Chapter 66
Tensión – The First Act
"Man, I've must've dropped at least twenty pounds since we got here. This is nuts…"
Aaron, winded beyond belief, wondered if Las Noches went on forever. Hallway after hallway. Staircase after staircase. It didn't seem to matter how far he got. He didn't end up anywhere of note.
"What's with this place?" he muttered bitterly, tired of seeing nothing but the color white. It gave him a headache. "It's just like when we were trying to reach this castle. Is it some kind of trick?"
"Shut it already, mutt. You've done nothing but whine like a little girl ever since we got here," said Hiyori, sprinting ahead of him.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," he replied with an air of sarcasm. "I just didn't sign up to run around like a headless chicken."
"…You talkin' back, mutt?"
"N-No…"
"No what?"
"No, Miss Hiyori, I'm not talking back to you."
"That's more like it. Keep moving if you value that stinkin' life of yours."
With a frail salute, Aaron questioned why she had tagged along if she planned on doing nothing more than chewing him out.
Well, at least things can't get any worse…
"AAWO-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-ON!"
The sudden wailing bounced off the walls and threatened to rupture eardrums.
"W-What the hell kind of attack is that?!" said an anguished Hiyori.
Aaron leered over his shoulder, getting the shock of his life. "…I think it's much worse than that."
Hiyori felt the same once she got a load of Nel Tu charging like a bull in a china shop.
"AAWO-OOOOO-ON!" Nel bellowed again as she cried her heart out.
"Nel? Tell me I'm just seeing things," said Aaron. He wasn't sure why, but had an abrupt and powerful urge to run for his life. Though he moved as swiftly as he could, Nel remained hot on his tail. "What are you eve doing here?! I said it'd be dangerous! Hey, why are you crying anyway? Did something happen?"
"Ya left Nel behind! Dat's not nice!"
"Oh, I…guess I did." Aaron stopped, frowning at that being the only thing wrong. "Sorry, but this isn't the best place to discuss this. Here, let me—"
He held out his hands to catch her. However, the eyes of her mask glowed ominously, and she vanished. By the time Aaron found her, she had already rammed into his chest at full speed, knocking them both over.
"Gah! M-My ribs!"
Nel giggled up a storm, though Aaron saw nothing funny about being treated like a bowling pin.
"How in the hell did you do that?" he moaned.
"It's my Extweme Acceleration!" she explained.
"R-Right, I'll…just pretend I understood that."
Hiyori laughing her ass off put another damper on Aaron's day.
"How's it feel gettin' owned by a little girl?" she asked.
Aaron sighed. "What else is new?"
"I bet. You always—wait." Hiyori placed a hand on her blade. She might have grinned, though a shrieking Aaron knew she wasn't remotely happy. "You just made a crack about me, didn't you?!"
"N-No, of course not! I would never—"
"Call me little again! I dare you! I double dare you! You think I asked to look like this?! Mad because I don't have big boobs like that Kana girl?!"
"I-I didn't say anything like that!"
Aaron screamed again. The bloodlust Hiyori radiated made him break out in goosebumps.
"Ugh! I've been in a shitty mood ever since we got here," she said with a severe frown. Aaron quietly felt her default mood counted as 'shitty.' "You just had to go ahead and bring that crummy girl along!"
"What girl? …Wait, Mitsumi? What's she got to do with this? Look, I know you two have beef, but—STOP POINTING THAT SWORD NEAR MY CROTCH!"
Hiyori, cackling like a demon, spat, "Sit still! This is only gonna hurt for a sec!"
Nel barred her path. "Stop bullyin' him! He's already weak an' helpless!"
"Thanks…?" said Aaron halfheartedly.
Though still fuming, Hiyori backed away and replied, "You got that right, kid. What are you even doing here? What happened to those other idiots you were with?"
"Bawabawa is outside. He can survive on only sand, so we's dons't have to worry 'bout him!"
"How convenient. What about your brothers?" asked Aaron.
