Defying Gravity [Byakuya Kuchiki]

Chapter 12

        The air was thick with Spiritual Pressure as Katrien stepped through. Looking around the vast desert, the Witch noticed that Las Noches stood miles away. "Couldn't have dropped me off closer?" Katrien muttered to herself. Sighing, she opened a portal of her own, stepping through it and into the blackness.

        The next time the ex-Lieutenant popped her head out of the black hole she was looking up and down a white hallway. "Hmm..." Katrien tugged the hood of her cloak over her face more, making it obscured in the shadows. Walking through the silent halls sent the woman on edge. Where was everyone? Spiritual Pressure was everywhere, some hard to pinpoint it's actual location. Though Katrien knew better than to doubt that those fighting were against the Arrancars, if Aizen had an army then why had she not encountered any of her own yet? Just how big was this place?

        Katrien could feel herself being followed, but did not pick up her pace nor slow down. She glided quietly across the floor till she reached a large arena. Once stepping foot inside all of the doors closed up. "Just as I thought," she spoke out loud. "Now then, who was following me?"

        "My, my, my, you knew you were being followed, yet carelessly stepped into a trap?" someone spoke over a loud speaker. The voice sounded familiar. "You're not a very good intruder, now are you?"

        "Maybe I wanted to be trapped."

        She could imagine her captor cocking an eyebrow in interest. "And why would you want that?"

        "I'm curious as to the Arrancars in Aizen's army. If it's as great as it presents itself in the World of the Living, then where are they?" Katrien smirked. "How do I know if they fled with their tail between their legs or not since they are being the ones invaded this time?"

        "If you wanted a fight, why didn't you say so?" A door opened, an Arrancar stepping out. "Be my guest."

        Without hesitation, the male rushed forward. Katrien waited till the last second before moving off to the side. Her hand covered his face before forcing it towards the floor. The Arrancar's feet flew off the ground, the back of his head slamming into the concrete.

        Katrien stood again, releasing him. "Seriously?" she asked, crossing her arms. "Is that all you've got?" The woman had easily crushed his head in. "Pathetic."

        "Hmm..." the man over the speaker mused.

        Two more doors opened, twin women rushing at blinding speed into the ring. They circled Katrien throwing chains in every direction. "Ready, Lily?" one asked.

        "Let's kill this bitch, Hilly," the other answered with a grin.

        Pulling on their weapons, the chains shot towards Katrien's body wrapping her from head to toe. They came forward with daggers, aiming them for the base of the ex-Lieutenant's throat. The woman scoffed lightly, the chains exploding away from her body seconds later. The two sisters went flying with them, slamming into the walls. The Witch uncrossed her arms, pointing them towards Lily and Hilly.

        "My turn," she spoke, revealing the black marking on the limbs. They fused and linked together all over her body before flying forward, stretching over the girls'. The chains pinned them to the wall, slowly suffocating them to death from the weight and tightness.

        "You are very interesting, my dear," the man outside the walls spoke with amusement. Suddenly, Ichigo's Spiritual Pressure disappeared, making Katrien's blood run cold. "It seems that the Substitute Soul Reaper, Ichigo Kurosaki, has been killed by an Espada. You must be allies with him, no, since you came all this way? I suggest that if you don't want to get yourself killed you'll retreat back to the Soul Society." She didn't move. "So, what will you do?"