"Fuck," Grimmjow moaned as he tried to move his mangled body. "That bastard, I'm going to fucking tear out his throat and make the asshole eat it…" Grimmjow sighed, glaring up at the phony blue sky with renewed disdain.

Taking a deep breath and blocking out the surge of pain, Grimmjow forced himself up into a seated position. It was a miracle that his wound had healed as much as it had, given that he had been practically cleaved in half by that bastard Nnoitra. Grimmjow's incredible reiatsu had healed some of his wounds, enough to stop the bleeding around his heart and lungs, but he was still in absolutely no shape to be moving around.

Still, instinct and experience alike told him that he had to go hunt down some food. His reiatsu was dangerously low, having been quickly and completely depleted from his fight with Ichigo and from his body's natural self-healing mechanism. Grimmjow was as weak as a kitten in this condition, and he even swayed against the wind as he got to his feet.

Grimmjow was ravenous. If he didn't eat something soon, he would expire from sheer reiatsu deficiency. He had been in this sort of situation many times before as an Adjucas, felt the rush of the hunger and the sweet salivation when he would come across his target. This time, however, he was too close to the edge. He felt like at any moment, he would fall over and lose consciousness, this time for good. He dragged his feet forward through the white sand, each step a greater exertion than the last.

Grimmjow couldn't help but grin when he felt someone approach him. "Grimmjow-sama," the Numero gasped, himself a shamble of a Hollow. "Aizen-sama has been defeated, Las Noches has fallen into chaos. Please bring some order…" The naive, nameless Numero was silenced by a swift, bloody jab through the gut. Grimmjow's grin twisted maniacally as the Numero cried out in shock and horror before being devoured, existing no more.

Wiping his mouth, Grimmjow smiled. "That's the good stuff." Feeling just a little bit stronger than before, Grimmjow moved forward in search of a more satisfying snack.

After devouring all the remaining arrancar in Las Noches, Grimmjow was still severely low on reiatsu. As it was, Grimmjow was a lion feasting on mice. It seemed that no matter how many he ate, it was never enough to bring him back to his usual reiatsu level. It was like raindrops falling into a lake. It hardly made any difference. Grimmjow couldn't help but miss those spirit-replenishing capsules Aizen always carried on him.

Even while continuing to feast, Grimmjow was on his last legs. He needed to heal his injuries before they killed him. It was time for something bold.

It had been a few hours since he had awakened, a disgusting gooey feeling soaking through his broken skin. For a long time after he had regained some form of consciousness, he was unable to so much as open his eyes and see where he was. Other than the goo, he didn't feel a thing, not sand, not wind. If he had been moved, he would not have known.

Sometimes, he could hear things, sounds that came in muffled waves, as if he were underwater. Mostly what he heard was crying, but once, he heard yelling coming from all around him. He tried to move, to defend himself, but his body would not respond. Eventually, the yelling stopped, and he once again faded into unconsciousness.

He recognized the crying, even though he had never heard it before. Sometimes, his scattered thoughts understood exactly what was happening to him, but he was quick to forget, and for that, he was glad. He didn't want to believe that she would do this to him. He knew that she was a spectacular bitch, but she had never before done something this horrible to him.

Unfortunately, all of his fears were proven justified when he opened his eyes and was staring right into her butterscotch eyes bright with hope. He managed a deep guttural groan as her face broke into a smile and new tears gathered in her eyes.

"He's awake! He's awake," Nel cried joyously. Her head swung around, turning towards her two brothers. Nnoitra groaned again, his one eye rolling back into his head. If this wasn't hell…

"Nnoitra-sama! Nnoitra-sama," Nel yelled into his face. "How do you feel?! Are you alright?"

"Damn it, Neliel," Nnoitra groaned, trying with the best of his ability to lift his hand and wrap it around Nel's thin throat. His arm hardly twitched. "What the hell d'ya think you're doing?" Nel's smile dropped from her face.

"Nel couldn't just let you die…" Nel's eyes turned solemn, watching him with that look of hers that always made him uncomfortable. Nnoitra heard some scampering, and he caught sight of that fraccion of hers in his peripheral vision.

