Fascinating

"This place reminds me of the Rukongai. A dry desolate place with filth all around you. Well, the Rukongai always had blood so I guess that's a difference."

"You're from the 80th district, right? Must have been a hell-hole. I was from the 71st region. Not as bad as yours but quite close. I left quite early on in my life. A shinigami found me and took me to the Soul Society."

"Lucky. I was there for." I put a finger on my chin to remember. "9 years with just one man helping me. I can only thank god that I got out."

"Man? Who is he?" Hikifune asked.

"I think his name was Yuu if I remember correctly. Just a regular thug who helped me live in the Rukongai. I hate him yet I thank him."

"Quite the Oxymoron. What happened to him?"

"Ended up killing him one day. Hollow attacked us and he tried sacrificing me. Picked up a sword and killed him."

"Should you be telling me this? Maybe I'll put it in your permanent record."

"You won't. I trust you at least that much." I had told her things that not many people knew. Even a few things about my Zanpakuto.

"Well, you're right. There's no need to blurt it out."

"I mean I don't really dwell on it too much." That was a complete lie. Those 9 years were hell. Running and running from all sorts of threats and people.

We continued walking for a while and discussed just how bad the Rukongai really was compared to the Seireitei. The capital of the soul society.

"Well the Rukongai has more freedom. We're basically puppets in the hands of the nobility. I could do whatever I wanted in the Rukongai only with the risk of the Gotei 13 coming after me."

"Oooh, feeling treasonous today? But I agree. Those nobles control everything. They block most of our funding so we have limited change. I have to work with what I have."

"It feels nice talking about this right? In the Seireitei you feel like there's someone watching your back. It's enough to make you paranoid."

"I feel much better now that I can talk about those old idiots at the central 46 without having to restrict my language."

"Did you notice we're being followed? It's actually quite interesting you know. They're underneath us, listening to what we're saying." I noticed them quite some time ago but I didn't say anything as I was getting a Kido ready from underneath the ground.

"I noticed the moment they began. I also noticed what you were doing so I stopped."

Behind me, a giant snake emerged out of the ground with a yellow arrow piercing its Head. A woman was riding it and they went into the air as the arrow took them into the sky. Once she was in the air she was vulnerable.

"Hado 54: Haien." A wave of fire erupted out of my Zanpakuto and went straight towards the hollows.

"Shit." I heard one of them Shout.

She opened her mouth and a red blast came out and countered my kido, however, it was all for nought as captain Hikifune was faster than her and was right beside her

"Bakudo 63: Sajo Sabaku." She raised her free arm and channelled the reiryoku before closing her hands. A golden rope manifested in front of her and wrapped around all her

Once they were on the floor and chained up we inspected them. The snake she was using to travel was dead. I killed it with my first Kido attack.

"Nice distraction Yasushi. What was that kido you used at the start? I've never seen it."

"I made it myself. It's a single arrow used to hit an opponent. The real effect is that it blows up once it's embedded into the flesh of the opponent. But I decide when that happens."

"Interesting, wanna teach me?"

"No. It's my own personal creation. Go leech off someone else."

"Ah, you hurt me. Well, I'll bug you about that later, now let us discuss the problem at hand."

These hollows must be what Captain Hikifune read about. Hollows who look eerily like Shinigami and humans. They had hollow masks but they were ripped off. Small parts of the mask could be seen on the tops of their heads but it was interesting.

"Just exactly what are you? You're not normal hollows." I noticed the three of them had swords on their hips so I got curious. I crouched in front of the one in closest to me and before I could take the sword she growled at me.

I looked at her and stared at her face. She had midnight black hair and red eyes which made her look scary. Her face was smooth but had a small scar running through her forehead. The one thing they shared in common was a tattoo which was on their left breast. It was in the shape of a cross with a crown on top of it. She seemed to have human features other than the remnants of the mask.

Her clothes were interesting too. She wore a fuzzy jumper which felt very itchy when I touched it and her skirt was made of similar material.

"My body is only to be touched by Lord Negar. If you touch me you'll have hell to pay for."

I didn't reply instead, I took out my zanpakuto. I raised it and stabbed it through her hand which caused her to scream. "I wonder if hollows can have a fear of death. I'm here to experiment so I'll humour your threats."