"Dey're right behind Nel!"
Except they weren't. The space Nel happily pointed to was empty. Once she realized this, her jaw flew open.
"B-But dey were right behind Nel…" she muttered. Out of nowhere, she wept at the top of her lungs, forcing Aaron and Hiyori to brace themselves. "Dey're lost children! Somebody he-eeeeeee-elp!"
"All of us are lost!" a grimacing Aaron shouted over her. "Calm down. We'll find them."
His kind words did nothing to console her. In fact, her cries became even more shrill.
"Tell me this brat has an off switch!" Hiyori hollered. She had a pounding headache. "Does it look we have time for a detour, mutt? Let her find them her damn self."
"We're not leaving her alone," argued Aaron. "Not…that I get why she followed us in the first place."
Nel perked back up. "'Cause Aawon would die a horrible death if ya didns't have Nel to watch yer back!"
Aaron wasn't sure what to think of a child thinking him so utterly helpless.
"This just isn't my day…"
Hiyori yet again took the opportunity to laugh at his expense.
"Alright already!" he growled. "Can we just get back on track?"
Nel jumped onto his back, "Cha-aaaa-arge!"
"…Seriously?" He sighed. He guessed she already had her mind made up. Besides, there really wasn't any time to turn around. She would likely be safest with him. "Alright then, little lady. Do you know where to go?"
"Nope!"
"Of course not. Any ideas, Hiyori? Um…I mean Miss Hiyori."
The person he spoke of was uncharacteristically quiet. He and Nel surveyed her curiously as she seemed frozen on the spot.
"You…alright there? Penny for your thoughts?"
The answer Aaron received caused his eyes to widen. Blood spurted from Hiyori's back before she toppled over. The surreal sight didn't click with Aaron until she hit the floor with a sickening thud.
"D-Damn…!"
He drew his Zanpakutou and searched around.
Someone else was there, lurking in the shadows.
How did they sneak up on me?
"How sad. I didn't every try that hard to hit her. Sorry~! I guess she was as weak as she looked."
The playful voice echoed around the hallway. Aaron, try as he might, couldn't track it down.
This spiritual pressure…it sort of feels like—
"Need a little help? Here, I'll make it easy for you."
Footsteps neared Aaron. Alarmed, he faced straight ahead and spotted a figure in the distance.
"Just look at this place. What a mess. Those worthless Privaron Espada must have suffered while being slaughtered like pigs."
Luppi Antenor wore a wide grin while staring down a bewildered Aaron.
"I certainly hope so," he added in delight. "Those fossils should have been put out of their misery a long time ago."
The way Aaron glared at him put a damper on his fun.
"I'm not happy either, you know. I was hoping to run into that boy with the bow again." Luppi's chipper mood did a complete one-eighty, and for a moment, Aaron found himself scared half to death. "We have some unfinished business."
"Sasune, I take it? Sorry, he isn't here, so you'll just have to settle with me, Arrancar."
"Is that so? How dull."
Luppi raised an eyebrow when he spotted a frightened Nel poking her head out from behind Aaron.
"You brought a little kid here? What an awful parent you are." Luppi, all smiles again, unsheathed his sword. "I think you need a bit of punishment."
"Hide." Aaron informed Nel. The sharpness of his tone told her it was an order, not a request. It led her to speed away in a hurry. All the while, Aaron kept a concerned eye on Hiyori, who wasn't moving.
"You know, you look familiar." Luppi tapped his chin. "Oh, I know! That woman. You look an awful lot like her."
The casual remark caused a wave of anger to sweep across Aaron. His reddening face made Luppi laugh something fierce.
"Oh? You're here to save her? Why waste so much effort on someone like that? She didn't seem all that impressive to me."
"Stop talking."
"Still trying to act tough, I see. Why bother? She, like the rest of you imbeciles, will be dead soon."
Luppi yawned, and Aaron could feel his last vestige of sanity slipping.
