"I don't know why you're complaining," Rangiku Matsumoto threw over her shoulder as she sauntered down the tunnel. "I distinctly recall telling you we were operating on our schedule, not yours."

"Not all of us have the benefit of being unemployed, Matsumoto."

"You should try it sometime, Taichou!" she responded brightly. "It does wonders for stress."

She gets stressed?

Trudging behind her, Tōshirō Hitsugaya decided further crossing of wits with this woman could only dull his edge. And he needed to be on his toes for whatever came next.

Honestly, he was disturbed at how much he found himself looking forward to her call. It had taken three months to receive word from Gin's cabal that his next opponent in this tournament of treachery was ready. In that time there had been precious little outside the norm. This meant a lot of chances to brood on his lot in life, the opportunities he might be missing, and a general sense of being rudderless.

Which wasn't to say he didn't have anything to occupy himself in the meantime. It just seemed like nothing important happened nowadays. Squad drills, personal training, captains' meetings; this was how he spent his time in Soul Society and beyond. Enemies in the field who warranted a captain's intervention were hardly a regular occurrence. As such, only when Matsumoto got in touch with him did he feel the spark relight. Because this offered him something concrete. And Tōshirō fully intended to come out ahead with solid proof that he had not just been idling for the past year.

Somewhere in this fortress of stone awaited his next trial, whom Rangiku referred to as Le Pierrot, or the Sin of Envy. After she mistakenly referred to them as the Seven Seas, of course. Hitsugaya was half-convinced she kept doing this just to mess with him. He couldn't say for sure which of them it might be this time; there were two foes remaining before he could face Matsumoto and her deadly partner. One of them was a Hollow of unknown quality, while the other… defied easy classification. Having faced that monster in combat once before, Hitsugaya couldn't deny the thought of being pitted against her one-on-one left him feeling distinctly inadequate.

I kind of hope it is just the Hollow. She didn't seem like much.

You must still face her with a limiter. Need I remind you how poorly we fared the last time that was the case?

He was one of Grimmjow's fracción. The personal attendant to an Espada. I doubt there's a comparison.

We should not discount any of the souls Gin has lured over to his side. That one stomachs no weakness.

Alright, you win. I'll give it my all… 20%, at least.

"Dang it."

He came out of his reverie as Matsumoto drew to a halt before him. She flipped open a phone and held it to her ear. "Yeah?" There was momentary silence as the beautiful soul stood with her back to him, one hand on her hip. "Really? Can't you just…?"

A short pause, and then she blew out her breath desultorily. "Fine, I'm on my way."

Tōshirō raised a snow-white eyebrow as she spun about. "Is there a problem?"

"Something's come up. I have to get going," she explained, a small frown on her face.

Before he could think to question further the former lieutenant knelt and indicated he should open his coat, which Hitsugaya did without question. She then began to inscribe a limiter seal upon him. Her brows contracted in concentration as she bent to her task without saying another word. This uncharacteristic silence served to unnerve him. Usually Matsumoto was only too pleased to chat, tease, and pester mercilessly.

It occurred to him that must have been Gin on the other end of the line. For once they appeared to have had a disagreement. He felt a little heavy-hearted at the thought for some reason, like his body had gained weight.

Once finished, Rangiku stood up and dusted off her knees. "Keep going straight down this tunnel," she explained. "I'll disable the Neverending Road spells on my way out. You should have no trouble reaching your destination."

She threw him a troubled look and said simply, "Good luck, Taichou." Matsumoto then slipped into the rough-hewn rock wall, vanishing from sight.

Alone, the ice wizard glanced around his lightless confines, visible only by way of spectral sight. What was that all about? Could it be someone had stumbled across this little hideout of theirs? It had been a constant source of worry ever since he first began this episode; what if the Gotei 7 caught wind of Gin and launched an attack while he was here? The shame of being caught conspiring with avowed traitors was second only to the life-threatening peril it involved.

Tōshirō doubted he could talk his way out of such a predicament. And anyway, there was the safety of the less guilty party members to consider. Kon and the humans were due some consideration if open warfare broke out. Then again, wasn't that the whole reason Ichimaru recruited this lot in the first place? To serve as meat shields in case of trouble?

With a shrug the young captain continued on his way. Doubtless should the forces of Soul Society come knocking, Gin had a hidden escape route available for himself and Rangiku, if no one else. The man was entirely too devious to lock himself inside a fortified box with no way out. Yet even knowing that, I've linked my fate to his. What kind of simpleton does that make me?

And is it me, or did this tunnel just get… grayer?

As he thought this, a blade severed the tendon in his left ankle.

Tōshirō let out a quick gasp and flung himself forward, drawing Hyōrinmaru and performing shikai even as he spun to face his attacker. But no one was there.

The fight has begun…

No sign whether spiritual or otherwise indicated where the assault might have originated from. Tōshirō knew only that he had been effectively crippled in the first salvo. His first instinct was to go bankai, but before that…

"Bakudō #97: Soul Tower!"

A column of energy rose around the wounded warrior, going straight through the ceiling of the tunnel as it did. Encased securely within this protective enclosure, the youth crouched to inspect his foot with a frustrated grimace. Whoever it was tried to maim him right off the bat. Still, this spell should be more than sufficient to keep them out; time for basic first aid.

Oddly enough he felt little pain, the area around the cut having gone numb. Could there have been poison on the blade? Best to be careful. With that he summoned a double healing/cleansing charm and applied it to the wound.

But as the spells touched his bleeding flesh, they simply crumbled into a wash of wasted energy.

Hitsugaya stared. What the…?!

Quick as a flash something sprang from the tunnel wall behind him to slash against his barrier. To his surprise it actually bent slightly, but otherwise remained firm. The boy captain turned just in time to catch a glimpse of an angry face half-hidden by a chameleon-like Hollow mask before it sank into the rock and vanished from sight.

As it did, the world around him became pure black and white.

Startled, the boy captain brought up his sword in a defensive posture and glanced quickly all about. Everywhere he looked, there was nothing but bands of basic color zigzagging across his vision. He himself had reverted to a flat black silhouette. The casting of Soul Tower was a pale cylinder in some places while dark as pitch in others, causing his form to stand out against the white surroundings.

Hollow sorcery!

Even as he thought this, a winding white tendril sprang from the wall, passing clean through one side of his barrier without resistance to wrap around the wrist of his sword hand. It yanked him off balance, and as he stumbled on his ruined foot, Tōshirō saw two curved blades sweeping straight towards him.

His free hand came up to catch one of them, but there was no way to prevent the other from reaching its mark and go slashing across his throat.

Even as it did, though, there came a sharp cry. "Bankai… Daiguren Hyōrinmaru!"

A wash of intense power colder than the deepest ocean depths swept along every inch of this underground warren. Wings unfurled, the great nodachi longsword now resting in Hitsugaya's frozen claws. Black ice had formed around every part of the Hollow's body that touched him. The segmented tentacle unwound with a sharp crack and went retreating into the white patch. But the frozen talon was unable to escape his grip, and he brought Hyōrinmaru slicing down to sever the arm that held it.

Even as he did, the color of Hitsugaya's body switched. His now moonlit blade went through the limb without doing any harm. His attacker yanked free, and against an inky backdrop there briefly stood out a small hunched figure, completely white with a long curved tail, sickle blades sprouting from the wrists, and a helm with great bulging eyes that boasted triple horns. An instant later it had gone black as well, disappearing in the process.

Meanwhile Hitsugaya remained in the same spot, heart pounding as sweat froze on his brow. He touched the collar of his shinigami battle armor to confirm it had not been penetrated. Fortunate that Mayuri Kurotsuchi recognized the throat was a vital spot and so made sure to heighten the thickness and durability there for all military apparel. It might be the only thing that saved him.

The same could not be said for his gloved hand. While keeping a cautious eye on the surroundings, Tōshirō flexed fingers that had already gone numb. The wound wasn't deep, but he still couldn't feel anything. That only confirmed his previous suspicions.

Some kind of poison.

It seems we're dealing with an assassin. And I think I know who.

You recognize this Le Pierrot?

Right before our battle with the Wild Hunt, Rukia Kuchiki was attacked by three Hollows. According to her, one of them had the ability to alter the world around them by color, making you vulnerable depending on where you were standing. The other two worked with poison. They were killed, but the third got away. We named her Tone Death.

So her powers confer control of the environment, rendering the prey vulnerable while masking her presence.

Yeah. But I wonder…

Hitsugaya dropped the now useless Soul Tower. Apparently Tone Death wasn't bound to respect any measure of craft or strength when it came to these color bands. She had been able to completely mask her spiritual presence even before activating resurrección. Added on to this was the way she just blended into whatever strip of color matched her own. But if that was the case…

He drifted off the floor, entering a white stripe. In doing so, Hitsugaya Tōshirō was lost to view.

Let us see which of us can assassinate the other first!

For a time all was still in that monochromatic death chamber. There was not even a whisper of sound.

Then a small form sprang quickly between two bounding colors to enter an adjacent area, once again becoming invisible in the process.

Nothing moved.

A clash of blades, and black sparks flew, briefly hinting at a struggle that ended the moment one party fled, leaving the other to do the same or risk leaving themselves open to attack. The sound of labored breathing, hastily checked, and then nothing.

Silence…

Ice roared out to choke off the whole tunnel from one end to another. A black beam of energy roared in response, the empowered Cero plowing through this assault. With the speed of flash steps, however, a white ghost appeared at the source of the blast to lash out with steel and claw at that precise spot. They clanged against matching talons, but when the ice tail whipped around unnervingly fast, there came a panicked utterance, and suddenly the frigid ghost found himself black as well.

In doing so his tail passed right through its target. Attacks of all stripes proved useless now. They were immaterial as shadows, neither able to touch the other. But once the same color, the shinigami realized they could see each other now clear as day, despite both being in a patch of darkness.

The Hollow appeared unnerved by this, scuttling quickly backwards to enter a relatively thin white band. But the shinigami knew he could not risk losing track of her again, and pressed his assault before she could change to match her surroundings. Two shadows now fought largely framed against a stark snowy backdrop, their blades colliding even as parts of their bodies sometimes seemed to disappear when they overlapped any adjoining black.

Hitsugaya pressed the attack as well as he could on his wounded foot. Wherever her implements touched his icy shell, whether claws or tail, crystal flowers sprouted immediately and began to bloom. He heard her gasp in pain as a result. The Hollow threw a quick glance back, looking for a means of escape. When she tried to retreat, his wings grew and spread out to encircle her in a frozen cage. At the same time attacks continued to rain down, almost driving the Hollow to her knees as she fought desperately for a few more inches of ground. But her strength was waning. Victory was at hand!

In the blink of an eye, the Hollow was gone.

Caught between one swing and the next, the shinigami reeled wildly as his blow passed through empty air. He drew up short to gape in confusion. What happened?! She couldn't have changed color again, I would have seen her outline against the background! And I'm still black! So what…?!

It was only then something caught his eye. Right in front of him, there looked to be a white circle hanging in midair. While parts of it were swallowed up in the encroaching lanes of color, this thin hoop of light encircled the tunnel. Some kind of magic? But not Hollow sorcery; more like kidō…

Suddenly it hit him. It is kidō! Neverending Road! The ones they always cast before to keep our fights contained! Tone Death must have known it was there and maneuvered back into it. But if she went in this end, then she had to have come out the other!

Even as this realization dawned, a Cero exploded into him from behind.

The blast threw him forward, causing Hitsugaya Tōshirō to pass into the boundary of the Neverending Road spell. Seamlessly it teleported him to a point further back down the passage, depositing him in an agonized heap of ice and blood.

STAY AWAKE!

He obeyed, flinging his eyes open in time to see the eerie silhouette of Tone Death turn to face him, raising her scimitar talons. Hitsugaya only barely brought Hyōrinmaru up in time to block them. But even as he did, her tail smashed into his face, and he went flying off to one side.

Can you stand?

