"How many have we killed so far?!", Love asked as he leaned back, dodging his clone's kanabo before Rose's whip flew over his head and cut it in half.
"I'd say over half a dozen of each of our clones, but considering that it's been never-ending, I'd rather not keep track!"
"Oi, Love, Rose! You're slacking there!", Hiyori shouted as she leaned to the side to dodge a swing from her clone, grabbing onto its wrist before spinning and throwing it at Lisa.
The woman in question grunted as she leapt up into the air with a graceful twirl, unsheathing her blade and cutting both her clone and Hiyori's to ribbons.
"Stop throwing your clone at me."
"You finish it quicker!", Hiyori spoke with a grin before clawing at her face, forming her mask with the other Visored doing the same as the battle intensified.
In the far back of the clone battles, Ichigo grunted as he blocked a slash from his clone, lunging in and cleaving its Zangetsu in two before ducking down as a barrage of arrows flew overhead and pierced through it.
Spinning around and rushing past Uryu, a Getsuga Tensho rippled from his blade and cut through the Quincy's clone, the orange-haired teen huffing as Uryu narrowed his eyes at him.
"I had that."
"And I had that."
"Would you two stop fighting?!", Ginjo grunted as he parried his clone's slash, Tsukishima doing the same before they pivoted in unison and cleaved through each other's clones.
Chad nodded in agreement as he grabbed his clone by the midsection, spinning around it before heaving and burying it skull first into the ground.
Leaping up as a flaming slash cut through it, the teen gave a thumbs-up to Isshin who nodded before he moved on to attack the creator of the clone army.
However, Cien grinned as he snapped his fingers, unleashing a wave of black liquid that transformed into an army of Isshin's clones with their flaming blades held high.
"Getsuga Tensho," The clones echoed in unison, their voices without emotion as they swung down and unleashed a storm of flaming slashes right at Cien who countered it with a bombardment of Cero.
"Right I forgot you were here," The Arrancar murmured, looking at Shinji who just smirked before a barrier formed in front of him thanks to Hachi's Kido.
"Well, time to get rid of a problem," he spoke as he pointed at Shinji, who grinned as some of the group charged at him.
"Okay, they're on me! You're up!", Shinji spoke with a grin as he flipped over a slash, Cien's grin widening as Jackie and Mashiro rushed past him and smashed a double axe kick into the ground.
A dust cloud exploded upwards and obscured the battlefield from view, but Cien narrowed his eyes as he felt a blade stabbing into his chest.
"Book of the End," Tsukishima whispered as he pulled his blade free, landing back on the ground while watching as the rest of the clones vanished.
"Hmm, that thing is a lot more dangerous than I expected," Shinji spoke with a smirk as Tsukishima flicked his sword, to which the man just rolled his eyes as Ginjo patted his shoulder with a grin.
"Yeah, Tsuki here is the pride and joy of our Xcution."
"Good to hear. In any case, how strong is your ability?"
"Fairly strong," was all Tsukishima said, to which Shinji snickered while Isshin narrowed his eyes as he saw Cien standing with a smile.
"So, that's it? All set and done?"
"Yes. Cien, how was your undercover mission?"
"Good, but boring~ I got locked in this stupid room and I only got out recently after some Kanonji guy fought against the one that kept me captive."
"Kanonji? Huh, so he's fighting as well. I guess the plan is going well, then," Kensei asked, to which Isshin nodded before he turned to Macy who was looking in the distance.
"What's up?"
"Something is coming. Something strong."
"How strong?"
"Cinderella-levels of strong," She answered, to which Isshin grimaced before they all turned their head as a figure crashed into the ground.
"Oh, you…broke out? That's never happened before," Shinji murmured with a frown, looking at Ulquiorra who dropped the unconscious forms of Grimmjow and Nnoitra on the ground.
His long white gone was gone, revealing his slender white torso with a black, sludge-like liquid secreting from his Hollow hole in the centre of his chest. Along with that, he also had black fur covering his waist, arms and legs, a large, fur-edged tail growing out from his lower back and two large bat ears on his head.
"Your Bankai was incredible, I will give you that, but you underestimated the true strength of an Espada ranked #4."
"And I'm guessing those two are still alive because your precious Aizen has plans for them?", Isshin asked with a frown, holding his sword tightly as Ulquiorra simply narrowed his eyes.
"Ichigo, Shinji, take everyone to Kanonji's location."
"You sure? This guy feels pretty strong."
"Do not worry. He has help," Macy spoke as she took out her Magi-Pistol, Isshin smirking as Shinji raised an eyebrow before nodding.
