11 Chapter 10

Continuing his journey at a fairly fast pace, Kurosaki regretted only one thing: the presence of Sai nearby. This nimble ... What does he call himself there? Oh yes, sure, a swordsman, that is, a angler! He behaved too ... Animatedly, or what? In a word, Ichigo was never able to pacify him.

"Why are you so gloomy?" - Sai did not let up for a minute, continuing to bombard the red-haired man with questions. "Answer, how did you use a tire without a lamp?" - He deftly slipped under the sickle-shaped attack of Ichigo. - That's how it is now! You just waved your hand, it was covered with a black tire and that's it! Voila and Khan to me, if I'm not sure.

Ichigo, clenching his fists with hopelessness, only hopelessly massaged his whiskey.

- Tell me! - Sai continued. "Or do you yourself not know?" - In an instant, he faced Ichigo. His pink eyes flashed unkindly as his hands wrapped around Kurosaki's neck.

- Are you tired of living? - With the grave intonation, the owner of the black chinos inquired. Although inside he understood that this misunderstanding, called Saya, behaves the same as Urahara's "cat".

"Do you think you are destined to take my life?" - The blonde, slyly squinting his eyes and stretching his lips in a laid-back smile, brought his face even closer to the gloomy pug Ichigo. - Last time we were interrupted, but now everything is different.

The angler Tu Peri immediately knew where this boy was driving.

- Now is not the time or the place. - Ichigo said menacingly, brushing off a guy. "We need to find a way out faster."

- Did you mean the administrator? - "Caring" corrected Sia, again running forward to the red-haired.

"Yes, that is exactly what I had in mind." - Choking from the pickiness of the young guy, Ichigo hissed hiss, moving forward quickly.

Monotonous walls covered with slimy moss and dry ground underfoot, what could be better ?! This situation was aggravated by the fetid aroma of decaying, small organisms. These are lizards hiding from the heat under the pebbles, and bugs with spiders, reaching a frightening size with a ripe, selected watermelon. Saya was incredibly pleased with the appearance of such a variety that, having exposed the katana, he began to chop everything into small pieces. He did not hesitate to show his cruel and slightly perverted nature, as if completely not noticing an extraneous opinion about himself, and Ichigo again noted the uniqueness of the kid's weapon. The orange blade, covered with purple blood of insects, more like jelly, attracted the attention of a red-haired swordsman. This blade was not simple and caused some instinctively familiar associations.

Suddenly, Saya, whose thoughts were entirely devoted to grinding the chitinous shells of huge beetles, froze cautiously, straightening up.

- ABOUT! And here is the admin! His lips sprawled in a bloodthirsty smile. "I feel his incredible power!" - The guy surprisingly Ichigo perked up even more, starting to jump around Kurosaki. "Do you think he will order us to fight?" And if he orders, you won't hold back ?! Not! Better let us fight together against him! - There was no chapel to his perverse enthusiasm.

"He is unlikely to order us to fight." - Swordsman Tu Peri surrendered, crunching his neck. He himself felt the overwhelming power of the floor administrator. This feeling was ten times stronger than that which he experienced at the first meeting with Zaraki. Whoever this officer turned out to be, he was incredibly strong, but Ichigo was not surprised by the strength of the administrator, but the fact that Sia talked so easily and even with amusement in her voice about the battle with whom is so powerful. Although, Ichigo himself would not mind fighting such a monster.

- Ho-oh-oh. - Saiya's hands trembled slightly from the upcoming meeting, but he was more surprised by the words and actions of his temporary partner. Let Ichigo say that he does not dream of battles, like Sia, but his lie fell through the very second, the moment he tried to close his anticipating grin with his hand. "Don't lie to yourself like the rest." - muttered the guy, pulling Ichigo's palm from his face. "You are just like me!" - Saya joyfully cried out, entering in a fit of loud, joyful laughter.

Ichigo smiled involuntarily. Enough, with joy, as once upon a time. This sonorous laughter of a man whose black hood no longer covered the guy's wheat hair and pink, furious eyes seemed to him so familiar as if he were native.

Saya, glad that he had found a soul mate, even if he didn't recognize it, hugged Ichigo tightly, resting his face against his chest.

- I knew. - The blond said calmer. - I understood from the very first glance!

