Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Hornet and Phantom. Enjoy the 3500-word chapter. I do not own Bleach, Tite Kubo and a few others do.

There were dozens of sparks from nearby as he seemed to stare at her with their blades clashing together endlessly. He honestly did not once question what happened next. No, he simply did not care now if he was honest. He had a lot on his mind as Riku leaped to the side while he rolled his eyes.

If there was anything that bothered him about this? It was that others seemed to notice. There was a glance of eyes in his direction when it came down to. He had a lot to do next to be nice when it came to it. There was a lot more on his plate than it seemed, a lot odder than what he intended.

"Hmm," Riku said before he leaped downwards and towards another pillar. "This is a lot more interested than I expected if I am honest. Having fun, Sui?" Riku questioned before he seemed to stare around.

She chased down after him with her sword raised. The small smirk showed him she was honestly having the time of her life when it came down to it.

"Indeed. Let me show you." Sui stated before she raised a blade. "It has been a lot more interesting when it comes to these duels. I am a lot more interested in whom will win. How does it end?" Sui questioned to which her friend raised an eyebrow towards her.

"This will be a lot more than a simple battle. It will decide so much at the second." Sui stated and flipped the blade into her other hand. "There will be too much on the line if I do not try and stand what I believe in. The others…" Sui stated before that she prepared more for combat with her friend who seemed all too prepared for what to do next.

He dodged a slash at his head as her blade passed into the wall as easily as a knife into better. Honestly? It seemed a lot weirder when she was not being as serious as before.

Then again? Besides the former captain? He was the first to see her in this manner and experience anything remotely like this. It was a lot harder to defeat her when she did not rely on her training and was freer stylish than this. It showed him a lot that she was not the same captain he had been battling if he was honest. She was fighting in a manner that did not at all seem to be that common in his mind.

Yet he expected that was probably because she was trying to play outside the box. It was not surprising if she wished to face him on his terms. She was a lot harder to face and yet he was interested in seeing what she would do next to try and stop him.

There was another slash at his face as she seemed to start trying harder to beat him. It had been a lot more interesting when it came down to it.

"She's insane," Riku stated while he seemed to leap around her. "Honestly? I am not sure what happens when it comes down to it. Well, not sure when it comes to this sort of battle if I am honest. Man, I need to stop mumbling to myself." Riku said while he slowly started to pace in place while he rolled his eyes.

He smiled while she charged at him and forced him to leap to the next pillar with her blade raised at him to slice him in half. He was honestly bemused when it comes down to it.

He sighed to himself and rolled his eyes before he flipped to another pillar while he leaned to the next pillar. He was aware of the change in her demeanor when it came down to it. This was a lot more enjoyable if he considered it. She tossed her blade towards him as he tilted his head and stared at her as it stabbed into the stone next to him. He smiled at her with a large roll of his eyes.

Still? There was a lot to do when this fight ended. It was not the most explosive duel when he considered it. He still smiled at her all the same.

Still? He had not yet pushed her to her breaking point. This had come at a time which made the fight a lot more enjoyable when it came down to it. The sheer fact that he was able to keep this proper was interesting. He had been a lot more focused on keeping her mind off things like what was to come next. She was terrified and it was interesting how they dealt with it.

She lashed out at him and stabbed her blade into the stone next to him. It had been a lot harder for them to properly focus with their interest on their enjoyment being part of how they combated the other. It was not as if they needed to keep this battle under a time limit, both had no real duties to go to tomorrow and it seemed as if it slowly adjusted over time and effort.

"Do not think I am going to go easy when it comes to combat. I still need all my soldiers at their best if they are to combat the enemy." Soi stated which gained Riku raising an eyebrow at her. "The harder the battle is? The harder it will be to properly combat someone in a real fight. We both are aware of what that beast will do if he realizes we have some sort of interest in this." Soi added before she seemed to properly prepare for another round of combat between the pair.

It seemed as if she had a lot more on her mind. She seemed more thoughtful than she had been a few seconds ago as she stared at stared around her.

"We both are not going to die anytime soon. That guy is not the one who is going to end my life, Sui." Riku said as he blocked a slash at his hip from her. "And no. That is not cock bluster. Honestly? If I survived this long without you killing me? I can only start to improve and become even better than I had been now." Riku stated while he raised his blade towards her and smiled with a hopeful expression written across his face.

Sui only rolled her eyes at her friend and seemed to grow interested in how he properly countered her. He had the skill to manage her and the type of courage to master his potential, but she was aware of the flaws. One could not grow overconfident without crippling themselves in battle and it became a bigger problem. He was right that he would only continue to grow in combat potential, but he could not function as if he were so high and mighty.

