Disclaimer: The ideas and concepts used in BLEACH belong to Tite Kubo, as well as any regular characters. Most of the characters in this story belong to me. Thank you.


Hoji's nefarious smile sent shivers down Shigu's spine. The constant threat of his serious demeanor towards castration made t hard for Shigu to think straight. Every other thought in his head dealt with his natural attachment to his balls and the rampant fear of losing them to such a violent man. Without the mercy of a regular warrior or the tact of a normal soldier, Hoji continued to push ahead with his opponent barely ready for the wild swings that used the inertia of his entire body. The slices over powered Shigu's grip, forcing his sword to waver after each blow.

This ain't right Shigu thought to himself as he retreated from the crazy-eyed Hoji. This guy's using too much force! His attacks shouldn't even be half the speed they are! Hoji took a step in and spun around, bringing the full crashing force to send Shigu's sword into the ground. With much horror, Shigu was forced to watch in stunned amazement as Hoji continued his onslaught regardless of normal physics. Gathering unknown kinetic energy, Hoji was able to propel himself forward, foot first, right into Shigu's chest. Shigu was sent tumbling backwards with his sword still in his vice grip.

"Dun dun DUUUN!" Hoji menacingly sang as he marched forward, swinging his sword by the pommel string like a nightmarish testicle guillotine. Shigu inched his way backward in a panic, but his back hit a wall. Now between a rock and a hard place, Shigu opted to try his desperation move.

"You know what they say" he started arrogantly "about a rat in a corner, right?" Hoji step didn't slow but he did look curious. Shigu raised up his sword, pointing it straight at Hoji like a fine arrow. The tip of his sword was covered by the hilt itself in Shigu's eyes, but Hoji continued forward. "PIKKEN!" Shigu's spell was incanted, which stopped Hoji short of his reach, but it did nothing. This left Shigu was a cocky smile plastered on his face and Hoji staring down at him oddly.

"...um" Hoji attempted.

"Pik-KEN!" Shigu reiterated, thrusting his sword forward again. It didn't work twice now. Shigu started shaking his sword up and down when he found the problem. Upon bringing his sword back in for closer inspection, the blade was shattered near the handle and missing. His eyes went white from shock and bulged slightly out of his head. Then, Hoji raised his sword up, casting a bright-white glare across Shigu's face.

"Aaaand..." Hoji started, preparing his sword to effectively end his enemy's manhood. Shigu started to scream weakly, then loudly and with great terror as Hoji's sword vertically descended right over his crotch. "CHOP!" The sword met solid ground, just barely missing Shigu's balls. Hoji had planted the sword firmly into the ground, leaving his opponent so bewildered and dreadful that he simply fainted.

"Tch" Hoji grunted, disappointed. He drew his sword back out and sheathed it. "That was a waste of good effort." With his enemy white-eyed, he started panting and bent down low at the knees, resting his elbows on his legs. "I wonder how Shin's dong..." Hoji's panting was unsettled by the sudden darkness of his robe being dropped on his head from above.

"He could be better" Suichi stated from above. Hoji removed his robe and looked up at the assassin's stone-cold serious face. With desperation, he jumped up to the roof and watched the battle from afar.


Ryoko found herself in a dire situation. He spirit pressure field was having no effect on the rampage of Shin, who used the energy to his advantage and empowered his swings whenever possible. Her arms were getting tired from the excessive use of her sword, her glasses were broken and she had trouble seeing far away without them, she was screwed overall against Shin. Regardless, she was still fighting with every ounce of her strength and knowledge.

"Binshoraiko!" She incanted, firing the explosive bolt of blue lightning that curved to try and hit Shin. He dodged, using his area to his advantage, and jumped from the piles of rubble on one side of the street over to the house across from it. He jumped upon the window ledges and the steppes of the roof until he was close enough that the pressure dragged him back down. Then he took his sword in both hands, pointed it down, and stabbed into the ground to create a shield of dust. Ryoko swiped it away without trouble, but Shin was gone from it.

