"What a sad sight."
"Yeah."
In front of them was a motionless Ichigo, and at their feet was Nel. She was absolutely terrified of the individuals present. It was Grimmjow Jaggerjaquez, the Sexta Espada, and Noctter Grandett, the Soul Reaper who toyed with Ichigo and stabbed his friend. In their presence, she could not utter a single coherent word as she tried to figure out what brought them here now. Ulquiorra already hurt the boy and dealt a fatal blow, rendering him in this state.
No more, please.
The Espada shifted his head enough to look at Noctter.
"Can you do it?"
Grimmjow was aware of the power that Noctter possessed to execute his 'healings'. It was much more complex than that.
"He looks fine." Noctter frowned, purposely ignoring the pool of blood around him. This made Grimmjow deadpan at the Soul Reaper, causing Noctter to return his look with one of his own. With a scoff, Grimmjow went over to Ichigo's body and easily slipped his foot underneath his shoulder, flipping him onto his back. When Ichigo landed with a thud, the Arrancar looked at Noctter apathetically.
"What a curious little Hollow hole he's got there." Noctter practically skipped over to Grimmjow's side to peer down at the boy. His lifeless eyes were wide open, his mouth half agape, and his body completely tattered in wounds and daubed in blood.
He was basically dying.
And the fact that Grimmjow and Noctter just talked about it like it was the weather only hastened the process.
"Was Ulquiorra trying to turn him into a Hollow?"
"It's a habit." Grimmjow said simply.
Noctter turned to him and smiled. "And? What do you want me to do?"
He was getting fed up with him. There was a limit to his patience. Noctter's smile turned into a smirk when Grimmjow grabbed the front of his coat and glared at him. "You know damn well what I want you to do. Heal this Soul Reaper!"
"See? You just had to ask nicely."
Noctter snorted when Grimmjow shoved him away. Nel could only wonder how is it that Noctter so casually played around with Grimmjow without fearing him.
"Then stop wasting my time and heal him."
"If that's what you want, then alright."
Nel watched Noctter get down on his knees in front of Ichigo's head. Then she stiffened when she watched Grimmjow walk past her to sit on the debris behind her. It looked like he wasn't interested in her though...
Slowly, she slowly crawled over to the two Soul Reapers.
"… W-Will you really save Itsygo…?! Please heal him again!" Nel begged the enemy. She couldn't do anything but cry and beg to save him. "You did it before… you can heal him! Please…! Itsygo doesn't deserve to be like this... it should have been Nel! It's all Nel's fault!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Noctter waved his hand dismissively without turning away from Ichigo. "Be quiet already. Your voice echoes in the room." Nel stopped her little crawl next to Noctter to stare at Ichigo. "I'll make sure he's back on his feet again."
"Will you really save Itsygo…?!"
"Stop asking already." Noctter turned to the tiny Arrancar and poked her nose, pushing her head away.
Nel paused when she saw the look on his face.
Why…?
Why did he look like that?
Grimmjow silently narrowed his eyes at him.
"I said to heal him."
"Now, now, impatience is terrible thing, blue."
After speaking, Noctter rested his palm on Ichigo's cheek, lightly slapping it to try and coax a reaction out of him. There was none. Hm. He might as well be dead. A sigh escaped through his nose when he moved his hand to place it on his chest, right above the gaping hole still leaking crimson blood. Nel watched carefully as a light emitted from his palm, appearing almost
This sight was not new to Grimmjow. He had seen it more times than he could count on one hand.
The black haired Soul Reaper narrowed his eyes when he felt something. The spiritual pressure of Ulquiorra and Ichigo were mingling together inside his wound. It was preventing Noctter from healing it. No, it was tremendously slowing his ability, basically blocking his technique from proceeding. This would only make the process much more troublesome. He wasn't going to make a full recovery in that state. Grimmjow wouldn't be pleased with that.
If Noctter had to compare this circumstance to something… it would have to be a fucking dog pissing on something to mark its territory: almost invisible.
And that Espada really thought he killed him without verifying his death? The disrespect and excessive temerity of that one. Such overconfidence was deserving of a retribution perhaps. That image of Ulquoirra just plunging his hand into his chest to kill him with that apathetic face of his was somehow enough to cause and irritable itch behind his neck.
With an annoyed sigh, Noctter shifted on his knees and bent down a little to look at the wound closely. This demanded an attention to detail. His free hand came near his face, glowing a blue light from the center of his palm.