And so could she. It became a bigger problem if left unchecked and she did not wish it to become such a deep burden on either of them as of this second.

"We aren't going to stop fighting, are we?" Riku questioned while he raised an eyebrow at his friend and began to circle her with his blade raised. "Honestly? I am hoping you win. It will force me to try harder to beat you in combat if I am completely honest." Riku said before he rolled before he sighed to shake his head.

She grabbed her blade and somersaulted towards him as he flipped backward. She would catch him off guard if he tried to challenge her acrobatic skills in a real fight. She chased after him to the edge of the platform. It would be hard for him to stop her if she tried harder than she was doing.

"I have an idea for combat if you'd be willing to listen, might seem stupid," Riku stated while he dusted off his clothes and caught one of her attempts to slash him. "It may be stupider than what I expected to say if I'm 100% telling the truth," Riku said before he used her momentum to flip her into the air.

"Any more stupid than your usual banter?" Sui questioned with a wry smirk as she stared at her friend with interest. "We are lacking in stealth. Some of our missions years ago taught me that. We seem no different than the other groups within the Soul Society. The fault lies with me not trying to care enough for my warriors." Sui said in a manner that made him frown.

"If you were a terrible leader? Half the Onmitsukido would be dead fighting Argimenus. We are not." Riku said while he rolled his eyes at this. "Did you still want to hear the combat idea?" Riku questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"It isn't a stupid idea if it works, Riku," Sui stated before she raised an eyebrow and took a deep breath. "What is it? Take a moment to catch your breath. I am aware you are pushing yourself to try and keep up with me in combat. It is impressive, but it will not work. I will wear you down long before I run the risk of being ragged by combat." Sui said while she brushed off her shirt.

Riku raised an eyebrow at her only for Sui to plant her sword into the ground. She sat down, crossing her legs and feet under her as one did. She motioned for Riku to do the same which he slowly did. It was soothing to a degree if one ignored the fact that both were trying to slice the other into ribbons. The sooner he was able to properly combat her when it came down to it.

"How is this idea stupid when it comes down to it? Tell me, you have earned that right. It is not like I do not vent on my problems when it comes down to it, you know." Sui said to which Riku hummed.

"A platform only big enough for both of us to stand on. No room to maneuver. It would force us both to fight directly. No room for anything unless trying to unbalance your enemy's footwork." Riku said before he took a breath. "And down the road, we add weights or something to further stop with the momentum being a factor."

"A direct fight?" Sui questioned to which he seemed to point out what to do next. "I am not entirely sure if that is a smart decision, but it is an interesting one. Very well, I will see it done. Now then… I will kick your ass." Sui said with a smile which made Riku chuckle and rolled his eyes.

Oh, this was to be fun, and he knew it. The sooner he wished to enjoy this attack if he was entirely willing to.

"To the death, Ms. Sui?" Riku questioned as he slowly rested his hand on his sword and glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. "I am not going to hold back. I know you are not going to do the same if given the choice to try and fight me in a real battle at the second if given the chance as of now." Riku said while he seemed to brush off his coat and stared at her.

"To the death, Mr. Riku," Sui stated before she grabbed her blade and aimed it at Riku with a wry smile that divided her face as she did so. "And do not hold back at all. I will not forgive you if you consider me to be less of a threat simply because I am holding back on account of your injuries." Sui stated before she grabbed her blade and kicked off Riku's chest which sent him into freefall.

She watched his blade enter his hands. He was good and she was proud to see that he had been honest with herself. This was something she wished to savior to the end of time if she was quite honest about it. The fact that he was still able to keep pace at least with her even though he had been a lesser warrior at the time.

"We are not done yet, Riku. I will try to end your life more than once tonight. I will not let someone who does not wish to learn become my student. That comes if someone shows me, they are willing to suffer now to try and find peace. After that? I will manage the work properly if someone is willing to properly contribute their skill to the attempt to learn." Riku heard while he only rolled his eyes.

She was something else if it came down to it. He honestly found it to be more interesting than before if it came down to it. She wished to see what happened if she had pushed him to his absolute limits. This was to be fun at the second. It was honestly something she wished to be able to discuss in person provided he lasted long enough for her to see if it had been worth it. It was a lot more interesting to see someone grow when they were pushed to the limits of what they were capable of.

"I would be shocked if you didn't, I'm trying to push you to lop my head off my shoulders." Sui heard from Riku as she dropped after him. "Honestly? I would have thought you would try to sever my head from my throat eventually given the chance to. It surprises me how much you are holding back when you tell me nobody should try to hold back at all. Honestly seems a bit redundant if you ask me." Sui also heard from Riku as she fell after him with interest crossing her features.

