Chapter 10: Espada Pt. 2
After resealing his zanpaktou, Naoto disappears and reappears besides Sano who knocks fists with his friend.
"You took too long against him. You could have just released from the beginning and finished him off early." Sano said in mild reproach to which Naoto simply shrugs his shoulders.
"I wanted to see how strong he was." Naoto said. "I was curious to see what his resureccion looks like."
"You still took unnecessary risks. However weak he may seem, Aaroniero is still an Espada." Cirucci spoke up as she appears besides Naoto, scanning for any injury. "But forget about him. Are YOU alright?"
"Apart from a few scratches, I'm good." Naoto replies before turning serious and looking at Sano. "But more importantly, you're up next Teme. Be careful with him coz he doesn't look like a pushover."
Sano looks at Naoto before turning to watch Zommari stand up and sonido to the pit floor where he patiently waited.
"I know dobe. Don't worry about a thing though. I'll get the job done." Sano said as he jumps down to the pitfloor for his fight with the Septima.
"I hope you're done saying goodbye to your companion." Zommari said as he drew his zanpaktou. "That was your final opportunity to do so."
Sano turned his full attention on the Septima Espada as he also draws his own zanpaktou and his eyes glows red. "You seem quite certain of yourself when you don't even know what I'm capable of."
"I don't need to know what you are capable of doing." Another voice spoke from behind Sano before a blade erupts from his chest revealing another Zommari behind the raven haired arrancar as the Zommari in front of him fades away. "All I need to know is that my power far surpasses yours."
Sun Sun gave a small gasp. "Oh no. He got him."
"Look again." Naoto said with a grin. "Sano ain't done by a long shot."
To the surprise of everyone present, the Sano impaled on the Septima's blade also fades away and Zommari had to jump back to avoid an attack from above by the raven haired arrancar.
A small slice on the fabric of the Septima's uniform reveals just how close the attack had been.
"Still think your power far surpasses mine?" Sano asks with a smirk. "I wouldn't be so quick to judge others if I were you. You're liable to get killed far too easily if you do that on a regular basis."
Zommari narrows his eyes at Sano. "I see that you have some rudimentary understanding of my Gemelos Sonido. Not many are even fast enough to be able to pull it off. But...."
Not one but five Zommari's appears and surrounds Sano. "....Whatever understanding you may have pales in comparison to my own mastery."
Sano reacts quickly by slashing at the two nearest Zommaris which are revealed to be just afterimages before the other three stabs him.
But much to the Septima's surprise, what was impaled on his sword was just Sano's upper garment and the raven haired arrancar himself is seen standing further away, bare-chested.
"You're not the only one with high speed techniques. Here is my Senuelo (Shedding) Sonido." Sano said before slashing at another Zommari that appeared behind him. "And you've used your Gemelos Sonido one too many times so I don't need to be as fast as you to keep up. I just need to read your moves and anticipate where and when you're attacking next."
"So just because you think you can read my moves, you believe that you are already at my level? How foolish." Zommari said as he turns to face Sano and starts to gather his reiatsu. "Then I will have to show you the error of your beliefs. Allow me to demonstrate just how powerless you are when faced with my Amor."
The Septima then slowly releases his hold on his zanpaktou which floats in front of him, goes into an unusual wide legged posture, claps his hands together and turns his head till it is parallell to his body.
"Supress, Brujeria (Witchcraft)."
The zanpaktou twists into a crooked looking spiral then bursts into smoke which solidifies on the Septima Espada who transforms into a largely humanoid form with a pumpkinlike lower half and has eyes all over his body.
Sano was instantly wary. While Zommari's released form seemed more comical then threatening, he was still the Septima Espada for a reason and he wasn't taking any chances. He was particularly concerned with all the eyes on the Septima's released form and deduced that they may have something to do with his powers.
Deciding that the best defense was a strong offense, Sano holds out a palm and starts charging a Cero. But the Septima simply holds out his own palm in response where an eye glows briefly.
Instantly, Sano could feel the hand with the charged Cero involuntarily move towards his own head and only by moving it to the side was he able to avoid decapitating himself with the powerful beam of reiatsu. Upon looking at his arm, Sano notices a sunlike tattoo and tries to rub it off.
"That won't work. Your left arm is already mine." Zommari said.
"What are you talking about?" Sano asks.
"Everything has a certain sovereignty to it." Zommari started to lecture. "Underlings are controlled by their leaders... Subjects are controlled by their kings... Clouds are controlled by the wind... Moonlight is controlled by the sun."
"Brujeria has the ability to steal the sovereignty of whatever it sees. And I call this ability, Amor." Zommari continues. "But instead of just merely telling you about it, allow me to demonstrate once again. Left arm, grab his neck."
Sano's marked arm twitches before starting to go for his own neck. In a move which surprises many, Sano slashes at his own arm and allows it to fall and hang limply at his side.
"Cutting the muscles and tendons of your arm was a logical course of action. But I still have the rest of your body to choose to control." Zommari said as the eye in his palm glows again. This time, Sano starts using his Sonido to quickly move around and prevent the Septima from locking on to him.
The dark haired arrancar then appears behind the Septima, ready to attack. But an eye on the Septima's back glows and forces Sano to retreat quickly and reappear at a distance in front of the Espada. But a twitch and a sun-like tattoo on his right leg told him that he didn't get away clean.
"So you can gain control using ANY eye on that body of yours, eh?" Sano comments as he examines the tattoo on his right leg.
"Correct. It doesn't matter where you'll attack because so long as I can see you, you can never escape my Amor." Zommari said. "Now then right leg, take a few steps forward please."
