Chapter 9: Espada pt. 1
Upon hearing the two Arrancar's request, nobody spoke for a full minute. Finally, it was Aizen who broke the silence.
"You two DO realize that, the only way for you two to become one of the elite is to defeat one of the existing Espadas and take his or her place, correct?" Aizen asks.
"Yes we are aware of that sir. But we would still like the opportunity and we are fully prepared for the consequences of failure." Naoto stated.
"Hmmppp...." The Segunda Espada Barragan harrumphs derisively as he sat on a throne-like chair surrounded by his Fraccions. "The two of you may be more powerful then the average Numero or Fraccion, but you're nowhere near our level of strength. You're just foolishly throwing away your lives and wasting the Boss's generous gift on some misguided delusion."
"Actually...." The Cuatro Espada Ulquiorra spoke up from his spot leaning against a pillar. "We have yet to see the full extent of their abilities. So judging them to be weaker then an Espada at this juncture would be grossly inaccurate."
Both Sano and Naoto stiffens at Ulquiorra's statement. Has Ulquiorra discovered their secret? If he has, why hasn't he said anything to Aizen?
"Ha! It's ridiculous to think that these two losers actually have what it takes to beat an Espada." The Quinta Espada Nnoitra opined. "I say we're just wasting our time with them."
"Why not just let them have a go at it? At the very least, we'll have some entertainment around here." The Sexta Espada Grimmjow said from where he was seated before leering at Noitra. "Or are you just feeling insecure coz you know that they can challenge anyone of us for our spots in the Espada?"
The Quinta Espada glares at the Sexta Espada. "I'll crush anyone who goes up against me. ANYONE."
"Then there shouldn't be any problem, right?" Gin said with his ever present smile on his face. "Like what these boys say, it's their choice anyways. They wanna play with the big boys? It's their funeral."
"I would like to know one thing though." Tousen said as he turns to the two masked arrancars. "What is the reason why you two want to become Espadas?"
"It has been our goal from the very beginning to work our way up till we get an opportunity to become part of the elite." Sano stated. "And even though we look up to the Espadas as a whole, we feel that we can contribute more to Aizen Sama's cause then certain members."
Aizen scrutinizes the two closely for a few moments before nodding his head with a smile. "You two have shown initiative and I like that. Very well then.... I shall allow this even if it means that I shall be losing two excellent warriors whichever way this goes." Murmerings can be heard around the room about Aizen's decision. "I suppose you have chosen the ones you wish to challenge for their spots?"
The two masked arrancars looks at each other briefly before turning back to Aizen with a nod simultaneously saying. "We have Aizen Sama."
Naoto stands up first and turns his attention to the tall figure with the long cylindrical head covered by a mask. "Noveno Espada Aaroniero Arruruerie, I wish to challenge you for your spot in the Espada."
"As you wish." The eerily dual sounding voice of the Noveno Espada said. "Be warned though that I shall not show you any mercy when you plead for your life."
"Nor will I show you any when you plead for yours." Naoto answered, glaring at his soon to be opponent though his mask hid the hostile expression.
Sano stands as well and looks at a dark skinned man sitting crosslegged with his eyes closed in a corner. "And I choose you to be my opponent. Septima Espada, Zommari Leroux."
Zommari opens his eyes and looks at Sano. "I accept. You will be an example of what happens to those who do not know their proper place and you shall be losing your life for nothing."
"My proper place is serving Aizen Sama as an Espada and you are in my way." Sano said, the eyes of his mask momentarily glowing red ominously.
"Very well then. Since everything is settled, we shall all meet at the indoor arena in an hour to give the four of you time to prepare. And since you've also decided that no quarters will be given, it shall be a fight to the death. Untill then, everyone is dismissed." Aizen decreed.
(An hour later)
"Are you sure they're gonna be alright Stark?" Lilinette asks worriedly for what seems to be the nth time as she and the Primera walks along the corridor on their way to the indoor arena. "I mean, they ARE fighting Espadas after all."
"If they were any other arrancar, I'd say for certain that they're as good as dead." Stark replies lazily. "But even I don't know how strong they really are so there's a possibility that we might have new Espadas by the end of the day."