When he was ready, he brought it closer to the wound.
It first started as a fizzle. Then flickers started appearing around his wound like sparkler.
"That's right… get over… here…"
Ulquiorra's traces became much more apparent, giving it a clearer shape. With a grin, Noctter made a type of extracting motion with his blue hand, pulling out the spiritual pressure of the Fourth Espada. With a flick of his hand, the spiritual pressure disappeared within the air. Now, Ichigo could properly heal. A stigma was left on his chest, giving power to the technique that healed his body, reversing the damage he endured.
This didn't demand his full attention.
"Ulquiorra should have made sure his enemy was no longer breathing." Grimmjow's fixed on Noctter's back as he sat with his legs cross legged. He was starting to speak his mind. He wondered what kind of face he made right now. "It is foolish to be cocky and think you won without making sure you fought and won. You do not win and walk away. You survive to win."
There was something about the way he spoke that made him seem off putting.
But that was quickly erased when he sighed loudly. "And now, you have the right to kill him because Ulquiorra failed."
Grimmjow didn't say anything even when Noctter turned to face him, giving him a suspicious eye and a little smirk.
"What's that look for? You got something to say?"
"Why is that you want to fix him?" Noctter turned away to look at Ichigo's rejuvenating body. The ring caught his eye. "I would wager that something about him has made you seek him out." He picked up his hand to observe the wing on his pinky, eyes ever so curious about the ring now that is was on him."But I wonder what that could be? Tell me, Grimmjow, what is it about this boy pissed you off? Did he degrade you like Luppi?"
Those crystal-like eyes of his. Those orbs that could very well be piercing his soul as they tried to figure out what lied deep inside the recesses of his being. The pure desire to unravel his true intention and lay it bare for his own personal enjoyment. That is something Grimmjow also found annoying, detestable even. Noctter always acted cheerful… but Grimmjow knew that deep down, deep inside the chaos within him, a part of him looked down upon everyone, mocking them, in silence, almost akin to reticent depravity.
It was so damn irritating to watch, pitiful even.
"Ichigo now possesses a Hollow mask. He's stronger, you know?"
"Doesn't matter."
"Do you want to see him put it on in a fight?"
"It's none of your damn business." Grimmjow spat a bit loudly, scaring Nel. "Just focus on getting him better before I lose the rest of the patience I have for you."
"I wonder how thin it has become." Noctter mused, poking the ring on Ichigo's finger with an unreadable gaze. It was clear that Grimmjow had no intention of telling him. He had another reason other than undisputable victory, a deeper reason that was personal to him. But what could it be? What could drive Grimmjow to disobey Aizen's orders for some measly human? Did something happen that night? Ichigo lost that fight. He looked so beat up from the blows Grimmjow gave him without even using his sword. It was hard to forget how he looked when Grimmjow went back to Hueco Mundo.
Ichigo was being healed at a slow rate. The tiny remnants of Ulquiorra's spiritual pressure still added time to his healing time. And Nel simply watched his body get better, waiting for his eyes to regain the life she was familiar with.
And she couldn't stop herself from stealing timid looks at Noctter's face.
When they least expected it, Ichigo's hand was wrenched away from Noctter's hands, leaving him blinking in confusion. The three individuals in the room brought their attention to the Soul Reaper who finally returned to the waking world. He was hiding his hand under the one with no ring, keeping it away from Noctter and safe for Katsuko. Ichigo had actually stirred awake in the middle of Noctter's curious analyzation of the ring. It took him a second to realize his hand was being held up for examination, and another to realize which hand it was, prompting him to hide it. The act was almost instinctive despite his confused state of mind.
All he could remember was Ulquiorra poking a gaping hole into his chest.
"Noctter…" Ichigo identified amidst his confusion. "What's going on?"
Noctter slightly pouted and pushed himself up on his feet. "Be grateful, I'm healing the damage dealt by Four. We could feel your little life slowly flickering, weakening, disappearing within the void. You should thank me." was what he left him with before walking over to Grimmjow's side, who didn't look pleased by the fact that Noctter was walking away from Ichigo.
"The fuck did I say?!" Grimmjow shouted at Noctter who merely squinted his eyes as if his voice roared a soundwave at him. "Focus on healing him! I want him at his best as soon as possible so I can kill him!"
"I am healing him, it just does not require my full attention. Do not worry, blue." Noctter said, lifting a hand to stop Grimmjow from standing him.