"We should go, Nel-sama," Dondo Chakka pressed, nervous eyes darting back and forth from Nel to Nnoitra. "He's almost healed now, Nel-sama, we should go now before he does anything." Nel looked down at the incapacitated Nnoitra with those same eyes of hers.

"Nel can't leave him like this," she murmured, her child-like lisp not taking away from the strangely mature tone in her voice. "He'll be killed."

Nnoitra opened his mouth, but all that came out was a rasping sound, and he felt something burst open in his throat. He coughed up dark crimson blood and Nel cried out in shock.

"Be careful, Nnoitra-sama," Nel urged, fear in her eyes. "You still aren't fully healed yet, you've got to be careful with your body!" Nnoitra, in all the years he had known her and hated her, had never cursed her as fervently as he was now. His eye narrowed in unbridled hatred, his body trapped in motionlessness.

"Hold still," Nel ordered, taking hold of Nnoitra's long face on each side with her tiny plump hands. With no more warning, she opened her mouth and let a hefty amount of drool fall from her mouth into his. Nnoitra's eye widened beyond belief, but without his usual recourse of violence, he was powerless against this child. Trapped in his own body, Nnoitra couldn't even manage to struggle away.

Nel smiled a goofy smile. "Don't worry, Nnoitra-sama, Nel will make you all better!"

"Nel-sama," Pesche pressed, "if you want to bring Nnoitra with us, we need to go immediately." Nel's eyes dulled slightly in sadness.

"They're coming for Nel again?" Pesche and Dondo Chakka glanced at each other, and then at Nnoitra, whose reiatsu was currently erupting outwards like a broken dam. He reeked of bloodied, injured prey to the hungry sharks of Hueco Mundo.

"Yes, Nel-sama, it cannot be helped," Pesche explained. "We have to keep moving further." Nel looked down onto her lap at her tiny clenched fists.

"Okay."

Time passed and Nel began to worry. Although her special healing goo had closed off Nnoitra's external injuries, his reiatsu was continually decreasing. She suspected internal damage. At the rate he was shedding power, she feared Nnoitra really would die. Her eyes glowing with sadness gazed steadily upon the man's exhausted body.

"He needs food," Nel concluded, shocking her two companions.

"B-B-But, Nel-sama," Dondo Chakka spluttered, "please think rationally. If we go searching for food, we might be faced with exposure. And if Nnoitra is allowed to recuperate completely, he will-"

"I know," Nel cut in, eyes still intent on the man sprawled on the floor of the cave. "But I can't let him die like this." Dondo Chakka hesitated.

"How would you have him die, Neliel-sama?" Pesche asked after a long, poignant moment.

Nel did not respond.

And so Dondo Chakka and Pesche set off in search of food, leaving Bawabawa to protect Nel and Nnoitra. They sat concealed in a large underground cavern just below the sand. It was one of the few deposits of sekkiseki in Hueco Mundo, and was perfect for concealment. Dondo Chakka and Pesche, who knew what to look for, had come upon it by a stroke of luck, and the plan was to remain hidden there until things calmed down on the surface.

Grimmjow, however, was an expert hunter, and not to be underestimated. He knew that he needed to go for the big kill, and perhaps the biggest kills left in Hueco Mundo were Nnoitra and Nel. Grimmjow knew they were out there somewhere. It was only a matter of time before he found them. All this, Nel was fully aware of.

But what was she to do? She needed to protect Pesche, Dondo Chakka and, yes, even Nnoitra, her incapacitated tormentor. If she and her companions managed to make it to the Vasto Lordes, then they perhaps might be able to offer some help. The Vasto Lordes had always been sympathetic to her. However, the chances that they'd reach their camps in time and unharmed were slim to none.

The amount of reiatsu that Nnoitra was lacking was monumental. He was probably the most powerful being left in Hueco Mundo, and he was on the brink of death. All the Hollows in the world might not satisfy his hunger. And no amount of conventional healing would help that. There seemed to be only one hope.

The reiatsu of an arrancar shook the world. In the school hallway, Ulquiorra's eyes widened and his heart nearly jumped from his chest. He had one thought.