A loud grunt informed her that Shin was behind and ready to swing. She turned on her heel just in time to barely block an iron-cutting down stroke that Shin delivered with only his right arm. The force was still great enough that it forced her feet through some of the tougher debris she was standing one. Shin detected her weakness and made his move. Still hanging in mid-air, he let himself push in forward onto the blade and flipped off of it. Ryoko lost her balance and spun around while Shin stomped towards her. When he got close enough, he started stabbing with mechanical accuracy and speed. Ryoko used her sword like a shield to block, but the force was starting to get to her.

This isn't working! Ryoko reminded herself. She took her other hand and placed it on one of the runes. She waited for the next big impact from Shin to hit, then she summoned up all her might and pushed him away. IT only sent him so far until he came right back with slice after cut. Upon connecting with her sword, Ryoko took her hand and her foot to push him, sending him outside her spiritual radius. With her energy spent, she fell to her knees and began to pant, leaning on her sword like a wall. It's no use, he never gives up. He never stops attacking. He never gets tired! He really is a monster!

"Hey!" Shin shouted. Ryoko looked up through her transparent sword and saw him standing with his sword sheathed, resting his hand on it. "Your field went down. Is that normal?" Ryoko was shocked. The fact that he was able to notice that she had let up her energy even the slightest bit of change in her field was frightening to her. All of her spiritual research over the years of fighting and she had no explanation for this man.

"Why are you doing this?" Ryoko demanded. Shin tilted his head slightly and shifted his feet.

"Doing what?" Shin asked.

"The Kyuuhiouto," Ryoko said between heavy breaths, "why are you out to destroy them?"

"Oh, that." Shin confirmed. He paused to think about his answer for a moment and came back to her with a very half-assed response. "Cause I'm bored?"

"What the Hell then!?" Ryoko shouted angrily. All of her remaining strength was being quickly consumed by her anger, and she staggered down further. She breathed deeply a few more times and tried to stand back up. "You" she growled at Shin, "are the worst kind of fighter!" Shin furrowed his brows curiously at her implication, then he watched her take her hand and tensely grip the right side of her face. Her angry eyes grew wide and went white, as did her surroundings. With a shrill, shaking scream, Ryoko let out a huge wave of spiritual energy that ruptured the ground and crushed everything. When the devastation blasted past Shin, he was unaffected. To him, it was just a wind.

This doesn't look good Shin thought. When the air was clear again of energy, Ryoko stood in a crater that was bordered with debris on all sides. Her hair was undone and floating up like fire. Her sword's runes were moving like gears and the blade's form became translucent. It was like a square, broadsword that was growing as the runes slowly crept apart.


"Shirushienko: Kokugen Sazanami" Her demeanor had changed dramatically. The blade continued to inch outward as the runes spun slowly and new ones started growing between them. Shin watched and grew slightly impatient.

"Let me guess" Shin shouted above the roaring energies. "Bankai?" Ryoko just smiled.

"Who knows?" she sadistically replied. "You can find out if you defeat me." With a burst of powerful speed she shot down the street with her sword ready to swing. He spirit field was gone, most likely relocated to her sword, but she was changed for the worst. The outwardly stoic strategist had become, ironically, like a monster with hideous, snarling teeth and wild eyes. She swung and Shin blocked. He went through two houses before stopping inside of a third. He stayed reclined into the wall, his arms and legs rested up in the indentation with a frightened family looking at him. From a far distance, he could see Ryoko, standing out in the street creating a whirlwind around herself of sheer power.

"Well, damn" Shin said, pushing himself out of the hole and onto the floor. Once he was out, he rested his sword on his shoulder and started walking forward. "This is tricky. Shikai I can definitely handle, but not Bankai..." Shin out his free hand to his chin and thought. "Then again, it doesn't feel or look like she used any specific process other than Shikai to make that sword...it could be-" Ryoko interrupted Shin's subtle thought process by appearing out of nowhere with a high-velocity foot to the face. Shin was thrown down the street he had stepped into.

"An eye for an eye" Ryoko lowed, "Mr. Monster." Ryoko's sadistic personality came as a shock for the onlookers who had known her to be very quite but quick to anger by her underling. The citizens that watched were hoping, some praying, that the mystery swordsman would end up winning this fight. Hoji and Suichi kept pace of the fight on the rooftops, knowing that somehow, Shin would pull through and win. Shin was hoping himself that he would pull through in the end.


Pikken: Dutch for 'Sting'.

Kokugen Sazanami: Time Ripple