After a few days of travel Amelia, Aizen, Juno, and Unohana arrived at the capital. While there were a few things left to do in E-Rantel, Amelia was keen on using the letter as an excuse to get to that area of the Kingdom as fast as possible. Essentially making everyone leave the day after she got the letter.
This really didn't faze Aizen, and while he would have rather stayed behind, especially when they had to organize most of the current Cayo and Alvis operation via their rings, he was also keen on a change of scenery. With Amelia set on this new goal, perhaps a small deviation would not be so bad.
Leaving their carriages, they waited inside the manor's reception area for Gaius to make his appearance, while other servants took care of whatever luggage they brought. Soon enough, her father appeared, having seemingly just left his office, with Adelin not too far behind him.
"Father." Amelia greeted, taking a small graceful bow.
"Who is she?" Gaius asked, looking at Unohana.
"This is Retsu Unohana. She is my head maid."
"Head maid? And why did you bring her here?" He asked, stopping in front of the group.
"She does fine work, both as a maid and as a bodyguard. I believe she is more useful where I am, than in E-Rantel."
"And where are you planning on keep her?"
"If you allow it, in the servants' quarters. She can work under Adelin." Amelia replied, her answer seemingly pleasing her father as he nodded with a soft grunt.
"Very well. You heard her, Adelin. You can take Unohana with you. Show her around, make sure she knows what to do while she is here."
"As you wish." Adelin said, taking a bow before motioning Unohana to follow her as they left.
"You will be given your room, and the room Aizen and Juno previously used..." Gaius tersely began when Amelia interrupted him.
"Actually, I am waiting for more people to arrive."
"Explain."
"Seven. At least."
"At least?" Gaius asked, with a raised eyebrow.
"I might need more depending on what happens while I'm here. After all, no matter what you say, I do have a business to run."
"If you are here, then you read the letter correct? If you did, you know that your 'business' is that of a merchant. With that in mind, you will understand that I will not offer my house to these mercenaries of yours. As is, I allow Juno's presence since she acts as your bodyguard, and I allow Aizen's because he's of use to us. Now, unless you have anything else to say, you are dismissed." He sardonically stated.
"Thank you, father." Amelia said, holding back her annoyance as she gave a small bow, and left along with Aizen and Juno in tow.
Amelia led them to the room Aizen and Juno had in the past occupied. When they arrived, a few servants were finishing up with readying the room for them. Servants that she quickly dismissed as she sat on the bed.
"Close the door." Amelia promptly instructed, to which Juno obeyed.
"Is something the matter, Amelia?" Aizen asked with his usual expression.
"Just the joys of being back home and having to speak with my father. But no matter, they'll find a place to stay in the area, and we have the rings to communicate." She calmly replied, albeit still dissatisfied with the situation.
"You already have Juno and Unohana here. Why would you call upon more Espada? After all, you yourself said we have other ways to communicate, and we're still able use E-Rantel as a base." Aizen coolly pointed out.
"True. However, we also benefit from having some of them close to us. It serves to give us a physical presence in the capital, which can get us more clients here. It also serves to show my obtuse father where my true priorities are, no matter what he says. I'll also be using some of them to pay Hilma a visit."
"Are you sure you don't want me to go with you?" Aizen asked in mild curiosity.
"I am. She messed with my business, so she deserves to have me pay her a visit. Not to mention I also like to get to partake of some of the action. And I'll be safe if that is what is worrying you.~" She teasingly replied with a mocking smirk.
"I'm sure you will be safe. Between Juno, Cthalpi, and whoever else you decide to take with you, I doubt Eight Fingers would be able to stop you." Aizen calmly pointed out with a charming smile.
"Oh? I appreciate the vote of confidence. Speaking of which, I was surprised to see Cthalpi so keen on helping me with this, or declining a place to stay for the time being."
"She spent most of her time in only one place. it makes sense she would want to explore. There is also the fact that, as you said, she seems keen on helping others. All of this does mean you have things made easier for her."
"Lucky us. And lucky me to get to see what she can do firsthand when I do go see Hilma." Amelia remarked, sounding quite eager.