"Orihime," he called, nearly silently, as he opened the window he had been leaning against. He tried to extract himself from his body, just as he had while fighting Ichigo, but he somehow found himself unable to. Ulquiorra froze in horror. What happened to him?

But that was not the main concern at the moment. He was about to jump from the window when Tatsuki pulled him back by the shirt. "What the hell are you doing? Are you trying to kill yourself?!" Ulquiorra turned back and saw Uryuu running towards the staircase. Wordlessly, Ulquiorra took the hint, and he and Tatsuki soon caught up to Uryuu.

"This reiatsu is familiar," Uryuu noted, trying to put his finger on it.

"Grimmjow Jeagerjacques, Sexta Espada," Ulquiorra stated. His two companions swung their heads towards him.

"He's the one who's after Orihime," Tatsuki grappled with the realization. "Shit, Orihime's in danger!"

"Ichigo's with her," Uryuu tried to rationalize as they were exiting the school. "He will be able to protect her until we get there." As the group emerged into the sunlight, they were met with an unexpected sight.

"I'm sorry," Toushiro Hitsugaya sounded, his face only a mask. "But I cannot let you pass."

Nel ran and she ran, trying desperately to find the entrance to the cavern. The cave was dark even to her exceptionally strong eyes, and she had trouble remembering where she and her brothers had come in from. Dead end after dead end, Nel struggled on, determined to find the surface.

Only then would she be able to save him. The Sekkiseki stones made it impossible within the cavern. She needed to reach open air. A jagged rock jutting out from the wall of the cave scratched her side painfully. She would find a way. She wouldn't let him die like this.

Somewhere in the darkness below her, a monster stirred awake. Numbly, he wondered where that little child had gone, and why she had left him alone in the darkness.

"What?" Uryuu questioned disbelievingly. This was the Captain of the Tenth Division, why was he standing in their way? The Quincy turned slightly to gaze at Ulquiorra, who had never looked more high-strung.

"Get out of my way," Ulquiorra commanded, his reiatsu seeping through as heavy blackness.

"I cannot," Toushiro replied blankly. "I have received direct orders from the Commander not to allow the Espada or his allies anywhere near the Espada Grimmjow Jeagerjacques."

"I am no ally of the Espada's," Uryuu replied curtly while quickly approaching the Captain. "Now, this is an emergency. Let me pass." Uryuu nearly walked past the Captain, but Toushiro drew his sword.

"I'm sorry," Toushiro repeated unemotionally. "You have all been branded as possible defectors. Your sympathies with regards to Ulquiorra are considered dangerous. You will not be allowed to approach the other Espada."

"This is ridiculous," Uryuu shot back, eyes narrowing dangerously. "We haven't shown sympathies to all the Adjucas that have appeared here! Soul Society has done nothing to intervene in any of those battles." Before Uryuu could continue, he saw from the corner of his eyes Ulquiorra approaching holding a stick. He was running towards Hitsugaya at full human speed. The stick broke against the side of the Captain's head. Toushiro, completely unharmed, didn't look amused.

Looking at the broken stick in his hand, Ulquiorra simply tossed it away. He threw a fist at the Captain's face instead, and broke two knuckles. Toushiro didn't react. The others were shocked.

"Ulquiorra, stop it," Tatsuki shouted, pulling him back from the Captain. "Do you think this is helping anything?" Ulquiorra was looking down at his broken hand and frowning, as if he was disappointed in the fragility of his bones. Gravely, he looked up at the Captain.

"You must let me pass," Ulquiorra stated in perfect monotone. "You cannot take her away from me." Toushiro stood unmoved and unwavering, with nothing but a slight frown revealing how he felt about the situation.

Uryuu, realizing that the young Captain was never going to back down, took out his bow. "I suppose this is what it has come to." The Quincy's eyes narrowed, and he shot the first arrow, aimed at getting Toushiro away from Ulquiorra and Tatsuki. "This is what to expect from a shinigami. It's too bad, really."

