Author's Note: Hello everyone. First things first, I'm terrible sorry for not posting any new chapter lately for this story. Lately I've been busy with college work that It's taken time away from this site and from this story. I never intended on letting it end since I really, really, really wanted to continue and finish it while also giving you all an amazing story as well. I want to inspire you all to create your own piece of work to share with other readers in the near future. Although I do thank those that have urged me to not stop and too continue this tale of our Shadow Raven and I had no thought of ending this. My apologies if I have taken forever and I promise that I'll do anything and everything I can to continue this story and also other stories I have yet to update. I do not wish for your forgiveness but for you to understand. Thank you for your time in reading this so without further ado, here is chapter 21. Enjoy my favorite Arrancar Leaders.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or it's characters. The only ones I own are Kiiro and a few listed OC's in the story and Skullak Tuma belongs to DarkMachines.
Chapter 21: The Dancing Whirlwind of Pride
Ichigo and crew soon made it near a wall at Las Noches. Despite the fact that they weren't near or close to the entrance they were glad that they made it. Rukia started inspecting the wall of the building and she seemed rather shocked.
"What's with this wall? It doesn't seem to be Sekki Stone, but..." Rukia tried figuring it out but Ichigo interjected.
"If it isn't Sekki Stone, then we can blast our way through it!" Ichigo said as he grabbed the hilt of his Zanpakuto. "Let's go Renji."
"You're not the boss here, smartass." Renji said as he did the same.
Both of the two unsheathed their weapons and then started raising their Rieatsu levels and then they charged at sent a powerful strike at the wall.
In Las Noches, Orihime was looking out the window that showed the moonlight sky of Hueco Mundo. She was given this room after joining the Arrancars but not only that, she has also been given a new uniform as well which
"That outfit looks surprisingly well on you." Ulquiorra said as he scared Orihime since she didn't hear him enter her room.
"-Gasp- Y-you scared me. When did you get in?" Orihime asked while in her startled state.
"Just this second. Don't fuss over everything because it is quite annoying." Ulquiorra said and then continued with, "I have some news." Your friends have entered Hueco Mundo."
"Why would they come here?" Orihime asked.
"Why, you ask? They came here to save you." Ulquiorra said which surprised Orihime. "Why else would they come here. They have no other reasons."
"In order to save me?" Orihime said in shock.
"That's right." Ulquiorra replied. "But that shouldn't matter to you anymore. Both your body and mind belong to us now. That's what it meant...when you put that uniform on Orihime Inoue."
"Yes" Orihime said in a soft tone.
"Say it." Ulquiorra said. "Why do your Mind and Body exist."
"I exist for Aizen-sama, and his desires." Orihime said in a loyal tone.
Back with Ichigo and the others, he and Renji successfully broke through the wall with ease, creating a pathway in a way.
"Did we break through?" Ichigo asked.
"Looks like it. I can feel a breeze." Renji replied.
"Either way, this seem like a better option then waltzing though the front door." Rukia said.
"Agreed, it gives us a bigger advantage for now." Uryu said.
"Alright, let's go then!" Ichigo shouted as he took the lead by sprinting down the hole, followed by the rest of the gang.
The group traveled together down the dimly lit hallway but the farther they traveled, the darker the hallway seem to get and it became harder for them to see.
"Man, it's dark!" Ichigo said as he could barely see.
"Heh, leave everything to me!" Renji said with confidence.
"Oh? You've got some trick up your sleeve?" Ichigo asked.
"If you tweak it a bit, you can use Kidou for times like this." Renji said as he raised both of his arm out and shouted, "Shot of Red Fire!"
After saying the Kido spell, everyone watched as a large red ball formed in Renji's although it didn't last that long as the ball slowly grew smaller until it was the size of a golf ball that floated in his hand.
"Wow...that's a pretty small light you got there. So do you use it to fin the bathroom in the middle of the night?" Uryu said as he smirked.
"You're a fool. This happened cause he tried to look cool to use Kido spells but in reality he really isn't good at it." Rukia stated.
"Well...don't worry about it. We'll just use that red hair of yours to guide our way tonight. I even wrote a song about it once, it was about a red haired Soul Reaper riding Santa's sleigh on the night of Christmas Eve." Ichigo mocked.
"Hah hah very funny." Renji said with pissed off look.
The group continued down the halls of the passage way with Renji leading the way with his small orb of light. Ichigo looked around for a bit, taking I the scenery and saw this that it looked rather old and dusty as if it hasn't been used in a long time.
"What kind of place is this? I mean...do you think that this place was here before Aizen came?" Ichigo asked.
"I don't think so. Most likely this place was a part of an older building but it's probably not used anymore." Uryu said.
"Well, I don't care either way. Let's get upstairs." Ichigo said.
The group continued onwards as they continued down the path they traveled until they came up to a door which surprised them.
"A door?" Rukia muttered.
"This must be the exit I suppose." Chad stated.
"The material used to make this is different from the walls in this hall. My guess is that everything from this point on is the newly built building." Uryu said as he inspected the covered up doorway. He then turned to the others an said, "In other words, it's not as abandon as this one so it is currently being used as we speak. But we should also try to be cautious from this point on. We don't know-"
"Uryu." Ichigo interrupted which made the others turn to him. He then grabbed the hilt of his Zanpakuto and said, "Move out of the way will you"
Unsheathing the weapon he swung it with ease and broke not just he door but part of the wall itself, creating a large hole for the group to move through. There was dust and debris after the impact but once it all cleared away it showed the group a set of stairs before them
"Ah! There's the stairs." Ichigo said in surprise.
"Hmm, it's another door." Chad said.
"-Sigh- Ichigo you should try to be a bit more-"
"All we have to do is smash the door and move on!" Ichigo shouted as he charged up ahead, and also interrupting Uryu yet again.
He then began to smash through each wall that got in his way, spreading debris everywhere and making paths for the group to move on. After several wall smashes he smashed through one more and this one lead them through a lit up area which made Ichigo smirk a little to see his hard work come with a good price.
"Huh, finally came up to a decent looking place this time." Ichigo said.
The group were soon gazing the new section of Las Noches, or part of it to exact. The room as lit up with torches which seemed to brighten up the room greatly but before them was not just one passage way but a five-way fork.
"A cross road." Uryu pointed out.
"How do we decide which one to go through?" Renji asked.
There was an odd silence in the group until there was a minor rumbling which shook the room. They all seemed to narrow there eyes as this rumbling wasn't an earthquake but merely spiritual pressure and they could tell that it was heavier then normal. They immediately knew that the spiritual pressure was strong, to strong to be precise and greater then anything they have ever faced in their lives. Whatever was up ahead; they knew that it was something to take extreme caution to. They knew that once they were going to be risking their lives to save their friend, and they knew the risks were extremely high.
"There are five paths." Chad said.
