Author's note: Chapter 9 finally here and as I promised with a lot of action. I hope you'll enjoy it. For those of you who are interested in my illystrations, there is one on my DA profile, link in my Author's profile page. Next chapter will be published whenever I write it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

The Importance of the Name – A Long Night

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The city looked peaceful. That was the first thing that came to Grimmjow's mind when they stepped out of the Garganta. Ulquiorra and Yammy had been here yesterday, killed a lot of people and the town still looked so freaking peaceful. It pissed the Sexta Espada off. Where was the panic? The despair? Didn't these stupid humans know they were in danger? How could they act so calm when they were going to die soon? It didn't matter, the Arrancar decided. Soon, they were all going to be screaming in terror and trying to escape and it would all be futile. His mouth watered at the thought and a bloodthirsty grin appeared on his face. Yes, they did well to come here, despite Aizen's orders.

"Let's use Pesquisa," the Espada commanded and his Fracción obeyed. Soon they could feel the reiatsu signatures in Karakura town clearly. There were lots of them and many were powerful. That was a lot more than Ulquiorra had reported. Soul Society must have sent in reinforcements. Grimmjow's grin widened. This was great. It was going to be a glorious fight ending with the destruction of the shinigami unlucky enough to be stationed here. It was going to be well worth whatever punishment would Aizen dish out for their disobedience.

"Everybody pick your target and scatter," he commanded his companions. The white-clad figures ran off in different directions. Grimmjow watched them go for a moment. Then he departed too, heading straight for the source of the strongest reiatsu.

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"They're here!" Hinamori exclaimed when she felt the spiritual pressure slam into her. It wasn't like any reiatsu she had felt before, yet she immediately knew what it was. The Arrancar! She was finally going to see Aizen-taichou's creations with her own two eyes. She was so excited! But she couldn't let it show in front of Shiro-chan and Matsumoto-san. She had to get away. But how to do it without looking suspicious?

"There's six of them," Matsumoto stated after consulting her Soul Phone.

"Are they all covered?" Hitsugaya asked.

"Uh... let's see... no," Matsumoto said. "There's no-one strong enough to fight this one," she pointed at one dot on the screen. Momo rejoiced inwardly. This was her opportunity!

"I'll take it!" she announced and shunpoed away before Hitsugaya-kun could forbid her.

"Hinamori!" The young captain called after her retreating back. He looked like he wanted to rush after her.

"Hey, captain, one is almost upon us!" Matsumoto announced. "And it's a strong one. We can't leave Orihime-chan alone! Hinamori can take care of herself!" Hitsugaya didn't like it, but he understood her logic. Besides the Arrancar was already within his sight and judging from his reiatsu he was a really strong one. He couldn't make Matsumoto face this one alone. He drew his zanpakutou and prepared to fight.

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Ichigo felt the reiatsu of the approaching Arrancar clearly. That wasn't thanks to any improvement in his reiatsu-sensing abilities, but due to the fact that the reiatsu was really big. Almost like that Ulquiorra guy who had defeated him yesterday. He imagined another such fight happening near his home. It wasn't a pretty image. He quickly abandoned his body and raced to meet the approaching enemy halfway.

"Wait!" Rukia shouted after him. "Where are you going?" But he ignored her. The girl just sighed in exasperation before following him.

Ichigo soon reached the source of the enormous reiatsu and stopped. The Arrancar soon revealed himself. He was a tall man with blue hair and a piece of jawbone attached to his face. His skimpy jacket revealed a hole through his stomach.

"So," the newcomer spoke, "are you the strongest guy around here?"

"Who's asking?" Ichigo narrowed his eyes in preparation for battle.

"I'm Arrancar 6, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez," he introduced himself. "And you're the guy Ulquiorra didn't kill, aren't you?"

"Yes. I am Kurosaki Ichigo."

"That's great," Grimmjow grinned. "I came here to finish Ulquiorra's work." Ichigo tensed in anticipation of an attack.

"Ichigo!" Rukia's voice called to him. He didn't dare to look away from Grimmjow. "Don't do anything reckless!"

"So there are two of you now?" Grimmjow raised one blue eyebrow. "Well, this might yet be interesting. So, which one of you is stronger?" Ichigo stepped forward and drew Zangetsu. Grimmjow moved in a flash. Ichigo prepared to defend before he realized that the Arrancar wasn't moving towards him. Rukia! He turned around and tackled Grimmjow just as he was about to put his hand through Rukia's chest. The girl, in shinigami form, Ichigo noticed, drew her zanpakutou and tried to block, but the boy doubted it would have been enough. But Ichigo didn't let it get that far. He rushed at the Arrancar and tackled him.

"So it's you," Grimmjow said as he sprung to his feet.

"You don't have to protect me!" Rukia shouted angrily.

"He'd kill you!" Ichigo shouted back.

"Damn right I would," Grimmjow said. "A weakling like you would just get underfoot." Ichigo punched him. The Arrancar barely flinched.

"Weakling?" Rukia growled. "I'm going to show you weakling. Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!" Her zanpakutou turned all white, with a pristine white ribbon attached to the hilt. It was a beautiful sight to behold. Too bad that no-one but her stopped to admire it. Ichigo and Grimmjow were too busy exchanging blows to notice it.

"Men," Rukia huffed. She had really hoped Ichigo would compliment her shikai. But he was so engrossed in his fight to pay any attention to her. Well, then she'd have to show him her strength. But as she took note of the speed and strength of the blows exchanged, she realized that this fight was above her level. But she didn't back off. She refused to be the weak one needing to be saved anymore. She was a trained shinigami and she had lots of tricks up her sleeve. She could hinder the Arrancar seriously. She knew exactly how would she do it. She just had to pick the right moment. And so Rukia waited for her chance to finally shine.

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Renji was sitting on the ground, staring at the closed door of the Urahara Shouten, when the reiatsu hit. Hollow, but not quite. Though he had never felt anything like it before, he immediately knew what it was. Arrancar. He quickly swallowed his Gikongan, left his gigai and jumped to the roof of Urahara's shop, waiting for the one enemy he felt approaching to arrive. The Arrancar appeared soon. Renji was a bit surprised that he looked more human than Hollow, despite his huge stature. The only thing that gave away his true nature was the big hole in the middle of his chest. Even his mask fragment looked like some fancy glasses.

"So you're the guy unlucky enough to fight me?" the Arrancar asked.

"Are you sure it isn't you who's unlucky?" Abarai retorted, doing his best to sound macho.

"Big words, little guy," the Hollow-hybrid scoffed. It had been a very long time since anybody called Abarai Renji little. But this one could afford it. "Are you so sure you can back them up?"

"Why don't I show you?" the redhead suggested, unsheathing his zanpakutou. "I'm Abarai Renji, lieutenant of the Sixth Division."

"I am Arrancar Trece... well, it doesn't matter. You don't need to know my name because you're going to be dead soon."

"You have no manners, do you?" the fukutaichou scoffed. "Introducing yourself to your opponent is basic courtesy. They should know the name of the person who kills them."

"So you realize you're going to die," the Arrancar interpreted Renji's statement in his own way. "In that case, I'm Edrad Liones." That was as much talking as he was willing to engage in today. He attacked in the next moment. He moved surprisingly fast for someone of his bulk. It was all Renji could do to block and he was still sent flying. He winced. Such strength! He could immediately tell that he stood no chance here with his sword sealed.

"Howl, Zabimaru!" he commanded. His blade turned into its released form obediently.

"So that's it?" Edrad commented. "I've heard so much about shinigami's shikai and this doesn't seem like much. I'd expect better from a lieutenant."

"Don't judge until you see his strength," Renji replied, annoyed at the slight towards his sword. He charged. Zabimaru lengthened and sped towards the Arrancar. The saw-like whip sliced along his skin three times. When it retracted, Renji was shocked to see that it had absolutely no effect.

"Surprised?" Edrad asked. "This is Hierro. The iron skin all Arrancar have. The reiatsu there is so thick you puny shinigami can't cut through it. And now, it's my turn." His face twisted into a bloodthirsty smirk and he attacked. Renji cursed. This was going to be a very, very difficult fight. But he was going to win it. Somehow. If he just knew how.

