In search of new power (Mizuki)

[Karzan Zaraki]

Karzan had been wondering Hueco Mundo for a little while now, even venturing to the Menos Forest, in search of powerful Hollows, that he could turn into Arrancar. It was best if he caught them at Adjucha level or lower, because then they were more easily controlled, but he wasn't that picky, and if he could gain the help of Vasto Lorde, it would be a major bonus.

At the present time, he had wandered into a place known as the Mirrored Cave, which completely hid the reiatsu of anyone inside it. When he had been a regular Hollow, he had often sought refuge here, and it was highly likely, that some other Hollow might have had the same thoughts. He only hoped he didn't come across any weaklings in the cave.

[Mizuki Kurosawa]

Mizuki was lazing about her little part of the cave minding her own business as usual. She hadn't been in the mood to devour weaker hollows today and so she laid down in front of her little home to stare at the sky. If she didn't have a mask covering her face and most of her body, the look upon her face would have been viewable by the others around her. Staring off into space would be a better way to describe what she was doing and it wasn't all to rare for the wolf-like hollow. Living in the Mirrored Cave meant that reiatsu was completely hidden and that included anyone that entered so she, of course, was not aware that the Lord of the Deep had wondered in.

[Karzan Zaraki]

Karzan continued to walk through the cave, looking at the floor of the crystal covered cave for signs of it having been traveled recently, patches of sand, or even blood from a devoured Hollow maybe.

He wandered for a few more minutes, before stopping to kneel down, as he saw a small path of sand, with what was clearly a wolf like foot print area inside it. If one was not looking right at it, they would not have noticed the shape, simply because there was so little sand, however Karzan was looking for exactly such a thing. Looking around carefully now, he found another patch of sand, and followed a light trail of the white grains, until he came upon a lazing Hollow. He blinked slightly as he came upon it, not expecting to find one so quickly.

"You weren't very smart about hiding yourself," Karzan said finally recovering and straightening up, "hiding here will keep away normal Hollows, and maybe a less intelligent Vast Lorde, but most Arrancar would easily be able to follow your trail if they wanted to."

[Mizuki Kurosawa]

It took a second or two for Mizuki to realize that someone was there let alone talking to her. It wasn't because she was slow or anything she had just been stuck in her thoughts. She had been staring off into space after all and that was the only reason. She looked up lazily at the person who had spoke to her and stared at him for a few seconds. An Arrancar had wandered into the Mirrored Cave and , of course, she had heard about the new Lord of the Deep but she hadn't seen him yet seeing as he was usually in Las Noches.

"I don't bother hiding myself. The others know their place." Mizuki said getting to her feet. "How do you know I didn't intend to be found?" She continued.

[Karzan Zaraki]

"In any case you're lucky someone else of my power didn't find you," Karzan said smiling at the Hollow's response, "because if any of my men had found you here, they would have killed you without a thought...Slyx probably would have eaten you."

Karzan looked the Hollow over. It was clearly a wolf of some sort, which he found somewhat amusing. Many Hollows nowadays-including himself-seemed to be some sort of canine, which resulted in a few of the Arrancar he knew being of wolfish origin.

"My name is Karzan Zaraki," he said finally introducing himself, "I am the lord of Las Noches, and I've come out here in search of powerful Hollows, to add to my army...this will involve an eventual change into an Arrancar...do you think you are capable enough to join my army?"

[Mizuki Kurosawa]

Mizuki listened as the Arrancar spoke to her telling her she was lucky that someone of his power hadn't found her because they would have killed her without a thought and then he said something about a being called Slyx who would have eaten her if she would have came across her. She wasn't a very easy person to convince that she may actually be weak and to be told this by an Arrancar wasn't going to change that fact. She would have rolled her eyes at this if he would have been able to see it but her eyes were just hidden deep within her mask so it was pretty hard so instead she flicked her tails in annoyance. She notice him looking her over no doubt thinking her appearance was odd because that was the normal response from new comers when they saw her; she had two tails after all. She listened as he introduced himself then went on saying he was the Lord of the Deep and she immediately bowed at the words; she had been so rude! She continued to listen as he still spoke to her explaining his reason for coming to such a place and her tails twitched in excitement when he asked if she thought she was capable enough to join his army.