"We have to check each one, starting with the ones on the ends." Uryu insisted.
"No. Let's each go down a separate path at the same time."Rukia said which caught their attention. It sounded like a good idea but they knew that splitting up was a very unwise decision. Especially with what they're up against.
"That's jus crazy! I mean, we're talking about Esapda here. If we all stand together as one unit we will have a better change against them." Ichigo stated as he didn't want to go through with the idea. "Thin about it, if we become separated-"
"Enough!" Renji said sternly as he interrupted Ichigo. "It's insulting to a warrior to be concerned about his life while he's out on the battlefield."
Ichigo remained silent when Renji said that, shocked but more importantly silent as he didn't say another word.
"Ichigo, you say that because your worried about me but that's just not like you. I told you, don't worry about me. I didn't come here so you could worry about me so believe me, I can take care of myself even without your help." Rukia stated to her friend.
"-Sigh- alright then." Ichigo said as he gave in and trusted Rukia. "We'll go down separate paths."
"Good, but before we do that we should probably do a charm together." Renji insisted.
"A charm?" Ichigo said in confusion.
"That's right. It's a ritual that the thirteen court guard's squad has used over the years and it's chanted before a big battle. It's full of utter uselessness and other squads don't do it anymore but I suppose that here it should be a good thing to do at a time like this. C'mon join hands."Renji said as he outstretched his hand. A few seconds passed and no one budged to even move a finger and then he said, "Let's go! If I can do it you can do it to."
Ichigo looked at Renji with a deadpan face and thought that this was all bull but he sighed and gave in and placed his hand on Renji's and so did the others.
"As we approach the crucial battlegrounds, believe that our blades will not shatter, believe that our resolve will not weaken! Though our paths diverge, our iron hearts will stay together, I swear that although the land itself may bring us thunder, we will...come back here...alive!" Reji said.
They all nodded and pulled away as each one of them started heading for a separate corridor which separated each of them. They wouldn't and couldn't turn back as they've gotten this far and wouldn't stop at all. They were determined to save Orihime no matter what an kept going forward, no matter what.
A door opened outwards which led into a room and stepping out of it as Ulquiorra. Both of his hands were still in his pocket as he still kept a calm and emotionless expression on his face and began think to himself after what Orihime had said to him.
"She only hesitated for an instant. She didn't flinch, hesitate, or even raise an eyebrow when I asked that question. She's a strong-willed woman." Ulquiorra thought to himself as he started walking off
"Hehey! Tell me, how's our little pet doing today?" A voice said which belonged to Nnoitra who was hanging behind a pillar on the wall.
"Nnoitra." Ulquiora said calmly.
"I know that Lord Aizen decided to leave you in charge of her Ulquiorra. How wonderful! Have you 'disciplined' her yet?" Nnoitra said, putting emphasis on 'Discipline" and grinned with an arrogant smile on his face.
"Hmph, how vulgar." Ulquiorra scoffed as he turned away but was immediately blocked as Nnoitra slammed his hand against the wall rather hard and stood in front of Ulquiorra while grinning even more. He towered over the smaller Espada but Ulquiorra still didn't show any sort of emotion
"Don't be so touchy. I'm simply asking if things are going ok in there that's all. Well?" Nnoitra asked.
Ulquiorra knew that Nnoitra wouldn't leave him unless he got an answer. Mentally sighing in his head he looked at Nnoitra and said, "You're curious? Don't worry yourself over some trifling manners."
That statement seemed to make Nnoitra angry as he narrowed his eyes slightly though Ulqiorra said something else which startled the taller Espada.
"Actually, what I meant to say was that the woman had fallen into the palm of Aizen-sama's hand well before she was brought to Hueco Mundo." Ulqiorra said as he put it in terms so someone like Nnoitra could understand.
"He used Kyouka Suigetsu on her?" Nnoitra asked in surprise.
"Please, there was no need for him to go that far." Ulquiorra said. "When we "invited" the woman to come here, we set up several psychological traps. We used her friends' lives as hostages, creating a situation where she could not refuse our orders to surrender. After which we gave her twelve hours. She had permission to say good-bye to one of her friends so long as she didn't tell anyone what she was really doing."
"How's that a trap?" Nnoitra asked.
Ulquiorra looked at Nnoitra with a calm expression for a moment and then answered his question with, "Giving her some time and allowing her to say good-bye to a friend after placing her under so much pressure would cause her heart to waver ever so slightly, under the mistaken belief that we were being merciful. Those twelve hours would also prevent her dwelling on the fact that her friends' lives were at stake. And finally, by allowing her to choose to say farewell to, it created the illusion that she was not taken forcibly, but left on her own free will. Then she came to the designated point on her own, knowing I would be there to take her to Hueco Mundo. With the illusion carved deeply into her heart, all will to escape gently melted away. Finally, the chance to "Say farewell to someone without them noticing you"… technically means "Leave behind some evidence that you said farewell."
"So what? Doesn't that ruin everything, then?" Nnoitra asked, thinking that Aizen's plan has already been ruined.
"Actually, it's just the opposite. That evidence serves as proof that she had complete freedom until the moment she surrendered. In other words, the clearer the signs of her farewell, the more strongly her friends would feel she had betrayed them by her own choice. The last part didn't fully succeed, but it's safe to say that the Soul Society has essentially given up on her." Ulquiorra said as he finished explaining every bit and detail of what Aizen did in order to retrieve Orihime.
"Wow, he really planned that out. That's our lord Aizen, huh?" Nnoitra said with a smirk.
"Planned it out? This has all been a game as far as Aizen-sama is concerned. It would have been fine whether or not she was deceived. Either way, that woman doesn't have the power to escape in her current state. She lacks both the will and the strength to fight back." Ulquiorra said as he started walking off.
Nnoitra took everything that Ulquiorra said into thought and then shrugged it off as he smirked thinking that everything was going in their favor and he too walked off as well. Unaware to both of the Espada, someone else listened in on their conversation from within the shadows. Behind one of the pillars was Kiiro who seemed to have stayed hidden within the shadows as he listened to the conversation. Half of his body seemed to be apart or engulfed in the shadow that the pillar created while the other half was visible as he had a calm expression.
"That was a lot of information that Ulquiorra said. Aizen is really something, a pure genius if he's able to manipulate anyone with ease like that but it brings one to question about the Soul Reaper. Under any circumstance, anyone would praise Aizen for what he did and would believe that victory is within their grasp if given the details, but someone like me has other thoughts." Kiiro thought as he moved away from the pillar.
The right half of his body that seemed to be apart of the shadows pulled away and slowly started gaining color as Kiiro walked the opposite direction.
