A Predator Among Us
"Seriously wish Kaname came down here instead of me," Gin muttered, treading down a set of dark stairs, leading into underworks within the White Palace. Dark torches cast a dim, golden-red glow along the walls in diagonally aloft positions. Unlike the majority of the palaces constructed the walls and ceilings of the structure's underbelly looked more like limestone and granite than concrete imbued with marble and tiles. The normally quiet footsteps the Lieutenant of Aizen made echoed and were made much more apparent, mingling with the variety of ominous chilling groans and growls lingering within.
The lavender haired Shinigami crossed a dark threshold, noting the audible sloppy smacks of someone eating. He peered briefly through the slim opening of the doorway, noting a large pile of Hollow and Arrancar carcasses. A gargantuan silhouette of Yammy Llargo was seen, gnawing upon a familiar Arrancar servant, causing the man to back away slowly.
"Geeze, Yammy's snacking away on our men while everyone else is fightin'. Not exactly what I'd call fair," Gin commented with a sigh, traversing further into the Palace's basement.
It wasn't until he came to the end of the hall that he looked up. There standing in front of him was a door of immense proportions, easily equalling a palace room's gateway. Staring down at him, protruding from the door itself appeared to be the face of a traditional Oni, with fangs bared and eyes gleaming with malice. Beads of sweat nervously crawled down his scalp as he approached the intimidating piece of architecture.
"Why did Captain Aizen make such a scary door for the Vanguard's quarters?" Gin thought with a glum expression.
"Commander Ichimaru," A voice rumbled out, catching Gin's attention.
Looking forward Gin saw a particularly large bodied Arrancar standing guard over the door's entrance. A skull laden pole handle leading up to a executioner's double-headed axe leaned over his left shoulder, its razor edges tapping the door's face. His face below a pair of steely grey eyes was entirely covered by sullen white mask, jutting out a good foot from the skull with bared teeth. Most of his body was visible, with a hole expanding over his left midriff while the number 71 was invertedly tattooed over his sternum. What passed as armor was a pair of leathern shoulder pads, a white bottom tunic, and studded leggings matching equally rough appearing gloves wrapped up to the elbow.
"Sin Nombre Parias, the Seventy First Arrancar," Gin remembered, cuing his trademark smile to slide up his pale complexioned face, "what a cruel name given to such a lonely fellow. Sticking him down here with such a dreary job I almost forgot he existed. I don't envy him in the slightest though..."
"What brings you down here?" Sin inquired dutifully, standing up to his full height of eight feet, looking down at his superior with harsh eyes gleaming from his bald headed visage. "is Lord Aizen wishing an update on the prisoners?"
"Yes," Gin said with a nonchalant tone, standing up unafraid of the larger Arrancar, staring at him with a thin-eyed gaze, "he wishes to mobilize the Vanguard. I am here to round them up."
"Hmph," Sin huffed with disgust, stepping aside so his superior officer to approach the door, "if you ask me-"
"But I didn't," Gin retorted cheekily.
"They're unfit to be used for any military operation," Sin continued with insistence, slamming the pommel of his axe to the ground to create a loud echo in the dark hall.
Forming a number of indistinct hand signs, Gin chuckled in response to Sin's apprehension, "This is hardly a complex task for 'em to do. They just need to mop up some intruders who managed to enter Las Noches. Lord Aizen doesn't wish to have his best men exert themselves on such a gruesome and mundane task."
"Intruders? So that's what those Reiatsus I felt!" Sin exclaimed with shock. Hands clenched into fists, wrapping around his axe fervently, brandishing it in front of his superior as he took a step forward, "let me deal with them! You can never trust these traitors to do the job properly!"
"Oh, I don't think it'll be a problem if you came along," Gin said with an agreeing nod, finishing the last hand sign. A crimson triangle of light formed over his clasped hands, expanding into a pyramid shaped key. With a splaying motion of his hands, the prism of energy imbued itself into the open mouth of the Oni, causing the onyx hued door to glow a dark burgundy and its eyes to burn a red fire. Soon after the mouth closed as well as the eyes, the door itself rising up towards the ceiling, leaving the path to the rows of evenly spaced cells on display.
"Be wary, Commander," Sin spoke in a low tone, knowing the inmates may be listening as they treaded forward, "even though they've been separated from their Zanpakutō, they've been doing nothing but presiding within their cells and feasting on the provided provisions. There's no telling how agitated or feral they are after so many years-"
"I think I can manage," Gin interrupted in a dismissive fashion.
Passing by a number of cells that all held an identical if not spartan crafting, the two's footsteps were all that was heard within the Vanguard's hold. Each had an arch frame over seamless barriers, much like the main gate that remained closed behind them. Triple digits enamored over the hingeless doors, describing all you needed to know of each inmate being held against their will.
Approaching the farthest one, embedded into the end of the hall and making up a largest of the cell barriers. Emblazoned were the numbers 101 in stark white, with a faded sheen from prolonged existence in the dank corridor. When the two stopped, Sin gripped his axe tightly and looked cautiously at his superior. Fearlessly the lavender haired Shinigami walked up to the door and placed his palm against its smooth surface. A bright emerald light in the shape of a skull lit up and stretched over where his hand laid against. Turning it to the right, a succinct sound of old locks began to retract, causing the door to sink into the ground below.
"Hello?" Gin spoke invitingly, eyes peering into a dark space with little to no form of light. A drab cloaked silhouette could be seen crouching from within, unmoving and not registering the movement outside. Whether it could tell that something or someone spoke to it or not was too difficult to tell.
"You're wasting your time, Commander Ichimaru," Sin said in a low growl, his eyes glaring at the being held from within, "that one hasn't moved let alone spoke in all the time I spent watching over these treacherous ingrates. It's best to forget about it entirely."
"Yo! I got something to ask of you!" Gin cupped his hands over his mouth, raising his voice loud enough to ring within the dark enclosed cell.
"Commander, you-!"
Anything that either of them could muster up another verbal reply, a blur of crimson overlapping drab grey flourished past the open cell and beside their flanks. A swift jettisoning punch thrust out by Sin's part, tearing part of the cloak of the escaping prisoner off but failing to meet its mark. Raising his axe over his head, Sin aimed to cut his charge down, but hesitated when he saw the position it was in.
"Try it," A seething voice snarled, as red eyes glared from the corner of its visage, "and the Commander dies!"
Gin felt what seemed like a sharp piece of carved flooring placed uncomfortably against his neck. Worst yet, he felt his right hand gripped by a strong and calloused hand by his captor, keeping him from reaching his own weapon with ease. Yet despite the predicament he was placed within, his smile seemed to stretch farther instead of diminishing at the thought of being attacked in such a fashion.
"Do so and you'll need a morgue instead of a cell, traitor!" Sin rumbled out, pulling his axe back in a daring stance, appearing ready to cut through his own superior to get to his prisoner.
"Now Now, no need to be hasty," Gin said in a nonchalant tone, smile very much intact, "our charge here doesn't want to cause any trouble. Our little prisoner is just a bit jarred about a summons being made in person after so many years without as much as a peep from us. That is why you aren't such a lively person, Rana Zolinder?"
Indeed, with top partition of the cloak ripped apart by the Warden's behemoth fist, a long gout of crimson locks flourished down a partially exposed back. While parts of her were less than dignified, the shadows of the hall and her proximity to Gin kept her visually decent. The curvaceous Arrancar easily stood a few inches taller than her superior, with a jaw-framed mask fragment that rested sharp teeth around her jawline just below her lower lip and lower ear. The only real notable thing telling of her Hollow origin was a single hole the size of a golf ball residing at the center of her throat, going all the way from front to back. Fiery eyes glared at Gin's right side while keeping a good peripheral mark at Sin, ensuring she wouldn't be taken off guard by either of them.