Hyōrinmaru? What…?

Her last strike sent us through the tunnel wall. When inside the earth, soul signatures cannot be detected, whether from without or within. We are essentially blind to one another for the time being.

Right… explains why I didn't feel her coming for that first sneak attack.

It also could be the reason she did not aim for a more lethal strike at the time. Had she come out into the open sufficiently to reach your vitals, we might have detected her presence and been able to respond.

Regardless, we're in bad shape. My wings and tail absorbed a good chunk of that Cero, thankfully. Otherwise it might have killed us. Foot's still numb. Hand too. And now there's even more blood loss.

While the earth prevents us from casting healing charms, I can seal the fresh wounds with ice. There is no poison there I can detect to prevent it. Apparently whatever venom she is using was applied only to her blades.

Tōshirō took this moment to inspect his surroundings. Everything around him was dark. Only a vague sense of direction allowed him to know up from down. He glanced around the tomb of bedrock. It was possible Tone Death followed him in here. But then she would be as impaired by the stone as him, unable to see or sense her prey. Considering what he had seen of her fighting style, she preferred to hang back and wait for an opportune moment to strike. An assassin, all the way.

We're in a temporary standoff. So where does that leave me?

I do not know if an arrancar's resurrección can be maintained indefinitely, but your bankai cannot. The longer this fight lasts, the greater the likelihood you will be bled dry of energy. And the Neverending Road that surrounds us prevents escape up to a certain point. There will be a limit to how far we can move in this rock before we find ourselves hemmed in.

But I've learned something about her powers. From the looks of it, we can injure each other no matter what color we happen to be. But if you're black and in a black environment when an attack connects, it won't do any damage. Only white can, and vice-versa.

We also cannot register her presence in any way whenever she blends into the scenery.

Plus she can change either of our colors, but apparently not the environment's. Only she didn't do it from a distance… maybe palette swaps are only possible when we're touching?

And while barrier spells can be negated, something like Neverending Road will still affect you.

Right. So now that we know all this, what's our best move?

Going from shikai to bankai and vice-versa costs too much energy. Much as I would like to conserve my strength while we are not fighting, that would only hasten the inevitable. Ideally, you should find a way to turn her power against her. Regain control of the terrain, as it were.

She's waiting for me to come out so she'll know where to strike. If any of our squad was here, they might distract her long enough for me to get in one good shot of my own.

You have no allies but me.

Yes. But you're all I need.

Enfain Tezima hung at the core of her domain, a spider in its web. She balanced on one of the lines between hues, wrapped securely in a wash of pure white that hid her every move. Like this she could neither be seen nor sensed.

And yet she did not feel safe.

Protruding reptilian eyes rotated around, keeping careful watch of the whole passage. No telling where he might come out. The arrancar curled in on herself, stress and anxiety building by the minute. One of the biggest benefits her power afforded was it took advantage of her own small size. Regardless of how Ciao Roscuro painted the landscape, there was an excellent chance she could fit herself completely into a single band and thus reduce the chances of being injured. Considering how much bigger than her most opponents were, even those of regular build, that was a huge tactical benefit.

But this puny shinigami was actually smaller, if that could be believed. Once he figured it out, he could blend in even better as a result. It was almost a relief when he activated his bankai and grew somewhat in size, becoming easier to pinpoint despite the drastic elevation in fighting power.

He was wounded now. Perhaps not severely, but sufficient to put her on top. Tezima had discussed the fight with Ichimaru beforehand. While initially suspicious as to whether he would really permit her to kill another shinigami, it soon became evident that, much like with everyone else, Gin didn't give a damn what happened to this kid. He was perfectly happy if one or both of them perished. Enfain had her own preference. And that would require effective use of every tactic at her disposal.

So she waited.

Patience was proving to be the key factor in this fight. She had worked to hinder his dexterity initially rather than risk it all on a fatal blow. Right now the boy was beyond even the reach of Ciao Roscuro. But once he emerged, however briefly, she would have him. Even if he filled the whole tunnel with ice magic, she had already seen it came out black, and could quickly switch colors and location. While it limited the spaces she could safely occupy, that too might work in her favor if the target proved reckless.

Meanwhile, her opponent was living on borrowed time. He couldn't maintain that bankai forever. In fact, according to Gin, the boy was even more limited in that respect than other captains. Tezima took careful note of the flower petal timers that accompanied his second release. They had crumbled to less than half by the time she lost sight of him. Only one timer remained intact, perhaps not even that by now.

Soon enough he would be forced to act. And then she'd move in for the kill.

Tezima climbed a little higher on her perch, grimacing as she did. Since her earliest memory as a Hollow, the ghostly spy had never been comfortable with heights. While other spirits flew with ease through the world of men, Tezima grew more panicked and queasy the farther she got from the ground. It was a weakness, but not the sort she couldn't overcome if necessary. And she had learned to work around it.

Suddenly the Hollow tensed. He's here!

The shinigami, colored black, burst from hiding down the way. She made no move against him, only watched warily. A good thing too, because the boy immediately went on the attack. His zanpakutō whirred around him, talons and tail swinging wildly in every direction. The speed at which he fought was unnerving, even more so when there suddenly appeared an exact copy of him performing the same sword dance only a few paces off.

Gemelos sonido? No… they call it usutsemi. Same thing either way. As she watched, one of the flailing images disappeared, the speed clone being replaced shortly after by another, and then a second. There seemed to be no more than three of them at any given time, zipping around the corridor in a frenzy as though attempting to strike every inch of surface they could find.

Was that the best he could come up with to counter her ability? 'Slash around, you're bound to hit her sometime!' He was only wearing himself out. Still, Tezima scaled a little higher to put herself out of reach. Since he was currently black, the after-images proved to be as well. Let the brat exhaust himself. Once she judged him sufficiently weakened…

Abruptly something caught her eye. One of the clones had stopped moving and now stood stock-still with sword raised. Or maybe it was the real thing? But the Gemelos remained moving around it, so that couldn't be right.

Then the same thing happened elsewhere, leaving a solid silhouette of the shinigami captain outlined in perfect relief. Before she knew it there were half a dozen of these dark copies standing motionless in different postures all along the hallway.

Tezima hunched in on herself as she considered this new development. He must be trying to confuse her. But how could this be of any benefit? Then she spotted another telling detail; the statues, or whatever they might be, had neither wings nor tail. Rather they looked more like the boy in his unreleased state.

Disturbed, the arrancar resolved to learn a little more. She slid cautiously through her personal hideout, careful not to emerge from hiding until coming upon one of the unmoving mannequins. Its outline looked precisely like the shinigami captain, yet no spiritual power dwelt in it that she could detect. Without making a sound and ready to flee at the first hint of danger, Enfain reached out and lightly touched her claw against a part of this thing that shared the same color band as her.

Ice.

The boy's making ice statues of himself.

As she puzzled over this, a voice said, "Now I got you."

One globular eye had been keeping track of the shinigami and his doubles while she performed her inspection. It did not escape her notice, therefore, when the speed clones simply vanished. At the same time, the shinigami's power level took a sudden nosedive. He deactivated his bankai? No, more than that… even his shikai's been sealed.

When the Hollow looked around, all she saw were frozen statues scattered throughout the tunnel. Nothing moved. They were works of art, standing with swords raised ready to attack. Yet under the influence of her magic, these solid black counterfeits were visually indistinguishable from the real thing. Like a hall of mirrors…

"Try and guess which is real," her target called again from somewhere in that parade of duplicates. Though she concentrated, Tezima could not make out which of them spoke. "Just know, the second you get too close… you die."

His words chilled her. Yet at the same time, she recognized this for what it was: a desperate ploy.

He's masquerading as one of these things; wants me to start smashing them and give myself away. Even if I use a Cero to rid myself of them in one fell swoop, he'll still be able to pinpoint my location just like before. Then he'll hit me with some kind of finishing move. Without his bankai, I can't depend on him to drain his reserves, so he's counting on me getting nervous. And since he's actively suppressing his power, he thinks I won't be able to sound him out.

But I can.

With that she activated her pesquisa. The advanced Hollow move echoed soundlessly through the cave, rebounding off any and all spiritual loci, registering only to her senses. While constrained by the bounds of the sealing spell they both found themselves captive in, a signature immediately leapt out all the same.

Ah… there you are!

Ringed by other ice sculptures, the boy had positioned himself before one of the openings to that Neverending Road spell. He crouched there without moving a muscle, the right side of his body presented towards the gate, blade held horizontally before his face. She studied him, then glanced back down the tunnel's length.

I see… he doesn't want me to come out from behind him like I did before. There are chiaroscuro stripes running through those portals. One's mostly black, and the other's largely white. From that position he can keep an eye on both of them. Even if I try to sneak in on one side, no matter what color I am, I would be visible immediately before or after coming out. He'd spot me coming either way. Not bad, boy.

Even as she thought this, the arrancar was gliding along the strands of her abode, drawing ever nearer to the unsuspecting youth.

She took care to find intersecting white lines while avoiding the sculptures. It was like following a path through a maze. Given the time to select her route, she could approach him without exposing herself at all. Most of him was in a white area, with bands of midnight passing through other parts of his body. Were Tezima herself black, she couldn't touch him in those spots; but being currently white, he was vulnerable no matter how she chose to attack.

Only a few meters separated them now. Here the Hollow assassin paused to inspect the surroundings while debating how best to proceed. A head shot would be the surest means of finishing this. She had observed the boy's tendency to put protective magic around his throat. But the venom she applied to her weapons had already proven capable of piercing that.

Tezima stole a suspicious glance at the surrounding ice statues. There was nothing special about them to her eye; none of those sleeping kidō spells or anything like that. They were only meant as a distraction. Still, it was necessary to maneuver around them inch by inch, just in case touching these things would alert him to her presence somehow.

By now she had settled on her strategy. Come at him from directly above, the one true blind spot. No armor on his head; no way to stop her this time. Just have to make sure and strike deep.

Alert for any danger, she crept above her prey, mastering the sense of disorientation this produced in her. Heart pounding, Tezima licked her lips. She stared down at the hapless target. As always, fear and uncertainty rose up to choke her heartless soul. If anything goes wrong, I might… no, stop it! Doing nothing gets you killed. Only those who act stand a chance! Victory demands risk. Now GO!

Silently she dropped down, blades ready for the kill.

Tezima hit the ground. Disoriented, she scrabbled to her knees. I missed him?! How…?!

All around her, everything was black.

Primitive instincts screamed a warning. She spun around, and time seemed to slow as the tip of a sword came rushing towards her face.

Pure white blood spattered against the ebony earth.

The power of Ciao Roscuro shattered even as an awful scream erupted through the cave. Enfain Tezima staggered back, her right eye a ruined mess. Somehow she had managed to jerk her head back enough to keep it from being a fatal strike. But before the arrancar could make any further move to save herself, something wrapped around her upper body, pinning both arms to her sides.

Through a haze of blood and hate, the Hollow looked up to find Tōshirō Hitsugaya standing over her. A chain now emerged from the hilt of his zanpakutō to wrap around her, crescent moon dangling off it. There was nothing but cold contempt in the boy's face as he raised his executioner's blade before bringing it down to split her skull.

"Nope!"

Metal rang against metal. Both opponents were too shocked to move upon finding Gin Ichimaru standing between them with Hyōrinmaru caught on the haft of his dagger.

"Congrats, kiddo!" Ichimaru grinned, eyes squeezed shut with malicious glee. "You passed another test."

He then gave a negligent flick of his wrist. Under normal circumstances, Hitsugaya would have been able to resist this. But with the limiter seal active, it felt as though he had been hit by a truck. The boy captain was sent hurtling away.

Gin watched him vanish into a wall. With an amused chuckle he returned the short sword to its sheath before rounding on the defeated Hollow. "Ya doin' alright there, Tezima?"

