A/N: Sorry for the lack of updates. Besides all the craziness going on in the world at the moment, I've been busy writing other things. If curious, you can check out my personal author website at aaronmaysauthor dot wordpress dot com. (This site hates proper links for some reason.)

Chapter 70

Turning Tides

Like poetry, Kana thought. The back of her blade knocked Suzuka Asakura flat on his behind yet again. He groaned while lying at her feet, and she let out a lengthy sigh as she pointed her sword at his throat.

"Don't get up. You're wasting my time."

Suzuka grimaced at her merciless expression. "S-Scary…" he muttered, shaking like a leaf.

"Trust me, kid. I'm a lot scarier when I miss out on a shoe sale at the mall." Kana sheathed her Zanpakutou and turned her anger on Kagami Meigi, who watched the proceedings with a grin. "Are we done now? I think I've beaten him enough times for you to consider my request."

"Can't…argue with that," said Suzuka with some frail laughs. Frowning, Kana would have preferred hearing that from Kagami. "Yeah, I figured I couldn't win against a Third Seat, but you have some crazy power! You didn't even need to release your Zanpakutou."

"…You'd be barbecue if I did, kid."

"Ah, I so wanna see it now! How'd you get so good anyway? I've never seen sword skills like yours! You could probably take on Captain Hitsugaya without breaking a sweat!"

"R-Really?"

"Yeah! I mean, I could beat all my instructors at the academy before I graduated, but you're something else!"

"Is that…so?"

A goofy grin spread across Kana's lips at all the praise. "You're…not too bad yourself. Weird though. Your movements aren't an amateur's. Did you get training somewhere else, or—wait a minute! Why am I talking to you? Get over, old man!"

Kagami wasn't listening, lost in thought.

"Ugh! What's the hold up?!" Kana flailed her arms in the midst of a tantrum. "I did what you asked! Train me already!"

One of Kagami's eyes opened as he murmured, "Yes, you've been a good girl, haven't you?"

He went back to mulling something over, not even bothering to glance at her. Tired of being ignored, she marched up to him, grabbed him by the collar, and started shaking the life out of him.

"H-Hey! Maybe you shouldn't—"

"Quiet, Asakura!" Kana, frustrated beyond belief, wasn't sure whether scream or cry. "Dammit! Why is this guy and Kisuke Urahara so damn infuriating?!"

Kagami frowned. "Hey, hey. I'd prefer if you didn't compare me to that man. Relax already, Princess. You'll pop a blood vessel."

"I'll pop you! W-Why are you being so stubborn about this?!"

"…"

"Hello?! I'm talking to you! CT and the others have to be halfway through Hueco Mundo at this point! The longer you waste my time, the more—"

Kagami pulled Kana's arms down forcefully, his expression full of the same seriousness all of a sudden.

"Tell me, Princess, did you learn anything just now from fighting this boy?"

Kana leered back at the panting Suzuka. His cuts and scrapes aside, he looked jubilant.

"I-I can go another round, ma'am!" he exclaimed. "Come on!"

"You don't know when to quit…" uttered Kana, far less enthusiastic. "Look, forget him. I'm the one who needs training!"

With a sigh, Kagami turned his back on her and stepped away. She debated on cutting him down, instead settling on throwing her hands into the air in exasperation.

"What is it?! What is he trying to tell me?!" she snarled. "Would it kill him to just say it?!"

"Uh…question." Suzuka raised his hand. "Can you show me that last move, Mitarashi? You know, the one where you twirled like a top and nearly cut my head off? I could see that one being useful!"

"Huh? You can't be serious." Kana could sense the last of her patience ebbing away. "You want to fight again? You do realize I'm stronger than you, right? There's no point!"

"'No…point?' No, you're wrong," Suzuka informed her. "A loss or two doesn't bother me. There's obviously going to be a few bumps in the road of becoming a Royal Guard, but it's nothing I can't handle, not if it means being strong enough to protect the Soul King and everyone in Soul Society!"

