"Kan'onball! Kan'oncape!", The air in front of me rippled and blocked the barrage of Bala thrown at me, Loly and Menoly dodging to the side as my Kan'onball barely missed them.
Exploding against the door, shrapnel shot outwards as the girls were hit by some, giving me the chance as I smirked and pointed at the ground.
"Bala," the floor erupted upwards and into the ceiling, bringing it down in a shower of rubble before I cast a Kyokko and vanished.
"Yohohohoho~ Yo hoho Ho~ Yohohohoho~ Yo hoho Ho~", My voice echoed eerily in the dust cloud as I made my footsteps echo as well, smirking when I saw the nervousness in their eyes.
"Why so serious, girls~? Didn't you come here with ill-intent~?", I whispered at Loly's left ear before taking a step back, letting my giggles echo in the air as she swung at the air.
"Y-You act tough, but you hide behind your illusions! Face us like a man!"
"Oh, but I'm not a man, not anymore at least, my dear," I spoke with a smirk, grasping onto the reishi in the air before their eyes widened as a dome formed around them with numerous sparking Bala inside of it.
"I'm a monster," I rumbled as I made myself visible, clenching my fist and lighting the inside of the dome up with a crimson blaze. I did feel a bit bad as I saw their bodies being attacked from all sides, but at the same time, they did come to try and torture me so I wasn't that sad.
The crimson glow of the flames died down as I snuffed them out, letting the barrier drop whilst staring at both Loly and Menoly lying on the floor.
The floor around them was covered in scorch marks as their clothes were singled, their limbs trembling from the burns and the fear dancing in their eyes. With a smile, I took that first step closer, watching as Menoly tried and failed to push herself up while Loly tried her best to crawl away.
"You know, for all the barking you two did, you really didn't think this through, did you? Well, it's more Loly than Menoly I'm guessing, considering that she looked a bit hesitant," I spoke as I crouched beside him, a smile on my face as neither dared to move.
"Now, if I was your precious Lord Aizen, I'd just get rid of both of you right now…and that does feel like the best option. After all, you won't go after my loved ones in retaliation," I murmured, watching as their eyes widened when my sceptre glowed and connected golden spiritual energy to their forms.
"But~ I'm not Aizen. I'm just Don Kanonji, a guy trying to make sure he survives to the next day. Kaido," Grasping onto the Hollow reishi of Hueco Mundo, their eyes widened as I boosted their regeneration, standing up while letting their wounds heal.
"However, next time you try and come to fight me, make sure you come with more than just hate and desperation," I murmured, pulling my energy back while leaving the surprised Arrancars on the floor.
Walking through the gaping doorway, I narrowed my eyes at the figure leaning against the wall, the pink-haired demon looking amused to see me staring back at him before he spoke.
"Incredible, Mr. Kanonji. Most would deem you useless considering that you are but a mere human, but I was hoping for you to be at least interesting in some way and I was not disappointed."
"So, you've just been studying my every move?"
"Naturally. Your blend of using Kido, manipulating reishi and shaping it, Hollow-based techniques and even our regeneration is something that continues to elude my categorization. You're a living paradox and that fascinates me."
"I don't believe that I am that fascinating, but just make sure you keep your gaze away from me for as long as you can or I'm going to take out your eyes," While I would like nothing more than to shoot him before he could become a problem, that would blow up the plan and I needed to buy the others as much time as possible to get into the main buildings.
"Where are you going?"
"On a walk."
"With the intruders running about, all of which are under your command? I believe it would be foolish of us to let you do so."
"Really? I don't care," I answered, continuing on my path before activating the Reishukaku as a hand grabbed onto my shoulder.
"Dismiss your barrier and head back to your room."
"No, I won't. You, however, should go and deal with the intruders while I try and relax," I answered, twisting the barrier's shape to push him back while continuing on my path.
"So assertive and here I was hoping you'd play along like a good little hostage."
"Oh, don't lie, Pinky. The look in your eyes is like that of a mad scientist I know. You were hoping for the chance that I go out of line."
"My name…is Szayelporro, not Pinky."
"And I don't care. You have pink hair so you're Pinky.
"Insults in place of intellect. For a man of your unique calibre, I had expected something more refined."
"Nah, refinement is for people who have the time to worry about the little insignificant things of life. I'm in Hueco Mundo, the world of Hollows and not a runway show," I answered with a shrug, watching as he took a step forward and unleashed a surge of pressure.