- Unhook! - Evil hissed Ichigo, slightly releasing a sharp tire. "I told you that I'll kill you!"

- Yes Yes. - Absolutely ignoring verbal resistance, Saia muttered, smiling sweetly. - Let's hurry, I would not want someone else to nail our victim! - Definitely meaning by the "victim" of an officer of the Floor, the guy instantly rushed forward.

- Here, restless! - Evil spat out the swordsman Tu Peri, but also decided to accelerate. To his surprise, Saya moved at a decent speed, so Ichigo had to use a tire to accelerate.

***

Going forward, being behind the broad back of a completely unknown person who extended a helping hand to her and which she immediately refused, Mary felt a slight pain in her chest, exactly where she was holding a small fist. This man offered her protection. No one has ever offered her this in her life. She eked out a miserable existence of the type of people whom even servants cannot be called. She was worse than the thing that could have been thrown away or which was destined to burn in the stove of the estate, she was dust, dared to settle on the clean shoes of a noble man. People in the Tower who have achieved the status of officer treat many as garbage: ordinary workers, gray townsfolk. They do not even think about slaves. They are used everywhere, as a bedding, as a step, as a toy or even worse. As the saying goes, there's enough fantasy. But this person seems to be different, or just wanted to seem like that? Mary didn't know for sure.

Poong imperceptibly turned his head from side to side, feeling how the girl's legs hesitantly stepped to the ground, how she breathes tiredly, how the wind pokes the floors of her light dress, as if it were tender petals of some kind of flower. These and many other sensations were mixed and transmitted through its suspension of a beacon. This device was extremely expensive and rare because of the selective and high-quality suspension, access to which had few families, even from among the ten most powerful. The lighthouse repeatedly strengthened Poong's feelings, in which case to respond to an ambush or something unexpected.

Also, one lamp flew at a height of four meters, illuminating the road and scanning the narrow space of the corridor. Many living organisms were discovered on the surface of the earth: some were harmless, and some hid, waiting for two people to pass by. In general, living creatures were harmless to people, of course, if you do not take into account their number. If they attack all together, then even a person may experience significant problems. Therefore, Tu Peri kept a couple of lights at the ready, so as not to be caught by surprise.

"We are close." - Feeling a strong aura, as well as noting the indicators from his lighthouse, Poong said, half-turning to the walking girl behind.

- Yeah. - She uncertainly nodded, looking away her embarrassed look.

The brunette only shrugged, noting the eccentric behavior of the girl, but quickly remembering her brief history, he decided to rid her of unnecessary and inappropriate questions.

- Let's go. - He confidently waved his hand forward, calling Mary to him.

Let the lighthouse go and signaled that they were already approaching the Floor officer, but he was silent about the location of his comrades. It looks like the walls of the maze were not so simple and blocked all outgoing signals and the bus.

***

"As I thought," Edroc breathed out relaxedly, walking toward the center of the maze, "we are the first." - He squinted behind his back, looking at the quiet, if not strange, red-skinned man.

"I am glad to see you ascending." - The Floor officer bowed his head quite a bit forward, thereby welcoming the visitors. - Although not surprised that the guide arrived first. - With all the officer politeness, he commented on the appearance of Blusom. "If my memory serves me, have you already been here?" - Somewhat surprised asked Kirnaks, the administrator of the Floor and the creator of the same labyrinth.

- Yes, Mr. Cirnax. - Edrok was embarrassed. It was a bit unpleasant to feel the studying gaze of this old man; the Third Floor officer too did not like those things that he did not understand. And the man, especially the guide, passing the test on the floor already passed by him for the second time, was from this list. - So there were circumstances. - the guide of the Tu Peri family explained evasively, trying to get rid of the officer's excessive curiosity.

- Good. I am not a guide, and certainly not the chosen one of the Tower *. - The tenacious look of gray eyes quickly glided over the red-skinned man. "You were incredibly lucky with your partner for the test." - Kirnaks nodded approvingly, noting the luck of a suspiciously calm big man. - But, nevertheless, you should wait for the rest. They will be here soon.

Bloom frowned. He, as a guide, did not feel at all neither his Mr. nor Ichigo, which was strange. The last time he passed the test of the Third Floor, there was no problem with this. It looks like the officer on this Floor has become even more powerful than when they last met.