There's Strength in Numbers

As I sniffed the air, I could tell that Joseph was rapidly approaching me from above. I dodged to the side, only to get a mouthful of sand for my efforts. Sensing an opening, I dashed forward, but the next moment I was forced back by an attack from Camila. I jumped into the air and grinned.

"You're getting better, shortie. How about we kick this up a notch? "

Suddenly, I was surrounded by four images of Joseph. I sniffed the air to try and figure out which Joseph was real, but to my surprise, the smell wasn't coming from these images, but from all around me.

"How do you like my pasos rápidos?"

'Not bad. Let's see how you like thi-'

Before I could even finish, Joseph was already upon me. The first attack came from the front, but before I had the time to dodge, I sensed a second attack coming from my back. As I turned around to block, Camila lunged at me from below and dragged me onto the ground.

"That's what you get for mocking me."

Bitter and ashamed, I pushed Camila off as I sat up. Joseph stood above me, and while it was hard to read his expression through the mask, I think he was smiling.

"Do you know what you did wrong, kid?"

'Was I too slow?'

"No, you fought alone. The point of this exercise was to show you that, with teamwork, even someone as monstrous as you can be defeated. "

'I certainly don't feel monstrous.'

"Look short stuff. You've been fighting for what, like a day? We, me and Camila, have fought together for nearly a century, and yet somehow every time you force us to use more and more advanced techniques just to keep up. "

I brush the sand off as I stand.

'Well, that makes me feel a little better.'

"I don't care how you feel, it's just that it's no fun when your opponent is too busy moping to fight back. Now come at me! "

I lay panting on the ground, exhausted but happy.

I still hadn't managed to hit Joseph or even Camila a single time, but with every spar, my movements were getting sharper and sharper. Joseph insisted that I still had a long way to go, but I swear I saw him panting after that last fight. As I stared up at the sky, I wondered,

'What's your dream?'

"Dream? Kid, hollows don't dream. We don't even sleep. "

'That's not what I meant, and you know it.'

"Oh fine, I guess I want the same thing as every other Adjuchas-class Hollow, to become a Vasto Lorde."

'You know, no one ever told me what a Vasto Lorde was even supposed to be. Is it like some sort of really big hollow?'

"You're certainly a strange one. According to what our instincts tell us, a Vasto Lorde should be the next stage in hollow evolution, the final stage. Once you reach it you no longer have to worry about regression. They should be tiny, maybe not as tiny as you, but still pretty small when compared to something like me."

'Hey, I'm not that small!'

"Pretty rich coming from someone who doesn't even make it up to my knees."

'Camila! Joseph's bullying me'

"You probably deserve it."

'Camila!'

For the first time in a long time, I laughed from the bottom of my heart. As I lay on the sand, I closed my eyes, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I fell asleep.

"Welcome back, kiddo. Did ya miss me? "

'Oh so it's you. Can't you just let me sleep in peace?'

"Oh come now, is it really so bad just to spend a little time with your old friend?"

'You haunted my nightmares for years. I wouldn't call you a friend.'

"Oh like you know anything about friends. If your body wasn't so tough, I bet those 'friends' of yours would've eaten you by now. "

'Joseph would ne- okay maybe he would, but they're still my friends!'

"Alright, I see how it is. Are you not even going to ask me why I'm here?"

'Why should I care? You're just a figment of my imagination.'

"Oh, so you don't care about your 'friends' fighting for their lives?"

'My wha-'

"I'll see you next time, kid, and maybe then we can have a nice, long talk."

I awake to the pungent smell of blood. I open my eyes, and as I bolt to awareness, I see a wounded Joseph and Camila fighting a humanoid figure. He appears to be... laughing?

"Pasos rápidos!" Joseph splits into four, but this figure doesn't seem to be perturbed. He simply pulls out his weapon and slashes downwards. The Josephs suddenly merge back together with a large wound on their chest, and I call out.

'Joseph!'

The creature turns around, and taking this moment as an opportunity, Camila strikes at his back. Her claws barely scratch its skin as it quickly turns around and slashes down towards her. Before I can even think, I'm already moving with my sword in hand. I push Camila out of the way and raise my Zanpakuto to block.

It's heavy; his slash carries the weight of a boulder, but I dig into the sand and push back with more and more force. The figure seems to be surprised as I barely manage to deflect his slash down towards the ground.

"So that's what those two were protecting. I believe Lord Aizen would be interested in a specimen such as yourself."

'Why are you attacking us?'

"Why, you ask? Why not? Fighting is what we hollows do! Are you so far removed from your roots that you can't even remember your purpose? "

'My... purpose?'

"Honestly, I take what I said back. You're far too stupid to be of interest to him, How about this. Put up a good fight, and I'll spare your 'friends." Deal? "

'Is he.... is he mocking me? In a rage, I slash my sword horizontally, but he easily blocks it with the back of his blade.'

"You're going to have to try a little harder than that!"

Suddenly, he appears behind me, slashing his sword at an impractical angle. I turn around and barely manage to block as my feet are pushed deeper and deeper into the ground. I pull on the world around me, and the sand bounces me back into him.

"What did you just do?"

He easily manages to block my attack, but he seems a little less calm than before. I pull on the world again, and this time I gather the wildly dancing particles around my Zanpakuto. I thrust forward and I chanted.

Ana no rīchi!

A concentrated line of particles extends from the tip of my sword, and my opponent scrambles to bring his sword down to block it

"That's.. that's impossible. That's not a hollow ability. What exactly are you? "

'Didn't you know? There's strength in numbers.'

Taking this moment as an opening, Joseph and Camila slash down with their claws towards the creature and manage to shred through his skin. He roars in pain, but the instant he turns around, I am already upon him. I pull out my Zanpakuto and slash towards his neck. The sword stops, barely cutting through his skin, but I pull on the air around me to accelerate my sword even further. The sword continues, and it slashes cleanly through his skin and severs his head.

'The man's body disperses into particles, and as I absorb them, I can feel myself getting stronger. Joseph's wounds are starting to heal, but as I fall down to one knee, I hear'

"Oh ho, how interesting."