Reporting Back In - Niiki's Mind, Suzume's Game

A massive stark white structure stood out in the middle of the seemingly endless desert of grey dunes and sparse black skeletons of trees. The main building was surrounded by oddly shaped white pillar like structures. Even the sky that hung above the megalithic structure was colorless speckled with scanty clouds. The stale silence of the air was broken by the deep growl from the sky as boundaries between dimensions began to break. A luminescent ray of yellow light shot through the dark clouds just outside Hueco Mundo as the three kidnappers floated down to the ground below.


As Niiki and her two team mates descended toward their headquarters her elegant fingers stroked the lock of her beautiful raven hair that was now shorter than the rest. How dare that boy flaw her perfection. Usually to calm her rage and intense hate toward someone one Niiki would entertain herself with the all the ways she could torture them. However, in this case it would be a challenge to come up with a way to torture this boy any more than he already seemed to be when the three Espada ascended untouchable and victorious with the girl he fought so hard for. Although Niiki was angry she had to admit Shuunske’s skill was impressive. His speed countered or possibly even exceeded her own and his technique was unique and powerful. He was so determined. So desperate. But… why?


Why did he look so familiar?


The more she thought about him the more the question taunted her memories.


Their feet hit the hard sand in front of the huge doors. After the yellow light that surrounded them dispersed Miku lead the way inside with their victim in her arms. Niiki watched with a piercing glare of disgust as Miku stepped ahead to lead the way inside.


Niiki then remembered how much of a disturbance Miku had caused retrieving the girl. She expected that Suzume would not be pleased. He would see that her clumsy judgment and stupidity had proven to be a disturbance in the mission and could be a liability in the future. Therefore, he would demote her and place Niiki once again where she belongs; above Miku.


Shuunske…


His name. What was is about his name that stimulated a hint of some distant memory? It almost seemed like it was from a dream. But she knew it wasn’t. Niiki studied the young girl in Miku’s arms. She was unconscious again from the shock. Why was this girl so important?


“Please don’t let them take me! Please! I…I remember Shuunske-san!! Please… Not again!”


Niiki replayed the words that the girl shouted back to Shuunske.


“I remember”?


“Not again”?


Had this happened before? Had the girl been taken away from Shuunske before? That would explain the boy’s desperation. He loved her but he had lost her in the past. But this conclusion didn’t seem satisfy Niiki. It still didn’t explain why the boy seemed so familiar to her.


They continued through the building toward the meeting room where Suzume was awaiting a report. Niiki’s heeled boots clicked as they met the solid floor of the hallway. Footsteps from the three of them echoed off the walls of the building.





Niiki didn’t take her eyes of the girl while she racked her brain for the memory she knew she had but couldn’t find.


Soon enough they approached their destination. They entered the large meeting room. In the center of the room was a large table surrounded by extremely high-backed white chairs. Standing in front of the table was Suzume awaiting their arrival.


The intensity of his raitsu gave Niiki a rush of chills that trickled up and down her spine. Coming in contact with his energy triggered a kind of mild euphoria for her. It was like a drug. She was immediately entranced by not only his energy but his physicality as well: His cold but calm unchanging expression and defined bone structure framed by his tussled jet black hair. His fitted clothing gave Niiki a chance to explore his body with her eyes. He had a flawless stature, perfect proportions and beautifully defined muscle. He was like a God. Perfect, powerful, dominating.


Words couldn’t describe how much she craved to feel his intoxicating energy consume her, how much she wanted him.


But… Why did he demote her? Especially to a place bellow someone like Miku. What did he see in that weakling that wasn’t in Niiki? What could she have done wrong? Or more, what did Miku do right? Why was she better? She was obviously inferior in nearly every way. Niiki exceeded Miku in speed, intelligence, power and definitely beauty. Niiki stunning looks have always been enough to seduce any man she wanted. But why was it that the only man she wanted more than anything thought of her as something less than a faceless girl? Could he be toying with her? Or was it because he had seen her true form?


“We have retrieved the girl Yuki as you asked, Suzume-sama,” Miku reported.


“I see.” His eyes shifted over the unconscious girl’s limp body then nodded to Miku. “Find a place that is secure and comfortable for her.”


His deep melodic voice made Niiki’s temperature increase as it vibrated a low echo through her body. Miku nodded and left with Yuki. Esido followed behind her. Leaving Niiki alone with Suzume.


Niiki was shocked that there wasn’t some sort of reaction let alone punishment to Miku’s obvious fault. Was he aware of her mistake? He had to be. So why didn’t he mention it? Unless…


Niiki’s almond-shaped pale blue eyes narrowed into a curious glare. “Why didn’t you transport us sooner?” She paused then slowly approached Suzume. His energy became more intense as did her reaction as she neared its source. “You knew that the mission would be quick especially with the team you selected. Yet you kept us there.” Her suspicious words slid through her full lips like silk as she spoke to him, heavy with a flirtatious tone.





She stopped only a few feet away from him. So close. She wished she could be closer. Her eyes examined his for any sign of emotion or reaction that she could read. But he remained silent as if waiting for her to finish her thought. Like he knew exactly what she was thinking even before she did. Once again her eyes narrowed as she began to piece it all together.


“Unless you wanted the reaction. You wanted to make sure they knew who took her.” She paused.


He wanted to make sure the boy knew.


Shuunske…


If that was true it meant that what Miku did was not a fault at all. It was exactly what Suzume wanted. So Niiki had no flaw to pin on Miku. Nothing to blame her for. But Niiki knew she was more powerful than Miku. She knew she deserved to be above her. Why didn’t Suzume?

Suzume nodded only to Miku as she, in turn, bowed to Suzume. However he completely ignored Niiki, knowing that she full well wanted his attention just as much as Miku did – for different reasons. However, he already knew how to fuel her to make her more powerful. When she had something to fight for, something to prove herself to, her power raised tenfold. The rivalry he had created between Miku and Niiki was perfect. Miku was different, striving for acceptance would only weaken her – however she would not lose it once she achieved it. It was the different in selfless loyalty and selfish loyalty to a certain cause. He had already mapped out both individuals.

