Lucius wore a rather bored expression on his face as he strolled through the noble district. Sure, as a Lesser Sin, he was meant to stay with his Sin, but come on—he was way too prideful for that shit. He wanted to prove himself to His Majesty.
To show him that he could take out a captain and do just fine on his own. He thought captains would be strong, that the elites, the nobles, would have formidable guards, that he would be challenged.
"Another one down."
His voice was almost bored as he looked at the corpses of about thirty Shinigami littering the floor. He hadn't even drawn his blade yet. They simply died to him, cut down by his fingers—sharp as they were.
Being what His Majesty called a Nephilim—the most perfect one—he had all the benefits of both races with barely any of the drawbacks. So yes, he was a master of Shinigami arts while also possessing the overwhelming raw might of the superior Hollow race.
Unlike a certain race that wore all white, he wasn't about to go 2-0.
Then—
CLINK.
The sound of a blade meeting his own.
Lucius turned his head slightly, meeting the aged yet sharp gaze of Ginrei Kuchiki, the head of the Kuchiki Clan and Captain of the Sixth Division.
No words were spoken.
Only steel.
Their blades clashed, sparks dancing in the cold night.
Lucius was playing.
He mocked the old man by mixing Shunpo and Sonido in his movements. How was that mocking him? Well, Shunpo was a Shinigami travel technique, and the old man was a noble—one who prided himself on his skill. For someone who wasn't even a Soul Reaper to take this skill and be better at it than him?
Truly a humbling experience.
"You call yourself nobility?" Lucius scoffed, deflecting a precise strike with ease. "Your speed is pedestrian. Your Kido? Primitive. Even your swordplay—" He twisted his blade, forcing Ginrei back. "—is outdated."
He then slammed the old man into a nearby house. This was boring.
Beating an old man wasn't fun.
His pride wouldn't allow him to feel anything after beating such a weakling. Granted, the old man already had one foot in the grave, so there was that.
Oh well.
Then—
"Hadō #88. Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō."
Unfortunately for the old man, Lucius' Infinity was active. Over the past twenty years or so, Lucius had found a way to keep his Shikai active basically 24/7. His barrier was now constantly around his body.
Lucius was practically untouchable. He deserved the title of Sin, yet he refused to take the spot of any Sin that wasn't Pride.
Sure, he could beat Zommari. Sure, he would win against Aaroniero. He could even beat Yammy. Any higher than that, and things got iffy—because even if he technically had the power to beat Grimmjow, it was only in short bursts. If Lucius popped Bankai and Resurrección? Yeah, sure, he could win... if he landed his one move. If not? He was done for.
And Lilith... her power somehow seemed to have gotten a buff, even if she only possessed a handful of them currently.
They seemed a lot more potent.
He would beat Nell one day. He would surely defeat her.
Then—
Ginrei vanished.
Faster.
A whisper of air preceded the faintest flicker of steel.
Lucius didn't even bother dodging as the man's blade stopped inches before cutting his head off.
A barrier technique?
Ginrei frowned and used Shunpo to create distance.
Blood splattered everywhere. Ginrei fell to his knees.
In that split second where he had hesitated, Lucius had cut him. Badly.
Yet, he refused to lose to this thing.
It wasn't a Shinigami, yet it wasn't a Hollow either. It looked like what those captains from back then were like... No, comparing them would be like comparing a gold bar with dirt.
The difference in refinement was as vast as the gap between heaven and earth. Like a toad wishing to eat swan meat. {YOU ARE NOT CHINESE, MY GUY.}
"You are an aberration."
Ginrei's voice was level, yet it carried a weight that demanded respect.
"A Shinigami tainted by Hollow corruption. A disgrace to the balance of the Soul Society."
Lucius grinned.
"You think your opinions mean anything to me, old man?" He licked the blood off his fingers. "I am the future. You? You're a relic of a fading era."
He vanished.
BZZZT—BOOM!
Lucius blitzed forward at speeds that defied natural comprehension, weaving between Shunpo and Sonido, warping across the battlefield in a chaotic rhythm.
Ginrei tried to counter, but—
He was falling behind.
"Tsk, tsk," Lucius chided, his blade carving deep into Ginrei's arm. "You're already losing ground."
Ginrei's expression barely changed, but Lucius could feel it.
He was winning.
And then—
A single word.
"Bankai. Sengetsu Hyoushu."
Unlike his future grandson, this old man's Bankai was different. Snowflakes began to swirl around Lucius—silver petals.
Wait, was it just silver? Was this man's Bankai giving him control over silver itself?
They did not dance like Byakuya's—
They shimmered, like glints of moonlight on a field of razors.
Lucius' smirk widened. "Finally getting serious?"
Time to beat on the elderly.
Then—
The petals moved.
They came faster than expected, forming a shifting silver storm, no longer bound to elegant control but instead a fluid, shifting river of destruction.
Lucius remained still as none of the silver petals even managed to reach him.
Hm. Infinity sure worked wonders.
Ginrei raised his hand.
"Sengetsu Hyoushu: Kesshi Shigure."
A portion of the silver storm condensed, forming into razor-thin spears—
And launched.
Lucius yawned as the attack was blocked by his Infinity.
SLASH!
A fine cut appeared on his face.
Lucius paused. His expression flickered in amusement—before narrowing.
Then—
A voice.
"You're wide open."
Lucius turned—
And met the burning silver gaze of a teenage Byakuya Kuchiki.
The young heir stood firm, his blade raised, glistening with pink petals.
"Another pest I have to beat," Lucius muttered. Hm. His barrier had been overwhelmed, so for just a split second, it opened up—
And that was when the brat attacked him.
Hm. He was smart.
"Byakuya Kuchiki." The boy's voice was arrogant, unshaken.
Ginrei's voice rang out. "Byakuya. Leave."
Byakuya's jaw tightened, but he didn't move.
"I am a noble." His voice held the pride of generations. "I will not run."
Lucius chuckled darkly. "I don't care how many of you there are."
His spiritual pressure surged, distorting the air around him.
"I will not lose to you."
Then—
"Shatter the boundaries, Fatum Aeternum."
The atmosphere collapsed inward.
Space itself bent and twisted as Lucius' Shikai activated, his very presence now warping the fabric of reality around him.