She wished to be ready for him when it came down to it. This battle was enjoyable as it was liberating for her. She had to be good, and she had to be ready.

Riku kicked off a pillar away from her as she seemed to fall faster in pursuit of him. She kicked off another of the pillars and clashed blades with him again. She angled her blade towards him as sparks once again lit the night alight. Both were hoping this battle went on longer, each second, they clashed with one another meant another second that they were able to cut loose and have more fun.

He spun her around in mid-air and kicked off her chest to place distance between them. She dug her sword into the pillar behind her and pressed off it at him. He managed to block her blade before she kicked him in his face and sent him crashing into the pillar. He slid down it before leaping once more at her and blocking her next strike.

She watched as he glanced at her and stabbed his blade into the pillar to stop himself from falling downwards.

"There you go, make it a challenge at least if you are going to train me. You kept saying how much you wanted to press me to my limits and all that. I expect you to be pressing me to my limits when it comes down to it." Riku said to which Sui rolled her eyes.

He was not wrong to say that, simply wrong to try and press her to this degree. It had been something that she wished to do for a while. She smiled despite her best efforts as of now.

"Don't ask for punishment that you can't wish to manage." Riku heard from Sui as she rolled her eyes at him. "I am still not trying to shatter your ribs into pieces. Be thankful." Sui sighed as he looked around the room and only seemed to look around.

She seemed as if she slashed as she looked around with an amused smirk at him as he glanced around. There was more interest at the second while he flipped to the side and countered one of her strikes. She had been ready to cut him into pieces at the second. She flipped her blade into her hand as she charged forward at him.

There was a smirk on his face. It had been honestly fun at the time, fun pushing him into the corner. This was going to be hopeful when it came down to it.

She spun towards him and looked at her, slashing at him low before he flipped to the side and glanced at her. She rushed after him as he retreated, only pausing to fling his blade at her. She slammed her blade into the ground before she glanced at him.

There was a smirk that made him question what to do next. It had been had fun for both of them. She was honestly curious about how this war was going to be when they battled. They were both interested in this contest, playful as it had been, as fun as it was for them at the time. She was going to be happy if he learned more from their contest.

"Please give me more of a contest, Riku. There's a lot more to learn before this is done and over with." Sui stated before she hummed and smirked before he looked at her. "There's a lot more to learn before this is over with. We need to hit down to it." Sui stated before she clicked her fingers together.

She looked at her friend and swung a punch at him. He backed away, spinning around her strike to kick her further back. He raised an eyebrow and seemed to ponder what to do next.

She punched him back, striking him in the cheek as he did so. There was a glance at him as his bones seemed to crack from the strike as he grunted and raised an eyebrow at her with interest. He sighed and rubbed at his cheek, interested in what was coming. He slowly raised himself to his feet.

"Ok, I'm an idiot, that's deserved… But I'm not backing down. Nice one, Ms. Feng." Riku said while he rolled his eyes and cracked before he glanced at her. "Ok, you want to play hardball? Let's play. We're going into this." Riku said while he rolled his eyes and seemed to prepare what to do next.

He slammed into her, tacking her to the ground and flipped onto his feet, and glanced at her once more. She planted a hand on the wall next to him. It was too much at the time for her to honestly question what to do.

If she wanted so badly to come in guns blazing? He'd greet her warmly on it. He wanted so badly to take her down and this? This was something he lived for a long time. He raised his sword towards her while this was going to be interesting.

He was going to rip this apart, fall to pieces. He wasn't going to let her win this, not without some effort. Each second that he was able to flex his muscles made him easier, more willing to try and cut her into pieces… But he held back, he couldn't, he wouldn't, not when it came to this. They had danced and he didn't wish to kill her, simply push her back a few feet and show her that he could match her.

She looked at him as they clashed again in a brilliant fury of blades and sparks, their limbs a blur of motion that would flare out like fire. It made him a lot more curious as to their action if this was going to end, they flared out like a fire.

He sent her backward with a single slash of his sword, curious what the hell she'd do if he had been given the power that he wanted.

He was a lot more curious at the second. He was going to be happy when it came down to it. He leaped to the side of her sword before he tilted his head to watch the sword stab into the wall. He rolled his eyes before he was pushed backward. He flipped to the side before he tilted his head once more at the sword throwing him to crash down to the ground before he smiled.

Author Notes

Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to point out that the next chapter will be delayed at the time. The next chapter will be longer at the time. The next chapter will be in 2-10months and will show the last portion of the fight and such. It will also be 900-6500 words. Until then, Lighting Wolf out!