Silence pushed itself over the room as the others left. But he was not mistaken. Another remained. He could feel her hideous crawling energy that offset her beautiful features. He loved the energy she possessed, and didn’t have a second thought about her looks. Her energy was powerful, dark and ready to take action to get what she wanted. It was perfect that he had found her – Shuunske would be in for quite the trial game against an opponent like her. The thought charmed Suzume – playing the image, in his mind, of the small white haired boy’s face as he remembered the horrible things that this woman had done to him and Yuki.

“Why didn’t you transport us sooner?”

Suzume’s energy grew darker as soon as he heard the malicious and curious tone that the woman had. She was smart, and he knew that there was no avoiding her suspicion. However it was fun to beat her in her own game. Suzume’s energy grew so intense that even Niiki’s power was smothered. The air became heavy around Suzume, like it was weighted.

“You knew the mission would be quick, especially with the team you selected. Yet you kept us there.”

As the girl spoke she moved up closer to Suzume, who made sure not to completely crush the girl with his energy alone – like the spider that she was.

When she stopped, Suzume turned to face for a brief moment, the expression on his face representing that of complete uninterested emotion. However, as soon as he made eye contact for her for a single moment, he turned away again, knowing that the small eye contact would bring her closer to wanting more and more from the man. As he turned and began to walk away, towards the door opposite him in the huge white room full of perfectly symmetrical pillars on each side of him, the girl spoke again:

“Unless you wanted the reaction. You wanted to make sure that they knew who took her.”

The words amused Suzume. It was not a complicated thing to figure out, but the fact that she doubted Suzume to such a degree to even be thinking about such possibilities of ulterior motives was interesting. She wanted him to take note of her more than any other Espada did in Hueco Mundo.

However, she was the person that he looked forward to watching die most out of all his Espada ranks. Watching the small amount of life that she had clung onto, fade from her already deadened eyes as she took her last breath. He would not miss it.

“… The team I selected? I was unaware that I had selected such an elite team as you are making it. Furthermore, Niiki-dono, you are aware that you are the weakest link in that team, the only one that caused any trouble at all.”



Suzume turned around abruptly, his eyes meeting her, no longer with intentions to flirt, but more with intention to snarl at her – looking as though he had half a mind to kill her where she stood right now. That she meant nothing more than a problem to her.

“Don’t flatter yourself, Niiki-dono. The team I selected was not so elite as you think – because you were placed in it as well. I had no idea how weak you really were until I watched it. If I had not placed the barrier over you in the real world… you would have been slain by a boy.”

Suzume’s eyes faded from the intent to kill her, to simply discarding her like the trash that she was in his mind.

“I have considered why I even added such a weak component to this Espada of mine… but I keep hoping that you will prove yourself to me. If Miku were not there, I do not have full confidence that you would be able to even complete such a simple task as retrieving a girl from weak shinigami. She truly is proving to be your superior in every realm. Too bad… I had high hopes for you.”

Suzume turned once more, no longer facing her.

He had her wrapped around her finger tips. Her anger would fuel her to a point that she might even overcome the powerful captain – Shuunske when she saw him next. Her anger increased her power. He could feel her spiritual pressure becoming more and more powerful, even against his own as her will to kill became more intense.

What a series of lies he had created, stronger than any web of manipulations that the female spider could create herself. She was very important to him for a single and specialized reason – the fact that she had the key to unlocking the next level of Shuunske’s quickly growing madness. However, the fact that she had failed in Soul Society had not been completely false. If she had been more affective, and remembered her past with the boy she would have been able to send him into complete madness in the heat of the moment. If Shuunske were annihilated in such a way, leadership over Soul Society would merely be handed to him. He would not need to lift a finger. Shuunske was the only thing stopping him from getting closer to his goal. But Niiki had another chance.

She had her release. Her beautiful release. The only true beauty to her dark and hideous self.



“As I previously said, Niiki-dono, you have been dismissed. Don’t make me doubt your ability to understand human language. Or shall I take you for nothing more than the spider that you are?”

He did not stop for a moment as he walked forward. Nothing he said had a distinct tone, and was blatant and monotone. However, because of his lack of emotion and matter of fact attitude, his threats became all the more deadly. He showed no caring or lust towards the girl.

He had none to show.

As he reached the opposite end of the room, the girl having stopped somewhere in the middle as if shot by an arrow through the heart, Suzume looked over his shoulder for a moment. He had beaten her in her own game once more. But he wondered where this confrontation would lead the woman.



It may be possible that Miku remain on guard from this spider.

Things would only get interesting at this point on.

He looked forward to what was coming.

Suzume’s energy grew darker and heavier as she spoke. Niiki paused after her confrontational questions, waiting for a reaction, waiting to hear how he would answer. Was he angry? Was he impressed? Was Niiki right? Of course she was. She had to be. There was no other viable option.


Niiki stood only a few feet away from Suzume, a slight flirtatious smirk bent the edge of her perfect lips; her spine curved ever so slightly causing her large breasts to perk out of her already scanty outfit. This exchange was not only about Niiki proving that she was right; it was about showing Suzume that she was not afraid to be in his presence. In fact she enjoyed it more than anything else in her desolate cynical world. She was not only playing up her physicality in an attempt to seduce her powerful leader but she also used an intelligent accusation with a flirtatious undertone knowing that his intellect is above and beyond most. It was her way of getting his attention and expressing her interest in him.


However, Niiki was extremely curious about the decisions Suzume had made in the past couple of days. Especially his decision to demote Niiki to a lower rank.
She was so close to him. Closer than she had been before. His dark energy radiated from his body and weighed down on hers like a thick swamp of reitsu; making it increasingly difficult to move, to breathe, even to stand. Gravity tugged at Niiki as the density of his spiritual pressure steadily exhausted and strangled her own. Yet she remained composed and upright.


