Chapter 58

Más Conquistadores

Izumi, bored out of her mind, struggled to stay awake. Her spot behind the counter of the Urahara Shop was the same as always—dusty, quiet, and miserable. Business wasn't exactly booming. Dust littered every inch of the shop, with nearly as many cobwebs. Even when a customer did walk show up, it was only to ask directions. If it weren't for kids buying candy once in a while, Izumi was certain the shop would have filed for bankruptcy.

"Why am I doing this to myself?" she moaned, resting her weary head into her arms. "No way I'm getting paid like this."

Pounding Kisuke Urahara's face in became a sudden, and appealing, prospect.

Before she could get down to business, the ground shook all of a sudden. Though thrown off of her feet, she was more irritated than shaken up. After all, random earthquakes were a normal part of her work day.

"Keep it down down there, freeloader!"

She stomped her foot to drive her complaint home. Saying the Urahara Shop got no attention wasn't quite right.

"The only people who come here are the weirdos Aaron knows."

Like usual, Renji Abarai busied training below the shop. He made a ton of noise for someone who paid no rent, Izumi scathingly thought.

"It's been like this for a whole freaking month…"

All had been quiet on the Arrancar front since then. She saw no reason for Renji, or any other Soul Society freaks for that matter, to hang around.

The bell above the shop's door clamored. Despite being a whisper compared to Renji's antics, it caught Izumi completely off guard.

"Uh...w-welcome to the Urahara Shop! How can I…?" Her spiel trailed off upon spotting familiar faces. "...Dammit. Something tells me you guys aren't here to buy anything."

"Only if your love is for sale."

Sasune Ishida, grinning like a fiend, offered her a rose. Though pretty, she declined.

"Swing and a miss," said a chuckling Konoka Mitsumi.

"Don't any of you go to school these days?" wondered Izumi in exasperation.

"One month away from you was agony, my dear Izumi." Sasune bent backward, letting out a melodramatic sigh. "The gods themselves must have ordained this meeting."

"...You know, I liked it better when you could barely utter a word around me."

"Yeah, so if we're done with all the tongue waggin'," said Konoka. "I see this place is still a total dump. Anyway, we're lookin' for your brother. Seen him?"

"Aaron, huh? As a matter of fact, I haven't. He's been MIA for a while. If anything, I thought he'd be hanging out with you two."

Konoka shrugged. "The idiot vanishes too often to keep track of. Whatever."

"Yeah, 'whatever.'" Sasune chortled. "You weren't singing that tune on the way over here. I've never heard you so worried. 'Is he okay?' 'I hope he's not in trouble.' 'He should ask for my help if he's in trouble.'"

"S-Shut up! He always lands himself in hot water, s-so I was just wonderin'..."

Crossing her arms, Konoka left it at that. Neither Izumi nor Sasune could tell if her face swelling with blood meant she was upset or flustered.

"Rats. Guess we'll check for CT somewhere else. Thanks anyway," a waving Sasune stated. As he and Konoka walked away, a surge of suspicion fell over Izumi.

"Wait. Why exactly are you looking for him?" she inquired, her eyelids narrowing.

"No reason," answered Sasune at once. The way he scratched his chin and avoided her sharp stare alerted Izumi that her intuition was spot on.

"She's Aaron's sister. We can fill her in," said Konoka.

"'Aaron?' Since when have you two been so close?"

Unusually, Konoka found herself lost for words.

"Oh, whatever," Izumi added. "Spill the beans. What's so secretive that you have to…?"

An explosion rocked the Urahara Shop. Snarling, Izumi ignored a chunk of ceiling coming close to flattening her and again stomped the floor.

"Don't make me come down there, idiots!"

"Whoa! Was that what I think it was?" asked Sasune. "I nearly crapped my pants there…"

Konoka gagged. "TMI. Sado's down there, isn't he? Don't tell him I'm here. I still kinda feel bad about nearly gettin' him killed."