"I doubt she will need to do much." He dismissively remarked, getting her to roll her eyes at him.
"Who knows? She might be like you and like to show off and test her abilities."
"I do not, 'show off'." Aizen argued with a perked brow.
"You do. You just find excuses for it...~" Amelia gibed with a grin, getting back to her feet.
"Now, we should get settled in, before father gives us work to do..." She added, walking out the door on her way to her own room.
The Espada Alvis and Cayo were in the middle of their second day watching over the Gantz manor, and so far they only had to settle in and try to integrate into life in it. In terms of their actual job, they did not have much to do, outside of searching the area and making sure the guards did the same. Often at random intervals to ensure their patrols could not be predicted and other standard precautions.
At the moment, Alvis found himself standing on a veranda at the roof of the manor, with this being the best place to watch over the front, and all the land beyond it. He was alone, with Yoruichi looking through the forested area in her cat form, while Cayo looked over things near the building and coordinated the guards.
"How are things going up here?" Cayo's sister Mabel asked, appearing from the door.
"Calm. It doesn't seem like there's anyone strange in the area." Alvis replied in a relaxed fashion.
"That's good. Want anything to eat? Or maybe drink?" She asked, placing herself to his right as she looked over the horizon, her hands resting on the railing.
"I... No, I don't. But thank you for asking."
"Don't mention it... So, what's it like? To have to put up with my brother?"
"It... isn't that bad. He likes to keep himself entertained when we aren't working... likes to do these types of 'parties' with a lot of people in loud, messy environments which I'm not really fond of, so that wasn't easy to get used to... There were also the times he insisted on calling me a virgin, even when I'm not..." Alvis said with an awkward chuckle as he wasn't too sure of how to describe Cayo to his sister.
"You're not!? Looking at you I could swear you were a virgin." Mabel exclaimed with apparently genuine shock in her voice.
"I-I'm not."
"I see... Still, I can see that he has not changed much. He always liked the parties, the women, the attention. Almost as much as I do..." Mabel informed, pausing as she eyed Alvis.
"... But there's more to him isn't there?" She asked with a proud smile.
"There is. He said he wanted to do something with himself. To leave some mark in history." Alvis replied with a thoughtful tone.
"I'm sure it was a shock to hear him say that. He really doesn't show that to people. Still, it seems you two were a miss-match. He feels too energetic for you." She pointed out in amusement.
"We balance each other out."
"That's good... What about the two-named cat?" Mabel asked with a playful smile and tone.
"She's... part of our team. She helps us with scanning the area, and going into enemy territory without being found." Alvis replied, getting a laugh in reply.
"Teeheehee... That's one smart cat."
"Y-Yes. She's surprisingly smart. And probably one of the biggest doubts I had when I joined the Espada, until I saw her at work. Hehe." He explained with a weak laugh.
"Understandable... Well, I think it is best to leave you to your work. If you need something just ask for me, I'll make sure you get it..." Mabel informed as she began to walk away.
"...Also, I sleep with my door open… So, there are no worries in getting it wrong when you want to go to sleep.~" She suggestively added as she left, eliciting a shocked blush from the silent Alvis.
As Alvis was having the 'pleasure' of getting to know Cayo's sister a little better, Cayo himself was faced with having to report to his mother. Something she had asked him to do each day to be kept informed of the situation. He did this outside, next to the large statue in front of the manor. It was simply because she decided to walk up to and ask the report of him, naturally he could not deny it.
"Mother, nothing has changed since the last time we talked." Cayo informed in an empty tone.
"Refresh my memory then." Myra insisted.
"Alvis is located near the roof. With his skills, he's the best option to survey the area from that height. I'm close to the manor, since I can react in case anyone manages to make it here. I've coordinated the guards, so if something happens they'll be able to react and inform us."
"Is there nothing else we can do?" She asked in a serious yet dignified manner.
"No. Your guards are good at their job, but they're not that versatile. We don't have any solid means of defense, so we can only hope the guards manage to hold them off until we get there in case something does happen."
"That is troubling." She said in a low, almost frustrated tone.
"I know mother, but it's the best we can do with what we were given." Cayo said, getting a weary sigh from her.