Require full attention? That was the first time he was hearing that. But that didn't stop the Arrancar from glaring at the Soul Reaper. If what he said contradicted anything… then he was going to force him to heal Ichigo. This matter was too important. No one would stop him now. Not Tousen, not Ulquiorra, not even Aizen.
Ichigo was still moving the gears in his brain at the same pace as his healing wounds. Noctter was healing him again… but for Grimmjow to kill him? What happened to Ulquiorra? Just as he asked himself several questions, he watched as Noctter gently grabbed Grimmjow's head, hands holding his face with no intention to harm. Grimmjow just stared back at Noctter, only staring at the way he seemed to smile gently with reassurance.
"You are king. If you wish it, I will help you achieve your ambition."
His words and actions.
Behind all the quips…
Was this hidden… loyalty.
Unwavering.
Strong.
Unsettling.
And so pitiful.
The Espada scoffed, knocking away his hand away from his face. All these damn mood swings made him question who he was exactly. What is really behind that face of his?
Just then, someone appeared in the room without warning, causing everyone to stiffen. It was Ulquiorra. With a squeak, Nel distanced herself further away from him while staying close to Ichigo while he reached for his sword with haste. Grimmjow spun around when he felt him while Noctter didn't move a muscle.
"What are you two doing?"
No answer from either of them. It was obvious what was happening. Unless Number Four's eyes were just there for decoration, they didn't need to grace his question with an answer.
"Why are you healing someone I wounded?" He asked once more. But there was still no answer.
Ulquiorra directed his attention on Noctter. "Fine then. Why did you heal the enemy?"
Noctter's mood shifted into eerie displeasure, eyes becoming half-lidded while his body became lax. He slowly turned his head to Ulquiorra making both their green eyes lock. "Why did you not kill the boy? When facing an enemy, you make sure they are dead. You failed to kill Kurosaki Ichigo... so now, Grimmjow has the right to kill him."
That was not the type of answer Ulquiorra wanted.
"Don't pretend." He replied, ignoring all she said. "You healed a mortally wounded enemy."
Grimmjow smirked and grabbed Noctter's shoulder, throwing him behind him. "Ignore him. Just focus on healing that idiot."
Ulquiorra shifted his emotionless gaze to the other Espada. "And you, Grimmjow, you don't take your duties seriously. Aizen-sama has given you orders and you are expected to follow them."
"Sorry." He sneered, taking one step closer. "I grew bored of playing warden for a ghost. He put her in my care so you don't have any authority in my business." Grimmjow reminded him. "Don't worry, I'll kill him when I finish healing him…" he promised darkly, his hands twitching. He was itching to teach this one a lesson for messing with his prey. He would soon.
As soon as Grimmjow said that, Noctter whipped out his sword, getting ready for a fight.
Ulquiorra simply gazed at the two with uninterest. Grimmjow was technically right. Espada Number Four had no power over Grimmjow's affairs. Aizen left it to Number Six, and to him alone. But this should not be permitted. It was considered an aid to the enemy, an act of treason to Aizen and his goals.
"I will report this to Aizen-sama." He would await any further orders before dealing with the two.
Ulquiorra vanished.
"Go ahead." Noctter scoffed just as Grimmjow made a move to follow, stopping him by grabbing his arm. "Aizen gave me special permission to do as I please with the intruders. As long as I'm present, any order given prior is overruled by me." Noctter chuckled with glee, turning away from the exit to focus on Ichigo, who was still healing with Nel by his side. She was shaken up after encountering two powerful Espadas.
His order was to push Ichigo and give him incentive to fight. Killing was forbidden.
And yet, he was assisting Grimmjow to allow him kill Ichigo.
A contradiction.
Orders and loyalty remained firmly divided by line of pure chaos.
By now, Ichigo found the strength to sit on the back of his knees, narrowing his eyes at the two. He remembered when Ulquiorra said when he encountered him and the words that Grimmjow just said. He was her warden.
Grimmjow wanted to fight him.
But Ichigo found that fight pointless and a waste of his time.
"Hey, Grimmjow."
Maybe this is just the opportunity he was seeking.
"Was what Ulquiorra said true?" Ichigo pushed himself up on his feet, facing the two enemies who just stared at him. "You're the one keeping Katsuko away?"
…
…
…
"We may be enemies… but you haven't hurt any of my friends yet."
"You think not?"
"What if I told you I was the one who grabbed your Hiragi Katsuko by the throat and dragged her into the Garganta?"