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"They're finally here," Ikkaku grinned when he felt the putrid reiatsu. "Let's go, Yumichika." His flamboyant partner followed him as they both jumped out of their gigai and raced towards the enemy.

"Looks like there's only one for the two of us," the Fifth Seat observed.

"Then you won't have to mess up your hairdo," his bald friend replied.

"Here he is," Ayasegawa said as he spotted their enemy. "Hm... he has nice hair, but the jacket makes his skin look pasty. What's with Arrancar and wearing white? Do they have no fashion sense?"

"That's how Aizen-sama made us," the Arrancar answered.

"Oh, that explains it," Yumichika nodded in understanding. "He always dressed like a nerd."

"Don't insult Aizen-sama!" the Arrancar shouted and attacked Yumichika. Or tried to. Before he could get to him, Ikkaku blocked his path.

"Sorry, boy, you're fighting me tonight," he informed him with a bloodthirsty grin.

"What?" the blond Arrancar raised an eyebrow. "Is that sissy too weak to fight his own battles?"

"No," the Third Seat shook his head. "I'm higher-ranked so I get to pick my opponents first. If you want to fight him, you'd have to get through me first."

"Well, then I'll just have to kill you quickly, bro," the Arrancar stated confidently.

"That's how I like it," Ikkaku laughed. "I'm Madarame Ikkaku, Eleventh Division, Third Seat."

"I am Arrancar Fifteen, well, you don't need to hear my name, brother. You're going to be dead soon."

"Are you sure it won't be the other way around?" Ikkaku shot back.

"Arrogant one, aren't you, brother?" Yylfordt replied. "Let's see how long will you keep your confidence." And with those words he attacked. Ikkaku just smirked and blocked. Then he smirked even more when the blow sent him skidding backwards.

"It looks like you aren't just all talk," the bald fighter grinned happily. "I'm going to enjoy this a lot."

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The Arrancar was fast, that was the first impression Hitsugaya got from his enemy. It attacked him so fast that he barely blocked. The second impression was that he attacked from behind. Dishonorable, but effective. So this one was either a pragmatist or a coward. Which possibility was the correct one remained to be seen. Third impression was that the Arrancar didn't lose his haughty expression when his attack failed. So he was arrogant too. That was something he could work with. But it could also mean that the enemy had a reason for his confidence. That wouldn't be so good.

He didn't have the time to analyze his opponent further. The Arrancar flash stepped again and tried another sneak attack, this time with more power behind the blow. Hitsugaya blocked, but the power behind the attack forced him back. He grunted. This really didn't look good.

"Growl, Haineko!" Matsumoto decided that this wasn't the time to play around and took out the big guns. The cloud of grey ash attacked the Arrancar's back. He dodged. Hitsugaya expected to be attacked from behind again. He realized the enemy's true intent to late. By that time Shawlong stood behind Matsumoto. Hitsugaya opened his mouth to shout a warning, but the lieutenant was already turning around to face the threat. Too slow. Shawlong's hand struck her in the stomach. Matsumoto's eyes widened in pain and shock. She commanded Haineko's ashes to attack, but she barely scratched the Arrancar. Then he withdrew his hand from her belly and the woman collapsed.

Hitsugaya cursed silently. Matsumoto's wound didn't seem fatal, but she was out of the fight. He was on his own. That meant he couldn't afford to play around either. With a silent command, Hyourinmaru entered shikai. Hitsugaya sent an ice dragon hurling at Shawlong. The Arrancar dodged and flashed to Hitsugaya, trying to catch the young captain off guard again. Hitsugaya barely evaded his swipe. Three shallow cuts appeared on his torso. The battle was on and it didn't seem to be going in Hitsugaya's favor.

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Tatsuki headed out in the evening to speak to Chad. He usually wasn't her first choice of a confidant, but he was the only one in the same situation as her now. She wanted somebody to share her fears with and he was the only one she thought would understand. Ichigo, Ishida and all the shinigami were so strong. Orihime was a healer. Only Chad was a fighter on the same level as her.

"So what do you think?" she asked. Chad just looked at her from under his bangs. "It seems like we'll be fighting a lot more of those guys soon," she continued. The boy just nodded mutely. "Do we stand any chance?" Chad shrugged. "What can we do to defeat them?" Her companion remained silent. "Or will we be just baggage standing on the sidelines?"

"We can fight." Finally. Finally Chad spoke. Up to this moment Tatsuki had felt like she was talking to a wall.

"But what can we do if they show up again? We couldn't do anything the last time." She sighed. "It scares me. I've been always the strong one and now I'm suddenly the useless one." Chad didn't answer, just looked at her. Tatsuki sighed. This really felt like talking to a tree. Chad was even quieter than usual today. "You know, it would be nice if you said something," she sighed.

"Hm?"

"Maybe some suggestion on how to fight somebody who's so much stronger than us," she prompted. Her only response was a shrug. Why am I even trying, she thought.

Then the reiatsu slammed into them. They froze for a moment, both recalling the last time they felt similar power. But this one was different. It wasn't as strong. Both fighters recognized that it came from several different sources and that one of them was heading straight for them. Thankfully it wasn't the strongest one.

"Looks like we can show what fighters we are soon," Tatsuki remarked. She had centered herself and pushed her fear away. Now only anticipation of battle remained. Chad nodded mutely beside her. He too tensed in expectation of a fight. Together they waited for the Arrancar to appear.

They didn't have to wait long. The Arrancar arrived shortly. He was big. It wasn't his height, though he was quite tall, but his width that made him appear so. Tatsuki's first impression was that he was just as wide as he was tall, though that would be exaggerating a lot. He was only half as wide, but that still made him look grossly overweight. But the karate mistress suspected that it wasn't useless fat but the muscled bulk of sumo wrestlers, comically round but dangerous in battle.

The second impression was that he was clothed in similar style as the two abominations that had murdered all the people in the park and nearly killed her and Chad too. It was obvious that they belonged to the same group. That made Tatsuki want to beat him bloody when she couldn't beat Ulquiorra. Chad was experiencing similar feelings, even though he didn't show them.

The third impression that the scowling white mask covering the right side of his pudgy face made him look funny rather than menacing, but she knew better than to let herself get distracted by it. This was clearly a dangerous opponent. She just hoped he couldn't make everybody around just drop dead like Yammy had done and if he could do it, that he wouldn't do that.

The Arrancar studied them silently for a moment. Both teenagers used the time to activate their techniques. Then the white-clad half-Hollow attacked without warning. Tatsuki was lucky that the shadow cast by one streetlamp warned her about his new position: right behind her back. She dodged with all her supernatural speed. Nakeem's fist shattered the pavement she had stood on a moment ago.

The Arrancar seemed a bit confused that his prey had escaped and Chad capitalized on that momentarily distraction. His armored right arm hit the fat Arrancar in the ribs. Nakeem opened his mouth, looking a bit surprised that the punch had actually hurt. By that time Tatsuki had turned around and charged at him with a yell. Her right fist struck his elbow. The girl wanted to follow with her left fist, but she struck only air. Even hurt and confused, Nakeem retained enough battle reflexes to dodge.

He slipped out of Sonido on the other end of the street. He paused for a moment, considering his situation. He had come here expecting some easy prey, but he had run into fighters of some ability instead. He should finish them quickly. He opened his eyes and charged a Cero.

Tatsuki cursed as she saw the bright yellow ball form in the Arrancar's mouth. She had seen a Cero only once before, but she immediately recognized it for what it was and knew that it was dangerous. Her instincts screamed at her to dodge. But they were standing in the middle of a narrow street with tall apartment houses on both sides. There was nowhere to dodge.

She was wracking her brain for something she could do in this situation when Chad calmly stood in front of her, his right arm already blazing with energy. Just as Nakeem let loose his Cero, Chad swung his arm and sent an energy blast to meet it halfway. The two attacks crashed with a loud bang that almost made Tatsuki stumble. But the Cero didn't reach them.

The visible half of Nakeem's face looked stupid when he saw that his attack had no effect. He grunted and drew his sword. Then he used Sonido to get behind his opponent's back again. This time he picked Chad. The boy wasn't fast enough to dodge, but Tatsuki noticed what was going on and charged at him. She jump-kicked the wrist of his sword arm, making him hit only the pavement. Then Chad turned around and punched him in the stomach. The Arrancar grunted and punched Chad with his left fist. It sent the big boy flying.