"I can tell. Very well. Continue doing with what you are doing." Myra resignedly said before leaving.
In a set of abandoned buildings not too far from the manor, the Yasei no Kari made their temporary base as they prepared to advance on the manor. Given the fact it was still day, they had yet to move since sunlight affected Arisuke's capabilities in battle. While his cloak did help, it wasn't a particularly durable item. Therefore, they sent out some of Kusumi's snakes to scout the area.
A few hours later, some of the snakes returned, while others were killed by what they assumed to have been an "animal". This was not an issue, however. Due to Kusumi's connection with the remaining snakes, she was able to gather a considerable amount of information about the layout of the area and its occupants.
"The estate is surrounded by walls. Inside, it's mostly a wooded area with a body of water nearby. There are people, most likely guards, near the walls. There's some inside the manor itself... Oh... Two of them were able to scare my snakes." She informed in surprise.
"Scare them? That shouldn't be possible." Arisuke skeptically pointed out.
"I'm well-aware. Especially when I made sure they were raised to be used to being around high-level individuals." Kusumi thoughtfully mused.
"And yet they are still afraid of me and Arisuke." Vali coolly said, bringing about the realization that dawned on them.
"That means that these two are at least level-70." Yama said with an interested smirk.
"That's impossible." Arisuke replied in disbelief.
"No. In the past, 'gods' have walked these lands. So have demons. It's possible they left some things behind. Even the 'First Emperor' and his servants that taught the concept of 'levels' left things behind." Vali calmly reasoned.
"Still, if the two of them are that strong, we might have problems." Kusumi pensively pointed out.
"Not necessarily. From what you said there are only two of them that are at least level-70. They shouldn't go too much beyond that if the snakes didn't run away as soon as they picked up on them. We can still do this." Her leader countered.
"Could it be that we'll get to see you fight seriously, boss?" Yama asked with clear excitement.
"Oooh, I also want to see that. It isn't every day that we see a level-75 in action." Kusumi playfully said.
"Shall we attack during the night then? The two of us against the two of them would likely work." Arisuke suggested in a professional, almost militaristic fashion.
"Agreed. However, I'll need a clear read of their power. And if we face them, we'll need to separate them. We can't risk being overwhelmed by team-based tactics and hidden tricks. Which leaves Yama and Kusumi free to attack the manor... I'll go there now, tell them to give me what I want, or challenge them to battle. If they accept, we go with what we discussed. If they don't we'll attack them all at once."
"You cannot. Going alone to see them might lead to disaster." Arisuke firmly warned.
"I know. It's a calculated risk. While I go there, all of you will fall back. Kusumi, send some of your snakes, but they won't attack anyone. They will simply maintain surveillance over the area. Understood?" He sternly said, looking at everyone around him.
"As you wish." They obediently replied.
Cayo was starting to feel bored out of his mind with this assignment. Even if it was to look after his family home. That was until Yoruichi appeared from some nearby foliage, with a piece of a snake in her mouth, which she dropped in front of him.
"Are these common here?" She pointedly asked.
Picking up the dead snake, Cayo briefly examined it. He had seen some snakes from time-to-time on the property, but he had never seen one like this. The colors were strange, and the head was also unlike anything he had ever seen in on his family's property.
"No. I don't think I've never seen one like this before." He plainly replied.
"Could it be the enemy?" Yoruichi curtly asked.
"Using snakes?...Hm?"
Just as Cayo replied, Alvis landed right next to him, having jumped from the roof. Quickly recovering, he went to speak with his comrades in trepidation.
"Someone's at the gates and I don't think they're friendly."
Suddenly a thunderous boom echoed through the air as the gates were easily broken open. This was followed by several cries and screams from the guards. Alvis and Cayo exchanged looks as they then nodded, running towards the gates to stop whatever attack was starting before it grew out of control.
Alvis was the first to arrive along with Yoruichi, and even after all that he had seen and been through, he found himself stopping in his tracks as his eyes met with the eyes of a male figure that had obviously broken down the gate and, in a few seconds, killed more than ten guards.
