BATTLE WITHIN

**Date Started:** 11 December, 2021
**Date Completed:** Ongoing
**Users Involved:** User:DazzlingEmerald. User:Mr.Zeno999, User:Sekiro of the mist
**Setting:** Boston, Massachusetts
**Characters Involved**: Zezga Ghemo, Kenzo Shinzui, Ryujin Suiiki, Togashi Hiramochi, Auburn Roseheart, Sasaki Kuchiki

## BATTLE WITHIN

Boston, Massachusetts. A city bustling with pride and joy for its many prestigious sports teams. It ensured a consistent night life as many civilians were out attending these sporting events. The large number that roamed the streets made it a hotspot for Hollows.

Like teeth in the sky, a black rift gnawed through the very fabric of space and time itself, growing larger until it blared those same teeth and gave way to the form of a massive entity clad in all white. Zezga Ghemo stepped out from the Garganta in casual fashion, his feet grazing the air and keeping him afloat. He was invisible to the many civilians who armed the street; with tainted eyes he looked down at them from above, casually observing the nature of this city.

He was by no means a new visitor. He'd been to Boston countless times in the past. And yet each time he paid the city a visit he hardly left dissatisfied. Boston had much to offer, even to an Arrancar like him.

Probably about a few blocks away Kenzo, currently in the Human World just to experience the feeling of being there, picked up Zezga's spiritual pressure, pretty quickly, annoyed that his day in the Human World was quickly turning into his day to day job, quickly used Shunpo to get to the Arrancar's current position.

By the time Kenzo arrived upon the scene, Zezga had already pinpointed his whereabouts using a technique native to the Arrancar known as Pesquisa. He opened his eyes, face and body already facing in the direction of the Shinigami. He folded his massive block-like arms across his balloon-like chest. Zezga was an Arrancar boasting supreme musculature that simply could not go unnoticed.

"Good day Shinigami...." Zezga's voice was incredibly deep and it dragged on slowly. "May I ask what brings you here.... to *my* domain..."

"Your domain?" Kenzo asked before placing his hand on his sheathed Zanpakuto. "This is Boston, New York, not some random place in that desert called Hueco Mundo" He said while in a defensive position.

"It seems you have the wrong idea... this is *not* New York, but Massachusetts..." Zezga's voice trailed along. His gaze fell upon the hands of the Shinigami. "May I ask what it is you are doing... reaching for that Zanpakuto right before my eyes..."

"I knew this place didn't look like New York!" Kenzo yelled in frustration, completely ignoring Zezga's question.

As Kenzo lost focus, Zezga's eyes narrowed. In the next instant he vanished and appeared right in front of the Shinigami --towering over him-- his hand already curled into a fist. When he appeared again his arm was winded back behind his head; he launched an incredibly powerful punch empowered by his Hierro towards the Shinigami's face to slam him from the sky all the way into the ground.

Sensing Zezga's spiritual power behind him, Kenzo lifted his sword to his face preparing to block the Arrancar's fist with the blade of the Zanpakuto.

"Excellent reflexes..." It was now a test of strength. A battle which Zezga could simply not lose. He was nearly 500 pounds, likely five times the weight of the Shinigami who was trying to block his fist. Zezga pushed his fist deeper against the sword to snap it in half and break through it to deliver a massive punch to Kenzo.

Kenzo not really wanting to have his Zanpakuto broken by a Arrancar, decided to release some of his spiritual power to push the Arrancar away.

The Arrancar moved his other hand and latched onto the blade of the Zanpakuto, securing it firmly in his grasp while pushing back on it with his other hand still curled in a fist. Zezga flared his own spiritual power in response to Kenzo; regular Adjuchas were said to be a match for Captains of the Gotei 13. Becoming an Arrancar made them significantly more powerful than that, so there was little chance that in a battle of spriritual pressures that Kenzo could overcome that of Zezga.

With his hand grabbing the blade, Zezga would go to snap the blade in half using his monstrous strength.

"You lit-I mean big shit" Kenzo said mad that this Zanpakuto was broken in half, send a kick at Zezga's left leg, attempting to bring the Arrancar's off balance.

The Zanpakuto split in half. Kenzo's kick would connect hard with Zezga's thigh. But because of the Arrancar's incredibly tough Hierro, not only would it fail to deal any damage, but it might even end up harming Kenzo if not breaking the bones in his leg.

The moment Kenzo's foot touched Zega's thigh, Zezga discarded the broken half of the Zanpakuto, letting it fall towards the ground, and instead wrapped that same hand around Kenzo's leg. He would then go to lift Kenzo up into the air and using his other hand, punch completely through the leg to rip it off from his body.

"I really wish I knew Kido right about now" Kenzo said before falling to the ground with his broken Zanpakuto and his one leg.

Zezga held the severed limb in his hand for but a moment, before destroying it completely using a small ounce of his reiatsu --Bala. He used Sonido to catch back up to Kenzo, appearing beside him as soon as he had hit the ground. "Paranoia... the fear of the unknown... that was why you reached for your Zanpakuto the moment we crossed paths, is it not? I was merely standing there... yet you had already fixed your intentions in doing battle... therefore I cannot blame myself for what has happened to you, Shinigami..."

Zezga's deep voice bellowed. He stood over the defeated Shinigami. "A battle is initiated through intention. Shinigami... tell me truly... if I were in your place... would you spare me?"

Kenzo thought before responding. "Well considering that to get to that state you had to kill and eat a countless souls, my first assumption would be to kill you just for vengeance for thoses souls but if I had known you life, I probably would have" He said holding the hilt of his sword tightly.

"And what makes you assume I ate 'a countless souls'? How can you see me once and claim to know so much about me... how can you judge me just by how I look..." Zezga tightened his hand into a fist and went to slam it into the Shinigami's arm which was holding what little remained of his Zanpakuto. Should this fist reach its mark it would pulverize Kenzo's limb; smashing his arm into pieces and smearing it across the ground like an afterthought.

Before Zezga's fist could reach Kenzo's arm, he quickly yelled out his Shikai release causing the blade to glow for a moment before turning releasing a large wave of lightning reiatsu around himself.

In that very same instant, Zezga opened his mouth and unleashed a powerful Cero from his mouth. At point blank range, seeing as how Kenzo was already so injured, it would be impossible to avoid, and just as hard to resist. The Cero was a release of the Arrancar's reiatsu in the form of a potent beam. It would level anything in its path and though Kenzo had summoned his Shikai to protect himself, it would not be so complete a defense as to leave him unharmed by Zezga's beam.

In a instant, Kenzo raised his repaired Zanpakuto along side using his technique Hikari to add on to the protect that the cloak of lightning reiatsu already brought him. This defense weaken the Cero to the point where it left little damage to the Shinigami.

