I dodged its first attack by a hair's breadth, cartwheeling away, before gaining my balance and sprinting away. My mind moved a million miles per hour, trying to think of a way to win this battle. Call upon my own Hollow? But what if I couldn't control her and she took over, teamed up with the weird dog and destroyed Karakura Town. 

I couldn't allow that to happen. A large paw thudded before me, forcing me to change directions. Clambering over several boulders, I gained no respite at the top as the Hollow leapt, jaws wide open. 

My uniform got caught on one of those razor sharp teeth, ripping all up on one side. I shrugged out of the ruined material, in nothing but a pair of boylegs and a crop top. Then I continued my reckless charge away from the Hollow. 

It seemed to toy with me, loping after me with its purple tongue out the side of its mouth. The eyes even sparkled with a sadistic amusement. 

What the hell was I going to do? 

I had nothing to help me, the only advice Kisuke gave me was control my Hollow and I still wasn't up to full soul reaper strength. And the gods be damned if I was going to listen to Kisuke after what he just pulled. This wasn't risky, it was downright dangerous! 

I was going to die in some illegal underground cavern by a Hollow because of some stupid man's idea of help. 

Yachiru's smiling face flashed before my eyes and I slid to a halt. Kenpachi's smirk appeared before my eyes too, along with all the others of the squad. My last thought was of Fury and his rare toothy grins. 

No, I couldn't give up now. I had lost too much now to give up - I needed to fix things, understand things. I needed to keep going. 

Now, think, what would be good against this Hollow? 

The Hollow howled as it slowed to a stop, which turned to a grating laughter as it tilted its head to the side and observed me. 

There were two ideas in mind: one was completely off the rails, the other stupid and crazy. I went with the first one. 

I raised a hand at the Hollow, index finger outstretched. Took a deep breath in and...

"Bad boy!" I shouted at it. 

A second passed, two, then a minute elapsed. The Hollow gave me a look. 

"Yep, of course that wouldn't work!" I screamed as the Hollow snapped its jaws at me again. 

I rolled and ended up to its side. Plan B then. I just hoped I would, a: have enough power and b: didn't blow myself up in the process. 

"Eat on this! Hado Number 33! Sokatsui!" A torrent of blue energy erupted from my palm, turning into a giant wave of crackling fire. It crashed into the Hollow and it squealed in pain, turning tail and running away from me. 

"Ha! Run while you can!" I crowed happily. "There's more where that came- ugh!" 

My body went rigid and I pitched forward. Before my face hit the floor, everything went black. 

Eyes flying open, I sat up in a strange place. A desert, sand dune rising like mountains and hills around me and a large red sun that beat down relentlessly. Sickly trees with thick twisted branches searched desperately for water and shade. A hot breeze whipped up the sand around me and I shielded my face as the grains scraped along my skin. 

Where was I?  

"Now this is more like it," hissed a voice. Cold dread filled me and I uncovered my face slowly. 

Towering over me was a human like lady, dark blue hair flowing down her back in a long plait, and half a Hollow mask covering the top half of her face, vibrant blue eyes glittering with snark amusement. Her long, lithe body wasn't covered by any clothing but dense white scales, ranging in different shapes and sizes. 

Dragon scales. 

"Glad you could join me, Kera," she drawled, holding out her hand. Her sword materialised from thin air and she wrapped her clawed fingers around the hilt. "This makes things a lot easier." 

"Oh shit." 

It was the blue dragon. I licked my dry lips, tried to calm my thumping heart. She was much stronger now than that time she used my body. Strength and power just seemed to ooze out of her and she smiled when she noticed my horrified expression. 

"Don't expect to leave her alive, Kera. Because no matter what you do, I will be victorious and then I will continue on with my mission to destroy the soul society."  

Me being me, the first thing I did was - 

RUN IN THE GODDAMN OPPOSITE DIRECTION! 

This wasn't Ikkaku or some plain Jane Hollow. Hell, this wasn't at all like the fight with Kenpachi. I just knew, if I stayed there like I was now, I was dead. Her power - it was nothing I had ever felt before. 

Find a weapon, find a weapon, find a weapon! My mind chanted the mantra like it was a life line. 

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" A sword descended upon me and I rolled to the side, narrowly missing being sliced to pieces. Her attack blasted into the ground, a shockwave of epic proportions sending me flying. Luckily I didn't try to catch that one like I did with Kenpachi's back way yonder in the past. 