"Trust me. He's fine.Renji's down there too," Izumi clarified. The gaping hole in the roof, and the time she would no doubt have to waste repairing it, added another wrinkle to her awful day. "Those two idiots have been at it all month. This crummy place isn't gonna last much longer. I swear, don't you people get tired of training?"

"No," Sasune and Konoka answered in perfect harmony. Izumi groaned.

"Right. Forgot I'm talking to a bunch of battle-hungry psychopaths."

"I'm tempted to join in. I've gotten a bit rusty now that I don't have any Fullbringers to beat up on," said Sasune.

"...Exactly what I mean. It's your funeral. Anyway, are you two gonna tell me what's up or not?"

"It ain't nothin' serious. Since we're on the topic of trainin', that's exactly what we wanted Aar—Higuchi for," Konoka stated. "There's some serious shit goin' on, and Pretty Boy and I want in."

"You're talking about the Hougyoku, right?" The serious shift in the conversation led Izumi to frown. Complaining about work felt childish in the grand scheme of things. "Urahara doesn't seem too worried, but then again, that idiot doesn't seem to take anything seriously. Let me give you two some advice—stay outta this."

The harshness of her words threw Sasune and Konoka for a loop.

"You guys and my little bro don't have anything to do with these Arrancar or whatever, so there's no reason for you three to throw your lives away."

"No offense, but I think we're plenty caught up in this," argued Sasune.

"You'll probably never hear me say this again, but I agree with Pretty Boy," said Konoka. "I don't get this whole Royal Key thing, but it sounds like a lotta people are gonna die if we don't do somethin'. I ain't no hero, but I know Higuchi ain't gonna sit on his ass . So, neither am I either."

Sasune not only whistled, he clapped. Konoka's conviction, while impressive, did nothing to lessen Izumi's irritation.

"You're kids for god's sake! You might think you're immortal, but being idiots is going to catch up to you eventually! Besides, Urahara said that Soul Society's got the situation under control. You're only 'caught up in it' because you want to be! Didn't you and my brother get enough thrill seeking nearly being killed by those Fullbringers?!"

Things grew quiet, uncomfortably so. Izumi calmed and took a deep breath. Yelling might have made her feel better, though she could immediately tell her ranting had no effect.

"I mean, I did win every fight I had against the Fullbrings."

Pride swelled in Sasune's claim.

"You'd be dead if I hadn't shown up to heal you." Pride Izumi snuffed out. "That isn't the point! I…!"

"Miss Higuchi, you are treating our customers with the respect they deserve, correct?"

A grinning Kisuke Urahara poked his head into the room. Yelping, he ducked a shelf thrown at high speed.

"Go away!" Izumi snapped. "I'm busy!"

"I...s-see…" Urahara kept a cautious eye on his employee while moving toward the new arrivals. "Mister Ishida! Miss Mitsumi! How wonderful to see you both again! We have plenty of new products in stock, so…"

Konoka shoved his overeager face away. "Can it. We ain't here to socialize. In fact, I'm outta here."

But not before casting a sharp gaze Izumi's way. The would-be victim returned the gesture in spades. Bewildered, Urahara took turns leering at them. Konoka marched away before he could get to the bottom of things.

"Ah! H-Hold on a moment, Miss Mitsumi!" Sasune gave Urahara and Izumi a hasty bow. "Sorry about this. Oh, and call me, Izumi!"

He raced after Konoka, leaving Izumi to shake her head.

"That boy ain't right…"

"What was that all about?" asked Urahara. He got another start when Izumi suddenly rounded on him.

"All of this is your fault!"

"C-Come again!"

"Big mouthed idiot!"

Grabbing her things, Izumi hopped over the counter and headed for the exit.

"Where are you going, Miss Higuchi?"

"Home! I don't feel like working today!"

Izumi held her nose high on the way out. Urahara, left all alone, truly became the definition of 'lost.'

"My, I don't remember doing anything to upset her. ...This time anyway."

#

"You're already dead…"

Love struck a flashy pose to go along with his killer one-liner. The adrenaline pumping through his veins was something he could get used to.

"Isn't that such a bad ass line?"

