Chapter 43 – The puppet master
The sand around was violently lifted up into the air as Zeo's and Naomi's sword clashed. The both jumped back immediately and shot towards each other again. Again neither of them seemed stronger. And again they both jumped back.
"Not bad, not bad at all," said Zeo calmly.
"Yeah, you too," replied Naomi. Both vanished and appeared three times in quick successions every time with their swords clashing with neither side giving an inch.
"You know what I hate?" asked Zeo, "fights that last too long."
"You know, that's exactly what I was thinking," smirked Naomi. "Shimmer, Seireitenshi." Her sword extended into a long staff with a bardiche mounted on at the end.
"Think fast," said Zeo he vanished and appeared behind Naomi instantly. "Cero," the cero made a big explosion as Zeo jumped out of the blast range.
But Naomi stood there unharmed. "Ha, don't think so," she laughed, span and swung her weapon firing the cero back.
"Humph, interesting," said Zeo to himself coolly.
"Don't act so big when you're not. Hado thirty one Red Flame Cannon," she shouted as a ball of red energy shot out of her palm and crashed into Zeo after the reflected cero attack.
After the dust cleared Zeo stood there also unharmed. "A half powered cero with a weak kido? You didn't seriously expect that to hurt me did you?"
"Not really to be honest," said Naomi honestly. "But I will hurt you now." She moved quickly with flash step and got behind Zeo and swung her weapon. He effortless raised his sword behind him and blocked the attack.
"I guess I've played around for long enough. Writhe, Tenencia." A large amount of spirit energy exploded from him forcing Naomi to jump back to not get caught in the blast. As soon as she landed on her feet a dozen or so needle like white things flew at her. She raised her bardiche and blew them out of the sky with a kido attack from her blade. Behind them came more needles and she had to flash step to avoid them.
"Pathetic, those little things can't touch me," taunted Naomi trying to find where Zeo is through al the dust in the air. No answer came in stead more needles came flying her way, she continued to move more and more backwards to avoid them. "Tch, this is getting annoying," she thought. She swung her weapon once and blew away all the dust. Zeo stood calmly in front of her in his ressurection form.
He had bone-like gloves on his hands, his mask covered the entire right half of his face. He also has a boney whip-like tail. And both the tail and his fingers all have thin, needle like protrusions from the tips.
"Well done for dodging my attacks, let's see if you can keep it up," he said as he pointed both hands at her and continuously fired out the needles.
Naomi ran forwards and dodged them. "I won't need to dodge them if the source it gone," she shouted and flash stepped in front of him. "Got you." She swung her weapon downwards, but just about half-way down Zeo tail came swinging in and she was forced to jump away. Zeo fired out more needles and Naomi was unable to dodge because she didn't have time.
Two needles hit her right arm which was holding her weapon. "Unlucky," said Zeo. He moved his arm about and Naomi was forcefully made to do the same action. "This is my power, whatever I hit with the needles I will be able to control. I am known as the puppet master."
"Shit," cursed Naomi as she struggled to hang onto to her weapon but eventually Zeo's ability was too strong and she was forced to drop her weapon.
"Too bad," said Zeo and he charged swiftly with his other hand pointing towards her chest ready to deliver the finishing blow.
BANG! He crashed into her, but unexpectedly he was stopped. Naomi's right hand was free as she used it to stop Zeo's hand from reaching her.
"Heh, a puppet master is no good without is strings," she laughed. She had used her other hand to make a kido blade and sliced apart the invisible soul-threads that was attached to her arm and his hand.
Zeo improvised and did a forward flip behind her and then landed a kick on her shoulder sending her face first into the ground with a crash. "Don't get all high and mighty. You haven't even seen the true extent of my powers."
Naomi slowly got up with the support of her bardiche, looking a bit shaken but otherwise alright. "Alright then, I can wait, let's see what great powers you have."
"Don't regret those words." Zeo moved higher into the air and shot out all the needles in him to any inanimate object around him, this was mainly rocks and trees. The all gathered together below him and formed into a large golem. He floated down on top of the golem and went into a state of trance and concentration.
The golem moved and punched down to where Naomi was. She jumped backwards and dodged. "I see, well now. You've shown your true strength, I guess I should show mine as well." She held her weapon in front of her. "Bankai." Her staff extended even more and her bardiche became a double-bladed bardiche mounted on the extended staff. She had a pair of wings on her back, one white and one black. "Kozumikkukouken Seireitenshi."
The big golem opened it's mouth and slowly said, "It is useless."
"So, he's only controlling the golem. Ha, you've left yourself wide open," smirked Naomi. She waved her bardiche in the air and eight shadowy figures that resemble her appeared and all eight jumped up to attack Zeo directly.
Zeo doesn't move at all instead all eight managed to attack him, but to no avail because Zeo was shielded by some sort of force field around him.
The golem responded the attack and punched out two of the shadowy figures and they disappeared.
"This could get tricky," thought Naomi as she ran around the golem trying to think of a way to break Zeo's concentration or to sever the strings.