Aroused by his mysterious yet ominous stature and incomparably powerful energy, Niiki observed Suzume as he contemplated her accusation and prepared to reply. His reaction was indefinable, his expression unreadable. Niiki hated it. She had always had the gift of manipulation because of her ability to observe and analyze. Normally, in situations like this, it was almost too easy for her to know exactly what someone was thinking by reading and analyzing their fluctuations in energy, facial expressions, and decisions before they are even made or felt. However, with Suzume, using this method was hopeless. She could never sense or predict what he was going to say or do or how he felt about something. It was one of the reasons why he intrigued her so much. He was an enigma to her; a mystery.


“… The team I selected? I was unaware that I had selected such an elite team as you are making it. Furthermore, Niiki-dono, you are aware that you are the weakest link in that team, the only one that caused any trouble at all.”


Niiki’s flirtatious expression fell. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Disbelief and shock spread across her flawless face. “The weakest link”? But… How? Why? She might not be as strong as Esido without her release but… how could he think that she was weaker than Miku? “trouble”? What did he mean by “trouble”?

When Suzume finally made eye contact with her, Niiki began to regret ever opening her mouth. The hate, disappointment and disgust that burned in his eyes as he turned to face her not only made Niiki noxious with shame but started to make her fear for her life.
“Don’t flatter yourself, Niiki-dono. The team I selected was not so elite as you think – because you were placed in it as well. I had no idea how weak you really were until I watched it. If I had not placed the barrier over you in the real world… you would have been slain by a boy.”


His words reeked of the intent to kill as he spat them at her as if she was nothing more than a useless piece of trash.


The initial shock and confusion of his words began to fade as an overwhelming wave of shame, self-consciousness and regret hit Niiki like a freight train. Suzume’s poisonous words began to sink in as she started to understand. Niiki felt as vulnerable and dead as a filleted carcass as she realized what had just happened; her greatest fears and insecurities were chewed up and spit back at her by the man that she craves the attention and acceptance of above all others.


His sudden intensity of anger faded to a dull disregard of her completely.
“I have considered why I even added such a weak component to this Espada of mine… but I keep hoping that you will prove yourself to me.”


A sort of hopeless desperation flooded over Niiki as she prayed he would give her another chance. She would do anything to win his acceptance, to be recognized as an importance in the eyes of such a God. Niiki hated how pathetic she seemed for craving such a thing. But she couldn’t help it. She needed that; she needed him to feel like she was worth something to him.


“If Miku were not there, I do not have full confidence that you would be able to even complete such a simple task as retrieving a girl from weak shinigami. She truly is proving to be your superior in every realm. Too bad… I had high hopes for you.”
His words were like the salt to Niiki’s open atrophying wound. A deep hate surged through Niiki at the mention of that bitch… Miku.


“As I previously said, Niiki-dono, you have been dismissed. Don’t make me doubt your ability to understand human language. Or shall I take you for nothing more than the spider that you are?”


Niiki was defeated. A spider, crushed by a planet of pain; weak, vulnerable, despicable. She paused on the other side of the room from the Espada leader. After a moment of silence she caught her breath and collected herself trying to piece together what little ego she had left before turning and leaving without a word. There was nothing to be said. The only thing Niiki could do is prove to Suzume that she was more than worth her place in the Espada, that she was worth his praise. But how? How could she prove that she was better than the little pest that kept burrowing into Niiki’s mind, infecting her like a disease? She needed to rid herself and Suzume of this contamination.


Niiki exited the room and turned the corner to see Miku and Esido standing in the hallway. Niiki’s spiritual pressure burned with an incredibly dark hatred that fueled it into a powerful aura. It surrounded tall dark beauty like a plague. A subtle deranged smirk taunted the creases of her lips.


Perfect.


Fueled by her intense rage, Niiki’s paced quickened as she stormed towards the masked girl. Her eyes burned through Miku with a malicious glare.


This was her chance to prove to herself and Suzume that Miku was nothing compared to Niiki and deserved to die before being placed above her.


The girl’s back was facing Niiki as she approached from the other end of the hall. She dashed into a Sonido and, with incredible speed, ended up inches behind Miku, in a fraction of a second.


“I’ll show you what happens to an insect that crawls inside of a spider’s web, you pathetic slut.”


She whispered like tendrils of darkness that grasped at her sword, ready to make a strike at the hideous and faceless woman that lay before her, trapped like a fly stuck in a prism of light, facing its own bright death in the face without the ability to reason for its own life.


Niiki watched Miku’s last breath filter through her lips, relishing it as her own – the sweet poison of revenge taking its affect in her own reality.

The room fell cold with darkened energy as Miku turned to leave. Both Esido and Miku remained silent, not daring to talk in the presence of such an ominous man. The cold hallways and darkened walls seemed to greet Miku back into the white fortress, trapped in a forever state of pitch black night.

Miku read the look in Niiki’s eyes, and although the woman was normally good at hiding her true feelings from view, when she entered the presence of this man, her ability to act normally discarded itself and ran for the hills screaming. She lost all ability to keep her calm and reserved manipulations. She was simply inferior to her god – Suzume.

The doors opened as she neared them, and, with hand on Zanpakutou hilt, Miku left the room followed by Esido, holding the door for her to leave. Esido had never been openly or overly nice to Miku, however he had never focused on destroying her. Miku knew about her own weaknesses, and knew about his as well – and hers over weighed his own. He was the stronger in combat as it stood.

Her shadow left her as she removed herself from the room. Miku waited for a moment, half expecting to see Niiki follow her. Looking back however, she obtained a visual on the dark and disgusting girl, standing in all of her immense beauty. She was like a human in that way – always trying to use her body in order to get what she wanted from others. Always using her sweet voice, and dark powers. However, that kind of tactic would never work on a man like Suzume. She was stupid for thinking it would.