Tatsuki screamed and punched Nakeem's side. Then she punched the same spot again with her other fist. Bloody red lines appeared around the point of impact. The Arrancar kicked her away. She landed on the ground, her breath knocked out of her. The giant man appeared above her, sword poised to strike. Then he whirled around, using his sword to block Chad's energy blast. The half-Mexican boy was on his feet and fighting again. But all he could do at the distance was to force the Arrancar to take a step back from Tatsuki. The girl used the brief reprieve to scramble away and catch her breath. Her ribs hurt badly. She suspected some of them might be cracked.

She watched as the Arrancar shook off the effects of Chad's attack. He was wounded, but it didn't seem serious. And there was one more thing that worried Tatsuki about him.

"Is it just me or did he get bigger?"

"He did," Chad replied. Tatsuki nodded. She was glad that their opponent had really gotten bigger. It meant that she hadn't hit her head hard enough to start hallucinating. But it brought the problem of how to defeat an opponent when they could reach only his waist. Wait, what kind of stupid question was that? Their opponent was a man so being able to reach his waist was more than high enough.

Tatsuki's eyes gleamed with an unholy light and her face twisted into a malicious smirk. If her attention wasn't fixed on the Arrancar, it would have made Chad worried. This way he only prepared to support his comrade in whatever plan she had come up with.

Tatsuki concentrated on her speed and charged. She closed the distance between her and her target in just over a second. Nakeem swung his zanpakutou at her, but she dodged under it. Then she punched him, well, below the waist. Nakeem's face twisted in pain. Tatsuki hit again. The Arrancar stumbled back. Yellow Cero appeared in his mouth. The girl paused. She could hit him again, but then he'd fry her with the Cero. She had to dodge, but there wasn't enough room on the narrow street. And even if she did, then the Cero would hit Chad. He would probably survive, but she didn't want to chance it. She did the only thing that came to her mind: she kicked at the Arrancar's knee. She thought that it might make him stumble and miss. Then she'd realized that he'd probably hit one of the houses around, most likely one with people still in it. So she wasn't too disappointed when her kick had no visible effect.

She saw the light above her brighten and tensed as she anticipated the searing pain. Instead there was a loud explosion. Chad had used his energy blast to hit the Arrancar in the head before he could fry Tatsuki. It saved her life, but the resulting kaboom knocked her to the ground. She lay on the ground, trying to make sense of the ringing in her ears and remember where was up and where down.

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Hinamori was glad that she was alone. She had been worried that Toushirou-kun would follow her and then she'd have a hard time acting. But because she had managed to slip away while the young captain was preoccupied with his own opponent, she could meet with the Arrancar without any witnesses. She didn't have to run far before encountering one.

This one had the appearance of a young man dressed in white with a large chunk of bone on his head that was partially wrapped in bandages. He had chin-length grey hair, dark eyes, wide mouth full of big teeth and there was a gaping hole through the middle of his chest. His reiatsu was strong. Momo felt a moment of awe for Aizen-taichou for creating something as magnificent as this creature.

When the Arrancar saw her, he grinned widely. "What a little shinigami do we have here."

"I am Hinamori..." the girl began to introduce herself, but he interrupted her.

"I don't want to hear the names of everybody I'm going to kill tonight. It would get bothersome after a while." So that moron didn't realize who she was, Momo thought with anger.

"I'm Aizen's servant too," she hissed.

"Are you trying to talk your way out?" the Arrancar raised an eyebrow. "It isn't going to help you. We came here to kill everybody. By the way, I am Di Roy Rinker, Arrancar number 16, so you know who's going to kill you."

"And I am... ugh." Hinamori crashed into a nearby wall hard after Di Roy punched her in the stomach.

"I said no names," he chided. "I'm going to play with you for a while and then I'm going to kill you."

"Didn't Aizen-taichou tell you about me? Didn't he send you here to contact me?" Momo tried to reason with him.

"Nah," the Arrancar shook his head. "Aizen doesn't know we're here. It was Grimmjow's idea."

"So you're rebels," Hinamori stated, her eyes hardening.

"No, we're doing Aizen a service by finishing off what Ulquiorra couldn't," Di Roy disagreed.

"But you're disobeying his orders," Momo stated. "Good. Then I don't have to feel bad about this. Sai!" Di Roy jerked a bit, but the lowest of Bakudou wasn't enough to hold him. Hinamori didn't expect it to, just to occupy the traitorous Arrancar for a while. "Hainawa!" she immediately followed with another spell. The golden rope wrapped around Di Roy's arms.

"If you think this will hold me, think again, girl," the Arrancar scoffed. Then he broke the binding easily. But the few seconds it took him were enough for Hinamori. Her zanpakutou was in her hand in an instant.

"Snap, Tobiume!" she shouted. The blade straightened and three prongs grew from it. When Di Roy attacked her, the released blade stopped him without much effort. Momo tried to push him off, but he was too strong. But she wasn't helpless either.

"Snap!" she shouted. Flames enveloped her blade. Di Roy hissed and jumped back. Hinamori swung Tobiume down and sent a fireball flying after him. He dodged, but the sleeve of his vest got charred. Hinamori already charged another fireball.

Di Roy charged straight at her. Momo stood her ground.

"Shakkahou!" she shouted. The red ball of destructive Kidou flew at him, but slightly off-center. That was intentional to force him to dodge the other way. An experienced warrior would recognize the feint for what it was, but Di Roy wasn't the smartest Arrancar in Hueco Mundo. He reacted exactly like the lieutenant wanted him to. Momo didn't waste her time on smirking, no matter how strong the temptation was, and launched her next attack.

"Snap!" the fireball from her zanpakutou flew forward and caught Di Roy in the face mid-jump. He fell on his back, but he was still alive. Momo appeared next to his head in a flash. The dazed Arrancar didn't even see her until she buried her zanpakutou in his forehead with a yell. Then, for good measure, she shot another fireball from her zanpakutou to obliterate his head completely.

"That's for disobeying Aizen-taichou," she informed his prone corpse.

Then she resealed her zanpakutou and felt for her companions. It looked like she was the first one finished. She couldn't be completely sure with the amount of reiatsu being tossed around, but it felt like everybody was fighting. She could clearly feel Shiro-chan, Matsumoto, Abarai-kun, Madarame, Ayasegawa and Kurosaki. She couldn't feel Kuchiki-san. She felt a pang of worry for her. But why was she worrying for her? All the shinigami here were enemies of Aizen-taichou. But the Arrancar had disobeyed him. So were they his enemies too? Or would he forgive them? She didn't know.

So what should she do? She decided not to get involved in the battles. Aizen-taichou hadn't called on her yet, so she shouldn't break her cover. And she didn't want to fight against Aizen-taichou's servants as well. They were on the same side after all. Waiting seemed like the best option. She could just claim that the Arrancar had hit her worse than it seemed or that she didn't want to intrude on another's battle. She didn't have to worry about her cover being blown. She had killed an Arrancar and she had a wound to prove that there had been really a fight.

With the thought, Hinamori settled down to wait.

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"Di Roy is dead," Edrad Liones suddenly stated, pausing the battle. Renji could have attacked him in the moment of distraction, but instead he used the brief reprieve to catch his breath. This battle wasn't going his way. He had soon realized that his shikai was doing absolutely nothing to the huge Arrancar no matter how hard he tried and released his Bankai. It didn't help him as much as he thought it would. The fight wasn't so one-sided anymore, but Edrad had little trouble blocking or avoiding the lieutenant's attacks. It might be partially because Abarai didn't have a good control over his Bankai yet. There were a couple of times when he didn't score an easy hit because the coils of Hihiou Zabimaru refused to move the way he wanted them to.

"That idiot," Edrad scoffed. That turned Renji's thoughts towards another aspect of the current situation. One of the Arrancar was dead. Good. But that also meant that somebody had defeated him quite fast. He wasn't sure who it was; he would have to concentrate to make sense of the mess of reiatsu around and that would leave him open for an attack. So all he knew now was that somebody was a lot better in dealing with Arrancar. Maybe Ikkaku... no, he could still feel his reiatsu raised. And Ichigo was also still fighting and the icy winds occasionally blowing their way suggested Hitsugaya wasn't finished with his opponent either. Those three were the people he'd readily admit were stronger than him. That there was somebody else good enough to dispatch an Arrancar easily while he was struggling so hard was a humbling thought. He still had a very long way to go before he finally surpassed Kuchiki-taichou. And that was only if he survived today.

