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Chapter 73
Reunion II – La Bestia
Finally, the surging energy from Aaron's Getsuga Tenshou subsided. Rubble rained around the now ruined tower he floated in, some striking him while he caught his breath. Having rushed in without thinking, he ended up putting far more power behind his attack than he meant. That left him afraid he might have destroyed Ichigo alongside Ulquiorra. No matter how much he squinted, he couldn't make out either of them thanks to the thick haze of settling debris below.
"God damn baldy! What were you thinking?!"
He did hear an irate voice screeching at him from somewhere. Breathing a sigh of relief, he not only spotted a furious Hiyori but a baffled Ichigo. She had managed to grab him in the midst of the chaos and spared him from being obliterated like everything else.
"Stupid baldy!" Hiyori went back to screaming, even slugging Ichigo across the mouth. "You think I like running around this shitty castle looking for you?!"
Lying on the floor and holding his bloodied lip, Ichigo neither responded nor paid her presence any mind. He simply reached down and picked up his black sword, walking away. Hiyori, fuming, raced to catch up with him.
"I'm talking to you! What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
She froze, a byproduct of him aiming his blade at her.
"I don't know what you're doing here," he said, "but I'm not interested in hearing you mouth off again."
"Bastard!" Hiyori drew her own Zanpakutou. "Is that all you have to say after everything that's happened?! Me, Shinji, and the others didn't waste time training your scrawny ass so you could throw your life away on a suicide mission!"
"…"
"Dammit! Answer me!"
"Stop it!" Aaron soared down and landed between them right as Hiyori pounced. "We don't have time for this. We—"
"AARON, HE'S STILL ALIVE!"
Izumi's panicked declaration echoed across the entire chamber. Growing wide-eyed, her brother felt that couldn't be possible. He poured every drop of energy he could into his Getsuga.
His heart almost stopped when he spotted an ominous figure amid the settling smoke.
"…What the hell is he?!"
Ulquiorra Cifer set his icy, green eyes on Aaron, which came close to breaking his resolve. Aaron had to remind himself that the man standing before him had killed Orihime Inoue. Now was the wrong time to falter, he thought.
"Kurosaki…"
He felt it strange, perhaps even a little surreal, to stand face-to-face with Ichigo Kurosaki after so long. Just being in his presence gave Aaron a harrowing feeling, one that made him question how Ichigo's spiritual pressure had become so heavy, so tense.
Like with Hiyori, Ichigo made no effort to acknowledge him. It forced Aaron to put a firm hand on his shoulder and whirl him around.
"Kurosaki! I—"
"You…shouldn't have come here, Higuchi. Go home."
"…What?" Aaron now understood Hiyori's frustration. He had half a mind to throw a punch himself. "H-Hold on! What are you—"
"I've got everything under control! Get out of here before you get hurt!"
Hiyori barked, "Too late for that, idiot! Just who do you think this mutt over here has been getting his ass kicked all over this castle for?!"
"…"
"Quit ignoring me if you like that head of yours on your shoulders!"
Ichigo again stepped forward. "…The bastard that killed Inoue is literally standing over there, and you two want to have a conversation? Get out of my way!"
Aaron didn't, instead saying, "If you're feeling what I am, then you should know that isn't someone you can take head on! We should—"
He nearly swallowed his tongue when Ichigo pointed his blade dangerously close his face. The two sat there for a number of tense seconds, with Aaron now assured he sat in the middle of a bad dream. The Ichigo Kurosaki he knew could never wear such a murderous expression.
"Hey, you guys okay? O-Oh…" Izumi almost regretted rushing to their side given the bloodlust in the air. "Uh…l-let's stay calm! We're all on the same side here…right?"
"Yeah, I ain't too sure about that…" snarled Hiyori.
"We are!" Aaron insisted. "Dammit, Kurosaki! Look at me! We're—"
He wondered when he would be able to finish speaking as someone suddenly started hollering "Itsygo!"
