4-5 Toshiro Falls, Hyorinmaru Breaks

I am the Eleventh Arrancar. I have been named Shawlong.

I'm the Captain of Squad 10, Toshiro Hitsugaya.

Well, the Captain of Squad 10, you say. Impressive.

That must mean I hit the jackpot.

No.

In fact, you've already lost. As you're about to discover.

Oh?

So, is that all that a captain's Bankai can do? What a disappointment.

You're really quite pathetic.

I can see your ice flower starting to come apart.

Yeah, what about it?

Temper, young man. I know something about your powers. As that flower behind you disintegrates, it serves as a count down to when your Bankai's power runs out.

I'm correct, aren't I?

You are still young. Your Bankai has yet to fully develop.

Your original twelve petals have been reduced to just three.

And when they have all withered away, your Bankai will have completely disappeared.

At that point, you will be powerless against me. It would be easier for me to wait and defeat you when you're weak and your Bankai is gone, but it would be disrespectful of me to treat a captain in that manner.

So I'll crush you now while we are still able to fully engage each other.

That is the sporting thing to do.

Awaken, snip, Tijereta!

Gh...ah!

Since you're going to die, I suppose I should tell you my full name.

I'm known as Arrancar Eleven, Shawlong Qufang!

Please accept my final respects, little captain.

(Come on...)

(I can't keep this up much longer.)

You say your name is Shawlong Qufang. I want to ask you something.

I understand you're also known as Arrancar Number Eleven and every Arrancar has his own numerical designation.

I'm confused about the significance of those numbers. Does it mean that you are the eleventh strongest Arrancar to be created? Or is it some kind of rank as in the military?

Nothing of the sort. Our numbers refer to the order in which we were born. It has nothing to do with rank or strength.

But...

That only goes for any of the numbers above ten.

Huh?

The system Lord Aizen set up works like this. When we Hollows are reborn as Arrancar through the Hogyoku, we're given a number from 11 on according to the order of our birth.

The ranks 1 through 10 are reserved.

Those of us who turn out to be exceptionally skilled killers are assigned a number from 1 to 10 by order of their abilities, strongest to weakest.

Those select 10 are the Espadas. They have the authority to command the rest of us.

Truth is, our powers don't even register compared to those of the Espadas.

Hmph!

Squad 10! Come in, Lieutenant Matsumoto!

The restriction removal has been authorized. Gentei Kaijo is a go!

Message received!

Captain! Renji!

Gentei Kaijo has been approved! Go full power!

It's finally come.

About damn time!

What's this?

We captains and lieutenants of the 13 Court Guard Squads, in order to avoid unnecessarily influencing the spirits in the world of the living...

...must wear a spirit restriction seal when we come here. It severely restricts our spiritual powers.

That means that now...

...we're five times stronger!

Ryusenka!

Hikotsu Taiho!

Dammit! That was close.

(I was lucky that the Gentei Kaijo gave me the element of surprise and I was able to find an opening.)

(If he'd been at full strength from the beginning of the fight, I might not have been so fortunate.)

(I sure as hell hope all the other Arrancars aren't as powerful as those two were. Because if that's true...)

We've got trouble, Ichigo.