"What the Hell are you doing down here? It's been fifty years since I've been thrown down here along with what few comrades that have shared my fate of isolation!" Rana hissed angrily, not letting up the pressure of her shiv against the Shinigami's throat. "does my Lord wish to make more of a fool of me?! He had promised us Espada, the real Espada, a place by his side as he led us to greatness! I know how you viewed us as obsolete in comparison to their ilk! I'll be damned before I follow any Shinigami, least of all the likes of you!"
"See here, Miss Zolinder," Gin said in a cool, even tone, not bothering to jerk or struggle. "what you believe and what had happened is entirely in the past..."
"Exactly, pray tell, can that be?! How does imprisoning me and branding me with a damning rank of Privaron suddenly disappear?! I'm curious to see what clever trick you have in store for me and anyone else you came down to beguile into your sick game, Commander Ichimaru!" Rana sneered, forcing the shiv tighter against Gin's neck, earning a trickle of blood to escape the lacerated surface.
"Two Espada have met their untimely end by intruders. Shinigami intruders," Gin emphasized slowly, his grin toothily spread so that Rana could see his visage. Hearing her grip slacken significantly and her breath hitch, the Lieutenant of Aizen continued. "mere hours ago a group of Shinigami have spearheaded into Las Noches with the intent of rescuing a certain someone named Orihime Inoue, someone vital to Lord Aizen's plans. During their efforts they've killed a number of Arrancars and mortally wounded those who couldn't stand up to their martial might. Three of the Privaron Espada are among those casualties along with two current Espada. Another two are predicted to die in less than half an hour. Have I piqued your interest yet?"
For the longest time Rana's breathing dimmed from outright rage to curiosity blended with disbelieving shock. Sure they had their share of adversaries, but nothing ever testing their mettle against the Gotei 13. To hear that the brothers of hers that chose to serve Aizen as meager guards and dirty deeded assassins fell to them caused her anger be redirected to her primary hated species. Shinigami, a race she and her comrades had faced in the past long before Aizen introduced himself as the newfound de facto power of Hueco Mundo.
"Tell me," Rana said with a cooler edge, her eyes narrowing at Gin's slightly turned jaw, "if I...no, if we Privaron deal with these intruders, will we be welcomed back as Espada? Will Lord Aizen pardon our past transgressions?"
"That depends on your ability to complete your mission, doesn't it?" Gin inquired cheekily, turning his head over his shoulder to open a single blue eye to gleam back at Rana's own fiery iris.
Releasing her hold on Gin, Privaron Espada backed up a step and examined her commander with a more stoic visage. Her drab cloak hung loosely over her form, held slightly closer with a single free hand over her exposed bosom. Dropping the shiv onto the ground, she briefly glanced at the croc-faced Arrancar before returning it back at the serpentine grinning Shinigami general.
While Sin did little to relax his own stance, Gin turned upon his heel and waved his arms out, "Glad to see you've accepted! I'm glad we can move past our differenc-"
"Don't mistake my acceptance of this task by Lord Aizen that I have forgiven your betrayal of my loyalty," Rana said harshly, her eyes furrowed once more, though this time accompanied with a malicious smile, "get in my way, and I'll cut you to ribbons. Commander or not, you're one of the Shinigami I despise the most. Don't forget that, Ichimaru!"
"Ah, fair enough," Gin sighed, shrugging with resignation.
"Before I clean up the mess your superior Espada have made, I'm going to need you to release my own brethren whom you imprisoned here accordingly," Rana ordered, her voice assuming a more authoritative and crisp volume. "all of our Zanpakutō will naturally need to be returned to us to make us fully efficient. Once they're all debriefed, rearmed, and assess the enemy's strength we can move out and take them down swiftly."
"Sounds like a plan," Gin nodded with an approving grin.
"Commander!" Sin shouted, causing Rana to side glance him annoyingly while Gin simply turned his head. Swinging his axe towards the previously incarcerated Arrancar, he flourished around for angered emphasis as he shouted, "you cannot allow this barbarian to roam free! If you allow her and her cohorts to be given free liberties they may try to perform another Coup!"
"Don't worry your shiny head, Sin," Gin said with a light-hearted tone, pointing at him with his left most wiry finger, "you said you wanted to tag along, right? I'm sure you don't want to let your charges out of your sight. If only to keep an eye on them, you may assist them in their mission and act as you see fit. After all, that is the task that Lord Aizen designated you with, hasn't it?"
For a few moments, Sin looked perplexed by Gin's insinuation. Seeing a satisfied smile stretch across Rana's face, he realized he had been played from the start. His eagerness to leave and prove himself had led him to be drawn in with the most disorganized squad of soldiers. The fact he knew they'd like nothing more than to kill him when his back is turned unsettled him that he was being dragged into it by being in their midst.
Tightening his hold on his axe, he rested it upon the ground and dutifully bowed his head to Gin, "As you wish, Commander. I shall do my best to keep these fools in line and ensure they do the task that has been ordained by Lord Aizen."
"How cute to see the Warden playing lapdog to milord's every whim," Rana jabbed with a toothy grin, causing a visible flinch and an angry flash behind the croc Arrancar's eyes.
"Please try to get along with him. He's been quite bored being cooped up watching over you, and I'd like for him to at least stretch his legs this once. Keep the mission in mind and you won't even know he's there," Gin insisted with a wave of his hands.
Glancing over at the substantially taller and muscle bound Warden, Rana's doubt was clearly seen by the dry look her eyes projected. Promptly rolling her eyes, she turned her head to face Gin directly, glaring outright with a hiss in her voice, "There is one last thing I need before I do anything."
"Hm?"
"I need a change of clothes. These rags are hardly suited for battle other than to be ogled at by distasteful creatures like you," Rana said bluntly, her face contorting into one of disgust at seeing Gin's decadent grin stretch further.
"Why," Gin began to say, "I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about..."
"Fuck off, Commander!" Rana snarled viciously, turning her exposed midriff away from him, still projecting her heated glare back at him over her shoulder, "get me my sword and my damned clothes!"
"I think you and I are going to get along just fine, my dear," Gin chuckled at the infuriated Privaron Arrancar.
Chapter 4 - The Liar, The Lancer, And The Leader
"So this is what it felt like to see my Glotoneria. Damn, I was scary," Aaroniero thought as the parallels between her fight with Rukia and her with Rudbornn's were hard to miss. Both could stare down at a prey as if they are beneath them, using abilities that didn't require all-out physical confrontation. The very visage of skull-mounted bodies being sprouted forth like plants from a gnarled white tree from branches resembling jagged lightning bolts sent chills running up and down her spine.
Shaking her head, her prolonged gaze upon her enemy distracted her for only a few moments from the real problem. With a row of Calaveras marching towards her with an unfazed resolve only a cross of machines and mindless killers would possess, they already formed into a formidably sized unit. With more on the way, grown from the twisted tree behind them, they could easily number a hundred in over a minute.
From simple observation, she realized just how easily out of control this battle could become.
"What's the matter, Shinigami?!" Rudbornn crowed out in his warped tone, waving his arms from his high altitude perch, "are you in awe of the power of creation Lord Aizen has bestowed upon me?! Tremble and know your own powerlessness, Rukia Kuchiki!"
"You sure like to talk," Aaroniero commented with a sneer, spreading her legs apart to lower her form into a squat. With her sword held in a inverted manner next to her right cheek, a bristle of cerulean white light emanated from her person. With a slight bend of the knees, she jettisoned herself towards her enemy with sword held in front of her visage, "it's getting annoying!"