Zezga stood his ground once more. Immediately after firing the first Cero, he fired yet another one in quick succession. Because the lightning defenses had been weakened with the first one, this second one should destroy it completely and land on Kenzo directly.

Kenzo seeing Zezga launch another point blank Cero, pulled out more of his reiatsu to strengthen the lightning defense, leaving him with some damage.

Kenzo's reiatsu alone would not suffice against a Cero from an Adjuchas class Arrancar. Even if Kenzo could summon a Kido barrier it would not be able to withstand such force. There was no possible way for reiatsu alone, from a 3rd seat no less, to measure up against a point blank cero. Zezga released his cero without any end in sight.

As he had no means to defend against it this cero should overpower Kenzo and consume him. He would be lucky to survive; it would be a miracle for him to remain in one piece and a blessing to be rendered unconscious.

The Cero blasted through Kenzo's defense leaving the Shinigami unconscious and on the ground with one leg.

The course of the battle brought attention back to the soul society. It was not long before one of the organization's members was sent to cease heavy hollow activity.

 1 Hour earlier
Lieutenant of the tenth! It has come to our attention there is a powerful presence of hollow activity. Within Boston, It would seem an Arrancar preys on humans there. Best of luck and return victorious."

The words belonged to a disembodied voice. Yet they carried much power, Suiiki among hearing this bowed his head. " Understood, The Arrancar will be swiftly punished for its crimes." With these words, The young shinigami's form flickered leaving a small gust of wind in his wake.

"This will be a good opportunity to see how our top shinigami perform with the limiters. You there! Prepare for a request of Gentei kaijo for liutenant Ryujin."

 Present Time
It would come as a sound. So low and calm one would think it was whispered into their ear. A while accompanied by the sound of wind flying past Zezga's face. Yet this hid the true danger. As the lieutenant approached at surprising speeds. He exited Shunpo, Left leg already snapping forward in a powerful sidekick. The only thing the Arrancar would see is the sudden form of the Lieutenant appear out of what seemed like nowhere.

Should the surprise attack land it would crash into the tough Hierro of Zezga Bending the leg Suiiki aimed for inwards and shattering the femur, Causing the hulking Arrancar to be sent downwards into the ground while simultaneously feeling the pain of a broken bone.

It was true. It was not so much that Zezga was preoccupied with the task at hand --which entailed the demise of the Shinigami Kenzo-- that rendered him unable to detect Suiiki's timely arrival. No, it had everything to do with the manner in which Suiiki operated. He was a Shinigami whose power itself manifested in the form of the shadows. He was stealth incarnate, to such an extent that it bypassed even the Pesquisa of this Arrancar.

Still, Suiiki would be dissapointed to learn that the kick he had put so much effort into --while undoubtedly making contact as it was a surprise attack which Zezga had absolutely no means of reacting to in time-- would utterly fail to even come close to breaking the incredibly reselient Hierro of the Arrancar. An audible *clang* resounded as a result of Suiiki's foot contacting Zezga's thigh. Zezga himself was not made aware of Suiiki's presence up until that very moment, to which he responded with a subtle sway of his head to look in the direction of his attacker. "Hm?"

Zezga eyed the Lieutenant. At once he recognized the badge that was tied around one side of his arm. Not only did Suiiki's kick fail to deal any damage, but the force of it was not even great enough to move Zezga from where he stood. He maintained his placement before the defeated Kenzo. Kenzo was so brutally beaten that he had already been rendered unconscious; he would be unable to so much as visibly look at Suiiki, who had arrived just in time to rescue him.

"Oh? A Lieutenant?" said Zezga, addressing the badge worn by Suiiki. He turned away from Kenzo, noting that he was at the brink of death. There was no means for him to attack him now. He towered over Suiiki. "That can't be right. Your spiritual pressure is far less than the Shinigami whom I just *killed*. You... cannot be a Lieutenant."

In the blink of an eye, Zezga flickered from comprehension. He reappeared behind where Suiiki was. Sonido. Wasting little time, Zezga caught his fist in his hand and went to slam his elbow into Suiiki's spine.

The force of the attack was, Unexpected. Suiiki had predicted much more force. However, he failed to account for the fact that 80 percent of his strength was sealed off. As he made contact Suiiki heard the sound of contact. While he wasn't hurt by the object he hit. The same can be said for his target.

"Huh. This was an unforeseen error. Suiiki said to himself as the form of Zezga vanished. He had no time to worry about how much he was limited. Unless the Arrancar proved to need his full strength. Suiiki would make due. Changing his position Suiiki Followed the course of his opponent. Decerning Zezga went for an attack to his backside. Suiiki sunk to the ground by crouching while bringing his body forward. Avoiding the Hit from Zezga witch would have made painfully direct contact with his spine.

Lacing his fist with Reiatsu Suiiki performed a strong backhand. If the strength of this blow matched better it would at the least be felt by the Tank of a hollow. Yet Suiiki had not fought Him enough to be at his best.

“Nice reflexes…”

Suiiki ducked into a crouching position to evade the elbow. Zezga retraced his hands and looked down upon the miniature Shinigami, who in his squatted position now appeared even smaller to him than before. Attempting a back hand from below, especially while in a squatted position when a back hand was already traditionally weaker than a forward facing punch would not amount to much success.

Zezga countered Suiiki’s attack with a fist of his own. The two spiritual pressures collided as the fists met one another; reiatsu against reiatsu. However in a contest of strength there was simply no way for Suiiki to keep up. Zezga was many times larger than him; likely five times his weight and three times his height. Along with his Hierro greatly amplifying the strength of his skin, there was a very reasonable chance that colliding fists with Zezga would literally break the bones in Suiiki’s hand.

Zezga sought to overpower Suiiki with his punch and send him flying through numerous buildings below.

It was only thanks to his training. That the body of Suiiki kept up with his opponent. During their short clash, He felt the pressure nearly overwhelm him. This was getting him nowhere. Letting the pressure go And moving his hand down fluidly, the body of Suiiki was sent forwards. He managed to negate much damage by readjusting his body to where a chunk of Zezga's blow would graze him. Still, the Arrancar's strength was overpowering. Flying downwards to the buildings Suiiki hit three buildings in his wake It was by his luck that they were not occupied by the populace.

To the humans it would seem as if three buildings just imploded on themselves, many would think it was a bombing while others wouldn't know what to make of the situation. their sudden screams would fill the streets and follow the path of a fleeing mob.

All the while Suiiki was still underneath the rubble. His voice would reach the ears of Zezga As this time The shinigami properly introduced himself. "forgive my sudden intrusion hollow. Your actions warranted the Gotei to need your head." Followed by a sudden snap Two shadowlike spears sprung from within the rubble. This was *Kageshiba* the signature spell of the shinigami. Even though the spears dispersed as quickly as they came they did their job.

