Hey guys. I'm back with the next chapter. Had a few writer's block along the way. That's why this one was super super late. I'm still figuring out what sort of weapon I should equip Karin with. Any ideas? Do let me know if you have any idea wht weapon she should use. Anyway, I'm happy that my scribbles have been getting more and more favs/alerts as a chapter was added. Thanks alot for the support. It is so much appreciated. Well... Without delaying more than necessary, here goes Chapter 6: The Strange Enemy.

Toshiro's eyes widen in shock at what the arrancar just said.

"Weren't the arrancars all dead? Didn't we send a team of Shinigamis over to Hueco Mundo and purged them of their existence? Haven't we been extra thorough to make sure that none of the remaining arrancars survived the purge?" He thought to himself.

"Aah... I see ya remembered us by that look on yer face. Did ya really think we were gone? Yer team of shinigamis wasn't thorough enough. They left me alive. They killed many of us, yes they did, but they didn't do a good job now did they? How does that make ya feel huh Taicho-san? Hahahaha..." The arrancar spoke maliciously. Evil heard clearly in its rumbling voice.

"Well I'll make sure to do a more thorough job than my comrades and extinguish your race today. You're the only one left. It wouldn't take too long for me to kill you. And once I do, the world will be a much safer place for all." Toshiro spoke calmly. Confidence boiling in his blood. His eyes constantly looking for any openings to bring his opponent down as quickly as possible. He had to hurry and get Haru baa-san to safety before unleashing his full power. He didn't want to endanger Haru baa-san should he have to break into Bankai. He hoped to get Haru baa-san as far as possible from his Bankai or she might freeze to death at his immense power. Where in the world was Karin? He could use her help now.

"Oh really?"

Those were the last words he heard before he sensed the presence of ten other reiatsu similar to that of the arrancar in front of him. He could feel the mass of reiatsu and the different roars of many arancars spread across Karakura Town.

Karin stopped dead in her tracks when she saw what fell from the sky twenty feet from where she stood.

"That cannot be possible. There are still more of them? I thought Soul Society would have sent people over to destroy them. No time to think of that now. I gotta do something. Thank god for this, Urahara's shop is just round the corner." She muttered softly to herself

As quick as she thought she changed her course and turned the corner towards Urahara's shop. She burst into the shop to find Ururu, Jinta and Tessai armed with their various weapons.

"Where is Urahara? I've come to help. Quick! Lend me one of your weapons so I can fight along!"

"Ah... Whose voice is that I hear? Kurosaki-san... How nice of you to join us today." Urahara spoke in his singsong voice and smiling widely at Karin, walking through a doorway.

"Quick! Give me a weapon. I'm gonna take down that monster before it destroys the town. Its my turn to save this town now." Karin said impatiently. She could feel red-hot blood flowing through her veins. Her eyes gleamed with resolve and excitement. This is the time for her to protect her family.

"I will protect my family just like how Ichi-nii protected me and Yuzu many times before. This is the least I could do to thank him. I will take that arrancar down no matter what it takes." Karin thought to herself while Urahara eyed her judgingly.

"Jinta, Get Karin that weapon. The one I'm working on." Urahara spoke softly, eyes still locked onto Karin's face.

"But we haven't test that weapon. We don't know what its capable of." Jinta protested.

Urahara ignored Jinta's protests and kept staring at Karin.

"Fine. But if it blows up in her face, don't blame me." Jinta said, defeated and went off into their storeroom to get the weapon Urahara told him to get. He came back into the room 2 minutes later with something huge in his arms. It was covered under a black cloth but Karin could see the outline of her weapon. Her excitement grew.

"This cannot be happening to me. Eleven arrancars and I have to handle them all? I can't possibly be at eleven places at one time. No time to call Soul Society to ask for reinforcements but I'm sure they'll know already and send some people over. I gotta take this one down fast and get to the rest."

"Oh you won't deal with me so fast Taicho-san. I'm a tricky one to beat." The arrancar smiled playfully eyeing Toshiro with wide glittering eyes.

"I have to move him away from Haru baa-san. Maybe I should try circling around and edge towards Haru baa-san. He might follow me through."

"Look... I may be a hollow, but I am definitely not stupid enough tuh fall fer that. I'm not leaving this old thing just 'cause yer getting close to me. I am not afraid of ya."

"Wait. How did he know what I was going to do?" Then a wild thought occured to him and shock paralyses his body.

"So ya get it now huh?" This time he heard the arrancar's voice from within his mind.

"That can't be." He muttered in disbelief.

The arrancar laughed in glee.

"Taicho-san... I told ya, ya won't be able to get me down that easily. I'm a tough one to beat. Ya see, when Aizen-sama made me, he made sure I was special. I was to be his next right hand. I have the power to hear people's thoughts. Through that, Aizen-sama planned to have me turn the tables when he fought all ya shinigamis. It would have been a definite win and Soul Society, this Human World and all of Hueco Mundo will be his to conquer and his to rule. Wasn't that such a wonderful plan? Now that he is locked up thanks tuh ya shinigamis, I can now have the freedom to take over and rule. The destruction of this world shall be my prize and from there, I shall topple the balance to the three worlds."

Toshiro lunged forward and attacked the arrancar. He knew he was at a disadvantage and that he had little hope of winning the fight with the arrancar able to read his actions in his mind and work a counter to his attacks but he had to try and win for the sake of Haru baa-san and this world. He had no choice but to fight without a plan and to work the fight at the very last minute as every thought he has was read by the arrancar.

His sword swung high. With the throbbing pain from his back and the need to keep himself in check to not hurt Haru Baa-san, he struggled alone trying to edge the arrancar as much away from Haru Baa-san as possible.

Slowly amidst his fierce clashes, the arrancar was forced to edge away from Haru baa-san giving Toshiro the opportunity to have her behind him, away from harm. The arrancar cursed furiously when he read Toshiro's thoughts. Now Toshiro worked his way forward to distance himself from Haru baa-san to prevent her from coming to harm.

The arrancar struggled to spoil Toshiro's plans of putting distance between their fight and the old lady but it was clear that his opponent was a tough fighter too and would prove to be a challenge to beat even with his advantage of reading his opponent's action in his opponent's mind before it was executed. The arrancar cursed again when he was forced backwards into the trees behind him driven away from his prey by a measly shinigami.

Once certain that Haru baa-san was far away from the arrancar and safe and far enough behind him, he shouted, "HARU BAA-SAN! RUN AWAY FROM HERE. HURRY!"

Haru baa-san crawled out of her little sanctuary as quickly as she could. Her eyes full of fear never leaving the heated fight between Toshiro and the arrancar who was getting closer and closer into the cover of the trees of the mini forest the government have made in the park. She was safe for now but she had to hurry. A fight like this might easily turn out bad and put her in danger again. She felt greatful to Toshiro for having saved her from danger but she worry for the safety of the boy. He was only just that, a boy. It felt cruel to have him, a small boy, save her from evil. Though he would frown and get furious for being called that, Haru baa-san saw him as her own grandson. She had grown to love him and await his return every time he was away on duty in the other world. He is her grandchild and she would do anything to help him out.

Knowing that Toshiro would stand a better chance fighting and winning without her being so near, she limped away to find help. She swore to return with reinforcements and the first place she headed to, was Urahara's Sweet Shop.