"Dammit!"
The force of Grimmjow's punch shattered the boulder he was leaning against, crumbling into tiny chunks at his feet. His battle wounds completely gone, he had been pacing the walls of Las Noches since exiting the castle fuming from his defeat.
Every day, he trained in hopes that he would be on the level of Halibel and Nelliel. He had long surpassed his highest power level when he was the Sexta Espada, having jumped at least 4 numbers up in raw strength if the old ranking system was still in place. Hell, even Kenpachi Zaraki had wanted to fight him when they had met briefly! If that didn't prove he was the strongest, then what would?
However, the female Espadas had grown as well. They were both at least as strong as Coyote Starrk was at the time of his death, if not more powerful. What pissed Grimmjow off was the fact that they didn't flaunt their power. They were too calm and collected. Noble leaders.
'We have to be civilized, Grimmjow,' Nel had told him long ago, when he first tried to become a leader, 'If you can't act like a leader than you cannot be one.'
It was against his very nature to not be aggressive. They wanted him to change that.
Yeah, right! The strong should always demonstrate their superiority over others!
Grimmjow looked over the dome of Las Noches, gritting his teeth. "Just you wait, bitch. I'll show you!"
"Show her what?"
In his intense anger, Grimmjow had not realized he had a visitor. Peering over his shoulder was the bug-like mask of Pesche Guatiche, doing his best to mock the Sexta's expression with only his eyes. There were few Arrancar Grimmjow hated more than this one and his fat headed friend.
"Step back or die, bug," Grimmjow snarled, clenching his fist, "Not in the mood for your dumb crap right now."
Pesche leaped over him in a blur, wiggling his butt in the Espada's direction. "Uh-uh-uh! If you do that, Nel will whip your behind… or worse! I have diplomatic immunity! Isn't that right, Dondochakka?"
"I'm not here, remember!" the tiki-masked Arrancar shouted out from somewhere, hidden quite well.
"But you're my backup!" What if Grimmjow decides to disobey the law and hurt me?!"
"Like this?" Grimmjow grumbled, shooting a tiny cero from his fingertip at Pesche's behind. The eccentric Arrancar was sent flying into the air and landed hundreds of meters away in a pile of sand. Amused, Grimmjow was thinking about bullying the annoying pest some more when he sensed four spiritual pressures quickly leaving Las Noches. "Where are they running to so fast?"
A sense of urgency like that meant there was likely something wrong. Something wrong usually meant conflict.
Grimmjow liked that.
"Go dig out your friend over there," Grimmjow yelled out to a still hiding Dondochakka, running off towards the women, "Because if he's here when I get back, I might still feel like killing someone!"
The expansive territory around Las Noches was scattered with dead trees, dunes and boulders, but it was still impossible for even a slightly powerful Arrancar to hide in. Tia and the Tres Bestias were quickly able to sense the spiritual pressure of their target without trouble, using Sonido to reach the coordinates Rudbornn had given them. The four found themselves in a small clump of decrepit forest, the barren branches twisting into a sheltered canopy above the sandy ground. A dozen or so dead Calaveras were scattered about, a clear sign that they were indeed in the right place.
"What a dumb place to hide in," Apacci said, removing her Zanpakuto Cierva from her wrists, "Let's just cut the whole forest down to draw him out."
"Such a brute," Sung-Sun retorted, slyly looking at Mila Rose, "I'd expect an action like that from the gorilla over there."
Mila did not take too kindly, "Oh, you wanna start crap right now, Sung-Sun! Don't shove Appaci's stupidity onto me!"
"Who you calling stupid, bitch?!"
Halibel pinched her brow. Always the same song and dance with these three. "Not now, you three. The more you argue, the more chances our target can sneak up on us. Focus."
The Fracciones stop instantly and bowed their heads. "Sorry, Miss Halibel."
Accepting the shared apology, Halibel turned her attention back to the surrounding area. She looked at the Calaveras corpses, and noticed something odd. The bodies were too clean. They all had one wound each, and not one of them were holding a sword. Had the enemy taken them? What purpose would they have in simple weapons such as that?
A sudden spike in spiritual pressure from all directions put the Espada on high alert. They had foolishly walked into a trap.
"Form a circle," Tia said calmly to her subordinates, drawing her sword, "Get ready to fight."
Mila gave her a confused look as she stood back to back with Appaci and Sung-Sun. "Where is the enemy?"
"Everywhere."
"Excellent observation, Espada!" a new voice called out from within the forest. Halibel and the Tres Bestia watched the newcomer walk from the tree line, standing in the center of the Calavera graveyard. He was definitely the Arrancar they had come for; there was no mistaking his fringe-cut yellow and blue hair. The remnants of his mask formed small spikes that circled around his eyes, with one singular spike curving off the tip of his nose like a hooked beak. He was wearing the same Wandenreich cloak as in the picture, a Quincy cross dangling around his neck. "As expected, of course. It is a pleasure to finally meet you!"
"Unlikely," Halibel replied. There was no time for wasteful chatter. "If you have any weapons on you, I suggest you drop them and surrender."