Realizing he was being spoken to, Aaron lifted an eyebrow. "Uh...I guess? Whatever you say."

He grew more mystified when Love took an even goofier stance. "Busting that line out in the middle of a fight would be some deep shit. Think about it. You're telling an opponent they're about to bite it ahead of time."

"Don't you think that's a dick move?"

Love sighed. "Kid, you don't get it. It's about sending a message, not being practical."

Aaron shrugged. Practicality sounded better than losing his head over some stupid catchphrase.

"I don't know whether to call you romantic or naive, Love."

Rose, forced to listen in on the nonsense, sympathized with Aaron's point of view. More importantly, he couldn't focus on guitar practice with Love prancing around.

"That line isn't great in the first place. Please stop spoiling that manga before I get a chance to read it."

"You guys don't get it," Love muttered grumpily.

"Why is he taking that manga so seriously?" Aaron questioned with a halfhearted laugh. More than done with the topic, he shifted his attention to the white-hot battle in the distance. Dust swept past him, kicked up by the ferocity of Ichigo's and Hiyori's blades. "Man, I guess she's the only one crazy enough to keep up with that guy. ...Or is it the other way around?"

Hiyori shoved her foot into Ichigo's mouth and sent him crashing into a huge rock. The two beat the snot out of each other on a regular basis, so none of the other Visored batted an eyelash.

"I keep knockin' you on your ass, so you must like it!" Hiyori spat as she hovered above Ichigo. "Think you can keep dying over and over just because you're a Shinigami?! Get real, baldy!"

Ichigo, snarling, picked himself up out of the rubble. "Just shut up already!"

The two going at one another like wild animals made Aaron grateful he had the day off from training. Two months of hell with Hiyori led him to wonder how he remained alive.

"She's a slave driver…"

"Heh. I wouldn't let Hiyori overhear you," Rose advised.

Love, just as amused, added, "Unless your ass wants to scrub toilets again."

Simply being reminded of that torture gave a trembling Aaron war-like flashbacks. His arm still ached from all the cleaning.

He would need it and more if he was to face what was ahead. The subjects of the Hougyoku and the Arrancar weighed heavily on his mind nowadays. While he had no clue what his enemies had in store, he felt he was on borrowed time.

Maybe I shouldn't be slacking off like this…

"Yo. What's with the sour expression?"

Shinji took an uninvited seat next to him, surveying Ichigo and Hiyori exchanging insults rather than swords.

"Nothing," Aaron was quick to answer.

"Bullshit." Cleaning out his ear, Shinji decided he didn't care after all. "Where's that hot friend of yours? Kana."

"Why does it matter?"

"I'm just curious."

Aaron highly doubted that. "Last I heard, she was back in Soul Society to do some training. I think Kuchiki and Inoue are with her."

"Orihime, huh?" Shinji let out a long sigh. "She was my first love. Kana was my second."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Rather than answering, Shinji sighed again. Aaron, though having no clue what was happening, instinctively felt sorry, like watching a homeless dog stuck in a thunderstorm.

"You say that Orihime girl is training?" said Rose inquisitively.

Love, deep in his issue of Jump, remarked, "I wonder if that's a good idea. She doesn't seem like much of a fighter." Without warning, he split his sides with laughter. "You guys have got to read this chapter! It's hilarious!"

"No spoiling, please," a weary Rose repeated. "Any who, you and your friends had best look after that girl."

Aaron nodded.

Honestly, I'm more worried about her training with Kana of all people…

A magazine to the head put a stop to Love's hyena-like screeching.

"Shut it." A glowering Lisa informed him. "I can't read with all your disgusting yukking."

Aaron thought Ichigo and Hiyori hurling profanities at each other up was far more distracting though kept the thought to himself.

"Wait…"

He took heed of the rolled up magazine Lisa held. Even though he could only see part of the cover, he clearly made out two scantily clad men that were far too close to each other.

"She's reading porn again?"

"You say something?" Lisa spat, turning her intense gaze on him.