As before when she upped her Reiatsu output, the Calaveras couldn't strike her rapidly speeding form. Each time she flourished near their blades' reach, she whisked out of the way with a shimmering burst of Shunpo. To and fro her beige cloaked frame swiftly accelerated past the dozens of soldier crops towards the base of the tree-like body of their originator. Leaping upwards with a powerful burst of air, sending a wave of dispersed sand behind her, she sailed upwards till she reached Rudbornn's person.
With a smirk donned upon Aaroniero, she reared her sword back to subsequently launch a cutting arc towards Rudbornn's head. That smirk would vanish as the released Arrancar raised his bolt-shaped sceptre to deflect the icy sword, dissipating a wave of frozen air upon contact.
"Attacking the General before disposing of his troops," Rudbornn murmured out, pushing back Aaroniero's blade with an effortless backstroke, "is unwise!"
Upon hearing this, Aaroniero felt the rush of wind among the flurries of static, the telltale sign of Sonido deploying from a number of Calaveras. Dipping down to avoid a number of sword thrusts, she quickly reversed her grip on her Sode no Shirayuki. Turning upon her heels she spun her pale blade in repulsing thrusts, forcing her guard to knock the incoming barrage of swords to be sent off kilter and away from her person. Then with a graceful twirl she cut through the limbs of their arms and slashed their midriffs open in two wide cutting fissures of chilling Reishi.
The sudden sound of Ceros priming behind her caused her eyes to widen upon looking her shoulder. There, half-formed Calaveras hung from the branches, pointing their swords forward to form ten Ceros from their respective branches. The collective of spheres all coiled in crackling tendrils that joined together at the end of Rudbornn's bolt sceptre.
"Dios Cero!" Rudbornn declared, unleashing a voluminous scaled Cero at Aaroniero. Shaped like a lightning bolt of violet hue, the energy crossed the gap at a speed that alarmed the Shinigami bodied Hollow. Her person appeared to be overtaken in an instant through the violet lit motion, thunderously launching into the horizon into a row of pillars the size of skyscrapers. Following connecting, the Dios Cero's blast levelled the structures effortlessly, creating a horizon glint of violet to overlap their proximate scenery. The shockwave caused an upheaval of sand and air, buffeting all the way back to the source of the Reishi discharge.
It was during the split second that Aaroniero had deployed her Shunpo Clone behind her -a skill she adapted from devouring Zommari-, that she landed amidst the twenty standing Arrancar soldiers. Sweat beaded on her scalp, eyes wide and filled with the understanding how close of a call her escape was. She warily examined the enemies surrounding her, soon joined by another ten that had helped fire the Cero.
"That Cero's faster than any I've seen. I thought Bala was the only kind of Cero that moved that fast," Aaroniero thought with perplexion.
"You did well to dodge that Cero, Shinigami," Rudbornn commented in a laudable tone, observing as his soldiers surrounded her while another ten was constructed upon his branches, "however, I doubt you can keep up at that speed for an indefinite period."
"If you only knew how much power I possessed," Aaroniero thought with a hidden scowl, turning around to hold her blade in a ready two handed stance. Judging by the cautious mannerisms of their circling steps, just outside of her sword's reach, they appeared to be prepared for her Zanpakutō's Tsukishiro technique. The sound of ten more feet dropping down to the ground caused her to grind her teeth with iration, "I have to deal with them quickly before too many are on the field. But how do I stop them from being birthed continuously? I doubt I can just cut his Ressureccion down at the trunk, he'd attack me on sight. Without the aid of additional allies, I can't possibly match their numbers and tactics."
It was then at the moment an idea dawned occurred, causing her eyes to widen and light up. The epiphany caused her to gape at such an obvious maneuver to be utilized in such a scenario. It was perfect!
However, the Calaveras appeared to had done their waiting long enough. A set of six rushed at high speed sprints, holding their swords aloft while they intended to perform a run-by slash at their enemy. Aaroniero ducked and parried gracefully, leaping around to perform a double spin kick to send a number of them tumbling across the sandy battlefield. Others grasped each other's forearms and performed a spinning top motion, creating many bodily whirlwinds, aiming to cut her down as they rushed at her in such an unorthodox manner.
As dust kicked during their dozen man employment of Blade Storms, Aaroniero's body flickered in a moment of disjointed appearance. Following that her body seemed to disperse into six places, appearing before each spinning pair of Calaveras simultaneously. In synchronization, glowing blades filled with Sōkatsui energy cut through the spinning blades and their targeted two rotating bodies with ease. Limbs and lacerated torsos steaming from contact of searing edges sent them into jumbled heaps.
Without skipping a beat, the remaining dozens of Calaveras began rapid firing Bala at the Shunpo Clones. Pocketed concussive explosions rocked the sand in front of them, sending a number of sight obscuring pillars of ascending grains. Their prey deftly avoided by rushing forward in a tandem of Shunpos, using the misfires as cover to get closer to the wall of Calaveras defending their master.
Just as they reached the line of Calaveras, a damning flash of violet light overcame their midst, launched by a electrical Cero from Rudbornn's own sceptre. The blast sent his troops flailing back but eliminated the mass of charging Clones simultaneously.
Rudbornn looked upon the cloud of sand flowing up amidst his line of sight. Tilting his head left to right, he could see no movement but could feel a suppression of Reiatsu in the air. She was close by and he could feel that she was hiding in the sand cloud, avoiding his troops below and starting another wave of attacks. Feeling another set of ten Calaveras drop from his branches, he could hear faint bell-like sounds from within the clouded airspace not but a dozen meters away.
"Hakuren!" Declared beyond his vision's reach, parting the cloud of sand to reveal a rumbling stormhead of frigid snow.
"Predictable," Rudbornn murmured, raising his sceptre in front of his airspace, generating a conical wave of violet Reiatsu from his being. Doing so caused the pyre of rushing snow to rush past his body, leaving him untouched, only flowing past just a few hairs outside his yellow root covered torso. Lowering his sceptre, he examined the fully revealed Aaroniero, crouched in the middle of space at the same altitude as he. "I commend your intelligence and tact, Shinigami, but I'm afraid you're reaching the end of your rope."
"As if!" Aaroniero jeered out with a smile, standing erect while holding her sword aloft by her side, "if anyone should be finished right now, it's you!"
"Do tell," Rudbornn chuckled lowly, seeing his remaining Calaveras gather around her outside her sword's reach once more. So many of them were spaced out that a few were only a handful of meters away from his personal space. Waving his arms for emphasis at his small army, Rudbornn shouted out incredulously, "look around you, Shinigami! You're surrounded by soldiers I can continue to spawn indefinitely! There is no escape for you!"
At this declaration the Calaveras squatted down and raised their swords menacingly. Each of them exuded a violet aura of Reiatsu, creating a dark atmosphere around surrounded Shinigami. It wasn't until the sword held aloft was practically dropped from her right hand did their attention avert down towards the falling weapon. A line of icy rope coiling around the ribbon flourished up from her open hand, grasped readily the moment it dropped to the sand below.
"Some no Mai," Aaroniero enunciated solemnly, whipping out her ground prone blade in a circular fashion. Rising in a circular manner caused chilling winds to flail wildly, catching all of the proximate skull headed soldiers within its frigid grip. When a heavenly silver light began to be emitted within the atmosphere around them upon the seventh revolution passing by Aaroniero's right shoulder did the technique finally take place, "Tsukishiro!"