"His plan was overall pure genius which shows that Aizen is a true mastermind but what are his true motivations. Looking back when I was apart of the Espada, he replaced those who have been faithful and loyal to him, Skullak, Nelliel, Dordoni, Cirucci, and Gantenbainne have been Espada longer than myself and they have been loyal to the Soul Reaper but then replaced. It's understandable with Cirucci, Dordoni and Gantenbainne that lost their ranks but in my personal opinion they are still strong Arrancars. If anything I believe that Szayel should not be an Espada given the fact that he is far weaker than the three and they could easily defeat him, I would count Zommari as well but I do not know anything about his abilities thus I can't say for sure about him. I can't include Aaroniero because from what I saw, he's a unique Arrancar and his power is unlimited, if he were to devour one of the Espada for example, then he would be just as strong as them, Yammy is a big yes since I do not see how someone like him can be an Espada. Now for Skullak, and Nelliel. The two were and still are strongest Arrancars I have met since they were the Primera and the Tres Espada and both of shown great loyalty to Aizen before they were replaced by Starrk and Harribel-sama." Kiiro thought to himself.
The young arrancar then came to a stop as he began to go deep into his thoughts once bringing up Skullak and Nelliel. He couldn't help but ponder why they were replaced.
"The question still bugs me though. I do not know if they fought each other for the rank but even if they did they had to be evenly matched but I am unsure. Skullak is a capable warrior and is a tough opponent who's strength rivals my own but Starrk is also a very strong opponent as well and knowing that Lilynette is Zanapakuto, the two make a formidable team. Now there's Nelliel and Harribel-sama. Both women are equally strong and have their own unique moves, Nelliel with her healing saliva and her ability to absorb and redirect Cero's, and then there's Harribel-sama with her manipulation of water. In my opinion that is a fight I would like to see between the two." Kiiro though as he couldn't help but chuckle thinking that the battle will be exciting to watch but then his expression changed to a serious one.
He continued walking, this time his right hand on his chin as he continued to think but he was extremely curious and confused.
"Now there's me. I am not one to boast or show off but I truly was one of the strongest Espada Aizen had in his arsenal. Even without my Resurreccion I am able to hold my own in my base form but instead I too am replaced by Yammy. Why? Yammy is far weaker than me in his base form and even in his Resurreccion form he still cannot defeat me. The only reason why he won is because of his enraged form and that doesn't make sense. If I was in my Resureccion form Yammy wouldn't have stood a chance and Aizen knows that. So why? I have heard that Arrancars that are made from the Hougyoku are stronger than those who aren't. I am uncertain whether that information is true or not but if so, I am one of the Arrancars born from said item and was deemed Cero Espada as well yet here I am. A Privaron, a former Espada who lost his rank in a fight that was unfair. A former Espada who didn't care whether he was Espada or not but enjoyed the company of his fraccion, and enjoyed having those look up to him so they can be strong. All gone, because of Aizen. All because of that Soul Reaper. Why? Why would he do this Skullak, Nelliel, and myself? His strongest Arrancars in his disposal, stripped of their rank and Cast away? Unless-" Kiiro couldn't complete his sentence as he bumped into someone when turning a corner.
The young Arrancar lost his footing for a moment but was able to compose himself and looked to see what he bumped or collided into. Although, he believed he hit a pillar, instead Kiiro's eyes widen when he saw Menoly sitting on the floor after the collision while rubbing her head.
"Menoly!" Kiiro said in complete surprise.
Hearing her name, Menoly looked up to find Kiiro gazing down upon her and this caused the blonde haired arrancar to stand up immediately and composed herself.
"K-Kiiro-sama I didn't mean to bump into you." Menoly apologized, her face turning red with embarrassment.
"Menoly there's no need for you to call me Kiiro-sama, just Kiiro. I told you, I don't like it when people call me *sama. It makes me feel above them and I'm not." Kiiro replied as he waved his hand in a sideways motion.
"R-right." Menoly said, even more embarrassed.
"But enough of that, how have you been. It's been a long time since I've seen you, after all you and Loly are Aizen's personal aids. Someone like you is probably having the time of her life as she serves lord Aizen?" Kiiro said with a faint story.
Menoly seemed to lose her embarrassing expression and it then turned to a frown of disappointment after what Kiiro said. True, she was Aizen's aid, someone who is able to get high respect for helping Aizen and being close to the one who made the Arrancars into what they are. Many female Arrancar would kill to get to where Menoly was, but the young Arrancar thought otherwise.
"Actually, I'm not." Menoly said which surprised Kiiro a little.
"What do you mean?" Kiiro asked, his eyebrow slightly.
"I mean I don't like the position I'm in. I don't like being treated the way I am just because I'm lord Aizen's personal aid. I found it better off when I was just a fraccion. Your fraccion Kiiro-sama. If anything, I had fun when I was your Fraccion." Menoly said surprising Kiiro. She then looked down as if remembering the times she had with Kiiro before his demotion and said, "The training was tough but I didn't mind getting dirty and fighting, you were fair and treated us all like equals and not once have you ever gotten mad, and more importantly…I felt like I was in a family. You, Loly and myself, it was the best thing I could ever ask for but after your demotion, all of that has changed. I regret not visiting you like others have, even if I was lord Aizen's personal aid I still could have spent one day just to visit you and yet to this day I still feel guilty. As if I played with your emotions."
If Kiiro wasn't shocked before then he was now. He didn't think that Menoly thought of him that much and saw that she truly respected him now as an individual, but someone that she can trust. Kiiro he placed his hand on Menoly's hair, shocking her as she looked up at her former master to see him grinning at her.
"It's alright, I'm not mad at you or anything just…surprised that you think of me like that. Heh, guess I'm pretty much just a big softy if you see me like that." Kiiro said in a joking matter which seemed to brighten up Menoly's spirits, causing her to giggle
"Well it's true. I wish those days can happen again." Menoly sighed with a smile.
"Who knows, anything can happen Menoly. Anyway, I have things to do, but it was nice seeing you again. Hopefully, your day goes well and you don't encounter the intruders." Kiiro said.
"Hey, I was trained by the former Cero Espada himself! I believe that I'm well equipped to fight off those intruders Kiiro-sama." Menoly said with confidence.
"Heh, yeah that is true. Still, please be careful Menoly. I'd hate to see anything happen to you." Kiiro said which made her nod.
Seeing this Kiiro smiled and removed his hand from her head and began to walk off. Not even reaching a foot away from his current position, Menoly instantly called his name.
"K-Kiiro-sama." Menoly called.
"Yes Menoly?" Kiiro replied, turning around to face the girl.
Before he realized it, Menoly kissing Kiiro on the cheek which both shocked and caused the Privaron to blush as he stared at her with a blushing face.
"Thank you Kiiro-sama, for everything." Menoly said as she walked off after her gesture.
