Two arrancars down and eight remained. Kensei and Sui-Feng defeated their opponents, but there were still powerful opponents. Right now, Izuru and Rose were fighting against a female arrancar. She swung her sword, but Rose was able to keep all of her attacks back. Izuru appeared behind her to attack, but she dived down and was able to avoid his attack from behind.

"She's skilled." Izuru said. This female arrancar was powerful. She had brown hair that waved around She wore black leggings with a white skirt and her shirt was opened up at the bottom to show her belly with mask being on the top of her head.

"Don't let your guard down. Make sure to study your opponent and attack when you see the right opening." Rose said. "With someone at her caliber, we have to attack her precisely."

"I understand." Izuru said.

"I hope you two handsome men aren't planning on giving up on me. We're having so much fun."

"She thinks this is fun?" Izuru said.

"Exactly who are you?" Rose asked.

"Where are my manners? My name is Lamika Clifidia. I am a member of Master Sielin's fracciones. I know who you two are. You're the captain and lieutenant from Squad Three."

"So you know who we are." Izuru acknowledge.

"Mostly you." Lamika said. "I heard that you failed to stop Gin Ichimaru from leaving and you still hold that guilt with you." She was right as Izuru looked away with regret. Izuru wasn't like Shuhei. He still is haunted of the facts of what became of Gin Ichimaru when it was discovered that he was the enemy.

"Izuru, don't look away from the enemy." Rose said.

"Right. I'm sorry" Izuru said as he tried to get his head back in the fight.

'I should be concerned, but I need to focus on this fight.' Rose thought. 'I don't know what Izuru's relationship was like with Gin, but I need Izuru's help to defeat this enemy. I just hope he won't let himself get distracted.'

"If we're done talking, I like to get back to having fun with you boys." Lamika said. "That is if you have the power to stop me unlike with Gin, Izuru." She was taunting him and Izuru fell for it. He wanted to correct his mistakes and he was going to.

"I'll show you!" Izuru said as he just charged recklessly into battle.

"Izuru, don't!" Rose called out to try and stop him, but Izuru actually ignored his captain. Izuru swung his sword down, but Lamika blocked the attack.

"Is that the best you can do?" Lamika said.

"I'm only getting started." Izuru said. "Raise your head, Wabisuke!" Izuru unleashed his shikai. Lamika moved her head to avoid the end impaling it. Izuru pulled it back as it cut against the metal and Lamika felt it get heavier.

"What? I can't keep it up right. It feels heavier." Lamika said.

"That's the power of my zanpakuto, Wabisuke. Anything Wabisuke cuts will gain even more weight." Izuru said. He swung it again, but Lamika was able to block that one too. It took a good amount of muscle power and it didn't help that it got so heavy after the second block that she was forced to let it drop and crash against the ground. "You're without your weapon. Surrender the battle."

"I don't think so." Lamika said as she was powering up a Bala in her hand.

"Play, Kinshara!" Rose said and his katana changed into the whip form of his zanpakuto. He used it to grab Izuru around the waist and moved it before the Bala could hit him. Rose pulled Izuru back to his side. "Izuru, we can't afford to be reckless. Don't let her words get to you." Izuru realized that he did behave unprofessionally. He told himself not to let that happen again.

"I'm sorry." Izuru said.

"I'll let it slide if we can defeat her." Rose said.

"Let's see if you can do that after I show you what I can really do. The weight of my sword makes no difference." Lamika said. She dived down to go for her sword. She placed her hand against the blade and slid against it. "Ensnare and shock, Medusa (jellyfish)." She was surrounded in a jellylike bubble and it was beginning to throb.

"What's she doing?" Izuru said.

"Get ready. She's about to show her true power." Rose said. The bubble burst and her true power was revealed. She was wearing a dress-like structure that gave the appearance of a jellyfish with tentacles the headpiece she wore as a mask also got a few extensions that were like tentacles.

"What do you think? Do you like what you see?" Lamika said.

