Luppi's arms sliced into Rangiku's body and then swat her down to the ground. Luppi watched in amusement as she was unable to move. He then turned towards the hostage Captain in his other set of arms.
"And now for you," Luppi grinned.
A beam of light suddenly hit Luppi causing him to cry out. Luppi looked down and saw Rukia with her palm outstretched. "That bitch!" Luppi cursed angrily.
"Rukia!" Hitsugaya realized.
"Release him now Esapada," Rukia ordered.
"Make me," Luppi sneered.
"Sode no Shirayuki" Rukia called out the name of her Zanpakuto.
"Get out of here," Hitsugaya said faintly as his strength diminished.
Rukia eyes turned purplish and her spiritual pressure skyrocketed. The grass under her feet turned to ice and the wind became chilled by her presence alone. Luppi watched as the ground around Rukia was steadily freezing the entire field.
"Another ice type, how boring," Luppi commented.
Rukia rose into the sky so that she was at the same level as Luppi. "Last chance Espada," Rukia warned.
"Not happening Shinigami," Luppi scoffed.
Rukia's eyes became a solid purple and her black robes fluctuated between black and white. Her sword was a brilliant white that blinded anyone that got close enough. The wind picked up around her; each breath Luppi took created frost.
Rukia raised her left hand, the hand not holding her sword and cupped her hand as if she were grabbing the air. The wind picked up around Luppi putting a deep freeze on him; icicles starting forming on his body and arms. Rukia closed her hand and suddenly Luppi's arms shattered into frozen shards.
Hitsugaya fell out of Luppi's grip and descended toward the ground. Rukia whirled her sword creating a powerful wind that slashed into Luppi's skin. Luppi cried out in pain and in annoyance as the cold air took its toll on him.
Luppi went back to his unreleased state and brought forth his sword. Before he could make a move two slashes appeared on his chest; the very wind was now slashing his chest apart.
"Damn it," Luppi cried out in pain.
He suddenly lashed out at Rukia but missed her with his sword. Rukia moved to the side of Luppi and suddenly slashed him at the waist cutting him in two. A shocked Luppi watched as his hips and legs fell to the ground.
"How?" Luppi wondered.
Luppi glared at Rukia and still tried to stab her even without legs. Rukia moved to the side and outmaneuvered him. She proceeded to slice off his right arm. In sudden spin she grabbed a hold of his chest with her left hand.
"Why?" Rukia asked confused.
Luppi shook his head in fear and confusion. Rukia's hand suddenly glowed blinding Luppi with light and then his body disintegrated into nothingness. When the battle had ended, Rukia's eyes went back to blue and then she fell towards the ground.
"Rukia!" Renji cried out.
He broke the bonds of his Bankai around his body and descended at a fast speed to catch her. Renji landed forcefully on the ground and caught Rukia just in time. Despite the cold, Rukia's body was warm to the touch; she was sleeping peacefully.
Ichigo attempted to fight Ulquiorra with his Bankai but was quickly smacked aside. Orihime attempted to create a shield in front of her to protect herself. Ulquiorra punched through the shield shattering it.
"You have shown poor judgment. Your friends are dying because of you," Ulquiorra told her.
"No, I didn't want it to be like this," Orihime cried.
"Nor did I," Ulquiorra said truthfully and then pinched the air.
Orihime watched as a portal opened to Hueco Mundo. "You will come with me now," Ulquiorra ordered.
Ichigo struggled to get to his feet and attempted to stab Ulquiorra. Instead, the Espada brought Ichigo to his knees and charged a cero blast in his hand.
"Go inside or he dies," Ulquiorra told her.
Orihime gave Ichigo a tearful look.
"Don't Orihime," Ichigo protested.
Ulquiorra charged up the cero so that it would surely blast off Ichigo's head if he wished. Orihime nodded in defeat and went inside the doorway.
"No Orihime!" Ichigo shouted as she disappeared.
Ulquiorra kicked Ichigo back to the ground and dissolved his cero sphere in his hand. "In the end, you're still trash," Ulquiorra said and exited.
"What the hell?" Yammy wondered as he saw Luppi destroyed before his eyes.
Yammy then heard a voice in his head telling him the mission was over. A dimension opened for him allowing him to escape. "Come on kid," Yammy said to Wonderweiss.
Wonderweiss smiled and followed Yammy into Hueco Mundo; before he left he waived to the Shinigami.
Ikaku got back to his feet; his robes were torn up and his spear was broken into pieces. He spit out blood from his mouth and regrouped with the others.
Urahara's crew of Tessai, Jinta, and Ururu came out to give support to the wounded Shinigami.