Ichigo paused when he said that. He then glanced over his shoulder. "You're lying to bait me. I know who took her."
"And what makes you sure?"
"It was Noctter. He told me he did it."
Ulquiorra simply blinked at that. It was obvious to him that Noctter was simply trying to irritate Ichigo even further with his lies. "Then you've been lied to." Ichigo's eyes widened, and he slowly started to turn towards the Arrancar. "Grimmjow Jaggerjaquez is her warden. But I was the one who took her in front of that human boy."
…
…
…
Grimmjow didn't answer him right away. Seriously. Even now? His focus was still on that girl when the enemy was right before him. He clearly wasn't treating this rescue mission lightly.
"What of it?"
"I'll give you your fair fight. But if I win… you tell me where Katsuko is."
When he proposed his condition, Grimmjow stole a glance at Noctter who just looked mildly irritated by his condition. On what grounds did he get to demand such a thing? He didn't have a say in anything! Grimmjow would beat his ass with or without that damn condition. Sensing the familiar eyes on him, Noctter looked at Grimmjow curiously wondering what he was thinking about just now. Was he really going to accept his condition? Why not just fight him the moment he was better?
What was he seeing that he couldn't see?
Not even two seconds later, Grimmjow laughed mockingly and turned away from him. "Fine. It doesn't make a difference to me." Grimmjow spoke, a sadistic grin stretching on his face. "My only condition is for you to die when I win."
He was absolutely confident in his victory.
He already wrecked Ichigo before.
Katsuko and Noctter already gave him information regarding his Hollow mask.
There was nothing Ichigo could possesses in his arsenal that would be enough to defeat Grimmjow.
Ichigo's head was holding itself too high above Grimmjow, and that needed to be rectified.
Noctter snickered as Grimmjow and Ichigo glared at each other.
It was decided.
The black haired Soul Reaper then told Ichigo to just sit down on the floor and not move around anymore. The last thing he needed was for Ichigo to move out of his range. Now that the deal was sealed, Ichigo will now have crystal-green eyes watching his every move. Nel was crying little tears again at the thought of Ichigo fighting another Espada. She was albeit traumatized by seeing Ichigo's dead-like body just moments ago. She just wanted Ichigo to be safe.
"I'll be fine, Nel." Ichigo placed a hand on her head as she sniffled quietly, minding Grimmjow's presence that stood near the impromptu door of the room. He was leaving Ichigo's state in Noctter's hands. This trust in him did not go unnoticed by Ichigo. He was admittedly surprised to learn that there was someone loyal that cared for him.
Noctter squatted on the floor in front of Ichigo, resting his cheek on his knuckles, watching the way his clothes repaired under the effects of his technique. Ichigo and Nel turned to him when he quietly placed himself in front of them.
"What is it?" It was Ichigo who spoke first as Nel held onto his hakama.
"You decided to wear the ring." Noctter mused. "Don't rings symbolize marriage? What, are you going to marry the princess just like the stories? Wait… are you two engaged?"
There was some childlike curiosity dancing across his features along with amusement. Ichigo found that just a little annoying.
"You're so damn annoying!" Ichigo finally spat, eye twitching. There was only so much patience he had for his nonsense. "We're not engaged! This ring belongs to Katsuko! You think I'm just gonna tuck it in my pocket and let it fall out? And by the way, I know you freaking lied to me when you said you took Katsuko!"
"Aw, so shy. When did you propose?"
Ichigo face palmed. It was just one ear and out the other. Just what kind of version of himself was imagining? Clearly, whatever Ichigo he had in his mind was one that agreed with whatever he thought.
"Don't bother." Grimmjow didn't even look back at them. He knew what a pain in the ass Noctter was, and he only been him for almost two days now. "It's always one ear and out the other for that one. It makes me want to kill him."
Noctter smiled like a mischievous child, stealing a glance at the Arrancar. "If you could." There was no reply to that.
Grimmjow and Noctter seem to have that serious and playful trope.
And thus, they waited until Ichigo was fully healed. His Shihakusho was repaired and he was ready to fight Grimmjow to win his end of the deal. Noctter stepped behind Grimmjow and clasped his hands on his shoulders to spin him around and let go just as Grimmjow made another attempt to knock him into a wall.
They were both ready.
Ichigo directed his gaze to Noctter who rocked himself back and forth on his feet next to Grimmjow.
"Noctter. Thanks for healing me."
"Oh? You thanked me. I'm surprised."