I took the sword which was wrapped around her waist. It was very similar to a zanpakuto, in fact, it felt like it was a different reiatsu from the girl I took it from.

"Hikifune, let me see how she uses this. Maybe we can draw out Lord Negar at the same time too, whoever the hell he is. This could be the equivalent of a Zanpakuto for hollows. The possibilities are limitless."

"Sure, but if she tries to escape what will you do then?"

"I'm not dumb enough to not think that."

"Sakerarenai."

Barrier Kido was different from your regular Bakudo which only sealed and blocked. Barriers were much harder to create. You had to use your reiryoku to create a completely different surrounding. It was channelled through your Reiatsu and created through your technique and skill. So it was very hard as you were changing the environment itself physically.

A rainbow-tinted dome appeared around us. It was see-through on the inside but you couldn't see inside from the outside.

"That good enough for you?"

"Sure. But don't be stupid about this. If I feel like you're getting your ass handed to you I'll step in."

She undid the rope that was holding the woman down. I threw her sword back to her and I noticed her arm didn't heal.

"You Shinigami haven't been here in 850 years. Why'd you come now, did you not see what we did the last time you came here?"

"Your hand didn't heal? What's up with that."

"It's for when I drag your half-dead body back to lord Negar. You'll face the ultimate punishment for harming one of the Lord's wives."

So he has a polygamous relationship with several women. I wonder if they've had kids.

"You made a mistake by giving me this weapon back." She placed her sword on her tongue and licked it from the tip to the hilt. "Before you die, let me just tell you my name. Lucía."

"Run, Reina Guepardo"

The top half of her body stayed the same other than her teeth becoming sharper and her fingernails becoming more like claws. However, the bottom half changed radically. Her human legs were replaced by animal legs, which resembled a cheetahs legs. Instead of standing still, she was jumping on the spot.

"Before we finish up here, let me give you a lesson. Speed-" I wasn't interested in hearing her monologue so I used a Shunpo to get right in front of her. Once I was close enough I slashed at her throat. My sword did pierce but it wasn't as deep as I wanted it to be. It was like her throat was being protected.

She used, what seemed very similar to a Shunpo to increase the distance between us.

----------

(Lucía P.O.V)

'If I didn't use a Hierro to protect my throat at the last second I would have died. Who is this man? His speed is off the charts and his precision is nothing to joke about either'

I looked up and saw a being of pure strength. His Reiatsu was pouring off him in a deep red and his sword was looking for blood.

"You spoke with so much confidence I thought you'd at least be a little bit strong. I guess I'll save my zanpakuto for later."

I raised my hand up and built a cero on each of my claws and fired them off. I had to distract him for just a few seconds.

He used what looked like a green barrier in front of him to block the attack. The impact created a cloud of smoke and I knew this was the time to strike. From what I heard if he dies the barrier will disappear.

I used a sonido to get behind him and sliced down with my claw at the back of his neck.

"Jeez, you're worse than my students."

Before the claw slashed at his neck it hit a tiny green barrier which negated the entire attack.

Just what were these tricks he was using.

He turned around and with a slash of his sword cut my entire arm off. "I guess Lord Negar won't have many uses for you now." He said as I fell right in front of him.

"What do you want!" I can't believe a Shinigami did this to me?

"Where's Negar? He seems interesting and I want to meet him."

I didn't reply. Even if it meant my life I wouldn't betray my lord. He sheltered me from when I was young and gave me friends and guaranteed my safety.

"I guess since he's your husband you feel loyal to him. Fascinating it really is. Hollows have feelings for one another, tell me are there more of your kind. With no mask?"

He seemed genuinely interested and I almost answered his question but I kept my mouth shut. He was an enemy I couldn't give him any answers that would give him an advantage over us.

His face which before had a smile of interest now turned into a frown. "So you won't talk."

He turned around and looked at his partner. "Captain Hikifune, she's not answering should I kill her? Or do you want to experiment on her first? I've always wondered what the inside of a hollow looks like."

"There's no need for that right now. Just take her out if she's not being compliant."

"Sure thing."

He picked up his sword and raised his arm into the air. He knew that I was scared and he almost seemed happy.

"So hollows can feel fear."

He swung the sword down and I felt the sword going slicing through my neck. I was dead.

The last words I heard were.

"Hollows. Such fascinating creatures aren't they, Captain Hikifune?"