Now standing upright with minor scratches upon his body the Lieutenant flashed a cold gaze at Zezga. It was uncertain what move he would unleash next.

The scene that unfolded was like a show for the Arrancar. Not that he particularly cared for destruction, but to know that his attacker had, at the very least, paid for his crimes, was enough to strike some form of enjoyment within him. He observed the debris that fell; watched as the Lieutenant emerged from the mounds upon mounds of them to face him once more.

"But of course," said Zezga in response. His eyes grew cold. "You Shinigami see us, you attack us. That is what separates us Hollow from you."

The way that Zezga was speaking… perhaps it would serve to rekindle the bond that Suiiki had nurtured with Auburn Roseheart. She had said something similar to him back then. About the judgemental nature of the Shinigami. In saying that Auburn had considered Suiiki to be different from the rest. At least, that was what she had felt on the surface. She even left Suiiki with a kiss before departing from Rukongai to pass onto a world more fitting for her kind.

This was not Suiiki's first encounter with an Arrancar. He had that much up his sleeve, if nothing else. Zezga allowed himself to feel Suiiki's spiritual energy once more to better gauge his power. He wanted to make a proper assessment of him, now that he had traded blows with both he and Kenzo.

"There is no doubting it. The Shinigami that I just killed… was many times stronger than you," Zezga declared, while watching the formation of spears by his opponent. Zezga's assessment may not have been so far off from the truth. After all, Kenzo was a third seat while Suiiki was only one rank higher than him. However, unlike Suiiki whose powers were restricted due to parameters of Gentei Kaijo, Kenzo had been able to fight at his full power.

The Suiiki that was fighting Zezga currently possessed only 20% of his current power. If a third seat was 80 perhaps even 90% of a Lieutenant's power, then the Kenzo that Zezga "killed" may have been anywhere as much as 70% stronger than Suiiki currently was. No wonder Zezga felt such a large *gaping* difference between them.

And Zezga had defeated Kenzo *effortlessly*. By that logic it should be far, far easier for him to defeat this restricted version of Suiiki. He aimed the palm of his hand at Suiiki then fired a continuous volley of Bala. One after the other, seemingly hundreds of purple powered orbs rained down upon him. Just one had completely decimated Kenzo's leg before, showing how dangerous they could be should they strike.

"It would seem he's like her. Either that or Auburn has a lot of influence. No matter had I not come arrived to see a comrade I could've considered the possibility of letting him live." Suiiki said to himself. the rain of Bala showered upon Suiiki. an attack like this would not be easy to avoid much less Dodge. For a master of the blade like Suiiki, It only filled him with excitement.

Being that his hand was already on his sword. Suiiki's eyes flashed and focused purely on the indigo orbs. " Hado #30 Kageshiba" Pouring more power into this Three lances formed around him like a spirit wheel. Spinning and morphing around his form. With one graceful movement, Suiiki drew his zanpakuto and Cloaked the blade with the kido. Only meters away from him Now Suiiki moved one single step and slashed the Bala in half. Normally he could do this with ease but the bala took out the entire coating of kido he had.

kageshiba shattered and dispersed leaving suiiki with the remaining onslaught. Knowing full well he could not beat out them all if taking out one was this much trouble. Suiiki only had one option. Tactical reposition. Using shunpo suiiki moved ass fast as he could to get out of the Baal's range. Yet even as he got within the outskirts of the attack range, multiple bala grazed his limbs.

the pain from just one was like a burning cesspool of energy. And suiiki was hit with three. Although none landed fatal wounds like they did on his fellow shinigami suiiki was left bloody and his shihakushou was torn.

"This is lieutenant Ryujin Suiiki. Requesting removal of soul limiters " Suiiki said into what appeared to be a microphone. Little did he know this was planned ahead of time as such the timespan the boy would have to wait was greatly reduced. Now amounting to 1 minute

following his request suiiki steeled himself, only until he was at full strength would he resort to passiveness.

Zezga had no way to know what was going on between Suiiki and the soul society; he has no way of knowing that they were in contact or that Lieutenants were required to suppress their powers prior to setting foot into the world of the living. He did however, coincidentally make haste. Though he did not know it, he had one more minute before his opponent would receive a massive boost to his power.

Zezga kicked off of the air behind him and ‘’exploded’’ to top speed. This was a level of speed he had not shown yet to either Kenzo nor Suiiki; it was his Sonido combined with an influx of his Reiatsu to produce a “sudden flash” to reach even greater speeds.

A restricted version of Suiiki would not be capable of reacting to this level of speed. He had 60 seconds to wait, and when Zezga appeared in front of him, 59 seconds still remained.

Zezga reached forward with all his might and aimed an incredibly powerful punch right into Suiiki’s gut. Due to how tough his Hierro was, such a punch would force Suiiki’s body to limp forward, the top half of his body hunching over and his legs kicking out beneath. More than drawing blood, this attack was enough to cripple someone with a reiatsu equivalent to Zezga’s own.

Following the punch, Zezga churned his fist to the side and fired a bala through it to penetrate through Suiiki’s body and leave a hole in it.

Shortly before the Arrancar disappeared. Suiiki had been preparing a defensive spell discreetly. He never relied on incantations so the power of his kido where nothing special compared to kido masters. Still, he had ways to innovate. Letting his hands rest as not to give anything away. The shinigami secretly Cast Seki and spread the power around his frame a variation of the bakudo taught to him by Hideyasu Gozenreiji a master of kido who served as a mentor to the boy alongside his mother. But Suiiki saw the form of Zezga into thin air. Not seeing the punch aimed straight for his Gut Suiiki was struck head-on.

It was only by his earlier choice the boy was not killed right then and there. Upon contact the Seki repealed only some force from the Attack, As well as backfiring on its master. Suiiki's body felt like it had been hit by a truck, no a building. He was once more sent flying back coughing up blood in his wake. thanks to this the Bala fired past him and hit a building nearby. instantly blowing the entire structure to smithereens. rolling along the ground and hitting many bumps as he went Suiiki's body sat there unmoving for many moments. until slowly he raised from the ground.

40 seconds left.

The shihakusho he worn earlier was now a tattered mess. Suiiki still holding on to his resolve tore the upper part from his body and willed himself to move. "Hado #30 Kageshiba" Upon incantation two shadow lances appeared. it was clear his power in this weekend state was nothing short of a laughing stock. The lances of shadow morphed onto his toned and battered body slowly helping the boy stand on his own feet. Now that the pressure was off him He regained only some of his mobility. This skill was the same he implored against Kamui Shihōin allowing him to keep fighting by taking pressure off of injuries and his body as a whole. only to the areas, it covered though. in this case that is Suiiki's torso. 35 Seconds.