Once gone Kiiro was alone in the corridor, still in awe after what he felt. He placed his hand on his left cheek, the same cheek that Menoly kissed and he took a moment to register what he felt. After a while he couldn't help but smile and walk off, already forgetting what he was thinking about and simply thought about keeping everyone safe from the threat that had invaded Las Noches.
With Ichigo, the young man was running down the long corridor with determination in his eyes. He had one goal set on his mind and that was saving Orihime at all costs. He wasn't going to allow anything to get in his way of rescuing his friend. Even if it costs him his life.
High above, Ichigo was unaware that he was being watched by a mysterious figure. This figure he stared at the young man with a curious gaze but he knew that Ichigo must be stopped. Without hesitation, he began chasing after Ichigo from above, using the pillars as platforms to travel across the long corridor.
"I hope the others stay safe." Ichigo muttered to himself but then he sensed something. Immediately halting to a stop, the young man turned around as if knowing that someone was there and said, "I know you're there. Get out here."
There was silence and the atmosphere in the corridor radiated with a sense of dread when Ichigo said that but he wasn't swayed. He knew someone was there and shouted again, this time in a demanding tone.
"I know you're hiding over there! Show yourself!" Ichigo shouted.
After saying that he watched as one of the pillars collapse as his assailant began moving, using the pillars as his advantage as he began running ahead of Ichigo.
"Damn! You're not getting away!" Ichigo shouted as he chased after the unknown figure.
"Hmph. Who said I was running?!" The figure said in a thick Spanish accent and with confidence. Though after saying that everything seemed to go against him as the pillar below him snapped and soon broke. This shocked the figure immediately and given the fact he had no time to react he simply yelled as he fell to the ground. Ichigo immediately stopped when he saw this though his expression was mixed between confusion and dumbstruck after seeing the display before him
"Um, hey? Are you okay?" Ichigo asked, unsure if the figure before him was alright.
Even with the massive dust cloud before him, Ichigo could still make out the outline of the figure as he stood up within the dust cloud. Before Ichigo could say something to the figure he watched as a hand extended out of the dust cloud and heard the figure make a loud, dramatic, type of noise. Ichigo was shocked at first thinking the figure was going to attack but then watched as the figure continued making the strange noise which was soon followed by some dancing motion, laughter, and also coughing. Ichigo's expression was blank as he watched the figure continue his antics and once the dust cloud faded away it revealed none other than Dordoni while he posed for his audience. There was a moment of silence after what had unfolded and Ichigo was still trying to figure out what he had seen while Dordoni had a smirk on his face thinking his entrance looked extremely cool and well though he wondered why he wasn't hearing any applause. Opening his left eye slightly, he saw Ichigo's blank stare and immediately flipped out.
"Wait a second! What're you making that face for?!" Dordoni shouted while pointing his finger at Ichigo.
"Well, you know…"
"What're you making that face for?! What're you making that face for?!" Dordoni repeated, interrupting Ichigo while he flailed his finger at him.
"Shut up. Quit saying the same thing over and over." Ichigo said with a bored tone.
"You just bore witness to the great Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio's graceful entrance scene!" Dordoni shouted.
"One, that name is a mouthful, and two, Graceful? Didn't you just trip and fall?" Ichigo said with the same expression on his face.
"What are you talking about? I had it all planned, but that's beside the point. How can you act so calm after watching such a performance?!" Dordoni asked with a still shocked expression.
"I'm not acting. What you see is what you get." Ichigo said honestly.
"Hmph. Oh well, whatever." Dordoni said as he composed himself. "I'll just have to accept that our tastes are different. It hardly matters since you're about to be killed." After saying that Dordoni did a pose and said, "Now, prepare yourself, Soul Reaper! I Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio, Arrancar Ciento Tres, will crush you!"
"You're a celery tray?" Ichigo asked. This question immediately made Dordoni lose it.
"No you fool! It has nothing to do with food! Why do you keep interrupting me?!" Dordoni shouted, losing his cool. "Ciento Tres means 103! I'm Arrancar 103!"
"103? That's a pretty high number, no? From what I heard, Arrancars are only suppose to be two digit numbers." Ichigo muttered as he stared at Dordoni with a dull expression.
"Hey! What are you whispering about?!" Dordoni shouted which caught Ichigo's attention. "Don't look so exasperated!"
"You seem kinda, well, really weak." Ichigo stated to Dordoni in an honest way.
"EXCUSE ME?!" Dordoni shouted in pure shock. "Why don't you find out whether or not I'm weak?! You'll pay for that little comment, Nino! See my greatness and let your jaw drop in amazement!"
After saying that Dordoni charged at Ichigo with weird moves. Ichigo grabbed the hilt of his Zanpakuto while dodging Dordoni's attack and once he saw his opening he went for the attack. To his dismay, Ichigo couldn't hit the Arrancar and said, "Quit moving like that!"
Dordoni simply laughed and began hopping on one leg with the other raised as is mocking Ichigo. The orange haired young man simply found that to be insulting and started attacking Dordoni but the Arrancar kept dodging with each attack Ichigo made.
"Damn! What are you, an octopus?! Stand still!" Ichigo yelled as he went to attack again but Dordoni dodged it with ease.
"What's wrong, Nino? You're not coming close. And you actually think you've got what it takes to challenge Lord Aizen, you silly goose?" Dordoni said as he began spinning around on one foot.
"Shut up you bastard!" Ichigo growled.
"It's pointless, pointless, pointless!" Dordoni laughed as he continued spinning around but he was unaware of a small rock he was approaching. Because of his carelessness he tripped on said rock which shocked him and he collided against the wall.
"Hah, serves you right!" Ichigo said as he began laughing at Dordoni. Although with Dordoni's collision on the unstable wall, it began to crack and the cracks began to spread across said wall and then appeared on the ceiling where a piece of rubble came off and fell. Ichigo continued on laughing at Dordoni but because of this he immediately got smashed in the face by the falling piece of debris.
Ichigo immediately held his head as he cried in pain and started muttering under his breath as he got the rubble off of his face and began rubbing himself. Dordoni groaned and composed himself as he stared at Ichigo and said, "You're pretty good, Nino. But I've seen how you move. At your level, you won't even…"
"Ah crap that hurt! Damn I should be more careful." Ichigo said. "Well, at least I'm not bleeding or anything."
"Listen to me!" Dordoni shouted angrily.
"Oh, dude you're still alive? Wow I'm shocked." Ichigo said with surprise.
"SHUT UP!" Dordoni shouted. "A little rock could never kill me!"
"Look, why don't you stop this and just let me through? I'm in a hurry." Ichigo insisted since he didn't have time for Dordoni's antics.
"That's not going to happen. Besides Nino, you haven't even landed one hit on me." Dordoni stated. "Who do you think you are, anyways? You're ticking me off!"
"-Sigh- There's no helping it." Ichigo said as Dordoni began charging him. The white cloth wrapped around his blade began to unravel itself around him and Ichigo had a serious glare in his eyes. "I'll fight for real this time."