"Where's the other one?" The figure asked as he brought his foot down on the head of a still moving guard.
"The other one?" Alvis asked, unsure of how to proceed.
"There are two of you here of great power. I was certain this would be enough to get both of you here."
As he finished saying this, Cayo arrived being late due to being no-where near as fast as Alvis. Still, with his superior senses he managed to hear the entire exchange. Seeing what had just happened upon his family's estate, he was more than ready for battle as he spoke with a low growl.
"I'm here. What do you want?"
"Hmph... We were sent to recover a statue stolen by Solomon..." The figure calmly began, just for Cayo to speak over him.
"And we're here to make sure you don't get it. So, either get out or try and get it."
While Alvis was surprised to see Cayo with this quiet intensity and determination, he noticed that the stranger had mentioned 'we'. Meaning, he was not alone. Knowing this he exchanged a quick glance with Yoruichi, wordlessly telling her to go back into the manor to make sure that everything was alright, which she understood as she quickly went back.
"We'll try. But not now. Tonight, you will face me, and your companion will face another of us." The stranger frankly stated.
"Alright." Cayo promptly replied.
With that the figure nodded and left in a high-speed blur, leaving Cayo and a stunned Alvis behind. The young Espada did not understand the point of agreeing to a battle so soon, as he quickly made his confusion known.
"Why did you agree?"
"He attacked my home..." Cayo tried to explain, when Alvis interrupted him.
"That's not an excuse. We'll have no time to prepare."
"Same for them. You heard him. He knows about us. He knew we were the strongest and that there were only two of us at our level. Who knows what else he knows? By accepting this, we don't have much time to prepare, but neither do they. We fight them now, and we get it done."
"A-Alright. Let's get ready then." Alvis said, stunned by the level of forethought his partner gave the situation.
They soon made their way back to the manor, relieved when they saw that the building in the distance seemed to be intact. A feeling heightened when Yoruichi came to meet them.
"Everything's fine. How about you two?"
"Cayo accepted a proposal to face them tonight. He'll face one and I will face another." Alvis candidly replied.
"That was a foolish decision. You should've found a way to postpone it or attack him there and then." Yoruichi growled, displeased with the decision.
"We couldn't attack him. I... didn't to take my weapon in that moment. I wouldn't have been able to fight at by best."
"Then you both attack him. He couldn't take the both of you. With this arrangement you have no time to prepare for him and whoever he brings along."
"Why are you so nervous?" Cayo asked, curious about the urgency she was speaking.
"Didn't you notice? It took me only one glance and I could see that he's stronger than you. Maybe not by much, but he has an edge."
"He did not feel human. At least not fully, but to be that strong... It's hard to fathom someone like that existing here." Alvis pointed out with an unsure tone.
"Oh? There's all of you. There's Cthalpi. The Dragon Lords besides Naz'da'gar. And whatever is going on with this 'Ainz Ooal Gown'. It's very possible. Still, now we have no time to prepare, so you'll have to go ahead with what you agreed upon. And, I will be with Alvis."
"Whoa, hold up. You can't. Someone needs to watch over my family and the manor in case there's more of them." Cayo argued.
"I can. Alvis isn't ready to face someone with such power in a serious fight himself. Leave him alone, even against someone that may be of his level, and he may end up dead. But if there are more, we can arrange for reinforcements from Las Noches." She defiantly spat back.
"I can take care of myself." Alvis said reassuringly, trying to defuse the situation.
"And I believe you, but given the situation I will not risk leaving you alone. Of course, I'll be in my humanoid form."
"Oi... Ah!... Fine... I'll use the ring to contact Las Noches. If anything happens, I'll make sure they're ready to act." Cayo said, relenting to the new plan.
With that the trio returned to the manor, where they were greeted by Myra and Mabel, along with many of the servants and remaining guards.
"What happened? I heard the noises. Did you deal with whoever attacked us?" Myra asked, doing her best to remain composed.
"The gate was destroyed, and a large number of guards were killed." Cayo calmly informed.
"What about the people that attacked? Did you get them?" Mabel worriedly asked.