Enfain could do nothing but thrash and kick on the ground, uttering animalistic snarls as she pressed both hands to her bleeding socket. When no response came, Ichimaru uttered a slight, "Hmph!" before passing a hand leisurely through the air. "Hakufutsu," he murmured.

Purple cherry blossoms fell around him, followed by a white haze. Moments later his subordinate's struggles diminished until at last she lay still, lost in the balm of dreams. Gin picked her up and, after taking a final look around, shook his head before departing.

Moments later Hitsugaya popped out ready to do battle come what may, only to find his enemies had already vanished. Instead Matsumoto leaned against a wall with arms crossed and a smile on her face worthy of Gin. Just as he was about to demand an explanation she began to applaud.

"That was awesome, Taichou." When he appeared skeptical at her sincerity, she went on to add, "Seriously, this is me being impressed here. I don't even know where to begin, so just please… accept my sincerest praise."

"Right," he grumbled, returning sword to scabbard on his back and striding off. Matsumoto took notice that he was still limping, so clearly not all was right with the world just yet. She trotted gamely beside him, pretending not to notice his discomfort as she strolled leisurely along with hands crossed behind her head, bosom bouncing with every step.

"So…?" she finally asked.

"So what?" he retorted harshly without even looking at her.

"Aren't you just dying to explain how you triumphed? Because I thought she had you dead to rights, and then… blam-o" She flicked a glance down at her tiny colleague. "I mean, if ever there was a time to boast…"

He stopped and turned to look her square in the eye. "You sent me into a trap."

Matsumoto hesitated, face clouding over slightly, only to lapse into an expression of cool dispassion. Her voice did not alter in the least when she said, "I did."

The boy continued to stare at her, wrath brimming just below the surface. Ice crystals formed around them, invisible in the lightless confines. At last he seemed to find his voice. "Had it been…" Here he paused as if searching for the right words. "Would you have come to my aid, if it looked like she was about to kill me?" There was no need to ask whether Gin would have.

She cocked her head to one side, honey-gold hair shifting in a cascade of beauty. "I can't. Not anymore. We both agreed. From now on, it's all up to you."

They stared at one another.

At last Rangiku simply had to ask. "Are you still determined to proceed, Captain?"

His expression was unreadable. She found herself holding her breath at what response he might give.

When he spoke, all Hitsugaya said was, "I wouldn't want to disappoint you." After that he continued on his way.

There was a hint of accusation in his tone that hurt. But the former lieutenant knew she deserved it one way or another. She moved to catch up and immediately resumed her interrogation. "So with that out of the way, be honest: what happened back there?"

"I had to find a way to catch her in a trap."

Apparently Tōshirō was not quite cruel enough to leave her stewing with curiosity. Or maybe this was his way of dealing with frustration. Either way, it was a relief.

"She controlled the environment, and the only kidō that seemed to work on her for sure was Neverending Road. So I cast multiple versions of the spell all around me to create a sort of 'box.' That way whatever direction she came at me, even above or below, I could trap her in one of them. Though I couldn't tell where she was coming from, the moment she got too close, I'd have her."

Matsumoto's eyes sparkled as the plan became clear. "Oh, that explains it!" She threw a look filled with admiration at her short colleague. "You saw that the charm for Neverending Road was visible as a white circle because of her power. So you made sure to keep each one small enough to fit completely inside a white space and blend right in, using the cover of all those usutsemi clones and ice sculptures to disguise your casting them!"

"The statues were more than that." They were passing one of the items in question, and Hitsugaya reached up to casually break off an icicle of spiky hair, which he then began sucking on like a popsicle. Between licks he added, "With the environmental constraints, I had to make the box small. And once I was inside, if I moved around too much, I might wind up stepping into the spell myself, tripping it prematurely. That meant I would basically need to stand still for an extended period. But if I did that, she might have grown suspicious and not taken the bait. This way served to explain why I wasn't moving, and also made her think that was my only plan."

"Yeah, I wasn't too impressed by that battle strategy myself," Matsumoto confided. Then a thought occurred to her, and she rounded on him brightly. "So you hid one end of each spell in the white stuff around you, thus preventing her from reaching you once she was inside. But in order to disguise their other ends you stacked them all…"

"… over the one that you had already made," he cut in, probably just to beat her to the punch and deny any bragging rights.

"Which also meant you would know exactly where she'd come out no matter which spell she was trapped in!" Matsumoto made sure to rush. A girl had her pride, after all.

The pieces had clicked into place. The result was his victory. Sure, there might have been a bit of luck and guesswork involved. But when you came right down to it, this boy really was something else. He figured out how to use the enemy's own trump card against her, and in a miraculously short amount of time. All despite being wounded and taken by surprise.

"You're a genius, Taichou."

He merely grunted, consenting to let her escort him to a more comfortable locale. Matsumoto found herself humming with excitement.

Still think we can take him?

Oh, yes.

Good. Because afterwards, we're gonna fuck his brains out.

Down, kitty.

Strike while the anvil's hot, my girl. And so is he.

Tōshirō looked at her strangely when she chuckled, but she knew he wouldn't find it as funny, and chose to keep mum.

"HEY!"

Hiruko looked up. It was lunchtime at daycare. Having gone outside to eat, she and her friend Yua now crouched watching a praying mantis walk across the playground. Three bigger boys she didn't recognize stood across from them.

The one in the middle came up to her and said, "Your brother's a liar!"

Hiruko scrambled to her feet in an instant, neither knowing nor caring what brought this on. "No, he's not!"

"Yeah, he is!" The boy took a step closer. "He scared my sister! He said a ghost was following her, and my mom said there's no such thing as ghosts!"

Fuming, she faced him down. "You're a liar!"

By now Yua had gotten scared and run indoors. No one else was outside. Breathing hard, Hiruko glared at the boys. There were three of them. It wasn't like in the dojo, where you were only allowed to fight one-one-one. They were going to hit her all at once.

But Arisawa-sensei said she should always be ready to fight back, no matter what.

"You don't know my brother!" she insisted. "He can to see ghosts!"

"Now you're a liar!"

And with that, the boy shoved her hard in the shoulder.

Hiruko's eyes narrowed…

"Thank you both for coming in at this time of day." The head of the daycare center, Mr. Muyo, took his seat behind the desk and regarded them with a frown. "I am afraid this incident is very serious."

The Kurosaki family sat across from him. Until today he had only met the mother, a very proper and dignified young lady who ran a grocery store. The father was unknown to him, but looking at the man now, Muyo could tell where the problem originated. Even at his age, Ichigo Kurosaki dyed his hair a ridiculous shade of red. No wonder his daughter turned out this way!

Between them, little Hiruko stared at the floor with tears in her eyes. Her hands twisted the fabric of her dress. Despite this, she in no way appeared contrite. That simply would not do.

Muyo leaned forward in his chair and laced his fingers before his face. "Hiruko-chan," he said sternly, and observed her flinch with satisfaction. "You hurt that boy very badly. Do you understand?"

"That kid didn't even go to this daycare!" her father interjected hotly. "Why was he allowed to–?"

Angrily Muyo slammed a fist on the table. "That is NOT the point!" He had been willing to treat them respectfully, but clearly someone needed to educate this young couple. "Your daughter broke that child's nose and shattered his arm! I hate to think what might have happened if a teacher had not come out before anything more could be done! What do you have to say for yourself?!" he thundered, glaring down at the little girl.

In response she sniffed and muttered, "I didn't do it."

"Hiruko…" her mother sighed regretfully.

For his part, Muyo could not believe this level of intransience in a four-year-old. "Didn't do it?! The boy's friends saw you! The teacher saw you about to–!"

"They're LIARS!" Hiruko suddenly screamed in a voice so loud it made him jump.

"HIRUKO!"

The father's voice cracked like thunder, and immediately the girl cringed, shrinking into her seat where she began to sob. Her mother immediately placed an arm around her shoulders and she buried herself against the young woman's side.

Distressed at his loss of composure, Mr. Muyo coughed and stood up a little straighter. "I am very sorry, but considering this behavior, I cannot countenance allowing her to–"

"Muyo-sensei…"

He drew up short. Across from him the tiny mother still held her crying daughter in a secure embrace. But her large eyes fastened on him with an almost palpable chill, and the administrator could not suppress a shiver.

"I can understand you are upset," she informed him, speaking in a very precise, dispassionate manner. "After all, were I the head of a daycare program that just permitted three youths off the street to come walking in and go wandering around, I would be appalled as well." A measure of accusation crept into her words. "And I know many other parents who would be equally distressed to find your facility so lax in regards to their children's safety."

A horrible feeling settled in Muyo's gut at the prospect, such that he feared becoming nauseous.

"Which is why I believe it would be best for all concerned if you quietly but firmly instructed your staff about being more attentive. And we, for our part, will not press charges against you for this incident, provided you take full responsibility in regards to the injured boy's parents."

She then picked up her daughter and stood before him with the bearing of a samurai lord confronting an unruly peasant. "I truly hope this is the last time we will have to speak on this matter."

So saying, she nodded to her husband before turning and striding from the room. Kurosaki appeared about to say something to Muyo, hesitated, and then simply followed in his wife's wake.

The thought of angry parents invading his office with threats of legal action made his innards clench. Hurriedly Mr. Muyo set about arranging a meeting with the other family involved, whom he would do his best to placate and thus hopefully not require any sort of call to the police.

If only his deadbeat son didn't already have a record! No wonder they called him Yokochini behind his back…

"TATSUKI!"

A thrill went up her spine, and the world-champion karate practitioner glanced up from the autograph book she was signing. Sure enough, Mr. Ichigo "Big-for-his-Britches" Kurosaki came storming across the outdoor food court at the mall. He wore an angry expression that made her want to kick his ass even more than the tone he used when calling earlier to find out where she might be at.

"Excuse me," Tatsuki Arisawa handed back the booklet to her fan, who bowed his thanks and went racing ecstatically off clutching his prize. She then rolled her neck and, adopting a pleasant smile that many opponents would recognize as a prelude to pain, went to chat with her old friend.

"So, what's got your diaper in a twist, huh?" she asked upon drawing closer.

Ichigo appeared taken aback by this hostility. They faced off amidst a crowd of people enjoying this beautiful summer day. Shoppers passed by chatting or absorbed in their phones, sometimes both, while others took pictures of their meals or, in some cases, whispered at the confrontation brewing not far away. It was good to have spectators, Tatsuki reflected. Wonder how many of them would cheer if I fractured his jaw?

Inwardly she strove to get a grip. Sheesh… I need to skip a few meals.

'Fool…'

It took a moment for Kurosaki to recover that anger high he had been riding. The big lump now confronted her as though he posed a threat. "My daughter just got into a fight at preschool! She's four years old! What the hell have you been teaching her?!"

Hiruko? This sounded serious…

"How'd she do?"

He paused mid-tirade, blinking. "What?"

"The fight," Tatsuki pressed him intently, itching to grab the big idiot and shake the answers out of him. "Did she win?"

"She broke the kid's nose," he informed her. Ichigo appeared to have calmed down a lot. Pity… "And shattered his wrist!"

Her eyes drifted off to one side. "Huh…" Then a slow, satisfied smile dawned on her face. "Nice."

He now regarded his childhood friend with a disbelieving stare. "Are you nuts? There's no way a kid her age should be doing things like that! Tatsuki…" Ichigo took a step forward. "Are you alright?"

His arm rose.

She knew he was only going to take hold of her shoulder, to offer reassurance through intimate contact. As a lifelong friend, he had that right. But all Tatsuki could think was seizing his wrist in both hands, twisting to throw him over her shoulder, and then taking advantage of his pinioned state to stomp him repeatedly in the face until there was nothing but screams and ruined bone, eyeballs smashed, teeth and brains spurting everywhere as he choked on his own blood…

'He means you harm.'

The young woman watched the hand approaching her.

'Kill him.'

Her fingers seized his wrist and…

Tatsuki felt bile in her throat. Her vision swam. But before she could lose her balance (and her sanity) she took a deep breath, steadying herself both inwardly and outwardly. She still kept a firm grip, preventing him from reaching her. Now, however, there was no chance of violence.