Lilinette's eyes widens at this. "So you're saying that they really might be strong enough to beat the Septima and the Novena Espada?"
"It will be a difficult fight for them but they have a chance at succeeding if they keep their composure and carefully plan their moves." Halibel's voice answered for Stark. A moment later, the Tricera and her fraccions are walking alongside the Primera and his fraccions.
"It's too late to stop them now anyways." Sun Sun stated. "They've already made up their minds and all we can do is just watch and see what happens."
"Well you seem awfully calm about all this considering your boy toy is one of the ones fighting an Espada." Apache observed, smirking as she see a slight blush hidden behind the sleeves of her fellow fraccion although her eyes held sadness.
"Knock it off Apache." Mila Rose said. "It's already hard enough watching two of your friends go into battle against monstrous odds like this."
Stark looks at the fraccion critically. "You don't seem as confident of their chances at succeeding Mila Rose."
"Just being realistic Stark Sama." Mila Rose answers, folding her arms across her chest. "As Lilinette pointed out, Sano and Naoto are facing Espadas. And no matter how strong Naoto and Sano are now or how low ranking their opponents may be, they're still part of the elite so you'll forgive me if I don't expect too much."
"Well then I have a hunch that today will change your mind." The Primera said cryptically with a smile.
The group arrives in the indoor arena which was located below Las Noches and was simply a large pit about A hundred meters in diameter and about a hundred feet deep which was built and reinforced specifically for battles like this.
All around the mouth of the pit, a large number of arrancars of all shapes and sizes were eagerly waiting for the fight to begin. Aizen and his cohorts, the Privaron Espadas and the other Espadas as well as their fraccions were also already present and waiting.
Soon after Stark and company arrived, Sano and Naoto makes their appearance and a few moments later, so does the Septima and Novena Espada.
"Since the combatants are already present, we shall begin the duels immediately." Aizen voice echoes out. "Will the Novena Espada Aaroniero Arruruerie and Namejin Naoto proceed to the arena floor please."
Naoto turns to his longtime friend and knocks fists with him with a foxy smile that's visible from under his mask. "Well I guess I'm up first teme. Wish me luck down there."
"Knock 'em dead dope. Or at the very least, knock HIM dead. And try not to show off too much coz that's MY job." Sano replied with a smirk before blurring off and appearing besides Sun Sun who gives him a small smile.
"Some last minute instructions?" The fraccion asks. But Sano merely shakes his head and answers. "You can throw plans out the window when Naoto's involved coz he usually likes to wing it. But then again, his unpredictability is what makes him so dangerous in the first place."
Back in the arena floor, both combatants appear simultaneously facing each other. After a few moments staring each other down, the Novena spoke.
"Before we begin, are you certain this is what you want boy? You know very well that you can't hope to match me so you still have time to withdraw from this match." Aaroniero said.
"Sounds to me that you're trying to chicken out of the fight Aaroniero San." The blonde said cheekily before turning serious and pointing his short spear at his opponent. "But to answer your question, yes I'm pretty sure that I want to wipe that ugly mug off the face of Hueco Mundo."
Back on the mouth of the pit, Grimmjow was openly laughing at Naoto's antics. "Bwahahaha! This kid's a riot even when he's serious! I really hope he kicks Aaroniero's ass so we can keep him. There ain't gonna be a dull moment with him around, that's for sure."
Gin could only chuckle from his spot besides Aizen at Grimmjow's comment. "So how do you guys think the kid'll do against the current Novena?" He asks nobody in particular.
It was Aizen who answers. "Both Naoto and Sano has shown considerable promise as warriors. And I believe that if they were to win over their opponents, they will be excellent additions to the Espada."
"Well now.... Is that an endorsement I hear from you, Taichou?" Gin asks, his smile growing wider.
"Of course not because it will affect my impartiality." The traitorous captain replies with a smile of his own. "It was merely.... An observation."
Back in the arena, the Novena Espada was not happy with how the blonde masked arrancar had spoken to him. "For that insult alone, your end shall NOT be quick and painless." He said as he removes his mask and reveals a relatively youthful face with shaggy black hair. The odd thing was that he had no fragment to indicate that he was indeed an arrancar.