"There was only one of them, but he escaped... After we agreed to do battle with him and another of his people tonight. We weren't ready to face him at the time, but we will when they come for us, we'll beat them." Cayo confidently said.
"You agreed to do battle with them here? Why?" His mother asked, obviously nonplussed by the turn of events.
"We had too. If things went bad and we're forced away from here, we wouldn't be able to keep an eye on the manor. If something went wrong with more enemies lying in wait, we simply couldn't handle it."
"What about us?" His sister asked, fearful of what he might say.
"You'll stay inside, and we'll make sure the guards keep you and the servants safe. Anyways, we have little time for this, so you should all go inside so we can prepare." Cayo frankly replied, then looking at his mother.
"You heard my son. Everyone inside, from now on, you will listen to his orders."
When Vali returned to the hideout, he found himself alone with a few snakes. This did not surprise him, given his previous instructions to his comrades and subordinates. Though the trio returned not long after he arrived.
"What are we dealing with?" Kusumi asked with a serious, business-like tone.
"Like you said, there are two of them of note. Both seem to be human males. One is young, and from what I could tell he possesses great speed and uses daggers as weapons. That along with his physical build and the way he moved, makes me think he may be trained as an assassin, a rogue, or even a ninja. He's a level-70 like you Arisuke, so you will be taking him." Vali informed in a neutral tone.
"Then, it will be a real fight?" Arisuke asked with focused scrutiny.
"Levels-wise, yes. However, as I looked at him, I could tell he doesn't have much experience. You on the other hand have experience and knowledge dealing with opponents like him. It may be easier than you expect."
"I see." The vampire thoughtfully said.
"What about your opponent, boss?" Yama asked in curiosity.
"I feel that he's around level-74. He didn't have a weapon, but the lack of a sheath means he probably uses a larger weapon. Perhaps a greatsword, waraxe, or warpick. He also seems to be on the young side, so I'll also have the experience advantage beyond our levels."
"But he sounds strong.~ Probably the strongest you've faced in some time, boss." Kusumi impishly pointed out, showing some interest in this fighter.
"What about that dragon we faced not that long ago? Surely these guys aren't as tough as he was." Yama mused in whimsically.
"How could I forget? While I was busy seducing and working over that spy from the Slane Theocracy, and turning her into a worker for the brothel I work at, you boys were off playing with a dragon." Kusumi remarked in a pouting fashion as she folded her arms.
"It was hardly, 'playing'. And dragons cannot be compared to others. Even at a lower level, they are tougher, stronger, and more resilient than anyone else that's at the same level." Arisuke corrected in a dismissive tone.
"Still, it was easier than we expected. But I guess most things are when the boss is heading the attack." Yama idly added.
"Then let's get back on topic. So, this is as 'easy' as you say the dragon was." Vali said in sarcastic tone.
"Apologies." Yama contritely said with a bow.
"The young one also has an odd cat. While I wasn't able to determine its true nature, it seemed to be connected to him in some way. It understood a command from him that was transmitted to it by his eyes, and it was probably what killed your snakes."
"I'll have my snakes eat it next time then.~" Kusumi remarked with a predatory smirk.
"Do not waste time on it. We have other things to worry about. Arisuke and I will meet the two of them, and then separate into two fights. I will make sure to keep mine in front of the manor, while Arisuke will take his foe to that body of water you said was present. You and Yama will approach the house from the opposite side, and will act only when our fights are underway. Understood?"
"Yes." The trio dutifully replied.
"Kusumi, have your snakes at the ready, along with any other spell. We might need hostages. Yama, I want to ready for battle. Arisuke, like I said your opponent will use his speed against you, so prepare for him. I'll go and meditate."
Night eventually fell, and as the moon lit up the land, Cayo and Alvis took a seat in front of the statue in front of the manor. Alvis had some extra smaller blades on him, while Cayo had his shield and bardiche at the ready. The manor had been barricaded as best as possible, with all doors and windows closed, so that in the best-case scenario nothing could get in easily, but this also meant that nothing could get out.
The guards were mostly placed around the rooms that were used to keep the non-combatants safe, while a few others were spread throughout the interior in order to watch the outside via gapes in the barricaded windows. It wasn't the best set up, but it was the best they could manage with what they had at hand.