"He was always a disgrace to all Arrancar," the white fiend continued condescendingly. So the dead one had been a weakling? Renji thought. That made him feel a bit better. Maybe he was just unlucky and was faced with the strongest enemy. But he immediately knew that it wasn't true. The monster in front of him was an average one. He immediately felt sorry for whoever had picked the strongest one. But he had no time to worry about them. He had to worry about himself. So what could he do now? He could use the brief reprieve to charge a powerful attack.

The coils of Hihiou Zabimaru glowed with inner light. Edrad wasn't paying it much attention. Good. Renji gave his all into this shot.

"Hikotsu Taihou!" The bone snake sprang forward, charging straight at the Arrancar. The glowing energy within the spine brightened and shot forward. Edrad didn't react in time. The beam hit him straight in the chest. Renji sighed in relief as his opponent was sent flying. Then his victorious smile froze as he realized he could still feel Liones' reiatsu. And soon he could see the man too. He was dusting himself off, the front of his chest bloody, but it didn't look like a serious wound.

"Well," Edrad spoke, "I have to admit this wasn't bad, but it wasn't good enough either." Then he attacked. The wound wasn't slowing him down any and there was more anger behind his attacks now. Renji gulped. He was in big trouble here.

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Ichigo grunted. He slashed at Grimmjow with all his might, but the Arrancar blocked it with his bare hand, making it look completely effortless, and laughed. Then he punched Ichigo with his other hand. The redhead barely managed to twist his body to prevent serious injury, but the blow still sent him skidding backwards. So far their whole fight had been going on similar note.

"Come on!" Grimmjow prodded. "Is that all you've got? I don't get why Ulquiorra didn't smash you like the bug you are!"

In response Ichigo gathered his reiatsu. "Getsuga Tenshou!" The crescent moon of bluish-white energy shot at Grimmjow. The Espada used both his arms to block, but he remained unharmed.

"This didn't even sting," he said.

"Is that so?" Ichigo asked. "So what about this? Bankai! Tensa Zangetsu!" As soon as the whirl of black energy around him died down, Ichigo flashed forward. Grimmjow's eyes widened in surprise. He barely managed to lift his forearm in time to block the furious slash of Ichigo's black blade. A thin red line appeared on his forearm where Tensa Zangetsu impacted with his skin. He looked startled for a bit and then he grinned.

"That's more like it!" Then he drew his sword and attacked. The attack was much more furious and powerful that anything the Arrancar had shown so far. It was now Ichigo's turn to look surprised and barely block. Grimmjow pressed the attack.

Ichigo found himself on the defensive. Grimmjow was really good and skilled with the blade. Ichigo had to employ all his strength and agility to avoid an injury. But he knew that he couldn't keep that up for long. So what could he do to turn the tables on the Arrancar? He was wary of trying to increase his speed, he got phantom pain in his legs every time he remembered the last time he did it. The clashes of their swords came too quickly after one another to charge a Getsuga Tenshou properly. But maybe he could try it anyway, it might give him enough of a breather to prepare a proper attack.

Just as he thought that he should try it, he noticed Rukia. The girl got behind Grimmjow's back, but instead of trying to attack him, she waved her sword around and conjured a white circle on the ground. Just what was it? Ichigo had no time to ponder about it because even the moment of inattention meant that Grimmjow's sword got uncomfortably close to his throat. He had to concentrate on blocking.

Then he noticed Rukia making a beckoning motion. Did she want him to come to her? Then she touched her jaw, made a grimace and pointed at the circle on the ground. What did that mean? Rukia repeated her strange gesture. Then Ichigo understood. She wanted him to get Grimmjow into the circle. He didn't know what her plan was, but he trusted her to know what she was doing. So how could he force the Arrancar to take several steps back? Well, he had been thinking about it just a moment ago.

With a thought his sword was enveloped in black reishi. During the next clash he pushed Grimmjow back. It didn't hurt him, but it got him onto Rukia's circle.

"What..." the blue-haired Arrancar started, but didn't finish. He was cut off by the column of ice suddenly enveloping him. Ichigo gaped. Rukia smiled smugly.

"How do you like it?" she asked.

"Great," Ichigo said snapping out of his stupor. He could still feel Grimmjow's reiatsu so he knew this wasn't the end of it. He spun Tensa Zangetsu by the chain, charging energy into it.

Almost as soon as he began there was a cracking sound and the pillar of ice shattered. Grimmjow emerged, looking pissed.

"You..." he started, but Ichigo interrupted him.

"Getsuga Tenshou!" The black crescent of reishi, fully charged and concentrated into a small area hit him square in the chest. He was flung back and crashed through the nearest house.

"We got him!" Rukia cheered.

"He's still alive," Ichigo pointed out.

"He can't be in the state to fight after this hit," the girl disagreed.

A rumble from the ruined building proved her wrong. When Grimmjow appeared from the wreckage, he was bloodied, but steady on his feet.

"That hurt, bitches," he growled. Then he grinned. "It's going to be fun killing you!" He and Ichigo started forward at the same time. They clashed halfway. The fight was on again.

Rukia found herself watching from the sidelines once more. She didn't like it, but she understood that she couldn't match the power of the two combatants. Her Tsukishiro barely slowed Grimmjow down. But it gave Ichigo the opportunity to hit the Espada with his strongest attack (which only wounded him slightly). So maybe she could influence the fight's outcome, even if all she could do was distract the Arrancar. She doubted he'd fall for the same trick twice. So what else could she do? Well, she had more tricks up her sleeve. She just had to wait for an opportunity again.

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It was soon after he released his shikai that Ikkaku noticed something odd about his enemy. He stopped going in for the kill. There were a few occasions when he could have wounded the Third Seat severely had he attacked his torso, but instead he turned his attack elsewhere, causing absolutely no damage. When it happened for the fifth time, the bald man was overcome with his curiosity and asked.

"What's wrong with you? I was wide open yet you didn't attack me. Are you dumb or what?"

"Shut up!" Yylfordt shouted angrily. He attacked again and Madarame lifted the three-piece spear of Houzukimaru to block. Once again he watched as the Arrancar changed direction mid-attack. This time he actually did some damage: A few strands from the tassel on the blunt end of Houzukimaru were caught under his nails. Yylfordt squeezed them angrily, looking disappointed that he couldn't crush them, before throwing them away. Ikkaku found the scene quite odd. Did the smug guy have something against tassels? That was crazy, but the world was full of crazy people. He decided to test his theory.

He attacked, but instead of trying to actually wound his opponent he just waved the tassel in his face. The Arrancar made a sound like an angry beast and tried to snatch it. Ikkaku retracted it from his reach and used the moment of inattention to kick Yylfordt. It didn't have much effect, but it showed that this strategy worked. So Ikkaku used it again.

This went on for over a minute. The Third Seat scored some hits that barely cut through Yylfordt's Hierro and received some he shrugged off. During the time his opponent was getting progressively angrier and angrier. The shinigami reckoned that it wouldn't take long before he'd snap. And he was right. After another close call when he nearly got the tassel and Ikkaku scratched his shoulder, the blond man stopped, ignored Ikkaku's next taunt and shouted:

"Skewer, Del Toro!" Reiatsu whirled around him. It was so intense. Madarame took a step back and watched what was happening. Soon the whirlwind of power died down, revealing his opponent. He didn't look like a slim man anymore. In fact, he had changed so much that Ikkaku wouldn't recognize him as the same person in different circumstances. From the waist down he remained more-or-less the same, just gaining some bulk. The upper part of his body gained even more mass and was covered in white bone armor. His face disappeared under a mask completely, only his long hair flowing down his back hinting at his identity. The mask resembled the head of a bull, complete with horns.

The bald shinigami took the sight in. He had never witnessed anything like it.

"What's that?" he asked. He didn't really expect an answer, so he was quite surprised when he got one.

