Bleach: Cero Devastador

Ryoma struck forward only to strike air; just in speed alone, Kurayami was on another level compared to everyone he had faced. He frowned and looked back to her standing at the opposite edge of the stadium as if she had always been there, cross-armed and without breaking one sweat.

"Come on, boy… Make me~" She repeated.

*BAANG!*

Ryoma lunged at her with explosive strength; a kick to the ground strong enough to shatter the field. But the same scenery repeated; Kurayami slipped through his sight like air and appeared behind him nimbly. No sound, nothing...

!!!

Kamishiro frowned in irritation, 'How can she be so quickly!? I can see her… but I can't move fast enough. What she is doing isn't even physically possible'.

Aside from minor fluctuations in her Reiryoku, he couldn't tell what exactly she was doing. Meanwhile, Kurayami frowned even harder as she stood calmly on her end of the stadium.

'His eyes followed mine at all times during that last step. Can he track me? but he couldn't reach me with his sword… still, he could perceive me? That alone is not something the average underground duelist can do. This boy is no doubt strong but… I'll play with him a bit more'.

She walked towards him with her hands in her pockets, an utter disrespect.

"How did you know Benimaru was my subordinate?" Kurayami asked. Ryoma remained silent for a while and then put his sword back in its scabbard, effectively returning the insult and slating a frown out of that beautiful face of hers. 

'Aren't you getting a bit comfortable?' her brows twitched. 

"I only guessed. I had my sight on him from the start" Ryoma explained

"Benimaru is a retired champion who only makes challenges from warriors who have achieved five hundred victories. That's why I was surprised when he came to me asking for a duel, the same day as you. Even if my name spreads, it shouldn't have spread that quickly… is Ikkaku Madarame you're doing too?" He asked back. 

"No, that boy was sent by somebody else. In any case, you knew he was my subordinate, you still dared to trash him in front of me. It is almost as if you're looking for a beating. And now you even stand before me, in the middle of the duel, with your sword in its scabbard. Even after all I've done, you still look down on me?~"

"You haven't shown me something to be shocked at, Kurotora... you're just moving a bit faster than normal, that's all. Was that supposed to be impressive?".

"Oh, don't worry, you will be...!"

Kurayami nearly teleported. If his eyes were able to track her movements before, now Ryoma felt her slip off his sight for an instant! However, even at that moment, Kurayami caught the glimpse of a maniacal smile.

*WHOOSH!*

*BAANG!*

Her kick struck Ryoma's chest, and the young man was sent flying and impacted the kido barrier, it looked as if the exchange was his defeat but Kurayami gasped even as she stood in place; she stared at her bleeding leg in shock, a small but clear slice.

Ryōma kept that cheeky smile and stood back up, "I am kinda getting used to it… I don't know how you manage to move that fast but at the very least you have to step on the floor to change directions every time. You also can't stop your momentum mid-air… it is almost like a…"

"Flash step (Shunpo)…" Kurayami finished for him.

He regained his stance, now a lot more confident. The cheers of emotions for the fight were stopped and shocked when they saw the first one to be injured in this fight was Kurotora and not Kamishiro. They couldn't stop being amazed at the boy. Even Kukaku who watched the fight alongside Sakuya, gasped. 

'This boy is insane... that potential reminds me of Kuchiki-kun'

...

Blood spilt on the stadium as Kurayami finally gained a stance. She stared at Ryoma dead in the eye. 

'I didn't kick him just now, my strike didn't connect. He jumped away from me at the right moment and managed to scratch only the tip of my leg, his move was miscalculated; if he had been a bit more accurate...'

A smile crept up her countenance, a smile of thrill. The silhouette of a dark-skinned woman overlapped with that of Ryōma, someone who resembled her a lot. 

'He is not a shinigami; he does not know Kidō so he fails to grasp what my technique is... Shunpo is taught in the academy but not many shinigami get to use it, let alone master it. This must be the first time he's seen it and yet he keeps adapting to it at a ridiculous speed. The more I use it the more I put myself at a disadvantage'.

"The reason I am not using my Zampakuto" She said.

"...?"

"It is not to mock you, Kamishiro. You have earned my respect, that's why I am telling you this much".

"Regardless of whatever reason you may have not to use your sword, it is a disrespect to your opponent to hold back in a match" He answered, a bit of outrage seeping out that she couldn't help but laugh at.

"You hypocrite... haven't you been holding back against all your opponents until now!?"

*WHOOSH!*

Ryōma was prepared for it, but that was not the best she could do. Kurayami sidestepped several times, confusing him and creating after-images. 

*BAANG!*

Even as Kurayami stood flash-stepped in front of him; by the time he received the shock, the smiling Kurayami in front of him dissipated like a shadow. Kurayami clamoured inwardly, but the skull-cracking impact she expected didn't happen and instead, she felt like she hit something dull, an unmovable object.

"Don't expect me to hold back against an opponent I can barely see".

Kurayami smirked, "So I was right~ stop talking about disrespect and nonsense, boy... I have never seen someone use the sword in such a roguish manner as you do. Your whole being screams disrespect. You're one funny kid".