"N-Nel…?" Ichigo spotted the small, green-haired girl sprinting toward him and thought her a hallucination. Frowning, he watched her bury her sobbing head into his leg and squeeze. "Higuchi…what's she doing here?"
"She wanted to see you. She's been worried sick about you. All of us have! What the hell were you thinking coming here alone?!"
"…"
"I'm not upset you came here. I'm mad you didn't think to ask for any help! Look, if you don't give a damn what I have to think, what about Sado and Konoka?! They could be dead because they were here helping to look for you! Kuchiki might be too! Don't you even—"
"OF COURSE I CARE!" Ichigo took some deep, livid breaths after his booming reply. He went back to staring daggers at Ulquiorra, adding, "…It all starts with that bastard over there, and it'll end once I finish him off. That's why I'm telling you to get out of the way. What did you come here for anyway?! Why didn't you go after Sado or Rukia or your friend?! …If they die because of you, Higuchi, I'll…I'll…"
He grew mum, but a stunned Aaron had heard more than enough. Clenching his fists, he couldn't decide if he was more saddened or upset with how his long awaited reunion had gone so far.
"I-Itsygo…"
Nel's miserable tone summed up his feelings far better than he could.
"You're talking a lot of shit for someone who's half dead, baldy. Remember—you would've been six feet under if this mutt didn't show up when he did," Hiyori made perfectly clear.
Ichigo rounded upon her with all the anger welling through his being. However, as he opened his mouth, all that rage seemed to go up in smoke. He settled on smacking his lips.
"Kurosaki…" Aaron spoke carefully, not wanting his frustrations to spill out either. "Why…are you beating yourself up over Inoue's death like this? You didn't kill her."
"…"
"Would she want you to do all this, to throw away your life trying to—"
Without warning, Ichigo yanked Aaron by the collar and dragged him close.
"Don't you ever pretend you know what Inoue would say! You didn't know her! You don't have a right to tell me a damn thing! If it was your sister over there or one of your friends, would you be telling me killing that monster over there isn't worth it?!"
Aaron's mouth hung open. Soon, his guilty gaze shifted onto the floor. He already knew the answer to Ichigo's grim question. With all his vigor sapped, he merely nodded in apology.
"Done wasting time with all your yapping then?"
Grimmjow intruded upon the scene, grinning like a fiend at the sight of Ichigo.
"Get out of my face," said Ichigo, nowhere near as elated. "I don't have time to waste on the likes of you, 'Grimmjow.'"
'The likes of you.' The remark hung over Grimmjow's head and made him march right up to Ichigo. The two stood nose-to-nose, with Grimmjow barring all his fanged teeth in protest.
"…When did you decide I was just a piece of garbage to step over, Shinigami? In case you've forgotten, we've got a score to settle."
"I don't care! Move it! I've still got some unfinished business with your pal over there!"
"Ulquiorra, huh? …I like that look in your eyes. That's what you were missing when we first fought." Though appearing ready to spill blood, Grimmjow abruptly calmed, looking over Ichigo's shoulder at the man of the hour. "When did you get so damn popular, bastard? Heh. I'm a little jealous!"
Ulquiorra paid the mocking words no mind. Indeed, his focus lied squarely with Izumi. Noticing, she shook like a leaf, deciding it was a good idea to dart behind her brother.
"What do you think you're doing, Grimmjow? Your job was to guard that girl, not betray our master by helping her escape."
"Like I give a damn about that woman's orders or her lapdog! Wanna kill me then, Ulquiorra? I've been itching for an excuse to slit your throat, so this is perfect!"
"I asked you a question. Why did you help our enemies?"
"Fuck you. That's why."
"Grimmjow…"
"Kurosaki was right—you sure are flapping those gums of yours a lot today, Ulquiorra! It kinda pisses me off actually!"
"…Give me the girl."
"Or what?"
Surprise painted Ulquiorra's pale face when Grimmjow shot forward and closed in faster than anticipated. He casually lifted his arm to block an attack with enough force to shake the whole room.