"I don't know all the details," she informed him in a voice that seemed oddly detached. "And I don't need to. I've been training Hiruko to fight back against anyone who tries to hurt her. Sounds like she can. You should be glad for that, Ichigo."

He still seemed confused. And for the life of her, Tatsuki couldn't understand why. What's wrong with him?

"What's wrong with you?"

For a moment it wasn't clear to her which of them had said that. Tatsuki felt her heart pounding, body growing hot as it did before a match. Sweat dripped down her ribs. What's wrong with…

"Me…?" she asked.

Giving an angry shake of her head, she let go and took a step back. All of a sudden, things were getting weird. Arisawa regarded her ally feeling more in control of herself. She never wanted him to look at her that way. "Hey, listen, I…"

"Tatsuki, I… Rukia and I… we don't feel Hiruko should train with you anymore."

His words struck like a punch to the gut, harder than any blow he could have delivered. It left Tatsuki feeling hollow inside. And… sad?

Did I make a mistake?

They looked at each other. Standing there, the center of attention for a whole mall, Tatsuki opened her mouth to tell him she understood, that he was right and there really was something going on with her…

Only what came out was, "You'll regret this."

Then she turned and walked away.

Arisawa was prepared to transmit herself if he tried to come after her. Even if suddenly disappearing made him suspicious. Whatever his intentions, right now she knew it wouldn't end well. Let him suspect her all he wanted. As long as they were safe…

Fortunately Ichigo made no such attempt. She got out of the mall feeling more and more frustrated as she replayed that confrontation over in her mind. Why did he say that? And why did I? This is infuriating! I'm all on edge! Goddammit, that little shit Tōshirō, when's he gonna stop screwing around with the small fries and fight me already?!

Right then a silvery chime resounded in her ears. Speak of the devil. Quickly she snatched out her phone and held it up. "Yeah?"

"Hey, there, little lady. Listen, the kid just beat Tezima, so whenever you're ready…"

"Yes."

"Sorry?"

"Today, tomorrow, whenever. As soon as he's at 100%... once he's recovered fully from what she did to him, get his ass back here." A fierce smile of unholy expectation stretched her lips. "I'm ready to pop."

"Okay, then…" And the line went dead.

Satisfied, Tatsuki was about to pocket the phone, then thought better of it. Instead she called Kon and told him to meet up at her place. This much pressure wasn't healthy. If she let it all out on the kid, he'd probably wind up dead. And there were other ways of relieving stress…

Besides, who better to listen to her complain about Ichigo? Carrot-headed jackass, indeed.

Tō-san and Kaa-san were both angry with her. And Hiruko hated herself.

Sitting in the front yard of the Usagi Shoten, the preschooler lamented the events of this day. There hadn't been a chance to explain. They just punished her. No TV for a month. That meant she couldn't watch her favorite program, 'Ghost Monk (also featuring the Spiritual Savant Don Kanonji).' Now she'd never get to know what happened to the planned exorcism of the ghost party at Osaka Castle.

It wasn't fair. The star of the show happened to be one of Tō-san's friends from high school, and his girlfriend/assistant/boss/whatever was the big sister of Keigo, who was always fun to visit. She never missed an episode! It wasn't her fault! Why wouldn't anyone listen?

Her parents told her she should run if another kid tried to fight her from now on. But Tatsuki-sensei said you should never run from a fight! Tatsuki would understand. During their next practice, she planned to tell her karate instructor everything. For now, Hiruko continued to sniffle into her knees, mad at herself and the world in general.

Suddenly she felt a weight settle on her head.

"Hola, prima," a merry voice chirped. "What's got you down?"

The girl perked up immediately. "NOBO!" she exclaimed with delight, plucking him off and holding him out before her.

"S'up?" The capuchin monkey bared its teeth and blinked great black eyes. He then squirmed loose and went hopping around, rolling and somersaulting in a blur of black and white energy.

Hiruko scrambled to her feet, all misery forgotten, to chase the frolicking critter through the yard. She was never happier than when they got a visit from their cousin Noboru. Always ready to play with her, full of games and stories, and so much fun he left her feeling exhausted after each visit. And he knew magic.

Hiding behind the bole of a tree, the little girl peaked around it. Her primate playmate had hopped atop a bench with his back to her and now made a show of peering about, shading his eyes with one paw. "Hmmm," he mused dramatically. "Now where did that funny little girl go? I can't see her anywhere!"

Quiet as could be she emerged from her hiding place and crept toward him. Each step closer was a harrowing thrill in anticipation that he might spot her and bolt. It was one of their favorite games. Only a few feet away now, and Nobo still hadn't turned around, mumbling to himself, looking every which way but deliberately not behind him.

Finally Hiruko couldn't take it anymore, and dove forward to snatch him up!

POOF!

A puff of red smoke rose around her. Shrieking in delight, the child spun waving her arms through fat clouds until she had dispersed them. In doing so she lost her balance and fell down, laughing fit to burst as she lay gasping on her back staring up at the sky.

"That's more like it. I'd rather see a smile than a frown any day!"

She rolled over on her side grinning. A few feet away Noboru Shihoin was pulling on a pair of worn-out jean shorts he had conjured from somewhere. A red sleeveless t-shirt then slipped down his slim chest. All healthy brown skin and messy black locks, the barefoot prince looked more like a street urchin from the Americas than a noble of the afterlife. But Hiruko didn't care. She scrambled up and raced over to throw her arms around him, which Noboru reciprocated gladly. He picked her up and spun her about before depositing his beaming cousin on her feet again.

The seeming youth then walked over and sat down on the same log as before. Reaching behind his back, he produced a cheerleading baton and began twirling it aimlessly around his fingers. Hiruko watched him excitedly, hoping they were going to play a game again, but instead Noboru just patted the seat beside him. "C'mon, sit. Tell Big Brother what's got you so down."

And just like that she remembered everything. The little girl's face fell, spirit deflating fast as it had swelled. Crestfallen, she sat down in the dirt right where she stood and started playing with her shoelaces. "Nothing…"

Noboru's head cocked to one side. He lazily kicked out his legs up and down, then finally spoke in musing tones. "Hmm… did you… get in a fight?"

Silence and an uncomfortable squirming told him all he needed to know.

"So I guess that means you lost, huh?"

Her head shot up. "No!" she declared vehemently, surprising him with the level of passion displayed. Seeming to remember herself, the girl settled down. He could have pressed her for more, but Feng had taught him the many uses of silence, something that did not come naturally to a boisterous soul like himself. So Noboru kept quiet, waiting to see what else might come out.

"Kaa-san and Tō-san… hate me."

Grief stabbed into him at these words. Instantly Noboru was down on his knees holding onto those tiny shoulders with a firm grip. "That's impossible," he declared adamantly. "You're the best and cutest little girl in the whole world. Even ghosts say so, and I should know. I am one!"

His attempt to inject some levity into the situation fell short, as his cousin continued to stare morosely at the ground. Recognizing this, Noboru drew closer to her with knees tucked against his chest.

"Ever'body hates me," she murmured

There was no way she could know how much it hurt to hear her say that. "Nobody hates you, chica," he insisted. "You're not old enough for it."

She gave a big sniff, face gone red as she began angrily tugging at her ponytails. Unlike her brother, Hiruko had a wild, unruly mane that she no doubt inherited from her father. Any attempt to style it went horribly awry, so often they just settled for slipping two hairbands of different color on and letting her go running off.

"I don't hate you." He craned his head down so that they were face to face. "Do you believe me?"

After a bit of squirming she managed to mumble, "Yes."

"Good. That's one down. Now let's start on the rest." The playful prince hopped up and began marching around her, spinning his baton like a high school cheerleader. He tossed it into the air, caught it, then did the same thing behind his back. As he had hoped, Hiruko was enthralled by his performance and had seemingly forgotten what got her down. At his command, two sparkling firecrackers appeared at either end of the baton, and when he next sent it soaring skyward to dizzying heights, their flashing crackles turned into a blazing wheel of fire.

Noboru caught it and bowed with a grand flourish. However, to his dismay, there was no applause. And when he looked up it was to find Hiruko staring at him with tearful eyes.

"Teach me to do magic!" she begged.

Unsure how to respond, the prince simply asked, "Magic?"

Climbing to her feet, Hiruko held out her hand. Warily he passed over his disguised zanpakutō. A part of him felt intrigued at what might happen next. Was he about to witness something special?

To his mild disappointment the girl stared at the colorful implement hard, then gave it a shake. When nothing happened she turned to its owner with a crestfallen expression. "It won't work. It's broken."

"No, chica," he sought to assure her gently. "A soul cutter will only really work for its owner."

His feisty little cousin appeared to chew that over, then said, "How do you make it work?"

"I perform his release command. Then it all comes out."

Eagerly she thrust out the weapon. "Show me!"

Well, if it made her happy. He accepted his zanpakutō, held it aloft and declared, "Grow, Hanuman!"

In a swirl of scarlet, there now rested a gleaming power pole in his hand, topped by golden pointed knobs. Noboru spun his partner around his fingers, causing it to lengthen and shrink with every revolution. Then he snapped it back, and once more a plain old baton appeared in his palm.

All throughout Hiruko stared with an intensity that only children could display. When he finished she timidly held out her hand. "Can I do it?"

Ouch. Let her down easy, will you?

We'll try.

Once again he handed over Hanuman. This time the determined little soul stared at it for a long time, concentrating hard. At last she shouted, "GROW HANUMAN!"

Nothing happened.

At this Hiruko gave a dejected gasp. "It's not fair." Tears welled up in her eyes again, and her lip began to tremble.

Noboru came to a decision. "Here." He reached out to place his hands over hers so that they held the zanpakutō together. Murmuring a spell, he allowed his spirit to reach out. A light chime like a silver bell sounded, and Noboru waited for some kind of response. Anything would do.

But at last his face fell. He looked at her sadly. There was no point in lying. "I'm sorry, bonita. I don't feel any kind of soul power in you." When she seemed ready to cry again, he quickly sought to lessen the blow. "But that doesn't mean you never will have any! I mean, look at your Papa's friends Chad and Ryō! They started out regular people, but over time, they got super strong spiritually! So maybe the same thing will happen to you one day?"

She shook her head, sniffling. "I wanna be good now!" Hiruko sobbed. "I wanna be like Jaku. I wanna see ghosts!"

He took his little cousin's hands and squeezed gently. "One day it will happen. I promise."

"No, it won't." And she lifted her head, wearing the most miserable expression he had ever seen. "Cos I'm broken."

"You are no such thing."

At these calm words they both looked to the front gate. Standing there in a sleek tuxedo was Byakuya Kuchiki.

Instantly Hiruko took off and ran to her uncle. When the mournful little soul came up to him he knelt down to take her into his arms. She hugged him fiercely back, weeping out parts of a story he already knew by now. But if it helped her, nothing else mattered.

Noboru came over to stand by his father's side. He patted Hiruko's head gently.

Eventually they went inside. After promising to come play with both her and Kujaku later (they seemed to find his drawings highly amusing for some reason), the Lord-Commander of Seireitei left the little girl in his son's care and went to speak with her parents. They conversed for a time on certain topics that needed to be addressed.

At last Byakuya felt he had said everything of value, and went to join Noboru in playing with his niece and nephew. He found himself quite pleased by the promise shown in Hiruko's calligraphy, and made sure to convey this to her in a suitable fashion.

'Are you feeling better?'

"Mm-hm." Absorbed in practicing her penmanship, the little girl concentrated on getting it to look just the way she wanted. Noboru and Oji-san were sitting a ways off being regaled by one of Kujaku's stories. They did not notice her talking to herself.

'I'm glad.'

She could feel Kuchiki's approval. Her spirit guide did not often speak to her when other people were around. He could be very shy. For this and other reasons, she had not told anyone about him yet.

'Hiruko? Do you really wish to see ghosts?'