"Where is she?! What did you do with Izumi?!"
"Who knows?" Luppi shrugged. "I haven't seen her since Nnoitra nearly butchered her. The fear on her face…yes, that was the only good thing about being dragged to that ridiculous display. Izumi you said? I could listen to her screams all—"
Luppi blocked an attack that would have shattered the bones of a normal man. The fury etched onto Aaron's expression was exactly what the Arrancar had been craving. After a brief standoff, the two shoved one another back.
"I'm Luppi Antenor, the Sexta Espada. I'm afraid you're about to die without ever seeing your precious sister again, Shinigami."
Aaron clicked his tongue. "…An Espada right off the bat, huh?"
"Try not to waste too much of my time. I have other pesky intruders to kill."
Luppi's energy swelling all of a sudden informed Aaron to get on guard.
"Strangle, Trepadora!"
White armor formed on Luppi's chest, and from his back came eight enormous, wriggling tentacles. It took only moments for Aaron to realize he stood face-to-face with a Resurrección.
Pretty thick spiritual pressure. …This ain't gonna be fun.
"Fighting only one person with Trepadora is rather troublesome," said Luppi with a frown. He soon set his sights back on Nel. "You see, my dear tentacles end up doing whatever they please."
A number of them lunged at horror-struck Nel, leading Aaron to dart in front of her. He cried out in pain upon being nailed in the back, the blow knocking him across the room and thrusting him into a wall.
"AAWON!" Nel hollered as he fell over.
Luppi sighed. "Broken already? Damn, I should've left the garbage to idiots like Grimmjow."
#
Konoka had only her echoing footsteps to keep her company. The hallway she traveled down was frustratingly dark. Squinting, she struggled to see ahead.
"Wish I could do that Kidou trick…"
Without it, she only had the barely visible walls to guide her along. That, and Yasutora Sado's energy. She could feel Chad somewhere up ahead, but only a little. She chose not to speculate if that meant anything ominous.
"Feels like that idiot is fighting too…"
Whoever Aaron was up against, she doubted she had time to turn back and help. He could handle himself. She knew that better than most.
"Ow…"
She shook out her aching wrist, which had been bugging her for the last ten minutes. Her energy refusing to settle down was likely the culprit. It seemed to grow more out of control the further she moved into Las Noches. Again, she opted not to think too hard. Her shaky nerves already ate at her enough.
"Now we're talking."
A grin spread across her lips once she entered a torch-lit room. Her good mood quickly faded, however. She might have finally been able to see, but it only led her to discover she had run into a dead-end. There weren't any doors or windows, not even another corridor.
"Screw this place," she grumbled. Kicking a hole into a wall, she smacked her lips murmured, "I guess Sado went down a different path. So annoying…"
She took a step forward but didn't get far. Pausing for a few moments, the chill that shot down her spine convinced her to whirl around.
"The hell…?"
A group of individuals now stood in what had seconds ago been an empty room. Their abrupt appearance creeped Konoka out enough. When she got a load of the skulls they had for heads, the color drained from her face. The man in the center stood out, and not only because his skull mask was bull-shaped. He stepped forward, leading Konoka to instinctively jump back.
"Nice costumes, freaks," she spat. "Gettin' ready for Halloween kinda early, ain't ya?"
"Curious. We came here to execute Ichigo Kurosaki. Now, we've run into another intruder. Fortune favors me this day. Mistress Arashi will reward me handsomely for disposing of you."
"And just who the hell are you supposed to be, Jack Skellington?"
"Rudbornn Chelute," the horned Arrancar replied. "I am leader of the Exequias you see before you."
"Yeah, I didn't ask for your life story. I'm lookin' for a big guy. Seen him around?"
Neither Rudborrn nor his men responded. Unnerved, Konoka took another step back.
"I'm…gonna head out then. If you do see him, tell him I'm around."
A number of Exequias surrounded her right as she would have made a break for it. The dire development aside, she laughed.
