"So…are you next then?" The demons cool voice called out.

"Who…the hell are you?" Renji asked.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, where are my manners. Allow me to introduce myself. Greetings, my name is General Konchuu, I am honored to meet you… Lieutenant Abarai." Renji narrowed his eyes.

"How do you know my name?" Renji demanded.

"I made it a point to learn the names of all the captains and lieutenants."

What...?

The demon smiled as he reached a hand into his pocket.

"Now let's see what else I have on you," The demon said as he pulled a strange deck of cards out of his pocket. Renji placed a hand on the hilt of his Zanpakuto.

What the hell's he up to?

"Ah, here it is." The demon smirked as he pulled one card out of the deck. He smiled as he read it aloud.

"Renji Abarai, orphaned at death, raised in the 78th district of the Rukongai, joined the soul reaper academy at a young age, graduated with…less than average marks…"

Renji's eye twitched.

"…Briefly served with squad eleven of the thirteen court guard squads, transferred to squad six, became a lieutenant under Captain Kuchiki." Konchuu lowered his card.

"I assume that my information was correct, right?" Renji glared at the demon.

"How the hell do you know all that?"

"I have my ways. I never go into battle without gaining proper knowledge about my enemy first." He raised his card again.

"It seem that you are quite useless at kido, yet your sword skills are superb…" Konchuu raised his eyebrows.

"And you have achieved Bankai! That's very impressive."

"Are you gonna drone on about my life or are you gonna fight!?" Renji demanded. Konchuu sighed.

"It appears that you are also quite impatient," The demon said. He glanced at Renji , who had drawn his Zanpakuto and taken up a fighting stance.

"…and quite stupid as well if you're planning on fighting me from that distance." A vein throbbed in Renji's head.

"Shut up and stop analyzing me! I'll fight you however the hell I want!" Konchuu cocked his head.

"But you have seen that I fight using a long range weapon, while you have only a sword. That puts you at a considerable disadvantage." Renji's eye was starting to twitch again.

"Perhaps if you released you're Zanpakuto you might fare better against me from that distance but you have yet to do so, so while do seem to have a good defensive stance you are still in no position to…" Three more veins had joined the first one as Renji was seriously trying to not go Bankai immediately and crush the demon with all he had. Instead, he chose to flash step toward the demon. He appeared three feet in front of the Konchuu.

"Anything wrong with the distance between us now?" Renji smirked. He thrust his Zanpakuto forward. The demon, still in mid lecture, was caught by surprise. The blade pierced his head. Renji smirked again.

"Got anything smart to say now?" Renji asked. His eyes suddenly widened.

"The hell!?" The demon had disappeared.

"It…just…faded away." Renji heard a cold chuckling behind him.

"Now, now. It's not very nice to interrupt someone when he's talking." Renji spun around. There stood the demon general, completely unharmed.

"How did you…?"

"Don't you know anything about demons, lieutenant?" The demon asked. Renji answered by swinging his sword at the demon. There was a whistling sound as the blade passed through the demon. Again, the demon faded away.

"I'll take that as a no…" This time Konchuu's voice seemed to come from everywhere. Renji got into a defensive stance.

Damn it! Where is he?

"It's amazing, the kind of power the mind has," Konchuu's voice echoed, "and how easily it can be…influenced…" Renji finally got it.

A nentou! So that's how he's doing this! There just damn illusions!

"Oh, We finally get it do we?" The demon chuckled. Renji growled.

"Why don't you stop hiding like a wus and come out and fight!" Konchuu chuckled again.

"Very well then," Something flashed out of the corner of Renji's eye. He spun around. The dart-like weapon was flying towards him. Renji just barely managed to bring up his sword to deflect it. The Demon general stepped out of the shadows.

"Fast reflexes," he said. He whipped the weapon back to him, "But I'm afraid you'll have to be faster than that if you want to survive." The demon swung his arm. The dart whipped back towards Renji. Renji jumped out of the way. Konchuu flicked the cord attached to the dart. The weapon whipped around at Renji again. Renji tried to evade but he weapon still managed to graze him.

"Not good enough!" Konchuu shouted and whipped the weapon around again. Renji brought up his Zanpakuto to deflect it, but the force of the blow sent him crashing into the wall. There was a small explosion as smoke flowed out of the hole Renji had created.

"HA HAHAHA HAHA! Do see now, Renji Abarai?" The demon gloated, "You're all muscle and no brain. You have no chance of even cutting a great general like …"

"Roar…" Konchuu stopped his rant.

"Hmmm?"

"ZABIMARU!" The snake like weapon shot out of the smoke where Renji had landed. Konchuu didn't have time to react. The blade segment slid through the demon general's side.

"AHG!" Zabimaru suddenly retracted back into the smoke. The demon clutched his side. He hissed angrily.

"Heh, what was that again? About me not being able to cut you?" Renji smirked as he stepped out of the smoke.

The demon general hissed again.

"Eaahhhh, Soul Reaper scum," he spat. Renji smirked again.

"What's with the change in attitude? You don't seem as confident as before," Konchuu narrowed his eyes.

"Damn you to hell!" He yelled as he swung his weapon at Renji. Renji flash stepped away, easily avoiding the dart that flew at him. He reappeared again behind Konchuu.

"Heyaaa!" Zabimaru extended again. It flew at the Demon. The demon turned around, surprised. The blade caught his left shoulder. The demon cried out in pain as the pikes on the weapon dragged through his shoulder as Renji retracted the weapon. The demon fell to his knees. Standing before the general, Renji raised Zabimaru over his head.

"Time to finish you," Renji said, determined. Then the demon did something Renji did not expect. It started laughing.

"Heh Heh heh, it seems I have underestimated you, Lieutenant Abarai." The demon chuckled.

"It appears that now…" The demon looked up at Renji. There was a terrifying look in his eye. "I cannot hold back anymore…" Suddenly the demon seemed to explode. Caught off-guard, Renji was thrown back.

"Ahg...What the hell?" Renji muttered as he stood back up. There was smoke everywhere. Renji could no longer see the demon.

I've got a bad feeling about this…

The smoke started to clear. Renji could just barely make out a silhouette of a figure in the smoke.

The demon…?

Renji's eyes widened as the last of the smoke cleared away. Konchuu the demon general stood there. And his form had changed. He no longer wore a long blue robe but was now bare-chested and wearing the pants of a kimono. His tail had become thicker and longer. There was a long spike sticking out of the end. His claws had grown a few inches and his horns now curved outwards. A black tatoo that resembled a spider covered most of his torso.

The demon opened his eyes and smirked at Renji.

"Naiteki Daraku…" [Inner corruption]

"What's the matter, Lieutenant Abarai, you don't look as confident as before," Renji narrowed his eyes.

Aw shit…