"You don't look like an arrancar. Exactly what are you?" Naoto asks as he brandishes his weapon.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" The human looking Aaraoniero said in a normal voice with a smirk as he lifts the sword that suddenly appears in his hand. "Here's another surprise for you. Rage through the seas and the heavens, Nejibana!"
Naoto watches impassively as the zanpaktou transforms into what seems to be a cross between a trident and a chinese ji which the Espada twirls around with considerable proficiency. The blonde arrancar thens looks at Aaroniero and comments. "That doesn't look anything like an arrancar's resureccion. As a matter of fact, that looks more like a shinigami's release."
Murmerings can be heard all around at Naoto's statement.
"Good observation. But this is only one aspect of my powers and I doubt that I'll need anything more then this." Aaroniero said.
"Is that so?" Naruto drawled as he promptly disappears only to reappear above the Novena in a burst of Sonido and attempts a particularly wicked combo of stabbing and pummeling with his rochin. Aaroniero manages to block the attack but was surprised at how strong and vicious it was.
The Novena pushes the blonde back and starts spinning around while twirling his released zanpaktou. Water then starts to flow from the weapon and the surrounding area around the espada.
"What the....? Is he dancing?" Naoto thought to himself as he watches his opponent warily. "No, wait.... With the way all that water is coming out of his weapon, that "dance" must be part of his zanpaktou's ability."
But before Naoto could decide what to do, the Espada attacks and Naoto was forced on the defensive.
"Damn.... So that's his zanpaktou's ability. Water manipulation to amplify the power of his attacks or bolster his defense. Getting hit by his weapon feels like getting slammed by a tidal wave. And with the way he's moving, he ensures that there's always a stream of water to block my attacks." Naoto analyzed as he worked on blocking the Espada's attacks. "If that's the case, time to switch tactics."
Naoto jumps back then charges right back in at the Espada. But instead of attacking him directly, Naoto fires a pointblank Cero at the ground between them, causing a thick, choking cloud of dust to rise from the pit.
"Now what was the point of firing a perfectly good cero on the poor, defenseless ground like that." Lilinette wondered aloud.
"Naoto may be trying to hide his movements from Aaroniero." Cirruci answered. "He can't hide his reiatsu so he opted to try and keep his opponent guessing on what he's going to do next."
Inside the thick dust cloud, Aaroniero was defending himself from Naoto's attacks which came randomly and from different directions and angles. But the problem was, while he could feel the arrancar's presence, it was difficult to tell where the attacks would come from especially since the dust cloud was effectively concealing his opponent from view.
What's more, he could feel the waterflow from his zanpaktou grow slower and more difficult to control because of all the dust.
"Excellent tactic trying to slow down Nejibana's ability by mucking it up with dust." Aaroniero commended as he parries a spear stab and narrowly avoids being clobbered by the mace which seemingly came from another direction inside the dust cloud. "But it still won't do you any good."
"The bit about the dust mucking up the water was just a coincidence." A voice below the Espada said suddenly. Aaroniero looks down and sees Naoto lying on his back with a charged orange colored Cero in a palm pointed straight at him. "But THIS isn't!!"
Aaroniero leans back to avoid the Cero while simultaneously trying to stab Naoto. But the blonde arrancar was quickly able to dodge the potentially fatal attack.
His Cero however burns through the ceiling up to the surface and allows a ray of daylight to shine down on the pit.
Under the harsh glare of Hueco Mundo's sun, Aaroniero's human-like features begins to shift and shape like clay, allowing everyone to see his true face for the first time.
"Now that's a face only a mother could love. Assuming he even has any." Apache said as she looks at the cylindrical tube with two floating pingpong shaped faces which served as Aaroniero's head.
Naoto took one look at the revealed Novena Espada and chuckled. "So that's what you really look like under that mask, eh? Now I understand why you want to hide your face and stay in the shadows."
"We don't really care what you think because we've heard it all before." Aaroniero said in his dual sounding voice stepping back into the shadows as his head starts to shift back to it's more human-like appearance. "And we stay in the shadows not because we're worried about our appearance but because our powers are at it's peak there."