Ichigo was at least grateful to be fully healed to fight against Grimmjow. He did him a huge favour. In a way, Noctter was ultimately helping him find Katsuko, that was something to appreciate even thought it didn't come from good intent. Noctter didn't bother to think deeper about the reason as he turned to Grimmjow and gazed at him curiously.
"Will you win?"
Grimmjow didn't give him a direct answer to his mocking question. "You interfere in this fight, and I'll kill you."
Noctter laughed heartily, poking his arm. "You couldn't if you can't touch me."
Nel and Noctter were going to be left behind as the two fought. They both had their own personal reasons to fight, one being more selfless than the other. Ichigo could not afford to lose this fight since he would lose the easiest clue to her whereabouts. He looked at Grimmjow seriously, displaying his readiness for the fight. With that, the blue haired Arrancar turned and leaped out of the room, racing across the skies to find an open space to fight. He knew Ichigo would follow after him.
"Just stay here, Nel. I'll be back."
"Itsygo…"
Ichigo followed in suit, leaving a gust of wind behind him.
Nel and Noctter were left watching the two disappear and reappear with flash step and Sonido. The little Arrancar flinched when she felt Noctter disappear with flash step as well.
But he wasn't following them.
With a sadistic grin, Noctter raced through the corridors of Las Noches in search of a specific room.
It has begun!
With great pleasure, Noctter made giant strides, practically racing, through the halls when he made it closer to a certain room. He was going to tell Katsuko of Ichigo's eventual demise at the hands of Grimmjow Jaggerjaquez, the man who wanted nothing more than to kill Ichigo with a savage instinct. There was no way he was going to survive that fight. Noctter was confident in Grimmjow. He didn't have blind faith in him, but he did respect the strength he possessed.
Noctter snickered when he stopped in front of the door. He gently placed his palms against the surface.
"Katsukoooo~" He called in a pouty voice. "Your friend Kurosaki Ichigo is fighting Grimmjow Jaggerjaquez. Remember who that is? The main who defeated Ichigo that night when the Soul Reapers from the Soul Society arrived?" He grinned sadistically. "Yeah, that one! He's going to kill him. Soon. And you'll get to feel his spiritual pressure fade away into nothingness."
She would feel nothing but immense remorse knowing that it was all her fault.
"You have no else to blame but yourself for their injuries. You might as well have injured them yourself! You won't be able to heal anyone else because I'm going to be guarding your door until he's dead."
Noctter's voice echoed everywhere.
"Doesn't that make you profoundly sad? I wonder what kind of face you make in that dark room, Hiragi Katsuko."
There was still no answer.
The Soul Reaper, with the eyes that shone like gems, fell silent as his eyes became half-lidded with displeasure. Why didn't she ever answer him? Did she think staying silent the whole time would make him leave her? No. He'd never leave her. So as long as he was in Las Noches, he would always come and torment her with words.
With words…?
Perhaps… it was time to come face to face to personally break through her tough girl façade.
Yes.
It's time.
"Alright, then." Noctter tipped his head to the side when an idea popped into his head. He lifted his hand. His spiritual pressure became obvious as he summoned the power to break the door. A force pushed through it, demolishing the door from his side of the door, kicking up a cloud of smoke that clouded his vision. The light from his side spilled into the dark room, illuminating it. With a wave of his hand, the smoke blew to the side, away from his eyes, and he stepped inside with clear sharp footsteps.
"Hiragi Katsuko, I wonder how you look now." Noctter said smoothly, interested in the despair she could possibly display.
However, what he saw made him stiffen.
His eyes widened in shock.
What?
... But how could this be?
There's just no way this could have happened.
Was he expecting her to be awake?
Yes.
Was he expecting her to be dead?
No.
But he also wasn't expecting her to be gone.
The room was vacant.
It was pitch black.
And there was no sign of life in it.
"I… I…" Noctter slowly stepped back as if he was in a crime scene. "I have to tell Aizen!"
This was no longer a game.
It was an urgent matter.
Katsuko somehow escaped form her chambers without any sign of evidence.
An angry growl escaped him as he ran.
...
...
...
Tousen, Gin and Aizen looked at the doors of the meeting room when they burst open. At the entrance was a flustered Noctter with his arms outstretched from pushing open the doors. He looked directly at Aizen in alarm, causing the man to straightened up and give him his full attention.
"Oh? What's up the problem child?" Gin mused.
"Is there a reason for your rude entrance?" Tousen asked, displeased by the interruption.
