Shiba Kaien raced across the rooftops of Karakura, silently cursing Ichimaru Gin. Of course the bastard would be right about this, not just one but two Arrancar had suddenly appeared in the human city. If they were Aizen's special favorites, the ones Gin had called Espada, Kaien knew he would need Ichigo to have any hope of handling them.
He could sense the substitute shinigami still near his school, but even Ichigo should be able to feel the evil presence of the Arrancar, and Kaien knew, as soon as he did, Ichigo would be racing to join the fight.
As he reached a public park, Kaien watched humans crumple to the ground and felt an unknown power dragging their souls from their bodies, stealing their lives to feed some monstrous Arrancar. Kaien drew his zanpakuto and doubled his speed.
He passed two of Ichigo's friends and shouted at them to stay back. This was no fight they had any hope of helping in. One pseudo Arrancar had killed nine members of his division and would have killed Miyako with them. These were two fully formed Arrancar. He needed more captain-class shinigami, not a couple of fragile humans who'd learned a few tricks.
He broke the cover of the trees as a giant Arrancar complained about the flavor of the souls he had devoured.
"If you do not care for the flavor of human souls maybe a lieutenant of the Gotei is more to your liking," Kaien answered as he began to spin Nejibana. "Surge, Water and Heaven."
The zanpakuto glowed golden as it grew into a spinning trident, a wave of rushing water flowing from both ends. He caught the transformed zanpakuto in both hands and raised it in challenge toward the two Arrancar.
The giant Arrancar had been the one to devour the human souls but the other Kaien recognized from Nanao and Rangiku's description, black hair, a single horn, and green, sad eyes in an empty face, Ulquiorra. According to Gin, he was an Espada and Aizen's favorite errand runner, more controlled than the others, intelligent and deadly. He might seem small and insignificant beside the other, but he was likely the more dangerous.
"Can I eat this one while we wait for the one we're checking on?" Yammy asked, watching Kaien approach.
Ulquiorra looked Kaien over with his strange, empty gaze. "He is Shiba Kaien, the lieutenant of Division Thirteen. Be careful not to underestimate him."
"But I can eat him?" Yammy repeated.
"Yes."
Kaien leapt forward and brought Nejibana down, slashing across Yammy's unprotected chest and knocking him back with a flood of water.
Yammy roared. "That hurt!"
But Kaien was horrified to see the zanpakuto had barely cut into the Arrancar's flesh. "Hado 33: Sokatsui!" he shouted, sending a kido blast straight at Yammy's chest, hoping kido might have more of an effect on the Arrancar.
Again the giant roared, but again the damage seemed only superficial.
Kaien used shunpo to avoid Yammy as he charged forward, and reappeared behind the Arrancar, attacking him once again with Nejibana. Again the strike seemed to do little damage, but the water threw him forward, tossing him into a tree trunk that snapped easily at the impact. The crash of the falling tree was drowned out by Yammy's roar of rage, as he turned to face Kaien once more.
"Damned shinigami! Think you can make a fool of me!" With a roar, Yammy sent a cero straight at Kaien.
Ichigo appeared suddenly, a step ahead of Kaien, with Zangetsu drawn. The blade easily shielded him and Kaien both from the cero, and Ichigo glanced back at Kaien. "Kaien-san, are you alright?"
"So far," Kaien answered. "But I'm pretty sure these are the Espada Ichimaru warned us about. If you think you can handle the big one, I'll take the other--Ulquiorra, isn't it?" he added, turning to the smaller Arrancar."
Ulquiorra stared back at him emotionlessly. "Ichimaru has warned you about us? Did he not tell you to run? No lieutenant could match the strength of an Espada."
"We'll see about that," Kaien answered.
Yammy looked from Ichigo to Ulquiorra. "Is this the one? It's human."
Ulquiorra was stopped from answering by an enormous wave of water rushing out from Nejibana. He dodged by stepping back, and Kaien was there to meet him, swinging his zanpakuto directly into Ulquiorra's path.
The Arrancar dodged smoothly and continued to stare at Kaien with that same only vaguely curious gaze. "Why do you risk your life, shinigami? Why are you willing to die to protect humans? What value could they have for you?"
Kaien followed after him, attacking over and over, but Ulquiorra simply dodged. His speed was equal to any captain, and Kaien was quickly realizing that he could not possibly match the Arrancar, not with the limiter keeping him at a fifth of his strength.
"To protect humanity from monsters like you is the greatest calling of any shinigami," Kaien answered, refusing to show any fear.
Ichigo's cry of "Getsuga Tensho!" Was the only warning before the black half-moon sliced between the two, sending both Kaien and Ulquiorra jumping back out of the way.
Kaien looked back to see Yammy screaming in rage as blood gushed from his missing arm and just beyond him Ichigo was stumbling backwards, fighting to pull what looked like a hollow's mask from his face.
He raced back, just in time to block the blow the furious Arrancar directed at Ichigo. Even through the rushing waves that flowed out like a shield the monster's fist slammed into Kaien with the force of a truck.
He staggered back but managed to stay on his feet, standing guard over Ichigo as the boy continued to fight with his mask.
Yammy raised his fist again, but Ulquiorra set a hand on his shoulder. "Time to go," he said with complete calm, and with the same calm he opened a garganta behind him and pulled Yammy through.
Kaien drew a deep breath as the garganta closed. That had been far too close.
"Why did they leave?" Ichigo asked from the ground behind him.
"I don't know," Kaien answered, but he was worried. The Espada had wanted a look at Ichigo, and they'd left as soon as they'd gotten it. Gin was right about Aizen's obsession with Ichigo, and that worried him, as did the hollow mask and the black Getsuga. What was this supposed cousin of his really?