SailorStar9: After getting the prologue out, this is Chapter 1 of this fic. For everyone who put this fic on your favorited and followed lists and/or story alerts, thank you, but remember everyone, a lot of authors (myself included) sustain on readers' reviews.
Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny. Heck, even the pairings aren't mine.
Chapter 1: Hitsugaya, the Desperate Hyōten Hyakkasō!
"I see." Halibel noted. "Just I expected from a Captain. Your ability to avoid danger seems to match your rank. Although, I don't think that'll be enough to save you."
"What did you say?" Hitsugaya frowned.
In response, Halibel powered up her Reiatsu and sent a powerful wave of water at her opponent and forcing Hitsugaya to fly off just to dodge the water wave.
Parrying off Halibel's sword, Hitsugaya clashed with the female Espada once more, before she overpowered him by brute force, throwing him back.
"That technique is old news." the ice Captain retorted, seeing Halibel release yet another blast of water at him. Thrusting his blade in front of him, he frozen the charging water stream, the ice then closed in on Halibel who slashed the ice into pieces before it reached her. "Don't underestimate me." Hitsugaya warned. "You should have realized that for one who wields an ice-snow type Zanpakutō, any form of water can become a weapon; even if the water is your weapon, attacks that are based on manipulating water, will never reach me."
"They will reach you sooner than you think." Halibel corrected. "If you want to witness it, I'll show you now. Come."
"Did you think you could provoke me into getting closer to you?" Hitsugaya questioned. "You're still underestimating me." he sent an ice dragon flying towards Halibel.
"No, you're the one underestimating me." Halibel replied. "Hirviendo." she created a screen of boiling water to melt the ice dragon. "If you can take my water and turn it into your weapon, then it should be obvious that the reverse is also possible. That is an ironclad principle of battle. Cascada." she sent the charged-up water pillar onto the ground, the cascade of water flooded the streets. "Show yourself." she instructed, realizing Hitsugaya had shielded himself behind a barrier of ice. "You don't really think you'll be able to deceive me, do you?"
"That was close." Hitsugaya admitted behind his shield. "I managed to get away by making an ice shield in time, but I'll be a goner if she'd caught me in that onslaught. A normal defense won't cut it with her."
"What's keeping you?" Halibel pressed. "Don't tell me you've turned tail after realizing your predicament."
"If the enemy's weapon can be used as your own, then it's only natural for the reverse to be true, right?" Hitsugaya sliced his shield into two. "I already know that. I don't need to hear that grade school lecture from you. Guncho Tsurara." he sent a flock of icicles at Halibel.
"Different attacks won't change a thing." Halibel scoffed. "Hirviendo." she melted the ice shards and let the water pass harmlessly past her when the water then solidified into ice, Hitsugaya was already on her back, sword raised. "Hyōryū Senbi!" he locked Halibel in a crescent wave of ice. "Let me tell you something as payment for your lesson." he stated after Halibel freed herself. "You're in the worst danger when you use your best techniques. That's another fundamental of battle."
"Intriguing." Halibel muttered. "La Gota." she fired off a series of water bullets at the fleeing Hitsugaya.
What's she up to? Hitsugaya wondered. I doubt she's randomly firing those attacks, but she can't expect to kill me with them. She's probably trying to...
"Should you be taking your eyes off me?" Halibel asked, appearing before the distracted Hitsugaya, who took to higher skies to avoid her Zanpakutō. "You evade well." she noted, Hitsugaya dodging another wave of 'La Gota'. "Cero." she chased after Hitsugaya and fired off the wide beam of energy, the energy wave melting off most of Daiguren Hyōrinmaru's wings. "You can't run away any longer." she declared.
"You keep using baby attack." Hitsugaya stated, regrowing his wings. "I guess I'm not surprised. You're waiting for the same thing as I am, aren't you? You'll use your ultimate attack once the battlefield is filled of water."
"So what if I am?" Halibel inquired.