"W-Wake me up when this is over! Thanks…" muttered Izumi, her teeth chattering as she held her hands over her head for safety.
"I get it now!" Grimmjow's jerking fingers kept clawing at Ulquiorra's throat. "You're scared of me, aren't you? I don't blame you! We'd probably kill each other if we fought seriously!"
He got the jump on Ulquiorra again, pointing his free hand forward and unleashing a massive, point-blank Cero. Those watching on thought it impossible, but Ulquiorra somehow managed to deflect it. It came at the cost of the Cero's force sending him flying backward. Grimmjow, in hot pursuit, cackled like a hyena at the turn of events.
"Good! This wouldn't be any fun if that killed you outright!"
He prepared another Cero, only to grow wide-eyed at someone vaulting off his shoulder.
"He's mine!" cried Ichigo, sword in hand. He shot toward Ulquiorra like a bullet out of a gun. Although he swung his sword fully intending to dice the Cuatro Espada into pieces, the object of his ire disappeared. His head shot up, where he spotted his foe pointing at him. "Another Cero?!"
His fears proved true as green light swelled across the area. Ulquiorra fired his blast in the blink of an eye.
"Get the fuck outta the way!" cried Grimmjow. He didn't wait for Ichigo, elbowing him in the ribcage and sending him sliding across the floor. With him gone, Grimmjow was free to chomp down on his thumb, drawing blood. "Hahaha! Let's see how you handle this one, Ulquiorra!"
"We're in Las Noches, Grimmjow. You wouldn't—"
"The hell I wouldn't! GRAND REY CERO!"
"Stick close to me!" hollered Aaron to Izumi and Nel, activating his Bankai. He twirled his twin swords. "Shingetsu!"
A dome-shaped barrier appeared around him and his friends just as the two Ceros collided. What little remained of the tower collapsed under their awe-inspiring power. Only a massive gash in the sands of Las Noches remained, with smoke billowing high above the white castle.
"…Jesus." Aaron, gulping, lowered his shield after he confirmed the coast clear enough. Looking around, he hardly recognized anything. "These Espada are something else…"
He spotted Nel and Izumi cowering at his feet. They too had come out unscathed. He couldn't say the same for anyone else, wondering if Grimmjow and Ulquiorra had killed one another.
"Actually, that'd be a nice turn of events…"
That proved to be anything but the case when Grimmjow emerged from a pile of sand. Ichigo reappeared nearby, followed by Ulquiorra in the distance. The only thing Grimmjow's Cero had seemingly done to the Cuatro Espada was piss him off some more.
"I-Is he immortal?!" Aaron Flash Stepped to Ichigo's and Grimmjow's side, finally realizing something important. "I know you two have your own beef with him, but we need to work together! It doesn't matter who kills him as long as it gets done, right?!"
"Like hell I'm teaming up with a coward like you!" Grimmjow barked. "Ulquiorra is mine!"
"No, I'll take him down!" cried Ichigo.
"…Did anything I said get through your thick skulls?" Frustrated beyond belief, Aaron had half a mind to cut them both down. "What about that monster over there makes you think either of you could take him alone?! All I'm saying is—well, never mind then!"
He and his unruly partners hit the dirt to dodge a whizzing, green Cero. Ulquiorra lowered his hand, returning it to his pocket while he marched toward his foe. Him doing so sent a chill down Aaron's spine.
"He's…gotta be the strongest Espada, right?!"
"No," answered Grimmjow, who wore a dark expression, "He's only four."
"…Shit." The idea of three people stronger than Ulquiorra honestly made Aaron want to cry. "Look! You two wanna kill each other, right?! Then take him out of the picture first! If we team up, we might actually have a shot at—you know what? I'm done talking today!"
Ichigo and Grimmjow shot ahead despite all Aaron's pleading.
"After we take him out, you're next," said Grimmjow.
"…Fine. Don't get in my way though," Ichigo growled.
"I tire of this farce."
With a clear shot, Ulquiorra began charging a Cero with the intent of eliminating the two once and for all. He stopped after laying eyes on Aaron up to something.