*Destello*. An advanced form of Sonido which was the very technique Zezga employed in order to close the distance between himself and Suiiki within a second. It was incredibly fast; its earlier usage confirmed that Suiiki in his current state was not able to react to its speed.

Still, making use of this technique was not easy to do. While Zezga could make use of the technique it was not something he had outright mastered. He knew that in any given battle he would only be able to use it up to three times due to its stamina constraints. He had already used it once to blitz Suiiki earlier. Now, he would use it once again to sneak up from behind Suiiki.

It took Zezga exactly one second to close the distance between himself and Suiiki once again. The clock read 39 seconds; Zezga reached from behind Suiiki to grab him with both arms. Should he succeed he would wrap both arms around Suiiki's chest and tightly clench his arms shut, capturing the Lieutenant in a firm lock. He would then flare his reiatsu to further enhance his Hierro, beginning to squeeze the life out of him.

once again Suiiki did not sense the onslaught coming for him. This time the arrancar appeared behind him. and with no teqnuiqes to save him he was caught within the bear like grasp of Zezga. The pressure from the attack made Suiiki let out a
Painfull yell. Something had to be done if not he was going to be crushed and end up failing the gotei.

"You near death's door. I recommend letting go of your qualms and buy yourself some time." Suiiki heard the voic of his zanpakuto speaking. It was clear the spirit was growing restless. After all his master was making stupid choices that could cost him his life. Suiiki had realized even before he heard the voice that he would have to use that resort.

Focusing on what little concentration he had left in him. Suiiki morphed the Lances of kageshiba witch were around his body Stretched upwards like some shadow marking. This was only to loosen the grip Zezga had on him. The true danger would be the white speck beginning to appear around his face following the white a black coating began to appear in the sclera of his eyes. Little did Zezga know if he didn't let go by the time Suiiki fully went through his hollowfication. He would be hit with the point-blank spiritual energy of Suiiki, the sharp dark energy would likely burn the arms of the Arrancar upon contact letting him go. The time it took for him to do this was only 3 seconds, his time now being 36 seconds.

Simply put, Zezga did not fear the lances. Even should they contact him they would not be able to deal any meaningful damage. Hierro was Zezga's strong suit. Even someone who was as powerful as Zezga would be unable to consistently damage him. This was the field he excelled in, his line of specialty. To even leave a scratch anywhere on him would be an impressive feat worth bragging about. So far, through battling two Shinigami consecutively, he had yet to feel so much as a single ounce of pain.

The Arrancar did not let up. He tightened his hold of Suiiki and in response to everything that was going on, he opened his mouth. A purple orb began to charge and form at the corner of his teeth. Said ball was inches away from Suiiki's own face. Suiiki did not have to be told what this was as it was plainly obvious. This was... a *Cero*.

30 seconds. Zezga let the Cero rip, firing it at full power.

First mistake. Zezga seemed to not know the explosive power Suiiki's reiastu had. Even as the cero began to shine. it would not stop the outward force produced by Suiiki. As if the area around him crept away and gave way to darkness. The shinigami fully donned his hollow mask In that same moment, The built-up energy within him was let loose. the pain he felt earlier seemed to fade although not completely.

Suiiki's speed strength and many other attributes had just been bosted beyond that of the limiters placed on him, almost bringing Suiiki to full strength, but this was not a large gap. Its equivalence would be that of 90 percent. Had he trained the skill more it would carry him to full strength without releasing his limiters. With this sudden boost, The boy reared his head charging what seemed to be a purplish-black aura of his own. Suiiki's cero was Set for a direct course with that of Zezgas, upon collision the two would push against each other in a powerful beam struggle casting rays of purple light onto the surrounding streets. 29 seconds.

The two Cero met at a large scale explosion resounded. So large and fierce was it that even Zezga was pushed back; he was forced to undo his hold over Suiiki's body, arms forming a shield before him to protect him from the explosion. This defensive instinct implied that Zezga considered the potential of being harmed, for the first time that night.

As he flung backward away from the dust and cloud of smoke that mushroomed up towards the sky, Zezga peaked through from behind his arms. His white clothing was covered in smog. "What is the meaning of this... that was undoubtedly a Cero... how is a Shinigami capable of using our attack...?"

The collision and smokescreen consumed the rest of the time needed for Gentei Kaijo. A beam would descend from the skies and strike down upon Suiiki, much to Zezga's surprise, clearing the dust and unveiling his transformed state. From behind streaks of smoke, Zezg caught sight of the Hollow mask which covered Suiiki's face. His spiritual pressure was now similar in nature to Zezga's own in that it felt like a mixutre of Shinigami and Hollow's. However the power behind it was certainly stronger than his own and learning that made Zezga greatly alarmed.

Low in tone yet powerful Suiiki's voice echoed towards the Ears of Zezga. *" Cloud the sea of shadows. Kurayami-Kaito"*
The release command echoed with the resounding power that followed. The blade of Suiiki's transformed into an Aikuchi with a blade of pitch black. Multiple shadows in the area moved towards Suiiki as he moved the sword in his hand upwards.

Now choosing to blitz the Hollow. Suiiki Used shunpo and clear the distance between the two. The hollow would surely have almost no time to react. Suiiki would cut downwards. His sword cleaving straight into the skin of Zezga. Spilling his blood in a sudden painful fashion. Suiiki's strength at this point was stronger than his previous state. By leaps and bounds.

Paranoia. A sensation Zezga knew all too well. The sight of the Shinigami invoked such a feeling in him. Just looking at him alone gave off that feeling. It made Zezga wonder as to what Suiiki could do. And he soon found his answer when the Hollowfied Suiiki released his Shikai and managed to damage him.

Now *this* was an entirely new sensation. Blood spewed from a cut left by Suiiki's Aikuchi on Zezga's shoulder. His eyes widened and he found himself unable to perform a counterattack of his own, unable to even register what had happened.

The Sheer nature of his Reiastu Had changed into a fierce maelstrom of hollow and shinigami. Suiiki Moved around his opponent not even giving the slightest moment. Suiiki performed a sidekick into the same area he had earlier. This time upon landing the kick would force its way past the Hierro of Zezga. Breaking his leg upon contact, sending his body towards the ground. Upon this Suiiki would rear his blade downwards and stab into the torso of his opponent.

" Your fate looks grim. I Ryujin Suiiki shall witness your end" Suiiki said, his voice still having an echo from the dual nature. The eyes of Suiiki were a cold and dark void. It would be clear looking at them through the eyeholes of his hollow mask. Suiiki sought to pay the hollow back with all the damage he received earlier.