Kana said nothing. Something about his sugary-sweet words made a bitter frown spread across her lips. She felt it almost foolish to have such optimism, although his claim of 'protecting everyone in Soul Society' bothered her a lot more.

"You say that," she mumbled, "but you'll only end up helping the rich folks in the Seireitei, or the fortunate people in the decent districts of Rukongai. Everyone always—"

"No, I'llhelp them all." Suzuka's passionate claim put a dent in her theory. Now, he had her attention. "Look, I might be a fresh face around here, but I…erm…know how dismal things are in certain parts in Rukongai. I grew up in once of those 'decent' districts as you said, but the rumors were everywhere about how bad things were everywhere else. Bandits. Famine. Random Hollow attacks. Children dying on the streets."

"You…you don't have to tell me. …I was one of those pathetic kids. Me and my family."

Shock painted Suzuka's face. Nonetheless, he steeled himself and nodded. "A-Anyway, I became a Shinigami because I wanted to help those folks, not just the ones who can afford it."

"…Because that's what being a Shinigami is all about."

Kana squeaked out a laugh. She thought it eerie how much Suzuka Asakura sounded like her old self. Nowadays, she tried not thinking back to her time in Rukongai, where she was nothing more than a helpless, little girl until Heishiro came into the picture. His face, as well as Akira's and Arashi's, came to her next. Within moments, she found herself tearing up. Forgetting the memories she shared with them, even if some of them brought her immense pain, wasn't right. She had to hold onto them dearly.

"M-Mitarashi?" Noticing her crying, Suzuka looked on in confusion. "I-I'm…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

Sniffling, Kana shook her head. No matter how corny the boy before her came off, she now understood he spoke from the heart.

She had honestly forgotten how to do so herself.

A Royal Guard, huh?

"Do you understand now, Princess?"

Both Kana and Suzuka faced Kagami, who nodded.

"Why is it you want power? You came here wanting to learn Bankai as if the world would crumble if you didn't. Why is that?"

Kana felt that a silly thing to ask. Hadn't she made that abundantly clear? She opened her mouth to chew Kagami's head off, only for her eyes to at last flood with realization.

"W-Wait, you…wouldn't teach me Bankai because…I wanted to learn it for a selfish reason?"

"Very good. Revenge is the very last reason a Shinigami should draw their Zanpakutou. We're a race with a very important job that comes with a lot of responsibility. We protect the weak and innocent and guide lost souls to the afterlife, not exploit our power for personal gain."

"That's…one of the first things they teach you at the academy."

"Princess, I won't pretend I understand how you feel about Orihime Inoue's death, nor am I going to tell you to brush aside your emotions and continue on like it didn't happen. I do, however, want you to picture your friend and if she would be okay with what you plan to do."

That was easy, so much so that Kana's eyes became misty once more.

"Orihime…wouldn't want me to turn into some sort of monster for her sake, the same as those Arrancar. She would want me to do something good."

"Then, it sounds to me like any Bankai you learn should be used to protect, not maim."

Kana thought so too. She scrutinized her hands and could easily imagine the blood they would have been soaked in if Kagami hadn't shown her the light. Sighing, she leered Suzuka, whose wasn't sure where the sudden and stern change in conversation came from.

"…I get it now. He understood something so simple from the beginning." She bowed his way. "I'm…sorry for speaking to you so harshly, kid. I may be a Third Seat, but it's clear I still have a lot to learn."

"Uh…y-yeah." Suzuka bowed too, doing a poor job of hiding his happiness, "I guess we can learn from one another. You…uh…okay there, Mitarashi? You look like you just took a Zanpakutou through the heart."

"Yes, just…swallowing my pride, I suppose."

Kana found it more difficult when Kagami started splitting his sides.

"Any reason you couldn't have just told me all that from the beginning, you geezer?" she said, clenching her teeth to stop herself from saying anything nastier. The more she thought about, however, the more she realized the point wouldn't have gotten across as well.