In that instant, a colossal sized icy pillar was created, catching all of the Calaveras within the blade's passing reach. All were imprisoned in its frigid embrace, quickly freezing their bodies and causing their physiology to become brittle and fragile. With dozens of webbed cracks spreading across the tall tower of frozen moisture, all of the bodies and the mass of frigid air dismantled before Rudbornn's eyes.
"She extended the reach of her Tsukishiro by using an ice rope?!" Rudbornn thought with shocked realization.
"I told you before," Aaroniero said amidst the epicenter of the collapsing ice tower, bathed in chilling vapor that wafted around their vicinity, "you're the one who's finished."
Huffing, Rudbornn waved a free hand with dismission, "Hardly. You destroyed my subordinates but there's always more. This display of power changes-!"
The succinct sound of brittle ice shattering near his arm caught his attention. Craning his skull affixed head to the left, he recoiled at what he saw. The branches, all over him were completely encased in ice. Partially formed skulls were already becoming brittle within their icy prisons, the feeble manufacturers of their bodies cut off by the frigid temperatures.
"Shakkahō!"
Aaroniero's shout returned Rudbornn's flinching turn back to face his opponent, just in time to see a crimson orb flung towards the base of tree-like body. With horror etched behind his stoic mask, he saw as the roots were shattered apart in a vibrant explosion, causing his body fall backwards along with the cracking branches aloft with his backside. Seeing the smug grin elapse over his enemy's face, however, did little to quell the fire of rage building within his being.
"SHINIGAMI!" Rudbornn howled with animalistic rage, swinging his sceptre in her direction, already lit with a blinding purple flash of Reishi. An instant later and a thunderous flash of a smaller Dios Cero was let loose, flowing forth in an erratic swift pace. Enough so that it caused Aaroniero's victorious visage to vanish and replaced with one of alarm.
Shimmering down below to the ground, Aaroniero would have time to see the air return back to a normal color scheme just prior to hearing loud thumps in the distance. Looking up from her crouched posture, her face contorted to one of disgust and disbelief.
"Don't you dare think I am incapable of fighting," Rudbornn growled aloud, as four crooked roots jutted out from his partially ashen lower body, forming a quartet of jagged inhuman limbs. A wave of deep violet Reiatsu enveloped his person, causing the sand below to distend and spread out in a crushing manner. Widespread tendrils of purple-white Reishi snaked all about his person, showing the peak of his power being brought to the surface, "just because you destroyed my army!"
"Shit!" Aaroniero swore under her breath, rising up to hold her blade in a Kendo stance, "I didn't think he could move, let alone fight after dismembering his extraneous parts. Leave it to me to make stupid assumptions..."
Swinging a free hand in her direction, Rudbornn discharged a dozen marble sized orbs of purple colored Reishi. After jettisoning a handful of meters the spheres sped up at a rapid pace, blurring forth to leave purple hued light in their wakes. Seconds after passing over the sandy soil, concussive fissures of shredding force was seen, burrowing deep into the grained earth for twenty meters in depth.
"Hadō #73," Aaroniero uttered upon backpedaling a good distance through Shunpo, clenching her sword hand over a unfurled free one with both wrists locked together. With a cerulean trail of fierce light created between her hands respectively, she shouted dramatically in its release, "Sōren Sōkatsui!"
As the five high velocity projectiles met a large wave of fiery Reishi, the collision would trigger an immediate detonation. Spouting upwards was a large pyre of orange-red flames, elliptically thrusting shockwaves to disembowel the grained landscape underneath along with searing waves of air pressure. Billowing out fiercely, it took a handful of seconds to expose the large crater caused by the two forces that were arrested and destroyed by mere contact.
Kicking off the earth, Aaroniero wasted no time taking the initiative of counter attack. Her body shimmered, replicating a number of duplicates as she charged the magnified distance between herself and her enemy. The series of Shunpos they all utilized made it increasingly difficult to gauge the authentic one as well as hit with a accurate attack from a distance.
This sight did little to dissuade the Arrancar.
"Defeating me is impossible," Rudbornn rumbled out, raising his sceptre, igniting it with another gout of violet Reishi, "no matter what tactics, no matter how many numbers, no matter your strength it is futile. I am the Exequias, one who doesn't let a single prey escape. Your demise was guaranteed the moment we became opponents!"
"Your own arrogance is distorting that cool, rational head of yours, Arrancar!" Aaroniero shouted from afar, drawing ever-so closer to her nemesis, "perhaps this is why Aizen thought better than to name you an Espada!"
The verbal jab didn't go unheard. With a roar, Rudbornn swung his sceptre in a wide arc, discharging a continuous blaze of Dios Cero to trail across the sandy wastes. Having passed completely in front of the six Aaronieros, a violent eruption of combustible Reishi discharged in an overarching motion from where the Dios Cero had crossed. Such a infernal wall of crimson tongues was seen that Rudbornn could see little of the battlefield they had orchestrated in the past few minutes.
"You know nothing, invader!" Rudbornn cried out, swinging his sceptre wielding hand out in the direction of the flaming horizon, "don't speak as if you know Aizen's thoughts and will. He gave me this power and title. Placing doubt in my heart where there should be none is blasphemy. How dare you make me doubt my superior's wishes!"
A soft whooshing tap to Rudbornn's forward right momentarily caught his attention, followed by a glistening flash of golden light. Raising his weapon hand to bat it away, the light quickly ensnared his arm all the way up to his shoulder. Much to his horror it was the binding rope Kidō, Hainawa, having used from before.
"You pitiful fool," Aaroniero said lowly, sword held down at her side while her hand still held the Bakudo in her left, "I never told you to doubt Aizen. I just confirmed the doubts already buried in your discontented heart."
"You-!"
"Shakkahō," Aaroniero whispered aloud, contrary to shouting her spells from before.
A crimson flash of light flowed up the chain that bound Rudbornn's arm, causing the entire limb to instantaneously combust in a violent explosion. With parts of his mask shattered from the force of such a blast, his entire being was knocked off balance, falling to the ground in a disjointed fragmented mess.
Heavily sighing, the Shinigami bodied Hollow rose to her full height and trotted slowly to the mutilated Arrancar's side. Already she could hear the choked wheezes from his cracked mask. The sight of a scorched cheek, previously hidden, shined a single onyx eye with grim knowing. A tear welled up within his eye, spilling over his charred flesh as he continued to gurgle for air.
"I have failed...," Rudbornn flinched, his free arm shaking and his gloved hand gripping the sand with unbearable pain, "f-forgive me...Lord Aizen..."
"I almost feel sorry for you, pawn of Shinigami," Aaroniero said with a morose expression crossing her eyes, "but I can tell you now that your passing will serve a far greater calling than he ever promised. A goal that I aspire to change everything that is the laws of nature."
"W-What are you...saying?" Rudbornn queried, his eye turning to look at his better.
In the end, he wished he hadn't turned to look.
What had been a dainty, pretty hand was now a protuberance of a mouth shaped tentacle of dark pigmentation. It stuck out from the wrist and expanded, permeating a noxious scent that filled the air near him with a Reiatsu. A Reiatsu that wasn't Shinigami in the slightest, but-
"M-M-Master...Arruruerie?!" Rudbornn quivered with stark realization.
A quick flash of mucous covered flesh over a root-covered torso and it was done. Sickening crunches of compacted bone and cartilage, along with a good amount of blood and tissue was all absorbed into the ravenous limb. As the essence of Rudbornn had been fully devoured and assimilated into Aaroniero's being, her hand reverted to normalcy, and she stood up to examine herself of what she acquired.
"Your powers will assist my evolution greatly, Rudbornn," Aaroniero said with a proud smile, flashing her pearly white teeth with fascination.