Toushiro released his shikai, and immediately froze a wide radius of land, effectively preventing Ulquiorra and Tatsuki from making a run for it. Toushiro frowned at the desperation clear in the arrancar's eyes. He turned back towards Uryuu. "That it is."

"Ya surprised to see me, chick?" Grimmjow shouted as his feet touched the ground. Despite the trembling in his knees, he made sure to show no sign of weakness.

"What do you want, Grimmjow?" Ichigo shouted back, abandoning his body and clutching his sword in both calloused hands. His eyes shone bright with determination. "The fight's over, just go home."

"Go home?" Grimmjow barked out with a laugh. "There was never a home for me." His face split in a grin, and he pointed to his blood-stained bandages. "B'sides, the chick owes me a favour." Orihime's eyes widened in horror, but she remained silent. "If I hadn't sealed Ulquiorra in the Caja Negacion, then the coward probably would have died already. It's cause of me that he's alive now, so I figure it's about time you do something for me, chick." Grimmjow smiled at his flawless logic.

Ichigo's expression turned contemplative. "Is that really all you're here for?"

"Why d'ya ask, Kurosaki?" Grimmjow taunted. "Are you bored? It's no fun living in peace, is it?"

"That's not what I meant," Ichigo bit back. "I'm not what you think I am." He tightened his grip on Zangetsu.

Grimmjow laughed loudly. "Defensive aren't we?" he replied patronizingly, positively oozing smug amusement. His eyes were heavy with indulgence. Ichigo growled. Orihime was silent.

"If Inoue heals you," Ichigo demanded, "do you promise to leave and never come back?"

"Maybe," was his obnoxious reply. "What if there's nothing interesting to do in Hueco Mundo, and I wanna come down here and tear your guts out?"

"Fuck off, Grimmjow," Ichigo barked, and then tried to calm himself down. "We aren't going to do this again. There's no point."

"Che," Grimmjow dismissed, ambling around. "Who would've thought you'd turn into such a pussy…" Ichigo growled again.

"Get out of here," he repeated. "You don't want to do this."

Grimmjow laughed. "I think you're the one who doesn't want to do this." He shot a snide glare at Ichigo. "I think you're scared."

"I'm not scared of you," Ichigo growled.

The arrancar circled around Ichigo and Orihime like a panther on the prowl. "No, you're not scared of me. You're scared of yourself. Of what you are." He grinned, and suddenly, he was shouting. Grimmjow drew his sword and charged towards Ichigo. "You think repressing it will change anything? You don't know shit!"

Ichigo's eyes widened as he blocked the attack, propelled backwards by the force of his opponent's sword. Grimmjow drew back and slashed again. "The animal is who you really are, Kurosaki!" Ichigo stumbled back in shock. "Even if you crush it down, it'll never leave you! It'll eat you bit by bit until there's nothing left!" Ichigo pushed Grimmjow back.

"You don't know anything, Grimmjow," Ichigo shouted back. "I'm not going to lose myself!"

Grimmjow laughed. "You already have." He motioned with his head towards the terrified Orihime still sitting where Ichigo had left her. "Everything you have is gonna be taken over by monsters. It's all rotting, Kurosaki!"

Orihime's eyes widened. "W-What?" Ichigo tightened his grip on his sword.

"You thought you could protect that chick, but she still belongs to Ulquiorra, doesn't she?" Grimmjow shouted. "He's got you fooled badly, Kurosaki!"

"What do you mean?" Ichigo demanded. Orihime's mouth opened, as if to say something. She stood up on shaky knees, almost numbly.

"You're thinking he's like a human," Grimmjow bellowed, "but really, it's you who's becoming more like a Hollow! You can't even tell the difference anymore, can you?" The arrancar charged forward again, and Ichigo jumped out of the way, Grimmjow right behind. Grimmjow slashed, and Ichigo manoeuvred a safe distance away from the arrancar. The look in Ichigo's eyes made Grimmjow erupt in laughter.

Orihime watched noiselessly from the ground with large eyes. "No. That's not true."