"Oh, I don't think I'll do that," the Arrancar smirked. He pulled up his right sleeve, revealing a steel gauntlet tied to his wrist. With a quick flick, a large sawblade emerged from the front and began to spin. "There's a few things I have to let happen first, if you don't mind."
"No time for that, bozo!" Apacci shouted, "Tell your buddies to stop hiding and show their sorry faces!"
A dark smile formed on the traitor's lips.
"If you say so."
The Arrancar whistled, and the branches above began to rustle. Dozens of figures began dropping from above, flanking the traitor and drawing two blades each. More appeared from the desert they had come from, rising up out of the sand and advancing in their direction. Each and every one of them were Calaveras.
"My name is Averstruz Fernaz," the traitor said, his sawblade beginning to spin and grow, "I will be the one responsible for your defeat. My master will be pleased with me when I bring him your head."
Three Calaveras suddenly sprinted towards Halibel, swords ready to strike. She deflected the first one's blade, then vanished from sight. Her high-speed Sonido was too fast for them to follow, and all three were decapitated in seconds. Averstruz, however, was keener. He raised his buzz saw Zanpakuto and blocked Halibel's lunge from his right side. Though he could sense her coming, he was not prepared for her immense strength and buckled under her blade.
"You'll bring who my head, exactly?" Halibel asked, with a hint of sarcasm.
"Tch!" Averstruz jumped back, allowing another trio of Calaveras to rush Halibel. It was a fruitless effort, as they were cut down just as easily as the previous set. He looked over at her allies, hoping his troopers would be handling this fight better. Unfortunately for him, the Tres Bestias were having little trouble with the Calaveras. All three of the women had unleashed their Zanpakuto and undergone Resurrección, tearing through any opposition before them.
"Rudbornn needs to work on creating better soldiers," Sung-Sun commented as she produced a snake from within her sleeve and punched through a Calaveras' skull, "Their carelessness will ruin his reputation."
"Pretty sure he's not worried about that!" Mila answered, bifurcating two foot soldiers with her broadsword, "That bastard is working with the enemy! He wanted us away from Las Noches to make it easier for himself!"
"If Miss Halibel doesn't kick his ass, then I sure as hell know Nelliel will!" Apacci said, bashing two Calaveras' heads together. She glanced over at Halibel who was pushing Averstruz further into the forest. They weaved between tree trunks, Averstruz struggling to keep distance between him and the Espada. The weaker Arrancar was clearly out of his league, having been on the defensive ever since their fight began. He knew he wasn't going to win, but he wasn't just going to surrender. There were few options left.
Averstruz reached for the Quincy cross hanging from his neck, concentrating Reishi around his hand to form a second weapon. It was a futile attempt. With a swift upward swing from her Zanpakuto, Halibel lopped off his left hand that held his necklace.
"Arrrgh!" Averstruz stumbled and fell backwards, gripping his bleeding stump, "You bitch! You'll pay for this!"
"Will I?" Halibel flicked his blood from her sword, "There is only one ability you could do I haven't seen yet… If you are even capable of using it, that is."
"H-How dare you!"
Averstruz raised his right arm above him, blue reiatsu emanating from his body. He looked the Espada dead in the eye as he went into his true form. "Strike and Rend, Sierra!"
The sound of his saw spinning at immense speed was followed by a quick burst of blue light. Just as the light faded, Averstruz stood before Halibel and spread his new sawblade wings. His legs had stretched and doubled his height, and his mask had formed around his head into a complete bird-like skull. A large blue Mohawk of feathers sat atop his head. Laughing, he glared down at Tia. "Intimidated? I hope so! I have never been defeated while in my Resurrección! You will fall!"
Aversruz's wings began to glow blue. With a single flap, he launched a spinning saw Cero at Halibel at high speed. "Taste my Giro de Corte!"
Any normal Arrancar would be intimidated by the giant energy blast hurling towards them, but not the Espada. With the saw just a few feet from her, Halibel thrust the tip of her blade into its center and split it in two. The halved attack struck the trees behind her, resulting in a double explosion of blue energy.
"Impossible," Averstruz gasped, "Those were going at mach speed! They cannot possibly be stopped!"
Tia looked over his larger form for a few seconds. The bird was clearly at his peak power.
"Pitiful."
She threw her sword upwards, catching it in her opposite hand. With the blade pointed to the ground below her, she held it out straight in front of her. It was time to put him in his place.
"Hunt, Tiburon."
Averstruz stood, frozen in fear, as he witnessed the Resurrección of an Espada for the first time. A burst of water suddenly appeared behind Tia, enveloping her as her body changed form. Moments later, she cut herself free with her new weapon, a giant tooth-like sword covering her entire right arm. Gone was her black bodysuit, replaced with a bony bra and skirt, two long ribbons protruding from her rear. She glared at Averstruz as two lightning bolt marks appeared below her eyes, the weaker Hollow unable to react.
"This is Resurrección," Halibel declared, directing her weapon at the traitor. A bright yellow glow formed inside as Averstruz covered himself with his wings as a shield. "And the end of your pathetic revolt."
