Chapter Two: Let's Kill Tonight
"How much farther?" Ichigo and Kaien had been walking for a while now, and it was starting to get on the Soul Reaper's nerves.
"The cells are kept about halfway in. Close enough to the center to hamper escape, far enough to keep them away from anything important." In truth, Kaien was bluffing. Aaroniero had been using the time to size up Ichigo, and what he learned scared him beyond belief. In a one on one fight, Aaroniero was sure he was going to lose. But then, he never did fight fair. Still, he was going to need the help of another Arrancar to bring this guy down. Luckily, he had an idea as to where he should start.
Passing through a doorway, they entered what looked like an auditorium, a stage at the far end. Aaroniero vanished in a burst of Sonido. "Conejito! Mind giving me a hand?"
An attractive Arrancar woman came out from backstage, yawning. He mask fragment resembled a… rabbit head, and she had long violet hair. Given the way she was dressed, Ichigo had to put some effort into actually looking at her face. "I swear Aaroniero, you can be so pushy sometimes. What on earth has you waking me up this early?"
Aaroniero appeared beside her, looking a bit annoyed. "Early? It's noon! How is this early? Anyway-"
"Hey, what the hell is going on? I'm gonna guess from how buddy- buddy you are with that Arrancar, you're not who you say you are."
Conejito lazily turned her head to face him. "My, you must be one of those intruders. Clearly not too quick on the draw. Easy on the eyes, though."
Aaroniero grinned like a shark. "You've been duped, Ichigo. Sad to say, but Kaien's been dead for a long time now. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Aaroniero Arruruerie, former Espada."
A clear opposite to Aaroniero's cool demeanor, Conejito took a few steps back, eyes widened in shock. "Ichigo… Ichigo Kurosaki…" She turned to Aaroniero and snarled. "AND YOU BROUGHT HIM HERE? ARE YOU MAD?" She held up her hands, turning back towards Ichigo. "Orihime talked about you. I don't want any trouble. I'll just pretend I never saw you." She gave a wide smile, but her eyes shone with fear.
Before she had a chance to make good on that offer, though, Aaroniero spun around, grabbing her by the throat and pinning her against a wall, a murderous rage in his eyes. "Oh no you don't! You're going to do exactly as I say. Just because I'm not an Espada anymore, don't you think for a second I won't hesitate to-"
Whatever he was about to say, it was cut short, much like his arm, which now ended just past the elbow. Ichigo was beside him now, blade in hand. "I don't know the full story, but I don't think I care anymore." He flicked the blade back, drops of blood sailing off. "Anyone who treats their comrades like that," Suddenly the air thickened with spiritual pressure. "Deserves what they get!"
Aaroniero leapt back, blood trailing from the stump. "You insolent brat! I'll make you pay!" He used his mouth to pull the glove from his remaining hand, revealing a mass of tentacles. "Now, devour, Glotonería!"
What followed was truly a sickening display. Aaroniero's lower body simply burst, a mass of flesh pouring forth. It grew larger and larger, until it resembled something like a cruel mockery of an octopus, bloated and oozing. "Now you see my true power! When you face me, you face the power of over 33 thousand Hollows! Prepare yourself, human!"
Ichigo fell into a battle stance. "An army of Hollows, huh? This wouldn't be the first time. At least this time, you're all in one spot! Bankai!" A blinding light hid Ichigo for the briefest of moments, dissipating to reveal him in the robes of his Bankai.
Throughout this all, Conejito was slowly crawling away, trying not to attract attention from either party. Hear she was, trapped in a room with two utter powerhouses. She'd be lucky if they didn't bring the whole building down on their heads. Orihime hadn't said much about Ichigo's power directly, but she got a good idea from the accomplishments she told her about.
Her thoughts were shattered when a massive tendril slammed into the ground right in front of her. "And just where do you think you're going?" Aaroniero was glaring at her from atop the beast that was his lower body, and one of its massive eyes staring straight at her. "If you aren't going to help me fight this insolent worm, then I guess I'll just have to take your power for myself!" The tendril wrapped around her, lifting her towards a massive mouth in the side of the beast. She closed her eyes and prepared for the end. Suddenly, the air rushed by her, and she fell to the ground. Looking up, she saw that the tendril had been severed from Aaroniero's form.
Ichigo scowled at the former Espada. "What did I say about treating your comrades like they were nothing? I don't know how you managed to make it this far, but this ends here." He flashed through the air, dodging tentacles as he closed in on Aaroniero.
Just as he went in to strike, Aaroniero sprouted a bonelike spike from his bloody stump, parrying Ichigo's blow. "I'm sorry, did you think I only took my meals spiritual pressure? Sorry, but I also gain their powers. That's what makes me unique, and that's why I was the only Gillian to make it into the Espada." Suddenly, a similar spike burst from Aaroniero's chest, and Ichigo barely moved in time to avoid getting impaled. Taking advantage of Ichigo being off balance, Aaroniero slammed him into the ground with one of his massive tentacles.
"Spring, Cometa Sangrienta!" Aaroniero growled in pain as a spear of red reishi slammed into his side. Conejito had transformed, unleashing her Resurreccion. Two elongated rabbit ears flowed from the back of her head like ribbons, and red orbs were embedded in her palms. "Smile, you sonovabitch!" The spear shined brightly for a moment, before exploding, taking a good chunk of Aaroniero's stomache with it.
As the smoke cleared, though, she could see the area around the wound bubble, and watched as it healed almost instantly. "Foolish girl! You really think with all these powers, I wouldn't have the ability to heal from something so pitiful?" He raised one arm, a sphere of blue light growing in front of it, crackling with energy. "Since I'm not an Espada anymore, there's nothing stopping me from doing this! Gran Re-"
He never did get the chance to finish that sentence. There was a geyser of blood, and he weakly turned his head to find Ichigo behind him, the young Soul Reaper's blade run through his throat. "You talk too much." Aaroniero gurgled pitifully, his lower body shriving up and rotting away in the space of a few moments. He fell to the ground, an audible crack as his true head hit the ground. The two heads within looked at their enemies with scorn, before slowly he dispersed into ash.
Conejito stared at her hands in shock. "I… I just helped slay an ex Espada…" Her shock slowly turned to something like pride. "I just help kill Aaroniero Arruruerie! I can't believe it!" Her face shifted again, this time to fear. "I just killed one of the most useful Arrancar we had! They'll have my head!"
Ichigo walked over to her. "Hey! Try not to lose your head." She glared at him. "Okay, poor choice of words. Listen, you said Orihime told you about me, and I'm gonna guess from how you helped me out that you aren't in a hurry to see me dead. Do you think you can show me where she is?"
She shook her head. "You poor fool. You haven't figured it out. Orihime-"
Just then, there was a burst of Sonido, a female Arrancar appearing between them, the number seven written on her mask. She turned to the girl behind her, and you could almost feel the order to leave. Conejito backed away, nodding, before vanishing herself. Turning to face Ichigo, the Espada stared at him, before mutely pointing to the door.
"Sorry to burst your bubble, but I came here to save my friend, and I'm not leaving until I do. So don't try to stop me."
The Espada drew her blade, pointing at him. She waved it towards the exit, the message clear. You get one last chance.
Ichigo tightened his grip on his blade. "Like I said, not happening. Now, out of my way."
Sighing dejectedly, she fell into a combat stance. She wasn't going to let him go any further. She had to protect him.
Even if it meant protecting him from himself.