"Ressureción. This is how we Arrancar release our true power." Then he decided that it was enough talking and a demonstration of his new strength would be better, so he charged at Ikkaku. He was now much faster and much stronger. The Third Seat barely avoided the horns poised to skewer him, but the Arrancar still slammed his shoulder into him, sending him flying. And just as Ikkaku was getting to his feet, Yylfordt charged again. This time the Eleventh Division member was saved only because his foe got distracted by Houzukimaru's tassel again.

Seriously, what's wrong with him? the bald fighter wondered staring at the tassel. The red tassel. Then he looked at the Arrancar and took note of his bull-like appearance. Don't tell me... Then he broke out laughing. He noticed Yumichika staring at him as if he had lost his mind, but he couldn't help himself. This was just so rich. So this Yylfordt might be strong and fast and smart, but deep inside he was just a dumb animal. A bull charging blindly after anything red. Ikkaku imagined what would have happened if Yylfordt fought Abarai instead of him. The beast would go blindly after his head.

His good fun was interrupted by the monstrous bull rushing at him again. Ikkaku barely scrambled out of his way. He was in good spirits. Now he knew his opponent's weakness, he could exploit it. He had never played at being a matador before, but now was a great time to begin. He was going to enjoy it very much.

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"Matsumoto-san!" Orihime cried. She rushed to the downed woman.

"I'm alright," the busty blonde hissed, trying to get up. Her body refused to work in its current condition and she promptly slumped down.

"Souten Kisshun!" Inoue called. The golden shield enveloped the wounded shinigami. "I'll put you together in no time," the redhead promised, despite knowing that healing this level of wounds would take quite some time.

"Thanks," Matsumoto said. She didn't like lying around when her captain was fighting, but she understood that she had no choice. But she still hated it. So she silently urged Orihime's fairies to work faster and watched Hitsugaya's fight.

It wasn't going well. Shawlong was tossing the prodigy around. New wounds kept appearing on Hitsugaya's body after every one of the Arrancar's attacks. After Toushirou just barely avoided losing an arm, he decided that enough was enough and released Bankai. The power of Daiguren Hyourinmaru seemed to turn the tides of the battle, but then Shawlong began really trying. Hitsugaya found himself on the defensive again.

The white-haired boy was cursing the Power Limiter silently. Without it, he could end this battle in one swing. With it, he had to fight for a long time, which defied the purpose of minimizing the damage inflicted to the Living World. If he could just fight at his full strength, he could finish this quickly and then help the others. But because his power was reduced so greatly, his body was now full of wounds that weren't bleeding only because he covered them in ice and his strength was waning fast. His flowers were breaking. Activating Bankai with the Power Limiter on was very taxing and he couldn't keep it going as long as he could without it.

He had always suspected that the Power Limiter bound more than just four fifths of his power. The eighty percent was just the average anyway. Some shinigami were affected more, others less. Hitsugaya was affected a lot. But when he asked Kurotsuchi about making the Limiter less restrictive, the Twelfth Division Captain said that their Power Limiters worked just like they were supposed to and whiny brats like him shouldn't try to blame their inadequacies on others. When Hitsugaya suggested that maybe it reacted strangely with his reiryoku because it was still immature, Kurotsuchi said that it was impossible, but it was worth some research and would Hitsugaya please come to the SRDI? After that, Toushirou quickly excused himself (he didn't run) and didn't talk to Kurotsuchi about it again.

Shawlong's claws came dangerously close to ending Hitsugaya's life once again. As the boy scampered away after the attack, he looked down where Matsumoto was lying under Orihime's shield. He looked at her and gave a nod. He hoped that she'd understand and that the Arrancar wouldn't. Then he proceeded to fight for his life and hope that he'd last long enough.

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What was a little girl doing here? Renji thought with horror. As if his situation wasn't already bad enough. Edrad was tossing him around like a ball and the few wounds he had inflicted on the Arrancar barely counted. And then suddenly a little girl appeared out of nowhere and kicked Edrad in the face. Even more surprising was that she actually broke his nose and cracked his mask slightly. What happened next was completely unsurprising: Edrad punched her and sent her crushing into the ground. Abarai didn't doubt that half of the bones in her petite body were broken. She fell down and lay limp like a discarded doll. The Arrancar turned to finish her off and Renji attacked him to distract him from his intention. The situation was getting worse by the minute. It was all he could do to fight for his life. He couldn't protect someone else as well. Fortunately then a boy barely older than the girl appeared and carried her away. Edrad let them go, concentrating on Renji. That took care of one problem, but left him with another. The look the Arrancar was shooting him now was really pissed.

"Well, little annoyances are popping up," he stated. "I should finish this quickly. Erupt, Volcánica!" The Sixth Division lieutenant could only stare as his opponent was enveloped in a whirlpool of reiatsu. When it died down, it revealed that his opponent had changed. His arms became huge, making him look like a white gorilla. A white gorilla wearing armor and emitting humongous reiatsu.

"What's that?" Renji asked, trying not to tremble.

"Surprised?" Edrad smirked. "That's how we Arrancar release our zanpakutou. It's different from you shinigami. We Arrancar seal part of our power inside. So by releasing it, we regain our true forms and true power. Behold mine!" as he said that, his right arm began glowing orange, resembling molten metal. Flames came from his shoulder. Then Edrad attacked. Abarai lifted his zanpakutou to block, but the flaming fist broke easily through the bones of Hihiou Zabimaru. Renji was sent flying.

It hurt. It hurt a lot. As the redhead slowly picked himself from the ground, wondering whether some of his ribs were still in one piece, he realized he was in big trouble.

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Grimmjow was wounded and he still had the upper hand. Just how good he really was? Was he still toying with Ichigo? The redhead scowled. He really didn't like the prospect. He should kill the Arrancar before the blue-haired monster decided he had enough playing around and stepped up the fight another notch. But how should he do it when even his strongest attack wasn't enough to do the trick? Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Rukia looking for an opportunity for a sneak attack, but even her help wasn't going to change the odds much.

"So is that all you can do?" Grimmjow asked. "You know, Ichigo, you looked interesting when you wounded me, but you haven't done anything since then! I hoped for a better fight! This is making me depressed!"

"You get depressed easily," Ichigo observed. "But if you still want a better fight, then I'll oblige!"

As Rukia saw that the two combatants stopped to exchange insults, she recognized her opportunity. Now she could assault Grimmjow's unprotected back, if Ichigo could keep his attention on himself for a little longer. She didn't dare to come too close to the Arrancar, because no matter how distracted he was, he would surely notice that. She had to attack from a distance.

"Tsugi no mai: Hakuren," she whispered, not daring to raise her voice. She punctured the ground in front of her four times and four small columns of ice formed, growing quickly. Grimmjow was still preoccupied and didn't notice it. Good. Rukia let her attack loose.

The mass of ice shot forward. For a moment it seemed that her plan would succeed and Grimmjow was going to be frozen. But then the Arrancar noticed the danger and flashed away. Rukia's eyes widened in fear when she realized that she was going to hit only Ichigo. She had no time to angst over it because Grimmjow appeared next to her. She lifted Sode no Shirayuki for defense, but she couldn't do anything against the Sexta Espada. His fist knocked her to the ground, breaking several ribs in the process.

"Don't interfere in our fight, woman!" the blue-haired Arrancar snarled and lifted his zanpakutou in preparation to finish her off. Rukia knew she couldn't stop him. She tried to lift her sword, but her arms felt so heavy. Grimmjow's fist must have done more damage than she had initially thought.

Just when she thought she was going to die for sure, Ichigo appeared. The youth's shihakushou was covered in frost, but he looked unharmed. Good, Rukia thought. It would have been really stupid if her attack wounded only her ally. She saw as Ichigo attacked Grimmjow furiously and the Arrancar turned around to block. Then her eyes closed on their own and she couldn't see any more.