"I suppose that's enough with the fun and games. Lookie here, you two. I got something nice for you kiddies." Kagami presented a white, vaguely human-shaped doll. "This," he began, "is a Tenshintai. Long story short, Princess, this is how you're going to learn Bankai. There's not much time for the finer details. Like you said, Kiddo and his friends are probably knee-deep in Hueco Mundo and could use your help. So, shall we get started?"

Kana, staring long and hard at the Tenshintai, really didn't know what to make of it. Even so, something about both it and Kagami's words shook her a little.

"Uh…I don't mean to interrupt," Suzuka raised his hand again, "but I've been meaning to ask you something, Mitarashi. The Captain-Commander doesn't want us to act without his explicit permission, right?"

"Yes, I'm aware. I already told you thought that I don't care! CT needs me!"

"Uh…don't know who that is." Frowning, Suzuka chewed something over ahead of replying, "Look, I'm new to this whole Shinigami thing and just got assigned to the Tenth Division. I really don't wanna get kicked out after only one day, so if I go with you, will I be alright?"

Kana smirked, slapping him on the back. "We won't get caught. I don't wanna toot my own horn, by I'm a master at—whoa, whoa, whoa! No, you can't come with us, kid! You'd die in like three seconds!"

Kagami snorted.

"No offense, but wouldn't you die in 'three seconds' too given how strong the Captain-Commander says these Arrancar are?" replied Suzuka. His grim talk got a few more chortles out of Kagami, leading Kana to shoot them both sour glares.

"For your information," she spat, folding her arms, "I've already fought a few of these Arrancar, and they aren't so tough. I can handle myself just fine. You can't even do Shikai."

That truth did nothing to damper Suzuka's confidence as he thumbed at himself. "I'm gonna be the best damn Royal Guard at the Soul King's disposal, remember?"

"Yes, you've…mentioned that.A lot actually."

"I'd likely run into a few Arrancar in the future once I'm finally protecting the Soul King.I might as well get some practice in now."

His words might have been playful, but his expression certainly wasn't. An impressed Kana couldn't think of anything more to dissuade him.

"So, I'll watch your back from now on, Mitarashi, if you'll watch mine. You still need to show me that move from earlier."

"Y-Yeah…"

A wide grin spread across Kana's lips. Suzuka really did remind her of her old self, something that now made her glow with pride.

"Alright already. You kids are giving me a headache." Kagami wrapped his arm around Suzuka's shoulder. "Alright, we'll get the training started, but first things first—you need to get healed from our Princess over there roughing you up. Go down the hall and make a few rights, and you'll end up at some hot springs. Uh…I think. Or was that the way to the kitchen? I should make a map of this place. Anyway, climb in, and your wounds will heal right up. It makes sense in context, so go."

He shoved Suzuka ahead, who nodded numbly and then went on his way.

"Over here, Princess." Kagami pulled Kana close next, weirding her out. "Who is that kid exactly?"

"Huh? Why so serious? I-I dunno. He's some new recruit who got assigned to my squad today. He's kind of a pain."

"I've noticed. Look, I don't mean to alarm you—"

"Too late for that…"

"…Right. Listen, I'm not saying he's an Arrancar in disguise, but something about what he keeps yapping on about is bothering me. He mentioned the Royal Guard. Do you know what they are, Princess?"

Kana put her finger on her chin. "A-A little? Only from what the Captain mentioned anyway. He kinda got made when I kept asking him questions about it. They protect the Soul King, right?"

"Right, and the fact that's all you know about them doesn't come off as strange?"

"What…exactly are you trying to say?"

"The Royal Guard's existence isn't well known among Shinigami. Basically, only Captains and maybe a few Vice-Captains know what the Royal Guard is really about. So, why exactly is a fresh-faced recruit straight out of the Academy spouting off about joining them being his dream?"

"…Huh?"

