Black Night, White Butterfly-A Bleach Fanfiction

Expiration of the Soul, Chapter Eleven

I woke up to someone rapping on my door, to which I screamed, "GET LOST GRIMMJOW, I'VE HAD IT WITH YOUR-OH SHIT."

I straightened my kimono and made sure the board I'd hidden my papers under wasn't bucking up, then opened the door.

I squinted in the bright light at the figure, "What is-what the actual-"

"You overslept," A blackhaired guy said, shoving a letter in my hand, "Here. Be out in ten minutes."

I opened the letter and read it, remembering the letter I'd stole in Las Noches. Somehow, I'd forgotten all about it, but it'd have to wait.

A soul reaper had been half killed in the human world, so I'd be taking over his station for awhile.

I slipped my sword in my obi, shoved my papers in my backpack and swung it on my shoulder, locked my door, and headed out.

He opened a senkaimon for us. We passed through and came to a quaint little Asian town, where he gave me a soul pager and another can of memory-away(as I called it)then left me.

A tour around town concluded that I was in Japan-which meant sushi. Which meant heaven.

I slayed a couple small hollows, and preformed konso on a stray spirit.

The rest of the day was uneventful, beyond my banter with a sushi cook who wouldn't take my American money. I was surprised he could see me, but I doubted he realized I was a soul reaper.

Afterward, I snoozed in a tree.

Vrrrmmbbb!

I awoke from my nightmare, jerking my sword out.

A tall hollow stood over me, and laid a paper next to me as my soul pager had a spazz attack.

"Ah, you're the messenger... It's Wednesday... How'd you even find me? Heck, nevermind, here you go," I gave him the tube.

"Thanks," He grunted, and turned to leave.

"Wait a sec!" I whipped out a marker and scribbled a little note, "Give that to Bitchcu-I mean, Aizen."

The creature looked weirdly at me, then slunk back into Hueco Mundo.

My soul pager spazzed again.

This would be a long, long night...

~~~

A few weeks passed like this, slay a hollow, konso a spirit, whip the rowdy spirits' ass, catch them, then konso, and head back to Soul Society to retrieve whatever Aizen wanted next.

In my free time, I searched high and low in the Rukongai... But I could never find who I wanted.

Today, there was a large, almost menos-sized hollow just by the Karakura district, which, was not my area. But, it was still on my turf, so I went after it.

The beast was like a mixture of cat and lizard-the head, tail and legs of a lion, and the body of a komodo dragon.

Its claws were longer than swords, and its teeth that potruded from the tribal-like mask shone in the moonlight.

I advanced quietly, hoping to get a good headstrike.

It's ear twitched.

I jumped into the air, blade raised a d ready to finish it.

With a sickening crunch, it flicked me aside.

No sooner did my feet touch the ground did I vault from it, sword aimed at the torso.

It blocked me again by making a sort of caged with its claws.

I panted, and quickly considered my options, and decided to get a little fancy.

"Kido, 33!" I yelled.

A blast of hot reitsu shot out of my hand, shooting through the air and at the hollow.

Pwfu!

Sssssstttt...

KA-BOOM!

It screeched, clutching its burning eye.

Bits of the mask rained down around me, and I reveled in my explosive victory.

Swish!

A white blur raced to me at lightening speed

I stared at it hypnotically, watching it come closer, my body failing to dodge it.

I bent backward, eyes still on my target, then wrapped a leg around the claw, and kicked it soundly.

C-crack-k.

It growled lowly, tail swishing in anger.

Its muscled in its back feline legs tightened and rippled...

With a mighty bound that tore huge holes in the ground, it pounced.

I fell back, and tried to crabwalk away, but I tripped on a root.

I rolled to the side, barely dodging its talons.

I curled into a ball and rolled under it, and with a forceful thrust, stabbed it in the side.

It screamed, but the cut I had made was very far from slaying it...

I stood still, and regarded it.

With a catlike swipe, it dug its clawd into my leg.

I  gasped in pain, but whacked them off. It hissed with a tongue like a snake's.

I bounded up and sliced its tongue off.

"Kyyyyaaaaarrrrrroooow!!!??" It shrieked horribly, slashing and clawing wildly at me as I jumped back, claws grazing my body.

"Gak-!" I yelped, and gritted my teeth against the searing pain.

Thick, dark blood drizzled from my side, my kimono soon grew heavy with the lot of it.

I breathed in short gasps, a sharp pain stabbing me when I breathed. I could feel small bubbles in my side when I did... It had punctured my lung...

The pain was mostly dull from the adrenaline, so I could still defend myself... If I had enough resolve.

How is it winning?! I fought freakin' Arrancar stronger than this!

I gathered my strength and swung my sword at it, peeling the skin off it's left hip.

I can't lose.

It screamed and stabbed at my head, slicing off some of my hair.

It only feuled my bloodlust.

I won't lose... I will win...

The creature spun and kicked me into a building.

I twisted myself upright, and mananged to vault off of the wall.

I speared it in the shoulder, running my sword deeply into the bone.

It garbled a scream, and yanked me out of its arm.

It flung me to the ground, and retreated slightly.

I peeled myself off the ground, staggering onto my feet.

I gripped my sword with both hands.

I vaulted into the air, swinging my sword downward upon my formidable opponent.

Shlick...

I coughed, blood running down my chin...

I jerked my head down.

"No-agh!" I cringed in pain, then fixed my gaze in shock and fear.

A long, white claw protruded from my chest, my own blood covering it with red.

The grim laughter of the hollow echoed as I listed out of reality...