Currently, Alvis felt nervous. He was about to have his first real fight. The last time he felt so nervous was when Aizen came to his village, and defeated the vampire that had been terrorizing them. However, this time around he was certain that Aizen wouldn't be there to help them. Cayo was also nervous, but as someone with more experience in things like this being a former adventurer, he knew better than to think too much on it. He had been in big fights before, one so big that had resulted in him being here today, as he was now.
"There's no need to be nervous." Cayo said in a low, thoughtful tone.
"This is my first real fight... It's natural for me to be like this." Alvis defensively argued.
"True. But if you think too much about it, you won't be able to focus, and they'll take advantage of it."
"I-I know." The younger Espada mumbled.
"Have you ever faced someone that much stronger than you?" Cayo asked with a raised brow.
"No. I was almost killed by a vampire some time back, but Aizen was there."
"I see... And you were fused with it right?"
"Yes."
"Well, in my case, I was also saved by Aizen, but I had to hold my own before anyone showed up. Me and my team were attacked by a Bafolk. Like a a two-legged goat-thing. We couldn't fight it, but we couldn't just run away, so I was the one to stay behind and hold it off. I tried my best, but it wasn't good enough. I managed to hit it with one good swing, took out a horn and an eye. Heh. Oh~, it was angry after that. Took my arm and sliced me across the chest. I was done. That was until Aizen showed up, and one shot was all Juno needed to take it down. Still, I must've made an impression. I was fused with it right there and then to save my life. Hehe." Cayo recounted, ending with an awkward chuckle.
"Where are they now?" Alvis asked in a low tone.
"No clue. I hope they're alive, but when I last saw them we weren't exactly in the nicest of areas... So, who knows?... And here they come."
Cayo rose to his feet, with Alvis doing the same as two individuals approached in the distance. One of them was the attacker from earlier in the day. That same cloaked figure whose only feature was his piercing crimson eyes. The other was a pale man with long black hair, crimson eyes, wearing light-black and red armor, covered by a long coat. This one transmitted a feeling of undeath, and was most likely a vampire.
"Well, lookie that. You get to play with one of your own." Cayo mumbled with a mocking tone and grin.
Eventually the two strangers stopped 3 meters from the Espada. Cayo focused his attention on the cloaked figure, while Alvis was in the process of feeling himself overwhelmed by the heavy and piercing gaze of his opponent to be. He did not understand his gaze. It was almost as if there was a hint of recognition in them. A want.
"I am Vali. This is Arisuke." The figure frankly said.
"Cayo. Alvis." The higher ranked Espada informed in kind.
"We shall fight here. They will fight next to the body of water. Agreed?" Vali asked.
"Sure. Alvis show him the way." Cayo instructed.
"A-Alright." Alvis said, starting to slowly walk away, but Arisuke did not move.
"Arisuke! Follow him."
"...! Yes."
With that the two individuals vanished, leaving Cayo and Vali alone. To better free himself for the fight, Vali removed his cloak, revealing a black sleeveless shirt that was equipped with the hood he used to cover his face. However, with his arms exposed, Cayo was given a clear view of his reddish-skin and tattoo-like markings that covered parts of them, though Vali's hands were still covered by gloves.
A low hiss escaped Vali's lips, releasing smoke that escaped from the corners of his mask. A display that surely got Cayo's attention as he gathered his nerves and took his stance, waiting for his opponent to make a move. He considered calling upon some of his [Martial Arts], but he wanted to get a better feel of what his opponent could do, and to conserve his strength and his stamina.
While he remembered what Yoruichi said about Vali having an edge, Cayo wanted to determine that for himself, amd to see how this thing was supposedly better than him. Since Vali wasn't moving, Cayo decided to take a step forwards. It was a single, simple motion, but apparently all that Vali needed to attack. Swiftly leaping at Cayo, he brought his left fist down on him,which the Espada used his shield to block. He felt himself pushed about a foot back from the impact. It was a given that Vali was a hard hitter...
"Graaagh!"