"Yeah, I figured that wouldn't work. This'll be more fun anyway."
Her Maternal Gift formed behind some blinding, green light. A single, well-placed swing was all it took for her enemies to crumple like paper around her.
"Impressive," Rudborrn remarked. More of his men rushed past him and toward Konoka. "Your power is clearly not that of a Shinigami. I would like to see more of it."
"I don't normally take requests, but I'm in a givin' mood today!"
Konoka swept her glaive across the air again. Blades of emerald energy carved through a pair of Exequias. The rest darted around them. Konoka's enemies closed in on her, though she stood her ground, twirling her Fullbring over her head. A pillar of energy spun around her, knocking the many Arrancar aside.
Rudbornn surveyed the wreckage that was his fallen men. "Yes, impressive indeed. Where exactly did you obtain those powers, human?"
Konoka, panting for air, replied, "My mother."
"I see. It would seem you are worth me taking this seriously."
Drawing his Zanpakutou, Rudbornn pointed it at Konoka. More Exequias landed at his side.
"Where the hell are they coming from?" wondered Konoka.
"The Exequias are Mistress Arashi's personal execution squad. We take care of the dirty work no one else can stomach. We are different from the Espada but just as important."
Konoka, dodging a flurry of swords, replied, "That ain't what I asked!"
The Exequias were like locust, striking hard, fast, and from every conceivable angle. Deflection their weapons with her glaive only helped Konoka so much. Stray, albeit shallow, blows landed here and there. They forced her to retreat, and she covered her escape with another giant energy blade. It reduced a number of her foes to ashes. Still, more chased after her in place of their fallen brethren.
"The Exequias are never ending because it is our job to be," said Rudbornn with pride. "The moment you entered our view, your death was assured."
"Oh, just shut up already!"
Konoka impaled an Exequias right through his heart. As he fell, another swung their blade at her throat. Though she blocked the fierce blow, it knocked her off-balance.
"Oh…shit…" she muttered as a third Arrancar soared down and was seconds away from delivering the fatal blow.
An enormous energy wave erupted through a nearby wall, obliterated the Exequias, and saved Konoka's skin. She fell on her behind from shock, laughing like an idiot.
"That…that didn't just happen…"
She got an even bigger surprise, literally, when someone made their way through the smoldering wreckage.
"Sorry I'm late, Mitsumi. This place is confusing."
"S-Sado…?"
Chad smiled and gave her a thumbs up, which led her to let out another goofy chuckle. He had to be a mirage. There wasn't a chance her luck could be so good, she thought.
The very real Chad sized up the situation in a hurry as more Exequias flooded onto the scene.
"I've already killed like a dozen," said Konoka bitterly, rising to her feet, "but they just keep on comin'. You better watch your ass, Sado."
"Looks like you'd better too, Mitsumi."
"Heh. I'll keep that in mind."
"I really am fortunate, it seems," said Rudbornn. "I get to remove two intruders instead of one. I will be made an Espada in due time."
#
Whistling a catchy tune, Sasune moved at a brisk pace. Anyone unaware of his dangerous mission would have thought he didn't have a care in the world.
"Whoa! Nice, nice! Very nice," he remarked. He gawked at his exotic surroundings. Everything being white was a bit off-putting, but he nodded his head at the opulent designs. "Man, it's like I stepped into some kind of trippy painting. These Arrancar certainly know how to live in style. Once I murder all of them, I might have to make this castle my summer home." He rubbed his hands and snickered. "All the fly ladies will be all over me once I have such a sweet crib."
"Beautiful women, you say? Can I come too?"
"Of course! Everyone is welcome at Casa de Ishida, the love capital of the…"
Sasune looked to his left. Pesche Gautiche stood there. The Quincy next checked behind him and then back at Pesche. Blinking, he worked to solve a seemingly impossible story.
"Where…in the heck did you come from?"
"My mother, of course!" Pesche responded.
After chewing on the claim for a few moments, Sasune shrugged and muttered, "Can't argue with that, I guess."