"N-Nothing…"

"For your information, it's perfectly normal having a healthy interest in this sort of stuff."

"…"

"I bet you have tons of magazines under your bed, kid."

"…"

"What, you wanna borrow mine? All you had to do was ask."

Gritting his teeth, Aaron forced himself not to engage.

"Man, Ichigo is way more fun to mess with."

Lisa left on that note.

"You shouldn't be messing with people in the first place!" Aaron shot back, redder than an apple.

"So, how's training going?"

"JESUS!" Aaron jumped in fright at Shinji randomly reappearing. "What?"

"Your Hollow powers, genius. How's it going? Used to 'em yet?"

"...Oh. I dunno. It's still weird. I can keep my mask on for a little bit, but…" Aaron faltered. "I...still feel like that bastard inside me could take over a moment's notice. Is it the same for you guys?"

"Yep."

Hearing the truth ended up being the last thing Aaron wanted.

"Nah, I'm just messing with you," Shinji said, grinning from ear to ear. "Lisa's right—messing with you is kinda fun."

Groaning, Aaron wasn't sure what he had done to deserve such torture.

"Well, you'd better learn to live with 'em. This is you now...whether you like or not."

Those somewhat ominous words gave Aaron pause again. Still, he had to admit his Hollow abilities were more useful than he ever imagined.

I'd probably be dead if I didn't have them…

Banging sounded throughout the training area. Kensei stood atop a tall boulder, hitting a ladle against a pan. Aaron would have got a laugh out of someone like Kensei wearing an apron if he wasn't certain the man would beat him senseless.

"Dinner time, ya bastards! Last one here is stuck with the dishes!"

Having no interest in doing the job—after suspiciously being stuck with it the past few weeks— Aaron hopped to his feet. Being famished didn't hurt either.

"Wait for me, Higuchi!" a bloodied Ichigo shouted. He was happy to use any excuse to get away from his demented instructor.

"Having fun?" asked Aaron, smiling slyly.

Ichigo flashed a confident grin. "I'll be more than ready when the time comes to fight."

"That's some…" Aaron stopped himself, realizing he sounded like a broken record when it came to Ichigo. "Right. I'll be too."

"Yeah, we'll win for sure!"

Ichigo gave his friend a firm pat on the back. Aaron wondered if it was his imagination, but he could have sworn some of Ichigo's assurance rubbed off on him.

Here's hoping Kana and the others are feeling as good as this guy.

#

"No more screw ups! Captain Ukitake is watching!"

Orihime might not have been able to breathe, but she gave Rukia's command a weary nod. She stood opposite of a stern-faced Kana, who lifted her Zanpakutou off of her shoulder.

"Alright, I'm not holding back anymore, Orihime! I can't make Rukia look bad in front of her dad."

"Captain Ukitake is not my…!" A flushing Rukia caught herself, sighing in exasperation. "I wish you would take this seriously, Mitarashi. We only a little time until the Hougyoku fully awakens."

Kana wasn't listening. Instead, she waved up to Captain Ukitake. He sat high above the training session, offering a friendly wave back. Rukia grew more embarrassed.

"That's a Captain of the Gotei Thirteen she's casually waving at," she moaned. "Inoue, do you need a break?"

Orihime was quick to shake her head. "I'm fine! Again!"

Kana beamed. "Atta girl. I wonder if that boyfriend of yours is rubbing off on you."

It was Orihime's turned to blush. "K-Kurosaki isn't my boyfriend!"

"I mean, I didn't say any names, but whatevs."

Kana doubled her fun by prepping Way of Destruction Number Sixty-Three—Thunder Roar Sear. The size and speed of the spell had Orihime frozen for a number of precious seconds. At the last moment, her exhausted brain kicked into gear.

"Santen Kesshun!"

A triangular shield answered her call. Forming in front of her, it clashed against the Kidou. Orihime grit her teeth, placing every ounce of strength she could into her barrier. It paid off, extinguishing Kana's spell. The second she was out of danger, Orihime slumped to her knees.

"Good one!" Kana gave her student a V-sign. "You could probably take down a whole army of Menos!"

