FicWad

“Hm?” arose a slightly high toned, mutter of surprise.
Whirling my head around, my eyes fell on the form of a man. He wasn’t particularly large, nor to short. His toned and muscular form was enclosed in a white arrancar uniform, similar to the one that my previously encountered enemy wore. Around his eyes, markings of what appeared to be vermillion red paint extended into points just below his hair line. The arrancar’s hair, which fell around his features in a close-cut style, bore a slightly red shine to it, when the flickering light from the torches landed on it’s black velvety colour. Fixed to his chin was what appeared to be a fragment of a piece of jaw bone. Strapped to his waist by a long black sash was a slightly short looking zanpakuto.
Reaching upwards, he proceeded to methodically crack the knuckles on each of his hands, before raising an eyebrow and questioning me.
“Who are you?” he said in his high tone voice, which seemed to bear an ever so slight Mexican accent. His hand slowly moved to the hilt of his zanpakuto.
“I … um…” I stammered, attempting to articulate my words.
“You’re a soul reaper, aren’t you?” he smirked. For some odd reason, he didn’t draw his sword.
“Yes,” I responded, squinting my eyes and peering harshly through the thin slits.
“And here I thought that soul reapers were supposed to treat others with respect,” he sighed. “You wont even tell me your name.”
“Kawada,” I responded.
“Arrancar #109 Taigā Senshi ,” he replied, bowing his head slightly. Still his hand remained on his sword hilt.
“One hundred and nine?” I chuckled. “Isn’t that number kind of low? Hahaha.”
“I would advise you not to underestimate me, estúpido,” he smirked, drawing his sword and pointing it in my direction.
“But, if Espada are single digit, and Numeros are double digit, you must be the lowest of the low,” I laughed.
There was a sound somewhat like the sound a music amp made as it was turned on. Senshi disappeared.
What the hell was that? I thought. Shunpo?
Reappearing behind me, he swung his sword in a wide arc, towards my head. Anticipating this, I dropped to my knees and rolled forwards across the tiled floor.
Placing my hands against the ground, I pushed off and entered a semi-flip, before landing on my feet and turning back towards the arrancar.
“Nice move,” I said, drawing my nameless zanpakuto. “You almost caught me off guard.”
“Nice dodge,” Senshi replied. “Oh and, for the record, you were wrong when you assumed that I was ranked low. Privaron Espada. Three digits is the sign of an Espada who has been replaced.”
My eyes shot open wide. What? What did he just say!?
“W-What?!” I stammered. “Then why is you’re spiritual pressure so low!?”
“Oh!” he mused, slightly surprised. “You recognised that I’m not fighting to my full. I’m quite surprised. I take it that this isn’t your first encounter with an Espada?”
“It’s my sixth,” I stated, bluntly.
“Wow!” Senshi said, genuinely surprised. “I’m impressed that you’re still alive.”
“Likewise.”
“Hehehehe,” he chuckled. “You’re pretty funny. It’s a shame that I’ll have to kill you.”
BA-DUM…
After a single heartbeat, I felt it. The crushing force of spiritual pressure. But… this wasn’t right.
“What?” he questioned, slightly stunned. “How can you still be standing?”
He was right. I was still on my feet. More impressive still, the pressure on my shoulders had barely shifted me. Perhaps it was because of the ranks of the Espada that I had encountered. Maybe, they were of higher rank than he used to be. Plus, the fact that he was demoted in the first place could have been due to an issue of strength. Either way, all I knew was that I had a chance!

*

As we repeatedly clashed blades, sparks flew through the surrounding area. We seemed pretty evenly matched.
As I deflected his blade to the side, I rushed forwards and proceeded to slash Senshi across his shoulder. His white uniform was torn, but that was all. I had forgotten about his hierro.
Reacting to my lapse of guard, the Privaron Espada grabbed hold of my wrist and pulled me closer to him, while simultaneously swinging his sword towards me with his other hand.
Ducking down, I avoided the swipe and released my left hand from the hilt of my zanpakuto. Thrusting my hand upwards, I roared:
“Hado #33 Sōkatsui!!”
Ducking to the side, my opponent released his grip on my wrist and moved out of the way of the pale blue flames.
Stepping backwards, a grin plucked the corner of the arrancar’s mouth, however this was slightly inhibited due to the jaw bone fixed to his chin.
“Nice move,” he smirked. “I wasn’t expecting the use of Kido.”
“Be prepared for more surprises then,” I smirked back. “Because I’ve got a lot more up my sleeve than that!”
“Heh… heh heh heh…” he suddenly chuckled, tilting his head to the side. “You sure ‘bout that?”
“What do you mean?”
“If you were serious about killing me, then you would have released you zanpakuto the instant we started fighting.”
My entire body stiffened. My body was instantly drenched in a chilling sweat. He’d figured me out. If he released his zanpakuto now, then it would be all over!
Rushing forwards, I raised my zanpakuto and swung it towards the arrancar. I had to finish this before he got the opportunity to release.
As our swords clashed, I forced my way forwards, so that the back of his blade was basically pressed against his face.
“Thanks,” he smirked, causing me to pull a heavily confused face. “That’s just what I needed.”
Without a moments hesitation, he moved his head upwards and proceeded to bite down on the back of the blade.
“Lacerar. Príncipe de los gatos!!”