The kick by itself was not enough to break through Zezga's Hierro. It did, however, send him backwards, with such force that he was unable to catch himself until it was far too late. His leg did not break either, no, it remained very much intact. Nevertheless, Zezga found himself burrowing towards the ground, until his eyes were forced open by a blade jutting down into his stomach.

"Uooaggh!" Zezga coughed up blood. The blade remained inside of his stomach; he moved his hand and grabbed onto it with both hands, ensuring that as he fell towards the ground that Suiiki would travel with him. Although Suiiki had powered up considerably, there was no questioning that he had taken severe injuries prior to the activation of Gentei Kaijo. The injuries could allow him with some breathing room.

As he crashed towards the ground, Zezga tried to flip over at the last instant so that Suiiki would end up underneath him. He was trying to cushion the fall using Suiiki's body.

Regardless of earlier damage. Suiiki much like other vizards who undergo Hollowfication. Felt numb to his pain to a certain degree. Still, this had very little to do with the situation now. For the Arrancar to try to use acrobatics as his resort. Suiiki trained in his martial arts style since he was a child. Acrobatics were second nature to Him. The moment Zezga flipped over Suiiki transferred his weight. Letting the sword in his hand go so that now the only thing underneath Zezga would be the sword and the ground. Kicking up from the ground, Suiiki sought to regain his previous position. Extending his left arm out in a claw, Suiiki brought his hand down with considerable force. Upon contact at the least, it would grab the back of Zezga's head. then slam it down into the ground pushing the sword already embedded into his stomach to be pushed even deeper.

Not only this but the ground in Zezga's wake would rip upwards in several locations around the Arrancar's massive figure. "You said earlier that Shinigami see hollows and attack them. No, I do not instantly see hollows and attack them. No, I strike down those who have sinned. Che crime for harming members of the Gotei 13, and the crime for preying on many souls earns your death. Had you been different I would consider sparing your life?" While he spoke, Suiiki howled with a force so loud it would burst the eardrums of someone in point-blank range. But more than this A ball of energy formed in the mouth of Suiiki. pilling up in intensity until it poured over. the cero was different than the last one he fired. It was completely black and had a white core witch the outskirts of the beam faded into.

**Cero Vacío** The attack was a mixture of his hollow and shinigami powers. Pouring the darkness of shadows into its entirety. As such the cero had the true properties of Suiikis zanpakuto. Zezga would have to think of a way to avoid the blast or he would be encompassed by the full might of Suiiki's point-blank cero.

Zezga felt the Zanpakuto sink deeper into his body as his head was slammed against the ground. The latter attack hardly did much to him at all, Zezga's Hierro rendered him impervious to attacks such as that one. However, a Zanpakuto as sharp as the one in Suikki's released state was a different question entirely. Though his hands did not bleed as he wrapped them around the blade and finally pulled it out of himself.

He hurled the Zanpakuto across the city with all his might, where it flung through numerous buildings and was lost in a pile of debris. That action left Zezga completely vulnerable to the might of Suiiki's signature Cero. It hit him. It hit him straight on, torching his body in its incredible power. A Cero was only as powerful as the amount of reiatsu one put into it and should Suiiki hope for it to do damage then it would surely hinder the time limit placed on his mask as proper stamina was required to maintain it for extensive periods of time.

Zezga was blasted away, flung like a rag doll against the road and surrounding buildings. When the blast ceased, his form was suprisingly still in one piece --credit to that darn Hierro of his. He was littered in wounds, however, and as he sat up to rest on his hands and knees a pool of blood formed underneath him. He was panting desperately for air.

"T-That sort of logic m-makes no sense... *he* was the one who attacked me first... to this moment... to this moment I am merely defending myself!" No one had been able to damage him so greatly in the past. The Lieutenant was certainly worthy of his ranking. One eye closed, Zezga looked up at Suiiki. He had felt his hands, he had felt his sword, and he had felt his Cero. Out of them all Suiiki's Cero was the most troublesome. One more taste of it and he wasn't certain he could last. His sword was the second most powerful, capable of bypassing his Hierro, with effort. Zezga had flung it away so for now it was lost. Even Zezga did not know where it had gone off to. Suiiki's hands however were not so troublesome for the Arrancar. As long as he could turn this into a fist match, Zezga still liked his chances of survival.

Zezga chuckled. "Hahaha... our home of Hueco Mundo is nothing more than a large scale game of survival... Shinigami... do you think you can outlast me?" Zezga stumbled his way back onto his feet. He was nearing the end. He quickly charged a Cero and fired it away at Suiiki in the form of a straight beam. If Suiiki avoided this one then it would level the buildings behind him and there was no telling how many innocent lives would be taken.

That cero had taken out 2 minutes. Had Suiiki still held his zanpakuto he could counter the cero but now. There was only one option. A cero of that magnitude would reach the populace and surely wipe out all who touched it. The scene reminded Suiiki of his own past more specifically the last moments he shared with his mother.

" Hado #30 Kageshiba" Suiiki only had 2 minutes left in him the clock rapidly winding down, forming this time all 8 of the lances. They appeared in a spirit wheel similar to those of Japanese deity's and powerfull beings. Only one shot at this if suiiki didn't make it then all of the people in the town where as good as dead.

he shot forward morphing the lances around him in such a way both him and the lances moved like a wave of darkness. Suiiki formed the shadows like a barrier and dove into the cero. The black swarm of kido cutting right into the cero as suiiki swam through the field of energy. He didn't have time to risk a clash between them two everything had to be focused. Into this last attack.

Even though the kido helped the cero was completely surrounding him multiple rays of the beam hit suiiki and tore through flesh. Bleeding out various wounds. Suiiki drew closer and charged up his own cero. The added wounds he received kept winding his clock down. 1 minute and 10 seconds. Every second fragments of his mask began to flake off and disperse.

The display would be astonishing to anywho watched. The bright purple cero of zezga being parted by the black mass that was the 10th Lieutenant. Only inches away now suiiki emerged from the beam cloaked in darkness.

In three simultaneous suiiki morphed kageshiba to his hands. But this was only half the other four appeared to surround the black ball of energy. It was then in one motion suiiki preformed w motion with his hands seeming to trace darkness into the air. Finishing the display he opened up the sharp toothed maw that seemed to cling to existence. Now in this moment it would decided the fate of not only both combatants but the fait of thousands of humans.

Resolve filled and bets set suiiki let the black cero rip pouring into it all his strength.

Diving head first into the Cero was something Zezga never imagined. It was suicide, it was... ingenius. The sacrifice was becoming of a true Shinigami. Suiiki showed that he was not fighting for himself but for a far greater cause. Zezga's beam failed to claim Suiiki, instead the Visored tore through what was left of it and channeled his own Cero through its medium.