Kana really couldn't follow along with Kagami's grave talk. She caught of glimpse of Suzuka while he disappeared around a corner. Doing so gave her a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Well, maybe I'm only overthinking. You look like you have something else to say though, Princess."

"Just one thing. Whether you wanna admit it or not, you and Kisuke Urahara are alike. That must mean you know what he does. I…haven't really thought about it lately because of everything that's happened, but I need to know something. What exactly is Hollowfication?"

Though Kagami said nothing, Kana noted his eyes widening some.

"Good," she continued. "You do know something." Placing a hand on her chest, she cried, "Why am I like this, like CT, Ichigo, and all the other Visored?! It doesn't make any sense! You know, don't you?! Answer me!"

#

Konoka's eyes snapped open, and she choked the sticky blood stuck in her throat. It wasn't the nicest wake-up call, but it at least confirmed she was still alive. With her mind a haze, she lifted her head and got down to figuring out what was going on. She could see nothing but the color white all around her, and it stung her bloodshot eyes. More importantly, she wondered how she busied moving without the aid of her legs.

"S-Sado?"

Resting on his back, she saw thatChad was the one doing the leered back at her and nodded.

"…Dammit." She wiped the drool from her mouth, confused at having a dream of being a princess carried by a regal steed. "Am I still dreamin'…?"

"What was that, Mitsumi?"

"N-Nothin'. What happened? I don't even remember fallin' asleep."

"You passed out right after fighting that Arrancar."

"…And now you're carryin' me. Sorry 'bout that."

"It's fine. You should get some rest. We'll likely have to fight again soon."

"Whatever you say, Dad."

Konoka might have complained, but she barely had the strength to lift her head. With that in mind, she opted heed Chad's advice by resting her weary head.

"What's the situation?" she inquired.

"I'm not sure. I've been trying to find the others, but I've been running in circles by the looks of it. This castle is a maze."

"…Figures." Konoka's anger bubbled. "Tell me this dump isn't just some kind of hallucination."

"There's still a lot we don't know about this place. There might be some kind of security system so intruders can't find their way around. Ishida would have probably figured something out by now."

"Figures. Ugh… " Holding back the urge to cry, Konoka added, "Anythin' else?"

"I don't sense that Arrancar from before following us. I do sense Kuchiki though. I did anyway. She's too far for me to be sure, but I think she's fighting someone. Ishida—I mean your Ishida—was fighting too, but he must've won. I did sense Abarai and that girl with the glasses too, but I can't anymore."

"Sounds like everyone is partyin' without us. Heh. The rat bastards."

Chad wasn't exactly relieved at Konoka making light of the situation, but if she had enough energy to do so, he didn't need to fret over her injuries.

"By the way, Sado, I wanna thank you."

"You don't have to."

"No, I'm serious. Look, you've always watched my back, especially during that whole Ginjou business. I just wanna make sure you know I appreciate it. I…uh…I'm not…used to havin' people look out for me other than my butler and—d-dammit, just tell me you understand already so I can stop sayin' such corny crap!"

Chad smiled. "It's alright, Mitsumi. I understand. Just get some rest."

His cool air grated at her nerves, making her pout. On the other hand, she didn't think it right to gripe given all he had done for her. That, and knowing she and all of her friends were still alive by some miracle. She honestly hadn't had high prospect for barging into Hueco Mundo given the Arrancars' immense strength. Both her fight against Yammy Llargo and then her battle with Rudbornn Chelute reminded her they were the real deal.

"Hey, any news on that Kurosaki guy?"

Immediately, Konoka regretted speaking up. Chad said nothing, but she could practically feel his disappointment.

Right. If he knew where Kurosaki was, we'd be headin' straight for him.

"M-My bad. I…I think he'll turn up eventually. He has too, right? He's already made a damn mess of things here. We just gotta follow the bullshit he leaves behind. Don't sweat it, Sado."

Chad gave the slightest of nods.