A battle-cry brought Cayo back from his thoughts. Feeling the pressure leave his shield, he then prepared for another attack, bracing himself for the impact by distancing his feet as he did to ensure he could take the hit. However, this was what Vali wanted. The mercenary lowered himself, moving his right leg underneath Cayo's left, taking his foot out from under him and causing the Espada to stumble back. This left him open for a spinning kick from Vali which sent Cayo crashing into the statue behind him.
Although it was a hard hit, both the Espada and statue were left in one piece. Taking a breath, Cayo was feeling rather frustrated. Not only was he fighting a hard-hitter, but he was also fighting someone with speed, agility, and the fighting experience to know what they were doing. It was simply a horrible situation to be in.
Again, he did not have much time to react, as Vali came rushing in with his right hand clenched into a fist. Preparing to counter it, Cayo silently invoked [Fortress], planning to place the shield in the way of the blow, and damage Vali in the opening. Vali's fist came straight for Cayo's face, prompting the Espada to raise his shield. However, the strange mercenary picked up on this, as his fist shifted to the right, and rammed into the base of the statue instead.
For a split-second Cayo thought he could take advantage of this, just for Vali to move his right arm through the structure and towards his head. Followed by his hand erupting from the structure, grabbing onto the back of Cayo's head, and forcing it down into a left knee strike from Vali, sending Cayo once more into the statue.
Taking advantage of the Espada's momentarily stunned state, Vali leaped back to place some distance between them as he silently willed [Natural Steel Weapon] to harden his clenched left fist. He then went for a straight blow to crush Cayo's chest. Acting quickly, Cayo placed his shield in the way, invoking [Invulnerable Fortress] as he did. When the fist made contact with the shield the impact was sent back into Vali as he was repelled. The air filled with a hiss and cracking noise as the impact broke Vali's hand, leaving him open for Cayo to counterattack.
"[Shield Bash]!"
Cayo roared as his invoked [Martial Art] that increased the impact behind the blow sent the unprepared mercenary back with a sickening crunch and onto the ground. Cayo regained some proper footing, lifting his arms and readied himself to continue. He was rather pleased with the cracking sounds he heard, and as he watched on Vali jumped back to his feet, raising his hand as he went back to his stance. His left hand still looked mangled, until some force from the inside his arm pushed and pulled the mangled hand back into shape.
"Huh. You can heal yourself... That's good to know." Cayo remarked a somewhat frustrated expression.
Concurrently, Alvis and Arisuke had stopped near the edge of the small lake, giving each other the necessary space to prepare for their own duel. Much to Arisuke's surprise and concern, a woman appeared from the nearby forest, joining his opponent. She was a beauty with dark skin, golden irises, and dark, purplish hair. She wore a black backless, sleeveless undershirt, black wrist-guards replacing the missing sleeves, black stretch pants, with a pair of lightweight shoes. This told him that she was probably a rogue or assassin. Perhaps even a ninja.
"Don't worry. I'll only be watching. I'm Yoruichi by the way." She informed, taking a seat behind Alvis.
Not certain if her words were truthful, Arisuke knew he had to deal with his opponent as quickly as possible. Dropping his coat, he fully revealed his armor, along with two weapons whose katana-like shapes surprised Alvis, immediately telling him that his foe was skilled. The young Espada could also see that he wore four rings, two on each hand, along with an amulet resting on a chain-link necklace just under the armor's chest piece.
While he was unsure of what these did, he could tell that the armor itself was of great quality, and wasn't certain if he could pierce it through normal means. Meanwhile, Arisuke straightened his posture as he unsheathed his Tachi, steeling himself as he tried to ignore the impossible recognition he felt in this boy, taking his stance as he waited. Alvis prepared his twin-daggers and silently willed [Pace of the Wind] and [Flow Acceleration] to enhance his speed. He realized his needed to score a considerable strike early on.
With his preparations complete, Alvis lunged at his opponent, becoming a blur as he dashed his way to Arisuke's right side, preparing for an upwards strike. Arisuke wasn't surprised by this. He could clearly see the boy's intent, and under normal circumstances may not have been able to avoid it. However, anticipating this he silently invoked an art called [Flowing Water Movement], that increased his attack and movement speed.