Even as Grimmjow quieted down, a satisfied grin stretching his face, his shallow blue eyes still laughed. "You and Ulquiorra are the same. You're pretending you don't know what you are. But you're both just scared shitless of the animal inside –" Grimmjow stopped himself when he caught sight of a golden projectile shooting up from the ground. He started to laugh.

He reached his hand out to catch Tsubaki. "You think this could hurt me, little gi-" Just when Grimmjow was to close his hand around Tsubaki, the sprite tore through the arrancar's hand and dove right into his chest. In a shower of golden light and blood, Tsubaki came out the other way. All eyes turned to Orihime. Her face was blank to the point of eeriness, only a slight frown on her lips.

Grimmjow allowed himself to drift down to the earth, hoping to preserve some precious energy and to tear out Orihime's heart. Ichigo returned to ground level too, getting between Orihime and the murderous arrancar. Orihime walked forward, eyes on the heavily injured arrancar currently coughing blood up on the pavement.

"Inoue, how –" Ichigo stopped as Orihime walked right past him, Tsubaki, equally unreadable, perched gently on her shoulder. Ichigo turned around and took hold of Orihime's wrist. After a moment, she turned to face the shinigami, who was looking at her with intense eyes. "It's dangerous." But Orihime's eyes were hardened by determination, and, in a flash, Ichigo understood how important it was to Orihime to defend Ulquiorra. He released his grip on her wrist.

"You fucking bitch. I'm going to –" Grimmjow hacked up more blood. Orihime looked down at the crouched animal with empty eyes.

"You don't know Ulquiorra," Orihime stated gravely, more grimly than anyone would have thought her capable of. "You'll never know Ulquiorra. Don't you dare pretend you understand him."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Grimmjow growled. But Orihime was done talking to him. She turned to walk away, and Grimmjow made a move to attack her from behind.

Wordlessly, Orihime put up her healing shield, trapping Grimmjow within it. Whether it was the intoxicating warmth of the shield that caused Grimmjow to lose consciousness, or that Grimmjow, who was already on his last legs before his arrival, had finally reached his limit, was unknown. But the loud thump as the arrancar's body bent over and fell onto the hard concrete caused Orihime to turn back towards the fallen Hollow with distinct worry in her eyes.

The moment had passed, and Orihime realized what she had done. She looked at the crumpled person bleeding on the pavement and brought her hands over her mouth in shock. She had shot Tsubaki at him, something she had been unable to do for the longest time. Not only that, but her attack had held outstanding power, enough power to injure an Espada. A weakened and dying one, but an Espada nonetheless.

"For a split second," Tsubaki, still perched on the girl's shoulder, answered her unspoken question, "you really wanted to kill him. That's how you were able to do it."

The girl's eyes widened in disbelief. "I wanted to kill…" She drifted off.

"Yeah," Tsubaki intoned, watching the arrancar's injuries close up. "I was beginning to think the only thing that could make you react with such killing intent would be the murder of your friends. Flying off the handle like this over a crazy man's goading…" Tsubaki tapped the side of Orihime's head with a gentle little hand. "I'd hate to say it, but I'm proud of you, chick."

Orihime frowned, unsure that she liked her new-found power, and brought her hands to the shield to speed up the healing process. Tears were gathered at the corner of her eyes.

Ichigo was still trying to wrestle out an appropriate response to Orihime's strange and murderous fury, so sudden and fleeting that he could hardly convince himself it had happened at all. As a welcome distraction from his stupor, a flash caught Ichigo's eyes, and he swung his head around to face an unusual sight.

In confusion, Ichigo noted that there seemed to be a chain of mountains made of ice just a few kilometres away, almost blending into the blue of the sky. He scratched his head, wondering if all of this was just a strange, very realistic hallucination, as he watched bright, needle-like arrows breaking down the ice. The ice, almost like it was alive, quickly regenerated each time. Ichigo was dumbfounded.

"Um, Kurosaki-kun," Orihime said from right behind him, making him jump. "I healed Grimmjow, but he's still unconscious. What should we do with him?" Ichigo was distracted. He pointed to the icy mountain range.

"Do you see that?" Ichigo asked, eyes wide open with astonishment. Orihime squinted.