Suzume was unlike others in that he was not concerned about anyone else, and certainly was not able to let himself fall for such low temptations when his own goals were at such a higher level of satisfaction. She would never learn the error of her ways.

Miku’s head shook slowly back at Esido, in a way to show him too that she was staying back. Esido’s trouble making grin faded and looked at the Suzume longingly like a poodle looked at a bulldog, jealous of the bulldog’s claim to fame. Miku knew what was running through his own mind as he saw the woman standing before the man with so much want in her eyes.

“Come, Esido-san. Lets remove ourselves from this situation as asked…”

Esido nodded and folded his arms, allowing the door to fall on its own weight, no longer caring to close it softly. He had been hoping to allow Niiki through the door. His disappointment was obvious, and written all over his face.

“Yes, yes, Miku-channn…” Esido spoke as he walked away from the room, the door closing quickly behind him, until finally coming to a slam. Although Miku knew nothing about what was going to happen, but a rancid feeling struck her stomach.

The foolishness of the woman that tried to do the work she wanted with the wrong tools was overwhelming. Like a woman trying to garden with an wrench and can of oil, Niiki was much stupider than anyone would allow her to think.

In that aspect.

Esido stopped and slammed his fist against a wall, clearly upset, and wanting to wait for the woman to return. Ever since she had become a part of the Espada, Esido had never left her side – always clinging to her in every way that he could, always trying to hold a conversation, and always trying to get her alone. It was the direct opposite that he had acted to all of the others in the ranks, not even talking to some others. It was something about Niiki that drew him like a moth to the flame… even though the flame burned him with its complexity that he simply would never be able to understand.

“Esido-san...?”

Miku spoke, her voice almost cracking and sounding rigid from behind the mask that lay attached to her. Her body was completely covered by her Espada type suit. She was the only one that literally covered all parts of herself. With a white turtleneck style Espada uniform that eventually turned into long and baggy pants in the pleated form, and while wearing white gloves, Miku truly remained unseen by anyone else.



Esido looked up at the faceless woman, a face holding mixed emotions – all rooting from the single most common emotion in this world: jealousy.

“Fuck this…”

Esido did not complete his sentence. Miku knew exactly what he meant though. She had observed the two of them interacting, and whenever she was around the man, she always put on a different air, as if she had some kind of feelings for the man. Always alluring him into her spiders web, only to have his self esteem sucked out and the rest of his empty carcass eaten by the malevolent spider.

“… Perhaps we shou-”

As soon as she started speaking, Miku felt the horrible but awesome feeling of Suzume’s spiritual pressure arise from the room. From all of her time following the man’s shadow, she had learned the difference between his energy releases. This was bloody. Dark. And Niiki’s own spiritual pressure grasped for air, and tried to push its way to the top inside as well.

Miku took a step back as if she was falling back. Gravity fell hard on her.

“W-what the…?”

Her hand flew to her Zanpakutou without drawing it. Esido looked at Miku with a look of shock and horror. Miku would mimic the same face if she was able to as she felt the change in the room. A shocking change. Niiki’s energy pushed and pushed until Suzume’s finally subsided, and no longer threatened to tear at the walls of Las Noches. Niiki’s own energy went rampant and almost replaced his own. It was just as dark. No.

Miku was in disbelief.

Her energy was darker than Suzume’s. It was not more powerful, but it was darker. It held more killing intent that Miku thought was possible, even for the woman. What was happening in that room that had sent Niiki to a whole different level of power? It was as if she had risen to a level beyond her own limits.

Miku’s hand dropped from her sword as she tried to concentrate on the energies that were flying about in the room. Even for her, the energies were too intense to tune into when combined. Together they created an energy that was so dark and powerful, no other human, shinigami, or even hollow stood a chance against them. They were the definition of power. Was this Suzume’s reason for adding such a darkened and tainted member to the Espada.

This energy was darker than even Chichio’s, a feat that was hard to accomplish.

Miku heard Esido gasp as the doors opened in silence. Miku did not have to turn in order to figure out what was happening. She felt the cold and acidic energy of Niiki as she entered the same hallway as the two of them.

Her energy meant that someone was going to have to die. Miku did not have to calculate anything to understand who the target was. Bending her foot in order to turn and face the woman that had been consumed by this dark energy, Miku’s posture bent in tortured surprise.

Niiki was already behind her.

“I’ll show you what happens to an insect that crawls into a spider’s web, you pathetic slut!”

The darkness in her words stunned Miku. She had nothing to compare the evilness in Niiki’s voice too. She was truly a demon. Miku’s hand grabbed for air in attempts to get her frozen body to move. Seeing a sudden movement from the corner of her eye, she heard the thunder like noise of Esido traveling with the sonido away from the situation, drawing his own Zanpakutou in fear of the situation.

Niiki's words caused Miku to fall under the same fear, intoxicating her body with the feeling like the venom of a spider. Niiki's energy flowed through her own body allowing her to become stronger and stronger as anger filled her, like a giant spider, rearing to attack its target.



Miku’s hands fell to her sword in the same instant, just in enough time to half way draw her sword as Niiki’s fell down upon her own. Sparks flew and Miku was sent flying backwards, dust skidding as the faceless woman flew towards the back wall. Miku had nothing to grasp onto for support and stumbled into fighting position. All the data flew through her head at once, recalling Niiki’s speed and abilities. She was feared by members of the Espada that were even higher level than herself because of her innate abilities. Attacking back at the woman only meant being struck down – if the attack allowed it. It would be risky for even Esido to attack back at the woman with his superior sword skills.

But now attacking back in effort to try and match her anger would only get Miku killed. Miku’s thoughts flew rampant through her head, however, Miku kept as cool and calm a composure as she could. Options flew through her head, but none seemed to work against the woman at this newly achieved level. What had Suzume done to her? What had he said?

