Chapter 7- Second Encounters

The four remaining soul reapers continued to gain ground towards Los Nachos fortress. As they got closer, Byakuya could see a door at the center of one of the great walls. Pointing towards it, the others followed. After a few minutes of running and flash stepping, the group finally reached the doorway.

The door was massive and made of steel and looked to be bolted shut. Mayuri did a quick assessment then turned to Byakuya. "How do you suppose we get through this? Certainly you don't expect us to knock?"

"Don't be a simpleton Captain Mayuri." Izuru said stepping up to the door. Holding up his had he showed them the solution. "Hado No. 33 Sokatsui" The door was blown apart by the kido. Stepping aside, Izuru allowed the captains to go first and he and Yamada followed.

Entering the fortress, the group walked into a huge room with several door-sized openings, each leading to a different part of the fort. The room was dimly lit, but bright enough to see clearly. "Where do we go now?" Yamada asked nervously looking around.

"I'll go one way, Izuru come with me, and Yamada you can go with Kuchiki." Mayuri stated as he began to walk in one direction. Satisfyed with that decision, Izuru followed Mayuri and Yamada followed Byakuya.

After following a hall that seemed endless, Captain Mayuri and Izuru came to a room with very high ceilings and a table in the center. Sitting in a chair at the table was an arrancar. Turning in the chair, the arrancar acknowledged the soul reapers enter.

"What do we have here? Soul reapers? This must be my lucky day." Gilga said in a sinister whisper. "Oh, was our approach that noticeable?" Mayuri retorted, halting at the door.

Not wasting any time, Izuru flash stepped past Mayuri and attempted to attack Gilga. "I'm here for Gin!" He shouted. But Gilga didn't even dodge. As Izuru's sword collided with Gilga, it didn't even scratch him.

Withdrawing, Izuru stood wide-eyed as Gilga stood before him. "You fool. My Hierro is among the hardest of all the espada. None of your swords can hope to pierce it." Gilga then drew his own sword. "Now its my turn."

In seconds, Izuru knew he was in deep. Gilga was damn powerful. His swings were so powerful it shook the room with every clash. Flash stepping away Izuru activated his shikai. "Show yourself, Wabisuke!" After clashing with Gilga for several more minutes, Izuru couldn't believe Gilga could still lift his sword.

Whats going on? My shikai should've added twenty times more weight to his weapon. Is he really just that strong?

As they continued to clash, Mayuri watched from a distance. As he pondered whether he should join the fight, there came a voice from behind him. "It seems you have nobody to fight. Let me help you with that problem."

Mayuri swung around to see Grimmjow standing just feet behind him. "Wonderful. I was getting bored." He said as he drew his Zanpakuto-to. Grimmjow grinned and also drew his sword.

Sparks flew as their swords collided and the room shook with all the spiritual pressure being released. Grimmjow was extremely fast and he easily evaded Mayuri's swings.

"Very disappointing. I had figured a captain of the court guard squads would be tougher than this." Grimmjow boasted as he pressed his advantage.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, fool. I've not yet begin to fight." Mayuri warned. Grinning again, Grimmjow sneered. "If that's so, hit me harder!" And the captain took his advice. "Very well arrancar. Tear him up, Ashisogi Jizo!"

This hardly slowed Grimmjow's pace as he continued to attack with abandon. But it soon proved to be a fatal mistake. Failing to dodge a swing of Mayuri's blade, Grimmjow suddenly found his left arm completely stiff. Grinning, Mayuri took several more swings at Grimmjow's left leg. "What the hell?" The arrancar grimaced when he realized the power of the captains shikai. "You bastard!" He yelled, swinging at Mayuri with his only good arm. Mayrui stood just out of the arrancars reach and smiled. "I do think this battle is over." Then there came a yelp from across the room.

Mayuri turned to see Izuru had just sustained a severe wound to his right leg, and his opponent was standing over him, getting ready to deliver a final blow. As Gilga brought his sword down, Mayuri flash stepped in front of him and Mayuri felt the sword pierce his chest. "CAPTAIN!" Izuru screamed as the captain sunk to the floor.

"How honorable, but foolish." Gilga laughed as he pulled his sword from Mayuri's body, which was now limp on the floor.

"YOU BASTARD!" Izuru screamed and lunged for Gilga's throat, but his swing missed and Gilga pointed his sword to Izuru's face. "Make a move, and I'll end you right here." He sneered. Panting, Izuru dropped his Zanpakuto. "Guess this is it…"

The hall that Byakuya walked through was dark and quiet. It went on and on but led to no rooms or other passages. Behind him Yamada walked in close step, whimpering every once in a while. He was scared, as he always was. He never saw action so it was understandable to Byakuya.

When the spiritual signatures of both Captain Mayuri and Vice-Captain Izuru disappeared, a very worried Yamada began wondering. What happened? How badly are they hurt? Or could they even be dead? I really hope not. And where is Captain Zaraki and Captain Sajin?

Suddenly Yamada heard footsteps behind him. He and Byakuya both turned to see two very young arrancar females standing side by side, staring at them. One had black pig-tails and the number 33 on her neck. "I'm Loly Aivirrne, arrancar 33." She introduced in a sinister voice. The other had blonde spiky hair and the number 34 on her neck also. "I am Melony Mallia, arrancar 34."

Byakuya just eyed them intently. "It's very rude not to introduce yourself soul reaper. Didn't you know that?" Loly said glaring back.

"I-I-I'm Hanataro Yamada, a-and t-this is C-c-captain…"

"Enough Yamada." Byakuya cut the stuttering boy off. "There is no need for introductions. Our objective is clear, and unless these two intend on getting in our way, we have no need to interact with them." He said as he began to turn away, but Melony used her sonido and blocked Byakuya's path.

"Well that's just the thing…we don't intend on letting you wonder around here as you so please." Loly said. Byakuya lowered his gaze and sighed lightly. "Please don't engage us. I'm really not in the habit of engaging such a young and immature enemy."

But as he finished his sentence, Melony bolted towards Yamada, hitting him with a powerful spin-kick and tossing him into the wall. Melony then stepped aside her partner and grinned. "Well that was easy. I didn't want to do that, but that stupid voice of his was annoying me." She grinned. "Aren't you going to draw your sword?"

"No. My Zanpakuto is not for cutting down vermin such as yourselves." This pissed the two girls off and they both tried to attack Byakuya at the same time. Unphased, the captain muttered. "Bakudo No. 61 Rikujo Koro." The binding spell trapped Melony, but Loly continued to attack as Byakuya dodged her swings.

She was stunned when the captain caught her arm in mid-strike. How could he do that!? I was swinging as fast as I could, and yet he dodged them all, and even CAUGHT me? How? "You seem surprised…." Byakuya muttered, still holding Loly. "Help me Loly!" Melony screamed, trying helplessly to break the kido.

"A-are you going to kill me?" Loly asked, suddenly very afraid for her life. Without breaking his stare, the captain answered. "As I said before, my sword is not for vermin, the answer is no. However, I cannot allow you to pursue us if you wish to do so."

Loly's eyes went wide as Byakuya raised his other hand to her. "Bakudo No. 61 Rikujo Koro." With both arrancars trapped, Byakuya turned to Yamada, who was just recovering from his attack. "S-sorry Captain Kuchiki. I should've been better prepared."

Without a word, Byakuya turned and began walking and motioned for him to follow.