"Let's not get too carried away," Rukia said. "Still, you've made incredible improvement, Inoue."

Orihime, unable to speak, gave them a grateful smile.

"Of course she has! After all, she has the best teachers in the world," said Kana, holding her head high. Her laughter spread across the Soul Society plain they used as a training field. Rukia joined in though only because Kana sounded so full of herself.

"Alright, Mitarashi. It's my turn."

Rukia drew her blade, paying no mind to Kana's pouting.

"Oh, fine! You get to have all the fun."

"If you're going to face the Arrancar, Inoue, you'll need more experience fighting sword users."

With a firm nod, Orihime spouted, "Ready when you are!"

As the two got down to it, Kana found herself a comfy spot in the grass to watch. The training, however, was soon the farthest thing from her mind. Her amber eyes fell upon her pale hands.

They were trembling.

Orihime had roughed her up a bit, sure, but she knew at once feeling so awful had nothing to do with sparring. She hadn't felt 'right' for some time. Her worries centered on being a Visored. Shutting her eyes tightly, she tried and failed to forget the awful truth.

Me...a Hollow…

It made little sense. Here she was, training to defeat the Arrancar menace when she could almost consider them kin. Orihime was one of the few people who knew her true nature, and the girl promised to keep it a secret. Even so, she had lost count of how many sleepless nights she spent fretting Soul Society would discover the nasty truth. What then? It didn't take much imagination. After all, she had already been imprison and nearly killed by her superiors.

And that was only because they thought I was a traitor. If they find out I have a Hollow inside of me…

She sank her head into her knees.

No, don't panic. Don't...panic…

Her family wouldn't want her to do so. She knew that with her very being.

What would Heishiro tell me to do…?

It hurt being unable to ask him. The same could be said for Arashi and Akira. She had taken running into their arms at the worst of times for granted.

"Alone..."

She didn't feel the warm tears streaming down her rosy cheeks. She thought she had accepted her family being gone. Laughing weakly, it was only then clear to her how much of a fool she had been.

"Mitarashi? What's the matter?"

Kana's head shot up. Rukia and Orihime stared down at her. Worry painted their visages, prompting Kana to hastily wipe her face clean.

"Yo! What's up? Is it my turn again? Alrighty! Let's do this, Inoue! You're gonna get it this time!"

Her efforts at sounding chipper failed miserably. Her voice was far too shaky.

"N-No, you should rest awhile long," said Rukia, disconcerted. Too choked up to respond, Kana nodded. "In fact, why don't we all take a break?"

Orihime agreed wholeheartedly. "I brought snacks. I figured we'd be hungry, so…"

The sight of the luxurious lunch box didn't exactly bring Kana back to high spirits, but it was enough to get a child-like smile out of her.

"Oh! I just love your cooking! Gimme! Gimme!"

Her greedy fingers didn't know what to snatch first.

"I think I'll pass," said Rukia under her breath. She knew firsthand that the only thing more dangerous than an Espada was Orihime's cooking. Not that it stopped Kana from stuffing her face. Rukia couldn't decide on being disgusted or amazed.

"It's so good! You're the best, Orihime!"

As Kana continued digging in, she felt her eyes growing misty once more. This time though, they were tears of joy.

Right. I'm not alone. I've got these two...not to mention CT. I'll be alright.

#

Napping on the job, a number of bone crushing spiritual pressures jarred Izumi awake.

"What the…?!"

Arrancar. She recognized their signature energy immediately. Her heart pounded, her skull throbbed, and a cold sweat formed on her brow.

"Yo, Hat and Clogs, they're…!"

Urahara was already on the scene, looking just as grim.

"Yes, they've come alright, and earlier than we anticipated. Maybe it would have been better if you really did walk out on your shift, Miss Higuchi."

Izumi gulped. "They're pretty damn close! What the hell are these guys?! They feel even worse than the ones from before!"

"Calm down."

Izumi did nothing of the sort. She could hardly think straight. "Didn't you say we had until December until they tried something?!"

