shield their eyes, and because of that they missed the fact that it had burned through the floor and the ceiling. "Oh shit!" Mila Rose shouted as the floor below them collapsed and rubble fell from above, causing them to fall into the room below. Rocks and debris covered the women as they fell in a heap.
"Get your fat ass off of me!" Apache shouted, kicking Sun-sun away. The Chinese looking girl sniffed in mock offense, brushing the dirt from her clothes.
"You just wish I had something soft to land on. The rocks would have felt better than your bony hide" she muttered.
Before Apache could respond, Mila Rose cut her off. "Stop it, the both of you! I know we've never seen eye to eye, but obviously this is an opponent we have underestimated." She raised her sword, eyes scanning the room they were in for any sign of Isabella. It was rather large, some kind of meeting room that had large pillars holding the roof up. They had fallen into the center, and all around them there was nothing but the support beams. "Where did she go?" Mila Rose asked.
To answer her question, the red whip of Azote del Sol came shooting out from around a pillar. It wrapped around her leg and pulled her off balance, the sound is sizzling flesh accompanying her cry of surprise and pain. Both Apache and Sun-sun moved to help the amazon, Sun-sun slashing at the whip and Apache charging towards the pillar it came from. "Nowhere to hide, bitch!" she yelled, charging up a cero blast and obliterating the stone beam. Isabella shrieked in alarm, releasing Mila Rose from her weapons grasp and retreating a few steps.
Sun-sun tried to help Mila Rose stand, but she collapsed, not able to hold herself up. "My…my leg" she said weakly and when the other two looked, they saw the severity of it. The whip had burned the arrancars ankle so badly that no amount of hierro would have withstood it. The flesh was blackened and charred, cracking in places. Yellow pus oozed from the cracks, creating a gut-wrenching image. There was even a slight hint of bone peaking through the worst of the damage.
"What…what did you do to her!" Apache screamed in outrage.
Isabella smiled smugly. "I told you not to underestimate me. Azote del Sol is a fire-type zanpaktou, like you may have noticed. Wherever it goes it leaves fire in its wake. I can make those flames as hot or as cool as I want, protecting me and burning through even solid stone like I did with the floor."
"As for your friend there, that's something a little different. I'm sure you all felt it when I knocked you back up above." Isabella indicated the burns on the other two. "Organic material is harder to burn, so Azote simply heats herself up until the flesh is burned away entirely. If I can get her wrapped around something, well…" she paused, grinning wickedly. "…I hope you enjoyed your days with two feet."
"You witch! I'll kill you!" Apache roared, throwing her chakram at the Hispanic woman. Isabella leaped out of the way, striking at the smaller girl with her whip as she did so. Apache easily dodged, but the scorch mark left behind reminded her of the threat they posed. She grabbed the chakram as they returned to her, preparing to let them fly again. She noticed that Sun-sun had disappeared, leaving Mila Rose to fend for herself. Okay, I see what the plan is Apache thought, letting the chakram fly once more.
Isabella kept dodging the spinning, circular blades, attacking with her whip if Apache got to close. With much more space to maneuver, she didn't have to worry about the flames getting near her and was free to attack in any direction. After a particularly close call with the spinning blades, she rushed to hide behind another pillar. Gotcha Apache thought, waiting with her blades. I'll keep her back there and Sun-sun can sneak up on her from above. Whenever Isabella peaked her head out, the circular blades were released, forcing the woman to retreat behind her pillar. Anytime now Sun-sun Apache thought angrily, ticked off by the other womans usual laziness.
Suddenly, the red whip shot out form behind the pillar, not at Apache like she had expected, but up towards the ceiling. A cry rang out and Sun-sun appeared, clutching desperately at the searing metal wrapped around her waist. "Sun-sun!" Apache called out, rushing to help her comrade. She didn't need to rush, however, because Isabella swung the whip with a mighty cry, pulling Sun-sun right into Apache. The two slammed together, flying back and landing roughly into the pile of rubble, crashing into Mila Rose. Apache slowly picked herself out of the rubble, noting that Sun-sun was doubled over in pain, her stomach having the same black skin as Mila Rose's ankle. Speaking of her, Mila Rose was unconscious, the strain of her injury combined with being hit by her friends proving to much.
Apache glared at Isabella, the shinigami woman striding forward, whip in hand. "Any last words?" she asked sweetly.