"Has something happened Noctter?" Aizen asked him casually. The question made him quickly bolt off in a run towards him. Tousen and Gin did not do anything as he passed them by to stop directly in front of Aizen. What would have shocked anyone in the palace was the way Noctter grabbed hold of Aizen's shoulders in a frantic way. The fact that he touched their leader without his permission… any lesser Arrancars would fear their hands being cut off.
"Sousuke! Katsuko is gone!"
Gin and Tousen silently gazed at Noctter's panicked state.
He called him Sousuke.
Aizen only smiled and placed his hands on his wrists to calm him down. "Slowly. Start from the beginning."
Noctter blinked once, staring directly at Aizen's dark hues as a way to calm himself. Aizen's own state was spreading and plastering onto him to calm his mind. He swallowed and took in a breath, nodding his head quietly. Right. He needed to calm down right now. He needed to inform Aizen of Katsuko's betrayal, her defection from their faction. He also needed to know that he couldn't detect any trace of her spiritual pressure in Las Noches.
"Hiragi Katsuko. She's gone!"
"Did you enter her room?"
"Yes."
Gin leaned back in his seat to observe the interaction, a mysteriously smile of mirth gracing his features.
"Why did you enter?"
"I wanted to tell her that Ichigo was fighting and that he would die for her sake… and I wanted to see how she reacted because she never answered me. Usually, she did. But this time, I couldn't hear anything." Noctter told him honestly as if his actions were the most normal thing to do in that situation. His own twisted pleasure making the uncommon common. "But when I came in… there was no one. The room was empty and there was no sign of a break out…" Noctter's hands fell off of Aizen's shoulders as he slouched a little to stare at the floor. "I couldn't find any trace of her spiritual pressure… She completely vanished."
There was reason Aizen recruited her into his army.
And for that, she wasn't allowed to depart from Las Noches.
She understood that after her failed attempts to escape.
But in contrast to Noctter worry, Aizen remained unfazed by it, as he usually appeared. Noctter wondered why though. Didn't Aizen need her for something? Why would he remain so calm after hearing that one of his tools escaped?
"You heard her speak to you this whole time… but you never entered the room until now?"
How interesting.
"That's correct. I saw no need to."
Or it was more like... He felt like he shouldn't... or couldn't.
"I see." Aizen closed his eyes and smiled a little, somewhat pleased. Then, he placed his hand on Noctter's shoulder in a reassuring manner to calm him down more. This caused the blacked haired Soul Reaper to look at Aizen with furrowed brows. He was obviously worried about the whole Katsuko vanishing. But for what? Aizen could not quite figure out for once.
After all, within Noctter, there was inexplicable chaos.
"Don't fret, Noctter Grandett. I can sense Hiragi Katsuko within Las Noches. She is still nearby. With the abilities she learned recently, it wouldn't be hard for her to hide her spiritual pressure from you." Aizen explained to him. This slowly brought some clarity to Noctter's frazzled mind. "In time, you will be able to locate her. For now, I just want to you to keep fighting and follow whatever your heart desires."
"Whatever my heart desires?"
"And make sure to take good care of Hiragi Katsuko when you find her. Although, I have no doubt that you will do so without my say."
Of course. Noctter would never hurt Aizen's special little guest. If he did so, he felt like he might as well be hurting himself. He would be cruel to her, yes. But it wasn't in his interest to hurt little girls. He was somewhat of a gentlemen. He knew how to treat women.
He's had years of experience.
…
…
Well… that's what believe he had at least.
He wasn't too sure.
He just knew that being maintain a degree of nobleness was needed. People who hurt women, or people in general, for their own pleasure when they couldn't defend themselves were even less than a sack of shit.
The Soul Reaper defectors watched him straighten up, somehow enlightened after Aizen's words. His hands fell slack to his sides while Aizen's hand slipped off his shoulder to drop on the table soundlessly. The brown haired Soul Reaper looked pleased. To him, it looked like Noctter remember an important part of himself.
The way Noctter suddenly looked up at the ceiling with an apathetic face made his previous demeanor non-existent.
"Ah, I see…"
That was great.
"Yeah. I would never hurt that girl. That would be so low."
The fight between Ichigo and Grimmjow was intense. Anyone who could feel their spiritual pressure either understood to stay away or to try and take a peek at the fight. It was moreso the latter than the former though since most had no interest in the fight. Since Grimmjow wasn't expecting the strength behind Ichigo's new Hollow mask, he had a bit of a hard time adjusting. But like most warriors, he grew used to it and fought back like it didn't faze him. Sadistically, throwing him around with harsh blows. But even so, Ichigo refused to relent. If he couldn't defeat Grimmjow, he would die. And if died, he wouldn't be able to find Katsuko or rejoin Rukia and the others.
