Endless amount of times, Nnoitra had finished off his opponent with a single strike. The massive weapon would prove too heavy, too sharp, too fast for anyone to follow. Yet, this man was different. Nnoitra could feel the otherâs strength push against him, the air being filled with the cutting metallic sound, which carried so well over the field of snow. As the otherâs knee bent slightly, Nnoitra almost thought heâd won, but in the next second, he was pushed back with formidable power, almost thrown off balance. High heeled boots shifted in the snow to keep his thin posture from being thrown down, and Santa Teresa was yanked back for protection. Wielding the weapon was easy to Nnoitra, each movement as quick as if he was holding nothing at all.
   He could see the strike being aimed at his stomach, could almost picture the view of himself being cut open, guts spilling out onto the white ground. Only too bad that wouldnât happen. It was just basic instinct to dodge the attack, but Nnoitra looked beyond that. He wasnât just some animal driven by a will to survive. He was a warriorâ No, a prisoner on death row, and all he wanted to do was end it all. His body tensed for a second, and his heels dug into the slippery snow, forcing his body to stay still and receive the hit. He wanted to show this guy what he was made of. The impact itself was below his most visible ribs, so no bones would be broken. It cut through his jacket, and attempted to dig into his pale skin. However, there was no blood. There was not even a scratch. Just the same, metallic sound as if Nnoitraâs body was made of iron. Ah, well, in a way, his hierro was iron, wasnât it?
   When Nnoitra realized he couldnât be cut by this man - not yet anyway, his grin widened even further. He opened his mouth again, this time for a loud, harsh laugh. Body bent backwards as he rocked back on his heels, keeping himself steady with Santa Teresa working as an anchor. A little more pressure on his stomach, and he lost his balance. But Nnoitra bent like an acrobat, lean muscles working against gravity while he swung himself around in a backflip, landing once again on his feet. Once balance was fully regained, he reached out for the chain attached to his weapon. The metal was cold in his burning hands, knuckles now turning a pale shade of pink, but he didnât even notice that. He was so hungry for the battle.
   With a yank, Santa Teresa was lifted off the ground, swung around by its chain. It cut through the frozen air and a few crystals of snow danced at its tail. It only took him a couple of rolls of his wrist to get the weapon into a good speed, and then, he swung it at his enemy. The other would have to take the full weight of the weapon, in addition the the speed in which it was thrown. Nnoitra could feel a certain thirst on his tongue now, and knew it was the want to fire a cero. That would have to wait, now - he needed to see how his opponent handle his long-range attack.
---Damn, he could feel his blood pulsing, every fibre of his being itching to take down this man before him, this madman, one thinking he had any chance of winning a battle against one of the most formidable swordsmen of his time. Heâd not had a battle that caused such a feeling, and then his mind wandered, his thoughts cascading back to that day in Impel Down, that day where he felt exactly what true entertainment and battle was, the day heâd fought Magellan. For a brief second he wondered what Magellan was doing now. Surely, with the escape of Shiliew and many other Level Six prisoners Magellan would have ni doubt been fired from his position.Â
Then the images blurred, the hulking form of the Warden coming to shrink, his mass decreasing and his state changing to one that fit this other in front of him. Ah, so he also held something Magellan did, something that made Shiliewâs very instincts kick in and harness themselves to their maximum efficiency.Â
The feeling of numbness that caused his sword to stop dead in its tracks once the blade met flesh was an almost shock to the man. Eyes widened in surprise before narrowing in amusement. What a fighter. Not only was his attack power extraordinary, his defence was also sublime. He was definitely an opponent worthy of fighting. One that would drive him further.
The laugh was met a leap backwards, boots lifting him off the floor as he gained some distance, sword coming to fall by his side. Heâd hoped by now that it would be layered in blood, but alas, not everything was so simple. Musing over what had just happened, the former Jailer couldnât help but smirk at the laughter targeted at his failed attempt to kill the smaller male. Well, all it meant was that heâd have to push himself to his limits. Or maybe it was simply because heâd not fought someone in so long that he was out of touch. There was no excuse for weakness though, and this was definitely not a time where heâd begin to think about his own shortcomings.Â
Watching the other swing his heavy weapon above him, the chain and velocity and speed kicking up snow as he twirled it overhead, Shiliew prepared himself, senses primed as feet manoeuvred slowly to make best use of his body when the attack came. For a moment he contemplated taking the strike head on, something the other had previously done with Shiliewâs very own strike, but he knew not to think too much on the battlefield. Seeing the weapon get shot straight at him he brought his sword to exactly in the right position to parry the unorthodox blade, his free hand reinforcing the necessary weight needed to stop it from cutting him up completely.Â
Then another rush to the other, his malignant smile painting his expression as he moved to just in front of the other, both hands gripping his bladeâs hilt as he swung down just like the other had moments before.Â









