I didn't get a chance to post yesterday, but lukily I was able to get it up today. Again this chapter is kind of short, but it is the climax and there really wasn't a better place to end it.

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Chapter Fifteen

Bloodshed

Abandoned Caves, Hueco Mundo

Koboi's sword became a long whip that reached the ground and curled around itself. The back of her mask remnant had fanned out on either side, giving the impression of a cobra's hood.

Stuck between the Arrancars Artemis felt as if the air had suddenly become heavy and was pressing down on him. He glanced at his companions and saw that Holly had slouched a bit, indicating she felt the pressure too, but Orihime, kneeling next to Ishida didn't seem to notice.

Three more Arrancars approached from different directions. Artemis recognized the one who had brought Orihime back from the lab. He was certain he had not seen the blue-haired man or the green-haired woman before. He wondered if they were the others Schiffer had said Orihime healed. The Visoreds scattered, pulling out their swords and conjuring masks seemingly out of the air. Each of them attacked one of the new arrivals.

Kasai flashed past Artemis and his allies, her dagger raised. Koboi lashed her whip forward, wrapping it around Kasai's arm. Kasai raised her free hand, pointing a single finger at Koboi, "Cero Oscuras." Koboi tugged her whip loose and jumped to the side, narrowly dodging the red beam of light that hit the cliff behind her, collapsing several of the caves.

Ulquiorra didn't bother drawing his Zanpakuto against Hibiki, blocking attacks from his opponent's sword with his arm. His hierro-the hardened skin of an Arrancar-kept the blade from cutting him. Hibiki released a burst of sound from his Zanpakuto. The force of it shifted the sand around them and threatened to back Ulquiorra towards the caves, but he held his ground.

Grimmjow ran around the pillars of sand that rose at a command from Daichi's Zanpakuto. He occasionally had to jump off of one that rose under him. He knew he could have avoided them altogether by taking to the air and standing on reiatsu, but what kind of fight would that be? He fired a cero at Daichi, but the Visored jumped to the top of one of his pillars. Grinning Grimmjow fired a cero into the pillar, collapsing it.

Nel closed her eyes against the blinding flash from Akio's Zanpakuto. She heard a shift of sand as he approached her from behind, and she dropped, kicking his legs out from under him. He rolled away from her and sprang to his feet, Zanpakuto raised. Nel used Sonido to quickly catch up to him and thrust with her Zanpakuto. Akio blocked her, setting off another flash as their Zanpakutos collided.

Koboi tried to wrap her whip around Kasai's throat, Kasai ducked under it and lunged forward, dagger extended. Koboi turned sideways, barely avoiding the blades edge. She took a step back with Sonido and fired a cero. Kasai deflected it with her dagger.

Hibiki flashed behind Ulquiorra, and swung his Zanpakuto. Ulquiorra whirled to face him and grabbed the wrist that held his sword. Hibiki tried to break free, but Ulquiorra tightened his grip until the bone snapped. Hibiki dropped the blade as Ulquiorra released him and caught it in his other hand. He released another sonic blast and jumped back, determined not to go down easily.

Daichi swung his Zanpakuto at Grimmjow as he landed on his feet next to the collapsing pillar. Grimmjow blocked the blow easily, "C'mon! You call this a fight?". With a gesture from his Zanpakuto Daichi brought another pillar down toward Grimmjow who jumped back out of the way. Daichi sprung over the remains of the pillar, prepared to strike.

Nel couldn't see. She hadn't had enough warning to close her eyes before that last flash of light. With her ability to sense reiatsu she could still tell where Akio was, she lay where she had allowed herself to collapse, letting him believe she was stunned. He approached slowly, suspecting a trick, but she didn't move.

Kasai's frustration was beginning to affect her attacks. She was used to having the upper hand in any fight, but Koboi's whip made it difficult for her to get close enough to strike. Koboi's insufferable grin revealed that she was confident she was winning. Kasai's attacks grew more and more reckless, not caring if the whip struck her anymore. If she could just cut Koboi once their fight would be over. But Koboi knew that too and used her long-range tactics to their full advantage.

Ulquiorra easily blocked the series of small compact sonic attacks Hibiki hurled at him. The Visored knew if they fought at close range again he was dead, yet he refused to retreat or just get it over with. Ulquiorra approached slowly between the attacks. Hibiki was trying to back away but the distance between them was closing. Once he was close enough Hibiki swung his sword at Schiffer who blocked with his left arm. Then he plunged his right hand into the Visoreds chest.

Grimmjow laughed at the look on Daichi's face when he jumped over the fallen pillar only to see his opponent was not there. Grimmjow was at the top of one of the other pillars and waited for the Visored to realize where he had gone before jumping down. He extended his Zanpakuto as he fell and Daichi looked up just before the blade pierced his heart. "Well that was disappointing," Grimmjow grumbled. "I ain't had a good fight since Kurosaki left."

Nel felt Akio nudge her side with his boot. She didn't move until she felt the breeze as his Zanpakuto swung down toward her. She rolled away from it and heard it strike deep into the sand. She leaped to her feet and lunged forward, feeling the resistance as her Zanpakuto hit flesh. She leaned into it, forcing it through until she felt it dragged down. She pulled it back and heard the thump of her opponent's body hitting the ground. Nel turned her back to the sound, she had no desire for that to be the first thing she saw when her eyes cleared.

Kasai was distracted as her Visoreds fell. She had been certain the ones she had chosen would be able to defeat those Arrancars. She ran towards Koboi, determined to bring her down. Koboi wrapped her whip around Kasai's wrists, tightening it until she was forced to drop her Zanpakuto. Grimmjow leaped in front of her and picked it up, jumping back just as quickly. Kasai looked around to see that all the other Arrancars had taken positions around her. What she had once thought impossible had happened. She was beaten.

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Ishida sat up as the Visoreds and Arrancars fought. "We have to get out of here. Before they finish," he said, stating the obvious.

"I hope you have a way, because we don't," Artemis replied.

"We do. Urahara gave us a device to open a Garganta. You will have to stay behind us. We have to make a path through it," Holly explained. Artemis and Orihime nodded their understanding.

Ishida pulled out a cylinder with a red button on top and pushed it. A hole opened in the air in front of the group. Holly and Ishida went in first and Artemis followed without hesitation. Orihime was the last one through, looking back as it closed behind her.

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Well that's all for now. the last chapter should be up next week. I'm not sure how long it will be before I start posting the sequel. I have started writing it, but I want to be further along before I post it and I might not get much of a chance work on it through Christmas. Hopefully it won't be too long.

Merry Christmas!

Thanks and prayers,

RAHbooks.