"…"

"Say something already!"

"I was wrong."

Izumi, incredulous, needed more information than that.

"Go home," Urahara informed her. Though his tone held no anger, Izumi realized that wasn't a request. "You're clearly exhausted, so have a day off."

"...You're about to do something crazy, aren't you?"

Urahara lowered his bucket hat on his way out, cane in hand. "Lock up for me if you don't mind."

For a long while, Izumi didn't move. She had no qualms following Urahara's advice. After all, She had enough of dealing super powered freaks for a lifetime.

Unfortunately, she knew, just knew, someone in particular wouldn't agree.

"...My stupid little brother is about to do something dumb too. God dammit…"

#

"Let me go! Can't you feel that?! They're here!"

"You're not ready to face them yet, dumbass!" Kensei shouted.

"This is why your buddies from Soul Society are here. Let them handle this," said Love. Both he and Kensei managed to pin Ichigo to the ground. Even then, they had their work cut out for them.

"Wasn't the point of doing all this training for situations like this?! What the hell does it matter if I don't go out there?!"

Aaron frowned. He agreed, but…

"Don't even think about it," Lisa informed him. "You wanna die that badly?"

"What's going on? Didn't we have more time?"

"Maybe our calculations were off. It is what it is."

"So, the Arrancar did something to speed up the Hougyoku's awakening?"

"What the hell does it matter?! You and this baldy over here ain't going anywhere!" Hiyori made perfectly clear. When Aaron didn't protest, she grew suspicious. "Well, mutt?"

Aaron busied sorting something out. He sensed numerous powers around Karakura Town. While they felt somewhat like Luis Del Gato, the sole Arrancar he was familiar with, their energies put him to shame. It made little sense for their enemies to be sending out their best forces so soon in the war.

I'm missing something…

"Let me out of here. I want to fight."

The Visored issued a collective groan at his sudden and uncharacteristic request.

Kensei snarled, "Not you too! Give it up!"

"I'm with Kurosaki—we didn't train just to stand around. If the two of us go, we might stand a chance. I'll watch his back."

"Oh yeah?! And who's gonna watch your stinkin' back, dumbass?! Figure that out before you…!"

Aaron cut Hiyori off. "You all know Kurosaki will fight his way out of here if he has to."

"You're saying you'll be fine if it's the two of you, but I'm saying it'll only mean both of you die," replied Lisa. "It doesn't matter how many of you there are. You should be able to feel it. The enemy is playing for keeps."

"Screw it. Let them go."

The Visored leered at Shinji like he had lost his mind. The moment Kensei's grip on Ichigo slackened, the latter made a beeline for the exit.

"What are you thinking, Shinji?!" cried Kensei. "Shinji?!"

Aaron readied to go too. Only Hiyori's lingering, spiteful stare stopped him. She didn't need to speak; the fury in her eyes did the talking for her.

"...Sorry." Aaron. bowed his head in apology. "I'll drag him back as soon as we finish this."

No one made an effort to stop him from chasing after Ichigo. Hiyori instead ripped off one of her sandals, tossed it to the ground, and stomped on it with an unbridled fury.

"BALDY! DUMBASS! SHITBRAIN! DICKHEAD!"

The others took cautious steps away.

Lisa scowled as she turned to Shinji. "You really have lost it, haven't you? You know damn well they're not ready for this. Did we train them just to get them killed?"

Placing his hands in his pockets, Shinji trotted off.

"And just where the hell do you think you're going?!" Hiyori demanded to know.

"...I need some fresh air."

#

"That's what I'm talkin' about. And here I thought I'd be bored today. Hurry up, Pretty Boy."

"Your every wish is my command. Jeez, that tingles. What kind of spiritual pressure is that?"

"The good kind."

Sasune and Konoka were another pair speeding their way toward the Arrancar. They might not have arrived at their destination, but the sheer powering swelling in the air had their hairs standing on end.

"My stomach is killing me." Her complain aside, Konoka couldn't have been happier. "Whoever these guys are must be something else."