Because her 'clones' act on their own accord all of them tried to attack Zeo again, and ended up in failure again after another two got punch out by the golem.
Naomi jumped up and landed a hit on the golem cracking a bit on it's back. The golem swung round to hit Naomi but was blocked by two more of her clones which was destroyed after that.
The golem pointed his palm out and several spikes shot out of it blasting the rest of the clones to bits.
"Now things are starting to get interesting," she thought as she parried a spike. She continuously ran around the golem and looked for weak spots. It seemed that the damage from her earlier attack has left a dent in the golem's back, "Hmmm… if I hit it a few more times it should be greatly weakened right?" she asked herself. She charged, flipping behind the golem and dodging its barrage of spikes to land another swing with her bardiche on the golem's back in the same spot. This time the crack widened on the golem's back. "Got ya."
For the split second she thought she found a weakness and let her guard down a second smaller golem appeared behind her and smashed its fist into her side sending her flying and crashing into the distance.
She got up slowly and spat out some blood, "Bastard, using a trick as low as that. Alright, now I'm angry." She flash stepped back and instantly sliced up the smaller golem. The bigger golem launched more spikes at her, she blew them up in mid-air with various kido attacks and moved behind it for a third hit on the golem's back in the same spot. This hit seemed to have done more damage because the golem stumbled backwards and nearly fell over. This time the golem opened its mouth and shot out a red cero beam from it. Naomi smiled, she pointed her bardiche forwards and easily absorbed the cero attack, "Back you go," she said swinging the bardiche and releasing the cero back at exactly the strength she received it. It crashed into the golem and knocked back eventually losing its balance and falling over.
"I think it's about time we wrap this up," said Naomi flash stepping behind the golem and summoned all her clones once more. "Kozumikku Reitentei," she said raising her weapon into the air. The clones all gathered together into one place and slowly a giant size version of her bardiche was formed. She swung her bardiche downward and pointed it at the collapsed golem and the giant bardiche blasted towards it.
There was a tremendous explosion as Naomi's giant bardiche crashed into the golem and Zeo, they were completely overwhelmed by the ferocity of the attack and moments later, the golem had vanished, and Zeo lay on the floor bleeding from cuts everywhere on his body.
"Not bad, not bad at all. I've lost, and you've won, good game. You fought very well" panted Zeo trying to stand up with great effort.
"Thanks, I guess," said Naomi with a smile.
"Well? Aren't you going to finish me off?" asked Zeo.
"Nah, I don't want to kill, I just don't want to see anymore people get hurt."
Zeo smiled back, "Noble indeed."
"More like pathetic," a voice behind Zeo said.
Zeo turned round and saw the 2nd ranked Wu Jian. "Naomi, run for it now," he quickly shouted a warning to Naomi.
"You're useless Zeo, I'll disposes of you right now," said the 2nd ranked Wu Jian calmly with both his hands in his pockets. A red ball of energy gathered quickly in front of him and a cero blast was fired out at the defenceless Zeo.
Naomi flash stepped in front of Zeo just in the nick of time and absorbed the cero.
"Why?" asked Zeo.
"Because I can't stand around and see a defenceless person get hit no matter who they are," said Naomi and fired the cero back.
"Oh?" The arrancar didn't move and inch and still he kept his hands in his pockets. He stayed calm and said, "Reves," just as the cero was about to hit. The cero then flew fast his head and redirected itself back at Naomi with twice the speed.
"Crap," cursed Naomi as she had no time to dodge and was blown into the wall near where the tunnel exit was.
The arrancar flew up into the sky, "you're a nuisance." He fired off another quick cero at Naomi this time.
There was a big crash at where it hit but the attack didn't reach Naomi. A wall of water was raised to block the attack. The arrancar turned his head and saw Jushiro's shikai swords stabbed into the ground. "Enough with this," shouted Jushiro and Shunsui appeared by his side with his shikai swords.
"Tch, whatever. I don't have time to waste on this," said the arrancar and he vanished instantly.
"Wait!" shouted Jushiro, but the arrancar was gone.
"My, my. What a waste of energy chasing him for him just to disappear again, never mind," sighed Shunsui.
Jushiro went over to Zeo. "Tell us, who was that person?" he asked.
"He was… just someone… who's above me… in rank," panted Zeo.
"Is that all you can say?" asked Jushiro. Zeo smirked. "Fine." Jushiro raised his blade.
"WAIT!" shouted Naomi unable to stand up. "Please, don't kill him. Please, I don't want to see more die." And with that she fainted. Jushiro let go and picked up Naomi.
"Let's go then, we need to get her to squad four immediately. Ketu and the rest seem to be alright at the moment, we'll go to them later, if they face that arrancar they'll need more than power to win. After all, Reves is an ability that turns your own power against you," he said as he walked off down the tunnel with Naomi on his shoulder.
"It may be just my imagination, you seem to have changed a lot in your many years recuperating," said Shunsui. Jushiro didn't answer so Shunsui shrugged and followed him out of the tunnels.
End of Part 4 – that was a good run, now just the last part which is pretty short, I believe at least, so hope you enjoyed this part