Vice-Captain Shiba Kaien, 13th Captain Ukitake, and Kuchiki Rukia stand on the branch of a large tree, looking down at the Hollow's nest. The Hollow, with numerous arms supporting its weight and squirming tentacles on its back, watches them intently.

Rukia takes a step forward with her hand on her blade, "Sir Kaien, I'll go down and check..."

"Captain," Kaien interrupts. His gaze is focused solely on the Hollow, "please allow me to go alone."

Rukia turns to him in surprise.

I wonder

Ukitake's solemn gaze shifts toward him.

why I didn't stop him that time

"...Alright," he says.

even if I gave my life to hold him back.

(Intro page - Kaien glares straight ahead in determination. Wow.)

Kaien leaps out of the tree and lands a few dozen feet away from the Hollow that killed his wife.

The Hollow is happy to see him, "Heehee! Hee! So you want to die first, huh! Eh, Kid?"

"...Before we do battle, there is something I want to ask you," Kaien says.

The Hollow pauses, listening.

"How many Shinigami... have you eaten so far?" Kaien asks.

"...Oh, how many, huh," the Hollow replies, "Hehe. Sorry but I didn't keep count."

"Have you ever felt... regret for doing that," Kaien asks, "even once?"

The Hollow mulls this over, "...What a stupid question, kid." Kaien listens as the creature continues to explain, "I've got a heart, same as you guys. There ain't a night where I haven't regretted eating a Shinigami. Now is no different..." Its human-like hands, which holds its body up like legs, dig into the ground. "I feel regret over what happened last night...!"

Suddenly, the Hollow raises its head and laughs viciously, "Just now, Kid, I'm really regretting that I didn't eat the rest of that lady Shinigami from the breasts on up last night! HEEHEHEHEEHHEEEEHEHEE!!!"

"I see," Kaien swings his Zanpaku blade out and spiritual energy radiates from it as he slowly walks toward his enemy.

Here he comes... the Hollow thinks in excitement, C'mon! C'mon, c'mon, c'mon! I'll eat you whole!!

It didn't expect its left forearm to separate from its body in a spray of blood. The Hollow looks up and sees the Shinigami appear on its back. Kaien grabs one of the creature's numerous tentacles and raises his sword.

He's fast!! the Hollow thinks. But... he touched me!!!

Unaware of the Hollow's anticipation, Kaien calls out to his Zanpaku blade, "Seethe the watery heavens! Nejibana!!!" (1)

Kaien's Zanpaku sword suddenly... shatters. Nothing remains. He stares at the deteriorating hilt with a growing sense of shock and horror.

"It's an ability I can only use once a night," the Hollow tells him as it attacks. "Each night, the first one to come in contact with my tentacles will have their Zanpaku sword destroyed!!!"

Kaien shoots a glare at the Hollow. A tentacle smacks Kaien off the creature's back and he can barely dodge the brunt of the blow in time. The shock still leaves him disoriented, It can't be... It can destroy Zanpaku swords...!? How can it have such an ability...!! He's thrown backward as the Hollow leaps at him for another strike.

"SIR KAIEN!!!!" Rukia screams. She charges for the fighters, ready to draw her sword, but Camptain Ukitake's hand whips out and grabs her, holding her back.

"Captain...!?" She looks up at him in confusion, "P... please let go of me! Sir Kaien... I have to help Sir Kaien!!"

"Help Kaien... then what becomes of his pride?" Ukitake asks. He does not look at her. His attention is focused on the battle below them.

"If you lend your power now, you will indeed save his life," Ukitake says. "However, at the same time, that will permanently kill his pride."(2)

"What is this about pride!!" Rukia protests. "What is it when it's compared to life!!"

Ukitake pauses thoughtfully, "...Alright, remember this well. There are 2 types of fights. As we have put our lives on the line in battle, we must always be able to distinguish the two apart. The fight to protect life and... the fight... to protect pride...!!"

His expression is angry and intense as he watches the battle. He wants nothing more than to go down there and save his Vice-Captain, but his principles won't allow it. "Right now, he is fighting for the sake of pride. The pride of his wife. The pride of his men. And most importantly, for his own pride," he says. "...It doesn't matter if you think his determination is pointless... just please let him fight as he is."

Kaien is fighting like a wild animal, desperately tearing apart the Hollow one slimy tentacle at a time. Rukia watches this in despair as her grip slowly loosens on her hilt.

The combatants skid across the ground, breaking apart for a chance to make another attack. Kaien breathes heavily as the Hollow starts to chuckle. ""Heeheehee... you've held on this far without a Zanpaku sword, huh... you've really got it in you, Kid..."

"...That's bloody obvious," Kaien smirks. "The Demon Arts are enough to handle the likes of you. Sorry, but this is as far as I'm letting this fight go."

The Hollow thinks it over, blood trailing from its numerous wounds, "...You've got a rude mouth, Kid. I guess I've got no choice... I didn't want to use this like I did yesterday, but..." All of its mangled tentacles shoot out at Kaien at once, "I can't stand such impudence from you!!!"

Rukia watches this in horror, "...Sir...Kai...en...!?"

Kaien raises an arm to protect his face, but that just leaves him vulnerable to the attack. The pale strands of the creature sink into his wrist, filling out the veins and quickly working its way through Kaien's body.

With the essence of the Hollow gone, its grotesque body collapses like a flimsy, discarded shell.

Kaien stands there with the strands of the creature still crawling into his arm.

"...What's that?" Kaien looks up at Rukia with eerily black-on-white eyes and speaks with the tone of the Hollow. "You called for me, Girl?"

(1)"Screw Flower" - I imagine it could be something spinning, like a whirlwind...
(2)Same speech as the one near the end of volume 3 - I never expected to see it again, but there it is. Cool! ^_^

Notes:
-Math exam, so no time to proofread properly. Gomen ne... if you see any grammar/spelling mistakes, please tell me. ^^;
-More to come. The day is still young...^_^

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