He wasn't going to die in a place like this.
Ichigo's eyes shifted to the side, staring at the pieces of his mask falling off.
Half of his mask was falling apart.
Ichigo panted with narrowed eyes. "Damn..."
The damage was suffering was evident.
But his hands still held his sword tightly.
This fight was over just yet.
"Face it." Grimmjow spoke from above in his Resurrección form. He could see the fatigue on Ichigo's face, and the wounds he caused on his body. It was slowing him down now. The wound he gave him just now after piercing his chest was splattering blood on the sands of Hueco Mundo. "You will never defeat me."
Even his words weren't enough to convince the teen of the hopelessness that Grimmjow incarnated for him. And that unnerved him so damn much. He loathed that look in his eyes.
Those eyes…
Grimmjow glared hatefully at him. "Why is it that you always look at me like that? Those damn eyes… No matter how badly I beat you… you still belief that you're superior to me!" Grimmjow lunged at him savagely at incredible speed. "I can't stand that!"
Ichigo got knocked back by the blow, his body flying across with a few bumps. He quickly set himself upright but ended up seeing Grimmjow's hand stretched out to his face. Ichigo grunted and quickly brought his sword to the center, protecting his body from another blow. He was able to stop it, but he couldn't stop the force pushing him back.
Seeing a part of Grimmjow exposed had him sneering. "Ha! You hate the fact that a human thinks he's your equal!"
He touched a nerve.
That earned him another hand plunged into him, digging into his insides, before a leg violently kicked him up into the air. "It doesn't matter! Human, Soul Reaper, or Arrancar… anybody who looks down on me will be crushed!
Ichigo kept his eyes on Grimmjowm, and gasped when the Arrancar used Sonido to reappear above him.
"And right now! That's you, Kurosaki Ichigo!"
Grimmjow's next attack would dig deeper wounds into his body. And just as they did, Chisaki and Inoue arrived to his location, witnessing Ichigo fall with his blood falling alongside him. They finally caught up to Ichigo after following his spiritual pressure. They did their best to hurry and find him after discovering that he was fighting an Arrancar.
Inoue's eyes widened in horror, the sight making her bolt in his direction.
"Kurosaki-kun!" She screamed in a panic. From her position, it looked like Grimmjow landed a fatal blow which left him to fall limply to the ground.
"Hold on, Inoue-san! It's too dangerous!"
Chisaki pulled out her Zanpakuto and prepared to release her Shikai until she saw Ichigo flip around and use his sword to block Grimmjow's giant claw-like attack. Inoue also stopped when she saw Ichigo still fighting strong, her incantation for her shield stopping.
He wasn't finished.
And soon, they would witness him land the decisive blow that would name him the victory of another hard fought battle.
…
…
…
Grimmjow was defeated, but he wasn't dead.
Ichigo caught his arm before he could fall to the ground after losing consciousness. He wasn't evil enough to let him fall to a potential death. He had a degree of respect for his opponents. Ichigo's mask final fell apart completely as he took several steps away from Grimmjow's body that remained still on the sand. He was able to maintain Hollowfication for a longer period of time, much longer than what he supposedly trained for. His battles in Hueco Mundo were improving his Hollowfiction so much that he didn't realize it until now.
"Itsygo…?"
Spooked, Ichigo jolted away from a rock when he heard that childish voice.
"Nel?! How the hell did you get here?!"
Nel quickly jumped out from behind the rock and ran towards him to hug his leg. "Nel didn't want to stay behind! Nel was so scared and worried about Itsygo! Waaah!" Nel sniffled, burying her face in his hakama as her tiny hands clenched them tightly. "Nel is so glad that you're alive…"
Ichigo's face softened as the little Arrancar wept on his clothes. He felt bad for making her worry so much this whole time. He never liked having people worry for him. It always made him feel bad on the inside. But he most certainly appreciated her worry. And he wouldn't make her think otherwise at all. He bent down a little to rest a gentle hand atop her masked head. "Yeah. Thank you, Nel. And I'm sorry for leaving you behind."
"You better be sorry! It was so hard for Nel to get down from there! Nel thinks she lost several braincells when her head it the ground!"
