Ashido snarled back at his opponent and pirouetted, slashing past the blue-haired man, and spun again, slicing into a inoltrare, avanti stroke. Each strike was expertly defended and 'blue-hair' made his own attack, bulling inoltrare, avanti in an aggressive strike, which narrowly missed Ashido's head and then he kicked Ashido backwards, firing a red blast of reiatsu. The Bala sped past him, illuminating his features against the dark background of Hueco Mundo. Ashido took it head-on and emerged with a grin.

'Honestly, I thought that would be a bit stronger than that. So, is that the attack they call a Cero? It really didn't seem like it.'

'Blue-hair' looked at him with a glare. 'Don't patronise me! That was a Bala, not a Cero... If I wanted to destroy you, I'd simply release my Zanpakuto now and have done with it... However, I enjoy playing with my prey before I devour them! Just wait and see what happens, Shinigami.'

'Do te have a name?'

Grimmjow blinked in confusion at the abruptness of the question. 'What's it to you? It won't matter what my name is... Because I will kill you... And tell te my name... Right before te die!'

'And, what if te don't? Shouldn't te tell me now, in case I end up killing you?'

Evidently the thought hadn't presented itself to the blue-haired Arrancar, because he looked thoughtful for a moment. 'Tell te what, if te can draw blood on me, then I'll tell you... If I draw blood on you, first, then te tell me your name... How does that sound?'

'Yeah, whatever...' Ashido's spirit changed and his reiatsu suddenly spiked, a feeling quite unlike those the Arrancar was evidently used to. His greenish-blue reiatsu was like an aura - an aura of killing intent and resolve. Ashido disappeared, his blade going through one side of Grimmjow's shoulder and out the other.

'Damn you! That actually... Hurt! Very well, I'll tell te - my name is Grimmjow Jaegerjacques, former Espada and current King of Hueco Mundo. Don't underestimate me! Just because te drew blood doesn't mean that you're going to win! Cero!' Grimmjow snarled and then fired a massive red blast, which, due to his close proximity, Ashido was unable to avoid. He appeared again, his robes smoking and several superficial cuts across his body.

'Well, I guess you're right - I shouldn't under-estimate you... That was foolish of me, but don't think I'll give up because of that. If te are going to play that game, then orso witness to my power - the power of my sword! Conform, Mijin!' His reiatsu climbed again - not as much as before, but a steady dose of it, a different feeling than before - he felt in control now, his spirit energy completely under his control. Even after the obvious rise, his sword was exactly the same as before.

'Is this a joke? Your Zanpakuto hasn't changed one bit! Don't make me laugh.'

Ashido didn't reply, instead he focused his attention on his Zanpakuto - the metal changed colour and a layer of ice formed over the metal. Ashido shunpoed, cutting into Grimmjow's arm, leaving a seepage of Frozen blood.

'What...? What is this?'

-To Be Continued-