LOCK PLEASE.

[Guest]

The small snake waited in the forest, slowly releasing his reiatsu as he returned to his Arrancar form. "Here here Shiro, even in my weakened form you will fail to slay me..." Mateo was of course a bit cocky but he planned to do what Dura had told him, to seize the power that Shiro held. Yet at the same time as his reitsu reached its max he wondered if the Shinigami had gotten any stronger like himself. Only time would tell...........

[Dad]

A bite of reiatsu pinched at Shiro, forcing him to turn around. He pushed forwards to the reiatsu, deeper and deeper into the forest. He spun Mokumoku around awaiting the enemy, when he spotted an oddly colored gardening snake, which had begun to grow. "Mateo," he said quietly behind him.

 

Shiro waited for his opponent to strike. It wouldn't be fair to attack him when he wasn't looking, though Shiro was fairly sure Mateo had sensed him. He leaned against a tree, watching the Arrancar grow.

[Guest]

Mateo smirked, he was expecting Shiro to come right to him but he had already met his expectations. "Go ahead and make the first move Shinigami, you won't last long anyways." The Arrancar finished his transformation and turned himself to Shiro, pointing one finger to his chest. "Go ahead, take a free shot!" The shard on the top of his mask glowed violently showing that he ment bussiness!

[Dad]

Shiro smiled and sighed. "So, you're the wielder of the shard of Power?" Shiro moved his hair from his left eye. "Take a good look Mateo. Both our shards are down to their last specs. What would be the point in me getting a free shot at you?" Shiro pondered Mateo. "You're pretty arrogant. You used to be such a smooth Vasto Lorde. Now you're filled with greed and from what I see, lust.

 

Even if you managed to kill me, it wouldn't change your fate." Shiro began to walk away. "Why should I waste my time with you. And if I'm right," he said pointing to the smudged number two on Mateo's cheek. "You're no longer an Espada. You wouldn't be hiding here anyways. You're nothing more than a washed up shard wielder. And even with it, you can't protect or fend for what you want."

 

Shiro threw two fingers at Mateo, and began taking to the skies.

[Guest]

The Arrancar shrugged as he brushed his hair out of his face. "Do you think I care about the Espada anymore? In the last month alone I went through more things then any soul would in their life time." Mateo quickly disappeared, shifting his way behind Shiro and then appearing again to belt him in the back with a powerful knee. "Tell me, do you know how it feels to die by that of the hand of Kiron, then be brought back to life to go straight into training while being seperated from the one you care about." The Arrancar spat on the ground as he got into a fighting position, he wanted to toy around with Shiro a bit but if needed he would have to end it as fast as possible.

[Dad]

Shiro shrugged off the attack. "I don't give a damn about you, what you lost, what you've been through, or how you feel. There is one thing on my mind," he said crossing his arms to face Mateo. "That is my mission. And as of now, you have become my top priority." Shiro used his Flash Step to appear only inches away from Mateo's face, using the hilt of his sword to bash Mateo's chest, and kick him backwards, reeling.

 

"Come on then, you cocky bastard. I'll use you to get rid of my final spec of my shard."

[Guest]

Mateo smirked, he had planned to use Shiro to get rid of his final shard fragment himself. The Arrancar shot out two snakes from his hand then followed up with a couple Bala shots. //Fourty Seven different moves from this point, but guessing if he will release soon is what will change my countering plans.// Mateo was easily planning out his battle options as he Sonido'd to the side and fired a few more Balas at the Shinigami.

[Dad]

"Useless," Shiro said vanishing, and stabbing Mateo in the back. He had only barely bypassed the bala blasts, but they wouldn't have done much. He used Mateo's back to spring backwards. "I won't fight you seriously if you're going to hide behind your pets." He refused to fight from a distance. It was . . . pathetic as far as he was concerned. He sliced the lurking snakes around him in half, and crushed their heads.

[Guest]

Little did Shiro know that he hit the wrong Mateo. The slashed clone exploded as the Shinigami took care of the snakes, catching him in the end of the blast. //Tsk tsk, hes too reckless for his own good. If he didn't spring backwards he could of been caught in the full blast, oh well!// Mateo unsheathed one of his blades and quickly sonido'd behind Shiro, slicing upwards.

[Dad]

Blood splattered and dispersed as the over confident fool attempted to sneak attack Shiro. "This is quite boring," he said. He was starting to sound like his father more and more. Around the field was clear of snakes, so Shiro had no reason to suspect a Gatling Gun Cero, not that it would harm him. The air was calm, and the silence drove Mateo, deeper and deeper.

 

"Silence Them, Mokumoku Kitai." A blood curdling scream rang throughout Seireitei. The blood Zanpaktou wrapped it's fierce piercings around Shiro's wrist, and unlike before, the protruding blood spikes were being moved, shaping in and out. Now, breaking a bullet of blood from the Zanpaktou, he placed it in the air beside him, and kicked it forward.

 

"Let's see how he deals with this," Shiro thought.

