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Saiko felt like trying to take on some of the ice clones, but knew they were all made of hierro, and he already tired of taking beatings from that particular Espada, so kept running up the stairs. He leapfrogged Evil, feeling a bit relieved that the captain was being so laid-back in such times. He had been wondering if she was going to take him offensively for trying to snek out of the Labyrinth, but figured that she would be in good spirits if he tried to coax her into accompanying him through the flames of hell, and was right.
He burst through the door at the top, leaving to the outside area within Las Noches, finally getting past another line of their defenses, just him and Evil...
[Exits to Courtyard]

[on behalf of Verdugo]

Right after Saiko and Evil made their way up the stairs, the Labyrinth shifted again, closing off both the Menos forest, and Stairs to separate areas, and also revealing a number of clones that had made their way to the shinigami. they began to surround them, but keeping their distance, apperantly waiting to be engaged rather than taking the role of the agressors like the arrancar had been doing.

((grah...now the party's ruined.

Way too many people for me to fight openly.

*sigh*

Oh, well. It was fin while it lasted.))

Starting to chuckled to himself again, Asuma shook his head, after feeling many more reiatsu signatures around him. "Oh, well. Guess party's over." Shrugging his shoulders, Asuma snickered at Ryan's comment. "Surrender. Are you an idiot? Like I'd be able to come back, anyway. Honestly, you people never hear a word I say." Shaking his head and sighing, Asuma looked up to Jan, regret seeming to wash over his features for a second. "You know...I think I might just have to go." But then, it was gone. And he was grinning again. His reiatsu seeming to burst for not even half a second, Asuma was behind Jan, even faster than a person's mind could register his movements. Though, his pole was still in his hand, it was not poised to attack, or even to harm anything.

"Jan...later on, if I'm still alive, I'd like to continue this fight. I've never really had the chance to battle with someone of your power level before. It's scary, slightly. And then yet...it's so much fun, to know you'll lose, but be able to at least try. Maybe the next time we fight though, it will be on different terms." After his sentence finished, a small metal rod, around four inches long, and an inch thick, appeared in front of Jan. "Take that. It won't explode, and it won't harm you in any way. Open it later, when your alone. It has a little something you might find useful." And with that, Asuma walked forward, his right arm suddenly covered in black marks, runes. Stopping as a black portal opened, Asuma chuckled again.

"Jan...if I don't make it out of this, that which has appeared before you will release the message regardless. All you have to do, is crush it in your hand, and let the pieces fall to the floor. Everything will be revealed then." Shaking his head, Asuma sighed, walking into the portal. What he was doing was very stupid. Suicidal, even. Yet, he had to do it. It was the only way. And so, he left, without a second word, the black portal closing behind him.

[exit]

Slash moved closer to the group, deciding to stay near his Captain, but didn't know what to think of the announcement just broadcasted. All he knew was that the clones were most likely made out of the similar ice that the espada used. It was like his hierro, but Salsh's zanpakuto's toxin was designed with hollows in mind; giving him a chance to prove its worth against actual Espada's hierro.
"Well, even though some can shuunpo past the clones, I'm afraid that most of us are going to have to break thorough." Slash said.

Jan instinctively began to shove his left arm back when he felt Asuma behind him, but stopped almost as quickly when he sensed no additional movement from him. He listened with a slight grin on his face, hearing Asuma offer a rematch. You better come back strong, Asuma-kun... It'd be nice to make a feast out of you. When Asuma left, he picked up the small rod and placed into the pocked of his faded gray gi.

As Captains came and went, bringing other Shinigami and Arrancar as they moved about the area, Jan saw a multitude of ice men standing around, waiting to be engaged. "Oh, come on... I can control the ultimate energy, and they send some cold water at me..." The whole place re-arranged again... I lost Asuma, so I guess I can handle these guys until someone else finds the way out.

When one spoke, Jan shrugged and began charging energy into his naginata once more. "Listen up well, since I'm sure you're connected to your master in some way... If I don't decide to blow this whole place sky-high, I'll settle for getting rid of a few Espada via ingestion. Either melt on your own or melt by my hand... Doesn't matter either way."

Holding his left hand behind him, pointer finger in the air, Jan created a seemingly small fireball at the tip of his finger. However, the small ball released an extraordinary amount of heat, enough to evaporate ordinary water near him. His own body was shielded by his Reiatsu, but that of anyone else near him would begin to dry quickly. He turned to shout at whatever Shinigami were left. "Find an exit while I keep this one busy, alright?!"

Aiko couldn't help but blush slightly at Ogato's comment. "Sorry..I..I didn't have time to think. And really...you flatter me, but now I'm blushing and it's hard to focus.." She flicked her hair back, trying hard to focus on what she was doing.

She kept up her ready stance, though let her attention drift to the message being displayed. Her attention was distracted only briefly, quickly returning it to what's before her. She muttered a single word to herself, not expecting to be heard and putting little meaning behind it. "Kevin..."

Kevin heard his name being said, but not in a way as to call to him to return to anywhere in las noches. Regardless if his attacks had landed on Toshiro he used a sonido to get directly in front of Aiko, his blade was long enough that it went past her, but he didn't raise his blade to attack her, he looked down at her just standing with his arms at his sides. "You have something to say?" He asked in a tone he used on Toshiro, but in a calmer, and less severe manner.