"You know, I've been thinkin' about that Kurosaki," Konoka added. "I know he screwed up by comin' here without telling us, but…I think if I was in his shoes, I…I probably would've done the same. Like, if it was one of you guys that had been killed, I…"

"…"

"Sorry, sorry. Guess I ramble when I'm nervous. F-Forget I said—"

"…No. I…probably might have snapped too, Mitsumi. Inoue was…"

"…"

The two said nothing more for some time.

Chad reached a staircase after a few more minutes of aimless running. Given he and Konoka had gone through nothing but empty corridors, the sight of something new both relieved and concerned them.

"Think it's safe?" asked Konoka.

"Unless there's another Arrancar waiting for us, I don't see what harm there could be," Chad answered, growing a little apprehensive in spite of his claim. "I don't sense anything."

"Same, but I ain't really good at that crap. Screw it. Maybe Higuchi's sister is up there. …Not that we're ever that lucky with these little rescue operations."

They nodded at one another before Chad raced up the stairs. The moment they reached the top, light came close to blinding them. Once Konoka's vision finally cleared, her jaw hung wide open. Not only had they reached some sort of bridge, but a blue sky hung above them. Tall, white buildings stood on both sides, resembling something of a small town. Still, Konoka got a feeling no one lived there.

"Wait, what?" she remarked. "We're…outside? No, I really am dreamin' this time."

"I see it too," replied Chad, getting a good look around. "This doesn't make sense."

"Right? Like, wasn't it always night before?"

"Look."

Konoka squinted at where Chad pointed, but didn't see anything of note.

"There was a giant dome behind the castle's walls," Chad explained.

After debating the observation, Konoka gasped. "You're right! It was huge! There's no way we wouldn't be able to see it from here! What the hell is goin' on…?"

"It doesn't even make sense for us to be on the surface after all that running around. We must have been deep underground."

"Yeah, this crap really doesn't make—"

Konoka lost her train of thought and nearly swallowed her tongue when a crushing spiritual pressure hit her just then. Simply breathing proved difficult. Gagging, she grabbed at her throat, whipping her head about in a panic.

"S-Sado…!"

"I know! Whoever it belongs to is on the—"

With the faint sound of static trailing him, Ulquiorra Cifer appeared right in front of the two. Surprised to stumble upon them, they felt the exact same. His icy, green eyes surveyed them for an uncomfortable amount of time. Konoka didn't get it. She had encountered several Arrancar so far, and none of their energies compared to the man before her. Even Rudborrn Chelute, with all of his strength, felt like a mere fly by comparison.

Who…the hell is this freak?!

"Mitsumi, run!" Chad bellowed, breaking her out of a trance.

With sweat pouring from every inch of her, Konoka managed to spit out, "W-While I appreciate the sentiment, Sado, I think we're well past that point."

"More intruders…" Ulquiorra spoke up at long last. He leered away, taking the time to deliberate the matter. "Damn that Nnoitra, sending me off like that. I suppose you two are more fools here to save Izumi Higuchi. …Or, are you after Ichigo Kurosaki? No, it doesn't matter. This is the end. Don't blame bad fortune for running into me. Your lives were forfeit the moment you came to this world."

"Who are you?" asked Chad.

"…"

"I asked you a question, Arrancar!"

"One that I have no reason to answer."

"Were you the one that killed Inoue?!"

Konoka climbed down from Chad's back, throw totally off guard by his sudden outburst. She hadn't ever known him to lose his temper, yet, he was clearly ready to tear Ulquiorra in half.

All Ulquiorra had to say on the matter was, "…And if I was?"

In the blink of an eye, Chad formed his right arm and fired a tremendous burst of energy. It obliterated everything on its way to Ulquiorra, who just stood there. Konoka braced herself as the violent attack came close to decimating the entire bridge alongside its intended target.

"Damn, Sado! Remind me not to piss you off!"