Aaroniero then scratches the back of his "head" irritably. "Seriously.... We don't know what they were thinking when they created an artificial sun in a dark place like Hueco Mundo especially when there are beings here who can only use their full powers in the darkness."
"I see. You have my sympathies for whatever it's worth." Naoto said, taking a stance. "Be that as it may though, I still can't afford to take it easy on you. There's too much at stake."
The Novena Espada's faux face quirks an eyebrow in amusement. "What's this? It sounds as if you really think you can win this fight." His face then darkens as he continues. "As you just saw, we are gillians. Normally, gillians don't have the necessary abilities to become an Espada and yet here we are standing before you as the Novena. Do you know why?"
"No I don't. But I'm sure you'll educate me on the reasons." Naoto said cheekily.
Ignoring the barb, Aaroniero's face splits into a demented grin. "That's because we are the only arrancar with unlimited evolutionary potential. I told you before that this is only one aspect of our abilities, correct? Well the spiritual entity fusion we are using right now originally belonged to a hollow named Metastacia who fought a shinigami named Shiba Kaien. And when Metastacia's rotting spiritual body was returned to Hueca Mundo, we consumed it and took his powers."
"You ate the body of Metastacia?" Naoto said in disgust. While it was true he himself also ate other hollows to increase his powers, he did so in combat and didn't act like some sort of scavenger.
"Correct." Aaroniero said as he removed the glove on his left hand revealing a mass of tentacles with a mouth. "Our true power is called Glotoneria and it's the ability to consume dead hollows to take their spiritual energy and abilities. This form was acquired when we ate Glotoneria who had the power to fuse himself with other spirits. He had possessed Shiba Kaien before he died so this is the shinigami's actual spiritual body which contains all his powers, energies, skills and experiences."
"So in effect, you're just relying on someone else's power to fight me? Now that's just sad." Naoto stated.
Aaroniero scowled at the insult but chose not to get worked up over it since it was probably the blonde's intent in order for them to lose their composure. "We admit to underestimating you Namejin Naoto. You seem fairly powerful so in recognition of your strength, we shall show you an Espada's release. Devour him! Glotoneria (Dead Hollow Eater)!"
Aaroniero's lower body starts to morph and shift until it transforms into a large purple, octopus-like blob with teeth and tentacles. The Novena Espada looks at his opponent and smirks. "Behold the physical manfestation of all the hollows we've consumed! Glotoneria can employ the powers of all 33,650 of our victims simultaneously so fighting us is like singlehandedly fighting an army of over 30,000 hollows."
Aaroniero then sends his tentacles after Naoto who chops them off only for it to grow back and begin their assault again. Naoto then tries to quickly move around and dodge the attacks while looking for an opening but with so many tentacles, he was having a difficult time. Finally, after being clipped by the wave of water from Nejibana, one of the tentacles snags Naoto's ankle and repeatedly batters him against the walls of the pit and slams him unto the grount before Aaroniero blasts him with a powerful Cero.
"It's over. Your trash of a buddy won't be able to get up after an attack like that." Nnotitra said, leering at Sano who suprises the Quinta by smiling.
"On the contrary, the fight's over for the Novena. Watch and see." Sano said.
The Novena looks down at Naoto whose body layed smoking and unmoving on the floor. "You've done well lasting this long against me. But it's over now and we shall consume you and take your spiritual powers and abilities to add to our own."
He then lifts Naoto up by the ankle and prepares to eat him but the blonde arrancar suddenly lifts up his hand and tries to blast Aaroniero again with another Cero. Aaroniero manages to fling Naoto away before he can launch his attack. Naoto recovers in mid-air and lands back on his feet, brushing dirt from his clothes and looking none the worst for wear.
"Damn. I really thought I got you that time. You're faster then you look, you know that?" Naoto groused as he picks up his rochin before reaching up to his mask and noticing that Aaroniero managed to break off the top right half just above the whisker-like protrusion and revealing a cerulean blue eye. "You also managed to break off part of my mask which I have to say isn't a very smart thing to do."