"Uh-huh." Make it a nice smooth line…

'Then I will show you. Look out the window.'

She did so, and the child's breath caught in her throat. Outside, night had fallen. The full moon bathed Karakura Town in its gentle glow. And leaping across the rooftops, two death gods stood out against that glowing white orb.

Hiruko recognized them immediately. How could she not? That was her father, Ichigo Kurosaki, tall and handsome with a gigantic sword bound to his back. He moved with strength and purpose, completely free, unhindered by the problem with his knee he often complained about. The blazing smile he wore made her heart leap to see it. He looked so happy. Like a hero!

At her dashing parent's side raced a smaller figure, though no less impressive. A black cloak flapped elegantly behind Rukia Kuchiki as she danced on air. The sheathed katana hanging at her hip seemed to sparkle under the moonlight. Tiny yet irrefutably graceful, she kept pace with her partner, leaping assuredly across the sky like a butterfly.

The only observer to their departure whispered, "Beautiful!"

Bounding up towards the clouds, the shinigami pair were eventually lost from sight. Shaking her head, Hiruko let out an amazed laugh. Noboru noticed and smiled at her, as though asking what was so funny. But his cousin only grinned and went back to her drawing. Only now she concentrated on getting that scene committed to paper.

The Shihoin prince was just glad to see her in good spirits again and soon returned to the storytelling prowess of his other cousin. While their parents engaged in a less-than-legal spiritual patrolling of the town, father and son played the part of babysitters, taking a shared delight in watching these two dear souls who had brought their family even closer together.

It came as a shock when the hell butterfly alighted on Hitsugaya's arm to inform him his next opponent was waiting. So soon? It had only been four days since his battle with Tone Death. Time enough to recover here in Soul Society. Still, they were cutting it close.

Perhaps someone is feeling anxious.

Think I know which it is. Better check my itinerary to see who's available for me to blow off.

A quick review confirmed he was scheduled to spar with the leaders of Tiger tomorrow. Tōshirō didn't like to admit how relieved he felt at the prospect of excusing himself from another round of that particular nightmare fuel. Fortunately Zaraki hardly ever came in from the field these days, so there was little chance of him showing up to ask what administrative affairs were keeping the head of Leopard Squad busy. Yachiru, on the other hand…

Maybe I'll have Ryuko send the cancellation notice. An hour before we're scheduled. And then give myself time to clear out. Just in case.

Truly, the machinations of a genius.

Spare me the criticism. I should at least get support from my own soul cutter when it comes to our continued survival.

Wherever you run, I shall follow.

There were less insulting ways of putting that, you know.

Be grateful I did not use them, then.

Whatever.

There was more of an audience this time. By the looks of it, Ichimaru's entire crew was in attendance, minus the recently defeated Hollow. Hitsugaya narrowed his eyes as he followed behind his guide. At the very least there would be no worry of an ambush this time.

"Care to let me in on the reason for them being here, Matsumoto?"

"They're your cheer squad," she drawled glibly over one shoulder. "Also your field support team, second line of defense, funeral mourners… really, whatever you need."

"I appreciate your concern," he gave a sour grunt, which only made her giggle.

Hitsugaya's attention now settled on the reason for his being here. Standing in the center of this prayer hall, the human girl Arisawa Tatsuki returned his steady stare with a disturbing intensity. Barefoot, she wore the same black sleeveless karate gi and pants he remembered seeing her in that day he fought her all unawares alongside Ichigo Kurosaki. And like then, the white tengu mask that previously concealed her identity was hiked up around her temples. No sign of her eerie partner, either. But Kon was in attendance at her right, leaning down to whisper in the girl's ear. She nodded absently and waved a hand in idle fashion as though dismissing his concerns.

The mod soul wore a worried frown as he hustled over to rejoin the human pair of Kunieda Ryō and Yasutora Sado. Behind them, standing on the raised platform once used for rituals of all kinds, Ichimaru Gin looked down upon his court with a sick grin.

It would seem we are being thrown to the lions.

Then let's give the emperor a show.

He was just reaching up to remove his coat when a gentle hand settled on his wrist. Glancing at her with a wary look, Rangiku just smiled bewitchingly. "Not today, I'm afraid," she informed him. "There's no talk of a limiter when you're going up against Khātam Suleiman, the Seven Voyages of Sinbad…"

"Seven Deadly Sins," he informed her with a sigh.

"That's what I said! The Sin of Gluttony."

Across the way, his enemy had donned her mask in preparation. The Tengu now watched standing seemingly at ease while Matsumoto activated the encircling ring of Neverending Road spells which left one side of the cavern lost to view, obscured by an endless forest of pillars.

"We'll be ready to intervene if things get ugly." Rangiku stepped back to regard him critically, one finger pressed to her cheek with a pouty moue. It occurred to Hitsugaya she did not seem impressed by what she saw. Then with a bright exclamation of, "Oh, well!" the charming brigand turned and sauntered over to speak quietly with the other fighter. For his part, the captain of Leopard Company studied both women.

I'm not sure which of them is more dangerous.

Considering we still cannot sense the Tengu's power, that much is obvious.

We don't need to feel it. Unlike Tone Death, I've fought this one before. So I already know she's stronger than me.

That is… a surprising admission, coming from you.

Not like I considered myself invincible. Especially not after the year I've had.

Hitsugaya continued to wait while their conference continued. The Tengu, or Khātam Suleiman, reciprocated. Even covered by the mask, he felt her eyes boring into him unsettlingly. There was a hint of bloodlust in the air he usually only attributed to Hollows. Which left him even more uncertain as to the spiritual makeup of the person he faced. Just what kind of being was this?

And can we beat her?

There are many ways to achieve victory.

By now Rangiku had finished going over the rules, or whatever that had been about. She drew to a spot halfway between the combatants, looked between them one last time, and said…

"Begin."

Then they were alone together.

One hand crept up to take hold of Hyōrinmaru while every spiritual sense he possessed focused upon that weird figure. She made no move against him. Grasping the hilt, Hitsugaya began to ease the blade free. Even when it cleared the scabbard, the expected assault did not manifest. He hesitated. Was it possible she didn't want to fight?

Just as he was about to try and speak, the Tengu uttered a shaky sigh.

"Don't make me wait," she whispered.

For some reason those words filled him with dread. The implication was clear, and the danger very real. There would be no chance of mercy on that end. So he came to a decision.

"Bankai! Daiguren Hyōrinmaru"

Spiritual energy roared. It felt like an icy comet colliding with the planet, followed immediately by a cry of….!

Only pain.

For a moment the scene appeared to be frozen to the onlookers. Tatsuki now stood before Hitsugaya, her first driven into his stomach. The boy captain's face had gone white.

Then time reasserted itself. Those emerald eyes rolled up in his head, and Tōshirō vomited up blood before collapsing in a shuddering ball on the floor.

"No…"

The Khātam Suleiman stepped past his prone form, muttering angrily to herself. "No, no, no, no, NO!"

She threw a punch at empty air, followed by a roundhouse kick. Emitting a frustrated snarl, Tatsuki then spun around and screamed, "IS THAT IT?!"

Vainly Hitsugaya strove to rise, only to find his arms could not lift him, and he sank back to the ground coughing.

Observing this, the Tengu gave an exclamation of disgust. She padded a few steps off on bare feet, that lone black crow's wing flapped restlessly at her back. Feathers ran along the tops of her arms and shoulders, while wicked talons curved from bare hands and feet. Appearing to mull over the situation, Tatsuki then glanced back over one shoulder at her fallen foe.

On the periphery of the fight, beyond the reach of the looped dimension-altering spells, Kon cast a worried look around. Matsumoto had a hand to her mouth, those beautiful blue eyes wide with horror, while beside her Gin kept right on smiling. He was clearly enjoying this. Meanwhile, Kunieda and Chad observed with equally impassive faces. But the giant's hands had curled into fists. His girlfriend kept a grip on his shoulder, perhaps to keep him from charging to the rescue.

Disturbed, the mod soul turned his attention back on the two fighters.

Against all odds, the kid had climbed to his feet, though he had to use that huge sword just to remain upright. It was sickening how bad he looked. One hand clutched his stomach as he mouthed the words to a healing kidō, the incantation interrupted by retching, bloody coughs.

Fortunately Tatsuki must have been feeling merciful, because she let him pull it off without going in for the kill. Now as restored as he could be under the circumstances, Tōshirō focused on the maniac across from him.

A single punch nearly ruined me. It felt like taking a hit from Zaraki on a bad day. Where is she getting all this power?

Tōshirō…

Not now.

We cannot defeat her. I am sorry.

I'm not backing down, Hyōrinmaru.

There is more at stake than you. We have a purpose to achieve. Dying here will accomplish nothing.

If I can't even beat her, then what chance do I have against the real enemy?

Head swimming, blood dripping from his nose and mouth, Hitsugaya studied the girl.

"I wanted to get in one real hit, just in case that was all I got," she called. A malicious chuckle followed. In a voice dripping with mockery, the Tengu said, "But if I'm too much for you… guess that means the others can have their shot!"

Her wing extended down to cover Arisawa's whole body. When it swept out, three Hollows launched themselves screaming for Hitsugaya's throat. Their eyes burned yellow in the confines of their masks.

Icy steel flashed. Tōshirō did not appear to have moved at all, eyes locked grimly on the Tengu. Yet all around him, severed body parts fell, dissolving into flecks of inky ash.

"What have you done to yourself, girl?" he demanded softly.

Tatsuki merely lifted her arms in a shrug. As she did so, the feathered pinion stretched out, and her feet left the ground. She drifted upwards to hover several feet in the air. Watching her, Hitsugaya took a deep breath. When he exhaled, a cold mist came out with it, along with the words…

"Tensō Jūrin."

Immediately the room turned to ice.

Walls, floor, pillars. Any moisture in the surrounding area, no matter how small, was frozen. Everything, right down to the very air she breathed. However great her power, she was still human, which meant with every breath, his power should weaken her.

"I appreciate you have to kill me…"

He gave a start. Before him, the Tengu floated unharmed.

"But I'm afraid you have no fucking idea who you're dealing with."

As she spoke, five more bulky monsters dropped to the ground to come charging at him with hungry roars.

Hitsugaya made short work of them and took to the air. Without a doubt, those Hollows were emerging from her somehow. The Tengu lifted her chin as he rose above her, uttering a contemptuous laugh. It was then he finally noticed the black speckled band around her throat. At the same time, a small white helm briefly appeared before coiling in once more, arms and legs tightly gripping the skin. A faint red glow lit her mask from below, causing shadows to flicker across that inhuman visage. Breathing hard, Hitsugaya could only stare incredulously.

Is that another Hollow?

Some manner of animal variety. Perhaps a salamander? Whatever the case, I believe it is providing her with heat sufficient to negate my influence on her.

Where are they all coming from? It's like she's stored them in her body.

Only then did he recall Matsumoto's title for this challenger: Khātam Suleiman, or Ring of Solomon. The name meant nothing to him, but in addition, she had referred to this human as the Sin of Gluttony. All-consuming greed, devouring everything it came across… could that be the source of her strength? Had this human developed supernatural abilities like Kurosaki's other friends that allowed her to host Hollows inside herself? Arisawa was also one of the captives he helped free from the cultish caverns of Hueco Mundo. Could that explain her abrupt spike in battle prowess?

A bat-winged Huge Hollow suddenly tore at him with multiple clawed limbs, only to die seconds later, shattering in icy pieces on the ground that vanished soon after. The Tengu watched its remains dissolve, and heaved a sigh. "Okay," she said. "So the small fry aren't cutting it. In that case, why don't we try something more… hefty?"

At this she extended a hand. For an instant in her palm there bloomed a small blue flame. This will-o-the-wisp flickered briefly.

Moments later a fat arrancar dressed all in white appeared out of nowhere and immediately went streaking for Hitsugaya. "Go all out!" the Tengu screamed, and immediately her follower bellowed, "Expand, ESTŌMAGO!"

