He ran to me, his weapon raised. I blocked the attack but his blade cut along my arm. I sucked my breath in and pushed myself away from him. I looked at him, seeing the murderous intent in his eye.

I ran towards him. Before jumping over him to strike on his back. He parried the strike, "Attacking from the back?" He scoffed, "That's cowardly, pet." I staggered back, "Attacking a small girl who has no proper weapon is the more cowardly action!" I attempt to strike him again. Sparks flew as our weapon collided.

I was thrown back. I didn't want to be the only one flying, so I threw him back too. Both of us landed on the sand. I sat up wiping the sand off my face. I panted, looking around as I remain seated, "If nobody is coming," I got onto my feet, "I'll have to kill him."

Something I didn't want to do surprisingly. No matter how I tried to put it. Splitting him in half sounded wrong even if he was an enemy. Even if he was going to kill me.

I started running around him. A desperate act to keep him occupied. Strikes after strikes, he kept throwing his weapon at me. And he didn't seem to be running short on them. I squinted, trying to see what he was doing. Apparently, he can produce more weapons from his wrist.

"Why aren't you attacking me?!" Nnoitra shouted, "If you gave up, come here, so I won't have to chase you, pet."

I let out a silent groan before going at him. He saw that coming and easily blocked it again. "Your attacks are predictable," he taunted, "Its easy to read you." One slash to my left leg. And it hurt even worse than the others. I pushed myself back from him before tumbling back. I cursed under my breath, seeing the previous wound opening again.

"That took weeks to recover," I muttered, using my ability to help me up.

"You're pretty beat up," he said, "You're tougher than I expected, pet." I gripped on the weapon in my hand. I charged at him again, pushing him down a little more with gravity, "I'm a tough girl, you spoon," I pushed him back before retreating from him. I threw him over to the nearest pillar.

I was on the verge of passing out, black spots were forming around my vision.

He fired a Cero at me. I split it into two but it was narrower than usual. It burned the edges of my skirt. Once it passed, he charged himself at me. It caught me by surprise but I managed to block him, only receiving a cut on the space between my shoulder and neck. I retreated, placing a hand on the wound.

I was practically colouring the sand red. I stood in my own pool of blood. I ran at him again. Throwing myself over him to strike at his back. He blocked it. My hands shook as I pushed the weapon down. Something caught my attention.

He turned his head enough to look at me and flash a smirk. I took my hand off my weapon and controlled the one that was floating in the air earlier. I let my Reiatsu spike one more time. I looked into his eye as the other weapon strikes his front.

"I'm sorry."

He dropped to the ground. Blood pooled around him. I placed my feet to the ground, throwing aside the two weapons. I stood by his feet, staring at him. It didn't felt good. It didn't felt heroic. I felt guilty. "Usually, I don't like being defeated by a girl," Nnoitra spoke, "It disgusts me to see female stronger than me."

I kneeled by his feet, looking at him as he spoke. "But you aren't rubbing it in the wrong way, pet," he said, "You were a challenge." My hands shook as I blinked at him. Unsure why tears were forming in my eyes. My head suddenly tightened and spinning. My heart practically beating out of my ribcages.

"Nnoitra, I..." I choked out, biting my lip, "I--."

A sword went through me from my back. I stared at the blade, seeing it slick with my own blood. "Tesra..." I choked as he kicked me off the blade. Blood started to pool around me until I was lying in a pool of my own and Nnoitra's blood mixed.

"You made me...feel things, pet," he said as we both laid next to each other, dying together apparently.

"Nnoitra..." I called out softly, "You're the weirdest guy I have ever met."

I looked at Tesra raising his weapon. I closed my eyes and accepted my fate. The familiar sound of an arrow firing made my eyes open. Tesra stood over me, a light blue arrow through his head. "Neddy-Chan!" the familiar voice called out. I looked at Nnoitra, flashing a genuinely sweet smile at him. He returned the smile with a smirk.

His eyes slowly closed and I knew he took his last breath.

Something inside me...yearned. I reached out for him, my hand shaking and my eyes watering. Crying. I felt like crying and screaming at the top of my lungs. Someone pushed me onto my back. My eyes squinted as I stared up to the glaring sun. Someone cradled my head, "Ned?" "Sh-Shinji...?" I blinked, my vision starting to blur. "I shouldn't have left you alone," he pulled me into a hug.

He gently placed me down and called over Orihime. She immediately went over to me. A yellow barrier came around me. Her brown eyes filled with determination, "Hold on, Neddy-Chan." I lifted my hand and touched the barrier. It expelled my finger. "This is your ability," I muttered, turning my attention to her, "Abarai-Kun told me about it."

The cuts started disappearing as if nothing had happened. I flexed my fingers, seeing myself recover rather quickly. I looked at Shinji who stood beside Orihime, "I'm tired," I murmured. Shinji smiled a little, "I know," he replied, "Ya did well. Ya deserve some rest." Ishida came up beside him, "It has been a while," he raised his eyebrows at me. I laughed a little, "Yeah," I said, "It has been a while." I gave the Quincy a smile as he adjusted his glasses, "Thank you."

I looked at my side.

I'm sorry.