The Predator's Blade!

The Spirit That Devours the Prey!

Al's muscles spasmed as he felt Zesiro's killing intent pour into his arm like acid. He stumbled back, he was losing control of his own arm! His own pride and joy strength seemed to be turning against him. Zesiro was turning his killing intent into a fine blade that could slice through even the thickest of heads. Al gritted his teeth, his rows of razors becoming freshly evident to Zesiro.

And in that they became a fresh target for Zesiro. Zesiro ducked down beneath Al and his next punch. Zesiro shot up at angle, putting the strength of his own legs up and used the rising power behind his blade to smash straight into the alligator's less than warm smile. Of course, even those were as hard as steel and barely budged an inch even when faced with Zesiro's strength.

However, once more Al felt the killing intent seep in and seep in deep. His mouth twitched back and he unintentionally clenched his teeth tight. Al backed away, partly from the force of the attack, partly because he didn't want Zesiro to see his body tightening up from fear. He knew the kind of influence fear had on a person and how when a predator sensed fear in their opponent they could change the tide of battle. Regardless of Al's little hasty retreat Zesiro seemed to sense something as he rushed forward and into the midst of Al's next little barrage.

They came fast and Zesiro just smiled and rushed through them. He used the back of his blades to deflect the incoming punches. It didn't really matter though as even the front of his sword couldn't cut the monster. Zesiro used the twin blades as a sort of railing keeping to himself well as he slid down the monsterous forearms of the beast right to his gut.

Al wasn't panicking, but he was beginning to put together why his opponent had a high price on his head. Nonetheless whatever the opening Zesiro could create so could Al. Al was much more a monster than Zesiro was or at least he thought he was. Al charged back into the fray. His iron-like hide would protect him from any damage Zesiro could deal.

Al quickly closed the gap with pro-boxer footwork and above par bobbing and weaving. However, now that he had closed in he was in the belly of the beast. The two of them had their own unique raging killing intents which were clashing like never before. It was a ferocious exchange not of slashes or punches, but of willpower. The two predator's clashed in a way no one else could.

However, their two battle of wills and instincts wouldn't be the end of their fight. They needed to step it up. They stepped it up. The two of them zoomed forward to meet once more. Both of their attacks moved into the same path. Zesiro lowered his arm and approached it from below. Al dropped his weight down and then shot up.

Their two attacks came from the same location down below. Al's fist hit first, a resounding punch that shot through into Zesiro's chin. However, Al's punch seemed to be lacking the same incredible power it had before as Zesiro's attack was undeterred. His slash continued from its path from below, scraping upwards and into Al's cheek

The two didn't stop. Their similar predatory instincts told them not to back away. Backing away was the sign of ultimate weakness in the animal kingdom and the two had both become more animal during this fight. The two continued, a vicious exchange of blows ensued.

Zesiro's sword whipped around once more, coming in from above, shearing off of Al's thick hide without actually slicing through it while Al's fist came in from above as well, pounding into Zesiro's cheek.

Next up was identical blows to the body. Then from below, then another side strike. Angling from above! Diagonal! Thrust! The two mimicked each other's fighting patterns to the T, their instincts telling them they were going to win the fight by out doing their opponent at whatever they did! The fight escalated as neither warrior moved from their spot, both desperate to retain the title of 'Apex Predator'.

However, the stalemate couldn't last forever! Both sides continuously pumped themselves up with the thought that they had obtained the upper hand from each of their exchanges, but with no clear difference emerging from their blows it was hard to be certain. Until a difference made itself obvious.

Al's heavy blows seemed to slow. His muscles once more began to spasm. He lost control, his own body began to betray him. His body clenched up, giving way due to Zesiro's relentless assault, not from his blades, but from his killing intent. An unsettling amount of fear embedded itself into Al's body now and it was unshakeable to the core.

Zesiro was unsure of what was happening, but he knew one thing for sure! There was an opening! Once more Zesiro stepped forward and into the fray and he intended to make it for the last time! "Crab Trap!" Zesiro spun to the side, placing Al's head in-between his blade and snapped them shut. Al moaned in pain, but he remained standing without a sure cut in his body. Zesiro moved to the front. "Swordfish Skewer!" A powerful forwards thrust! "Cascading Cuts!" Multiple slashes that rose up Al's body from below! "Rapid Cuts!" A barrage of wild slashes that dug and tore into Al!

"Great White Bite!" Zesiro shouted once more as his two swords swung in simultaneously. Their trajectory locking onto Al's chest. The two came together at the center of Al's chest, each one creating their own stream of red blood behind them.

Al lurched forward, his eyes falling to his chest where his first and only wound not only during this fight, but during his entire life had been made. Al's eyes closed and then snapped open, this time filled with fear as Zesiro whipped his entire body around. Throwing all of his body weight behind it, his muscles moving in perfect harmony, completely unaffected by Al's vicious killing intent. Finally Zesiro's sword snapped into Al's head, throwing him aside and knocking him out.