"I'm serious! I've been faithfully at your side this entire time. You were just too busy muttering to yourself to notice."
"Hey, if I wanna fantasize about half-naked women rubbing all on my junk, it's my constitutional right to do so!" Sasune noticed how idiotic that sounded and shook his head. "What are you even doing here?"
He gasped when Pesche grabbed him by the shoulders before shaking the life out of him.
"I've lost Nel, and now I can't find Dondochakka!"
"YOU DID WHAT?!"
It was Pesche's turn to get violently shook. The rage burning within Sasune came close to exploding.
"YOU LOST THAT SWEET ANGEL OF A SISTER, YOU BUG-LOOKING FREAK?!"
The Quincy went as far as to punch Pesche across the mouth. The Arrancar wept on the floor.
"It's true!" he cried. "I'll never forgive myself! Here, I'll slit my stomach as punishment!"
Sasune winced. "T-Take it easy, pal. No need to overreact."
"B-But you just—"
"I said there's no need to overreact!" Sasune paused to do some deep thinking. "I'll bet money Nel is with CT. If so, we don't have anything to worry about."
"That's wonderful! I—"
Sasune pointed a stern finger at Pesche, making the latter shriek. "If you ever let this happen again, I'm calling child protective services on your bum ass!"
"I…don't have any clue what you're talking about."
"Sure you do, um….uh…?"
An awkward silence ensued.
"I…kinda forgot your name," said Sasune meekly. Pesche's dramatic gasp made him feel even worse.
"I went through the trouble of introducing myself! The least you could do is remember who I am! Did your mother perhaps feed you paint instead of milk as a baby?"
"My mother was a saint! Take that back, you bastard!"
"I remembered your name for crying out loud!"
Pesche grew quiet in spite of his claim. Sasune, lifting an eyebrow, realized the Arrancar was full of crap.
"What's my name then?" the Quincy snarled.
"E-Eh?"
"My name. What is it?"
"Your name…it's…um…I believe there was a Q somewhere!"
"…"
Pesche snapped his fingers. "Aha! It's Uryuu! Nice try, Uryuu, but I won't slip up that easily."
"…You know what?" The corner of Sasune's mouth twitched as he smiled unnaturally. "Sure. Let's go with that."
Thrilled, Pesche replied, "Alright then, Uryuu! Let's get a move on!"
"…"
"Wait, what…is it we're doing again?"
Sasune's skull throbbed with irritation. Massaging it, he took some calming breaths.
"I have a princess to save. You can go crawl in a ditch for all I care."
"A princess, you say? Excellent! Is she hot?"
"Smoking. The cans on her are the stuff of legends."
"Now you have my attention, Uryuu! We shouldn't waste any more time!"
"…You're really gonna keep calling me that, I see."
"It's a fine name, Uryuu! You should treasure it!"
"Ugh! Shut the hell up, both of you! You're giving me a headache!"
"How did you do that, Uryuu?" said Pesche, astounded. "You sounded just like a girl! Did someone chop off your balls?"
"My balls are perfectly intact, thank you very much!" Sasuned assured him. He leered around to make sure everyone present understood. "In fact, they're the biggest around!"
"…Prove it."
"With pleasure!"
The Quincy readied to unzip his pants. A Cero whizzed toward him and stopped him in his tracks. Somehow, both he and Pesche rolled out of harm's way before they could be roasted alive.
"Disgusting!" their attacker roared. "I'm killing you for sure!"
Two women revealed themselves, moving out of the shadows of some pillars. The first, a black-haired girl with pigtails, really did look like she yearned to tear someone apart. The other, possessing short and blonde hair, seemed more apprehensive. Sasune quickly identified them as Arrancar from the mask fragments on their heads.
More importantly, he and Pesche glanced at one another and nodded in approval.
"Thank you, God," said Sasune, pointing up to the heavens.
"Aren't we in luck, Uryuu? There's a girl for each of us!" said Pesche.