As she pondered how best to test this new power, she realized she'd have to temporarily neutralize her body's Zanpakutō. Swinging her Sode no Shirayuki to the side, she sealed it to its original form, promptly sheathing it. Furrowing her brows with concentration, she clapped her hands together, and stood perfectly still. A vibrant violet light lapsed over her body, flourishing her cloak and Shikhakushō for long seconds as she summoned the newly acquired power.
Then, she spoke aloud in a solemn tone, as her pupils became slitted, "Grow, Árbol!"
Swiftly, four jagged branches grew forth from her cloaked right shoulder in an outward manner. Roots seemed to billow out and connect to the earth underneath her kama skirt, around her legs and into the sandy grains. She could feel the ripe Reishi currents that made up the land of Hueco Mundo pump into her organic floral parts and into the branches that hung by her body. It wouldn't be but a minute before the human shaped skulls began to form characteristics in exact likeness of her Shinigami body.
Detaching from the branches, four Calavera replicas of Rukia Kuchiki were made. She could sense and feel her own consciousness within each of the bodies. It was an omnipotent sensation, one she now emphasized with Rudbornn completely. It was as if she was in multiple places at once and could act accordingly without the strain of a single mind needing to multi-task.
"I guess there are no need to say anything since you are basically me," Aaroniero said with a low chuckle, mirrored by the others who felt the same. Resuming a more stoic expression, her pupil returned to normalcy as she retracted the branches and roots back into her body respectively. "though I'll need to be careful where I send you. These bodies I have retain exact same Reiryoku as I possessed fighting Rudbornn. Avoiding confrontation is key and scavenging the dead or dying Espada is critical."
Squatting onto the sand beneath her, she thrust both arms forward, placing the backs against each other. After a brief moment of concentration a vibrant light resembling a rainbow mingled with diamonds appeared before both hands. In a sweeping manner, a curtain of light flourished over her body. Seconds later the field of refracting colors disappeared along with her body.
"Bakudo #26, Kyokkō," Aaroniero iterated within her mind, now perfectly hidden from a visual and sensory degree, "now that I'm hidden, I can have my Calaveras act on my accord. If any of them do happen to perish, I can always make more. I'll just have to hope none of them do when they have a meal I wish to take back to this body of mine."
Without any delay, the four bodies departed in a deployment of Shunpo. Aaroniero herself closed her eyes, focusing on her newfound awareness and control over her Calavera forms. With no need to protect her original body while it remains unseen, she can freely exercise her intelligence over the rest.
"The Hunt is on. Let's see who's next in line on this buffet list," Aaroniero thought with a carnal grin of hunger.
"Oh dear," Szayel commented offhandedly, placing a hand over his left ear in a cupped fashion, "I've lost trace of 'em. I wonder what's going to happen next..."
"W-What are you babbling about?!" Pesche uttered out loud, still heaving with exhaustion next to Dondochakka.
"Nothing to concern you two," Szayel said with a humored tone, waving his arms nonchalantly, "frankly I'm more concerned how my comrades elsewhere are doing. Your Cero, what was it called? That was certainly a heart stopper but it did little to me seeing as you gave me ample time to dismantle it. Such a shame really. Your superior's strength far exceeds that of yours combined that it's quite hilarious."
"Ha! You admitted that she's better than you!" Pesche pointed at the released Espada's disturbing form.
"I never claimed to be stronger than her. In terms of brute force, she's in a class all her own. But in terms of intelligence? Well, you saw how long it took for her to recover from my last experiment," Szayel said with a decadent grin, tapping his chin with purposeful thought, "I wonder...what kind of experiments I shall put her through this time that can overshadow that cracked skull of hers?"
"You...you...you b-b-bastard!" Dondochakka roared out, his polkadotted frame lunging wildly forward at his enemy.
"Wait for me, buddy!" Pesche shouted with haste after him.
"You idiots! Get back he-kaff-kaff!" Renji hacked after protesting their assault.
As expected, the two fell right into Szayel's trap. Two pairs of plant-like tendrils wrapped around one after the other, lifting them off the ground to squirm uselessly in the air. Squelches were emitted as the crimson flaps of flesh viscously pumped and squeezed the organic data from the two Arrancars. Once finished, they were unceremoniously dropped with wet thuds to the ground.
Coughing, the two looked up with despair at seeing a pair of identical Voodoo dolls made in their image in their enemy's hands.
"While I wait to see such results," Szayel said with a cruel smile stretched across his face, "I think I'll enjoy torturing you two for a bit!"
The battle seemed to drag on as it had before.
Ever since their released states had been put on display, Nnoitra had flailed and cut through the sandy environment wildly. His six arms slashed and stroked the air with terrifying force, a true testament to how far he had come in all these years. It was all any bystander could do to keep themselves from being caught in the flurry of blistering sand filled wind and the shockwaves that followed.
Yet for the life of him, Nnoitra found himself unable to land a single hit on her.
"Stop moving around, ya little shit!" Nnoitra crassly exclaimed, landing down to where Nelliel had been moments ago, burrowing his lowermost pair of scythes into the ground. Even after all this time he had to catch a few breaths of air. All the running he did seemed to be a waste of time and it was frustrating him to no end.
The sudden roar of motion from behind followed by a pair of hooves crashing into his backside, caused his eye to widen with incredulous pain.
"GAH!" Nnoitra cried out as he felt himself tumble head over foot, barreling into a fallen structure, shattering it in the process. Flipping himself back onto his feet, he gripped his pole handles tightly with frustration. Fixing his eye to fiercely glare at the stoic standing centauress, he shouted aloud in a goading manner, "stand still and fight me!"
"You should know by now, Nnoitra," Nelliel proclaimed, holding her lance aloft to her right forward flank, "that an Arrancar's Ressureccion acts a lot like a Shinigami's Bankai. Depending on the nature of our lives as Hollows depicts what class of release states we'll have as Arrancars. Yours is a rudimentarily simple Melee type, with most emphasis placed upon power. Mine is based on something else."
"Like I'd care," Nnoitra growled out, sprinting swiftly towards her, brandishing all of his weapons to the side with eagerness, "power is the only thing you need! Power is what Aizen wants! Seeing my power, he moved me from 8 to 5! You do the math and see what that means-"
As the one-eyed Shinigamified Hollow reached her space, he found that her form vanished in a dizzying blur. Appearing beside him, her arm seemed to thrust forward, its conical tip easily ripping apart the middle right arm of his clean off with its socket. After the limb and weapon clambered to the ground with a shower of blood, Nelliel halted her movement and swung her left hand in a backhanded motion.
Before Nnoitra could fully rear around to understand what happened, a yellow burst of light struck him fully in the chest, causing spittle and blood to spew out. After sprawling for a good two dozen meters, his body struck the face of a dune, causing it to explode in a violent shower of billions of grains. With luminescent traces of solar hued sparks crackling across his marred torso, Nnoitra stood back up with a grimace.
"My Ressureccion focuses on physical attributes promoting strength and speed," Nelliel continued, her eyes looking at her enemy from the distance as her hair flourished with a gust of wind, "Gamuza is a blend of power and grace. It is a wondrous and dreadful power that I have to bear but I do so for the sake of those I cherish. That is the difference in both power and perspective you can never overcome, Nnoitra."
"Such talk makes me sick," Nnoitra snarled, standing back up straight once more. With a brief exertion of dark yellow Reiatsu, a brand new arm was grown in place of the one that had been torn off. With a flick of the wrist it formed a new scythe to replace the one out of reach, causing himself to smile with renewed vigor, "it's people like you that sicken me the most. Pitying those that don't fit in your wretched standings. I loathe the concept of mercy and that's all you ever do is be merciful. Mercy is for the weak, and that's what got you that scar in the first place!"