"Is Rukia wounded?' Tessai asked Renji.
"No, just sleeping," Renji reported.
Captain Hitsugaya was in terrible shape and required immediate attention. Jinta and Ururu took a hold of Hitsugaya and transported him back to the shop. Renji looked around and saw the wounded.
"At least we got one of the bastards," he thought to himself.
Grimjow walked up to an injured Ichigo. "Stop whining about that woman and fight me," Grimjow demanded.
Ichigo glared at the Arrancar. "Is that all you care about, fighting?" Ichigo asked him.
"You talk like you have some higher purpose in life," Grimjow sneered.
"I do, its keeping people safe from the likes of you," Ichigo retorted.
"You would kill hundreds, thousands if it meant you could kill me," Grimjow told him.
"That's not true!" Ichigo rejected.
Grimjow smirked and then punched Ichigo several times to the chest dropping him. "You're pathetic Ichigo," Grimjow said.
"Not even worth killing," Grimjow considered.
Grimjow took out his sword and considered killing Ichigo as he crawled on the ground. Suddenly the back of a cane was pushed up against the side of his skull.
"Who are you?" Grimjow demanded.
"Just a shop keeper," Urahara replied.
"Is that so? I have someone to kill, so if you don't mind," Grimjow requested.
"But I do mind Espada," Urahara said forcing his cane more forcefully into Grimjow's head.
Grimjow sighed. "What do you want?' Grimjow relented.
Ulquiorra brought forth Orihime to Aizen's throne. "This is the real one?" Aizen asked.
"I have no doubt," Ulquiorra replied.
Aizen stepped down from his throne and looked over Orihime. "Welcome to Las Noches," Aizen greeted.
Orihime trembled with fear before the powerful former Shinigami. "You are our special guest here. No harm shall come to you here," Aizen assured her.
"Luppi and Grimjow have not returned," Aizen noted.
"Luppi has been killed and Grimjow is missing. I believe Grimjow has defected to the other side," Ulquiorra reported.
"How disturbing," Aizen commented.
"How did Luppi die?" Aizen asked.
"I didn't see it first hand," Ulquiorra replied.
"I saw it. That woman from before killed him, Luppi couldn't even get a hit on her," Yammy said.
"I wonder how this is possible," Aizen remarked.
"I do not understand the source of her power," Ulquiorra admitted.
"Perhaps Orihime does," Aizen said.
Orihime gave Aizen a fearful look as he circled her. "Won't tell? That's all right. In time you will," Aizen told her.
Urahara brought forth Grimjow and Ichigo into the basement level of his shop. Several Shinigami were injured; they all looked up and stared at the Arrancar.
"Stop making those stupid faces," Grimjow said annoyed.
"How could you bring him here?" Yoruichi demanded of Urahara.
"Simple. He will create the bridge we need to Hueco Mundo," Urahara replied.
"Why would he help us?" Yoruichi continued.
"He has agreed to help us on the condition that he be able to fight Ichigo whenever he pleases and is given special training so that he can become stronger," Urahara explained.
"Some deal! You wouldn't allow me to negotiate," Ichigo protested.
"Afraid Ichigo?" Grimjow taunted.
"You want to fight now? I'll kick your ass!" Ichigo taunted.
"Now children, we have more important concerns to consider," Urahara ended the argument.
Captain Hitsugaya approached Urahara and gave Grimjow a weary look. "I will have to be granted approval from Commander Yamamoto to consider this….alliance. I know he will not approve it."
"Oh?" Urahara considered.
"My squad and you will go our separate ways. I am hopeful you can make progress on your own," Hitsugaya said and then walked off.
Rangiku, Renji, Ikaku, and Yumichika reluctantly followed the Captain out of the room. When they left, Urahara turned to the others.
"My…my. That was unexpected," Urahara considered.
"How is Rukia?" Ichigo asked.
"She's sleeping. She killed the Arrancar Luppi, the Sixth Espada, single handedly," Urahara reported.
Grimjow gave a look of surprised and then grinned at the news. "Good, I freaking hated that guy."
"I still object to this," Yoruichi protested.
"Remember, if not for Grimjow, you may very well have been killed," Urahara reminded her.
"Orihime, she's gone!" Ichigo recalled.
"That is most unfortunate and it is one the reasons why we allow Grimjow in our company. Grimjow will open Hueco Mundo for us," Urahara said.
"Why does Aizen want Orhime?" Chad asked.
"It's her powers. She has the ability to regress anything to a previous state. Even the Hogyoku," Urahara explained
"That means that the Hogyoku is breaking down from the stress of creating all those Arrancar," Tessai speculated.
"So, it would seem," Urahara agreed.