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Ikkaku was slowly coming to the conclusion that knowing his opponent's weak point and being actually able to do something about it were two very different things. Yylfordt was just too strong. The Third Seat couldn't count all the wounds he was bleeding from and there was barely a scratch on his opponent. And the Arrancar was now more interested in the blood staining his body than in the tassel. A bad situation indeed. He saw Yumichika watching him worriedly. The Fifth Seat was trying to look nonchalant, but to his best friend his anxiety was obvious. Even a proud member of the Eleventh Division can't watch calmly when his comrade is losing a battle. But he wasn't going to interfere in another's fight no matter what. Ikkaku idly wondered whether the vain man had already ordered his funeral. If so, he was going to disappoint whoever was preparing it. He had no intention of dying here. Even if it meant doing something he'd rather not do. But no true shinigami of the Eleventh Division would dare to die without fighting his best fight.

"Well, Arrancar, you're lucky," he spoke. "You're going to see something few people ever saw. Bankai: Ryuumon Houzukimaru!" Reiatsu enveloped him. Yylfordt huffed like an angry bull and for a moment Ikkaku was afraid that he'd charge at him before he'd finish releasing. But it didn't happen. The weapon changed shape in his hands and he could feel his zanpakutou spirit awakening. Everything was alright. Nothing stood between him and victory now.

"So how do you like it?" the bald man asked. The longer he'd talk, the more power would Ryuumon Houzukimaru gain and the more devastating would his first attack be. Unfortunately Yylfordt wasn't going to give him the time. He charged almost before the Third Seat finished the sentence. Ikkaku grinned and met his charge with his own attack. The monk's spade cracked the bull's skull mask covering the Arrancar's head. The skull underneath remained intact, but Yylfordt's charge lost its momentum. He merely pushed Ikkaku a few steps back.

Madarame was very glad that he was just a Third Seat at the moment. Had his power been reduced to just one fifth, he wouldn't have withstood this attack. But he still didn't have enough power to defeat the Arrancar. But that was just a matter of time. He spun Ryuumon Houzukimaru above his head. Red paint flowed into the dragon crest. He felt his power increasing. Soon he'd have the strength necessary to win.

Yylfordt roared like a wounded animal and charged again. Ikkaku sidestepped and swung the axe into Yylfordt's shoulder. It took out a chunk of the bone armor, but unfortunatelly cracks appeared on the zanpakutou's edge too. And the Arrancar's arm hit him as the beast was passing him, sending the shinigami flying. Ikkaku landed on his back with a pained yelp. Blood flowed from his wounds. But he didn't mind. Every drop of blood spilled made Houzukimaru awaken faster. The red dye trickled into the crest with increased speed, making Ikkaku stronger. Soon and he'd reach his maximum power.

As he stood up, he saw that Yylfordt was already facing him, preparing for a charge. This time Ikkaku wasn't going to just wait for him. With a battle cry he rushed forward. He met the Arrancar halfway. The white horns clashed with the giant weapon. They shattered. Unfortunately so did the two outer pieces of Ryuumon Houzukimaru. And Yylfordt's momentum carried him onward. He slammed into Ikkaku, making him fly again.

This time it was hard to get up. The last hit had been strong, not only worsening his collection of wounds but probably adding some internal injuries on top of them. Ikkaku could tell from experience that he had only enough energy and time left for one last attack. But, he grinned, one attack was all that it was going to take. The crest of Ryuumon Houzukimaru was completely red now. His power was maxed. And most of Yylfordt's bone armor was shattered and the Arrancar had trouble moving. This was going to be a piece of cake.

He lifted the central piece of Ryuumon Houzukimaru, the only one that was still in good shape. "Come," he beckoned his foe. Yylfordt didn't need to be told twice. With a roar of an angry bull he charged. Ikkaku responded in kind. They met halfway. The bull's horned head met the blade with a deafening crash. Yylfordt's bulk slammed into Ikkaku and threw him away. The Third Seat couldn't keep his hold on his weapon anymore and it remained lodged deep inside the Arrancar's head. Ikkaku landed on the ground and slumped. Houzukimaru reverted into its sealed form and fell out of Yylfordt's head. The Arrancar made several steps towards him before collapsing. He didn't get up again.

Ikkaku watched with fading eyesight as Yumichika appeared next to him. "I knew you weren't dead," The Fifth Seat smiled, trying to sound nonchalant. But Madarame could clearly see just how worried he had been.

"Heh, I'm lucky this way," he stated. Then he fainted.

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Chad saw that the girl was down for the count. She wasn't as resistant to damage as he was. That wasn't good. Now it was just him against the Arrancar and the hybrid Hollow had already proven that he was faster than the high-schooler. If he used his flash-step again, Chad would be screwed before he could turn around. But fortunately for him Nakeem Grindina had no such plans. He just stood there, obviously dazed from the pain a bit. Then he grinned maliciously and assumed a theatrical pose, holding his katana in front of him.

"Stomp on them, Gigante," he said. Chad realized that it was the first time the Arrancar spoke. And what a sentence it was. The name of his zanpakutou sounded really ironic considering how Chad's power was called. Then he had more important things to worry about. Reiatsu whirled around the Arrancar. When it settled down, it revealed that Nakeem had changed. His mask now covered his whole face and his zanpakutou was nowhere to be seen. But these were just minor details. More important was that his injuries had disappeared. Everything he and Tatsuki had accomplished up to now had been negated. But that wasn't the worst thing. The worst thing was that he grew. He was just as tall as the apartment houses around them now. In fact, his bulk filled the whole street now. Chad wondered how he'd be able to move.

Then he realized that it was an advantage. The Arrancar was a really big target and if he couldn't dodge, there was no way Chad could miss. He charged his Right Arm of the Giant and sent an energy blast at Nakeem's mask. He did it just in time to distract the Arrancar from his intention to stomp on Tatsuki. The girl was slowly picking herself from the ground now, but she was still in no shape to dodge Nakeem's giant foot.

If Chad's blast caused any damage, the boy couldn't see it. But at least the giant forgot about Tatsuki and headed for Chad, knocking down street lights in the process. Chad fired his attack again. And again. And again. He could now see that it was causing damage, but it was only superficial. Considering the size of the enemy, he couldn't cause a wound deep enough to hit a vital organ (if the thing had any). But maybe if he hit the same spot twice, the damage would be more serious. The trouble was that hitting a moving target was easier said than done. He tried it anyway, but he missed narrowly.

By the time he was done, Nakeem was almost upon him. It occurred to Chad that he should worry about his own survival. Trying to escape didn't seem to be a viable option. He decided to sneak between the Giant's legs and attack him from the back. He doubted the Arrancar would be able to turn around in the enclosed space.

His plan had the flaw that Nakeem expected him to try it. Just as Chad was running between the two tall, thick legs, he noticed one foot heading right for him. It was too fast for him to dodge. He prepared for the impact. But then the foot veered off its course slightly. It still hit him, but with much less force. It just sent him rolling on the ground. As he came to a stop, he could see the reason. Tatsuki had reentered the fight and was now attacking the Arrancar's ankle furiously. Her fists were leaving marks of bloody lines wherever they hit.

Chad realized that this was exactly what he had been hoping for: a weakened spot that was easy enough to hit because he could literally walk up to it and punch it. He did just so. Nakeem screamed as the energy blast hit the wounded spot point blank. Then Tatsuki hit it with her fist and then with the other. And then she kicked it for good measure. By the time Chad prepared another energy attack and struck the now deeply bleeding wound, making it even deeper. Once they had broken through the Hierro, causing damage became much easier.

The Arrancar once again screamed in rage and tried to turn around to deal with the two teenagers. But his wounded leg couldn't carry his humongous weight anymore and he started toppling down.

"Crap!" Tatsuki screamed when she realized that the colossus was going to land on top of them. She grabbed Chad's left arm and started dragging him away. But with the boy's bulk weighing her down, even her enhanced speed wasn't enough. As Chad saw they were about to get crushed, he pushed her down under him and used his body as a shield. Then the Arrancar finally landed on them.

Nakeem's torso was crushing them down. It was a miracle that instead of getting completely flattened, the impact merely knocked them into the pavement hard. Tatsuki squirmed in the darkness crushing her. She was bruised a lot, but thanks to Chad shielding her, she stayed conscious and without a major injury. Her companion was much worse off. His body might have been able to shrug off a steel beam landing on it, but this was much worse. He was out cold and probably wounded seriously. He wasn't going to be any help in this fight. And Tatsuki could do nothing either. The two bodies crushing her prevented her from moving. She could move one hand a bit, but it wasn't enough to punch anything.