A kind of spiritual pressure which Zezga had not felt until now and which in his current state he had no chance of replicating. Any ordinary Arrancar who did not specialize in Hierro would have been long gone; but if there was any Arrancar who could survive, even if only barely, with a sliver of his life intact, then that was Zezga.

In actuality this black Cero should have destroyed Zezga from the inside out. Had Kenzo managed to deal some damage in his preliminary battle or if Zezga had used a third Destello --burning what remained of his stamina-- then he certainly would have died right here in this instance. If only Suiiki had inflicted a few more wounds upon Zezga's armor before his Zanpakuto was discarded. All of these factors would have tallied up, contributing to the demise of the absurd bulk of a tank that Zezga was.

In the wake of the blast, there was hardly anything that remained. Suiiki had been skillful in his execution so as not to consume anymore of the city's landscape. When Zezga was seen again, he was hardly in any fitting shape. He was... riddeled with scars, wounds, injuries of every sort. His eyelids burnt off, his lips in places they'd never been. He was distorted, impossible to recognize. A complete mess of a person.

"Shtingumi..." The displaced positioning of his lips formed a lisp in his speech. "Shtingumi... yiur mur thon I cwould emanjined..."

Nothing remained of Zezga's attire. He was missing an arm, missing a leg. Even his head barely held onto his neck. Yet somehow, as if by a miracle, he was still... *alive*.

Zezga reached to his side. He gripped the handle of his Zanpakuto with the four fingers he had left on his arm. And he pulled it with a mighty thrust from its slumber. "Detonate, Amenaza."

An explosion resounded all around the Arrancar. A massive beam rippled high into the sky. When the column dissipated, there stood a monstrosity like never before. A minotaur-like entity, covered in purple fur and encased in a bony white armor. Horns portrured fully from its skull, white plates shielded its chest. This was Zezga's released form, a heightened state the Arrancar referred to as their Resurrección. This in actuality was Zezga's true form, which he had resorted to after having no choice.

What was far more terrifying than the insurmountable spiritual pressure given off by the beast was the advent of the wounds. They were... all gone. All the injuries that Suiiki had inflicted upon Zezga had disappeared. Even Zezga's missing limbs had returned. This was the true benefit of a Zanpakuto release; the Arrancar could revive themselves upon entering their Resurrección.

While Suiiki's mask was reaching its limits, the battle was only beginning for Zezga. He eyed the Visored, towering over him. "Paranoia," he started. "Paranoia. We Arrancar gain a new ability once we enter our Resurrección... but you do not understand yet what my ability is..." Cold eyes captured Suiiki. "Paranoia stems from the unknown... it is anticipation of danger through belief..."

Paranoia, Is that what he felt. Suiiki's mask fragmented and finally shattered the previous tremendous boost that pushed him forward now vanishing. Even though he no longer had his limiters, the boost took him this far from the moment he employed it. With that gone his advantage disappeared.

Starring down his opponent Suiiki couldn't help but think, It wasn't fear from the strength gap no this was different. The fear that he carried with him since before his shinigami career, even before joining the academy. the drowning sorrow of self-hatred, weakness. Failure

" Ryujin, Death is no option. Such an end is unbefitting of the eternal nature that is shadows." The voice rang in his head it was the sound of Kurayami-Kaito. But how Suiiki heard it made no sense. After all the zanpakuto was not in his possession. Yet even still the voice reached him.

Now was no time to feel despair no time to be afraid. No, Even if the opponent healed completely. Suiiki stood his ground his resolve like that of a dark samurai. Walking towards the body of his fallen comrade Suiiki reached downwards taking up the blade for himself. "Forgive me for laying my hands on your soul. In this battle, I swear to use every ounce of my power in this fight. To honor your struggle by risking my life." Suiiki said to the unconscious body of Kenzo. Lifting blade and taking up a stance.

A final stand. With the disappearance of Suiiki's mask, so too went the enormous spiritual pressure that had come with it. Towering over Suiiki, Zezga felt at ease once again. Especially when Suiiki lifted up the broken Zanpakuto of Kenzo, he was reminded of his earlier victory. It inspired him.

Zezga did not grow sadistic upon realizing his advantage. It did not bring him joy to see his opponent weakened. This battle would be settled for the simple reason that it may expose the outdated principles of the Gotei 13. That was Zezga's cause. "You have know way of telling what I am capable of now. *That* is paranoia," Zezga explained further. He lifted up his hand and snapped his fingers.

*Boom.*

Suiiki would detonate in more parts than one. This was the power of Zezga's Resurrecion. To induce explosions upon anything which was smeared in a residue of his reiatsu. In every instance of making contact with Kenzo and Suiiki, Zezga's reiatsu had been left behind. Even the smallest traces were capable of turning into an explosion and detonating.

Kenzo's Zanpakuto that Suiiki was now holding was smeared with Zezga's reiatsu when he had snapped the blade in half. Suiiki's body, when Zezga had punched in him in the gut, when Suiiki had grabbed hold of Zezga's face with his hand, when Suiiki had kicked Zezga with his first sneak attack --it all had left behind countless streaks of residue upon Suiiki. But none quite *bathed* him in Zezga's reiatsu than when he dove head first into Zezga's Cero and quite literally swam through it as if it were a current.

Explosions would go off all over Suiiki's body. These were not to be taken lightly, especially given the beating the Lieutenant had already taken, it was very unlikely that he would be able to survive. He would be lucky to be defeated by losing consciousness; that would be a feat in itself.

This was paranoia. A ticking time bomb. With each tick, paranoia grew stronger and stronger and stronger until it consumed the mind of the person completely. That final tick which led to an explosion. Zezga was the embodiment of paranoia and this was his power.

"Paranoia is inevitable... paranoia consumes us all... paranoia... is... everlasting..."

No sense of self. Suiiki felt nothing, just an empty burning sensation. That followed the explosion which covered his entire body. Suiiki now laid on the ground in a pool of blood. Cuts and gnashes were not the only thing scattered across his body. No Suiiki was on the verge of death. As his mind faded Suiiki thought about the Arrancar. The danger he possessed eve now it was a miracle he clung onto life. Within the depths of his mind, all the shinigami hear was a constant cry.

"Ryujin *Ryujin* **Ryujin!** the voice of Kurayami-Kaito was different from before. It rang with the same low pitch and echo as the hollowfied state of Suiiki." On the outside, the eyes of Ryujin began to gain a black tint. Even as he slowly stood the boy wobbled with every motion. Clinging onto nothing but will and the power of his hollow spirit. Suiiki's resolve proved to be so fierce even the claws of death did not stop him from fighting.