"Just means I need to reconsider things." Hitsugaya replied. This is pointless. We'll never get anywhere if we're waiting for the same thing. I've never tried this while using my Bankai, but it's worth a shot.
"Have you devised a new strategy?" Halibel asked.
"The truth is, I don't have to wait for the water to build up." Hitsugaya remarked. This Reiatsu... he gasped, turning back to see Kira's triage station nearby. We're this close?
"What is wrong?" Halibel asked, seeing her opponent's change in composure. "Are you hesitating because it would endanger your friends?"
"Shut up." Hitsugaya growled. "That's none of your business."
"Very well." Halibel sighed. "Will you sacrifice your friends or would you sacrifice yourself? The choice is yours."
His mind made up, Hitsugaya charged up a 'Sennen Hyōrō'. "Then, how about this? Sennen Hyōrō." he trapped Halibel within the ice pillar.
"Was that the best you could do?" Halibel was not impressed, using water pressure to crack the ice walls. "All done?" she then channeled all the water into her Zanpakutō. "I'll take my turn now if you're done with your little tricks. Cascada." she sent the powered-up water stream at Hitsugaya.
"Damn it." Hitsugaya hissed. "Ryūsenka!" he flew up towards the charging water blast, using his attack to freeze the water into ice.
"That weak attack won't stop me." Halibel declared. "The battlefield is filled with more than enough water for me to kill you. This Cascada will be on a completely different level than the previous ones."
After managing to freeze up all the water, a severely drained Hitsugaya fell to the ground.
"You shattered my Cascada?" Halibel mused. "But that's still not enough. My existence is born upon noble sacrifices, while you fall trying to protect your fallen comrades. My subordinates did not simply give their lives. They serve as a guidepost for me in this battle. If you had defeated me, then their sacrifice would have been in vain. I bear the resolve of those who have sacrificed themselves."
"I understand that..." Hitsugaya got back to his feet. "I took some major damage, but..."
"You can't fight me with your full strength in that condition." Halibel pointed out .
"That's why I'll keep fighting." Hitsugaya insisted.
"You waste what little life you have." Halibel sighed.
Catching his breath, Hitsugaya concentrated, channeling a massive amount of Reiatsu that froze the surroundings. As if in response to his Reiatsu, the sky grew overcast.
"What?" Halibel looked up at the darkened sky.
"My Hyōrinmaru is the ultimate ice element sword." Hitsugaya returned to the sky. "Water itself is my weapon. The entire sky is under my command. Hyōten Hyakkasō." he intoned.
Omake: Arrancar Encyclopedia
Ichimaru: Today's session is about Halibel. Halibel's sword release is call Tiburón. She has the ability to control water. She can transform water from boiling to ice at her whim. Oh, and when she releases her sword, most of her clothes disappear, too. I'd be embarrassed myself.
Halibel: (Side-glances and a wooden tub of water descends on Ichimaru's head, along with a torrent of water) You needed a good drenching.
Ichimaru: (Utterly soaked) It's freezing!
SailorStar9: In the next chapter, Hitsugaya releases his Hyōten Hyakkasō, an attack that manipulates the weather then uses it to dramatically increase its power, and successfully freezes Halibel, trapping her in a tower of ice. Meanwhile, Suì-Fēng and Ōmaeda continue their fight against Baraggan. He slows Suì-Fēng's reaction time, making her unable to land any of her attacks on him, then grabs her left shoulder, aging it to the point that it breaks from frailty. Suì-Fēng and Ōmaeda devise a strategy to attack Baraggan, but Ōmaeda hesitates at the last moment and it fails. Baraggan then releases his Zanpakutō, Arrogante, and unleashes his Respira, a dark cloud that decays everything in its path. His Respira chases after Suì-Fēng and manages to reach her left hand, which withers it down to the bone and begins to spread up her arm. Suì-Fēng, realizing that her whole body will decay into nothing unless drastic action is taken, orders Ōmaeda to cut off her left arm before the Respira can spread further.
Now that's done, read and review.