But considering that it was all she could do, that was what she did. She charged her power into her hand and tapped her fingers onto Nakeem's back. She had no illusions that it did anything worse than tickle him, but it would hopefully make him get off them and then she'd be able to actually do something. She could just hope that they wouldn't suffocate before that.

Just as she felt like she was going to suffocate and Nakeem still didn't move and she was about to give in to despair, she felt that another person entered the battlefield. Her heart lurched. They might be saved! As much as she didn't like being saved like some pampered princess, she recognized that this time she really needed it.

There was a spike in reiatsu followed by Nakeem's pained roar that nearly knocked her out, then another spike in reiatsu and then the crushing weight disappeared from her as the Arrancar's body began dissolving into a cloud of putrid black reishi. Soon she could breathe freely again. Then she heard rapid footsteps and then Ishida appeared next to her.

"Are you alright?" the Quincy asked.

"I'll live," she answered. "Chad's bad off." The boy took one look at his downed classmate and could immediately tell that Tatsuki wasn't exaggerating. If anything she understated the damage a bit. Even with his inhuman endurance Chad needed medical attention pronto. But hospitals would have unwanted questions and it wasn't guaranteed that the doctors would be able to help him. The injuries were just too excessive. Fortunately there was somebody who could heal anything.

"Let's get him to Inoue-san," he suggested. Tatsuki nodded. It was the only solution. Then they picked up the big boy and carried him towards Orihime's house, hoping that they won't be too late.

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"I request Limit Release for all captain and lieutenant-ranked shinigami in Karakura Town," Matsumoto spoke into her phone. "Repeat: Limit Release for Hitsugaya-taichou, Matsumoto-fukutaichou and Abarai-fukutaichou."

"Your offer is being processed," an impersonal cold voice answered from the other side.

"What's limit release?" Orihime asked.

"Something that can get us out of this mess," Matsumoto replied. Speaking still hurt so she didn't feel like giving long explanations. "How much longer yet?"

"I'm not sure," Inoue shrugged. "I think I'm about halfway done." Matsumoto grimaced. That was too long. Orihime noticed it and willed more power into her technique, but Shun'ou and Ayame were already working as fast as they could.

"I hope we'll get the Limit Release soon," Rangiku said. But as she waited, there was no response to her request. What are the freaks in the Twelfth doing? She thought, but no answer came. If they don't hurry up, taichou's going to end up dead.

Not long after she thought so, the fight above them took a sudden turn for the worse. The Arrancar finally released. Matsumoto watched in terror as he turned into some vaguely insect-like creature and his reiatsu increased several times. When he attacked Hitsugaya next time, he caused severe wounds. The young captain kept fighting, but the strain on him was obvious.

"I have to help him," Matsumoto stated.

"You aren't healed yet," Orihime pointed out.

"If I don't go there, taichou will die," the lieutenant said. Inoue nodded and deactivated the Souten Kisshun.

"I wish I could fight too, but Tsubaki has been destroyed." Her voice hitched as she said it.

"You already helped a lot, Orihime-chan," Rangiku cheered her up.

"Maybe I can help more," the redhead said. "Hinagiku, Baigon, Lily, follow her and protect her." The three fairies separated from her hairpins, nodded and gathered around Matsumoto.

"Thank you," the shinigami nodded before heading for the battle, the three tiny creatures circling around her.

She was just in time. Hitsugaya had just tried a risky attack that made one of his three remaining petals crumble and all he could do was cause his opponent some mild frostbite. Shawlong was ready to finish him off.

"Growl, Haineko!" Matsumoto released and immediately hurled the ashes at the Arrancar. He was a bit surprised, but that was all the effect it had.

"You again?" Shawlong scoffed. "If you stayed down, you could have lived longer. Allow me to show you your folly."

"You can try," the lieutenant said with more confidence than she felt. She could see Hitsugaya preparing a strong attack behind Shawlong's back. If Matsumoto could keep his attention on herself, her captain would have a better chance of striking down the foe.

Shawlong didn't answer. Instead he attacked. It was so fast that Matsumoto didn't even see it coming. But she wasn't cut down from the sky. The Arrancar's attack was stopped by a golden triangular shield. Shun Shun Rikka did their job.

Shawlong seemed confused by the occurrence. Matsumoto could clearly see it in his body language and she capitalized on it. She smirked condescendingly and said: "Loser." That enraged the Arrancar. He screamed in rage and attacked the shield with all his might. Cracks appeared, but that was all Shawlong managed to do. In his anger he failed to notice Hitsugaya charging at him from behind. Hyourinmaru's blade pierced his neck.

"Ryuusenka!" The Arrancar was encased inside a giant ice flower. His angry expression froze on his face. Then the ice shattered and Shawlong shattered with it. Hitsugaya sighed. That had been close. His body was barely working anymore and there was only one petal remaining. He had to dismiss his Bankai before... crack! ... the last petal broke. Too late. The ice wings crumbled into shards of ice. Hitsugaya's world darkened. He fell from the sky, unconscious.

"Taichou!" Matsumoto shrieked. She dove down to catch him before he hit the ground. Then she carried him to Orihime. "Heal him," she pleaded. Her own wounds could wait.

Just as the golden shield cocooned the white-haired boy, Matsumoto's phone beeped. "Your request for Limit Release was approved, Matsumoto-fukutaichou." She felt the sudden urge to destroy the device, stomp on it and grind it into the pavement, but then she realized that doing so would have prevented her from screaming at the moron on the other side.

"You're late! We don't need it anymore."

"Then you didn't need it to begin with, did you?" Kurotsuchi-taichou's oily voice sounded from the phone. "Don't bother us with needless requests next time." Matsumoto made a mental note to stab Mayuri the next time she saw him. But even in her current state of anger, she knew better than to insult a captain, especially a psychotic one.

"Whatever," she growled. "Just tell Abarai. He still needs it."

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"Limit Release approved!" Renji had never heard sweeter words. Not when he had been admitted into the Academy. Not even when he had been made lieutenant. Though he was doing his best to hold his own against Edrad Liones, he had the sinking feeling that he was still alive only because his opponent was toying with him. Though it was weird that he felt he could afford it even when his comrades' reiatsu kept disappearing one by one. If Renji could feel it correctly, only one other Arrancar was still fighting and he was facing Ichigo. But now the Limit Release had been approved, he could finally turn this battle in his favor.

He straightened up, ignoring the protests of his battered body. This was an important moment and he had to look good during it. He dramatically slid away the clothes covering the camellia tattoo on his chest.

"What's that?" Edrad inquired, sounding only half interested. Renji bit his thumb, making it bleed. It didn't occur to him that he could have used the blood from one of his numerous wounds. And besides, this way it looked cooler. Then he dramatically smeared the blood over the tattoo.

"Limit release," he spoke. "Now I'm going to fight at my full power too." He felt the restraints on his power fading away. Suddenly he didn't feel so exhausted anymore. He was going to show this fiend.

Edrad felt the sudden increase in the shinigami's reiatsu. What was going on? He prided himself on his smarts, but now he was confused. Where did his opponent's power come from? And why was he using it now, when his body was barely holding up? Why didn't he use it earlier? It made no tactical sense. And the lieutenant didn't look like a complete idiot.

He was brought out of his musings by the sight of Hihiou Zabimaru speeding towards him. He knew he should dodge, but it was too fast to avoid in his current bulky form. He was sure it hadn't been moving so fast before. He had to block. But he wasn't too worried. So far the shinigami could inflict only superficial wounds and that was before he had used Ressureción. Even with his current increased strength, he won't be able to cause him serious harm.

He changed his opinion when the bone snake's jaws closed around his arm. It was a lot stronger than he had thought! Before he could do anything, the red light, so much resembling a Cero, appeared again. The beam hit him point blank.

Renji wanted to admire the results of his Hikotsu Taihou, but he knew that the Arrancar might not be dead yet. He quickly shunpoed to where his enemy had landed. And he found him lying on the ground, his left arm completely obliterated and blood covering his torso, but still alive and conscious.

"Damn it, I didn't expect you to be this strong," Edrad spoke.

"I'm five times stronger now," the lieutenant informed him, readying another attack. The Arrancar tried to counter it, but as he lifted his remaining arm to throw a flaming punch at Abarai, he was stopped by a sudden jolt of pain. The second was all that Renji needed. Hihiou Zabimaru's jaws closed around Edrad's body again.

