Chapter 11

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Cheshire.

- Not bad at all ... - I praised the bitten off fruit, bought in the town about twenty minutes ago. The recovery took a little longer than expected: as it turned out, my wounds were filled with Kensei's reiatsu, which prevented healing, but five days later I returned to Soul Society and, having acquired clothes and a new scabbard, slowly walked towards Seireitei. This time with the correct disguise, emitting the very drop of reiatsu. Such a small drop that it was not clear that it belonged to Hollow. But it will no longer cause suspicion. Hopefully. In general, I should have robbed someone along the way: the closer to Seireitei, the more expensive life in Rukongai, so I simply won't have enough funds to live there enough time to find out the information I need.

- Hello! - I heard behind me, which is why I froze, rooted to the spot. I did not feel anyone behind me! My radar said it was empty! A woman's voice, cheerful ... Turning around, I could only do that to swear in a dozen languages ​​of different worlds known to me: in front of me, smiling playfully stood Yoruichi Shihouin in her captain's haori.

- Meow! - I gave it out. I could not resist. Of course, I understood that this alone betrays the fact that I know what I physically could not know, but the temptation was too great.

- What? - The girl did not understand.

- Meow, meow, moore! I continued the conversation, while doubts about my mental health began to creep into Yoruichi's eyes.

- You ... didn't hit your head? She asked worriedly what I was ...

- Until! - I smiled, opening the Garganta behind me and going to retreat into it.

- Well, where are you in such a hurry? - I barely noticed the shadow of her movement, and here the captain stands between me and Garganta. Does she know what "personal space" is? Or does she just not care? We almost huddled together, for I opened Garganta as close to me as possible. How did she even manage to squeeze between me and the gap in space, without touching me ?! - I came all this way, and you ...

I didn't listen to her: as far as I know, Yoruichi is the fastest shinigami in Soul Society, which means that it is quite possible that her friends will soon appear here. So there is no time for talking! Taking advantage of her proximity, I grabbed her by the breasts and sleeve of her haori, intending to throw her over the thigh and hide in the Garganta, but it didn't work: a sharp blow to the chin, at the same time Yoruichi twisted my grip ... Well, no, lady , in close combat it is not so easy to defeat me! I move to the side, deliver a blind blow, from which she naturally dodges, but that's exactly what I need: now I can move into the vacant space, the step! She left, but at the same time I managed to grab her by the sleeve again, which I immediately used, sharply jerking her down, intending to go to the stalls, but instead, the girl with feline dexterity slipped out of her haori, kicking me in the side at last. Throwing her haori back, aiming for the face, bringing the distance closer, hitting, step forward, grabbing! Escaped again, blow! I dodge, I try to grab her hand, but instead I have to take a step back, avoiding the blow to the knee ... For another ten seconds we continued to dance around each other, but in the end Yoruichi broke the distance and began to slowly walk around me in a circle. Garganta, of course, closed long ago, so I just watched closely.

- What a wild man I got: just met, and you are already tearing off my clothes. - She grinned, pointing to the torn hole in her clothes on her stomach: I managed to grab her once, but she preferred to rip her clothes than go into close contact. In general, I have only positive impressions: the girl was undoubtedly a master of hand-to-hand combat, and ideally knew all her strengths and weaknesses ... Just like mine. Do not block strikes, do not go over to captures ... That's right, with a physically stronger opponent, this is how you should behave. Work on your merits: speed, dexterity, resourcefulness. The girl managed to reward me with seven hits, but they were all expected, so the damage was minimal. In general, in such a duel, the outcome is unpredictable: yes, I cannot get it, but at the same time I have a naturally higher level of endurance. Yes, she will hit me without getting anything in return, but at the same time, these blows are like pellets to an elephant, while she has to play the gymnastics master in order to achieve these blows. So the question is who fizzles out or makes a mistake first. If I manage to grab her arm or leg, then most likely the victory will be mine, but at the same time, if I miss one single blow to the pain point, and she will not let me recover after that.

- What can I say? - I grinned back. - I am a man of action, not of talking. "Of course, you could start using reiatsu to boost or speed up, but Yoruichi still kept hiding her reiatsu, so I did the same. No, not for the duel to be "fair", but for more pragmatic reasons. I just think that Yoruichi is hiding his reiatsu so that he can counterattack me with all his strength when I try to use mine. And that's why I'm not going to give her that opportunity.

- You don't look very human. - She hinted at my remains of the mask.

- Details. - I brushed it off. And I was about to open Garganta again, this time expecting her intervention, but I was ahead of me: Yoruichi jerked her hand, and at the same moment I lifted myself off the ground, reliably braided by the finest metal thread. What the hell! Looking closely, I barely noticed several dozen strands extending from my "cocoon" to the nearby trees. - I'm certainly not a big fan of bondage, but if you insist ... - The worst thing is that in this position I could not activate the "Flash": the threads were entangling me too tightly, and would interfere with the flows of reiatsu necessary to create the "shell" ... It's rubbish! When did she even manage to set this trap ?! Really during the battle? Talent!

