Chapter 19: An Espada's Arrival, Renji's Determination

Byakuya's team was gaining much ground, as they progressed farther and farther North. They ran into a large black building that had at least 4 floors. The towers of Las Noches were oddly placed along the sands. They all looked like they had no place being there.

"Well we should check this place out first I guess."

Stated Renji.

"Renji you can take a look at this place, we'll move on."

Said Byakuya.

"Right."

Said Renji before watching Byakuya and Cowann dashed off farther North. Renji opened the door to walk in when he heard a feminine voice from on top of the building.

"Hey where do you think you're going?"

He looked up to see a short female Arrancar with long white hair. Her mask fragment was a half of a skull with one long eye that rested on the right side of her head. Her eyes were a light yellow, and she had a sheathed zanpakuto strapped to her back. The sheath had a sharp curve at the end of it indicating that Zanpakuto had a hook on the end of it. She wore a snow white attire like the Espada that was under Aizen's control. Only the sleeves of hers were ripped off.

"Who are you? Why couldn't I feel any spiritual pressure from you until now?"

Asked Renji.

"I am Rain Suzami the 9th Espada under Lord Jiraiga's command. The reason that you couldn't feel my spiritual pressure until now is because we can mask our spiritual pressure unlike those failed experiments of Aizen."

"An Espada!? I thought that there couldn't be any Espada since the Hogyoku was destroyed."

"Well our Lord can do anything, so making a few Espada wasn't a very hard task."

"But how?"

"Don't you ever stop with the questions? You are very annoying has anyone ever told you that?"

"Fine then I'll figure it out later for now lets get this over with."

"Agreed!"

Rain jumped into the air and took off her white robe, now wearing only a sleeveless white undershirt she unsheathed her blade and attacked Renji.

She slammed down on him with the blade, and he blocked it with his own. They clashed their blades back and forth for awhile, but she was getting the better of him backing him up. He used shunpo to leap back away from her, and release his Zanpakuto.

"Roar, Zabimaru!"

His katana changed to a long whip like blade that was very wide and had several pointy protrusions all across each side.

"So you're already releasing your Zanpakuto?"

Asked Rain mockingly.

"Well if I wait to long before letting Zabimaru have some fun then he will get pissed. And I can't have that."

Without another word she attacked again, but Renji stretched his blade out after her to try and stop her from making contact. She hit his blade with her own, and easily deflected it. She kept charging when Renji's blade curved and headed for her back. Right before it could hit her she used a Sonido to get behind Renji, and slice him from the top of his back to the bottom. Renji leaned forward just as her blade was about to hit him so the wound was shallow, but still very effective. He recovered, and backed up a little to catch his breath from the shearing pain that hit him all at once.

"Damn, she's fast, and I'm already using my Shikai when she hasn't even released her Zanpakuto yet."

He thought to himself.

"Hey idiot are we gonna fight or are you just gonna stand there gasping for air?"

"Damn you're annoying. I'm not finished yet."

She failed to notice that the whole time that he was standing there he was holding his blade behind his back.

"Go Zabimaru!"

The blade shot out of the sand and curled around her like a tornado. SHe was cut severely from the ground up. She fell to the ground with blood spewing from every part of her body. Renji retracted Zabimaru and walked toward her.

"You really need to strengthen your guard, being so arrogant is what caused your death."

He said to Rain as he walked toward her body. She just let a smirk run across her face before making her next statement.

"Me die? How foolish are you?"

Renji's eyes widened in amazement of how the Espada was still able to speak after his attack. His amazement grew even more ehen she spoke again.

"Flutter, Kichigai jimi batafurai." (Demented Butterfly.)

Meanwhile a little farther North Captain Byakuya, and Cowann felt Renji and Rain's spiritual pressures.

"Captain do you think we should go back and help?"

Asked Cowann.

"No, Renji will be fine there is no need to worry about him, his fighting skills are above that of a normal Lieutenant."

Said the captain to reassure Cowann. The Captain started thinking to himself.

"The spiritual pressure of the enemy that's fighting Renji is almost exactly like that of an Espada's, but stronger. I don't know what is going on here but it definately isn't good. How is it possible for an Espada to be here when the Hogyoku was destroyed?"

The stoic captain's thoughts were interrupted when they felt a spiritual pressure similiar to Rain's but weaker.

They seen a man with short blond hair and a Fraccione's attire on running in their direction. Cowann appeared in front of him and got a clearer view. The man was about five feet eleven inches tall. He had a piece of his skull fragment on the left side of his head. the fragment had three small horns that curved back and it wasn't verybig. He had brown eyes, and his zanpakuto was in the form of a katana, and the hilt was wrapped in a pink cloth. The guard was circular with lines running all through it.

"Get out of my way master Rain is in trouble."

Shouted the Arrancar.

"I don't think I can do that."

Replied Cowann.

"Really, why is that?"

Asked the Arrancar.

"Captain you go on I'll handle him."

Said Cowann before watching the captain progress further forward without speaking another word.

"Now if you aren't gonna move I guess I'll just have to make you move won't I?"

Said the Arrancar before unsheathing his blade and slashing at Cowann's chest. Cowann dodged the blade by leaning to the side, and countered by slamming his fist into the Arrancar's stomach. He spit up and quickly regained his composure. He used a sonido to quickly appear behind Cowann with amazing speed. Cowann's eyes widened at his speed. He tried to slash diagnolly at Cowann's head, but Cowann ducked and dodged it. Cowann pulled out his own Zanpakuto and jabbed it backwards in an attempt to stab the Arrancar in the stomach, but it was dodged by another sonido. This time the Arrancar appeared a ways back from Cowann, to come up with something to do.

"Who are you?"

Asked the Arrancar, but Cowann just gave him a look of boredom.

"So no answer huh? Well that's fine, but I am Yomawa Ninto the 9th Espada's Fraccione.

Cowann just charged him with his Zanpakuto without showing any interest in his opponent. Yomawa ducked and tried to stab Cowann through his side, but it was dodged. Cowann jumped over the Fraccione and done a front flip to land behind him. When he did, he slashed through Yomawa's shoulder and blood poured out of his wound.

"God damn it."

He said as he was falling to the ground. Cowann sheathed his blade and turned to walk away when he heard Yomawa's voice.

"Hey punk this is far from over so get back over here."

Cowann continued to walk until he heard Yomawa's voice again.

"Break, Fokkusu Akuma" (Fox Demon.)