It was not the crushing force but more of that of a silk glove, clinging and constricting around the Reishukaku, making it seem as if he was analysing every little aspect of it.
"You are quite the dangerous man, Kanonji, and that's not because of your strength. Unlike the rest of us who are used to display of arrogance because of their power, you are an evolving and adaptive subject, like a virus."
"And you're trying to figure me out to get the cure?", I asked, to which Szayelporro let out a laugh fitting for a mad scientist before he grinned.
"No, Don Kanonji. I'm trying to become the virus," he whispered and I narrowed my eyes as the air behind him shimmered, raising an eyebrow as a being with a sceptre and pale skin walked out with a wide grin.
"Behold~ A mock soul constructed from your energy imprint, spells and spiritual habits. I call it-"
"Kan'onflare!", Szayelporro hopped back to escape the barrier that had formed around his previous location just in time, the clone not so lucky as my spiritual energy and the volatile reishi of Hueco Mundo reacted spectacularly with each other.
In the blink of an eye, the entire inside of the barrier imploded upon itself, Szayelporro's look of surprise a sight of beauty to my eyes as I walked through the smoke and spoke.
"Pinky, my dear friend. You talk too much."
"…That was not the result I expected."
"Is that so? Perhaps you should have thought ahead."
"Oh, I did," he said with a grin as he held up a finger, my eyes narrowing as a hornet-shaped insect with a Hollow mask landed on his finger.
It was erased in that same instance by a Kan'onball, Szayelporro narrowing his eyes as I raised a brow.
"What? You keep leaving yourself open."
"You understand that your constant attempts of resistance will result in your loved ones suffering the consequences, yes?"
"I do," I nodded, tapping my sceptre against the ground and creating a barrier around the two of us as Szayelporror glared at me.
"Lord Aizen did ask of me to make sure that I found out about your body as much as I can, but he did not say that your mind had to be in tact for said process."
"Oh, really? Then, Pinky, let's see if you c-"
"Szayel~!", I blinked as children voices echoed throughout the hallways, frowning at the man's excitement before being surprised by a blur slamming head first into the barrier.
"Hey, Szayel~! Is this guy bothering you?!", the kid at the front asked, all of them dressed in tattered cloaks while the one at the front had a headphone-shaped mask fragment on his head.
"He is, Picaro. He's a bad guy that wants to stop me from playing with you."
"Gah! The audacity! I, Don Kanonji, am the master of playtime!", I exclaimed with an outraged look, the kids in awe as Szayelporro narrowed his eyes at my grin.
He thought that he could manipulate children against me, the master of keeping people's attention as a TV Star?
Oh, he's about to see the error in his ways.
"You are the master of playtime?"
"But of course~! I am the master of playtime, the chef of attention, the maestro of games and you think that I would take away playtime."
"But then…you're not a bad guy?"
"Of course not! Here's the best part, children. I…am your father," I whispered lowly, the kids looking surprised as Szayelporro rolled his eyes.
"Really?"
"No, but I can be. We could have all the playtime, food and toys that you want, but he! Doesn't want to let me take you!"
"…So, Mr. Szayel is actually a bad guy?"
"Wait, what?", he asked in surprise, now realising the danger he is in as I grinned slyly and nodded.
"He is~ Now, Picaro! Use 'Destroy-the-man-that-wants-to-take-away-playtime!"
"Yes, Daddy! Cero! Cero! Cero!", Two hundred voices spoke in unison as they unleashed a bombardment of Cero at Szayelporro, who looked just as surprised as I did for a brief moment before I quickly created a Reishukaku barrier around me.
It was just in time too as a pillar of Hollow Reiatsu tore through Las Noches, the ground trembling underneath my feet for a few seconds before it died down and the smoke began to dissipate.
As it did, I stared at the smoking crater where the Espada once stood, sighing as I watched the charred corpse in the centre fading away like a mirage.
"He's not there?", the main Picaro asked with a disappointed frown, standing beside me along with the other children as I shook my head.
"No, he pulled a fast one. However, I have to admit that you kids did pull a good one," I spoke with a look of awe at the devastation around us. The roof above was crumbling while the walls were completely shattered, the kids looking proud of their achievement as I chuckled.
"Do you think he teleported?"
"Or he turned into goo and slipped through the cracks like a coward?"