With motions akin to those of a water in crashing in stormy winds, Arisuke performed a horizontal swing that broke through Alvis' right dagger. The left was spared because the Espada managed to lower his arm just in time, but Arisuke managed to kick Alvis in the chest, sending him onto the ground with an echoing crash.
Arisuke's Tachi was a named blade called [Kitetsu], forged from an alloy of adamantite, and a special metal found only on an island close to the borders of his nation. As a result it possessed incredible cutting power. So much so that with the right motion and timing, it could cut through non-magical and even magical weapons without aid of any enhancement to his power. Of course, he was also taking advantage of his [Ring of Yaiba], to boost his Tachi's effectiveness. Something he usually considered a trinket, but for this occasion he had decided to use.
"Were you perhaps trying to damage my arm? Trying to damage my fighting ability?" Arisuke coldly asked, turning to look at him.
Alvis quickly rolled back to his feet, putting himself on all fours almost like a cat. He needed to create space between them. From what he had seen, getting in too close without a plan would lead to disaster. That was when he decided to invoke his bardic ability [Sonic Force Push], which allowed him to let out a unidirectional burst of air and sound from his mouth. Given his close distance to Arisuke, this gave him a clean hit on the surprised vampire. He didn't put all of his strength into it, but it possessed enough force behind it to shatter ear-drums and rupture blood-vessels of most living beings.
Feeling the intense pressures quickly overwhelming his senses, Arisuke jumped back far enough to hit the surface of the lake. Which might be troublesome for him, if not for his [Water Step] art, allowing him to calmly stand on the water's surface. He was taken by surprise. He wasn't expecting Alvis to be able to use that type of attack, which would normally that would be the work of a bard. At least in his own homeland.
This meant the boy was much more versatile than he seemed. Yet, he opened the fight with a sound yet rushed move, and he now showed his hand too early on. Even if it made sense since, due to him lacking in the close combat department. With this in mind, Arisuke charged, taking several long steps across the water before jumping back on to land, lunging straight at Alvis.
The young Espada readied his remaining dagger, while using his free hand to retrieve some of his smaller blades from behind. The vampire attacked him with a downwards swing of his Tachi, which Alvis avoided by dash-jumping back as he threw five blades. This prompting Arisuke to unsheathe his Wakizashi to block most of them. Only a single one of these blades managed to get past him, slicing through his left cheek. This didn't really bother Arisuke as he promptly sheathed his smaller blade.
Pressing the attack, Arisuke as he went for another strike. This time Alvis silently calling upon [Evasion] to avoid the blow, allowing him to dash Arisuke's right, creating an opening to a stab with his dagger. Stopped himself mid-motion, the vampire moved slightly back to avoid the dagger. However, Alvis was expecting this as he called upon [Flow Acceleration] and [Pace of the Wind], to turn his failed stab into a very successful elbow, sending Arisuke onto the ground.
The vampire wasn't down for any significant amount of time, rolling back to his feet as soon as he fell. As soon as he did, he sheathed his blade and waited. Still under the effect of the abilities he called upon, Alvis charged dagger in one hand and two smaller blades in the other. Perhaps he should have thought about why Arisuke wasn't moving, but after having landed the first real blow in the fight, Alvis was feeling confident, going straight for the head as soon as he got close.
Being pleased with the distance, Arisuke willed his [Iaidō Counter] art. He began by placing his sheathed blade in front of Alvis, using the scabbard to block the blow, the impact resulting in Alvis being sent stumbling back as if he had hit a solid wall. Followed by Arisuke drawing his blade in a blinding flash and down onto the 10th-Espada.
The Tachi sliced through the dagger, a portion of his left arm, and his entire upper chest ending at his right shoulder, with the Espada falling onto his back shortly after in an eruption of blood. This sudden turn of events caused Yoruichi to rise to her feet already, fearing that she would need to join in. However, in that moment of indecision, Arisuke's eyes fell onto her, showing that even during his duel with Alvis, he maintained a keen awareness of his surroundings, with his attention never really having left her as he spoke with a cold menace.
"So... You're next?"
"..."