"So you managed to survive our attack. We clearly underestimated you." Aaroniero said sounding calmer then he actually felt at seeing Naoto relatively unscathed from his attack. "But it will make you taste all the more sweeter when we finally devour you." The Novena then tries to batter him with a tentacle. But much to the surprise of everyone present, Naoto easily blocks the appendage with one hand which in itself is no easy feat given the strength of the blow which causes the ground Naoto was standing on to crack.
"That's not gonna happen coz I'm done playing around with you." Naoto retorted, his revealed eye flashing red and all traces of humor gone from the ex shinobi's voice as he flings the tentacle away and starts building up spiritual pressure. "I really didn't want to do this coz I still think it's too early but I have no other choice."
"He's going to release his zanpaktou soon." Sun Sun stated. "But he doesn't sound too happy about it."
"You're gonna have to walk in his shoes to really understand why." Sano replied. "All I can say is that he's about to transform into something that he's been successfully avoided becoming all his life. A monster."
Naoto twirls his rochin around then tosses it up into the air. "Thrash, Vulpino Guerrero (Fox Warrior Prince)." He intones as the weapon explodes into a thick red smoke which fills up the pit and the general atmosphere grows noticeably heavy.
"Is this Naoto Kun's real power?" Cirucci whispers to herself as she feels sweat dripping down her forehead.
"Amazing. He was holding back this much power?" Tousen said, genuinely impressed by the blonde.
Aizen smiles deviously and observes the battle more closely. "Now we shall see what he's truly capable of."
Back in the pit, the red smoke dissapitates and reveals Naoto's released form for all to see. The blonde arrancar was down on all fours and his entire body was now encased in a skeletal armor with a fox's skull for a helmet, picklike protrusions along the spine and long forelimbs wIth long, sharp claws. But the most noticeable part about his transformation is the four segmented tails waving behind Naoto. (Author's Note: Kinda' like Naruto's Kyuubi form when he fought Pein)
"Kyuubi." Sano whispered as he watches his friend start to stalk his opponent.
"Impressive power for an arrancar. But not enough to defeat us." Aaroniero said.
"I'm not looking to impress you." Naoto growls in a gutteral sounding voice. "I'm here to KILL you!" Quicker then the eye could see, Naoto pounces at Aaroniero. The Novena swings at Naoto but the blonde arrancar disappears in midair and reappears on the ground behind Aaroniero. A moment later, long, bloody furrows made by claws appears in the Novena's upper body and the blob-like extension that was his lower body.
"How did you....?" Aaroniero started to say but was cut short when Naoto disappears again and the Novena soon found himself being assaulted from seemingly multiple directions simultaneously by Naoto whose movements were so fast and violent that not only was he damaging the Espada, he was also leaving deep gouges on the pit floor and wall.
The blonde arrancar reappears in front of the Novena, his released form's claws and surprisingly, his four tails slick with blood that was not his own.
"What's the matter? Don't tell me this is all that an Espada is capable of?" Naoto asks mockingly.
"How dare you! Who the hell do you think you're dealing with?" A battered and bloody Aaroniero snarls, losing control of his disguise and whatever composure he had left as a huge mouth opens wide on his blob-like lower body and starts generating a powerful vacuum force. "We'll consume everything here and become the true king of Hueco Mundo!!!"
"Deranged AND pathetic. I pity you. But I suppose I have to give you the respectable end you deserve as an Espada." Naoto said as he spreads out his tails and starts gathering energy there. "Farewell, Novena Espada Aaroniero Arruerierue. Cero Salva (Burst Cero)"
The energy on Naoto's tails combines into a large, orange colored sphere of compressed reiatsu and shoots off like a cannonball towards the gaping mouth of the blob-like lower body of the Novena, which swallows the attack and shuts itself.
At first, nothing seems to happen. But a few moments later, Aaroniero's entire body balloons grotesquely from the explosion of energy inside him before starting to dissolve into spirit particles.
"D-Damn it a-all. W-We can't believe someone like you m-managed to.... Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!" This was all Aaroniero managed to say before he completely dissolved.
There was a dead silence all around before Aizen's voice spoke. "Winner and the new Novena Espada and aspect of Greed. Namejin Naoto."
Author's Notes: Here you go guys. My new chapter for this story. Enjoy and R&R