"Ooh~ What if he made a clone out of toenail clippings and slipped off while we were monologuing?", A girl with her mask fragment as bunny ears asked with wide eyes, the others looking just as excited as she did as I gave an exaggerated hum.
"Hmm~ You might be on to something there. In any case, he's gone."
"…That means we won, right?", the main Picaro with the headphone fragment asked, both him and the other kids giving me hopeful looks despite the snot and smiles on their faces.
'…You know what? I think I'm in this for the long haul.'
"You didn't just win. You obliterated him. It was the most beautiful display of overkill that I have seen."
"Yayy~!"
"Daddy is awesome~!"
"Cero Squad…GO!"
'Right, I did say that I was their dad. Man, am I both annoyed and happy that my show persona came out at that moment.'
"Remind me to never get on your bad side, bud," I murmured, ruffling Picaro's hair as he giggled before they all mimicked throwing a Cero at the wall.
'Still, Szayelporro survived and with more information on me than he had before. Unfortunately for him, he's now dealing with the master of playtime and the dad to two hundred Cero-wielding turrets. Now, back to my original plan.'
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"Coast clear," Picaro No. 20 whispered, to which I gave a thumbs-up before we all crawled across the ground into the room. Slithering up to the wall, I sat up against it along with the rest of the group, all of us quiet as I slowly closed the door.
"Everyone good?", I asked, the group nodding before I focused on the object seated on the pedestal.
"The Hogyoku…that's a fake, isn't it?"
"Of course it is. You truly believe that I would show you where I hid it?", Aizen asked as the pedestal vanished, replaced by the Shinigami seated on a throne in the centre of the room.
'Well, shit.'
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"Huh, I thought we all went different ways?", Ichigo asked with a frown as his group walked out into the desert sand of Las Noches, surprised to see both the Visored and the Fullbringer groups sitting around.
"Hey, Ichigo! What took you guys so long?!", Shinji asked with a grin as he stood up, Ichigo just rolling his eyes while Kensei frowned.
"Different pathways that lead to the same exit?"
"Something like that, yeah. I think it's to herd all the invaders of an enemy to a single point where the group can then be extinguished by the strongest enemies."
"Is that so? Then, the energies approaching are them?", The man asked, the entire group turning their gaze to see a group of beings dressed in white Arrancar clothing walking towards them.
"Remember! I get Ichigo Kurosaki and you all get the rest!"
"No, I get Ichigo and the rest of you fight for the scraps!"
"Oi! I'm the one who has a rematch waiting with the bastard!"
"Yeah, and you're also the guy that nearly got killed by him so you lost! Ulquiorra, tell this guy he has to wait until I finish my fight," Nnoitra spoke with a glare towards the stoic figure beside him, who didn't move his gaze as the two groups stared each other down.
"Lord Aizen ordered us to take care of the enemy group immediately. That does not mean we must make a competition of it."
"Eesh, what pissed in your food to make you this crappy?"
"You kidding? He's always this pissed-off," Grimmjow spoke with a scoff, to which Nnoitra rolled his eyes before they looked forward as Isshin spoke up.
"May I ask what you all are doing here?"
"We're here to eliminate you fools that invaded our lands!", Nnoitra barked out, the Espada and their Fraccions silent as Shinji smirked.
"Is that so? Everyone, you all can go. I'll be enough."
"Got it," The Visoreds nodded and immediately turned around, the Espada narrowing their eyes when the rest of the group followed after them.
"You are an arrogant Shinigami, aren't you?"
"I am. Now then, I did say I would take care of you."
"Nnoitra, kill him."
"Why me~?", Nnoitra whined as he walked closer, Shinji just smirking as he spun the ring on the back of his sword and whispered.
"Ban-Kai."
A/N: And we end it off here~! The Don is now talking to Aizen and Shinji is facing off against three Espada.
…That's stupid on their part, to be honest.
P.S. if you guys want the arc to be longer, just say so and we'll change some of the line-up.
Anyway, next chapter: Friend vs Foe.
Like always, you can go to my Pat-reon-.-com-/-KingCrimsonNova to read ahead on this as well as many other stories & even some that haven't been released out to this site yet. If you want to, you are free to, but if you don't want, all's good as I will still be uploading here. This is just me trying to get some extra cash.
Anyway, as always, read, enjoy, review and until the next one...
Ba-Bye~!