"Hikotsu Taihou!" This time there was nothing to protect the Arrancar from the worst blast. His arm was gone and his Hierro was damaged. The energy beam completely obliterated him. Renji stood over the crater where his opponent used to be. This had been too close for comfort. If the permission to lift the limit came just a bit later... But at least he had won. That was what counted.

Then he sagged to the ground, completely exhausted.

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Ichigo was livid. That blue-haired bastard had hurt Rukia. As he saw the girl's body slumped on the ground, with a pool of blood slowly spreading under it, he couldn't even be sure whether she was still alive (as much as shinigami could be called alive). Grimmjow was going to pay. That was all the redhead cared about at the moment. He attacked with fury. He flashed to Grimmjow's side so fast that the Arrancar had only enough time to look surprised before Tensa Zangetsu sliced his side. Unfortunately the wound wasn't deep.

"So you have it in you!" Grimmjow grinned. "That means I don't have to hold back anymore!" He blocked Ichigo's next strike. And then he attacked.

The fight seemed even. Rage was giving Ichigo the strength to match Grimmjow blow for blow. He used all the speed Tensa Zangetsu could give him. For a moment it looked like he was getting the upper hand. Then Grimmjow hit him with a Bala to the chest and sent him flying. Ichigo hadn't expected it, having never seen the technique used before. But he shook off the effects quickly. The Bala wasn't powerful enough to really hurt him. He jumped to his feet and sent a silent Getsuga Tenshou at the fast approaching Grimmjow. The Arrancar somehow managed to dodge. Then it was melee fighting again.

Both fighters managed to score a few glancing hits, but nothing that would influence the outcome of the battle. Unfortunately that didn't last. Ichigo's rage was slowly dissipating and the strain of using his maximum speed was taking its toll. He couldn't keep up with Grimmjow's tempo anymore. The Arrancar was gaining the upper hand and Ichigo was being forced into defensive. He didn't like it. He gathered all his strength and willpower in an attempt to turn the tables on Grimmjow. It didn't work as well as he imagined. His Getsuga Tenshou did wound the Espada, but not too deeply. The Espada retaliated with vengeance and when Ichigo tried to dodge, his much-abused legs couldn't obey his demands and he stumbled. Grimmjow's sword bit deep into his side. And before the Substitute Shinigami could get up, Grimmjow fired a Cero at him. Ichigo blocked most of it, but the power of the attack threw him back. He landed close to the downed Rukia.

"Well, Ichigo," Grimmjow said, "it has been fun, but all good things come to an end. And this is yours. But as you fought so valiantly, let me show you my real power before you die."

Real power? Ichigo's eyes widened in shock. This still wasn't everything the Arrancar could do? Just how much stronger is he?

"I will get much stronger when I release my zanpakutou and assume my true form," Grimmjow explained. Ichigo pushed himself to his feet. He couldn't just lay down and do nothing. It would mean not only his death but Rukia's as well and there was no way he was letting it happen, no matter how much injuries covered his body. But before he could try one last desperate attack or Grimmjow could release his zanpakutou, they were interrupted by a new arrival.

"My, my, you certainly are noisy," a bored voice drawled. Both fighters turned to look at its source.

"Who the fuck are you?" Grimmjow growled as he saw the newcomer. He was a rather ordinary looking blond guy in dress shirt and pants and old-fashioned hat. His only notable feature was his wide mouth full of big teeth. And also the fact that he was standing on air and holding a sword in his hand. Ichigo felt that he'd seen this guy before, but couldn't recall where.

"Me?" the man shrugged carelessly. "Just somebody who got woken up from a good night's sleep by your racket. I really don't like to butt in into shinigami fights, but I guess it can't be helped."

"You won't be butting into my fights ever again," Grimmjow growled and charged at the blond man. The newcomer blocked his sword with seemingly no effort. That pissed off Grimmjow and he tried to fry him with a Cero at close range. The guy dodged easily and slashed at Grimmjow's back. The Espada blocked.

"Who are you?" Ichigo asked. He appreciated the help, but a complete stranger powerful enough to fight Grimmjow appearing just in the nick of time was odd to say the least.

"I'm wounded, Ichigo," the stranger said. "We met only this morning and you already forgot me?" Then Ichigo remembered. Usually a transfer student would be a big deal, but so much had happened today that it barely registered. Was it really still the same day?

"Hirako?" Ichigo tried.

"So you remember me after all," Shinji grinned, batting away Grimmjow's attacks absent-mindedly.

"You're fighting me!" the Arrancar reminded him, punctuating his words with a stab at Hirako's torso. He managed to get through his guard. It was just a small wound, but blood stained Shinji's shirt.

"Looks like I'll have to take you seriously," Shinji sighed. He lifted his hand to his brow in a seemingly careless movement. Then he slammed it down suddenly. A Hollow mask appeared on his face. Ichigo and Grimmjow stared. Then Hirako moved with stunning speed and Grimmjow barely blocked. He was still flung far away by the strength behind the attack.

"You seem to be very strong, so I won't go easy on you, Arrancar," Hirako said, charging a Cero. Ichigo stared some more. Grimmjow realized what danger he was in and dodged the deadly beam.

"I'm not going to go easy on you either," he shouted. "I'll use my real power!" he prepared to release, but before he could do so, his sword arm was caught in an iron grip. The Espada turned around in surprise. And froze.

"Tousen," he whispered.

"Tousen," Hirako spat.

"Sheathe your sword, Grimmjow," the traitorous captain ordered.

"What? Why the hell are you here?" the Arrancar demanded.

"Why?" Tousen echoed. "Do you really not understand?" Grimmjow's expression showed clearly that he didn't.

"Taking it upon yourself to invade Living World, mobilizing five Arrancar and attacking the shinigami, it was all against orders. Do you understand, right? Aizen-sama is furious." Grimmjow looked scared. Ichigo would have never believed he was capable of such expression until he saw it with his own eyes. "We're going. Your punishment will be decided in Hueco Mundo."

"Shit. Alright," was all that Grimmjow said.

"Where are you going?" Ichigo shouted.

"To Hueco Mundo," Grimmjow answered as Tousen opened a Garganta.

"What do you think you are doing?" Hirako hissed at Ichigo.

"We can get them now," the redhead said.

"There's two of them," Shinji pointed out.

"There's two of us as well," Ichigo countered.

"You're barely standing," Hirako observed. That was unfortunately true, but Ichigo didn't let it deter him.

"I can still fight."

"Not well enough to defeat them," the blond man said. "You have to let them go tonight." He didn't even have to say it. The Garganta had already closed behind the two Aizen's servants. Ichigo still fumed, but a part of his mind recognized that Hirako was right. He was tired and wounded and trying to fight on in his current state would probably end up badly. That didn't mean he liked the fact.

He looked at Hirako. The mysterious (and probably fake) student had removed the Hollow mask, but the boy couldn't forget that it had been there. That brought on a question.

"Who are you? What are you?"

"Me? Hirako Shinji, as I said before. I'm a Visored. A shinigami with Hollow powers. Just like you." Oh, so he was one of the guys Yoruichi and Urahara had told him about. Why didn't he realize it sooner?

"No."

"What no?" Shinji raised an eyebrow.

"I don't have Hollow powers," Ichigo elaborated. He had made sure of that.

"You're deluding yourself," Shinji disagreed. "I can clearly feel them."

"What?" Ichigo felt a stab of fear. He had squashed any doubts about his Hollow being gone before, but this was an expert talking about it. Could he be right?

"It's true," Hirako nodded. "If you don't learn to control them, the monster inside you would eat your soul and then turn on your friends." Friends? That reminded Ichigo...

"Rukia!" He turned around and rushed to the girl's side. He quickly checked her health. She was alive, but she was struggling to take every breath. It looked bad. Ichigo picked her up carefully and raced towards Inoue's apartment. Hopefully he'll be in time for Orihime to work her miracles on Rukia.

Shinji watched him go. "Well," he said with a sigh, "I'll come back when you have more time, Ichigo." The redhead was too far to hear him. Then the Visored disappeared in shunpo, heading towards his companions' hideout.