"Way of Binding Number Sixty-Three—Six Rods Prison of Light!"
The Kidou wasn't aimed at Ulquiorra but Ichigo, who ate a face full of sand once he could no longer move.
"W-What the hell are you doing, Higuchi?!" the victim roared.
Ulquiorra wondered that as well but paid far more attention to Grimmjow. The latter swiped his sword across the sand and sent a thick cloud of it toward his fellow Espada's face. Instinctively shielding his eyes, Ulquiorra only noticed Grimmjow sneaking up behind him when it was too late. The latter released a small object into Ulquiorra's Hollow hole. The glowing, black cube suddenly expanded, with its light wrapping around its ogling target like a ribbon.
"…Damn you, Grimmjow."
When it had swallowed Ulquiorra whole, the light shrunk and then vanished on the spot.
"What…was that?" said Aaron numbly. Given Ulquiorra's propensity for popping back up no matter what was thrown at him, he expected to see him soon. However, he wasn't so sure when he spotted Izumi shaking her head.
"His spiritual pressure…" she said. "It's…it's just gone!"
The two leered at Grimmjow for an explanation. "Caja Negación. When that bastard Aizen was still around, he gave it to us Espada so we could punish our Fracción if need be. It's a box that traps weaker Arrancar in an alternate dimension."
Aaron's face brightened. "You mean—"
"Weaker Arrancar. It ain't meant to be used on an Espada. If it's Ulquiorra we're talking about, he'll likely escape in three…no, maybe two hours. That'll get him out of our hair for a little while at least."
"…Damn. Well, you're right about—"
"What did you just do, Grimmjow?!" Ichigo shoved Aaron out of the way to get to the person in question, positively seething. "I finally caught up to Ulquiorra, and you go and do that?! If you know what's good for you, you'll bring him back right now!"
Cackling, Grimmjow replied, "I ain't gotta do shit. What? That piss you off? Good."
"GRIMMJOW!"
Ichigo took a savage swipe at the Espada, only for Grimmjow to block with his own Zanpakutou. They exchanged more blows, with Grimmjow looking like the happiest man in Hueco Mundo.
"That's the spirit, Shinigami!"
"Damn you! I'll make you tell me how to undo whatever the hell you just did!"
"I'd love to see you try!"
The two disappeared momentarily before reappearing high above the frowning Aaron.
"What a dirty trick…" he mumbled, sighing. "I guess that's one way for him to get his fight."
He would have to intervene. While he felt Ichigo could handle himself, he didn't want his friend to waste the golden opportunity afforded to them. They should have been using the opportunity to escape.
"Yo, mutt." Hiyori, out of breath, finally caught up. "What'd I miss?"
Aaron got down to explaining the situation. The longer he went on, the more Hiyori's eyelid jerked in irritation.
"Are you freakin' kidding me?" she said, shaking her head. "Let's leave the baldy and split. I've got no interest in cleaning up the mess he started."
"What? We can't just—"
"Yeah, we can!" Hiyori glared at Izumi, who yelped and went back to covering her head. "We came here for her, didn't we? Well, we've got her back. Let's grab the rest of your friends and get out of here."
"…"
"You gonna ignore me too, mutt? Snap outta it!"
"Come on. You know him better than that…" Izumi spoke dismally. "My brother is a complete idiot. He'd never be satisfied just helping me. He'll…chase after Kurosaki as long as it takes. Heh. He'd make his girlfriend jealous with that sort of stubbornness…"
"…Is that right?"
"Yeah, it is." Aaron looked upon Hiyori with enough determination to irritate her. "You've seen how he is, what he's become."
"You think you can change that? He pointed his sword at us like it was nothing! You don't think he would have taken us out of the picture if we'd forced him?! Even if he avenges that Inoue chick, he'll…he'll probably—"
"That's why we have to stop him!"
"I'm telling you there's no point, mutt! I've seen that look in his eyes before! He's…he's too far gone!"