Chad caught his breath and couldn't see too far ahead thanks to a thick cloud of dust. When it finally cleared, he became speechless due to spotting a silhouette in the distance.

"Pointless." Ulquiorra brushed himself off. "If this is the full extent of your power, then it really is bad fortune we met."

"N-No way…! He doesn't have a scratch on him!" Konoka cried. She knew Chad had put his all into that blast. "Did he…dodge it? No, how could he in such a tight space?!"

Thinking the matter over wouldn't get here anywhere, she quickly determined. Her Maternal Gift formed behind a brilliant flash of green light, leaving Ulquiorra to look on as she jumped high above him. Like with Chad's attack, he did nothing to prevent Konoka from swinging her glaive for the fences in an effort to slice his head off. Only her Fullbring ended up hurt, however, snapping like a twig. Bewildered, she retreated to safe distance.

"T-The hell?!" Konoka, staring at the splintered halves of her glaive, felt she had struck lead instead of skin. "What the hell is this guy made of?!"

She and Chad got on guard when Ulquiorra pointed a single finger at them. Green energy began gathering at the tip.

"Izumi Higuchi isn't in this tower," the Cuatro Espada informed them. "You two will have died for nothing."

He gave them no time to dodge his Cero, firing it in an instant. Chad darted in front of a wide-eyed Konoka, who found herself frozen in terror.

#

Aaron's head snapped up. A feeling of dread ran down his spine as he stopped in his tracks.

"N-No way! They couldn't have…!"

It had to have been a joke. Konoka and Chad couldn't have died, not in a mere instant. Breaking out in a cold sweat, he concentrated as hard as he could to pick up their spiritual pressures.

"I-I hate to say it, mutt, but—"

"Then don't!" He shot back at Hiyori. "They aren't dead! Kuchiki isn't either! They…they all can't have just lost! Didn't we promise that'd we'd all make it out of this hellhole together?!"

"…"

"Say something, dammit!"

#

"God dammit! This isn't happening!"

Sasune sprinted as fast as he could, trying his hardest to track down Konoka's and Chad's last location. Maybe if he got there in time, he could be of some assistance.

What is this?! Didn't Ms. Mitsumi have Sado with him?! He's no lightweight, so what the hell happened?! They wouldn't actually lose to some crummy Arrancar, would they?!

They had to be alive. Gritting his teeth, he would kill them otherwise. The Red-Haired Beast of Hino was a lot stronger than that. Even so, Sasune couldn't ignore the doubt creeping up on him.

I can't sense Ms. Kuchiki either, not to mention that Renji idiot and Ms. Yadoumaru!

#

"They're alive, and I'm gonna find them!"

Right as Aaron would have sprinted off to do so, Hiyori yanked him by the collar.

"Outta the question! We don't have time to screw around!" she barked. "If you really think those three aren't dead, then get your scrawny ass in gear, mutt! Do you think they'd want us backtracking to find them?! Remember why we came here!"

It wasn't fair, Aaron thought, for Hiyori Sarugaki of all people to be the voice of reason. He snarled like a rabid dog and took his frustrations out on a wall, punching it. Ignoring his bloodied knuckles, he shut his eyes tightly, doing whatever it took not to run after the others anyway.

"Mutt! Did your brain turn off like your common sense?!"

A slap to the back of the head woke the conflicted Aaron up. He glanced down at a steaming mad Hiyori, who had her hand on the hilt of her Zanpakutou. That, on top of Nel Tu giving him a worried look, caused him to calm himself.

"…Sorry. I hear you loud and clear. We need to find Izumi ASAP. Then we can…see about Konoka and the others."

Hiyori exhaled bitterly. "…Glad to see you talkin' some sense. I swear, you're hopeless sometimes. Come on then. You're draggin' yer ass."

Hiyori left without him. That was due to him taking the time to pray for his friends' safety.

"Just hold on a little longer, guys! We'll make it through this…"

"Aawon?"