[Guest]

//His zonpaktou's release... it's been a while but if I remember right it sucks and controls blood.// Mateo sighed, he wanted to use a mix of ranged and close ranged combat but the Shinigami's release was going to get in the way of that plan. The Arrancar focused reitsu into his body, allowing him to make four clones of himself. Then each of the Mateo's grabbed two swords while the other two left in their sheaths started to float around them by the use of reiatsu. //Lets see how he handles this....// The clones quickly dashed towards Shiro, rearing themselves for combat.

[Dad]

"Hmph." The tiny blood pellet burst, spreading off millions and millions of tiny blood needles, which homed in on the two fakes which attempted to surround Shiro. "Blood Bath Barrage." Showering the fakes with the millions of needles, he absorbed their toxic blood into his own, enjoying the sweet taste. "Your poison can't hurt me. I'm able to rid it of my system because of my blood," he said, as he could tell Mateo was mocking him, sucking in poisonous blood.

 

The two fakes were easily combated, using a Flash step to bash one into the other, and join-stab them together, draining every ounce of blood from their bodies.

[Guest]

But as Shiro was taking the smack talk a giant Gren Ray Cero was a millisecond away from connecting. //I wonder if he realized that I'm just baiting him into attacking.// The Cero blasted the Shinigami's back, sending a giant burning sensation through Shiro's body. "You are way to reckless Shiro and it will cause your downfall. You might believe my style of fighting is that of a boring person but it is one of a smart fighter." The Arrancar was already planning out his next trap or counter depending on Shiro's movements, at the rate the Shinigami was attacking it would only be a matter of time until Mateo would have a major uphand even with the shard draining a massive amount of his energy.

[Signosis]

"Ok maybe you can effect me a bit with just a peck."

 

Jo chuckled and watched as he turned into a harmless garden snake and slithered off.

 

"Good luck." She called to him, feeling the Shinigamis' reitsu.

'So it begins,' Jo thought, looking out her window as she strapped on her sword sheaths, placing the swords inside them. Every one of them felt familiar...and strong.

A knock came to her door.

 

"Coming," Jo called, walking to her door. She yanked it open. "Kiron needs me, eh? Well, can't be helped."

 

She ran off with Elena to Kiron.

[Dad]

"You're still running your foul mouth, so please, shut your face and kill me. I could care less what you think or believe, you arrogant funk. And when I'm through with you, one of us will burn in hell. If I'm 'reckless' as you claim, it'll be--thank goodness--or it will be you.Either way, one of us is done." Wiping the soot from his shoulders, he ripped the remaining chunk of flesh from Mateo's fakes, and sucked it dry, healing his burns with the blood.

 

Kicking them aside, he stared at the opponent. "Baiting me into attacking. Please. He strikes luckily and gets cocky, and I'm really tired of hearing it. Go on then, show me you can kill me. I'll play along." He 'recklessly' lunged forwards to attack.

 

---

 

Zaraki watched carefully as Eric shaped and reformed himself, refusing to die. "And I haven't even released my sword! You are the most pathetic of Head Captains!" Eric laughed as Zaraki swung, splattering him, but things were different this time. Blood was drawn; this was not a good sign for Eric.

 

"H-how did you cut me? Gah! You bastard!" Eric spun his Zanpaktou around and slashed Zaraki's chest and face, but Zaraki didn't flinch or blink. "I know how to cut ya now. See, your body, unlike the typical Arrancar's, is not made of skin, but of some sort of weird ass slime, that reacts to reiatsu. So just by putting a touch into my sword," he said slashing downwards at Eric, who blocked the blade with his own, horizontally.

 

"I can break through!" Eric's Zanpaktou was shattered, a hole in the gaping middle, and hole in his chest as well. Zaraki twisted his blade about, tearing at Eric's organs. Eric cried out in pain, spilling blood from his mouth. "Bastard!"

[Guest]

Mateo shook his head while eight clones of himself appeared, each positioning themselves in one of the nine direction options, with the Arrancar himself above Shiro. The clones each had all of their swords out, which soon led to them quickly dashing through the Shinigami, which led to poisoness cuts around the body. After the assualt from the clones Mateo Sonido'd in front of Shiro, nailing him with a powerful kick which knocked him lower towards the forest ground. Yet as soon as the kick was connected the Arrancar was already under the Shinigami, preparing what seemed to be a Gran Rey Cero. "Viper's Assualt!" The Cero launched from Mateo's fingers, two inches below Shiro. //I didn' want to use this until I broke the shard.... Multiple Sonidos, sword levitations and Ceros take alot out of me thanks to this damn thing.//

[Dad]

Shiro spun to the ground and caught himself. "He's draining his power to attempt to overwhelm me," he said watching himself. "How typical." The clones remained in a single place. Again, typical. Shiro wrapped himself completely in Mokumoku, and used Flash Step to hover above the enemies. "Bloody Dance, Blood Bath Barrage."