"Yeah" Apache spat. "You can go fu-" Azote del Sol wrapping around her neck cut off the words. Apache gagged, fingers grasping at the fiery whip, but only burning themselves. The stink of burning flesh filled her nostrils and tears streamed from her eyes only to dissolve from the heat.
"I'm sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of your throat burning" Isabella said matter-of-factly. "Guess we'll never know what you were gonna say. Guess we'll have to just sit here in silence as I burn through your entire neck." Apaches eyes widened in fear as the realization that she was about to die hit her.
Suddenly, A large blast of yellow energy slammed into Isabellas side, knocking her down and skidding across the floor. The whip started to drag Apache as well before it released her. She gagged slightly, holding her hands to her throat and feeling the intense damage that had been done. She tried to speak, to thank her savior, but the words only came out as a harsh rasping noise.
"Save your breath Apache" a calm voice that still betrayed the fury within said. "You'll need all the energy you can get to heal from this. You may never be able to speak again." Apache began to cry, the tears no longer evaporating. A brown finger reached down and brushed the tears away. "Do not cry. I will avenge your voice alongside our comrades."
By now Isabella had gotten to her feet. She cracked her whip threateningly, glaring daggers at the new arrival. "And who are you, huh? Another whore waiting for a beating?"
"Far from it" the new arrival said, raising her sword. It was oddly shaped, very wide with a single edge, and hollow on the inside. A wide guard stretched across the back, ending in a sheath wrapped in purple cloth. "I am the former Trecera Espada. I am the current Queen of Hueco Mundo. I am Tia Halibel." Blue eyes narrowed under blonde bangs. "You have trespassed on my home, attacked my sisters, and brutalized them in ways to cruel to imagine." She raised her sword, yellow energy crackling along it. "Do not think for even a second that you will leave this room alive."
At the Pantheon, formerly called Los Noches, all was quiet. It was what most people had decided to be nighttime, so a lot of the soldiers and officers were asleep, the perfect time to do something that you didn't want people to see you doing. That was exactly what Nick thought when he led Shauna and Triana down an abandoned hallway.
"Why are we out here so late? Can't we train in secret during the day?" Triana complained, rubbing sleep from her eyes.
"It's much easier to get caught in the daytime idiot." Nick whispered. "And I know it sounds weird, but I don't want anyone to know that we've achieved bankai if I can help it."
"Wait, how come you're an officer if you don't have a bankai?" Triana asked, suddenly much more awake than she was earlier. "I thought…"
"It's because of my vizard mask" he replied. "Justin and I both have power comparable to a bankai in that form. It's not much, but it was enough for us to become officers."
Triana looked like she was about to say more when Nick held up a hand. "We're here" he said, opening a door and stepping inside. It lead to a large room, not unlike most of the other rooms in the Pantheon. It didn't seem to have any kind of support for the size of it, but it wasn't exactly like the place made sense structurally to begin with. Nick strode to the center of the room before turning to face the two women. "I smuggled these out of a storage room" he said, indicating the four mannequin-like objects on either side of him. They were just as tall as he was, and vaguely human-shaped except more angular. Two golden cords connected the two shoulders. "I overheard someone talking about a test to become an officer that involved attaining bankai. All you need to do is stab these with your zanpaktou and the test begins."
"Test?" Shauna asked. "What kind of test?"
Nick shrugged. "It was pretty vague. But…" his tone suddenly got darker. "…these things feel really similar to stuff I've seen Urahara making. I hope that it doesn't connect him to these guys, but if it does…" he drifted off again, the resulting silence uncomfortable. Shaking his head, he smiled. "So, if no one wants to volunteer, I'm going to go first. This test lasts for three days normally, and I don't know if we can stop it once it starts, so…"
"In that case, one or both of us should go first." Shauna interrupted. Nick balked at her.
"What? Why?" he asked, dumbfounded.
Shauna sighed. "Because you are already at officer level and if we need to be unsupervised for three days straight, it would be best if you guard us. Make sure no one comes here, brush off any questions about where we are, that sort of thing."
Nick though about it before nodding. "Good idea. Okay then, why don't you both go." He moved two of the mannequins forward, facing the two women. "Just stab your zanpaktou in the center" he reminded.
Shauna and Triana drew their swords, though Triana did so hesitantly. Stepping forward, they both took a deep breath before plunging the blades into the devices.
