Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Hornet and Phantom. Enjoy the 3200-word chapter. I don't own Bleach, Tite Kubo and a few others do.
Riku slid backwards, feeling his ribs compact slightly as Sui slid towards him. He brought up his sword in time to block the slash.
"Those ribs are still healing you know," Riku stated as he sent Sui sliding backwards. "Sometimes I think you enjoy hurting people," Riku added to which Sui only chuckled to herself.
"I believe I only enjoy hurting you," Sui responded, another of her signature smiles while she nodded to Riku. "Besides, you requested to have more training. If you are to be my student? Then I will be training you like one who is constantly under my wing." Sui added to which Riku could only roll his eyes as he did so.
He flipped backwards, dodging the next stab that almost caught his head where he stood. Sui flipped into a slash which was blocked at the next move. There was a smirk on their faces as they continued their dance of death.
"Don't get too cocky, Sui, it will do more damage than anything else," Riku stated as he tried to pivot around her slice. "And easy, your hurt someone who's carefully healing at the moment," Riku added with a smirk before he ducked a slice that almost took off his arm at the moment.
"Remind me to slice your mouth off," Sui responded as she flipped her sword around. "Your legs will be broken as many times as I say they can be. They belong to me just as much as the rest of you do." Sui added to which her student was silent at the second.
"That just sounds like there is a lot of ways to take that, you know," Riku stated while he slowly dogged another stab. "I might need a second. My ribs are still slowly trying to knit themselves together. Ow." Riku said before he shook his head, looking around with a pain in his stomach.
Sui sighed and sheathed her sword into the ground. She looked at him while he staggered towards the docks where they constantly battled. She was silent while her friend sat down at the edge of the docks.
"I'm guessing that 10 minutes will be fine for you to heal for another skirmish?" Sui questioned to which there was a nod. "Why did you have to do something as stubbornly stupid as put your life on the line for that? Your death at the target's hand benefited no one except the enemy." Sui said while Riku hung his legs over the edge.
"It gave you the opening you needed to defeat the enemy at the time." Riku put in which earned a smack to his arm. "The mission comes before one life. I just wish that there was some way that I could see you knock him into next week." Riku said as Sui hung her feet over the edge for the moment.
"You damn fool," Sui stated, a small smirk crossing her face as she did so. "Thank you. Even if it did almost did get you killed? It helped take the target down for the time being. I doubt he will emerge again with his forces decimated and one of my marks left on him." Sui added while her friend nodded.
"Then it seems worth it," Riku said before there was another slap on his arm. "I'm glad he didn't end up damaging my arms or such," Riku added to himself while he put a hand to his temples.
"Why did I have to befriend someone who was an idiot like you?" Sui asked to which Riku smiled. "I'm glad that you are ok like I said. I don't know what I'd do if that animal had killed you." Sui added and watched Riku nod to himself while he did so.
"It'd be interesting, I'd say that much," Riku stated to himself more than her. "I'm still glad they asked me to be the one to retrieve you. One day changes everything at the end of the day." Riku stated before he shook his head.
"Indeed, it seems that it changes daily. Strange, isn't it? I'm still adjusting to such a thing." Sui added while her friend raised an eyebrow and then started to nod. "This has changed a lot of how I view the world," Sui stated before she started to kick her feet back and forth in the water.
Riku chuckled while he started to think about their adventure. He considered himself a fool for believing that the rest of their enemies would collapse without Aiden. The hollows existed before him.
"I'm glad that the traitor isn't still an issue," Riku added to which he started to rub at his nose. "But this new Espada is… Dangerous. He's prideful and vain. Those sorts of people don't care what they have to do if it means winning." Riku stated while his friend frowned.
"Yes, but he can be beaten in combat at the end of the day," Sui responded while she hummed to herself. "That was evident enough from how I had stabbed him," Sui added as Riku shrugged to himself.
There was plenty of time for him to be stopped before the damage that he caused added to their issues. That did, however, depend on the rest of the guilds if they wanted the Stealth division to attack him again.
"It might be out of our hands, sadly," Riku stated while he frowned to himself. "If they had another division rather than us? It might go a lot less positively for our side. We both know what that monster can do if he gets more followers. I'm still surprised that he has hollows following him." Riku stated while he started to shake his head.
Sui frowned as she started to think of how best to defeat this enemy. If they decided to deal with it in brute force fashion? It could have turned him into a worse enemy. Argimenus was also clearly concerned with his survival. That meant he really wouldn't be willing to deal with the reapers.