Had he given her something to make her this powerful? And if that was the case, then could he give it to all the Espada in order to give them all this edge in combat?

Miku straightened her back and watched the woman from a short distance away. She needed to remove herself from the woman. Slipping back on her back foot, Miku shot herself into a sonido that landed her at the opposite end of the hallway, her sword held sideways.

“You have always been controlled by your foolish emotions…”

Until now, Miku had found that to be Niiki’s only weakness. But with this new development, her emotions led her to being stronger than ever before.

Miku’s energy flowed around her in attempt to combat the woman. She felt it wrap around her and coat her in her own energy. The energy burst out around her, holding a powerful resonance that had a completely different effect than Niiki’s own. While both powerful, Niiki’s was dark and wild. It held bloodlust and anger. Miku’s was calm and stable, holding nothing more than a thick faith in her own abilities and her own survival.

The combination of energies blasted the walls of Las Noches, pushing at them in attempt to heave them over and break them apart.

Miku did not know how to combat such wild bloodlust such as that that stirred within Niiki at this moment.

All she could do was try.

The thick reverberation of Niiki’s power smashing down on the masked girl’s sword gave the creature of a woman a sick, twisted pleasure. A toxic combination of anger, jealousy, and hatred, pulsed through her veins fueling her new immense power. With eyes that looked as if they alone could burn a whole through someone’s soul, the ravenous beauty glared at Miku’s terrified and surprised figure under Niiki’s sudden but intense attack. Niiki watched in amusement and disgust as Miku was thrown back near the opposing wall of the large hallway before trying to gather herself into a fighting position. Niiki’s violently dark energy flooded the large hallway, seeping through cracks and crawling up and down the walls like thousands of little spiders.


“You have always been controlled by your foolish emotions…”


Miku’s words fed Niiki’s anger like gasoline to a flame. They sounded so arrogant and auspicious to her; like the masked girl had some sort of self-proclaimed authority over her. However, the authority was not self-proclaimed at all. In fact Suzume put Miku over Niiki. Now Niiki was going to prove why that was a terrible decision.





“Don’t try to be superior, you faceless cunt,” Her eyes flashed with rage as she snapped, spitting the “t” to end her sentence abruptly and intensely. Then she relaxed her voice into an arrogantly biting and obviously enraged yet eerily calm tone. “Your insults will never disturb me as much as you’re inadequate existence does.” Niiki looked at Miku with disgust and diminutive disregard.


“Just because you think you are intelligent enough to insult me doesn’t mean have the right speak in my presence, maggot.” Then a disturbed smirk pulled her perfect lips into a twisted scowl of arrogance. “The one that is foolish here is you; to think that you are strong enough to threaten me with such dull and arrogant statements like you can back up your confidence. Suzume doesn’t want you. You’re worthless and weak. You couldn’t even correctly complete a mission as simple as kidnapping a meek defenseless girl. You are simply a pawn, a useless piece of trash… And you need to be exterminated!”


Niiki flashed into sonido and appeared directly in front of Miku with incredible speed. Milliseconds after she appeared her sword blurred into itself with such extreme speed and precision as Niiki threw a mirage of impossibly fast attacks. Niiki was no doubt the fastest Espada. However what she possessed in speed, she lacked in raw power. Unless she released her full potential.

Suzume walked from the room, a thin smile across his face. He knew exactly how the next scene would play out in his head. His steps fell lightly against the white tile as he moved with a agnostic grace – fully godlike. His words had fallen against the dark woman exactly as he had wanted them to fall against her. Suzume had felt her power rise just in the room with him. It had risen to a point that it had even pushed back against his own.

The room that he was in now was similar to the one he had just left, but more open, larger, and filled with pillars that were sprinkled throughout the entire area. The ceilings were high, and the entire space was well light by the white light.

“You can come out now... it is time that we add you to the collection.”

Suzume's voice rang out into the room with a deep vibration that resonated against the walls and pillars. In order to finish the puzzle that he had created, he needed the last piece. Then he could present it in its finished version.

The room remained silent for a second, until the cracking noise of a sonido blasted at Suzume, landing a tall and hooded figure only three feet in front of the majestic man. The figure was completely hidden under the white Arrancar fashioned cloak that concealed the him fully. As soon as he neared Suzume, the figure fell to his knees and slammed a fist to the ground, head bent down, as if ready to hear Suzume speak.

The figure's spiritual pressure was different. It did not waver under the weight of Suzume's own. It was stable, and similar to Suzume's.

“Rise... we have work to do...”

The figure, without speaking, rose, his head still bent down, allowing the shadows to cover his face in their dark fabric. Suzume's smile spread across his face like a reptile about to bite its pray. He looked fully content as he stared over the dark figure.

Suzume started to walk, moving past the mysterious shade, wrapped as if trying to preserve his identity, and on further into the interior of the room. As he walked two more, slightly quieter sonido's blasted to Suzume's location. Although no foot prints could be heard after the sonido's landed, Suzume could feel the spiritual pressure of his fraccions, walking on their padded feet, carrying a small portion of Suzume's own spiritual pressure inside of them. Both of the small kittens walked on either side of him, and slightly behind.



“As you wish it... Suzume-basama.” The figure spoke as he also began to follow the god like man himself. His voice was low and also resonated in the room – but different than Suzume's voice. It held even less emotion. Only a seeming confusion.

“Is this the one that you were speaking of... Suzume-san?”

The small and high voice of Yin spoke out, the white kitten looking to Suzume for an answer. But before Suzume could speak, the black haired kitten looked over and spoke, his voice was a bit lower, and sounded of a small boy before his voice had undergone any changes – resulting in a very innocent sound:

“Of course it is stupid... why else would Suzume-sama waste his time with someone unless it was not time wasted...?” Yang replied, in a lighthearted voice, as if there was not even a single spec of fear or reverence for Suzume, other than complete loyalty.

