Toshiro narrowed his eyes at their new opponent. "You're a Titan?"
Hyperion nodded. "Yes. I am the right hand to Lord Kronos. And you Soul Reapers are quickly becoming thorns in his side. Therefore, I shall destroy you."
Rangiku held her zanpakuto at the ready as she stood next to her captain. From the intensity of this guy's spiritual pressure, they would likely need to work together to beat him. She looked straight at where his eyes should've been. All she could see was an unnerving darkness that sent a chill down her spine.
"Captain," she said to Toshiro, who looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "This man doesn't look like the type who goes down easy."
"I can see that, Matsumoto," Toshiro said calmly. "We'd best finish this fast, before he has a chance to call for any reinforcements."
Hyperion seemed perk up a little at Toshiro's last sentence. "Did I hear you say 'reinforcements'?" He shook his head, as though he were disappointed. "You misunderstand, boy. I am the reinforcements." He suddenly vanished from their view.
"What the hell?" Toshiro said in surprise. He and his lieutenant both felt a presence behind them and turned just in time to dodge an enormous stream of fire raging towards them. They leaped into the air and gained friction thirty feet above the ground. Hyperion was down below, looking up at them.
"Did you underestimate me?" he asked them. "How foolhardy." He was then suddenly standing in front of them, his fiery blade held at the ready. "You should never underestimate the power of a Titan, you mortal filth."
Toshiro was amazed at this Titan's speed. He didn't even see so much as a flicker of motion. The Titan of Light was most likely very true to his name. This could get dicey.
"Do you have a plan, Captain?" Rangiku asked. Just standing there watching their enemy making her become impatient.
"For now," Toshiro said as he took a stance. "Just try not to get killed." With that he Flash Stepped over to the Titan, swinging his zanpakuto to cut his enemy's throat.
The Titan of Light blocked the blow with his shield and swung his own weapon at the young captain, who Flash Stepped away. Just then, Rangiku appeared at Hyperion's exposed back. She swung her blade, shouting, "Growl, Haineko!" Her weapon became a storm of ash that surrounded the Titan. She then swung her arm out, as if there was still a blade on her weapon's hilt. A large gash suddenly appeared in Hyperion's armor, but he made no sound. He swung his sword at Rangiku, who leaped away, the ash cloud of her shikai retaking its original blade form.
Hyperion raised an eyebrow at this. "You wield an intriguing weapon."
Rangiku gave a surprised look to the Titan. "Was that a compliment? I don't get many of those from guys who're trying to kill me unless there just trying to mess with me."
"I make it a point never to lie," Hyperion said stoically. "When it comes to rare and fine weaponry, I am always eager to learn. Tell me, what is your weapon called?"
"They're called zanpakuto," the lieutenant answered as her captain reappeared next to her, his zanpakuto at the ready. "We Soul Reapers use them to exorcise Hollows and perform konso on the lost spirits of the dead."
"I see," the Titan said with a nod. "Interesting. Your zanpakuto might actually make for nice additions to my collection."
"Collection?" Toshiro asked curiously. Hyperion spread out both of his arms and began chanting in Greek.
"Emfanízontai," he exclaimed loudly. "Ta déka chiliádes lepídes tou katadíki̱!" Suddenly, thousands upon thousands of weapons of all shapes and sizes appeared, making the eyes of both Soul Reapers widen in shock. "This is my collection. An arsenal of ten thousand weapons gathered over the course of five millennia. Once Olympus falls, I will find where you Soul Reapers originate from and add all the zanpakuto there to my collection. But first…" He let go of his flaming sword and his shield, letting them hang in the air as he took hold of a large halberd. "I will end both your lives."
He was suddenly in front of them, his halberd ready to cleave them both in half. They quickly leaped away, with Toshiro grunting in frustration. One man capable of wielding a flaming sword was bad enough. But one man capable of wielding over ten thousand different types of weapons was only going to make things even more complicated.
"Damn you!" the young captain shouted. He held out his zanpakuto. "Reign over the frosted heavens, Hyorinmaru!" His sword glowed an icy blue light as a chain with a moon-shaped sickle on the end extended from his sword's pommel. He swung his blade at his enemy, summoning an ice dragon to attack the Titan of Light… who vanished into thin air before the attack could land.
"Fool," Toshiro heard Hyperion's voice say as he was struck in the back. He plummeted like a rock to the earth, causing an explosion of dirt and debris to shoot into the air. "You can never hope to overcome that which moves at the speed of light."
When she ensured that her captain was alright, albeit rather beaten-up, Rangiku glared at the Titan and asked, "What do you mean 'speed of light'?"
"It is exactly as I said. As the Titan of Light, I am able to move faster than any other being in the universe. It is why Lord Kronos made me his right hand. My power is second only to his."
"As powerful as you are," Toshiro said as he stood up again, panting. "You're only the second strongest of all the Titans?"
Hyperion looked down at the young Soul Reaper. "You foolish child. You have yet to see the full extent of my power. And neither of you will live long enough to see it." He then appeared in front of Rangiku. "However, if you surrender and pledge eternal loyalty to Lord Kronos, I will let you live. What say you?"
Rangiku's answer was to slash at him with her zanpakuto, but the Titan vanished again and reappeared mere feet beyond her range. His speed was utterly disorienting. The Titan just stood there, glaring at her.
"So that is your answer, is it?" he asked. Her answer to that was to glare back at him. "I see. Then it appears that I must kill you and take your swords as my prize." He tossed aside his halberd and picked up a nearby battle axe. The Titan then appeared in front of her and swung his axe at her. But he stopped and turned when he heard one word.
"Bankai!"
There was a sudden chill in the air, which almost made Hyperion shiver. Rangiku Flash Stepped away from the Titan and back on the ground next to her captain.
"Daiguren Hyorinmaru!" Toshiro announced the name of his bankai and flew up into the air, ready to once again face the Titan of Light.
"Bankai?" Hyperion asked. He was growing more and more fascinated with these "zanpakuto."
"A bankai is essentially a Soul Reaper's trump card," Toshiro explained. "By the way, I believe that I may have figured out how you light-speed travel works."
"Oh? Then do share your theory so that I may prove you wrong."
The young Soul Reaper's eyes narrowed at the Titan. "You don't actually move your body in light-speed, do you?" Hyperion perked up at that. Toshiro's theory might be right after all. "I've noticed that you never actually attack while in light-speed. That confused me for a while, but I soon came to a conclusion. You don't run toward your opponent. Like you said, you're the Titan of Light. But your body can't actually survive travelling at speeds that great, can it?" Hyperion growled at the young genius. "So you instead convert your body into particles of light, move toward your opponent at invisible speeds, and then reintegrate your body into its physical form in a different pose, creating the illusion of running at light-speed. Am I wrong?"
Hyperion glared at the boy, and then hung his head. "You are correct, boy. I must give you some credit. You are far more intelligent than I thought by looking at you." He tossed away his battle axe and took a pair of dual swords from behind him. "And I sense that your power has increased dramatically as well. Perhaps this battle might be able to offer me some entertainment after all."
Rangiku watched from below as Toshiro stared down with Hyperion. She knew that if she interfered, her captain would likely freeze her to death by accident. At this point, she could only watch as the battle continued.
-o-
Translation for the curious:
Emfanízontai, ta déka chiliádes lepídes tou katadíki̱: Greek for "Appear, the ten thousand blades of damnation"