"If he goes to the ground? His best move would be to gather more soldiers and plan a proper counterattack on us." Sui added before she slowly sat up. "Speaking of attack? Are you well enough to continue the battle?" Sui questioned while she walked to claim the sword.
Riku put a hand on his stomach and tried to feel any pain. He didn't feel many wounds at the second which meant that he could continue to fight if he wanted to.
'What would the doctors say?' Riku questioned himself mentally as he flipped to his feet. 'Would they be annoyed that I'm going to be back in business sooner or later? They are well aware that most of the soldiers in their care go back into the field early.' Riku also asked before he shook his head.
He knew that their duels were as enjoyable as they were enlightening to the duo. They felt like the massive beams surrounding them: strong and steady pillars of stone that continued to stand tall in the world.
Riku sighed before he started to shake his head. He smirked to himself before he started to smile to himself. He nodded to the woman as he picked up his sword and pointed it at the captain when they considered it.
"That is a, yes?" Sui added before she started to circle the warrior. "Because I will take that as a yes if there is a chance that it is," Sui stated while she plucked her sword from the ground.
Riku gave a nod as he started to think of how best to fight her. He knew there were plenty of times where she could turn this battle to her advantage.
'If I don't take it seriously? Then Sui will simply start to wear me down and find an opening. I need to keep her on the defensive for the time.' Riku thought to himself.
He was lunging forward while he slashed at the woman who leapt into the water. She smirked as she beckoned the reaper to fight her which he started to do. He leapt into the chest-high water. Riku and Sui threw themselves at the other as droplets of water exploded outwards.
"Don't forget that I am trying to kill you." Riku heard from Sui as he started to bring up his blade to clash with her. "Don't show mercy unless this battle is starting to wind down." Sui started to say while she slammed into him.
"And do we want to follow up on the former thing?" Riku started to ask before he spun his sword.
Sparks flew from their blades as the duo started to slam together. Water exploded outwards from both swords as the duo started to stare the other down. Both smirked at each other, eager to continue their clash.
"We will try that when you do not collapse as you did," Sui responded while she flipped backwards. "Don't think it will be easy to do. If you can't handle it without starting to pass out?" Sui asked before her friend started to sigh to himself.
She was also well aware of how painful training was to them. Her friend constantly surprised her with their resistance. He was hurt, but he pushed himself to his feet all the time. The potential he had was something she wanted to study at the time. She looked at her student.
"I'm still surprised you agreed to train with me like this over and over," Riku stated while he cleared his throat. "Most captains are annoyed by this. I didn't think they liked that their soldiers wanted extra training on this level." Riku put in as her friend started to nod.
They lunged at each other, their swords cutting sparks into the air, their movements were like dancing spiders. Riku somersaulted backwards while he deflected one of the stabs she made. He looked at the woman who was already leaping towards him.
The woman flipped into a kick which Riku barely blocked with his arms. The force still threw him backwards with enough power to almost crack the stone under them. He caught her left foot and swung her around before letting her go which sent her flying into the water.
"It always kicks with you, isn't it?" Riku asked while he raised an eyebrow. "Damn, I forgot how powerful you are at the moment. I think that hurt more than being stabbed." Riku added as he started to rub at his stomach.
Sui climbed to her feet as Riku put a hand to his chest. The pain was good, for them both at the time. It helped them focus, it pushed them to try and be better than they were before.
"Maybe we can test that," Sui said before she went to leap at Riku who started to leap to the side.
There was a smirk on the reaper's face as he clung to the side of the pillar next to him. He was ready to attack like a spider leaping down to consume its prey.
"See, you can tell jokes," Riku said while he leapt down to start his attack once more. "If it was easy to kill me, though? I'd already have been dead. That stab did hurt like hell, though. I'm glad it didn't hit anything vital." Riku put in to which the woman rolled her eyes.
There was a small smirk on her lips as she did so. The battle brought back memories that she remembered fondly. It was still a more one-sided battle considering she held back most of her skill.
'Each battle, however? Draws out more of my power at the moment. It means each battle brings him a little closer to being an equal student. Is this what it was like to train under…?' Sui started to think before she shook her head.
The lack of focus allowed him to score a hit on her, bashing the hilt of his blade into her forehead. She was thrown off her feet by a swing of Riku's leg which sent her into the water. She glared at her silent friend, smirking as he did so. The annoyance must have been more visual as her friend started to wait for her to reclaim her footing.
"You said the focus on the battle," Riku said with a smirk to which he started to look at her face. "Are you ok? I was expecting to be thrown to the ground. I know how fast your reflexes are compared to mine." Riku added to himself more than the woman who was busy starting to raise an eyebrow.