The throne room was completely empty when Nel walked in. She had ordered Rudbornn to meet her there to discuss the current situation, but the bull-headed Arrancar was running late. It put her on edge. Rudbornn was never late to anything.
"I don't like this at all," she murmured, putting her hand on her sword's hilt. She could feel Rudbornn's spiritual pressure approaching, along with the sound of footsteps. Many footsteps. He wasn't coming alone, like she had asked. Rudbornn soon entered the room flanked by at least two dozen Calaveras. He and his squad fell to one knee, bowing their head to the Espada.
"Lady Neliel," Rudbornn greeted her, "Apologies for my late arrival."
"I told you to see me alone, Rudbornn. There is an important matter at hand."
"Yes, I am aware. I was preparing these Calaveras to send as backup for Lady Halibel. The enemy is giving her and the Tres Bestias more trouble than they had anticipated."
"Is that so? The tell me, how was this Quincy follower able to enter the World of the Living through a Garganta without you knowing?"
"I cannot say. Averstruz is a clever individual. He must have done something to avoid my detection."
Nel narrowed her eyes. "His name is Averstruz?"
The Exequias leader looked up at her. "Yes. Why?"
"How do you know his name?"
Silence.
A few moments of tension later, Rudbornn chuckled. "You're too clever for your own good, Espada."
Suddenly, Nel sensed Halibel's spiritual pressure spike from far away. Why had she just entered her Resurreccion? Was she in danger?
"Looks like Averstruz did his job," Rudbornn said, standing to his feet and drawing his Zanpakuto. His Calaveras copied his movements, their weapons at the ready. "Halibel will be distracted long enough for us to finish things here."
Neliel drew Gamuza in the blink of an eye, eyeing down the army of traitors in front of her. Rudbornn was not weak by any means, but he and this small amount of Calaveras could not possibly defeat her. She assumed her battle stance, waiting for them to make the first move.
And then she heard it.
Another set of footsteps, coming from the shadows to her right. They were heavy, metallic. She could hear pistons moving with every step, and a deep humming sound. A singular red eye lit up in the darkness.
'I can't detect its spiritual pressure,' Nel thought, 'But its standing right in front of me!'
"Nelliel tu Odelschwanck."
The voice was not that of an Arrancar, or even human. Cold. Deep, Emotionless. Robotic.
"Designation: Former Tres Espada," the mysterious stranger continued, "Sex: Female. Zanpakuto: Gamuza. Release command: Praise. Status: Current co-ruler of Hueco Mundo, and ally of the Soul Society and Shinigami."
"You seem to know quite a bit about me," Nel replied, "Am I supposed to be impressed?"
It stepped out of the shadows, enveloped by its Quincy cloak. Nel could not see anything of its body aside from its helmeted head, the hatchet shape and bar-like slits reminding her of the mask of Grimmjow's deceased Fraccion Shawlong Kufang. It's one red optic was focused on her, unmoving. How this thing could even be considered a Quincy, Nel did not know. But then again, their ranks had consisted of a sentient arm and a brain in a jar. A robot didn't seem too farfetched in comparison.
"No," the robot said, "You should be cautious when engaging someone who is knowledgeable on all of your abilities. It is only logical."
"Who said I wasn't being cautious?"
"If you were truly cautious, you would have demanded my designation. I shall recognize your fault and give it to you myself." The robot drew back its cloak, revealing its armored body. Purple wiring twisted into a human shape was fit into place by slate grey plates around its chest and waist. "I am BG9. Designation: Sternritter K, The Knowledge."
Sternritter.
Nel had not fought one of them herself back in the war, but seeing that the one named Askin had nearly killed both Kisuke and Grimmjow with his abilities, there was no reason to hold back. Strangely, Rudbornn and his troops had not moved from their spot at the base of the staircase. Not that it would matter. As kind-hearted as she was compared to Halibel and Grimmjow, Nel would still wipe them all out to protect Las Noches.
She drew Gamuza, and held it before her horizontally, one palm pressed to the blade.
"Praise, Gamuza!"
She could feel her reiatsu growing as her transformation started, glaring at BG9 while her Zanpakuto flashed a bright pink. The Quincy was not even moving. He seemed calm.
Like he wanted her to do this.
BG9's eye suddenly began to glow a bright red, the shape of a Quincy cross forming in the light. Instantly, her growing reiatsu ceased. The pink energy from her blade had frozen in place, before instantly shooting towards BG9's glowing optic. Nel stared in shock as she watched the spiritual pressure she had gathered being ripped from her, the Quincy siphoning every last drop. Once every last visible trace had vanished into BG9's eye, she looked at her Zanpakuto.
Something was very wrong.
She could feel nothing from it. No trace of herself, no power. Nel raised it before her again, and chanted the release command.
Nothing.
"Wh-What?" she stammered, "I don't understand!"
"Did you still not comprehend my previous statement, Nelliel?" BG9 said as approached her, as the wires on its arm began to form around his hand into a blade. She caught a glance of the hilt.
It was identical to Gamuza's.
"I advised you to be very, very cautious."
Translations:
Sierra, "Saw"
Giro de Corte, "Cutting Twist"