The Nueva Espada

Chapter 13:Running up that Hill

Day 6

10 DAYS TO THE INVASION

Gamma reeled back from another hit of Arturo's beam sword, the impact had left a small chip in his Chainsword

"Damn" he cursed as he examined the damage to his blade

"It's just a chip" Arturo noted

"Yeah…well…just watch out will ya?" Gamma asked as he readied himself "I kinda need my Zanpakuto, unlike you, who doesn't even use yours, You just use that weird sword beam thing"

"I have a good reason" Arturo stated as he dispelled the energy blade around his hand "I do not wish to use it, that is all"

"That's weak, man" Gamma sighed as he holstered his blade over one of his shoulders "Everyones Zanpakuto's strength comes from their emotions, if you discriminate your Zanpakuto, they'll sense nothing but anger in the blade and kick your ass when it actually comes time for you to use the damn thing"

"You seem to know a lot" Arturo stated as he shoved his hands in his pockets "Tell me…I could sense anything from your zanpakutou since I wasn't using mine to combat it….so then, what emotions does your blade carry?"

Gamma looked at him for a few seconds before dipping his head slightly

"I had a sister once…"

Not what Arturo was expecting to hear

"But…she died because her stupid older brother couldn't protect her, we both died, we waited and waited for someone to take us to the Soul Society, someone did eventually show up…but they only managed to save her in time…and I became a Hollow…and then an Arrancar"

Arturo silently wondered where he was going with this

"I learned that day that I would probably never see her again…I even got word that she had become a Shinigami…a God of Death, while I was left in cesspits of Hueco Mundo to rot away…and that's when I realised something…" Gamma stated as he looked up at Arturo, a feral look in the Ashen haired Arrancars eyes "I needed power"

The Turquoise haired Nueva Espada's eyes widened a fraction after he said that

"Power so I could live on, I devoured Hollow after Hollow to become strong…so that I could live on…I was so weak and fragile…that I knew that in the state I was in, I couldn't last long…So I joined the Nueva Espada to achieve my goal…to achieve the one thing I want more than anything!" Gamma roared before he settled down and muttered one last word before he charged forward again "Immortality"

"That's what's in my Blade…What gives my Zanpakutou strength…My desire to get stronger…to become Immortal"

ELSEWHERE

Ulquiorra proceeded to dust off the sand from his uniform, he was half-tempted to scorn Kurosaki for his decision to have training sessions take place in the desert like areas of Las Noches as opposed to the perfectly good empty hangar-like rooms they had inside the palace

"You love Ulquiorra"

Ulquiorra's eyes widened at that sentence, he quickly located where it was coming from

"That was Harribel" he noted

"The hell I do"

"And that voice…Orihime" he noted

"It's true" Harribel stated "I believe the Humans call it Stockholm Syndrome"

"I believe I call it fuck off and mind your own business" Orihime growled, Harribel narrowed her eyes for a moment before turning in the opposite direction