"No, they're both mine. I saw them first!"
"How cruel! Are we not best friends? At least let me get a glimpse of their panties!"
"Would you freaks stop talking already?!" Loly Aivirrne bellowed. Despite her anger, she soon smirked. "I don't care which of you I kill first since you're both getting on my nerves."
"Damn, a tsundere," Sasune noted, getting another load of her pigtails. "Though they are God's greatest gift to us lowly humans, this one seems a bit rough around the edges."
As Loly fired another Cero at them, Pesche ducked and remarked, "I-I don't believe there's any dere dere in her."
"Stop it, Loly!" shouted Menoly Mallia. "This isn't a good idea! We weren't given any orders to take on the intruders!"
"Shut up!" Loly snapped. She struck Menoly across the mouth. "Like hell I'm listening to some shitty impostor! I pledged my loyalty to Lord Aizen! Everyone else can just die!"
Menoly frowned but didn't argue.
"Now, now, ladies. I like a catfight as much as anyone, but you could at least wait until we grab some popcorn," said Sasune.
"Uryuu!" Pesche shouted. The rage in his tone threw Sasune for a loop. "I think it's time we got serious! Don't forget that Nel is counting on our survival if we are to find her!"
Sasune hung his head in shame.
"Besides, everyone knows yanderes are far more appealing."
A sudden blow to the face sent Pesche flying into a pillar. He slid down it with a groan.
"S-See what I mean…? Ugh…"
Loly lowered her fist. "That felt good. Alright, four-eyes, you're next! I've been bored as of late, so try to keep me entertained."
"Given my pants just got a little tighter," Sasune said as he formed his bow, "I think you're on to something, Pesche Guatiche. Might I have the honor of your name, miss?"
"Hmph. Loly Aivirrne."
"Sasune Ishida. Charmed. I'm not normally into Hollows, but a cutie is just too tempting." He fashioned an arrow, winking. "The winner takes the loser out on a date. Of course, that means I win either way."
"Not in a million years."
Pesche, still plastered to the pillar, yelled, "You can take her, Uryuu! On the other hand, you probably shouldn't hit a girl, Uryuu! But then again, I guess she's trying to kill you, Uryuu, so beat her into the ground!"
"'Uryuu?'" said Loly, bewildered. "Didn't you say your name was Sasune?"
"Worst wingman ever," muttered Sasune. He clamped his hand over his grimacing face.
His sensed heightened when Loly went on the attack. Taking to the skies, he avoided her fist. He was glad he did so upon staring at the huge crater she left in the floor.
"You're certainly in the bad mood," he remarked. "The way you speak of this Aizen makes me think he spurred your love."
He tried pelting her with arrows, though she sprinted out of their path.
"Shut up!" she snarled. "You don't have any right to speak Lord Aizen's name!"
"Did I hit the nail right on the head?"
Loly swatted another flurry of arrows aside with her bare hands. "Quit shooting that crap at me!"
"Tough skin," the Quincy mumbled to himself. "Still, her spiritual pressure isn't like that Luppi guy's. I guess she isn't an Espada."
"Where are you looking, idiot?!"
"Oh, crap!"
Sasune turned around far too late. Underestimating Loly proved being a critical error when she drilled him into the ground using a stiff right hook. Dust scattered everywhere once he landed with an earsplitting crash. Loly, wanting to make sure he never bothered her again, held out her hand and gathered energy in the form of a Cero.
"Maybe if you were as good at fighting as running your mouth, you'd be an actual challenge!"
Right as she would have fired, Pesche came out of nowhere and wrapped his arms around her. She squirmed about, though he stuck to her like glue. Her Cero went off course, crashing into the ceiling.
"Get off, you disgusting freak!"
"That's both harsh and a little redundant. Hmm? You're rather soft, aren't you?"
"Gross! Let go already!"
The rubble spawned by her Cero fell everywhere. A huge chunk of it struck Pesche, which unwittingly freed her. Cursing, a narrow use of Sonído spared her a similar fate.