The spiritual pressure leaking from Suiikis body flared and for an instant, it took the form of a fierce hollow. The explosive power was thanks to Kurayami-Kaito fighting desperately to fight. To keep his master alive. They both fought, seeking to beat the darkness of endless slumber known as death with their own. Zega even though only for a moment would feel the intensity of this. An overwhelming pressure, so akin to that of a hollow's one could mistake it for two hollows surrounding the area.

As quickly as it came the pressure faded and with it Suiiki's consciousness. His body goes lime and loosing out to the force of gravity. He did not die but the boy reached his limits and now he fell unconscious.

And just like that, the battle had ended. A clear victor had been named. At that was none other than Zezga Ghemo, the Arrancar which had come to Boston in search of a good view only to be met by a club of trifling Shinigami who dared oppose him simply due to his biological and soulful makeup. Whether fair or foul, in the ways of war there were no rules. Zezga had emerged victorious and laying on the ground before him were his two prizes: Kenzo and Suiiki, no less.

The purple haired Minotaur began stomping its way on over to the soon-to-be corpses, only for a massive force of energy to suddenly impede his movements. What felt like a barrier expelled him from coming any farther; an incredible *force* which he could not bypass.

"So this is where you've been all this time." A familiar voice rang through the air. The tapping of Waraji along the glizzen streets gave rise to a flowing white haori. A man with long green hair and an equally green beard had arrived out of nowhere, standing beside where the two Shinigami currently lay. "I was just on my way back to the Soul Society after completing my mission when I thought I'd check on you. This guy giving you trouble, *kid*?"

Zezga's eyes narrowed at the sight of the Shinigami Captain. He'd heard stories of the ones who sported white coats but he had never come face to face with one quite like this. He tried to gauge the spiritual pressure of Togashi Hiramochi, though when the reading was less than he expected he thought better than to underestimate him like he had Suiiki before. Somehow these Shinigami were able to receive a dramatic power boost. For now he would have to assume the same about this one. "Good day. We do not have to fight..."

"Oh. But we must." Togahi's lips formed into a sly smile. "Hoy. Suiiki." No response. Togashi turned to look over his head, only now realizing that Suiiki had fully lost consciousness. He probed Suiiki's face with the back of his sheath to try and wake him up. "Hoy, Suiiki. Suiiki?"

Still, no response.

A green aura lined Togashi, growing stronger by the second. Togashi's hand gripped the inside of his kusode, and he spoke directly into a soul pager. "Requesting immediate activation of Gentei Kaijo."

The phrase churned Zezga's memory. Suiiki had uttered the same phrase before receiving a dramatic power boost. He could not allow another Shinigami to receive the same benefit. He lunged forward, but the large gravitational force kept him from being able to move further.

"A Captain of the Gotei 13 has full authority to choose whichever Lieutenant he pleases. Do you know what that means, Suiiki?" Togashi did not expect to hear from the sleeping Suiiki. "It means that as soon as I became Captain, I got to decide whether you would remain Lieutenant of this division." Never did Togashi praise Suiiki while he was awake. Yet now, as he lay there defeated, resting in his own sea of blood, Togashi could not help but feel a great deal of pride. "I think I made a damn good choice, don't you, Arrancar?"

Zezga was still struggling to get beyond the forcefield of gravity. If he could not walk through it then he would have to try a different means. That was when Togashi received an urgent call back from the other end of the soul pager.

"Togashi-taicho! I'm afraid we won't be able to grant your request for another 10 minutes due an earlier conflict! Gentei Kaijo was recently requested by Lieutenant Ryujin Suiiki. We cannot permit another one so soon without jepordizing the world of the living."

Zezga learned very quickly that his Hierro while in his ressurected state was even stronger than before. So strong was it that it could effortlessly tear through the same gravitational force that he momentarily struggled to move through. He lunged with his fist through it and slammed Togashi across his face with a punch that sent the Captain of the Tenth Division reeling backwards.

"Uaaughh!!" Blood fountained from Togashi's mouth. His eyes widened and his figure was lost in a building and another building it and then the one behind that and so on and so forth. The buildings collapsed on top of him. Overhead, a black hole ripped open in the sky.

"I see... so you Shinigami have limiters placed on you when coming into this world... that is quite arrogant of you... it did not have to be this way, *Captain*... if you had just allowed me to conclude my earlier battle without getting yourself involved... you would have been spared..."

Togashi surfaced from a pile of debris. Blood trickeled down his nostrils and lips. He grunted his way back up to his feet and used Shunpo to return to the battlefield. "T-Ten minutes," said Togashi, looking the Arrancar in the eyes.

"Ten minutes?" Zezga was confused. "What is that?"

"The amount of time you have left to live." Togashi unsheathed his Zanpakuto and leaped into the air, before coming down with both hands. His blade met the middle of the Arrancar's skull, failing to leave so much as a scratch.

Zezga reached forward and yanked Togashi by his wrist. He punched him again in the throat then grabbed his face and slammed him into the ground. A crater formed where Togashi met the earth. More blood splattered into the air.

"How embarassing, Captain. You had come all this way to save your subordinate... making such a dramatic entrance and all... to amount to this? Your Lieutenant put up a better fight than you." Zezga pulled Togashi up from the hole in the ground and flung him away, discarding him like an afterthought.

Zezga turned his attention back to his prize, seeking to claim it. He came down with full force upon the body of Suiiki, aiming to flatten him and silence him once and for all. A blur of crimson escaped the corner of his eye at the very last instant and held up his fist in the air, keeping it from pressing any lower. This was no cheap gimmick. It was pure strength which contested that of Zezga's.

The Arrancar, Auburn Roseheart had appeared. She laid on top of Suiiki, her chest lain against his neck, her knees pressed over his stomach. She shielded him with her body, using her back to block the massive punch of the opposing Arrancar.

To Zezga it seemed as if many uninvited spectators were arriving upon the scene one after the other. It was starting to get on his nerves. "You... we have met once before... why do you protect him... why do you protect... a Shinigami...?"

"Because this one here is precious to me." Auburn's voice was as majestic as ever. She eyed Zezga with detesting eyes though she did not loathe him for what he had done to Suiiki. "There is no need for any further blood to be spilled. You have won this battle so carry onward."

"This battle does not end until I claim my victory. Hand him to me... it is my right..."

There was no answer given from Auburn, and so Zezga, losing his patience, snapped his fingers. He'd made contact with Auburn's back after all and so he should have been able to detonate it at the point of contact. Yet Auburn did not detonate. Not in the slightest. This realization left Zezga stunned.

"Will you fight me yourself..." Zezga wondered aloud. He was already in his released form. He did not mind to challenge her if she intended to stand in his way.

"I have no intention in doing so." Auburn rose up to her feet, cuddling Suiiki against her chest as if he were a newborn child. She cast her gaze down at Kenzo. She recalled that the broken sword in Suiiki's hand gave off a spiritual energy similar to his, which could only have meant that this was someone whom Suiiki considered dear to him. She reached for Kenzo and threw him over her back. And then she flickered away just as Zezga punched down at her.