Clutching his gut, Sasune replied, "I wish I could share in your excitement. Might I ask why we're marching toward our graves?"

"Because Higuchi is gonna be there for sure."

"Right, and we need to get to your boyfriend's side as soon as possible."

"That's right. We…" Konoka, upon catching the remark, slapped a cackling Sasune upside the head. "I'm gonna kill you before we get there if you don't shut it."

"I couldn't resist." Sasune faced ahead. "I'm sensing a huge power over there, and a bunch over there. Which one do we go after?"

"...The closest."

The less than stellar plan didn't arouse much of Sasune's confidence. For their sakes, he hoped Aaron really did show.

"Being side characters is really rough sometimes."

"...What?"

#

"Kuchiki! Mitarashi! They're here! The gate to the living world should be open, so hurry!"

The two in question were already gearing up for battle as Ukitake spoke.

Kana leered at Orihime. "What about her, sir?"

"Let me go too! I'm…"

"You cannot, Inoue," said Rukia. "Without a Hell Butterfly, you'll be sent to the Dangai."

Ukitake added, "It's alright. I've already ordered a squad to secure the walls of the Dangai so that you may pass safely. It may take some time, but you'll be able to go back to your world."

"Nice one!" said Kana with a thumbs up. "Go on without me, Rukia."

"Mitarashi?"

"Captain Ukitake, let me guard the princess here!"

Ukitake raised an eyebrow. "What for? I assure you, we have a well-trained squad ready to see Inoue safely to…"

Kana's resolute expression informed him she wasn't about to take no for an answer.

"...Alright. She's all yours."

Touched, Orihime wasn't sure what to say.

"Don't worry," Kana told her. "This is probably like last time. No way these losers are ready to mount a full scale assault.
Though concerned nonetheless, Orihime nodded.

Rukia, comforted knowing their friend had such reliable protection, simply stated, "Don't be long, Mitarashi."

#

The tenseness Aaron felt had nothing to do with the Arrancar threat. He and Ichigo Flash Stepped from building to building, growing ever closer to the biggest spiritual pressure in Karakura Town. It was clear Ichigo was heading toward it specifically. Although curious, Aaron kept quiet. He focused more on not tripping. His shaking legs made that a trying task.

Calm down. Calm down...

His nerves really were a wreck. For all his bolstering minutes ago, he still had second doubts. He got why the energy seemingly trying to strangle him felt both disturbing and familiar—it reminded him of a Gotei Thirteen Captain.

No, it might actually be a little stronger…

Without warning, Ichigo stopped. Aaron was so lost in thought that he nearly slammed into him. It didn't take him long to realize what the hold up was.

"Yo. I've been lookin' for you, Shinigami."

An Arrancar. Aaron placed an instinctive hand on his Zanpakutou. This was not Luis Del Gato. As a bead of sweat rolled down the side of his head, he realized a dozen Luis' wouldn't have been this man's equal.

"Espada…"

It was the only explanation for the Arrancar's suffocating strength. The individual in question only gave Aaron a cursory look over before returning his attention to Ichigo. The latter brandished Zangetsu, his face one of delight.

"That's my line, Grimmjow."

"Grimmjow…?"

Aaron knew the name but couldn't put his finger on why. It soon hit him.

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. Right, Luis kept going on about this creep.

Grimmjow's blue eyes swirled with madness, madness kindled by Ichigo's presence.

"Who the hell is this?" the Arrancar asked. "You that scared of me, Shinigami, that you had to bring backup?"

"Don't worry. Higuchi is only here to watch."

That was news to Aaron. He turned to Ichigo for an explanation but got none. Grimmjow packed serious strength. Facing him alone seemed tantamount to suicide in Aaron's opinion.

As if reading his mind, Ichigo added, "Let me take him. We've got some unfinished business."

Aaron debated the matter before stepping aside. Ichigo's anger was palpable. While unlikely, Aaron felt his friend might skewer him to get his way.

"I hope you're ready, Grimmjow. I'm gonna show you just how much I've changed over this past month!"

END