"Don't try to flatter us. We're suppose to enemies." Izuru said. Lamika used Sonido and appeared directly across from them.

"Even enemies can have tension. I can't even imagine what it must have been like for you when you faced Gin." Lamika said. Another shot at Izuru that he let get to. Izurur never did confront Gin personally. Lamika saw that he had his guard down and that gave her the chance to attack. One of her tentacles on her dress stretched out and pounded Izurur and it also shocked him as he felt a thousand volts of electricity course through his body.

"Izuru!" Rose said. He used Flash Step to appear behind him and caught him from falling back. "Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine." Izuru groaned as he tried to fight through the pain. 'What's wrong with me? Why can't I just get over it?' He asked himself. If he doesn't do something, his thoughts on Gin will be his down fall.

"Izuru, I want you to stand down." Rose said and Izuru was not expecting to hear that.

"But you might need my help sir." Izuru said.

"It's obvious you are too distracted to fight. I shall handle it." Rose said and he was right. Izuru could not fight properly.

"I think you should just throw in the towel." Lamika said.

"Enough of this." Rose said and started to lash around with his attacks. Lamika brought out another one of her tentacles and was able to match each of his attacks. Both of them were even.

"You are skilled. It's obvious as to why you were made a captain." Lamika said. "Let's see how you do against two." She stretched out another one of her tentacles to try and zap him.

"That won't be a problem." Rose said and formed his mask. He used the added power from it and was able to keep both of them away.

"So you can form a mask as well." Lamika said. "Too bad even that won't save you." She stretched out a third one from behind and Rose couldn't do anything about this one. Izuru had to do something. He can't hold himself back anymore. He moved in and sliced off the tentacle before it could reach Rose.

"Izuru, I told you to stand down." Rose said.

"I know, but it's a lieutenant's responsibility to aid their captain." Izuru said. "I couldn't do anything to stop Captain Ichimaru. I didn't want to believe it, but he's not alive anymore. You are my captain and it's my job to aid you. I might have failed before, but I can use that as inspiration to grow stronger and to stop this fight."

"That is what I like to hear." Rose said.

"How nice, but you still can't win." Lamika said.

"Izuru, if you are serious about this, follow my lead and strike when I give the order." Rose said.

"Roger." Izuru said.

"I will end it right now." Lamika said. She used her tentacle again to attack with lightning. Both of them moved as fast as they could. Rose launched Kinshara and had it wrap around the tentacle. He used his power to have the both of them come to the ground. "Moron. That will just allow the electricity to travel straight to you." The electricity was coming down his whip and was going to hit.

"Bakudo #62: Hyapporankan!" Rose formed the iron rod in his hand. He stabbed it into his own zanpakuto. About a hundred were formed and impaled in his weapon or her tentacle.

"What?" Lamika said. With the metal rods in her tentacle like that, the electricity was being conducted and she couldn't use it.

"Now!" Rose said. That was the signal for Izuru to attack. He appeared behind Lamika and position his sword to her waist.

"You were right, Lamika. I couldn't do anything to stop Captain Ichimaru, but I will make up for that by slaying those who are like you." Izuru said. He pulled the blade back and it cut her right in half. Her body dropped down and defeated she was.

"Nicely done." Rose said as he discarded his mask.

"Thank you, captain." Izuru said. No matter how much the past still shocks Izuru, he will continue to fight.

…

Hueco Mundo

While all these battles were going on, Ichigo and his friends were fighting an infestation of hollows in Las Noches. There were many and they just kept coming.

"How many of these things are there?" Grimmjow said as he tossed one into another.

"We don't have time. We've got to get back to the World of the Living." Ichigo said. Another hollow was about to attack, but a yellow blast saved him.

"You're right." Ichigo looked up and was faced with Tier Harribel.

"Who are you?" Ichigo said since he never met her before.

"Tier Harribel. I'm going to get you back to Karakura Town."

To Be Continued…