Still? Their battle was entirely thrown off at the moment by this move who was entirely curious of her. Sui nodded before she started to slowly climb to her feet while she planted her blade next to her to lean on. She shook her head, forcing the agony from her head out of it.
"Don't, I cannot make excuses for a mistake like that." Sui put in while she nodded to her friend. "Continue, let us finish this fight. That was still a good move." Sui stated to which her friend nodded towards her as he readied his sword while he shook his head.
The amusement was still written in his face, however. She could see that the reaper was entirely focused on their dual. He slowly started to ready his sword again with a smirk.
She might have been simply trying to push through the pain. He saw a look of interest upon her face as he started to think of how the next training match would be.
"I will assume you have a plan to defeat that monster if he shows back up?" Riku asked while he raised an eyebrow. "I am entirely curious how we will defeat him. Someone with that type of power? There are plenty of enemies, but not one that can rally our enemies at the moment." Riku stated while he raised his eyebrow.
There was a nod to which she nodded. The fact that someone like this existed was interesting. It made her wonder if he had allies, a spy in the Espada? A lieutenant who trained his soldiers? If the man wanted to be at the top of the food chain? Then he had to have a plan to do so...
"If I can sting him a second time?" Sui asked as their blades clashed once more. "Then we can kill him. It doesn't matter how powerful the enemy is. The attack will kill them. It is simply a matter of landing the strike on him once more." Sui stated while the man nodded.
"And if he knows how the attack works?" Riku questioned with a raised eyebrow. "He won't simply fall for the trick that easily. The more he thinks there is an issue to be handled? The harder it will be when it comes to trying to land it." Riku added before he rested a hand on his head.
"If he was that much of a coward?" Sui asked while she raised an eyebrow of her own. "Then he'd be a bigger fool than before. No idiot would make it so apparent that he is a coward if their reputation wanted to survive." Sui stated before her friend slashed at her and then started to weave in and out.
Sparks continued to fly as both punches and kicks were also thrown against the other person. Both wanted to cut the other down, but there was also a small amount of respect in their blows.
"You're learning," Sui stated to which her friend started to nod. "Good. I was afraid one of my blows had damaged your brain." Sui added while she dashed forward with a smirk on her face.
Riku sighed before he shook his head and met her charge at him a second later. She slammed into him with speed equal to a train. It almost made him inwardly chuckle if he didn't realize that this woman was more dangerous than she looked. Riku said nothing as their blades continued to meet in slashes and many stabs which were dodged and parried in equal terms.
"With all due respect? If my brain was damaged? I don't think I'd be here." Riku stated while he shook his head. "That? And I don't honestly believe it'd be easy. I've already been hit in the head if you forget." Riku added to which Sui nodded to herself with amusement.
"It appears your head might be more durable than the rest of your body," Sui responded to herself as her blade connected with Riku's. "It almost makes me wonder if that's the special ability you've been afforded or something similar along the line," Sui added with an amusement that filled her voice many times.
She was also aware of the fact that there would need to be follow up training sessions. Riku required more training and she needed something to do when she wasn't blowing off steam from her planning sessions and other training from her lieutenants.
There was also the fact she had yet to mention she had a student when it comes down to it. Her group would possibly think there was something wrong with the fact that she had taken a student.
"Sometimes I wonder why you let someone like me learn from you at the end of the day," Riku added before he cleared his throat. "I don't understand why you'd do that. There's nothing to be gained from it." Riku added before he cleared his throat and started to raise an eyebrow.
Sui said nothing as she wanted to know the answer… She was entirely thrown off when it came to regular training. She was tired, she was bored, there was anger, and Sui wanted nothing more than to be done when it came to organizing the grunts of her group.
Yet she didn't at all understand why she liked combating Riku. If it had been anyone else in the group? She'd probably not even consider the idea.
"Why don't we find out?" Riku heard from Sui as he rolled his eyes to himself.
"By trying to murder me?" Riku asked with a raised eyebrow as he hummed to himself. "I think you enjoy trying to kill me when it comes to that sort of thing," Riku stated with a smirk that he knew he had hit the nail on the head.
Their blades slammed together one final time as sparks flew from their swords as both pressed their strength against the other. Neither was capable of finding more footing on the shifting stones under them.
Author Notes
Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to point out next chapter will be possibly longer. The next chapter will be in 2-10 months and will show more of the battle between Sui and Riku at the moment. I will be doing more than battles at the moment. The next chapter is 900-6500 words and such. Lighting Wolf out!