"You don't know that! You're seriously just gonna give up on him after all that's happened?! Look, I don't know what you think of either of us after all that training you put us through, but if you have anything close to a conscience, you wouldn't abandon him when he needs you most!"
Aaron's ardent words stunned Hiyori into frustrated silence. He tensed up at her shaking fists and got the hunch she planned on hitting him yet again.
"Just…give it a rest, lady." Izumi shook her head. "I wanna go home just like you do. …No, what I want is for my brother to stop putting himself in so much danger because he thinks he's some sort of hero. I mean, I'm glad he came after me, but…what I'm trying to say is that you aren't talking him out of this. Even before he became a Shinigami, he was a reckless idiot who'd go along with Sasune to hunt Hollows. Even though he couldn't do anything to hurt them, he would still put himself in that sort of danger. He's just the type of person that can't stand by and do nothing when he knows someone needs him. Like I said…he's an…idiot."
She wore a wry smile that clashed with her complaining. Hiyori, raising an eyebrow, could also see a hint of pride in it.
"That's nice and all," she started, "but maybe I should remind him about how messed up our situation is! We're in the middle of enemy territory, and a couple of your friends might've kicked the bucket! The others might too, but you're still asking us to stay here, to put their lives on the line, for one idiot! You're crazy!"
"…Yeah, I am." Aaron turned his head to Izumi while stating this. "I didn't even know if I'd have enough strength to save you. Everyone risked their lives to help me. So, yeah, I get that I'm being heartless by asking them to do more. Kurosaki is my friend though. Kana…would be dead if it wasn't for him. I would be dead if he hadn't bailed me outta so many messed up situations. I'm not some hero, Izumi. He is. I think…I've maybe just been trying to follow his matter how far gone you think he's gone, Ms. Hiyori, I owe it to him to at least try and talk some sense into him. …He'll become one of the monsters we've been fighting all this time if I don't."
Hiyori sat on his words for a long while. It made him hot under the collar.
Finally, she clicked her tongue, turned her back on him, and started walking away. Though looking on, Aaron did nothing to stop her.
"Dumbass. Like I give a damn what you say or do from now on. I only agreed to help you get your sister back. Now that that's done…I don't owe you shit, kid. You wanna get yourself killed over someone who ain't worth, be my guest. …See ya."
The instant she disappeared, a frantic Izumi turned to her brother and quietly implored him to do something. He didn't.
He was far too busy wondering if Hiyori might have had a point.
"Forget it. Just consider her one less person who'll be…hurt by my selfishness. We need to get you outta here though, Izumi. This'll all have been pointless if I let you get captured again. Then, I can go for—"
"A-Aawon! Look out!"
Nel's frantic warning came just in time for Aaron to turn on his heels and block a massive weapon. The strength behind it came close to shattering his arms. Instead, it sent him flying across the sand like a missile. Only by digging his twin Zanpaktou into the ground did he finally slow himself down. No sooner did he regain his bearings did his attacker swoop down from above. He Flash Stepped out of the way of certain death as the same weapon carved a gaping hole into the sand. To his shrinking eyes, it was almost like a meteor had dropped.
"That all you can do? Run away? Looks like I really have caught myself a stinkin' rat."
Aaron spotted a malicious smirk amid all the falling sand. A tall man dragged a massive, axe-like weapon behind him as he drew closer to fresh prey. Aaron questioned how anyone could lug such a heavy-looking object around.
"Is that…supposed to be a Zanpakutou?!"
"Oh? You ain't as dumb as you look," said Nnoitra Gilga, sneering even more. "You the one making all that noise with that idiot Grimmjow then? You don't look so tough. How the hell did that Luppi idiot get sloppy enough to lose to you? Oh, well."
"Are up an—"
A stiff kick to the gut cut off Aaron's question while also sending him rolling across the sand once more. Hardly able to breathe, he moved out of the way of Nnoitra's huge foot again. He then sprang to his feet and thrust his twin Zanpakutou straight toward his attacker's heart.