At this the hulking Hollow swelled like a balloon, turning darker as he did, a lurid shade of reddish-purple, until his body grew to three times its previous size. His facial features melted into that swollen mass, leaving only a lump with two glowing round eyes waving on stalks. All four limbs shriveled to dangle limp while lengthening and multiplying at the same time.

The body then split neatly in half. From each gelatinous midsection there now emerged coiling masses of tentacles. An even larger mouth sprouted in the middle, ringed with concentric rows of stubby pointed teeth, big enough to devour a Menos Grande's head in one bite. They resembled some manner of invertebrate sea creatures, one glowing a phosphorescent black and scarlet while the other had a more aquamarine coloring. Strangest of all, a great pulsating tube emerged from the blue one's mouth and attached to its counterpart, keeping them connected together.

The twin gurgling blobs rushed at him with tendrils outstretched, only to become solid ice.

There was no time for Hitsugaya to appreciate his vicious mastery of the environment afforded by Tensō Jūrin. As he watched, cracks appeared in the arrancar's surface followed by escaping steam. An instant later both halves of the Hollow burst free, wriggling wildly and uttering an inhuman bellow of rage. The shinigami prodigy banked away with a frown, his enemy in hot pursuit.

I would have thought it vulnerable to ice, seeing as how it resembles an aquatic lifeform.

Incredible regenerative power, even for a Hollow. I froze it to the core and still it survived.

Or perhaps… it reanimated itself somehow?

A beam of noxious crimson energy sprayed from the red one's tentacle straight at him. The valiant death god interposed Hyōrinmaru to knock this attack aside. Even as he did, however, a fresh occurrence dawned on him. To his consternation, a long tube had emerged from the scarlet jellyfish's mouth with a bulb on its end. In under three seconds, it had grown into a brand-new blob monster to match its progenitors, only green.

All three interconnected creatures shot in pursuit, the scarlet one continuing to fire death rays while its chlorophyl-colored counterpart emitted large glutinous bubbles from its tendrils that bobbed around the room.

Safe to assume those are toxic in some fashion.

Hitsugaya paid scant attention to his guardian spirit's assessment. Instead he concentrated on nimbly evading these attacks while at the same time invoking a spell. "Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini!" he growled. "Look upon yourself with horror, and claw out your own throat! Bakudō#9: Geki!"

Immediately the string of bubble monsters froze, awash in glowing red agony. Wasting no time, the master magician streaked in and brought his sword down on one of the creature's pulsating arteries. Perhaps they needed to keep in contact with each other in order to survive and produce more?

To his consternation, the blade passed clean through without doing any visible harm. Cursing, he was just preparing to try again when he caught of something streaking towards him out of the corner of one eye. A lash of his icy tail caused this projectile to explode. But when it did, a great burst of cotton-candy-colored gas emerged. Rather than risk breathing any of this effluvium he quickly put some distance between them, only to be followed by even more exploding pink cannonballs. They derived from a new beast of similar hue which had emerged to join its fellows.

The binding spell faded, allowing all remaining members of this thing to continue their vibrant pandemonium of carnage. Tōshirō was easily able to keep his distance, and was just considering how best to proceed, when the crimson half-sphere began spinning like a top, emitting rays wildly in all directions. They laid waste to the cavernous hall, ripping apart stone and leaving smoking rubble in their wake.

Even as the shinigami captain ducked and dove around these questing death beams, it occurred to him such an indiscriminate assault might have unintended consequences for anyone else in the vicinity. However when he spotted Tatsuki, she was hovering in midair, wing flapping idly while the initial turquoise component of her chosen champion floated overhead emitting a field of energy that encased them both and served to deflect any approaching shots, still connected to its attacking members by a throbbing umbilical cord.

Khātam Suleiman tilted her mask up as though feeling his eyes upon her. She then gave a bored shrug that clearly said, 'Is this gonna take much longer?' His lip curled in frustration even as he found himself on the run once again.

Does this guy just keep producing more variations until he hits on something that works?

It is like an interconnected organism. Or rather, a group of internal organs, acting together to form a system, and growing to meet the needs of its host.

A new ochre-flavored monster disgorged streams of syrupy fluid that melted anything they came into contact with. It resembled a long string of Chinese lanterns bobbing about the room. By now it had become obvious even the power of Tensō Jurin wasn't enough to affect this creature for any length of time.

Coordinated series of flash-steps left after-images that served to befuddle the Hollow sufficiently for the real Tōshirō to get his bearings. He observed how his maneuverability was growing increasingly limited by the moment. Soon the whole hall would be filled with this thing and its all-encompassing attacks. There seemed no limit to its growth potential, blessed with the ability to instantaneously reproduce from any attack. Or perhaps this was simply a form of consumption, swallowing up surrounding spirit particles which were then digested to create globs of excrement? A goldfish followed by its own trailing waste… well, its resurrección release was 'Stomach,' after all.

If it is a digestive system…

Then let's give it a case of constipation.

He flew then, soaring about the room at such speeds his cumbersome enemy was hard-pressed to pursue and settled for carpet-bombing the area until it seemed every available inch of space was filled with some lethal peril. But the soaring shinigami found miniscule gaps in this deluge that served to keep him safe while mouthing a double incantation. He needed the full strength of both in order to assure maximum effectiveness. Fortunate that Hinamori had long tutored him in the practice of concurrent spellcasting.

At the same time, a pearly mist began to encircle the captain's form, leaving sparkling diamonds of ice wherever he passed. The swirling cold grew more intense as it danced from head to toe. This was a move he had taken inspiration from while fighting the Espada Tia Halibel beneath the desert of Hueco Mundo. When he froze her blood-based body, she simply converted the resulting fragments of ice into daggers that served to spill his own blood. The concept behind it was indiscriminate carnage.

At last his preparations were complete. And not a second too soon. There was hardly anywhere left to stand. But this strategy seemed the most dependable. His bankai still had well over three-quarters of time left. And he would need all his remaining strength to deal with whatever the Tengu threw at him next.

Time to risk it all. His breath came in a frigid exhale as he murmured, "Tsurara Yoroi."

With a grinding sound, the tiny captain of Seireitei was shrouded head to foot in a carapace of sharp knives a foot long. The Icicle Armor added bladed implements even to his wings and tail, making him resemble a porcupine. If broken, they grew back almost instantly. An opening in his visor allowed him to see. While somewhat limiting his dexterity, he could still move fairly well.

With this taken care of, he completed the final syllables of his first concurrent spell. "Bakudō #89: Dankū!"

As he spoke, a shimmering wall of warding energy appeared to cover the mouth of the Hollow's turquoise member, the first of its breed. At almost exactly the same time…

"Bakudō #89…!"

Hitsugaya then launched himself fast as possible at the most recent blob beast's gaping maw.

"… DANKŪ!"

With an almost audible gulp, the tiny warrior was swallowed by that grinding gullet. Yet the moment he disappeared from view, another high-ranked warding appeared to block the monster's mouth, effectively stoppering it.

Watching this, Tatsuki Arisawa gave an unimpressed, "Hmph!" and fell to examining her own sharp talons.

Meanwhile, a disturbance was clearly taking place within the bowels of her protector. Something that resembled a glowing white star zipped through the pipe-like intestines of its lagging end, traveling back along the tracts of its whole length through one vibrant nodule after another, only to reach the end and go bouncing back. It repeated this process over and over. The horrific monster was seized by a terrible thrashing, resembling a snake that had swallowed some vicious struggling prey which continued to claw and bite savagely even while being digested.

More telling than this, there seemed to be a bad case of indigestion at play. From within every one of the chromatic creatures, new blends appeared. Blue and yellow alongside green, then the addition of red created a rainbow effect. Their bodies began to inflate as well, struggling to contain this unrestrained bout of input and output, still walled up by both powerful castings of Dankū. The colors blended together to form a phosphorescent white. Low gurgling screams could now be distinctly heard as the Hollow flared like a piece of lit magnesium.

"Shit or get off the pot, kid," Tatsuki huffed while buffing her nails on her shirt.

As if waiting for this, it all became too much, and the arrancar simply popped.

Hitsugaya Tōshirō emerged from its guts largely unscathed. There was less of a mess than expected. This was because his enemy had transformed back into humanoid form and lay on the floor of the cavern. The Hollow's stomach had burst open, allowing organs with sprouting mouths to snap and spit ineffectually before quietly expiring.

"Looks like somebody's eyes were bigger than his stomach."

The Hollow coughed up blood as Tatsuki alighted beside it. She ruffled her feathers loudly before holding out one hand. The blue glob of fire from before continued to flicker in her palm, and the Tengu gave an irritated sigh.

"Come on," she demanded in a casual voice. "Get back in here. Better luck next time."

"N… no."

The lone black wing shivered violently. "Say again? I didn't catch that."

"Let me… die." Trembling, whether from pain or fear, the fallen spirit managed to spit its next words clearly. "Even a slave… is permitted to die eventually. I fought… a worthy foe… and lost. My death should give… no dishonor… to Lord Aizen. So grant me… a warrior's death!"

Without warning a shadowy figure appeared at Arisawa's back sporting horns, wings, and a long pointed tail. White eyes glowed in an otherwise featureless face.

"You've gotta be kidding."

She lifted a bare foot and pressed down on the Hollow's bleeding guts, causing him to draw breath and scream like a wild beast.

"Guys like you… you're not warriors," she spoke as though carrying on a casual conversation that didn't involve torture. "You're just things. Creatures who gave up their humanity by telling themselves they could kill whomever they wanted. And it makes me sick to have garbage like you swimming around inside my skin, polluting me."

She then lowered the flickering azure nub until its light played softly over the Hollow's bloody tear-streaked face.

"But even more disgusting is the thought that your putrid ass might be purified from that kid's power. Then you'd go to Soul Society after you died, and live out your days happily alongside decent people who never became fucking cannibals just to stay alive. So instead…"

A spastic jerk of one arm might have been an attempt to snatch the blue orb. But the arrancar caught himself and snapped his jaws shut to permit no final whimper to come out.

"… you can just fuck off and die."

And so saying, she clenched her fist, crushing the shuddering candle flame.

It burst like a grape, squirting cerulean plasma that trickled through her fingers. The Hollow's whole body spasmed then sagged. His face went slack, eyes gone blank. Moments later his ruined form turned the color of ash and then crumbled away to leave nothing behind.

"SENNEN HYŌRŌ!"

Water crystallized, rising to form multiple ice pillars surrounding Tatsuki and her shadow. The flotilla converged with a boom like massive icebergs grinding a wooden vessel on the open sea to dust.

Hitsugaya lowered his sword panting. He watched the cold prison in which his enemies were entombed.

The ice exploded. And from within there came pouring hundreds of Hollows.

An army of heartless killers, shrieking and scrambling over one another as they bore down upon the lone death god in a rush. In moments he was surrounded, then subsumed. The undead mob bit and tore at one another in a frenzy to partake of his flesh. They screamed wordlessly, driven mad by their desperation and need. Slobbering and shrieking, snarling and snapping, they bled and raged, fought and cried.

With a snap like crunching snow, the Hollow army froze down to the bone. They remained in that lifeless tableau like a painting of white empty death before crumbling with soft little whispers.

Tōshirō stood unharmed. His armor was gone. Tatsuki too regarded him from the melting remnants of his attack.

"Come on," was all she said.

He lifted off the ground and dove at her, wings spread and sword aimed for her chest. Before he could even cross half the distance she appeared beside him. A clawed foot slammed into the small of his back so hard all his ice appendages burst into shards. She then whipped around in a tornado kick that sent him flying, only to reappear in his path and deliver a fearsome punch straight to the chest. His bones crumbled like chalk, and Tōshirō collapsed to the floor.

"Why don't you try making me a popsicle while you're down there?" she sneered. "Somehow I don't think I'll be getting much more out of this."