With that Ichigo prepared himself for Dordoni who went to strike Ichigo and the same could be same for Ichigo.
In the surveillance room, Tosen was calmly looking at the computer screen monitors. Ironically, one would wonder if he could truly see but Tosen was blind so it made people wonder how he was able to get around and look at monitors like the one in front of him.
"Oh, ya spying' on 'em?" Gin said with his all too familiar grin as he stood by the door frame that led into the room. "That ain't a good habit, Tosen-san."
"That's a bit hypocritical. You were interested in how they were doing and came here to check on them, too, Ichimaru." Tosen said as he turned slightly to him comrade.
"C'mon, now! I was jokin'." Gin replied. "Don't act so scary-like."
He began entering the room to see what was going on through the monitors but he felt his leg get grabbed. He was a little surprised and looked down to see Wonderweiss was also in the room as well.
"Uh…Tosen-san, can you do somethin' about this kid, would ya?" Gin asked as he pointed down at the young Arrancar.
"Wonderwiess." Tosen called to the Arrancar.
That was all Wonderweiss needed as he removed his hand from the Soul Reaper but he did keep an eye on him and the same went with Gin who continued to approach Tosen.
"He's quite fond of ya, ain't he?" Gin insisted.
"Those with pure intentions are drawn to each other. However, I haven't been able to figure out what his intentions apply too." Tosen replied.
"I see! Makes sense that he doesn't get along with me." Gin said as he looked down at the lad.
"Any intelligent person would be wary of you." Tosen said calmly. He then turned back to the monitor and said, "At any rate, take a look at this."
Gin made his way to Tosen's side and looked at the monitor that Tosen was examining thus allowing the Soul Reaper to continue speaking, "The five of them have split up."
"Oh! You're right! Splittin'up'll lower their chances of winnin'! I wonder if those kids really understand their own strength levels?" Gin wondered.
"Indeed." Tosen replied. "And they've stumbled upon an interesting area."
"Ah, that's the Tres Cifras' den." Gin said with amusement.
"Tres?" Wonderweiss asked with curiosity.
"Yes. You probably don't know about it since you're new." Tosen said. "I'll tell you all about it. A three digit number is a sign that an Arrancar has been demoted. They are the ones who have had their original rankings revoked. In other words, those with three digit numbers are called Privaron Espada."
Ichigo's eyes widen when he received a cut on his shoulder and it surprised him deeply. He turned to Dordoni as he began to wonder how he did that. Not caring how he did it, Ichigo launched a Getsuga Tensho and the blue energy blast headed straight for Dordoni who had his back turn, but surprisingly he was able to stop it by kicking the blast of energy, which shocked Ichigo even more.
"My, my. Didn't your mom ever teach you…not to judge a book by its cover, Nino?" Dordoni said as he turned to Ichigo with a smirk on his face.
Ichigo was still confused on what was going on and Dordoni believed that it was time to give him an explanation.
"You see Nino, we are called the Privaron Espada." Dordoni stated.
"The…what?" Ichigo asked.
"You didn't hear me? Privaron Espada. It means "one who lost his place as an Espada."." Dordoni stated to Ichigo. "Yes. To put it another way, anyone with a three digit number, like me, used to be an Espada. We're the next most powerful group here besides the current Espada. Do you understand how strong I am now, Nino?"
After getting the information, Ichigo was extremely shocked now the he knew that Dordoni wasn't just some random Arrancar. Then without warning, Dordoni appeared before Ichigo and brought his foot down on Ichigo's face but the young man was able to quickly block the attack with his Zanpakuto.
"What's with this power?!" Ichigo said in disbelief. Dordoni grinned and added more pressure on the blade and Ichigo growled in anger which caused him to move away as Dordoni slammed his foot where Ichigo originally was.
"What's wrong?" Dordoni asked as he charged at Ichigo. He then did a spin kick to catch Ichigo off guard but he immediately dodged it with ease and tried slashing at Dordoni who dodged the attack by flipping out of the way while in midair.
"What? He's faster than before. Wait!" Ichigo called out as he chased after Dordoni.
As he chased Dordoni he slashed at the Arrancar but sadly his attacks kept missing as Dordoni evaded him and this seemed to irritate Ichigo.
"What's wrong? Don't tell me you thought that was the extent of my strength!" Dordoni mocked. Without warning Dordoni appeared behind Ichigo who felt his presence and blocked his kick with the blade of his sword but even if he blocked the attack, it sent Ichigo quite a few feet from where he originally was.
Dordoni then went for another attack as he leaped into the air and did several flips as well. After that he raised his leg which started destroying a few pillars and slammed it down upon Ichigo who blocked the attack again but this attack was stronger than the last one and even if Ichigo blocked the attack, it was too strong which sent him crashing through the ground and sent him into another room with green walls, red pillars, and blue tile textured flooring. Ichigo was looking down at the room before him and was shocked to see that there was another room in the area that he was in. Before he can register everything Dordoni appeared above him and spoke.
"You shouldn't have to look down to find your footing!" Dordoni shouted.
Ichigo looked up to see the Arrancar but before he could retaliate he immediately got kicked in the gut which sent him crashing into the wall. After the attack Dordoni landed on the ground, he sighed as if unhappy about the fight and said, "Your movements are slow and your defense is weak. You can't even deal with a change in scenery. I can't fight with you! This is like fighting with a baby!"
As Dordoni said that, he gazed at Ichigo who was in the hole in the wall and did not looked well. Ichigo twitched and groaned in pain after the attack and Dordoni looked at Ichigo in disappointment before saying, "Use your Bankai, Nino. I won't think badly of you. But you'll never be able to beat me at your current level."
After saying that, Ichigo started moving again as he showed no signs of backing down but said, "No."
"Why?" Dordoni asked curiously.
"A Privaron Espada isn't a real Espada!" Ichigo said.
"That's correct." Dordoni answered calmly.
"That's why!" Ichigo shouted as he charged at Dordoni with his sword raised. Immediately he clashed with Dordoni but the Arrancar used his leg to block the attack with little to no effort. "I have to defeat all of the Espada!"
Ichigo then continued to attack Dordoni who dodged his attacks effortlessly as if reading his movements before he could make them. As of now, Dordoni was simply toying around with Ichigo but Ichigo didn't think that.
"I can't just use Bankai against everyone, especially if they're not Espada!" Ichigo stated as he attacked again. He charged at Dordoni and slashed at the former Espada but his attack was blocked by Dordoni's foot yet again. "So I'm going to defeat you without it"
"I see. I understand how you feel. So I'm going to tell you something in return." Dordoni said after taking in Ichigo's reason. He grabbed the blade of his Zanpakuto and pushed it black slightly before saying, "Don't take me lightly."