"Sorry, Nel. I'm…I'm going. Ichigo's waiting for us too, isn't he?"

#

"Agh!"

The crippling pain afflicting Izumi almost made her nostalgic. It reduced her to her knees, frightening her a lot more.

"The hell are you doing?" asked Grimmjow Jaegerjaques, lifting an eyebrow. "Hurry the hell up already."

"…Sorry."

Izumi stood once her strength returned and continued following Grimmjow through Las Noches. A dull headache remained though to coincide with her quietly freaking out.

Dammit! Ulquiorra! I knew he was a bastard, but he took out Mitsumi and Sado like it was nothing! Kuchiki might be hanging on by a thread, but her energy is just too faint! It looks like she managed to take out whoever it was she was fighting at least.

Of course, that small victory didn't change Izumi's opinion that her friends coming to Hueco Mundo had been a horrible mistake. Now, two of them might have been dead, with a third not far behind.

Grimmjow startled her when he smacked his lips out of the blue.

"…So, that dumbass Aaroneiro went and died, huh?"

"Wait, you…can feel it too?" asked Izumi, amazed.

Grimmjow pointed to his head. "Not exactly. That freak had some weird ass power and could relay any info he learned to the rest of us Espada. …Including if he kicked the bucket. I don't remember what it's called. Looks like him and Rukia Kuchiki went and killed each other."

He spoke as if only mentioning the weather. The fact, as well as hearing about Rukia again, haunted Izumi something fierce.

Grimmjow noticed, and he stated, "Don't worry about the dead. I need you to find one of the living. Heh. I know that Ichigo Kurosaki bastard isn't so easy to kill, so you'd better hurry up and do your job if you enjoy breathing, woman!"

Izumi nodded, if only to get him off her back. It wasn't like she had any qualms bringing him to Ichigo, whose overwhelming spiritual pressure buzzed across all of Las Noches like a hive of locusts. If anyone could take on the Espada, she felt him her best chance.

"S-Say," she started, already regretting asking her new captor anything. "Why do you wanna fight Kurosaki so badly? I mean, I don't think him being one of the intruders has anything to do with it…right?"

Unsurprisingly, Grimmjow didn't answer. She sighed.

"I mean, do you have a grudge against him or something?"

"…"

"Fine then. I'll…at least thank you for saving me back there, even if you're just using me. I mean, you beat Nnoitra any day of the week…although that not saying much."

"What in the hell are you yappin' on about? As soon as I'm done with Kurosaki, you're useless to me, and Arashi'll probably kill you when she doesn't need you either."

Izumi wished she hadn't heard that. "Um…and what exactly does she need me for?"

"…"

"Nice. The silent treatment again. You won't tell me, or do you not know?"

"…"

"Oh, come on! I'm helping you, aren't I? At least give me a hint or something."

"…"

"Okay then, Mister Antisocial. It's bad enough I'm stuck here, but you Arrancar aren't even good for conversation."

"…"

"Wait, you really don't what Arashi is planning, do you?"

"…"

"You mean she doesn't even tell her own Espada anything? That's rough, buddy. Eh, I kinda understand. My boss is a piece of work too. He doesn't ever pay me on time, not to mention—"

All of a sudden, Grimmjow rounded on Izumi and shoved her into a wall. He wore a murderous expression that drained every drop of color from her face.

"Quit yappin' already if you like that pretty head on your neck! You're only alive because I ain't came up with a reason to kill you! You keep running your mouth though, and that changes. Now, keep moving."

As Grimmjow marched away, a trembling Izumi had little doubt his threat held merit. She sank to her knees again and palmed her hand over her wrinkling features.

"Yep, I'm losing it. Way to piss off another one of these monsters, Izumi."

She felt like a hypocrite for thinking so, but she honestly wished Aaron and the others would hurry up and save her already if it meant escaping her never ending nightmare.