When he did not respond, the Tengu spat disdainfully and raised her claws in what was clearly a deathblow.

Before she could finish it, Kon appeared before her. "STOP!" he ordered fiercely, arms spread wide.

His sudden appearance seemed to give Tatsuki pause. At the same time, Kunieda Ryō crouched beside Hitsugaya's body with her back exposed and both arms wrapped tightly around the fallen shinigami. Rangiku knelt close by holding onto the human girl's hand, while Chad crouched over them both, shield arm raised for cover. Arisawa gave a slight shake of her head as though confused about something, then focused on her angry lover. "What?"

Matsumoto watched the befuddled Tengu carefully, and when Ryō gave an assured nod to indicate her power was working, she turned her attention to Tōshirō. "Captain?" the golden-haired spirit whispered. "Can you hear me?"

At first she feared they were already too late. But after a moment he gave a shuddering breath. His eyes cracked open painfully, struggling to focus on her. Blood-flecked lips parted, but only a ghastly croak came out.

Rangiku paled. She hung her head, shaking it slowly back and forth. "Tōshirō-kun," his former lieutenant sighed with regret. "It's time to decide. I can call a halt to this right now, provided you concede defeat."

The broken youth stared at her. It wasn't clear if he actually heard a word she said. Rangiku hesitated, searching his bleeding features for some sign of recognition. Eventually she decided to proceed as if he did. "That means the trials will end. For good. Gin has agreed to let you go free. Once you leave, you can never come back. But I think we can agree, it's certainly better than dying."

Again she studied him for a sign. A rasping quality to Tōshirō's breathing spoke of severe internal injuries. Rangiku was just debating whether to throw in the towel on principle and start first aid right away, when a sudden hitch in his breath made her own catch.

With it came a faint but definite shake of the head that said, 'No.'

Hot anger rose inside her suddenly. It took everything she had not to slap him in that moment. "Damn you!" she swore. "Damn you, you little…!" Panting with fury, Matsumoto strove to calm herself enough to gain coherence. Of all the stupid…! "I know why you're doing this, and it's completely insane! Do you seriously buy that delusional nonsense Aizen relies on?! He's as much a child as you are! So convinced of your own greatness and self-importance that you honestly believe nothing can stop you!"

Her face thrust close to his, blue eyes blazing as she snarled, "Forget about destiny and prophecy! No one's going to save you again. If you keep going with this fight, you're going to die. Do you believe that now? So just…!"

As quick as it came the fury was gone, and she found herself lifting a hand to her mouth as tears began to fall. Gazing down at the blood-spattered boy with a tearful smile, Matsumoto whispered, "Don't make me regret being on your team, kid. I don't need you to win every battle. You'll always be my hero. No matter what."

"And you're…"

Her heart leapt for joy at hearing his voice.

"… mine."

Rangiku blinked in disbelief. She looked at Kunieda to make sure that hadn't been her imagination. The human's face was cold and determined, but even she appeared a little shaken by what had been done here.

"Now let… me go."

He had made his choice. There was no gainsaying him. Grief settled over her like a shroud as it became certain she would now have to watch this foolish boy throw his life away.

As his loyal second… what else can you do? Let him have his honor.

That's not enough for me.

I'm sorry, sweetie. But this was never about you.

At a nod from her, Kunieda and Chad stood up. Carefully they edged as far away as they could. Steeling herself, the shinigami took a firm hold of both humans and flash-stepped them away, leaving her hero behind to die.

As soon as Tōshirō reappeared, Tatsuki took notice. "Oh." She placed a hand on Kon's chest and gently pushed him aside. He gave ground with an aggrieved expression but departed all the same. Their last resort had failed. Now it was up to him.

Scant time had been spent for Tōshirō weighing Matsumoto's offer. He was preoccupied with dying, and horrible memories served to remind him of the last time this happened, when he faced a seemingly insurmountable opponent. Overwhelming power. Helplessness. Fear. All this and more he had experienced fighting against a vasto lorde, even when she had been limited in her strength, on the day another Hollow god long thought dead abruptly reentered their lives.

And suddenly it came together in his head. Every piece fit.

While Tatsuki readied herself to strike, Tōshirō rasped, "Why don't you come out and face me… Cuarta Espada?!"

Arisawa paused as though debating something. Over her shoulder, the winged shadow turned its head to regard her. The Khatam Suleiman ignored this questioning look. She studied the small shinigami sprawled there coughing wretchedly.

After a while, when no further attacks came, Tōshirō managed to roll over onto his side and began the slow, agonizing process of getting back on his feet. At last they faced each other once again.

Tatsuki cocked her head to one side. "I take it this means you won't throw in the towel?"

Body screaming, bloody sweat dripping down his face, he managed to shake his head.

Upon seeing this, Arisawa reached up and dragged her mask off. She flung it to one side, black eyes thoughtful while continuing to inspect the resolute youth. "You know we're going to win. The outcome was predetermined. I can't imagine you've got any tricks left, much less the strength to cast them. There's no way to beat us, so just what do you hope to achieve?"

Tōshirō said nothing. He just swayed dizzily, looking about to keel over at any moment.

"You must have figured it out by now," Tatsuki continued in a bored vein. She examined her black-clawed hand disinterestedly, as though wondering whether to get a manicure after this was done. "I didn't take that soul cleansing pill you guys gave me. And as a result, I've gained power the likes of which you can't hope to defeat. But what good would come if you did, huh? This…"

She swept a hand down to illustrate the changes in her body. "You would have to take all this away. The power I fought to keep. No one gave it to me. I took it! Maybe the others would have gotten abilities too, if they had chosen to keep the vasto lorde's mark like I did. Then they'd never have to feel helpless anymore. Does that make me not innocent enough for you to save?"

When he didn't respond, her eyes narrowed. Suddenly in the palm of one hand a pale flame burned once more. As it did, the hovering shadow gained dimension. Flesh and hair grew, expanding into the outline of a man wreathed in demonic power. Like a dreadful fiend risen from the Abyss, Ulquiorra Schiffer loomed over the two of them in his Segunda Etapa. He did not speak. Lifeless green eyes absorbed the grisly scene before him without interest for what it might portend. Death held no concern for the Espada.

"Are you going to save me?" A sneer twisted Tatsuki's lips. The wings, feathers and claws she previously boasted were now gone, presenting a visage more human yet somehow even less humane. "Is that it? Man, you are so much like Ichigo it's not even funny! Both thinking you're fated to come out on top no matter what."

She crouched to get on his level, leaning an elbow on her knee with a wicked smile. "C'mon, hero. Gimme a speech! Something you can hang your hat on when they're carving your tombstone. Let's hear it, I'm waiting."

Remarkably, Hitsugaya began to edge toward her, the tip of his sword dragging across the ground. There was not even enough power to form ice.

A whisper of movement, and Ulquiorra's tail slapped the shinigami across his face, sending him pitching in a heap once more.

Lying on the stone, Tōshirō raised his head, shaking from effort as though wracked with palsy. He watched her with an unreadable expression. This continued silence on his part proved troubling. No doubt it was what led her to say what she did next.

"I feel like…"

She reached up a hand to clutch at her chest, twisting the black fabric and snapping it taut away from her. "There's something missing. Like there's a hole where my heart should be. It's been this way for years. A piece of me just got lost along the way. And every time I take a Hollow into me, that feeling goes away for a while. Maybe their emptiness counteracts mine just a little. All this… the Hollows… it's all to try and make up for that absence."

Her eyes drifted off to the side. "I can't describe it any better than that. But it's why I can't stop. Not until this feeling goes away."

To her disbelief the boy tried to stand during her speech only to end in abject failure. As she turned a cold, unforgiving look upon him he collapsed to take quick, short breaths. Restlessly the living imp jar waited for some kind of response. But nothing came from him. In the end she decided to just ask.

"So, can you do it? Can you save me? Or…" She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. "Do I have to kill you, and do it myself?" Her voice descended to the very depths of weariness. "Because I don't really care anymore."

In response his fingers tightened around the sword hilt. Bits of ice began to climb up his arm from there. Tatsuki's eyes narrowed in irritation. This was getting them nowhere. Let Kon chew her out later. Right now, that seemed preferable to letting this mess drag on any longer.

"Okay, then. Have it your way."

Next thing he knew, Tōshirō was yanked upright as his head snapped to the side from a punch that felt like it was going to break his neck. Another blow to the stomach ruined his insides. He spat blood, eyes growing wide with the realization that he couldn't breathe.

Ulquiorra let him go, only to lace both hands together and bring them crashing down on the back of the falling Hitsugaya's skull. Before his body could even hit the ground, the Hollow grabbed the boy by the front of his coat and held him on high, examining his quarry. The kid hung loose as a ragdoll. Head dangling limply, the sword slipped from his hand to lie on the floor like a whipped cur. There was not a trace of strength left in either of them.

And yet despite all this, the shinigami still lived.

The vasto lorde's eyes narrowed slightly. Anger stirred in his soul. Why do they never just die? He drew his free hand back, fingers extended like a spear in preparation to deliver a fatal blow. Upon seeing this Tatsuki felt sick to her stomach, but all she did was bend over and put a hand to her mouth in order to try and hold it back. Oddly enough, this made her smile.

Hitsugaya felt nothing. Neither fear, nor grief. There was no further impetus to try and strike back. Instead he found himself thinking about what might happen after his death. Ichigo Kurosaki would start to worry when he didn't show up for their training session tomorrow. He'd probably ask Nanao to look into it for him. His sisters might wonder whatever happened to the strange boy with white hair. Momo would no doubt remain missing. Byakuya would curse him for a fool, dying like this leaving Leopard Company without another captain. Growing up, it never seemed possible so many people would end up relying on him for anything.

I really let them down. What a waste.

It occurred to him then that he had been thinking about this for a while now without anything happening. Faintly Hitsugaya brought himself back to the world, wondering what might be holding up his execution.

Ulquiorra stood motionless before him. There was no light in the Hollow's eyes. He remained with arm upraised to finish the boy captain. Behind him Tatsuki was bent over slightly, one hand raised to her face, lunatic smile baring her teeth in a savage grimace. She made no move either. Nothing did, actually.

What is going on?

"Captain…"

Someone touched his cheek. His head turned painfully, to be met with a surprise.

You…?

"Yes," she said with a sad smile.

The face was unmistakable. Still, he found himself quite perplexed to be thinking of this person right now. She had been dead for years. Another loss from the Autumn War, when he first faced Ulquiorra Schiffer in battle. After the fight ended, her body was found nearby. No explanation for how she came to be there ever surfaced. Tōshirō always suspected it had something to do with her own past trauma.

They regarded each other for a while. Hitsugaya remained too confused to even ask any questions. Of a sudden she turned to face the Espada poised on the cusp of his murder.

"I won't let him take another life," she declared firmly. "Especially not yours, Captain. You were kind enough to allow me to continue as a shinigami, even when it was obvious that I could contribute nothing of worth. That gave me peace. I felt proud to die as a death god by your side."

What is going on?

"You were there for me in the end. Which is why I can be here for you," his former subordinate explained. "That human girl might yet be saved. I know from whence her grief derives. The miracle couldn't affect me, for I was already long gone when it was cast. With my help you might have an opening, for a few seconds at least. What happens then is up to you."

She bent close and uttered a spell into his ear. Hitsugaya recognized it. Without thought, he found himself mouthing the words to Kagami Togire, the Broken Mirror…

Sachiko Fugunushi, former Tenth Seat of Division Ten in the Gotei 13, took care of the rest.

As he was about to tear his victim's heart out, something moved off to Ulquiorra's side. He flicked a wary glance in that direction.

What he saw caused him to doubt his sanity.

Noticing this, Tatsuki frowned. She was just getting ready to call out to her familiar, when a voice she didn't recognize spoke her name from behind, and instantly the karate expert whirled ready for battle, only to go completely still as she found herself confronted by a vision of loveliness.