"I would be honored to join your army, my lord." Mizuki said in response to his question answering in her own way if she was capable enough. "My name is Mizuki Kurosawa." She continued stating her name to him since she didn't want to be rude.

[Karzan Zaraki]

Karzan smiled as the Hollow's attitude changed all of a sudden, and it introduced itself. "I'm glad you feel honored," Karzan said drawing his sword, "but we have to properly test how well you can fight first. There's little point in having you around if you can't fight."

As he spoke, Karzan charged a Cero in his left hand, aiming it at Mizuki, and fired it at her. He gave her just enough time to react, not wanting to scare her away right off the bat.

[Mizuki Kurosawa]

Mizuki noticed Karzan's smile at her sudden attitude change and she felt in her mind that that may be a good sign. She heard him say he was glad that she was honored and draw his sword. She grinned despite it being invisible due to her mask and stood in a proper stance; she should have figured it wouldn't be so easy. She listened as he said he had to test her saying she wouldn't have any reason being around if she couldn't fight and her twin tails twitched in excitement once again. She watched as he charged a Cero in his left hand and playfully jumped to the side dodging it entirely though something told her that he had given her time to dodge.

"It wouldn't be any fun if it was easy." Mizuki said with a light laugh as she launched herself at the Arrancar baring her fangs so she could bite him.

[Karzan Zaraki]

"I'm glad you agree," Karzan said nimbly side stepping Mizuki as she darted toward him with her fangs bared, "now let's see how much you can handle."

As he was dodging Mizuki, he would snatch out his free left hand, and grab both of her tails, pulling her back, and tossing her a few feet, before jumping at her, and coming down with a heavy vertical slash with his Cazoleta.

[Mizuki Kurosawa]

Mizuki growled quietly to herself when he side stepped her so easily. She calmed herself though since she was in the presence of the Lord of the Deep and she didn't want to come off as one with a short temper. He wanted to see how much she could handle and she didn't have any problem with at all either. She was ready for anything that he may throw at her. It was pretty funny that that was his next move though although a bit modified. She whined a bit as he grabbed a hold of both of her tails pulling her back and then launched her a few feet.

Mizuki got to her feet as quickly as she could and shook herself out. She didn't like having sand in her fur or what fur she did have as a hollow. She saw Karzan approaching fast though as he had jumped at her and she jumped away as fast as she could as he fell down aiming a slash at her. She gasped at the damage to the ground and quickly placed her eyes back on Karzan. She lifted both her tails equally apart from one another and began to charge a cero that she would fire as soon as it was completely charged. This hollow was completely unique in every way. There was no doubt about that.

"If I couldn't handle things or myself then I wouldn't have made it this far." Mizuki said with her hidden grin.

[Karzan Zaraki]

"Even weaklings can get lucky," Karzan retorted as Mizuki fired her Cero "but you're reflexes are good, not many Hollows are quick enough to dodge and still have time to attack me."

Side stepping the Cero again, Karzan allowed the blast to pass close enough to him so that it would seem as if it might actually hit him, then as it finally passed, he would use Sonido to dash at Mizuki and fired a Bala blast toward her with his left hand, while using his free hand to bring his sword down in a wide arc toward her exposed neck.

[Mizuki Kurosawa]

Mizuki chuckled at what the Lord of the Deep had said about weaklings could be lucky. She wasn't offended at all about his statement and only found it funny that he would say such a thing. If he had meant that she was just getting lucky in this fight then he hadn't fully understood what she had meant by her own statement. She had meant that she wouldn't have made it this far as a hollow if she couldn't handle herself. Oh well. It didn't bother her.