Wait, what the hell was I doing thinking about that now?! I hit a tree. My fingers curled around a long, straight-ish branch. Snapping it off, I turned to face the blue dragon, brandishing my new weapon. 

Once again reminded of similar battles I've had. Did I always have to end up with such bad luck? 

The blue dragon snorted with laughter when she noted my stance and weapon choice. "I knew you soul reapers were persistent but this is bordering on ridiculous." 

"Always maintain a level playing field." 

"I think your definition is a bit off," she replied. I tightened my grip, widened my stance. It amused her, I noted, when she threw her sword on her shoulder and bared her teeth. 

"You know what, since you're so desperate to win, I'll make a bet with you. I win, I get to devour you," she licked her lips, "and if you win, you get my sword and my powers. And I might just help you out of your little predicament." She laughed, evil with fangs glimmering in the sunlight. "But you're not going to win so I hope you've said your prayers." 

"I don't want to play games! I want my powers back and I want you gone from my life." 

"I never called this a game," she whispered in my ear. 

How did she move so fast?! 

I jumped backwards. Her sword's edge grazed my stomach, earning me a deep line that bloomed with blood quickly. Before the pain had even time to register, the tip of her sword went through my left shoulder blade. A cry of pain left my lips, fiery agony filling me. Desperate, I swung wildly. 

Our weapons connected, then danced away. She attacked again, this time slower, movements more precise. She aimed to maim me, not kill. I could see it in her eyes. 

She wanted to devour me while I was still alive. 

I dodged her attacks. Where I couldn't dodge, I blocked her advance. When I couldn't block, I was forced to suffer for it, earning scratches, cuts, bruises and swollen joints. I stood on the edge of one of those sand dunes when our swords next locked in battle. 

"Just give up," she breathed in my face, her own face twisted with glee. 

"Never!" I cried, then screamed in agony as she swiped at me, her claws biting deep into my stomach. Her sword slid down the branch, tip piercing my thigh. I grunted, biting my tongue against the howl of pain building. 

I headbutted her, but she danced away nimbly. Her sword dripped my blood onto the hot earth. We circled each other, her with the prowl of a predator, me with the limp of the wounded.  

"You're hopeless, Kera, a pitiful excuse for a soul reaper. Your own zanpakuto spirit left you and your sword shattered. So why don't you just give up?" 

"I already told you I'm not giving up!" I screamed at her, clutching tightly to the broken and shattered branch. It quivered in my grasp. "I can't give up! There's too much at stake to let you roam free!" 

I launched at her, our weapons banging together. "You foolish soul reaper!" she cackled. "You, with a branch, think you can defeat me, a dragon with years of killing experience and a sword?" 

"Yeah, I will, you stupid bitch," I snarled, kicking out with a foot. It collided with her ankle and she yelped, off balance now. "Because I'm not letting you kill my friends." With as much strength as I could muster, my left fist came round and socked her right in the nose. A hairline fracture appeared in her mask and she stumbled away from me. 

Shocked, she struggled to raise her sword to deflect my next blow. "What's going on?" she gasped, dancing away. Her sword quaked in her grasp. "How can you still be so strong?"  

"I'm a member of Squad 11. I will never give up and I will never back down from a fight." I gave her a glare. "So I'm going to control you, right here and now, and then I'm going to blast that Hollow to kingdom come!"  

With a roar, I tackled her, broken branch discarded. We rolled down the side of the sand dune, dirt filling my mouth, eyes and nose. But I held onto her even as she thrashed to get away. We both landed heavily at the bottom. 

Her sword flew from her hand. 

I kneed her in the gut quickly and while she fought for breath, I scooped up her sword. The hilt was deliciously cool in my palm, soft bone gentle against my aching skin. Balanced, perfect, as if it was made for me. 

A blaze of energy surged from the sword and up my arm and I turned on the blue dragon. She cowered on the ground, still bent from the kick. Her lips were turned up in a ferocious snarl, a dark blue aura rising around her in her anger. But her eyes, her eyes flashed with pain, anger and fear. 

She didn't run when I levelled the tip to her neck. 

"Your sword is now mine," I uttered and she winced, as if the words were a physical blow. 

"But it's my sword," she protested weakly. 

"Not anymore. I bested you in battle and your rules were simple. Now, you're going to get me out of here, give me your sword and powers, and led me a hand."

A/N: Cor! Phew, that was a long and hard chapter to write. Tell me what you liked best, what you didn't like and what I can improve on! Also, don't forget to spread the love with a little star and by telling your friends about the book!