“Hmmm... I guess you right ag-”

“Of course I am,” Yang interrupted Yin before the younger sounding male could finish. “Think before you ask questions with such obvious answ – ack!”

Ironically, before Yang could finish scolding Yin for his obvious question, Yang slammed face first into a pillar, having only been looking at Yin while speaking and remaining completely unaware of his surroundings. Yin giggled shyly, not wanting to be further reprimanded by Yang, and kept walking after Suzume.

After Yang licked his paw and rubbed his face in efforts to wipe the shame off and regain his composure, he trotted back to his position behind Suzume, to his left.

“I don't wanna hear a world about that... do you understand?” Yang spoke with a humerus intensity that only triggered Yin to laugh more, raising his paw ever so slightly and twitching his tail as if to show off his innate ability to walk while avoiding the large columns.

Yang started mumbling under his breath, saying things like “You're gunna get it later,” and “I will not hit another as long as I live...”

However, his mumbling was cut off as Yang tossed himself forward into Suzume's leg, now stationary as Suzume had stopped moving. The black kitten's face retracted in a fraction of a second and sent the small kitten flying up into the air, back arched in pure shock of hitting another object. The entire reaction sent Yin into a burst of laughter that could no longer be held back and reformed into the shape of a giggle.

As soon as Yang landed, and had taken in that he had hit another object – Suzume's leg – he turned to glare at Yin, preparing his excuse, coming up with nothing more elaborate than:

“I... meant to do that...”

Before Yin could reply Suzume entered the conversation, demanding silence without even using his words. A sudden falling of spiritual weight blasted the entire area. The follower that had gone without saying anything walked past the two quarreling kittens to Suzume's side.

Yin stared at the stranger, unable to see his face, and wondering how it was that he was able to withstand even the slightest bit of Suzume's spiritual pressure, and now, even this.

“Who... who is he?” Yin said timidly, completely unaffected by the spiritual weight of the tall and carved man.

Yang looked at Yin out of the corner of his eyes, apparently asking the same question, but not ever admitting to not knowing the answer to any question...

“Were you not listening when...”

But Suzume interrupted with stern words that seemed to push hard at the walls and pillars in the area.

“Silence, Yin-san, and Yang-san...”

The kittens obeyed as they forced their voices into submission.

Suzume pushed at the door that blocked him from entry into the next room. Because of the level at which his spiritual pressure was currently at, the white door did not merely open, but instead shattered and blasted into the room. The blast did not only limit itself to the door frame, but cracked the wall into rubble and caused it to also fall to the ground.

On the other side, the room was not empty. It was a similar white room, sprinkled with pillars and large columns holding up the roof.

Across from Suzume stood another man, clearly surprised by the sudden damage to the wall of the room.

“Here...”

Suzume spoke in a somewhat quiet voice to the hooded figure to his left. The man on the other side of the room looked to Suzume and then to the man next to him, studying his odd Espada like garb that shielded him completely from view.

The hooded figure stood under a long cloak that reached mid way down his calf muscles, leaving his ankles to be covered by bandages until they reached his Espada like shoes. The hood feel loosely over the man's face.

Without a second to spare, the hooded figure blasted into sonido, cracking the ground where he had once been, and appeared over the man at the other edge of the room. Without muttering a word, the figure flew down, drawing a sword from underneath the cloak that parted down the front middle, showing the cloaked figure's torso.

Ripples of muscles held up the large black number 4 on his torso that was painted in the same way Espada have their tattoos added by Suzume's will. The cloak did not part all the way however, and only allowed his muscular belly to show, the color of almond skin, tanned and fit. His legs were only covered by bandages, including his crotch, which was held firmly by the white fabric strands, layers upon layers promising him modesty.

“Togaru-san! Suzu-”

“Silence.” Suzume interupted Yin's caring voice as he called out, fully expecting Suzume to protect his esteemed Espada number 4.

“But Togaru is Espada 4! Is he not...?” Yang spoke out, with the same persistence, wanting to satisfy his confusion.

“He was...” Suzume spoke with a certain determination. “But I have found someone more fit to follow in that position... watch Yin-san, and Yang-san.”

As the attacked man noticed that he was under the blade of an apposing sword he flew back. Togaru was a tall man, black skinned and with huge amber eyes that contrasted against his darker skin. Bald and with a very ethnic face, Togaru jumped backwards, skipping his feet as he reached into his sleeves, seeming to grab something.

As soon as he had landed, and the hooded figure stopped, now only feet away from his victim, Togaru pulled his hands out of his sleeves, revealing his zanpakutou – a set of iron knuckles that had spikes on them, each spike extending three inches. They were small but light.

“Suzume-san! What is the meaning of -” Togaru tried, but before he could finish his sentence, the hooded figure blasted into another sonido, appearing to Togaru's side and lashing out with his katana styled blade. Togaru hardly had time to react to the figure's speed, which was faster than he could imagine.

Even Yin's eyes fell open wide, and Yang spoke the thoughts that were running through Yin's mind:

“He is almost as fast as you, Yin-dono...”

Yin only nodded, eyes still wide.

“He is as fast as Niiki-sama... No... that is impos-”

Suzume's voice spoke out clearly.

“He is stronger than Niiki-dono... there is no competition there.”

Yin and Yang listened and their heads turned back to the battle that was going on in the large room.

Togaru blocked the oncoming strike with his bladed knuckle blades, sending sparks flying into the air. But the next strike was different. The faceless figure jumped forward, retracting his zanpakutou and simply extending his hand, palm forwards.

Before the seeming strike even landed, an extensive energy blasted from it, and sent Togaru flying backwards. As he fell, the “4” that had been tattooed onto the back of Togaru's head flashed before he fell hard against a pillar.

“What kind of-” Another attack, this time with so much speed that the black man could only manage a dodge, leaping off of the pillar before the hooded figure crashed down on it, breaking it down the middle and causing the pillar to fall to the ground.