Closing her eyes, Nelliel sighed. Nothing she could say, even now, could get through to him. Her eyes slowly opened, glancing down at the ground below, wondering if any of her actions towards Nnoitra were the right ones.
"No," Nel reaffirmed, raising her stoic gaze to stare hard at the deranged Arrancar, seething with unbelievable hatred for her, "I don't regret any of my actions up to this point. Even if I was betrayed and my friends scarred I had so many days of blissful happiness following that. They were innocent times I shall always look back at fondly. It may not have been your intention, but I thank you for sparing my life when you had an ample opportunity to kill me."
Rising up on her hind legs, the centauress reared back her right arm and gripped her lance tightly.
Such a sight gave way to knowing alarm, causing Nnoitra to kick off into a rapid paced sprint towards her, "I'm not going to fall to that technique! Not this time!"
"Lanzador Verde!" Nel cried out, hurtling her lance forward with a powerful hurtle of her arm. Corkscrewing across space, coils of pink-hued energy gathered around its tip, steadily increasing its force and speed in equal amounts. It reached Nnoitra's charging frame in a matter of seconds, aiming to run him through out the back.
"HAAAAAA!" Nnoitra roared out mightily, swinging all of his scythes forward in a meticulously timed motion, crashing into the high speed projectile. While he felt the edges of three or more of his blades shatter, the weapon was sent off kilter and tossing to the side. The fact he succeeded in this feat caused Nnoitra to laugh haughtily, followed with a thrusting burst of Sonido to appear before Nelliel's surprised frame.
"Surprised, aren't ya?! Didn't think I could do that to your signature technique?!" Nnoitra inquired pointedly, watching her step back with disbelief, wary of the now close by cracked moon shaped weapons. "don't worry. I'll make sure to cut you up all over. This time you won't be gettin' away from me!"
Rearing back all of his blades, Nel raised her own arms back to ready a hasty defense. Before the marred weapons could make a full swing, a lime colored light of a Cero crashed straight into the unsuspecting Espada. The small explosion cast over Nnoitra's arms and weapons showed no signs of actual injury but did enough to halt his attack. Turning his head, he saw the perpetrator and was absolutely livid.
"Starrk's bitch?!" Nnoitra snarled out, both in wonderment and thorough rage.
"That's right, ugly!" Lilynette shouted back, her mask still steaming from the discharge of a Cero over her fragment. She beaded sweat from how fast she had to move to reach her in time. But now, seeing Nel in her beautiful released form, she was relieved that she was alive and that she thwarted an attempt on her life. Pointing a finger of accusation at the six-armed Arrancar, she growled out, "what the Hell, Nnoitra?! I thought you said Nel died! Why are you trying to kill her?! Want to explain that one to me, huh?!"
"I don't have time for you," Nnoitra growled, turning his head over his shoulder, shouting with afterthought, "Tesra! Kill this bitch! I don't want the Primera's toy getting news ba-!"
Nnoitra wasn't able to finish sentence, finding Nel's head ramming straight into his with incredible force. Feeling his forehead split open from the freshly healed skull of hers, Nnoitra stumbled back, disoriented and coughing. He'd faintly get a look of a rare uncharacteristic visage of unadulterated rage flash across Nelliel's face. It looked terrifying and it made him stumble back even further as a fresh wave of magnified Reiatsu blazed in a brilliant pink light around her.
"I've had," Nel began to utter in a level growl, briefly interrupted by the swiftly accelerating frame of Tersa appearing above her. Swinging his chakram sword in a downward arc, it was promptly halted by a hind leg double kick that jettisoned his body high in the air. With the aura of a pink Bala careening him high into the sky, his form would indent into the false heaven vista above them, sticking his frame into it out of reach and out of mind. Landing back on all fours, Nel shouted with her own anger brought to the forefront, "enough of your childish acts of evil!"
Seeing his subordinate handily defeated and this new look of an angered Nelliel brokered sweat upon his crown. He rationalized that he shouldn't but the intense pressure of her Reiatsu and the mere presence she generated made him feel small and obsolete. His grip shook, rattling the weapons he had in his tight grip.
Raising a hand slowly towards him, a damning blackness formed with a pink outline to it. The sphere contorted and expanded, containing a noxiously lethal power within its essence. The pressure itself shook the ground and caused grains of sand to rise, crackling in a symphony of inevitable destruction. By the time it was fully primed, he'd recognize it as a Cero, and not just any Cero...
"Cero Oscuras!" Nelliel shouted aloud, unleashing the black void of destructive Reishi.
Enveloping Nnoitra at point blank, the fissure of blackness roared forward, annihilating any rising mound of sand and any structure foolish enough to be erect in its high velocity path. By the time it'd finish travelling past, trailing away from its target, a distant explosion would cause a momentary eclipse of the artificial Sun that was placed over their heads. With a tinge of pink dictating the passing of bleak darkness, the mushroom cloud of the Cero's explosion in the horizon would all be left of its manifestation.
What was left of Nnoitra made Nel's stomach turn. Charbroiled meat replaced what was flesh over the majority of his limbs, now holding stumps of the proud weaponry he brandished. Smoke rose up from a bare skull, parts of his jaw's muscle and skeletal frame quite visible as was the case with parts of his torso and upper legs. His eye glared defiantly at her, to the very end, as he barely stood after such an attack.
"N-N-N...e...l," Nnoitra wheezed out just moments before his eye rolled to the back of his head. His knees crashed to the ground and his face struck the sandy ground beneath him. His life, as Nelliel felt and saw, ceased to be.
"Farewell, Nnoitra," Nelliel spoke reverently, her head bowed before the lifeless husk he was now, "I'm sorry...that I couldn't save you..."
"Oh dear," Gin said with a sigh, though retained his cold smile nonetheless, "it seems Nnoitra kicked the bucket."
"Bastard deserved what he got," Rana said aloud in a dispassionate tone, leaving what appeared to be a store room. Instead of bare skin and a ragged piece of dirty cloth, she came out donned a full uniform. A reptilian scaled breastplate conformed over her generously sized bosom, allowing the sight of a jagged red scar in the shape of the number 1 over her sternum and collarbone. The plating didn't cover her smooth narrow midriff and lower back, with a white hued kama skirt with scarlet trimming covered stark white leggings tucked into pale colored scaled boots. Gauntlets of a similar silver shine affixed over her hands up to her upper arms past a spiked pair of elbow pads, matching the pair of rex teeth pauldrons perched over her shoulders. Said shoulder armor pieces held a crimson trimmed white cape in place to trail down to her boot covered heels, for which her fiery colored hair flowed freely over to the end of her back.
Gin took time to stare at Rana with a small smile as she adjusted her gauntlets and inspected her uniform. When she turned to meet his gaze, the lavender haired man already turned his head and whistled innocently. She had to restrain herself from unsheathing the bone-hilted cutlass sheathed in a black scabbard on her left hip.
Hearing a number of other rows of feet clamber down the hall for which the store room was located, Rana's attention was averted and her grip on her sword's hilt relaxed.
Leading a number of similar uniformed entities was Sin, now trading his Warden's uniform for a large robe conforming over a silk shapely uniform similar to other Arrancars in Aizen's Modern Arrancar Army. A hood drawn over his scalp, obscuring his eyes while allowing his menacing long jawed mask to protrude from it. Axe in hand and slung over his shoulder, one could tell he was passively on guard for the slightest mishap.
"It's certainly nice to see some old faces," Rana thought with a small smile, the first that expressed true enthusiasm and relief in the many years she's been imprisoned.