After saying that, Dordoni pushed Ichigo aside and immediately grabbed the hilt of his Zanpakuto and unsheathed it slightly. After doing so Dordoni immediately said, "Whirl, Giralda!"
After releasing his Zanapkuto, a gust of wind fill the room and swirled around Dordoni, obscuring his body and it made it hard for Ichigo to see since the current was rather powerful which somewhat resembled a tornado.
"Damn, he's able to release his Zanapkuto even without releasing it." Ichigo said, appearing rather shocked as he blocked off the wind but also couldn't believe the spiritual pressure that he was giving off.
"What are you doing? Take up your stance!" Dordoni called out which shocked Ichigo.
Ichigo looked up in shocked after hearing Dordoni's words and watched as the wind current began to simmer down which revealed Dordoni to the young man as the Arrancar was now in his Release form. In his new form Dordoni seemed to gain large horns on his shoulders and armor that starts at his feet, wraps around his calves, and juts out at his waist with two more spikes, and his mask also extended and framed his face. Overall, even if it wasn't a big change, Ichigo could tell that he was in for a fight of his life.
"Here we go, Giralda!" Dordoni shouted in a serious tone. Immediately, the armor that covered Dordoni's legs started releasing a gust of wind which took the form of two enormous cyclones which swirled around Dordoni and seemed to allow him to hover in midair. Addition to the cyclones, two skull, bird-like extensions appeared and seemed to be a part of the cyclones.
Dordoni then raised his foot and then did a kicking motion at Ichigo and this action alone sent one of the bird-like skulls extensions straight towards the young man who narrow dodged the attack and charged straight towards Dordoni. The Arrancar took notice to this and immediately swiped his other foot which sent the other bird-like extension at Ichigo to defend himself. Ichigo saw this and quickly tried defending himself but was easily knocked away after the attack collided with him. The attack sent Ichigo flying and before he could have time to compose himself or retaliate, Dordoni appeared above him.
"I'm not done yet!" He then kicked Ichigo in the gut again, causing him to cough up blood and sent him crashing down to the ground. Ichigo groaned in pain but saw Dordoni chase after him and kick him again, this time on the shoulder but Ichigo stayed strong and grabbed hold of Dordoni's leg. This shocked him dearly to see this gesture from his opponent but then watched as Ichigo pushed him away and began to go on the offense.
"Getsuga Tenshou!" Ichigo shouted as he sent his energy slash at Dordoni but to his dismay he dodged it with ease.
Dordoni summonded his Cyclones again and sent one of the bird-like extensions at Ichigo who tried dodging the attack but was immediately hit and seemed to be badly wounded. Dordoni soon landed on the ground near Ichigo's battered form and began laughing at his wounded opponent while saying, "Done already, Nino?"
Dordoni sent another attack at Ichigo who had little time to react and was immediately hit and sent flying after the collision. Dordoni simply laughed as he watched Ichigo fly and decided to Sonido by his side. After doing so he kicked Ichigo sending him crashing down on the ground and skidding quite a few feet from where he currently was. Ichigo groaned and looked up as he tried finding the strength to get up but was immediately crushed by the bird-like head that Dordoni sent at him which immediately crushed the boy. Dordoni kept on attacking as he kept attacking Ichigo without care and remorse. He didn't even show him any mercy.
"Come on! Come on, come on, come on, come on!" Dordoni said. "Use your Bankai, Nino! Otherwise, you'll die here and now!" After saying that Dordoni sent another attack at Ichigo who immediately blocked the bird extention and redirected it, sadly Dordoni was able to control the direction on where it goes and sent it back at Ichigo who blocked the attack but because of the force it simply sent him straight towards the ground.
"You're trying to fight me and conserve your reiatsu at the same time?" Dordoni said as she sent another bird extension at Ichigo who tried blocking the attack but was sent back from the power it used. "I can't fathom why you'd even consider such a plan. It's ridiculous!"
Dordoni then used his El Uno Picotear(The One Pecking) which enables him to trap his opponent in the jaws of one of his bird-like extensions, allowing him to control them for further attacks and Ichigo was experiencing said ability. Ichigo began coughing and gasping for air given his current position while Dordoni simply looked at him with a calm expression since he received no blow from his attack.
"You're being thickheaded, Nino. Use your Bankai!" Dordoni ordered. "I want to see you at your full strength."
After saying that, he watched as Ichigo raised his blade and placed it in a horizontal position with his other hand on the blade and simply said, "Getsuga Tenshou!"
This immediately shocked Dordoni as he used his signature move to destroy the Bird-like extension that held him in place. Now free Ichigo landed on the ground now having room to breathe and space to move while Dordoni looked at Ichigo with a somewhat impressed look.
"Hmm, not bad, I must admit." Dordoni said as he brought his severed Cyclone close to him. "But, you must understand now, don't you? There's no way you can win in your current state."
"That's what you think." Ichigo said.
"Hmph, I don't think anything!" Dordoni stated as the severed Cyclone grew its bird-like extension back and he sent them both at Ichigo. "I stated a fact!"
Ichigo immediately evaded both of the attacks that were sent towards him but Dordoni redirected them to follow Ichigo. One of the extensions was faster and Ichigo managed to block the attack with ease though the second one caught him by surprise and immediately opened its mouth and caught him in his grip. Ichigo didn't approve of this and used his Getsuga Tenshou again thus breaking free from the cyclone and splitting it into four separate pieces though Dordoni used this to his advantage and Sonido'd behind Ichigo to kick him.
"That same trick won't work again!" Ichigo shouted as he blocked Dordoni's kick with his blade. Although even if Ichigo managed to block it, Dordoni was extremely quick as he Sonido'd behind Ichigo again.
"But it'll work twice!" Dordoni said as he delivered a powerful blow to Ichigo's side. This caused him to stagger and lose his footing and Dordoni immediately grabbed him by the collar of his uniform and held him there. "And I'll keep this up until you decide to use it. This is tough on me, too. Well, it's annoying at least. I want to see your Bankai, but you keep holding back, Nino!"
Dordoni then sent a powerful kick to Ichigo's gut and kicked him quite a few time in his face and at his side which sent him flying and crashing into the wall.
"All of your efforts will be for nothing!" Dordoni shouted as he sent two more bird-extensions at Ichigo and both hit their mark as Ichigo yelled in pain. A massive dust cloud appeared over where Ichigo was but once it dimmed down, it revealed him to have both of his arms trapped within the two extensions that Dordoni sent at him.
"This is getting annoying. Time for your Bankai yet, eh, Nino?" Dordoni asked with an unamused face.
After saying that Ichigo pointed his Zanpakuto out in a similar position to that of how he would release his Bankai and this caused Dordoni to gasp with excitement but then Ichigo used flash step which shocked Dordoni and he immediately blocked the attack with his right arm.