Togaru fell into a series of flips that carried him a little farther away from the hooded figure.

“Break bones – Dokokoji!” Togaru announced, rushed by the tone of his voice.

The hooded figure dropped with the pillars, landing on the rubble with knees bent and arms out to the side, one carrying the katana that lay ninety degrees to his arm, in perfect parallelism. Slowly the figure dropped his arms, and allowed his posture to become somewhat more natural.

“Togaru is being forced into using his release against this man already?” Yin spat out, and Yang took a step closer to the battle field, walking successfully past Suzume's leg and into a better viewing position.

As Togaru activated his released form, his legs and entire body started to grow longer. His arms became more and more muscular, extending as they did so. The knuckles that used to be an added weapon swirled around his arms, shielding them in metal, completely spiked all the way up. When the transformation was done, Togaru stood before the hooded figure, much taller, his skin had been stretched and knotted until it he was huge – at least 12 feet, with arms that hung all the way to the ground, past his knees.

“You have really pissed me off now...”

Suzume smiled as he watched the hooded figure slowly stand, completely unafraid of the 4th Espada's abilities at present.

“Don't make the mistake of underest-”

The cloaked figure spoke finally, interrupting the huge released man,

“You talk to much with such little results...”

Yin stepped forward and screamed, her small voice carrying the essence of fear or the need to protect, saying “Careful! Not many can stand before him in this state!” Yang also stepped forward and added to the comment “Its futile from this point on! Back down hooded... err... hooded... guy...” Yang's voice dropped with humiliation as he realized that he did not even know the name of the man that he was calling to.

Looking to Yin for the answer, Yin shrugged his small little shite shoulders as best a cat could without losing balance and falling over.

“It's as Yin-sama, and Yang-sama say... backing down now is your best option... Let go of your ego...”

The hooded figure stood fully straight now. As if in response to both the kittens calls and Togaru's warning, he dropped his blade. It glinted against the light before it severed the pillar slightly and stuck into it, straight.

“I have not ego...” He spoke out as he launched into sonido, carrying him just behind the 4th Espada. As he moved, the 4th Espada moved, whipping his elongated body round, and the spiked gauntlets on his arms beginning to spin like drills. He was fast also. As the spinning spikes came near the hooded figure, he flashed into another sonido that carried him to the opposite location.

Togaru's arms blurred as they moved with similar speed to the hooded figure's movements, and slammed down the spikes on his location. Acting as he had moments before, the myserious fighter raised his hand and sent a sudden blast of energy out of his palm, it sent the spinning gauntlet flailing out of control and into a wall. It buried itself so deeply in the wall that the drill function was unable to continue spinning, and the gauntlet was stuck.

“W-what!?!” Togaru exclaimed with utter shock as the man deflected his attack without even using his weapon.

Spinning the other arm with incredible speed at the hooded figure's location, the mysterious individual back, where he landed calmly. Togaru's arm continued to whip around and smashed into the wall, causing it to crumble, and releasing his other arm.

“This is bullshit!” Togaru exclaimed as he raised his arms, aiming them both at his enemy.

The blades began to spin with more and more speed until they were nothing more than a blur.

“Convert – Dokokoji!” As soon as he spoke, the muscles all over his body began to ripple and rotate. They moved and shifted until Togaru's body was left compeltely different, the muscles in his body almost all converted to his upper body, leaving his legs smaller in proportion to his immense upper body. The drills remained and spun with such speed that small pieces of rubble from the broken down wall began to move due to the wind flow.

“I'll show you why I am fit to be the 4th Espada! Watch this!”

As he spoke, his claim did not come empty handed. Red energy started to creep up the spinning blades and begin to spin with it until red energy was whipping around the drill like hands of Togaru. “Bala!”

At once, he launched a series of bala that flew with further accelerated speed at hooded body. The hooded body blasted into a thundering sonido just in time to dodge the blast that came from the drill like gun. As the red beam his the ground, a huge explosion erupted, taking out the entire wall on that side of the room, and even part of the ceiling. With his other hand, he aimed at the mysterious individual as soon as he landed and launched another red attack.

Only this time, the blast collided with the hooded man and exploded into a huge blast throwing dust everywhere. Togaru did not stop, and continued to throw blast after blast at the smoke screened area causing massive explosion after massive explosion, ripping the room to shreds.

Huge pieces of rubble exploded from around the area and went flying at Suzume. However he did not so much as lift a finger. As the shock waves came in contact with him, the were pushed by equal force as Yin and Yang released their spiritual pressure little by little, the weight from the intensity pushing the explosion and smoked down, along with the rubble.



When it all cleared after a full minute of Togaru throwing the beams at the same loaction and everywhere around it, and the sound of the blasts stopped, only smoke remained. The entire room was filled to the brim with smoke from the series of blasts.

“Did he get him?” Yin asked timidly.

“Of course... there is no one that could dodge those blasts” Yang replied.

From the other side of the thick smoke, Togaru's voice spoke out, calling out victoriously “That is my ability. The spinning motion of my drills both speed up the already impossibly fast bala blasts as well as allow them to become as powerful as an Espada's cero... each blast is completely deadly, as well as being completely impossible to dodge...

The smoke cleared enough for Yin and Yang to see Togaru standing, hunched over and panting. His arms fell to his side. He looked out of breath and as though he has used a large amount of his energy.

“Is... that... so?”

Togaru's eyes shot open as the calm voice of his opponent spoke from just behind him.

“Dodge this...” the same voice said. A green glow shone through the smoke just before a huge and terrifying blast ripped through Togaru's core, tearing him apart. Blood shot everywhere, none of it actually landing on the hooded figure.

As soon as the green beam subsided, Togaru fell. Both Yin and Yang jumped back.

“W-what?!”

“H-how!?”