- And you almost killed Kensei? - The girl ignored my words and appraisingly examined me from head to toe. - I expected more.

- Okay, okay, I get it, I give up, you won. I stopped hiding my reiatsu, to which Yoruichi raised an eyebrow respectfully and pulled her threads a little tighter. - Ay, ay, ay !! I said I was giving up!

- What is it to me? - She grinned. - I have one job ...

- Wait, wait! Sorry, I realized my mistake and I won't repeat it again! I promise!

- Ha ha ha, what a teachable Hollow got caught ...

- Well, actually, I'm very peaceful.

- Yeah, it's noticeable.

- If you're talking about that captain, so he attacked me himself! as Holow felt reiatsu, so immediately "I'll tear you to pieces"! What was left for me? Let yourself be killed? But I'm peaceful! Fair! I am ready to cooperate!

- Collaborate? - The girl seemed surprised. - And how?

- Whatever you want! The last captain immediately tried to kill me, but you are still talking to me, which means you are more sane! If at least half of the captains are like you, then I am ready to help you as you want.

- ...

- Honestly! Well, judge for yourself: everyone benefits: they no longer try to kill me, and you have an assistant from Hollow.

- And where is the guarantee of your words?

- Um ... I don't know, put a collar on me that explodes?

- Interesting idea.

- If we agreed, can you let me go? I promise I won't run away. I still can't escape ... - I mumbled sadly aside.

- Hmm ... - she grunted, but nevertheless loosened the cocoon, and as soon as these threads stopped contacting me, I immediately activated the "Flash". At the same moment, the cocoon shrank again, but it didn't bother me anymore. - You won't run away, will you?

- Did I say that? Yah! This is probably my alternate identity! I just have a split personality, so I am not responsible for the words and actions of my alter ego. - Having said that, I just spread my arms to the sides, easily breaking the threads.

- Interesting theory. "Yoruichi launched her own reiatsu through the threads that pulled me back again. Weak! A little more effort, but the threads broke again without causing any damage to the "shell".

- This is a pure truth! - I grinned, smiling inwardly with all my teeth: I wonder if she understood what happened? I hope not, but at the same time I hope so. In the meantime, I tried to close the distance with her, but immediately realized that this was a hopeless option: her shunpo was so fast that I hardly noticed him, let alone catch up. - Well ... If you don't want to play with me, it's time to say I'm sorry, goodbye! - I waved her hand, opening Garganta again. In an instant, a kick, laced with reiatsu, flew into my face, but this time I expected it, and leaning my feet better, did not even move a centimeter back. Two more steps and I'm in Garganta!

- I didn't want to cripple you, but since you are so stubborn ... - She held out behind me. - I warned. - Turning my head to her, I began to eagerly watch the activation of Shunko. This technique could not have been anything but Shunko! Remember, Cheshire, look carefully and remember well! Uh-huh ... Uh-huh ... That's how ... And then? Uh-huh ...

- Ugh! - I was so carried away by examining Shunko that I completely missed her attack! But in vain: not even a second had passed since the activation of Shunko, as Yoruichi's hand, without the slightest obstacle, pierced my belly through! The "flash" didn't even delay her! Lion's Roar! The next moment, I literally "exploded" reiatsu. This is a kind of volumetric Cero that I used to make Yoruichi break the distance and give me a couple of seconds to activate my last trump card.

- Not bad at all ... - the girl held out, leaving the shunpo ten meters from me. - What's next? Hmm? - When the dust settled and she was able to see and, most importantly, feel what I was holding in my hand, not a trace of her playfulness remained.

- Kha, kha! - I spat my blood. The wound is very serious, but at the same time not fatal. Yoruichi clearly wanted to keep me alive, most likely for interrogation, or vivisection, but if I don't give myself first aid right now, then I have every chance to glue the flippers. - Why are you quiet, captain? - I grinned, holding in my hand a luminous burgundy ball, the size of an orange.

- ...

- That's right, it's ... - I nodded at the ball. - All my reiatsu. - Or rather the "Morning Star" technique, which collects all my "shell" in my hand. - And all that keeps her together is me ... - I opened Garganta behind me for the third time ... - You can certainly kill me ... Kha, kha! - Another portion of blood ... - And most likely the explosion will not hurt you too much ... But ... How many souls live in the nearest cities? - I began to slowly move back to Garganta. - Are you ready to sacrifice hundreds of thousands of innocent lives for my murder?

"..." Yoruichi didn't say anything, but at the same time, she didn't hinder my retreat to Garganta. And how she looked at me! The eyes of a predator, from which already bitten prey was taken from under the nose.

- We will meet again, captain ... - I said in the closing Garganta, and finally I was left alone in the gray fog between the world.