The young woman standing before her had long red hair similar to Ichigo's, with blue pins sparkling at her temples like stars. A strange white dress encased her curvaceous figure. There was no expression to be found on the beautiful stranger's face. Tatsuki couldn't remember ever having met a person like this in her entire life.

And yet for some reason, just seeing this girl made her heart feel ready to burst. Her chest ached so hard she couldn't take a breath, limbs trembling with a horrible numbing chill. A scream came bubbling up from the deepest depths of her soul, but not a sound passed her lips.

Who…?

Meanwhile, Ulquiorra remained motionless as his mistress, rooted to the spot. Every instinct he possessed was shrieking at him to escape this evil place. As much as he wished for it, though, the figure from his nightmares wouldn't go away.

Dressed as a shinigami. Both hands extended out to the Espada as though offering an embrace. The face, unforgettable, as it belonged to a dead man.

A man I killed.

He abruptly remembered again with stark clarity the moment before his previous death, when he had been about to destroy Ichigo Kurosaki and all his allies, only to be taken aback by the inexplicable appearance of this hideous specter from beyond the grave. The same death god lieutenant who fell to him years ago, slain by his hand.

Dead, dead by my hand, the dead, the dead…!

THE DEAD WON'T DIE!

"No…" a whisper emerged from his throat. Petrified, the Espada could only stare, shaking in pure terror. He had completely forgotten about everything else in the room. His claws opened, and Hitsugaya went tumbling to the floor.

The battered shinigami lay there for a while, aching and uncertain. Part of his brain began to wonder what might have saved him. Then he gave an angry shake of the head, dispelling this line of thought. It didn't matter. All that counted was he had been given a second chance.

A few feet off Tatsuki remained turned away. While she hadn't moved, something told him that wouldn't last much longer. His only hope was to end this fight in one shot. But he could barely stand. There was not enough strength in him to kill a fly, let alone this inhuman horror.

Human… that's right. No matter what else, she's still human. Which means…

One hand slipped into his robe, soon finding what he sought. Standard issue for any shinigami in the living world. It might just do the trick. If not… at least I went out fighting.

Summoning up whatever power remained to him, Tōshirō Hitsugaya took a deep breath and performed flash step.

He slammed into Tatsuki from behind. Instantly the spell was broken, and she came back to herself with tears coursing down her cheeks just as an arm encircled her throat. Sleeper hold!

Automatically she performed a vicious elbow strike to her opponent's stomach, feeling it connect solidly. She seized his wrist and twisted, then heaved forward to fling him over one shoulder. Hitsugaya landed before her with a cry of pain, and immediately she dove upon him, furious for reasons she couldn't pinpoint, knowing only here was someone who had attacked her, hurt her!

But instead of snapping his neck, she caught him in a chokehold just as he had her, constricting his throat with an unbreakable grip. Tatsuki felt her eyes burning from tears, and as the boy struggled she hissed painfully in his ear, "Sweet dreams!"

"You…" he gasped, fingers scrabbling ineffectually at her arm, "… first!"

As he spoke, what looked like a Pez dispenser thrust before her eyes. The cap was a little cartoon bird, and before she could think to question this odd sight it popped, bouncing around on a spring accompanied by a colorful puff of smoke.

As she breathed the vapor in, Tatsuki immediately felt drowsy. Her body went limp, all questions ceasing to matter. The world started going blurry around her even as the young woman pitched to one side. It proved strangely peaceful. Tears slid warm and wet down her face. She could see the bloodied Tōshirō gazing down at her with concern.

Then Ulquiorra appeared behind him, a Lanza del Relampago drawn back to take his head off. The blade swept down.

Cheap shot, Tatsuki thought as sleep claimed her.

The moment she passed out, Ulquiorra Schiffer was reduced to ash, his Lanza dissipating an instant before it could connect with Hitsugya's flesh. A slight breeze ruffled his hair and nothing more, moments before he joined his defeated opponent in sliding into unconsciousness.

Rangiku caught him. Immediately she threw herself into action with every spell and technique she could summon, working to stave off death. After confirming Tatsuki remained unharmed, she was joined by Kon, who utilized the skillset of his gikongan uniform to help stabilize the boy. Neither of them asked questions of each other.

Standing off to one side with Chad, Kunieda looked over at Ichimaru. The lord of the mountain watched life-saving treatment being performed on his enemy with arms crossed and smile blazing forth. She couldn't tell what he might be thinking. Eventually Gin turned and walked away.

There were only two left. But Kunieda was seriously starting to wonder if they needed to call in help.

"Is he dead?"

"I don't know."

The two children looked at each other, and giggled. Hiruko started poking and prodding the white-haired spirit as he lay before them. But when Shiro-kun refused to move, Kujaku shook his head matter-of-factly. "It's not working. He's asleep."

His sister blew out her cheeks and flopped on the ground beside him. "But we're dreaming!" she insisted. "You can' seep inna dream."

Hesitantly Kujaku crouched down and peered at the motionless shinigami's face. At last he stood up. "He knows we're here. But he's too tired. Let's leave him alone."

"O-kaaay."

The older Kurosaki sibling took his little sister by the hand and led her off. They walked through fragments of worlds and memories. Some of them he had long familiarity with. There was the kind old lady who lived in the woods. She was Shiro-kun's grandmother. He watched her meeting with the man carrying the baby again, before accepting it and going back to lay the infant in a crib.

Abruptly the scene switched to when the person he had come to know as Sosuke Aizen invaded the old woman's home. Jaku quickly hurried away from this one. It always made him uneasy.

The two of them journeyed past places and people that might have been in Soul Society. There were some very bad memories here. A lot of them seemed to revolve around a black-and-white demon with cold, frightening eyes. Shiro-kun fought this monster alongside their father and Uncle. Others were there as well. Rumblings shook the world, though, and Kujaku was quick to avoid these places. They felt especially bad for some reason, now more than ever.

Instead he led them back into the woods of childhood, where things seemed much safer. Shiro-kun and an older girl with brown hair played together in this forest a lot. The white-haired boy seemed content when he was with her. But there was a shadow following the girl around. When Shiro-kun saw it, he became angry and kept a closer watch on his playmate.

It was around this time Jaku realized his sister had wandered off.

"Hiruko?" he called. "Don't go far."

"I won't!" came back faintly.

He watched the two childhood friends at play. They were passing a ball from one to another. Abruptly the girl said, "You shouldn't look for me."

"I have to," Shiro-kun replied.

"Maybe I don't want to be found."

Kujaku noticed something odd then. The girl's shadow didn't belong to her. Instead it was that of a tall man.

The spiky-haired youth seemed to brood before tossing the ball back to her. "Momo?"

"Yes?"

"Who were your parents?"

"I don't know." She continued to play catch. "Granny never told me. Why?"

"I just wondered…" His eyes grew thoughtful, drifting to one side. The girl called Momo caught the ball and held it to her stomach patiently. "Back there, in the house… why was there a…?"

Her shadow twisted, and began laughing at them silently.

Something about the way they looked at one another made Kujaku uneasy all over again. He decided it might be best to leave. Where was Hiruko? "Ko?" he yelled. "Koko? Where are you?"

Silence. Then, far away and scared he heard, "Jaku…!"

He started to run.

Fear grew with every step. The woods were changing around him as Kujaku raced desperately along. No longer did they hold comfort. Now the trees looked dead, sky heavy with looming gray thunderclouds, and the soil turned rocky and unforgiving. He tripped and fell a few times, gashing open his knees. When he tried to catch the trees for support, they cut him.

This place… hates me!

It was now absolutely imperative he locate his sister. To his great relief he came out into a small clearing and found Hiruko standing there silently. When Kujaku came up to her, though, she turned her head to him. Face filled with fear, his sister pointed into the surrounding trees.

"Someone's coming," she said.

He looked where indicated. Nothing was there. Nothing that he could see. But… it was moving. Through the forest. He could feel it racing along. Fast, and purposeful. It knew they were there, and was coming to get them! He couldn't see it. Whenever he tried, it wouldn't let him, but still it ran, drawing nearer and nearer, filled with so much rage!

Run.

RUN!

Kujaku grabbed Hiruko by the arm, but she yanked herself violently away. "We don't RUN!" she snarled, not even sparing him a glance.

Before he could respond, it entered the clearing.

Poised motionless, the monster seemed to be waiting for them to make a move. It was huge. That much he could distinguish clearly. Despite this, though, he had no way to tell what it looked like. The most Kujaku could make out was something standing on four great legs. But the higher you looked, the less clear it became, like trying to see through smoke or fog.

A terrible snarl made him stiffen. He could badly feel the threat this thing posed. It looked down upon them with unspeakable savagery, ready to tear them limb from limb.

What should I do?

"Don't worry."

And Hitsugaya stepped in front of them. His face was eerily calm.

"I'll protect you," he said.

As the children watched, those silent figures stared one another down. Just when both felt sure they were about to fight…

Never come here again.

The terror turned and slipped into the concealing woods, disappearing from sight.

As soon as it did, all three of them were back in Tōshirō's childhood memories.

"Thank you."

Oddly, Kujaku found himself uncertain who said that. But more importantly, the shame that now gripped him proved unbearable.

Why didn't I do anything?! Hiruko might have gotten hurt! I'm supposed to protect her, that's what big brothers are for! Tō-san always says so. I shouldn't have left her alone!

Fists clenched at his sides, trembling with impotent frustration, he wished so badly to have actually fought back there, beaten the monster and sent it flying. But a sickening fear inside let him know that the creature would have killed him. And he could do nothing about it.

"Why are there so many monsters?" the boy gasped.

Right when he felt himself about to burst into tears, Hitsugaya placed a hand on his shoulder. "You don't know what that was," he spoke with quiet resolve.

What he meant wasn't clear. Still, the boy found himself feeling a tiny bit better. He looked over at Hiruko. "You wanna go home?" She gave a nod, and he went to stand beside her. "Are you going to come pay with us fo' real?" his sister asked their guardian suddenly.

"I need to get well first," Tōshirō informed them. "Don't worry. It won't take long."

They seemed happy to hear that. And so the children faded away, going back to their own dreams.

When they were gone, he looked around for Momo, but she was nowhere to be found. Could it really have been her? By now they had long realized that the Kuchiki lad was not only capable of slipping into their dreams, but drawing others in as well.

He shuddered at the thought of what they had so narrowly escaped. It would seem even here, Ichimaru remained a nightmare.

This caused him to remember something, and Tōshirō found himself saying aloud…

"Why was there a crib?"

When Tatsuki came to, she found herself lying on a cot in a darkened room. A small measure of light came in from the crack beneath the door. Other than this she was in shadow.

As she watched, part of the blackness moved.

'Dead…'

It was Ulquiorra. Her primary prisoner had been reduced to that semi-material form which was the best he could muster without her consent. In this state he was harmless, yet even were that not the case, something told Tatsuki he posed no threat to anyone right now. Schiffer was hunched in on himself, inky fingers clutching his arms tightly as he shuddered, muttering to himself. She had never seen the Espada so shaken before.

'I… killed him. The dead… won't die. Why won't they die? What am I doing wrong? What… have I done…?'

Her body felt hardly capable of moving. Yet seeing him like this made Tatsuki want to reach out and offer comfort to that evil soul. Sympathy for the devil? Not so very strange, after all. Tatsuki was surprised to experience the most profound sense of connection with the frightened Hollow. Maybe it had something to do with how drained she felt right now, empty of all that surging restless animosity that had been building up over time.

"We're the same," she murmured in commiseration.

His wings flapped restlessly. 'Silence, trash,' he rasped without even looking at her.

Rather than prompting outrage, this only made her smile.

"We're both haunted, Ulquiorra."

At this the anxious spirit grew still. He rounded on Tatsuki, eyes wide with shock.

'What… does that mean…?!'

She didn't answer. Instead Tatsuki Arisawa closed her eyes, the memory of a stranger's beautiful face guiding that broken girl into the first peaceful sleep she'd had in years.

To be continued…