#

Renji could hardly breathe, and his sword arm felt like lead. He glanced down at his released Zabimaru, frowning hard enough to pull a muscle, before setting his sights back on the blurry, distant image of Szayelapporo Granz. The Octava Espada busied dodging Lisa's furious sword strikes, yawning at the task being as easy as breathing.

"Really now, Visored, there's no need to hold back against me. As I've stated before, I'm really not that strong."

"I'm not interested in guys who talk too much," replied Lisa, taking a swipe at his head. Szayelaporro ducked to avoid, moving far faster than a supposed 'weakling.'

Smirking, he replied, "Are you perhaps jealous because I am far more attractive than you?"

"…Yeah, I really can't stand you, Arrancar."

Done catching his breath, Renji wasted little time in jumping back into the fray. He took the skies with Zabimaru in hand. Even without paying the attack much mind, Szayelaporro managed to dodge. He jumped away from his foes, with them hesitant to make chase.

"This isn't working," Lisa noted, panting.

A snarling Renji replied, "No kidding. What's his deal?"

"Either he's lying about being weak, or this room took something else besides our powers."

"It ain't like he's gonna tell us."

"Dunno. He does like hearing the sound of his own shitty voice."

Renji finally had something to smirk about. "Ain't that the truth?"

"I can hear you both, you know," Szayelaporro casually remarked. He twirled a strand of his pink hair, bored out of his mind. It explained why he didn't notice two round creatures hopping toward him.

"Master Szayelaporro! Master Szayelaporro!" they both cried.

Half asleep, the person in question lifted an eyebrow. "Lumina and Verona? What do you want? I'm afraid I'm busy."

"Aaroniero dead!" Verona jubilantly announced.

Lumina added, "Dead, dead, dead!"

"Oh?" Szayelaporro perked up. "Yes, I just received his report. I suppose I was spacing out too much to notice. …What's this? Most interesting."

Neither Renji nor Lisa liked his sudden enthusiasm.

"Aaroniero is indeed dead, but it would appear his opponent died with him."

"What are you going on about?" wondered Renji.

"Did I not just explain it, Shinigami? Your acquaintance and one of the Espada killed one another at the same time. I must say that it's quite the achievement to die in such an unspectacular fashion."

"…Shit," Lisa uttered.

Renji, meanwhile, still kept up a calm facade. "There's no way you could know that she's—"

"My, you are being idiotically optimistic." Szayelaporro couldn't help but laugh. It was far too rich. "Shall I break it down in the simplest of terms. The Shinigami known as Rukia Kuchiki is dead. That's your acquaintance's name, correct?"

Szayelaporro knew that would do the trick. Per his prediction, Renji lashed out by swing his Zanpakutou in an effort to lop off the Esapda's head. Szayelaporro instead blocked it with ease.

"It's almost not fun, Shinigami, reading you like a book. Yes, I could almost call it dull."

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

"…Or what?"

"Or we break your pretty face, four-eyes," said Lisa.

One of Szayelaporro's eyebrows twitched. "…I may subject you to a few terrifying procedures before finally dissecting you, Visored."

"Keep your weird kinks to yourself, four-eyes."

"…"

"Calm down," Lisa instructed Renji, who shook in a blind furry. "Don't listen to this creep. He's probably just saying that to piss you off. We can't worry about anything other than our own skins at the moment anyway."

"And yet more worthless optimism. I swear, you lower creatures really do enjoy deluding yourselves. Oh, well. It's not as if I actually care. Besides, how many times must I say a mere Shikai couldn't hope to harm an Espada? You're only wasting mine and your—"

Szayelaporro lost his train of thought when Lisa suddenly said, "Way of Binding Number Sixty-Two—Hundred Steps Fence."

She tossed a glowing rod at him, which then split into hundreds more. Several of them nailed the unsuspecting Espada, throwing him across the room and pinning him to a wall. Shell-shocked, he found himself unable to move.

"So, Kidou's still good then,", said Lisa, who grinned like a fiend. "Good to know."