"Got it. Everyone, let's go."
"What makes you think that you all will be leaving here?", Ulquiorra asked before his eyes narrowed as Isshin's Reiatsu surged, Ichigo surprised to feel the oppressive weight and scorching heat rippling in the air.
"Do keep in mind that you are facing a former captain," Isshin spoke, to which Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes before lunging at the closest person that ran past.
Ichigo narrowed his eyes as he went to block the attack only for his dad to appear in between them, blocking the Espada's claw strike with the flat side of his blade while Macy appeared beside Ulquiorra with her gun aimed at his head.
"Magic #4: Stunball!", the blast impacted his head and sent him skidding to the side, Isshin rushing after Ulquiorra while cutting his hand on the blade.
"Blood-Flame Attack!", Blood spurted from the wound and covered the blade as Isshin swing upwards, unleashing a storm of flames that surged towards Ulquiorra.
"Magic #28: Rainy Wheel!", Appearing above, Macy appeared above Ulquiorra and shot a cone-shaped wave of reishi at the Espada, who looked at both attacks before pointing an index finger at each attack.
"Cero," Pointing his fingers at both attacks, both Isshin and Macy's eyes widened as they rapidly moved out of the way just as twin monstrous black Cero with green outlines tore through them.
Isshin landed with a frown on the ground, staring at the hole in the sky of Las Noches as well as the large scorched crevice left by the one that ripped through the ground.
'And that's just the regular one,' He thought with a frown, looking at Macy who rolled her shoulders.
"You okay?"
"I've been hit harder by Kanonji," Macy answered, to which he smirked before turning back to see Ulquiorra floating in the air. The next moment, both he and Macy raced after the Espada as he shot upwards, the three of them shooting out through the hole in the sky and into the air of Hueco Mundo.
The second they did, both Isshin and Macy rushed to the side as Ulquiorra spun around with a Cero already firing, the blast continuing past them and impacting the ground with a devastating explosion.
"Holy shit! Guess he was holding back!", Isshin exclaimed with a surprised grin as both he and Macy landed on the ground, Ulquiorra landing in front of them with a stoic look on his face.
"This is a waste of time. Neither of you are strong enough to face me."
"If that's the case, why haven't you killed us yet, hmm?", Isshin asked and Macy narrowed her eyes as she saw Ulquiorra looking at the Shinigami.
"That is because I expected you to understand that you are not near my level. However, since you wish to keep on playing, I will therefore attack with my full power," The Espada spoke as he clasped his hands together, Isshin gripping his blade tightly as he watched the Hollow pull his hands apart.
"Lanza del Relampago (Lance of the Lightning)", Forming a green javelin-like weapon in with flaming ends in-between his hands, Ulquiorra grabbed it before Issin's eyes widened as the Espada aimed and threw it in the same millisecond.
"Shield!"
"Bakudo #81: Danku!", A transparent wall with a blooming black flower in its centre formed in front of the duo, Macy's own iridescent shield forming behind it just as the javelin impacted the Danku.
In that same instance, both fighters gritted their teeth as the blast nearly tore through the Danku, Macy helping to reinforce it before her eyes widened as Ulquiorra appeared off to the side with another javelin already aimed at them.
"Ban-Kai," The whispered words let out a pillar of flames as they pushed Ulquiorra's attack to the side, the Espada in question frowning as he watched Macy step back when Isshin walked out of the flames.
The fire curled around his shoulders like a burning cloak, Engetsu having taken the form of a massive sabre wreathed in coiling flames while his eyes burned the same deep red as his reiatsu.
"Engetsu Gouka no Tsurugi," The man whispered, the flames dancing and coiling around his form while Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes.
"Hmm, you are not as weak as I had seen, but you are still not near my level."
"I'll let you think that."
"I'll let you be the main lead," Isshin turned his gaze slightly as Macy stood beside him, the flames not bothering her as she twirled her gun before the man spoke.
"You sure you can keep up?"
"Only one way to find out," She responded, to which he smirked as he turned back to where Ulquiorra had formed another Lanza del Relampago.
The air was tense as neither side said anything to the other, their reiatsu clashing with each other before Isshin made the first move.
Vanishing with a Shunpo and reappearing in front of Ulquiorra, the Espada lifted his javelin and blocked the attack, fire blooming out into the massive fire while the attack sent the Espada flying back.
Skating across the reishi-filled sand, Macy fired a barrage of magical blasts that Ulquiorra parried to the side, Isshin continuing the attack with a swipe of his sword.
