I'm next! I'll bet you don't want to face me, huh? Do you? I know I wouldn't!" Toshiro Hitsugaya yelled.
"Arrogant juvenile... talking so big. I will finish you right here and now," Byakuya replied.
"What did you say....?"
"I said you're an arrogant knuckleheaded juvenile."
"I know you are, but what am I? And, if i were, why wouldn't you say that to my face? Huh?"
"Shut up. I've come to kill you, as the bastard you are now."
There was a long pause. Hitsugaya concentrated for a minute, thinking about Yamamoto, about Sajin, about... all who died... by this damned bastard's zanpaku-to. To withstand death... is to withstand life. He would never give in to a fool like Byakuya.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you," Hitsugaya commented. "why don't we.... just... settle... THIS SCORE??"
"If I must. I will try to make this quick," Byakuya said, "but be warned. You will die right here, right now, with the slash of my zanpaku-to."
Just as the insulting was finally over, Hitsugaya disappeared. "Flash Step, huh? Byakuya asked."
"Yup," Hitsugaya said.
He was right behind him, holding his blade close to his neck. His face was covered in tears, black, red tears, expressionless. Byakuya sat there, trying not to make a move.... 'I guess I'll just use the Flash Step...' Byakuya thought. 'and then...'
Byakuya disappeared. "What the hell? Where the hell are you?"
He appeared about 10 yards away from Hitsugaya. "You die today, Hitsugaya."
Just then, Byakuya, with his zanpaku-to, picked it up in front of his face. "Die," he said. He flipped it to the non-sharp point and said... "Scatter."
Petals rose from the blade as it disinegrated, a many rose petals. Those petals, all those petals.... cut through Hitsugaya like butter.
From head to feet... covered in blood... he couldn't take it. He knew he would die.
"Wait.... I'm... not...." he coughed.
"You cannot finish your sentence. Do you know why?"
He coughed again and again.
"It is because..." Byakuya picked up his zanpaku-to. "YOU DIE NOW!"

Blood splattered everywhere, Hitsugaya covered in blood. His heart stopped pulsing. He stopped breathing.
He was dead.
Or was he...?