"Where'd that bug-looking bastard get off to?!"
"Loly, look out!"
Loly picked up on Menoly's warning and lifted her head. She gasped at Sasune hovering above her.
"Licht Regen…"
Her pupils shrunk as hundreds of arrows rained down. As Menoly braced herself, she watched on in horror.
"I never thought that idiot would come in handy," Sasune remarked as he touched down. He spotted Pesche writhing in the distance. "You alright there, 'bug-looking freak?'"
"I heard that, Uryuu!"
"I said what I said. You—"
Sasune screamed like a little girl when Menoly suddenly jumped into the fray aimed a kick at his head. Her would-be victim ducked, readying another arrow. She moved two steps ahead by pulling his arms down and shoving him to the ground. In the next instant, a frozen Sasune stared face-to-face with a Cero.
I'm dead…
He might have been if Menoly didn't slip and fall on her behind. Baffled, Sasune caught wind of some sort of slimy substance.
"Two-on-one isn't fair!" shouted Pesche, running toward the Quincy. "Uryuu is a weakling, after all!"
"Can't argue with that," Sasune said with a cackle, standing.
"Drop dead!" a growling Menoly cried. She fired a Cero at Pesche, but an arrow knocked the Arrancar away from certain death.
"Nice save, Uryuu!"
"I'm Sasune, you piece of—"
Sasune caught wind of Loly about to land a surprise attack. She might have been battered and bloodied, but she still moved faster than he could react.
"Die already, four-eyes! I'll—A-AAAAAAAAAAA-AH!"
Unfortunately, she mirrored Menoly when she stumbled and then slipped. Sasune again spotted a sticky liquid near her feet.
"What in the world…?"
"Do you like it, Uryuu? It's my patented Infinite Slick!" said Pesche, who glowed with pride. He spit another handful at Menoly, who landed flat on her face.
"I'm gonna kill you!" she voiced.
"…Damn, that's actually a really cool name," Sasune mumbled, biting his bottom lip. He wished he had thought of it first. "Hey, you can't just go around shooting hot loads at pretty girls! I was gonna do that!"
Pesche gasped. "You can't say that! This is a PG story, Uryuu!"
"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Loly, flanked by Menoly, regained her footing. "You two are as good as dead!"
"So you keep saying," replied Sasune, unimpressed. The sight of her unsheathing a small dagger confused him, though it absolutely horrified Menoly.
"You can't! We haven't even been given orders to fight any intruders, let alone release our Zanpakutou! We could be executed!"
"POISON…!"
"Loly, don't!"
"…ESCOLOPENDRA!"
By the time Sasune got what was happening, he was too late to stop it. All he could do was shield himself from the waves of energy coming off of Loly.
"Is that…a Resurrección?"
White armor adorned a good portion of Loly's body, and her mask had grown to cover her cheeks. Most startling of all was her arms becoming long and malleable, not too different from a centipede's body.
"What is with you Arrancar and tentacle porn?" asked Sasune. All joking aside, he wouldn't pretend Loly's release didn't unnerve him.
"You wanted to touch me, right? Here, touch as much as you'd like!"
Loly thrust one of her arms Sasune's way, prompting him to aim his bow. Shooting it down would be an easy task. Falling on his head, however, complicated matters.
"W-What the…?! Watch where you're shooting that crap, Pesche!"
Sasune sang a different tune once his quivering eyes zeroed in on the pillar Loly hit in his place. A purple, bubbling liquid ate away at it.
"Why are you being so shy all of a sudden?" questioned Loly with a sadistic smirk. "My poison will kill you instantly, so there's no need to worry."
Rattled by the development, Sasune leered back at Pesche.
"Sorry about that, Uryuu! My nose was itching, and some of my Infinite Slick came out on accident."
Sasune didn't believe that for a second.
This guy…maybe he's not as much of an idiot as I thought…
END