"Getsuga-"
"I told you not to insult me, Nino!" Dordoni shouted as he interrupted Ichigo and kicked him away. Ichigo landed on the ground and groaned in pain as he sat up in a sitting position and saw Dordoni glaring at him with an unamused look on his face. "Tell me, do you think that you'll win by fighting this way?"
"Tch, doesn't matter. Like I told you, you're not an Espada and I don't plan on wasting my energy on those who aren't Espada." Ichigo stated.
"Wake up, Nino!" Dordoni shouted which seemed to surprise Ichigo. "I've been telling you that in the current state that you are in, you would die immediately. I'm not using my full power on you because I "want" to see your Bankai."
Ichigo was silent and simply glared at Dordoni for a moment who's expression soften a little as he looked at Ichigo and continued speaking.
"Nino, you may not know this, but I am the fourth strongest Privaron Espada there is." Dordoni said and this shocked Ichigo. Dordoni saw the expression on Ichigo's face and continued as he said, "The expression on your face gives it off, you are shocked to know that there are three others stronger than me, well…don't be, Nino. My power would rival an Espada of seven or below and my power is insignificant compared to the other three. Before they became Privarons, they were the top Espada, the best of the best as they were the top three. If you were to fight them, than you would be dead within minutes."
Ichigo was surprised to hear this and began to wonder why Dordoni was telling him this though his thoughts were interrupted when Dordoni said, "Although, this information in pointless to you. If you aren't going to show me your Bankai then I should just end this."
After saying that Dordoni then began to make a fluent and fast motion of hand and finger gestures before pointing his index and pinky finger together and began charging a red Cero which shocked Ichigo. Once charged Dordoni immediately fired the red beam at Ichigo who stared at the imminent danger heading his way and didn't have a choice.
The Cero made impact with its target and there was a loud explosion followed afterwards and Dordoni watched, wondering what the results were. There was silence at first as the dustcloud obscured the area, but once it started vanishing Dordoni's eyes slowly widened at the site before him.
Ichigo was standing with some injuries that he received from the Cero but he also appeared in his Bankai as well as he was fit in his long-sleeved, ankle-length black coat and his shrunken down long sword with a black blade and a chain attached to his sheathe.
"If you wanted to see it that badly, then I guess I show you." Ichigo said with a calm expression. "The waits over, old man. This is my Bankai."
"I see. I've been looking forward to this, Nino." Dordoni said with a grin.
He then sent one of the extensions at Ichigo but in an instant, it was immediately sliced in half and Dordoni received a blow on his left shoulder while also losing one of the horns on said shoulder. Dordoni was both shocked and impressed with Ichigo done and grinned even more at his opponent with excitement.
"I vowed that if I was going to fight the Espada on equal footing, then I can't use my Bankai on anyone else." Ichigo said to Dordoni. "I decided that before I came here."
"Hmm, so you set up your own guidelines for how you fight. Anyone who wishes to become strong has to do that. I thought it was wonderful but why chose to use your Bankai now?" Dordoni asked.
"I didn't want to, but I don't intend on dying. I also made a vow to save my friend at all costs, even if my own vows have to be broken to do so." Ichigo said.
"Ah I see. So your goal isn't to become stronger then? Strength is just a means to protect your friends? You're so kind Nino and I can relate to that." Dordoni said with a smile of acception. "You remind me of my friend. He is one of the three Privaron that I have stated and he would find that to be honorable of you and think that you hav a chance of becoming a true warrior. But, you can become even stronger. I know about your ability to become a Hollow." This surprised Ichigo when he said that and even he wondered how Dordoni knew about this.
"We've got records of all of your fights in the World of the Living. Supposedly this "Hollow Transformation" gives you an explosive burst of strength and speed. Use that power!" Dordoni insisted as he sent another bird extension at Ichigo.
Ichigo saw this and was able to block the attack with ease, stopping the extension in its tract and with little effort, he cut the extension in half.
"Very nice. You're reiatsu is impressive. However-"
Dordoni then Sonido'd away which shocked Ichigo and appeared behind him and said, "-I already told you. I want to see you at full strength! I'll do whatever it takes, Nino!"
Dordoni then sent another extension at Ichigo who blocked the attack again but this time was shocked when Dordoni appeared behind him and was already preparing to fire another Cero. However, Ichigo was able to counter the attack by slicing at Dordoni's hand. He was able to narrowly escape but had his finger cut in the process.
Ichigo glared at Dordoni who grinned and saw that Ichigo wasn't convinced and said, "If you don't show me your true power, you will die, Nino. Imagine if this was a battle against the other three Privarons who are much stronger than me. Imagine if you were fighting them and how they would react to you. They wouldn't give you a second to counter their attacks, or allow you to take a moment to breathe yet I have, why? Because I want to see you at full power and you disgrace me with each and every passing second!" Dordoni shouted. Without warning Dordoni began to generate wild and powerful tornadoes which began producing multiple bird-like extensions as this move was his Ave Mellizos(Bird Twins).
Ichigo was quite shocked and felt Dordoni's reiatsu and knew that the former Espada was done playing around. Although, even if he didn't want to admit it he was right. Dordoni was a powerful opponent for Ichigo to handle and if what he's saying is true then Ichigo was already taking note to what Dordoni said and decided that it was time to end this. He spent too much time fighting the Privaron and figured that it was time to give him what he wanted.
"Fine. I'll warn you, you'll only get to see it for a second." Ichigo said, his reiatsu flocculating around him as he prepared himself.
"That's enough." Dordoni said.
"Good. Glad to hear it." Ichigo said as he brought his hand up to his face. Reiatsu formed around his hand and as he brought his hand down, it all formed around his face, creating a hollow mask which was pure white with black marking on the left portion of it and several sharpened teeth. Ichigo's reiatsu was at its peak and the spiritual pressure made the ground rubble before him and Dordoni and the Privaron couldn't help but grin.
He then began laughing, amused as he finally got his wish to fight Ichigo in his prime form and he couldn't contain his excitement at all as he said, "Wonderful! What wonderful reiatsu! I never expected I'd be able to fight against such a wonderful opponent, Nino! Now, let's go at it with our full power, nino!"
Dordoni prepared his attack but Ichigo seeped to be quicker as in a blink of an eye, Dordoni received a deep and gruesome cut on his body which sprayed buckets of blood before his eyes.
"Wh-what…happened?" Dordoni asked in shock, his body losing all will to continue standing.
"I told you it would only be for a second." Ichigo said as he waved his hand over his face thus removing his Hollow mask.
"Heh, how…regrettable." Dordoni said as he collapsed onto the ground. His wounds around taking a toll on him as he began leaking blood.
Ichigo watched as Dordoni's release form started to fade away and then took the form of his Zanpakuto though, too weak to even raise his arm, the Privaron simply laid on his back and stared at the ceiling. He heard the footsteps of Ichigo approaching him and looked to see the young man stand beside.