"What?!" he cried when they scraped harmlessly off Nnoitra's body.
"…Was that supposed to be an attack? You ain't holdin' back on me, right?"
Something about Nnoitra's merciless eye scared Aaron enough for him to instinctively distance himself. Out of breath, he wondered why his arms shook so violently. They made it difficult for him to keep a firm grip of his swords.
Another Espada?
It would have explained Nnoitra's oppressive spiritual pressure. He broke out in a frigid sweat because of it, and his wobbling legs didn't seem to want to support his weight.
"No, it doesn't matter who he is…"
Aaron, dawning his Hollow mask, simply considered him another obstacle in taking his sister home. He took to the skies with a Cero charging between his fingertips. The scarlet blast coming toward Nnoitra apparently wasn't too threatening since he didn't attempt to get out of the way. Though confused, that suited Aaron perfectly fine as he watched his attack make a direct hit. He landed on the ground and removed his mask, having a burning question on that mind.
"Who was that guy?"
"Your worst nightmare."
He stared on in horror at Nnoitra, who he felt should have been nothing but ashes. Cleaning out his ear, the Quinto Espada instead looked no worse for the wear.
"Is that the Hollowfication I've been hearing about? It just looks like some cheap Halloween mask. …Hmm?" Nnoitra questioned why Aaron's expression held so much confusion. "What, you think your shitty attacks could leave a scratch in my Hierro?"
He got a good laugh out of that one. Aaron, nowhere near as amused, still couldn't make heads or tails of what was happening.
"Little bro!"
"Izumi…?" Aaron snapped out of his deep thinking when he spotted his sister racing toward him. "S-Stay back! I've got this!"
"Got what? What's going…"
Stopping in her tracks, Izumi came close to shrieking at the mere sight of Nnoitra. His smile widened when he took heed of her, and her face turned a sickly shade of white.
"Well, well, well. You're still breathing, Ms. Pet! …And that prick Grimmjow isn't here to save you. Tesra!"
"Of course, Master."
Tesra Lindocruz appeared behind Izumi with a burst of Sonído and took firm hold of her, pinning her into the sand.
"Izumi!"
Aaron barely moved two steps to help her when Nnoitra sped in front of him and used his lanky frame to bar his path.
"Pay attention if you want to live, Shinigami!"
His Zanpakutou stopped short of decapitating Aaron, who only blocked it at the last possible moment. He questioned if actually had after he spun through the air like a top and landed with a sickening thud. Again, the creaking bones in his arms seemed to only hang on by a thread.
W-What the hell is this?! How is he so strong when he's even skinnier than I am?!
"A-Aaron!" Izumi did her best to make Tesra work to keep her captive. "Lemme go before I break all your teeth in, pretty boy!"
His fingers wrapped themselves firmly around her throat, and her bravado went out the window.
"Don't move. It wouldn't take much for me to snap your neck."
"Y-You wouldn't! That crazy chick you work for needs me alive, doesn't she?!"
"True, but if you were to 'accidentally' perish while my Master and I were trying to recapture you, I'm sure Mistress Arashi would understand. Of course, I doubt your brother over there would, so don't move."
It wasn't that Izumi, who could just barely move her right hand, didn't take his threat seriously. With a Cero at the ready, she just wasn't interested in being anyone's captive ever again. Tesra squeezed down her wrist with nearly enough force to snap it, making her attack go off course. He scowled down at her as she hollered in pain.
"I'm well aquatinted with your peculiar abilities, Izumi Higuchi. Try something like that again, and I really will kill you."
Tearing up, Izumi chose not to tempt fate again.
Aaron, slow to his feet, keep shooting her furtive glances.
"Didn't I just tell you to pay attention, idiot?" said Nnoitra. "I'll give you an idea on why."
He stuck out his long tongue, revealing a dark tattoo. The fact that it read '5' startled Aaron far more than Nnoitra's monstrous strength.
"Get it now, punk? I'm even stronger than that piece of trash Grimmjow, and there's no way a weakling like you would be able to leave a scratch on him!"