Ichigo sweat dropped. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Kurosaki-san!"
Ichigo blinked when he heard the familiar voice.
"Kurosaki-kun!"
Voices.
He turned around and found Chisaki and Inoue running over to him. The latter was smiling at him, quietly showing her relief. Meanwhile, the former was teary eyed as she approached him.
"Thank goodness you're still alive." Chisaki smiled at him. It was almost scary how her smile reminded him of Katsuko right now. Soon, he would be able to see real Katsuko though after getting it out of Grimmjow. Then, they can get out of this hell place.
"I'm so glad you're okay, Kurosaki-kun." Inoue managed to speak after going through the waves of relief mending her worried heart. The inexplicable dread she felt when she thought the worse was completely overwritten. Of course, there was no way Ichigo would lose. He would always win. The Ichigo she knew would always win no matter what.
"Sorry, for worrying you, Chisaki. You too, Inoue." Ichigo gave them an apologetic smile. As Chisaki nodded with a small smile, her gaze suddenly turned seriously sharp. Her hand instantly flew to her hilt while Inoue stiffened when she saw the same sight as Chisaki. Ichigo whirled around when he finally felt the presence behind him. It was Grimmjow. He used Sonido to appear.
"Move aside, Kurosaki-san." Chisaki brought out her Zanpakuto and started marching past Ichigo to prepare a strike against Grimmjow. That was enough fighting for now. Even if he was an Espada, the strongest creatures could be taken down by the weaker ones if they could no longer fight back. It might not be right to strike down an enemy like this, but they did not have the luxury to be honourable. However, before she could make another step closer, Ichigo put a hand on her wrist to stop her.
"Wha… Kurosaki-san?"
"It's fine. Leave this to me." Ichigo put down her sword and turned his gaze to Grimmjow who stood there. "We made a deal about Katsuko. If I won, he would tell me where she was."
"He knows where Hiragi-san is?"
"Yeah. He was her warden."
Then, Grimmjow's sword reverted back to its sealed state, giving him back the initial attire he wore, except for the fact that his blue hair was now a mess, and that blood coloured his white clothes and skin.
"I'm not giving up… there's no way I'd ever…" Grimmjow leaped froward. "Let you win!"
Ichigo tossed away his sword and dodged the tip of his sword to catch his wrist tightly. Grimmjow stopped with his arm out. The angle of his head had him staring at the ground. "Cut it out, Grimmjow. You lost. You may be some kind of King eating everybody you hate until you're alone. But what's the point of that? Wouldn't it be more satisfying to fight me over and over again? So let it go for now!"
Grimmjow kept his head bowed, his eyes shadowed by his messy hair.
"You're not some lone King who walks alone. You have someone who follows you. Don't make him worry more than he has to."
Noctter.
"Don't be cruel to your friend."
He saw how Noctter genuinely cared for his friend.
If Grimmjow truly didn't want to give up, then Ichigo would remain true to his word and offer him another fight another day. But for now, he just needed to stop.
That was the least he can offer right now for both of them.
"… not friends… She's not my friend." Grimmjow ripped his arm away from him with a growl. "Go fuck yourself! You're—"
That sentence remained unfinished as a sharp breathe escaped him because someone cut him down from the side. Ichigo's shocked eyes mirrored Grimmjow's just before he fell to the ground, unable to move for sure this time. Chisaki quickly pushed Inoue behind her and raised her sword when she felt the spiritual pressure. Sweat formed on her forehead when she felt the intensity of it.
This… was another Arrancar…!
An Espada again!
"You don't know when to quit. Hurry up and die. That Soul Reaper is mine."
Grimmjow…!
In the darkness of a room that once held a little bird captive, a single soul stood in the center. The spot where he stood allowed two shades to grace his body. The light of the corridors shined on the right side of his body while the darkness cloaked the left. His crystal green eyes glowed in the dark, they were half-lidded as he felt Grimmjow's spiritual pressure decrease immensely.
"Grimmjow… lost. He lost…"
Noctter stared up at the ceiling.
"… Kurosaki Ichigo…"
【The Search For H-K III: Vacant】
When I say I freaking raced to type out this chapters today and yesterday... that's not an exaggeration lol. I was determined to upload this today to maintain that streak. Will definitely fix any mistakes tomorrow. I am dead tired from today.
Anyway... has anyone got a clearer guess of what's happening.
The next chapter will most likely start explaining the truth of it all!
Thank you for reading and I hope you have a nice day/night!