The Torchlight Hunt, Death at Dusk [Ignacio, Mizu]

Stepping through the rubble of what had once likely been a bustling commercial district in the Seireitei, Ignacio wondered whether a new opponent would find him or if Tsubine and their companion would return. His body was marred with half a dozen garish scars, his clothes left as little more than tattered rags that clung to his frame with the same determination that carried him forward one step at a time. In the distance, he could hear the roar and whistle of the other Powder Hunters fighting, alongside their newfound and equally dangerous allies, and wondered if it would all be enough.

It was at that point a trio of Shinigami fell upon him. It was unclear if they had intended to attempt to ambush him or if they too had sought solace where the violence seemed to have ceased, but it mattered little once steel had cleared sheaths.

They had not been strong, even combined it was a lacklustre showing, as he darted from one to the other in three successive bursts of Sonido. Three bodies hit the ground, bludgeoned by the butt of a sword but not quite dead. If they chose to stand again then he would put them down permanently, but not obliged him. These were not worthy of the hunt. So he continued onwards, a burning trail marking his path as each footfall left a blackened print against the stonework.

Loathe as she had been to let some strange woman pursue that Hollow, she had proven herself a capable fighter and was evidently faster as well. Instead of following along, Mizu headed in the direction of another conflict, one with vanishing wisps of Reiatsu she recognized as other Shinigami. By the time she reached where they had been snuffed out, Mizu came upon a trio of unconscious bodies. They're still alive...? Certainly, based upon how the rest of this war was going, she couldn't be blamed for expecting them to have perished.

After assessing their injuries, which took only a moment for the seasoned healer, Mizu hid the Shinigami in a nearby alley and set about pursuing whoever or whatever was responsible for the burning tracks leading away from the area. Apparently moving with more urgency than the one she was tracking, it did not take long for Mizu to come upon a man, clearly an Arrancar, who had suffered through what appeared to have been hectic battle.

Mizu knew right away this flame-haired man was dangerous, her Reikaku revealing a tremendous burning hot Reiatsu. Yet, she was not afraid; she had already resolved to win or die once today, and would gladly do so again regardless of who stood before her. With her sword drawn, the diminutive Vice Captain shouted commands to the Arrancar "Stop! Don't take another step!"

There was a laziness to the Arrancar as he slowed to a stop and turned toward his challenger, golden eyes drifting slowly from the path in front of him and toward this latest obstacle. She had a look to her that he found quite enticing, a fierce determination that burned as hot as these embers that he left in his wake. Her sword was already drawn, so no further statement of intent was required. A hand reached down to rest upon the hilt of his own, giving her but a moment to turn her back and flee though knowing all too well that she would not.

"Or what?"

There was no particular vitriol in his response, a hint of arrogance perhaps but nothing close to the anger that one might expect one of his kind to muster in response to such a threat. A question that was left hanging in the air between them for only a moment more before Ignacio took one purposeful step forward.

There was a buzz as he crossed the remaining distance with a sudden burst of Sonido, his sword carving upwards as he drew it across her in an attempt to both preemptively deflect a desperate slash and deliver her a wound in turn. The sudden burst of heat, combined with his newfound proximity, was suddenly far more oppressive than it had been before. Smothering in its intensity as the Arrancar set about testing his opponent.

Upon seeing Ignacio's hand fall to his sword's handle, her grip on her own Zanpakuto tightened. She wasn't nervous, no she was long past having nerves. Mizu was prepared to die and kill alike. More than ever she felt consumed by hatred for the man before her, along with every single ally he brought with him on this sickening invasion.

Mizu's right foot slid forward a few inches as she prepared for a fight. Her stance was wide and defensive, wanting to feel out the stranger before going on the attack. Her wish would be granted as the flame-haired Arrancar shot forward, forcing Mizu to wordlessly release her Zanpakuto, its blade changing shape into a wall of glittering crystal that shook violently as it guarded against the Arrancar's attack.

While maintaining the crystal wall between her and her enemy, Mizu hopped back a few feet and raised her left hand into the air. Then, once again wordlessly, she flicked her hand forward and silently cast Hadō #57. Daichi Ten'yō. A dozen and more chunks of rubble that had fallen into the street all around Ignacio flew through the air to crush him from every side.

Her sudden release sent sparks flying as Ignacio's blade slashed across the shimmering wall, further illuminating the pair as the Arrancar continued to drive into the Shinigami. Her defences were formidable enough to protect her for now, the crystals proving enough of a match for his steel, but he was not given a moment to change strategy before the sundered environment was suddenly turned against him. Unlike his opponent, though, he was not silent. Barking out a stern command as he bid his Zanpakuto to work.

"Karinzanjutsu, First Ring. Black Flame Aegis."

A bubbling black ring formed at the base of his blade in response to his cry, swirling and undulating as it shot up the length of Tigre Garra before bursting into life as a wall of living black fire that Ignacio dragged around himself like a shield. The intensity of the fire was enough to ward off the worst of the damage, consuming some of the debris entirely whilst turning others into chunks of molten slag that splattered against him to leave garish boils upon the skin visible beneath his tattered robes. Still, he found himself surprised that any of her attacks had reached him, breaking off his offensive as he backpedalled to reassess.

Her blade work was adequate, perhaps lacking a little in finesse but well enough to protect herself with, but it seemed she had a much greater talent for magic. There was little use in simply rushing her again and expecting to break through, so he would simply have to turn up the heat. There was no margin for error any more, his body displayed evidence of such yet seethed in expectation, as he called out his release.

"Answer the Call, Ardiente Tigre el Espíritu."

Once more, fire poured forth from the Arrancar. Shooting out of his body and climbing upon his back as a great tiger spirit formed from those flames and loomed over Ignacio like a beast on the prowl. With a roar that came from both spirits, he surged upwards into the air above them, launching a barrage of cero at the Shinigami in an attempt of his own to bury her.

Seeing her stratagem succeed filled Mizu with confidence, though it didn't appear nearly as effective as she hoped. At the very least she was beginning to see some of what her foe was capable of, or rather she felt it as the temperature skyrocketed. With a flick of a wrist she shattered the crystal wall, sending amethyst shards across the ground all around her. They were a reminder that her Zanpakuto partner was always at her side.

With the command spoken, Mizu knew what was to come; or, at least, she had an idea. An Arrancar's Ressureccion is a terrible thing, at times comparable or even superior to Bankai. Fear didn't overtake her though, she knew the dangers of fighting and had accepted them many times over already. Seeing the flaming tiger cloak the Arrancar, as well as feeling the sudden dramatic increase in Reiatsu emanating from the duo, Mizu responded quickly.

"Bankai! Seihari Shōsen!"

A plume of violet Reishi surrounded Mizu before dissipating, revealing her outfit and Zanpakuto to be a combination of black, pink, and purple. While her Reiatsu was still dwarfed by Ignacio's, it managed to save her from the most severe symptoms of his Reiatsu. She watched his movements intently, waiting to once more respond to what he threw at her, and upon seeing the generation and firing of a series of Cero, her left hand shot up and from it two blasts of azure energy filled the air between them. The collision of the Sōren Sōkatsui and Ignacio's Cero's created an explosion that shook the air and singed Mizu's extremities and Shihakushō.

With smoke still filling the sky, Mizu flicked her Zanpakuto in her enemy's direction. A dozen ornate crystal spears followed her command to fly at the Arrancar and turn him into swiss cheese, at least she hoped they would. They would follow him to the ends of Soul Society so long as she had the will and power to make them.