Just like with his left arm, the right leg starts moving on it's own and only by cutting the muscle and tendon was Sano able to make it stop.
"A futile action at best." Zommari stated. "And it will only get worse if you continue to resist. I can grant you a quick and honorable death if you'll admit your arrogance in thinking that you even have a chance against me."
"Now who's being arrogant?" Sano retorted. "Didn't I tell you to stop underestimating your opponents when you haven't even seen what they can do? Well now you're about to see what I can do."
Sano then flips his sword and holds it in a reverse grip and holds it out in front of him as his spiritual pressure skyrockets and the atmosphere around him starts to waver because of the rising heat.
"Here we go." Naoto said with a knowing grin, fully aware of what his friend was about to do.
"Don't worry though. Your arrogance won't be the cause of your defeat. It's simply going to be the difference of our powers." Sano said as his eyes glow red. "Ignite, Bahamut! (Darkest Dragon King)"
Sano's entire body is engulfed in black flames so intense that the surrounding area is reduced to a pool of magma. The black flames dies down and reveals Sano in his released form.
A helmet resembling a dragon's skull now covered his entire head. Sano also now wore armor over his upper torso, forearms and shins and had large, batlike leather wings on his back.
Black fire once again engulfs his entire form as Sano takes to the air and charges at his opponent. Predictably, Zommari tries to take control of him using his Amor but when Sano doesn't stop, he is forced to use sonido to dodge the raven haired arrancar's fiery divebomb attack.
"I missed? That has never happened before." The Septima wondered to himself as he watched Sano reverse his course in midair and come back for a second run at him. Deciding not to take any chances, he turns the eyes on both palms and on the front of his body towards the hurtling fireball that was Sano.
But like before, his Amor had no visible effect on Sano as he did not even slow down in the least. And once again, he had to resort to using his Sonido to dodge. But this time, a scorch mark on his shoulder told the Espada that he didn't get away without a scratch.
"Hnn... Well what do you know. Looks like I was able to correctly guess the nature of your abilities." Sano said with a smirk.
"The nature of my abilities? What nonsense are you talking about? And how were you able to block my Amor?" Zommari demands angrily.
"My ability's called Infierno (Hell)." Sano said. "It allows me to superheat my reiatsu and create black flames. I can use these flames to protect me from physical harm and anything else up to the relatively high level kido spells which the shinigamis like to use."
Sano then pointed at Zommari. "I was able to correctly guess that your ability is kido-like in nature so your Amor is useless against my Infierno."
"Impossible!!" Zommari exclaimed as he directed all his eyes which included the three extra eyes on his forehead towards Sano. "Take my Amor! Take it! Take it!"
Seemingly ignoring the rants of the Espada as he continued to attempt his Amor with no effect, Sano continues his monologue. "There's something else you need to know about my Infierno. The moment the flames touches you, the only one who can put it out is me." The scorch mark on Zommari's shoulder suddenly rekindles and the black flames quickly spread all over the Septima's body. Try as he may, he couldn't put out the flames.
"It's been fun Zommari Laroux. But this is where the game ends. I'll be taking your spot now but rest assured that the ranks of the Espada shall be stronger with me as the Septima." And with a snap of his finger, Sano causes the flames engulfing Zommari to intensify and all the Septima Espada could do was scream Aizen's name as he was reduced to ashes.
"A splendid duel masterfully fought and won." Aizen declared. "Welcome to our ranks Septima Espada and aspect of Intoxication, Uzuki Sano. Now will you and our new Novena step forward and receive your marks."
Both Sano and Naoto appears in front of Aizen in a blur of Sonido where an unranked arrancar servant burned their numbers to their chosen part of their bodies. Naoto's on his stomach where the Shiki Fuin was and Sano's on the left side of his neck where his cursed seal used to be.
"Now if there is nothing else...." Aizen started to say before he was interrupted.
"Please wait Aizen Sama. If I may be allowed to speak." The Octava Espada Syazael Aporro Grantz said. Aizen studies him for a moment before motioning for him to continue. The Espada blurs to the pit floor and kneels with his head down in front of Aizen. "Just half an hour ago, I also recieved a challenge for my position as an Espada and I decided to accept it."
"You DECIDED to accept the challenge without consulting Aizen Sama?" Tousen asks. "This is highly irregular and improper of you."
"I completely agree with you and I apologize for it." The Octava said. "But the reason why I accepted it was because I wanted to make an example of him in front of all my peers and put him in his proper place. Please allow me this one request Aizen Sama."
Aizen thought about it for a moment before nodding. "Very well. I shall allow this for now. Please call out your opponent then so we can get this duel underway."
"Kukuku.... There is no need to call him because he is already here. And this duel is no longer necessary because I have already won."
The voice that answered sent chills down the spines of both Naoto and Sano. Try as they may, they could never forget who it belonged to.
In front of everyone's eyes, the Octava suddenly clutched his throat as something slowly but surely started coming out of his mouth. The outer layer that resembled drops to the floor like a snake's skin when it has molted and in his place stood another figure.
Apart from the mask fragment on the back of his head which resembled a cobra's hood and a wardrobe which resembled that of the ex Novena, there was no mistaking the pale complexion and the yellowish, slitted eyes.
"Well now...." Aizen stated, his expression unreadable. "It seems like we have a new Octava Espada as well. Can you tell us your name brother?"
The former Snake Sannin gives Aizen a low bow which hides his smirk and answers. "My name is Orochimaru Aizen Sama and my humble capabilities are at your service."
Author's Notes: Bang!!! Bet you guys didn't see that coming this early in the game did you? Sorry for the shortness of the chappie but as usual, R&R please.