Zesiro sheathed his two blades, looking down at his fallen foe. "Be happy I used the back of the blades," Zesiro stated with certainty, "for if I hadn't I would've lopped your head clean off." Al grunted. He didn't want to admit it, but deep down in his gut he accepted that Zesiro was right.

(-With Reymundo-)

The brave samurai was barreling down the halls and much like his own captain would be he was a demon. His swordplay was not dissimilar to Zesiro's hefty slashes and hacking cuts, but it also wasn't similar. His strokes spoke to his strength and skill rather than an instinctual blood lust. Of course, that wasn't saying that there were no blood lusts behind his blows as each and every one reeked of killing intent.

However, he differentiated from Zesiro in that his killing intent was more like a hunter. A calm steady, never ceasing wave of killing intent that engulfed the samurai. Strangely enough he had absolutely no opportunity to use his power lately. His killing intent had seeped through the rooms and was scaring off all of the lesser monsters and the bigger monsters had no desire to hunt someone else down.

Reymundo paused as he heard the rest some footsteps coming from nearby. The quiet sounds of somebody approaching once more lit up his fighting spirit. Reymundo switched around, pivoting around and once more throwing his power behind his sword. The blade cut through the air as well as the nearby wall with his incredible strength and show of skill. A clear cut, split the wall as Reymundo looked past it.

"Hello?" asked Reymundo as he walked towards the wall to see what was behind it. He paused as he immediately recognized the face. Alan Fox, the Shichibukai. The guy laughed as he waved hello to the samurai.

"And a fabulous welcome to you as well," Alan stated as he opened his hand up and gave a quick courteous bow.

Reymundo flipped his sword out and pointed it right down the line at Alan's nose. Alan couldn't help, but smile even at the blatant threat. Reymundo spoke calmly even in the eyes of his opponent, "you apparently don't recognize a sword when you see it. This is not a 'fabulous' welcome. This is a challenge." Reymundo stepped forward and quickly fired a powerful forwards thrust right for his opponent's chest. However, he hit nothing.

Alan disappeared at least for a second. Within seconds he had reappeared right back beneath Reymundo. Alan reached out. "I ate the Shift-Shift Fruit with it I can disappear and reappear at will. I can move through dimensions and temporarily remove myself from this one. That's my speciality and that's how I'll win."

Alan placed his hand onto Reymundo's body. "I can also bring things in from another plane." Suddenly Reymundo's body was thrown backwards as Alan brought a large iron sphere back to his hand. "See what I mean? I can fire a cannonball through the dimensions and then bring those fired cannonballs back into this dimension to give me the ability to create cannon fire."

Reymundo didn't back away though he brought his sword back up and targeted his blade back at his opponent. He lifted it up into the air. A flying slash! Reymundo lashed out, sending a blizzard of blades forward directly at his opponent. However, just like before his attack hit nothing, but air as his target vanished.

Alan reappeared right next to his opponent this time placing his hand right back onto his opponent's head. "Don't move," requested Alan causing Reymundo to pause and shiver. "I'll conjure up another cannonball if you move even an inch. So I think it'll be in yours and your empty head's best interest if I don't do that."

Reymundo looked back at him. He was a good fighter, but Alan was seemingly unstoppable. Shane's fighting style wasn't even enough. Reymundo didn't know if his captain could win. Shane's willingness to bet everything on one hit wasn't a bad one, but Reymundo didn't know if Shane could land that one hit. The guy was disappearing too quick!

Alan stepped back as he fired a quick punch right into Reymundo's face to smash him back to the floor. The Shichibukai stepped forward and brought the heel of his boot right into his enemy's head. A quick series of kick, further pressed Reymundo into the floor.

"Step back!" shouted Rosa as she shot forward and right for Alan. She, Lily, and Sage had all gone with Reymundo. Admittedly they weren't rushing forward as eagerly as Reymundo had, but they were now locked in on Alan. However, Alan didn't seem really bothered by it.

Alan shook his head. "I'll just be going now."

"You can't just run away from us!" shouted Rosa as she rushed forward and flowed with her blade forward, directly at his opponent's gut. A clean smooth slice right at him, which just like all of Reymundo's attacks came up short. Alan had disappeared and then reappeared right behind her. Alan placed his hand on the back of her neck, readying himself to destroy her. However, Alan laughed as he removed his hand from her neck and walked away.

"I don't plan on running away from you," Alan stated, "I'm planning for you guys to run away from me. I have no interest in fighting you. But if I have to I will do so and I will finish you all off within seconds."

"So, you're just going to let us go?" Asked Lily with a clear tone of hope behind it.

"Sure, go tell your captains where I am and I will gladly accept their challenges," Alan stated. "My brother is working on something so you go tell them where to find me and I'll finish them off instead. I don't want them interupting my brother after all."

An Ancient Weapon's Counter

Ah ha ha ha! Leave it to me to forget to upload a chapter of this. Okay, I uploaded this chapter, swore I updated Saga as well. I have no idea what happened. Probably just crappy internet connection messing with me, or something worse. I really though I updated Saga two weeks ago. Expect a bonus chapter Thursday (if something doesn't go wrong again).