"I've lost, completely and decisively. My body was filled with power, and my heart was filled with the will to win." Dordoni said. He then turned his gaze to Ichigo and said, "I truly believed that I was ready for you, that I could endure any attack you tried and counter it. In that moment, I never let my guard down. I just…couldn't see it coming."
Ichigo looked at Dordoni with a calm gaze for a moment until the Arrancar complimented him which surprised him a little as he said, "You're strong, Nino."
"I wouldn't say that." Ichigo said which made Dordoni smile.
"The reason why I wanted to fight you at your full strength, was so that I can be an Espada again." Dordoni said which caught Ichigo's attention. "The Espada are Aizen-dono's faithful servants. Aizen-dono probably doesn't even consider the Espada as his weapons. I know that. But those who have been at the top can never forget the view. It felt wonderful there. If I defeated you at your full strength then maybe…Aizen-dono would recognize my strength…and I could return to my place as an Espada. That's why I forced you to transform into a Hollow. Those desires…have changed."
Ichigo looked at Dordoni and saw him close his eyes for a moment as he was contemplating to himself and took a deep breathe before exhaling deeply as well. He then opened his eyes and turned to Ichigo and said, "I would love to be an Espada again, .,but not under Aizen's rule. It should be someone who cares for his subjects instead of seeing them as objects. Nino, I want you of the dangers ahead of you as you travel deep into Las Noches. You cannot worry about the Espada but those who are their Fraccions or worse, other Privaron just like myself. Fraccions are trained by the Espada themselves and they can handle themselves well against a Soul Reaper and given how you are, you are able to handle some of the Fraccions but you also must be weary of those who were former Espada. Ones such as myself. They will not be as kind as I was Nino and they will strike you down without a second thought."
"Why are you telling me this? We're enemies." Ichigo said.
"Yes, we are but consider this as a thank you for giving me the fight that I dreamed of. My powers have weakened so badly, you could have defeated me without hollifying but you did. You must have sensed how humiliating that would be for me. You transformed, even after knowing that it would drain your own strength to do so. You preserved my dignity as a warrior and I am grateful for that. Besides…you have someone that you vowed to rescue. I wish to not break that vow so go on and complete your task Nino." Dordoni said.
Ichigo was silent and a little shocked at first but he nodded to Dordoni and said, "Thank you. Don Panini" With that, Ichigo headed off as he ran down the corridor ahead of him, leaving Dordoni in the room where they fought.
Dordoni would have retorted to the comment but left it be as he didn't have the strength to argue but he grinned as he said, "Heh, reminds of me of Kiiro when we met." After saying that Dordoni's eyes began to grow heavy until he fell unconscious.
"In my heart, I knew once we got the Hougyoku, he wouldn't need any of the former Espada." Thought Dordoni as he, Skullak, Cirucci, Gantenbainne, and Nelliel were kneeling before Aizen. Before Kiiro even came to their ranks. "I knew when I first decided to follow Aizen, but yet we still stayed with him. Even knowing of all of this, we stayed. Why?"
Dordoni was left deep in his conscious as he rested after the battle but then he sensed a familiar reiatsu which caused him to open his eyes. He then heard several Sonido's and appearing before him was none other than the Exequias who stare down at him.
"Hello there, Rudbornn. I see that you and the Exequias are here but why? Come to eliminate me?" Dordoni asked in a calm voice.
Rudbornn stared at Dordoni for a moment before answering him. His mind began to play back after what had happened earlier and it seemed to play back as he stared at Dordoni.
-Flashback, a few hours ago before Dordoni's fight-
Rudbornn was traveling around Las Noches for a bit, just to make sure that everything was ok and nothing was out a place. As he traveled alone he noticed someone walking as if worried about something and as he got closer he soon realized that it was Skullak. Curious and somewhat worried for his friend he quickly approached the Privaron Espada who took notice to his presence.
"Rudbornn, my old friend. I didn't expect to see you here." Skullak said with a smile.
"I could say the same thing my friend. Is something wrong? You appeared to be worried about something." Rudbornn asked.
"-Sigh- you could say that. I…-Sigh- after making sure Demoura and Aisslinger were doing fine in the medical wing I made my wake to the Tres Cifras I couldn't find anyone there. I figured they were off training so I went in my room to rest for a bit but then I found this note on my desk." Skullak said as he showed Rudbornn the note.
"Do you mind if I see?" Rudbornn asked.
Skullak simply nodded and handed the note over to his friend and began reading over what was written.
Dear my beloved Skullak,
Dordoni, Gantenbainne and myself were ordered but Lord Skullak to go and defeat the intruders that had invaded Las Noches. Please don't worry about us my love since we will win and defeat the intruders with ease. We'll be back soon so please don't worry.
Love your beloved Swallow, Cirucci.
Rudobon read the letter over a few more times before looking up at Skullak and said, "You were given no message about this from Lord Aizen? Even if he is our lord, something like this must be notified to you."
"I know and I received no message about this. I was shocked myself when I saw this letter. I do not want to worry but I'm not happy about this at all. I don't understand why Aizen would do something like this, after all I am leader of the Privaron. Right now Luppi is simply resting in the Tres Cifras and Kiiro, I don't even know where the guy ran off to." Skullak insisted with a worried tone.
"I understand. Is there anything you want me to do?" Rudbornn asked.
"Rudbornn, I don't want to burden you but please, if you could, please bring them to the medical wing if they are defeated in battle. I have faith that they'll win but if anything happens…I don't know what I'll do." Skullak said in a worried tone.
"I understand. You do not need to worry my friend, I will make sure that they come back safe." Rudbornn replied.
Rudbornn was about to move out but then stopped when Skullak called him.
"Rudbornn, also…" Skullak called out which made the Exequias leader turn to his friend. "I fear that Szayel may approach you and lie to you to follow his orders. Please don't fall prey to what he'll say. Also, if given the chance…eliminate the intruders if you and your team encounter them."
"Of course Skullak. I won't let you down." Rudbornn said as he walked off.
-Flashback end-
Rudbornn remained silent as the memory flashed in his head and looked down at Dordoni as he finally answered his question.
"No. We're here because of what Skullak said and plus, you and the other Privaron befriended me and made me feel like I was one of you. I have become grateful to you and the others. We're getting you to the Medical Wing." Rudbornn said.
Dordoni couldn't help but chuckle after what he heard and smiled to himself while sighing.
"Ah that Skullak, always caring for his comrades." Dordoni said as he couldn't help but laugh.
Rudbornn snapped his fingers and two of his men heaved Dordoni up from the ground and Sonido'd off with him. Seeing this Rudbornn motioned his men to follow and they continued onward through Las Noches as they began tracking the intruders.