The foremost trailing behind the Warden was her Segunda and right-hand man during her Espada days, Soto Muerte. Dark brown locks tucked behind a partially obscuring hood, his pale visage showing a strong gaunt with a vicious scar running across the bridge of his nose down to the end of his left jaw bone. Burgundy orbs burned behind the veil of darkness created by his linen cowl, as his short yet muscular frame kept in line behind his jailer.
"Grim as usual, though I doubt incarcerated isolation has helped his disposition in the slightest," Rana noted.
Looking over to Soto's left was none other than a less than pleasing face from the past, the Sexta of her generation and most loathsome associate, Sverrie Alessi. With a cloak loosely tied around her shoulders, her voluptuous chest was endowed with a white linen top, composed of translucent silk that made seeing her feminine form all too easy in the right lighting. A simple black sash was tied around her waist, doubling as a form of cloth covering for her waist and hinds quarters but did little to keep herself decent behind her luminously transparent drapes. A feather-shaped cup guarded rapier was sheathed on her left hip, jingling absently as she walked forward. A calm smile stretched across her beautiful face, full with pink lips to accentuate her snow white complexioned body, complemented by a bone-crested crown looping her hair up into a high-rise styled ponytail, draping down her shoulder blades to the center of her back.
"That smug bitch's grin is already pissing me off," Rana thought with an irritated twitch.
Glancing to and fro, she noticed other familiar faces but others weren't that all memorable. Either they had been forged by the Hogyoku and had been deemed ill fit to serve or they done crimes that Lord Aizen couldn't condone but wouldn't execute them for. It didn't matter to her. Everyone in this Vanguard appeared to be disposable shock troops during the worst possible scenario to occur.
"Is everyone here?" Gin piped up, reminding to Rana's chagrin that her Commander was still only a meter to her left.
"Yes, Commander Ichimaru," Sin rumbled out dutifully, "they've all been appraised of the situation in a less worded manner so they could understand. The situation, in full, shall be left up to you to debrief."
"Excellent!" Gin clapped with a pleased smile. Turning around to face Rana, he bowed and dramatically gestured to the mass of Arrancars forming the ranks of the Vanguard, "I leave the rest up to you, Miss Zolinder."
"You're too kind," Rana whispered with a visible sneer.
Taking a brief inhale, the Privaron Primera strode forward a few steps till she was a good six meters away from the foremost ranks. A sharp nod of her head to the scowling jailer gave him the hint, scooting aside to lean against the wall, taking care to keep vigilant of the demoted lot. Seeing that everyone she remembered and more were there, she began to speak.
"My comrades! It has been many years for us since we've seen the outside of our cells. We've all done -or rather haven't done- things that made us unfit to continue to serve as members of our benefactor's military. Some of us have spent time in our cells for decades while others have only been in here for a few short years. The strain of isolation and the bare minimum contact with anyone but our less than hospitable Warden has taken a toll on us all. Have we grown weak from it? No! Have our wills diminished? You wouldn't have bothered to show up if they had!" Rana emphasized with gallant gestures of her arms and hands, encouraging noises and nods of affirmation to her.
However, less scrupulous characters failed to see the point of her speech.
"Get on with it!" An Arrancar called out from the posterior of the ranks.
"If we wanted to hear speeches, I'd have stuck with Lord Aizen a long time ago!" Another quipped next to him, causing a chorus of less than courteous chuckles to ring about.
Rana twitched and gripped her gloved hands tightly, but didn't accept the bait. Exhaling through her nostrils slowly, the brief bright glint in her eyes dimmed and her desire to kill was suppressed. The only true ones to notice were Sverrie and Soto.
"Haha, these years in isolation sure haven't quelled that ugly rage of hers," Sverrie commented under her breath, stroking the top of her left breast out of habit while the other rubbed her hip in a sensual manner. "here I was hoping we'd get along better..."
"Put aside your petty vendetta, Sverrie," Soto whispered in a guttural tone, turning his hooded visage to scowl coldly at her, "or I'll cut those hands you value you so much right off!"
"No wonder Rana favors you," Sverrie rolled her eyes, crossing her arms just underneath her barely covered chest, "you two make such a lovely, if not angry couple."
"As I was saying," Rana continued in a more hardened tone, "the fortress of Las Noches that we've all come to call home at one point or another has come under assault by intruders. Shinigami invaders no less."
Hearing a number of audible murmurs of queries amongst their ranks caused a brief smile of satisfaction to cross her face. The prospect of combatting their opposites, something most of them have been denied or deprived of for so long, surely sent chills of excitement and trepidation of equal measure down their spines. Hearing no particular immediate queries, she continued, emphasizing the scenario with minimal gestures.
"According to Commander Ichimaru we've already sustained heavy casualties. Among those of the outlying region to here, we cannot say, but those who retain a place within Las Noches that have lost their lives facing this threat are but the following. Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio, Cirucci Sanderwicci, Gantenbainne Mosqueda, Aaroniero Arruruerie, Zommari Rureaux, Grimmjow Jeagerjaques and Nnoitra Gilga," She finished, hearing an ominous silence captivate her audience. Deciding to start from her own generation's ranks to those of the present, she knew that those who would remember such names by titles or reputation struck a chord in their hearts. Fear, relief, or excitement? She couldn't say, but said emotions definitely existed among the ranks of the selected Vanguard.
She just hoped they were all up to the challenge.
"The mission is simple in nature but most undoubtedly retains a high chance of casualties being involved," Rana began to conclude, clasping her hands in front of her to gain their utmost attention, "eliminate the invading force. Should you find sympathizers or allies reinforce them, kill them as well. Leave no survivors. Doing this, I'm told by our trustworthy Commander Ichimaru, will earn a place within Lord Aizen's Army. If we finish in a timely manner we can even join him in the main operation that will be commencing shortly."
One hand raised up, causing Rana's gaze to be drawn to immediately, "Yes?"
"If I may be so bold," An eloquent speaking Arrancar spoke up, stepping forward in step with two others. The speaking one was endowed with a full-body cloak, looking crisp and buttoned up, akin to that of a human military's officer. Black and white hair divided down the middle curled into dreadlock curls draped over the back of his neck. A diagonal aligned row of white bone piercings embedded from his right jaw line across the bridge of his nose to his upper left cheekbone. A pair of Sai knives was holstered upon his chest within holsters respectively, brandished almost like metals from how they glinted in the dim artificial lighting of the corridor.
Another to his right, albeit with reluctance at such proximity, was an Arrancar with an equally tall yet slender build. Donning a pale trenchcoat with black gloves, he appeared to be equally militaristic visually yet had the air of arrogance to him to match his associate. Dark brunette hair slicked back to form two opposing peaks on his crown, with a visible jagged eyebrow over his right brow while his left eye and brow line was covered by a mask fragment containing a trio of gum sized holes. He possessed a sword of a scimitar in shape slung over his shoulder by way of dark brown belted bandoleer over his coat covered torso.
The last was standing a bit more away to his left, almost observing the events from close up rather than siding with them. Taller than the rest while appearing more physically fit, he wore more standard Arrancar attire befitting someone of a far greater standing than those beside him. A long sleeved white kosode with black trimming, it revealed his midriff down in a pyramid shaped space to reveal his abdomen just above his white hakama skirt, with a distinct circular hole taking up his navel area. A yellow hued sword was sheathed on his waist, kept in his left hand's grip for readiness as his visible right thin browed eye stared at the two, his slicked back dark blue hair covered on its leftmost side while retaining a bone-ridged fragment that kept a triangular shaped eyehole.
"Who the Hell are you?" Rana asked bluntly, her eyes glaring daggers already at the man who acted so brazen in his mannerisms.