 

An immense hand grabbed the clones, and crushed them instantly. Shiro spat the posion from his body, and vanished. Then, when Mateo least expected it, he was being beaten senselessly by blood daggers. While he was busy with the daggers, Shiro advanced himself, speeding through Mateo like lightning, slashing his face, slashing his torso, stabbing his legs, and bashing him to the ground, while the blood daggers continued to rain down upon him.

 

As Mateo plummeted with daggers upon him, Shiro lay in wait, pinning him to the ground with his feet, and stabbing his hands.

 

"I'm nearing the last of my strength. I hope this . . . stupid shard pulls through!" Shiro thought to himself.

[Guest]

Mateo started to laugh, he was actually having fun in a fight for once but by the seems of how this is going he would have to be a bit more serious. The Arrancar let a flash of reiatsu work as a blinding light, keeping the Shinigami from seeing what was next. Mateo's mouth opened as objects that seemed like bones started to move up the Arrancar's body. As the light started to fade Mateo started to shed his skin, refreshing the major wounds taken from Shiro's assualt. "Why don't you put away that little shikai of yours and use your fists like a real fighter." The Arrancar felt as if a giant Semi-truck was dropped on top of him the shoved down his asscrack, which of course was followed by a tired stare in his eyes. Yet little did he realize his shard started to glow again.......

[Dad]

A tear of blood ran down Shiro's left eye, and he noticed Mateo's own glow. "You're talking about me? You fight from a distance with Cero's and snakes, but that makes me less of a man? Dumb ass." Shiro panted slowly, his chest heaving, as he snatched up a wild boar, and drained it dry to the bone, healing the greater of his wounds.

 

Shiro flicked Mokumoku around, and locked arms with Mateo, and this sparked their new battle. A ringing sound ran through Shiro's head, as a blinding light confused Mateo, and they both began to back away, when they felt an immense hellish pain coarse throughout them. Lastly, the sound of a breaking glass.

[Guest]

A small bit of purple dropped from the Arrancar's broken masked, soon followed by other small pieces. "Finally this piece of sheet is out of my way so I can actually fight!" A rush of reiatsu quickly flowed through Mateo's body, giving him the power he was craving. //This is amazing! I feel as if nothing can stop me!// The Arrancar quickly drew his swords, sending two powerful slashes and two quick stabs towards Shiro's way.

[Dad]

"Too . . .slow." Shiro parried with his own blade, flinging Mateo's left out of the way, and slamming his right to the ground. A blue crystal on the ground caught Shiro's eye, when he realized what it was. "It's gone," he said shifting his eyes to Mateo's own. With a dark glare, he separated himself and Mateo, clearing the forest in the process.

 

"Interesting," he began thinking. Mokumoku shrieked with glee, spitting forth two enormous blood bullets. They floated in front of him slowly spinning, emitting a strange static and radio wave, making love to Shiro's ears. "This is very convenient."

[Guest]

Mateo quickly made his way to the back of the forest. "Hmm it seems like my reiatsu and strength went up yet my speed went down and by the looks of it Shiro's shard broke as well. This could bring up problems or make it even easier." The Arrancar quick took a seat and allowed his reiatsu to recover to it's fullest. //So this is the power Lord Dura spoke about... I wonder what else the shard Jo holds can do.// Mateo sighed, he knew the battle was just about to begin......

[Dad]

Elena guided Jo back as quickly as possible. With Sonido, Jo should have been able to keep up with ease. When they arrived, Kiron looked into her eyes, which were filled with guilt. "I've decided, that under this critical time, you Jo, will be our newest member of the Espada. The Segunda. But don't get comfortable. I don't want you letting your guard down while the enemy lurks.

 

Elena, you are to take Jo and scout the western region. Be cautious." Elena nodded, taking off ahead.

 

---

 

Shiro watched carefully as Mateo took a seat. He sucked back the blood bullets, and leaned against a tree. A strange reiatsu ran through him, coursing like a thousand trains. IT felt amazingly good. Then, a strange pulse vibrated his chest. He ripped away his Kimono, noticing his blood stained chest becoming rock hard. "Hmm? It's like a coat of armor." He rubbed himself slowly, as though he were in a new body.

 

He looked to Mateo who also had a new reiatsu pouring within him. "I wonder what about him has changed."

[Guest]

Mateo looked up to see Shiro standing over him, noticing that the blood on his chest seemed to turn into body armor. //It seems like his reiatsu pressence has definality gone through the roof with the breaking of his shard while I just got slower with my reiatsu change.... funk.//

Yet the Arrancar didn't seem to notice that his muscles bluged a bit along with along with the sharpening of his reiatsu's pressence.

[Dad]

"His new reiatsu slightly overwhelms mine, but I still have a greater advantage. Power means nothing." Shiro took to the skies, waiting for Mateo. "It would be in both our bests interests to end this quickly. So let's." He beckoned Mateo to him, with his Zanpaktou at his side. "I wonder what the shard can really do?"