"…"
"What's your name, Shinigami?"
"…"
Nnoitra chuckled. "Fair enough. It's not like I'd remember it anyway."
"Cut the small talk! Izumi is coming back with me once and for all, so let's get this over with already! You're in my way!"
Nnoitra's smirk faded at long last, replaced a look of irritation.
"…What the fuck did you just say, Shinigami? I'm in your way, am I?"
"…"
"Heh. Did I bust up your memory when I hit you earlier? Talking to me like that is a quick ticket into the ground!"
"…"
"Quit mutterin' over there and answer me! You still don't get it, do you?! You're—"
"Way of Binding Number Seventy-Five!"
"Shit! That was an incantation he was—"
"Five-Pillared Iron Weights!"
"Master Nnoitra!" cried Tesra. "Above you!"
Nnoitra squinted at something in the sky that steadily grew larger. Five hunks of metal, connected by thick chains, crashed on him just as he determined what they were. They didn't cause him any serious damage while squishing him against the sand, though they did prevent him from moving.
That worked nicely for Aaron, who declared, "Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! On the wall of blue flame, inscribe a twin lotus! In the abyss of conflagration, wait at the far heavens! Way of Destruction Number Seventy-Three—Twin Lotus Blue Fire, Crash Down!"
He expelled fiery energy from his palms, energy large enough to cast a shadow over the immediate area.
"M-Master Nnoitra!" Tesra hollered, bracing himself while a huge, blue pillar erupted from the Kidou's detonation point.
"Since…when does Aaron go overboard like that?" wondered Izumi in awe.
Ash rained around Aaron, who dropped to one knee from exhaustion. He really did think he had done too much casting two high-level spells back-to-back.
"The fuck was that supposed to be? You Shinigami call it Kidou, right?"
A sudden attack trailed the icy voice behind him. Hollering, he couldn't do a thing to stop Nnoitra's Zanpakutou from tearing into his shoulder. He instead Flash Stepped to safety after the debilitating blow. Blood quickly soaked into his fingers as he clutched his gushing wound for dear life. All the while, he stared in contempt at the unharmed Nnoitra in the distance.
Dammit! He's like that Ulquiorra bastard…!
If even his Bankai and high-level Kidou couldn't put a dent in Nnoitra, he struggled to think of what could.
"That look of yours is too stupid." Sneering yet again, Nnoitra pointed his huge weapon at his foe. "You're telling me you invaders came here without doing any homework on your enemy? …Killing someone so stupid is almost a courtesy."
"You'll do it anyway though, right?" replied Aaron coldly.
Nnoitra too became austere. "Of course. The moment I spotted you, you became my enemy. The moment that happened, it became my job to put you six feet under. You did it to yourself though, idiot, with that showy fight you had against Ulquiorra. Heh! That mask and those swords of yours look interesting! Unfortunately for you, I saw plenty of your so-called skills when you were fighting a little while ago."
"And…?" Aaron stood. Nnoitra's brash talk helped to harden his resolve. "Just because you've seen them doesn't mean you can stop them."
"But I have, idiot! Wanna know why that weak ass Cero and Kidou of yours didn't do shit?" Nnoitra confused his onlookers by not only placing his Zanpakutou at the side of his neck but running it across his flesh. Like with Aaron's sword, the steel bounced off as if instead striking lead. "Get it now? You can't hurt me with those butter knives you're holding! Nothing can! Out of all the Espada, my Hierro is the thickest!"
While the snarling Aaron didn't want to believe such an audacious claim, it explained the futility of everything he had tried so far. Still, he gripped his Zanpakutou hard, unwilling to give up.
"I've already beaten one Espada," he voiced. "One more is fine if I get to take my sister home."
Nnoitra snorted. "Please. You're talking about Luppi, right? Even one-armed garbage like Grimmjow could kill him. Don't you dare compare me to someone like that!"