A wheel of crimson flames spiralled towards Ulquiorra and he lunged under it, aiming his free hand and shooting out a Cero only to Isshin to parry it upwards as Macy appeared behind the Espada.
"Magic #75: Gatling Claw! Magic #47: Wild Hunt!", Macy chanted as she spun her gun and blew into the barrel, generating a circle of energy around her with over two dozen spears linked together by it.
As she spun and aimed with her gun once again, she fired a barrage of reishi spears along with the spears already at her sides, Ulquiorra's form blurring as he swiftly deflected all of the attacks to the side.
However, as he smacked the last one, his eyes snapped shot as it exploded with a burst of bright light, blinding him just as Isshin slid to a stop with his sabre already pulled back.
"Agitowari," Ulquiorra's eyes widened as he barely raised his javelin in time, but the blade easily cleaved straight through it and bisected him.
The wound was cauterized and no blood flowed as Ulquiorra's two halves fell to the side, Isshin landing heavily on the sand before spinning around and unleashing a pillar of flames.
The flames continued to burn even as Isshin lowered his sabre, Macy landing beside him as the Shinigami kept the attack up until he felt Ulquiorra's spiritual signature vanished.
Snuffing the flames out, he stared at the two charred halves lying on the floor, letting out a sigh while Macy lowered her pistol
"Was…was that enough?", Macy asked, to which Isshin shrugged before grimacing as a sharp pain rippled through his chest.
"If it wasn't, we're dead."
"Then allow me to show you true despair," Ulquiorra's voice echoed, Isshin frowning as the Hollow's body restored itself in an instant.
Yet, as the Espada created a Lanza del Relampago, Isshin narrowed his eyes when he saw the strained look in the Hollow's eyes.
"It did work. You're just forcing yourself to continue on, aren't you?", Isshin spoke as he held his sabre, to which Ulquiorra simply narrowed his eyes in response.
"You are quite perceptive, Shinigami."
"Oh, I wouldn't say that. Also, you forgot about someone else."
"Magic #85: Judgement Crown," The Macy beside Isshin faded away as she appeared above him, a massive golden magic circle appearing below the Espada with beams of light shooting upwards.
Uiquiorra quickly went to throw his javelin at the circle, but his eyes widened as he seized, every vein and tendril of his spiritual energy being forced to freeze and turn inwards right as Isshin rushed in.
Letting go at the very last second, Macy was surprised as Ulquiorra was still able to raise a hand at Isshin, a potent Cero charging in his hands as the Shinigami appeared in front of him with his sabre held high.
"Crimson Eclipse!/ Cero Oscuras!", The visage of a roaring phoenix erupted from the flaming swing as Ulquiorra unleashed his Cero and the two attacks clashed.
Flames and pitch-black Hollow spiritual energy detonated midair, the shockwaves carving massive canyons into the desert below and sending every Hollow scrambling to try and get away.
"Magic #85: Judgement Crown Second Stage! Disrupt!", The sound of a gong echoed before Ulquiorra found himself freezing again, his Cero Oscuras shattering like glass as Isshin burst through the flames before swinging down.
"Dirty Fireworks Eclipse!", Not stopping with the vertical slash that cut Ulquiorra in half once again, Isshin continued with a barrage of rapid slashes, each cutting the Espada smaller and smaller before the Shinigami leapt back.
"Red Shooting Star!", Lunging in one final time, Isshin swung his blade upwards and a pillar of flames surged upwards, taking the form of a phoenix at its peak that let out a roaring shriek.
The flames continued for a few seconds before it vanished, the ground around the Shinigami nothing more than a gigantic crater with molten glass at its centre.
Macy landed at the edge of the crater and looked down, watching as Isshin shakily made his way out before barely being able to catch him as he fell over at the edge.
"You okay?"
"G-Good. Just in so much pain," He groaned, Macy letting him lie down before looking back at the crater. She couldn't see a body or any limbs, sitting down beside him with a groan as Isshin chuckled.
"Hey, at least we took out an Espada."
"Yes, and it only cost us most of our energy."
"Eh, the others are still there. They can help Kanonji. For now, I'm going to have to get some rest," He murmured, closing his eyes before groaning as Macy grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up.
"Come on~"
"No rest. Our commander needs us."
A/N: And we end it here~! A quick chapter for Isshin to show off and next chapter, we jump into true chaos.
Anyway, check out my Pat-reon-.-com-/-KingCrimsonNova to read ahead on this as well as many other stories that may peak your interest. 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.
As always, read, enjoy, review and until the next one...
Ba-Bye~!