The Lord of the Deep hadn't lingered on the matter for very long and changed the subject to her fighting. He said he had never met a hollow who could dodge his attacks quick enough and still return a attack; this made her chuckle too. She watched him side step her cero though and use something that made him near her faster. She saw him fire a Bala at her and she used her quick reflexes to dodge it. She didn't have as much time to dodge his attack with his blade, however, but she ducked down underneath the blade and rolled away.

"I meant, sir, that I wouldn't have made it as a hollow if I couldn't handle myself." Mizuki said as she charged another cero with her tails. She launched it immediately after it was charged and then leaped at him to scratch him with her claws.

[Karzan Zaraki]

"I'm aware of what you meant," Karzan said straightening up from his attack, "my point is even a weak Hollow can handle themselves, but it takes luck to allow them to handle the dangers that Hueco Mundo throws at them. Dangers such as myself."

Dodging the Cero as easily as he had before, Karzan smiled as Mizuki leaped at him. Rather than dodge this he held up his sword blade, and caught her claws on the flat of the blade, and as they made contact, he would dart out his free left hand and grab her extended limb. Keeping a firm grip on her, he would hang her in the air and continue to speak.

"And make no mistake, you are a lucky weakling," Karzan said to the wolf hollow, "and you are lucky, because I need to raise an army. Your weakness can be cured through training, and when you are ready, I will make you into an Arrancar."

Releasing his grip, Karzan quickly used Sonido to clear the distance between them and spoke again, "The real test begins now Mikzuki. If you can land a hit on me before I grow tired of this fight, I will train you. I won't attack you outright, and will only make counter-attacks every so often to keep it interesting. Understood?"

[Mizuki Kurosawa]

So he had knew what she had meant. She hadn't so sure that he had understood what she had meant and had only clarified to be sure. She supposed what he said was true but not because he was the lord and she should agree with him. If things were like that all the time then things wouldn't be any fun. There were dangers in Hueco Mundo that even Mizuki didn't want to run into and even though he said he was one of them she didn't care. Yes, the Lord of the Deep could easily kill her if she stuck around long enough but she wasn't going to give him that kind of opening.

Mizuki growled lightly when he dodged her cero once again but knew it'd only be luck if it did hit him. He knew ways of fighting that only Arrancar knew and if she passed his test she'd learn them too. It came as a surprise to her that he didn't dodge when she lept at him with bearing her claws but then he caught her with the flat of his blade and grabbed her limb with his free hand. He kept a firm grip on her leg so that not matter how much she squirmed she wouldn't be released. She didn't squirm that much though just the first two seconds or so just to test it out.

Good fighters always tested things out at least once before giving up on something. Mizuki had nothing she could do but listen as the Lord of the Deep spoke to her. He told her that she was a lucky weakling, not to mistake it for anything else, and that she was lucky that he was raising an army. He told her that her weakness could be cured through training and then when she was ready he would turn her into an Arrancar. If it was possible to see her eyes even the slightest, then he would have seen them light up.

Becoming an Arrancar was more or less her dream. She had been devouring souls her entire hollow life to become a Vasto Lorde and hope for the Lord of the Deep to notice her so she could become an Arrancar. He released his grip on her and she fell to the ground landing on all 4 of her paws and noticed him do that weird thing again; it had put a distance between the two. The lord began to speak again and she listened as he said that the real test began now. He told her that if she could land a hit on him before he grew tired of this fight then he'd train her and that he wouldn't attack outright meaning he'd only make counter attacks every now and then to keep the fight interesting. So that meant she needed to come up with a way to land a hit on him so he'd train her and then she'd be able to become an Arrancar. Her tails twitched in excitement and then went into the position that meant she was charging a cero

"I understand, my lord." Mizuki said answering his question and fired off her cero.

[Karzan Zaraki]

Karzan turned to backward to the left, avoiding the Cero by inches, then threw a Bala at the ground to kick up some sand to hide his location, then dashed off to his right, sheathing his sword as he ran, and firing Bala's off at random to try and confuse Mizuki.

"Come on little Hollow," Karzan said from within the cloud of sand, "let us see what you can do."