Chapter 25: The (not so) Dark Knight Rises
"GAAAAAHHHH!" Lilynette roared, swinging a sword at Starrk. "DIE!"
The Primera blocked the attack with his left hand. "Too slow." He threw his right hand at Lilynette's forehead. She leapt backward in order to avoid the attack. However, Starrk shot a quick ball of spirit energy at her, which knocked her to the ground.
"You could have killed me with that!" Lilynette shouted.
"Not with a bala, they're no were near strong enough to injure you. And if you're serious about this training, then you'll risk your life. So tell me, Lilynette. Are you serious about this?"
"Yes!" Lilynette got back to her feet, pointing the sword at him.
"Your attacks are too obvious. You leave yourself wide open before, during, and after your attacks. Your not fast enough. You're not powerful enough. And you don't have enough experience." Starrk told her impassively. Baby steps, Coyote, baby steps. Telling her all this isn't going to help. She learns by action, not with words. "Attack me again."
Lilynette charged at him, stabbing up at his throat. He effortlessly blocked the attack with the back of his hand and charged up a bala.
She leapt into the air, dodging the attack. "Always expect a counter. Always expect a follow up." Starrk told her, "these tips could save your life one day." He floated up into the air so he was level with her. "You're going to keep attacking me until I stay to stop. Alright?"
"Yeah! I won't disappoint you, Starrk!"
"Just attack, Lilynette." Despite his words, he couldn't keep the smile from creeping onto his face.
Gin landed lightly on the ground in front of Harribel's base. He took off his uniform, revealing his toned physique. He held his bloody uniform against the building, and his free hand glowed with white energy. The blood slowly began to separate from the white cloth.
After about a minute, all of the blood was out of his clothes and floating in the air. He pulled a small glass vial from his pocket and the blood flowed in. He sealed the vial and pocketed it once again.
Just then, the door opened. He turned to see Roka coming out.
"What... are you doing?" She asked, her face turning red.
Ichimaru smirked, "What's the matter, Miss Paramia?"
"Umm... I think I need to go back inside." She turned to go back in.
Ichimaru swung his jacket over his shoulders and stepped toward her. "Don'cha like what you see?"
"Uh..." She looked at him over her shoulder and her face reddened even further. "Sorry..."
"Come on, you didn't answer my question."
But then, someone else spoke up. "Would you quit teasing her?"
Ichimaru looked passed Roka to see a male Arrancar wearing a black trench coat. His Zanpakuto was no where to be seen.
The male Arrancar looked down at Roka. "The healer shouldn't leave the safety of our headquarters without someone to protect them. If you wanted to leave, you could have just asked."
"Sorry, Severiano... you were busy training with Miss Harribel, and the air was getting so stuffy in there... I just wanted to get a breath of fresh air. And well..." She eyed Gin once again, "I think I got more than I bargained for."
Roka went back into the building, but Severiano didn't. "Put your clothes back on, Soul Reaper." He spat the last two words as though it was a severe insult. And to an Arrancar, it probably was.
Ichimaru opened his mouth to say something sarcastic but Severiano walked away from him. The former Captain smirked. That guy has a lot of spirit, I'll give him that... He put his jacket back on and began to wonder the halls of Las Noches.
Ichimaru eventually came to find Nel walking around. "Here." He reached into his pocket and handed her the blood vial.
"What is it?"
"It's the blood of Tesla's master."
"Who... is Tesla?"
"Guess you'll have to figure it out." He shrugged and began to walk away.
"Hey! That's not fair! At least give me a hint!"
"His name starts with a T and ends with an 'ela's master'."
"Tesla... Tesla... Tesla..." She pondered. "Wait a minute was he... wait nope. Lost it." She grabbed his sleeve. "Please tell me Gin!" Tears began to flood her eyes. "I'll never forgive you if you don't tell me!"
"Oh. Well in that case it's someone that you fought before."
"Someone that I fought before?" She thought for a moment. "Someone I fought before... that's still alive for Gin to get the blood from..." She snapped her fingers. "Grimmjow!"
"You fought Grimmjow?"
"No, but I was there when Ichigo fought him."
"You're hopeless."
It hasn't even been one day, yet she fights at a completely different level than what she did when we fought those Soul Reapers for Aizen. Starrk thought as he slashed at Lilynette, who was flying down at him. She Sonido'd behind him, stabbing at his shoulder. He pivoted ever-so-slightly, then swung the back of his blade at her shoulder. She managed to block the attack and jumped away from him to regain her composure.
It's a shame. If I wasn't completely incompetent, I might have noticed this and trained her. And then she might not have died in Karakura Town. He stepped toward her, slashing down at her shoulder, once again, with the back of his sword. So far, it seems that her theory is correct... if I can get this powerful, so can she.
With some difficulty, she blocked the attack and managed to push his sword away from her.
If she keeps getting stronger at this rate... she'll be a difficult opponent to beat.
She leapt into the air, soaring down toward Starrk once again. He aimed a bala at her. However, Lilynette threw her upper body backward and swung her lower body forward, kicking Starrk hard in the chest while charging up a cero. The cero hit him point blank in the forehead.
Her eyes widened, hoping that she didn't actually hurt him.
But then Starrk snapped his fingers from behind her, swinging his weapon at her half a second later.
He's still snapping... which gives me an extra moment to react to his crazy speed. Lilynette thought. That means he's still holding back. And he's still swinging his sword backward. So I'm not where I need to be yet. So... I'm going to have to get stronger! I won't stop training until I won't be able to hold Starrk back anymore!
I'll keep training her until my incompetence won't hinder her anymore.
Notes: The Knight thing in the title is because Nelliel's Zanpakuto, Gamuza, means Chamois in Spanish. Which is like... a goat or something. But it means Antelope Knight in Japanese.