The hooded man stood behind the corpse of the former 4th Espada. His cloak had mostly been blown off by the blasts, only leaving one sleeve and the hood intact. Bandages fell from the man's legs. The number 4 was already marked on the man in thick black writing. The rest of his body was unable to be seen through the smoke. Half of his right leg showing, the still hooded man walked past the corpse, stepping over it, and on back towards Suzume. His right hand grasped his chest as if he had been hurt by something, holding some of the fabric of his cloak so as to cover the wound, while his left grabbed for his sword as he walked by its location. The bandages still completely covered his left leg, and crotch, and only revealed just above his knee on his right. Also, the right side of his cloak had been blown off.

His body was mortal, and appeared to be unreleased. Thick with muscle and unnafected by whatever blast had taken his clothes, he walked back to his place, in front of Suzume, and bowed slowly.

“It is as I expected... I had a feeling that that tactic was going to be used... it cannot be helped... you were not going after a weak opponent after all...”

Yin and Yang looked at each other in complete confusion. “What tactic Suzume-sama?”

“Never mind that, Yang-san... we have other business to attend to, now that we have finished our work here. Let us introduce our new Espada 4 to his partner – Niiki-dono...”

Yin and Yang both gasped at the same time.

“You mean that they are...” Yang started;

“... going to be placed together!?” Yin finished, both of them mouths and eyes widened to the thought.

“Yes... that is my plan, Yin-san, and Ynag-san.”

Yang continued, showing off his literacy “B-b-b-b-b-but... w-w-what...”

“Shhhh” Suzume said as he leaned down and stroked the black cat's head.

“You will understand soon enough... my little friends...”

Suzume spoke with a smile – a genuine smile.

Suzume stood back up and reached into his own black cloak, retrieving a small package, and handing it to the man. His current clothing would not last much longer. “Use this, change. Quickly.” Suzume spoke as he dropped the package in front of the hooded man. Without waiting for Suzume to turn, the man pulled off his clothing piece by piece, taking off the hood last. However he still kept his head bent down, blocking his face from view. Suzume had already seen his face.

The bandages fell from the man's body until he was completely naked, his almond muscular skin catching the light. His skin was clean. Suzume watched over the man, uninterested in the fact that he was naked, and staring at him as an artist stares at an immaculate sculpture that he had created. Suzume studied his body with complete pride.

Bending down, the naked man opened the small packet to see a new uniform. Picking it out piece by piece, he dressed himself hurriedly, following Suzume's orders to be quick. The whole time, the man kept his face out of vision and held his chest from view with his hands.

When the man stookd back up fully, he was dressed in a new Espada uniform. Replacing the bandages with the Espada formed pants, and elegant Espada fashioned shoes. His chest was covered with fabric, wearing two layers over his chest, the over layer V necking with the under layer in order to show the man's muscular build, while also doing the reverse from the bottom up, both the under layer and the over layer of the man's clothes forming an up side down V that showed his muscular stomach and the number 4.

Like his last uniform, the outfit's outer layer had a large hood that folded back over the man's face, hiding his true appearance from others, using the shadows generated from the hood. However his arms were left showing, each one muscular and built.

The last thing that the man did was tie in his zanpakutou so that it was attached to his lower back, hanging from behind, tied in with the white sash that he was given.

“I am ready, Suzume-basama.”

“Good. Follow me.”

Suzume turned, leaving his back to the new 4th Espada. Suzume extended his senses over the area. He felt Niiki's intense anger flaring out and lashing at Miku's softer and more calm spiritual pressure. Esido was also there.

Suzume smiled.

“It is there...” Suzume pointed his fingers at a the wall to his left. Without muttering words or summoning energy, a small blast exploded from his fingers and hit the wall that he was pointing at. As the blast hit the wall, it burst into nothing more than small crumbles and smoke. Before the smoke even cleared, Suzume dissipated into something faster than both sonido and flash step – a silent competitor of them both. The smoke bent as he passed through it and landed on the other side. Both Yin and Yang followed with the same different technique of high speed movement.

The hooded individual followed with his thundering sonido. The blast had not only taken out that wall, but up ten more in the same direction, each smoking slightly. Yin was the first to go, launching himself into the high speed movement through the holes in the walls. The hooded man followed. Suzume was the last to go after Yang, not entering high speed movement.

The hooded man landed on the other side of the walls just as as Yang did, the small black cat noticing that his path of travel was slightly off, and trying to adjust I mid air, causing his legs to become unable to land at the angle he was at and failing completely, slamming into the wall opposite him.

Yin skidded in with a clean glide, stopping just in front of Esido. The hooded man watched as Niiki launched into a fast sonido, that took her just above a masked woman. It was clear that she was unable to defend.

Coming into the same sonido, he released his sword. Everything happened much too fast, and the man was hardly able to keep up with the attack that the black haired woman lashed out with. But he was able. The masked woman flashed backwards, her sword drawn.

The black haired woman fell backwards, her sword connected with his own. In a small amount of effort, the hooded man bent and twisted his sword sending the woman flying back. In the smoke of confusion, Esido sprung forward, his own sword drawn in effort to attack the man that threatened Niiki.

“Enough!”

Without even raising his voice, Suzume released his spiritual pressure in a small burst. The sudden dose of power sent Miku to the ground on her knees, as well as Esido, struggling and not even being able to complete his Sonido, falling face first. Niiki's energy was so intense that it only bent her at the knees.



Yin and Yang remained unaffected, as well as the hooded man.

“Niiki-san...” Suzume spoke with a deep and provocative voice, “This is your second chance.” As he spoke, he emerged from the smoke of the last wall, pointing at the tall hooded man.

“This is your new partner... do not fail me again, or I will see to it that you die...”

Suzume knew that the words that he spoke would both be cutting as well as relieving. Furthermore, being placed with a higher level Espada was nothing to be think negatively about.

“Miku-san, Esido-san, from now on, you two will be paired.”

Suzume looked back at Niiki,

“You are dismissed.”