*RUMBLE!!*

Powerful reiatsu was released from Kurayami's body.

"Very well, I shall skip pleasantries!"

Before Ryoma could even know what happened. A hand imbued in energy grasped his head and thrashed him against the barrier.

*BOOOOOMM!!*

The barrier exploded like it was made out of glass; his body was sent flying out of the stadium with a blast, leaving all the spectators confused and a panicked Sakuya and Murasaki who could only stare in silence as Kurayami –whose body seemed as if it was imbued in white lightning– took a step and disappeared, leaving everything in silence.

"…"

"Ryōma!" Sakuya finally reacted and realised that things were a lot worse than anticipated.

**

**

The young man groaned, his body struggling to regain control mid-air until he impacted against the ground. Rolled for a while and finally regained his footing on what looked like a deserted road.

Kurayami appeared in front of him like a dream, the energy around her body scattered and she sighed a heavy and smoky breath. 

"I still can't control it properly... but that was the quickest way to get you out of there. Stand up and face me, kiddo".

"..."

"Haha...hahaha... you're strong... you are the strongest woman I have ever seen" Ryoma laughed, cracking his bones and earning a deeper frown from the woman. That was not the expected reaction; she ignored that laughter, thinking he was just being delusional.

"My name is Shihōin Kurayami a member of Onmitsukidō. Kamishiro Ryōma, for the execution of Shūhei Ryōsuke, a licensed shinigami graduate from the 9th division, you will be judged for your crime and executed as per the usual procedure. My investigations have led me to you as the primary culprit who fled the 78th District after the incident. It wasn't that hard... your strength and the quality of that sword gave it all away" She pointed at Kamishiro's Asauchi, the rags covering the hilt were semi-destroyed, showing its true colours. 

"…" Ryōma stood up, serious and listening yet uncaring... his sword pointing at her demonstrated it. 

"But before I do that though, you will answer some questions for me. When it happened… when you murdered him; what was he doing at Inuzuri? What did you see and hear in that crack den?" She asked seriously, hoping to put all the pieces together.

"…" The boy stared at her with a tilted head before he regained his stance with a smile. 

"You don't want to answer?" She asked, irritated.

Ryoma smiled maniacally, he pointed his sword at Kurayami.

"Make me".

"… foolish".

*WHOOSH!*

She disappeared once more, not as fast as before, but still using a flash step; Ryoma readied to receive whatever she had to offer.

'That move is so categorically superior that it is difficult to react to. Her physical strength is good but not anything I can't handle. Power is the same as strength multiplied by movement. Her shocking power is the result of that incredible speed. As long as I can handle it…'

"It seems you're running some mental calculations there! Care to share!?" He heard a whisper next to his ear. 

*WHOOSH!* 

Ryoma swung his sword as fast as he could and missed, but he successfully made Kurayami switch the trajectory of her flash step. 

'She still hasn't unsheathed her sword. She's a Shinigami so she must have a sword'.

*BANG!*

*BANG!*

*WHOOSH*

Several times Kurayami tried to attack but it was as if he knew where she was going to go at each instance.

'This boy... he has completely grasped my Shunpo now. Must I use Shunko again? W-Why? He's not even fast, why am I seeing her reflect on him?'.

The shinigami reappeared behind him nimbly, this time that aura was begging to resurface in her body; when she was about to accelerate to strike; the position of Ryoma's sword switched as he grinned.

!!!

She flinched and switched her direction just slightly.

*WHOOSH!*

Kurayami gained some distance, her toes were just about to hit the ground, 'Just now he made it so that I'd have to collide with the edge if I did Shunko'.

She landed.

!!!

*CLAANG!*

Kurayami's sword, still in its scabbard, materialised and struck against a flying object that came crashing her way like a powerful projectile of decimation.

*BAANG!*

She deflected the trajectory and the object crashed against a building, creating a path of destruction. She didn't notice the droplet of sweat falling off her forehead and her goosebumps. Turning around, she saw nothing but a bloodthirsty countenance staring at her like she was praying, inhaling and exhaling.

"A-Are you insane!? You just lost your sword! What swordsman throws his sword like that!?"

Ryōma licked his lips, "But I made you unsheathe yours. What a vicious and beautiful sword you've got there".

The scabbard had the lining of a white tiger's skin; Kurayami unsheate it and the edge was as white as a sheet of paper. This was Kurayami's Zanpakutō.

"You've got some good positive points, boy… it is been a long since I've had this much fun. Last time I had this much fun I was humiliated by her... quite ironic, right?".

"…"

"I won't be calling you a kiddo anymore. You're more than that… but you're still falling tonight. You lost your sword and you stand before me barefoot, I told you I don't use this sword for personal reasons... but if you must insist".

*RUMBLE!!*

An explosion of energy like nothing Ryoma had seen yet was released from Kurayami's body. Her sword shone and took a different shape; it transformed into a set of white tiger-shaped gauntlets. 

"I'll make you answer my questions... so clench your teeth!".