Zezga's fist met the earth, leaving another crater where the bodies had lain moments ago. Using Sonido, Auburn rippled around the city until finding where Togashi had ended up. The Captain was sitting against a dumpster, wounds closing one of his eyes. He watched the woman in silence. She bent over and placed the two Shinigami on the floor beside Togashi. They locked eyes, but neither said a word. They could not understand one another.

"Where do you all keep coming from?" an agitated Zezga had grown impatient. A battle was meant to be between two people. So far, three others had interrupted his fight. A fight which he had not even started himself.

"Do you honestly expect to stay hidden after giving off so much spiritual energy?" Another voice appeared from the towers above. The man leaped down and pulled a Zanpakuto from his sheath. "I was just around to watch what Tatum would do tonight when I felt a massive power surging downtown. Looks like I've got another chance to be a Shinigami again."

Unlike Togashi, Sasaki Kuchiki was a man whose powers were not restrained by limiters. He showed his spiritual pressure to the Arrancar, and his immediate thought was to retreat.

"Enough. I have had... enough." Zezga turned his back to Sasaki but his paranoia made him glance back several times. Sasaki did not give chase, letting Zezga escape through a Garganta.

"Oh man... and here I thought I'd get to have some fun again." Sasaki sighed. Electing to be more discreet with himself, he too took his leave.

Auburn and Togashi remained in deadlock. Auburn had shared some of her reiatsu with Suiiki when she had held him earlier. Due to his inner Hollow, she found that she was able to bond with him in such a way. Thanks to her sharing her energy he would be able to waken, and while he would remain heavily wounded, she had managed to slow down the flow of his blood.

As he awoke, the first words would belong to Suiiki in a scene of an alley way consisting of an unconscious Kenzo, a battered Togashi, and a standing Auburn.

Waking with a slow raise of the eyelids, It did not take Suiiki long before he fully rose from slumber. Rising with a jolt the lieutenant winced in pain. even so, he spoke in a tone that suggested his first thoughts were of the previous battle.

"T-the battle. Must Fight, protect the people. If I have not died then I can muster strength. " his words while each starting sporadic. Showed the shinigami's focus on his duties. It was only then he realized that the battle was over, the spiritual pressure belonging to Zezga had disappeared, but even if Suiiki hadn't looked around he could feel the spiritual signature of his captain but even someone whom he felt a strange relief in, Auburn.

Looking at his captain and the state he was in, Suiiki tried to rise to his feet but the injuries prevented him from doing much of anything. "Captain Togashi, I take it you met the same Arrancar to sustain wounds like that. putting this aside I apologize for you having to come out here." With his words for the captain, Suiiki lifted his head and saw the stunning form of Auburn.

"What brings a crimson gem like you here, and why does it seem like your Reiastu is flowing through me with my own. (It feels strangely warm or is that just from mines being cold.)" Being that he had just awoken the shinigami's words were not fully governed by the usual filter Suiiki assumed when speaking to others.

"..." Togashi silently spectated the ensuing scene. Suiiki's drive to do what was right. His will alone pushing him forward when his soul and body had surely sustained enough. This is what was becoming of the Tenth Division. "We are a team, Suiiki," Togashi then said, "we are never alone in our missions. No use in apologizing to me, though. I was unable to protect you. If not for..."

Auburn hesitated to speak. She didn't know whether she could discuss certain details in front of Togashi regarding the obvious Hollowfication she had seen through Suiiki. "Suiiki-kun." Auburn's eyes creased as she smiled compassionately towards the Lieutenant. "I'm glad you're safe. I have shared some of my power with you. I hope it will aid you to a swift recovery."

Togashi did not recognize Auburn. They hadn't formally met until now. Yet ironically they belonged to the same district once upon a time.

"You've come to be a fine Captain." Auburn added. Glancing over Togashi briefly. "Look over this one for me, won't you? He is quite precious to me." Auburn moved a hand to the top of Suiiki's head and gazed into his eyes one last time before understanding that she needed to take her leave. It would be problematic if anyone discovered that these two Shinigami had been saved by an Arrancar.

*She shared her power with him?* Togashi wondered to himself as Auburn departed. *So that spiritual pressure I felt earlier... it wasn't the Arrancar... but Suiiki?*

Togashi obsereved his Lieutenant. "Suiiki," he then said. "We of the Tenth Division have the responsibility of completing missions. One after the other. Whatever may aid us in getting these tasks done is fair game. Do you understand me?" Whatever secret power Suiiki was keeping hidden from the Gotei 13, whether fair or forbidden, Togashi personally did not mind so long as it aided them in getting the job done.

The Captain's gaze fell over Kenzo's body. His leg was dislodged and many of his other bones were broken. Here and now he may have been forced to retire. "Suiiki. There is only one man that I know of who can be of any help to 3rd Seat Kenzo."

Togashi met Suiiki's eyes as he continued his explanation. He was tasking his Lieutenant with another mission so abruptly. "Seek medical treatment for yourself first. Then take Kenzo to the 5th Division's Barracks and ask to see a man by the name of Kagami Kuchiki. Make haste. There is no time to sit around and reflect on what happened here. That said, leave everything else to me. I will report back to the Gotei 13 and tell them what transpired here."

Togashi forced himself up to his feet. A pillar then hit him from the skies. Gentei Kaijo. He snarled under his breath. "Tch. As if it'll make any difference now." He started to limp away then paused and turned back to his Lieutenant. "And don't worry. I won't tell them about your little girlfriend, *kid*." Togashi flashed Suiiki a grin and went about his way.

The captain left his lieutenant with a blank but embarrassed look. This did not stop him though. The boy rose to his feet using the wall as a brace. "forgive me, captain. I hide this power out of my desires. You have my thanks though" even though Suiiki's words were meant for his captain. The man had already left, Suiiki looked down at Kenzo and returned the broken zanpakuto to its master. Trying his hardest the boy lifted the entire body of the older shinigami. Showing the strength he possessed to even be able to lift a full grown shinigami zanpakuto and all. Despite being in a vastly weakened state.

the skies had grown dark by the time Suiiki and the rest of the participants of today's events completely left. To the normal populace, they would be left wondering what transpired was an attack by enemy troops. However, amidst all the chaos not a single life was lost. The efforts of Kenzo Shinzui and Ryujin Suiiki had paid off.

Ryujin in his last moments of the human world vowed to one-day exact vengeance onto the Arrancar Zezga. both to honor Kenzo's sacrifice, and his own for letting the enemy escape without taking his life. the next time they met, The battle would end with Zezga dead at his feet.