"Ah, yes. Where are my manners?" The Black and white haired Arrancar began.
"You had those?" The brunette Arrancar quipped with a sneering grin, earning a side-glancing scowl from his associate before he continued.
"My name is Luders Friegen, Arrancar #44," He finally continued, bowing slightly forward, quickly rising back to his full height. Gesturing lazily to either side, he smiled as he spoke in his presumptuous tone, "to my right is Asguiaro Ebern, Arrancar #42. The less respectful fellow to my left is Patros, Arrancar #59."
"Leave me out of whatever you're plotting," Patros said with a nasally tone, fixing a one-eyed glare while remaining in his steadfastly stoic position, "if you're going to ask her something, then do it. Don't waste all of our time with your pointless antics!"
"Touchy," Luders chuckled with amusement, returning his stare back at the glaring Rana, "I am curious as to whom is going to be in charge of this operation."
"Exactly how would that affect your performance in completing this simplest of simplistic tasks?" Rana asked pointedly, crossing her arms over her armored breasts.
"As you might have guessed, some of us aren't too fond of his majesty and the way he does things around here," Luders said without apology, grinning widely as he did so, exchanging a glance with Gin and Sin before returning back to the female Arrancar, "if we are going to be led by someone whose devoutly supportive of his ways and the cemented laws he embedded into our lives, then I may have a particular problem with said leader."
"Or," Asguiaro cued in, smiling cockily himself, "someone like you who tried to rebel against Aizen yet failed. I may not trust a leader who fails in her plans that were doomed to fail from the start. How am I supposed to trust that kind of superior?"
"So, what you're suggesting is," Rana spoke slowly, furrowing her brows to permeate a crease of visible irritation on her visage, "you'd rather have a figurehead that has no respect or acknowledgement of Aizen's laws or military. That you yourselves would make better leaders than a Shinigami would. Is that right?"
"While I wouldn't have said that," Luders leaned his head to the left, grinning darkly, "but I can't deny that sounds better than the alternative."
"I may not agree to this guy being the leader," Asguiaro cued in, smiling in an equally malicious manner towards the red-haired Privaron, "I'd rather trust anyone other than a Privaron!"
The sounds of anticipation and anxiety brokered out among the Vanguard. Already there brewed mutiny, an attempt to usurp power from their would-be Vanguard Commander. The minority backed away, not wishing to be dragged into it, were outweighed by the majority who formed a half circle behind the brash duo and the closely observing third.
"That's a shame," Rana slurred out in a bored tone, unfurling a hand while gesturing a hand in their direction.
It happened quicker than the two thought possible. An explosion of gore splattered across Asguiaro's cheek and coat, causing his eye to widen and his body to flinch with horror. What had been the dominant arm of Luders detonated into a shower of blood and fleshy pieces, covering himself and his rightmost associate immediately. His eyes widened shortly before he let out a pained howl.
"I could have used some men with your ideology at my side," Rana murmured dryly, her extended hand crackling with scarlet tendrils, the telltale sign of a Bala discharge recently used, "but since you outright challenged me, you're no better than ungrateful dogs. Incapable of being pleased with your portion you bite the hand of the master that offers it to you for the idea of having a bigger cut. Dogs like you...need to be put down."
"YOU WITCH!" Luders cried out, his comrade growling in sync. Both reached for their respective weapons, ignoring the instantaneous attack that neither could follow, nor the obvious distance in power.
Neither of them were given the chance to follow up their threats. Moving at a speed contrary to the bulk he possessed, Sin appeared in front of them with a succinctly low tuned buzz. Swinging his axe down without remorse or hesitation, the double edged executioner blade cleaved cleanly down Luders' body from his head down to the floor. The thunderous smash that followed the symmetrical severing of his body sent his two parts scattered to either side of the corridor, causing Patros to backpedal away deftly to avoid being struck by the bloody carcass half while Asguiaro took to the air.
"Damned Shinigami lapdog!" Asguiaro snarled out, thrusting his two knives towards the brute's shoulders. With horror he saw the blades shatter upon contact, unable to even pressure the thick Hierro lying underneath the robed skin. Seeing himself weaponless, he was unable to defend against the backstroke of the axe, cutting his elbows and midsection in a clean half. A gurgle of bloody protest sounded before his eye rolled up, following a final decapitating strike that cut him as he fell to the ground.
As silence elapsed over the midst of the Vanguard, Sin rose up to his full height, cleaning his axe with a shred of the corpse's own coat. Looking over to the still standing ranks, Sin gutturally promised through his mask, "Try that again, and this will be your fate. I am more capable than most of you believe yourselves to be. Lord Aizen's words are law here, even in the darkest depths of his Palace. Through Commander Ichimaru, he has saw fit that Rana Zolinder be named your leader. If any of you have a qualm with that, you will have to go through me before even attempting to challenge her authority!"
Seeing any further signs of resistance effectively neutralized, Sin nodded respectfully to Rana before returning to his wall.
"For whatever it's worth, I'm glad I have the Warden on my side," Rana thought with a curt smile, seeing the effects of his execution of the two rebels. Noticing that Patros had skirted back to the rearmost ranks of the assorted ranks, she could only assume he knew that from observation he had no chance. Would he betray them later? She could only keep an eye on him for the chance he may take in usurping her own authority.
Turning on her heels with a flourish of her cape, Rana motioned to them with her left gloved hand to follow. Wordlessly she commanded the ranks of those who were formerly imprisoned, now given the opportunity to return to Aizen's good graces. Each of their uniformed visages walked past Commander Ichimaru and Jailer Sin respectively, marching down the hall to rise to the taller levels of the Palace and head to their destination. It wouldn't be until the last pair walked past that Sin joined them as well, keeping an eye from behind so none may escape or try anything hostile.
"What a lively bunch Aizen's chosen as his Vanguard," Gin thought with a thin smile, watching them disappear around the corner. After hearing the last of their steps echo into silence, he himself turned to go back to his spot in the Comm room, "I better keep an eye on things. Who knows if I may miss the most exciting parts before our departure?"
A/N: And done! So sorry for the wait, it's taken me awhile for a number of reasons I know would bore you if I went into detail. Needless to say, I got my writing mojo back and I am anticipating on getting another Chapter done this week, perhaps even a couple days! I hope the Chapter wasn't too long or boring, for I really put my all into most of this update.
As some have you been asking about if Aaroniero can access her assimilated aspects/(powers) unique to each person she devoured, I hope this Chapter answered that. While she's trying to keep a low profile, at the very moment, there may come a time when she has to show just what kind of threat she's become. Just how dangerous? You'll have to wait to find out ;)
I hope I did Nelliel's victory over Nnoitra more justice than was handled in Canon. Considering how she was shamelessly depowered so that Kenpachi could take the glory of beating this one-eyed bastard, I wanted to give her a better part. Even though it wasn't a completely one-sided victory, I thought it was best that I threw Lilynette in there so I wouldn't forget her and that she had some kind of attachment to our lovely Centauress Arrancar
Kudos to anyone who saw the Easter Egg Arrancars I had mentioned in the Vanguard's ranks. I hope you liked those I intend to keep around for awhile as they are original characters I worked up of my own imagination. The only one that I had some reference material (for both personality and character concept) to work off of was the lovely and seductive Sverrie Alessi. She was a character that I worked up my own design to match the personality given. I hope people like what I have in store for her ;)
And once again thank Lastation for helping with the Editing process as he's previewed this before I posted this in mint condition :)
I think that covers everything, yes, that's it. See you all in the next update, to which I hope it's soon. See ya all in the next, A Predator Among Us!