Aaron regretted doing so on account of his enemy's spiritual pressure skyrocketing. He sped in front of Nel, who nearly got blown away by Nnoitra's growing strength.
"You alright?" Aaron asked her. As white as a bedsheet, she just nodded. "Stay down, Nel. I'll end this so we can finally talk some sense into Kurosaki."
She said nothing. Immediately, Aaron could tell something was up with her. He hadn't known her to be so quiet in their short time together. He could have sworn she had seen a ghost. Though understanding her fear with someone as menacing as Nnoitra around, he got a funny feeling it was more than that.
"…What? Did you just say Nel?" Nnoitra could hardly make out the trembling girl next to Aaron. Once he did, a sadistic grin spread across his mouth. He pointed above his nose, saying, "It is you, Nelliel! I thought I recognized that estigma! Just look at you. You've become a miserable thing, haven't you? Tell me—does that shattered mask of yours still hurt? Tell me it does."
Nel whimpered, an amusing sight that caused mad laughter to escape Nnoitra in bunches. It echoed across the area, leaving Aaron questioning what could possibly be so funny.
"How…do you know Nel?"
"What? You mean, you've been dragging her around the whole time without knowing who she really is? Oh, this is too rich!" Nnoitra kept on chortling. A livid Aaron would have shut him up forcefully if he wasn't so interested finding out what the Quinto Espada went on about. "What's the matter, Nelliel? Don't feel like flaunting that strength of yours like the good, old day?"
Nel buried her frightened face into Aaron's leg.
"Wait…" A lightbulb went off in Nnoitra's head. "Did you actually lose your memory? Are you for real? Just when I thought this whole thing couldn't get any better! Serves you right for even having the nerve to still be alive!"
He finally did stop howling like a hyena thanks to Aaron's swords slamming into the side of his head. His smile faltered, and he grabbed hold of the sharp blades without much fuss. Even while knowing about Nnoitra's Hierro, a speechless Aaron still found it almost ludicrous his Bankai could be stopped so easily.
"I already told you that you can't hurt me with these toothpicks, Shinigami."
A punch to the gut not only broke several of Aaron's rib but sent him sailing over a gasping Nel's head. Writhing about in the sand, he had half a mind not to get back up.
"Where was I?" Nnoitra pointed his sword at Nel, who winced. "This is Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, a former Espada."
His claim seemed to surprise Nel as much as it did Aaron and Izumi.
"T-That kid is…an Espada?" mumbled Izumi. If it was some kind of joke, she didn't get it.
Neither did Aaron, who cried, "Why would you ever think we'd believe—"
"Oh, it's true alright." Nnoitra, scowling right at Nel, added, "Even if you've forgotten your memories, you little rat, there's no way you can't remember something like that!"
Nel truthfully didn't. Panicking, she shook her head frantically at Aaron.
"N-Nel didsn't…I-I means, Nel's can't be a 'Spada!"
"Going around and telling lies to your new friends, Nelliel? That's a cruel thing to do, don't you think?"
Nnoitra's words hung over her like a dark cloud. She froze like a deer in headlights, making him click his tongue.
"…Why does even this pathetic form of yours piss me off?"
"Nel didsn't trick anyone!" she wailed. "Nel would never do that!"
"Just shut up already…" Nnoitra hissed under his breath. "Guess I busted up your skull harder than I remember."
Hearing that woke something in Aaron up. Suddenly, his cracked ribs weren't so painful, so he stood and retrieved his fallen swords.
"…What did you just say?" He looked at Nnoitra while burning with quiet ire. "Did you say you were the one who gave Nel her scar?"
"You're damn straight I did. The stupid bitch never saw it—"
Speaking of 'never saw,' the frozen Nnoitra didn't catch a glimpse of Aaron speeding over to him. With a wave of anger cascading over him, Aaron took firm hold of the Espada's arm.
"Thanks for giving me another reason to kill you. Last phase…Mangetsu."
The abrupt explosion that rocked the whole area horrified Tesra enough for him to shout, "M-MASTER NNOITRA!"