"It would seem," Orihime noted, "that Ishida-kun and Toushiro-kun are fighting."

"But what about the mountains?" Ichigo questioned. "Toushiro doesn't usually do that. And why would they be fighting? If anything, Toushiro should have been here to help deal with Grimmjow."

Orihime looked up at Ichigo uncertainly. "We should go find out what's happening. Something bad could have happened and it probably has something to do with Ulquiorra."

Ichigo laughed anxiously, suddenly embarrassed all over again about the whole confession thing. "Yeah, but what should we do with Grimm…jow…" Ichigo turned around, looking for Grimmjow with his eyes, only to find that he wasn't there. "Where the hell'd he go?"

At first it was just a gentle tapping of the fingers. Bawabawa didn't notice. He tried to open his mouth, and he found that he was able to. There was no pain. He moved his arms, moved his legs. Just a very little amount pain. Bawabawa turned towards him. Nnoitra sat up and coughed up blood. That had hurt. Nnoitra turned to face with hunger in his eyes his only companion in the dark cave. Bawabawa's natural fight or flight instinct took over, and he threw himself into the ceiling of the cave, digging his way upward.

Nnoitra looked at the display and laughed out loud, despite the immense pain. He looked around, and found his unreleased sword wrapped in a dirty brown cloth. Frowning, he took hold of it in one hand. He still didn't have the strength even to release it, but it was still good to have it back. Nnoitra saw the reflection of his one eye in the gleam of the sword.

With this blade, he thought, Nnoitra would make Neliel regret the day she saw him as anything more than a monster.

Toushiro had no trouble blocking the Quincy's attacks with his bankai. Even when his phone rang, he was able to keep up his defence and effectively prevent the Espada or his comrades from making their way to the place of battle. Toushiro answered his cell phone while throwing a wave of ice towards the resilient Quincy.

"Captain Hitsugaya Toushiro speaking," the boy greeted emotionlessly.

"Hitsugaya-taicho," the thunderous voice of Commander Yamamoto sounded. "The Sixth Espada has been neutralized. Your orders are to cease all military action and to return to your previous mission. Your objective has been broadened to include the watching of the Forth Espada and all those who show sympathy to him, including the shinigami. I expect a full report by 2200 local time, tonight. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," Toushiro replied faithfully, clicking the phone shut, and immediately sealed his sword, dissolving all the ice in the area. Uryuu looked up at the Captain with bitterness.

"Orders to step down?" Uryuu sneered.

"Correct," Toushiro stated, still letting none of his apprehension show. In the corner of his eye, he caught Ichigo and Orihime emerge from the band of forest into the school grounds. They looked up at him with confused eyes, but they were met with only the dull ice-blue of his pupils.

Ulquiorra caught sight of Orihime and ran to her with urgency.

"Ulquiorra, I'm so glad you're alright," Orihime exclaimed, smiling wildly with relief. "I thought for sure – Oh!" Ulquiorra gathered Orihime up in his arms and spun her around before holding her close to him. Orihime blushed at the unexpected show of affection. "U-Ulquiorra…"

"You are never to leave my side again," Ulquiorra whispered sharply into Orihime's hair as he held her tightly. "That is an order." Orihime giggled nervously, and wrapped her arms around the arrancar. After a moment, she pulled back to look at him. His face was as stoic as usual, but his eyes were filled with a melancholy tenderness.

"Orihime," Tatsuki shouted. "Thank God!" Ulquiorra and Orihime separated as Tatsuki, Ichigo and Uryuu approached.

"What the hell were you doing fighting Toushiro?" Ichigo demanded. "And what was with all the ice?"

"It would seem," Uryuu explained, "that Soul Society is uncomfortable with our acceptance of Ulquiorra's presence in the Material world." Orihime and Ichigo's eyes widened in shock and horror.

"More importantly," Ulquiorra pressed, still holding Orihime around the waist. "Where is Grimmjow? You did not kill him and he did not open Garganta, but I cannot sense his reiatsu."

Orihime and Ichigo glanced at each other for a second. "Vanished," they both said. Uryuu and Tatsuki blanched. Ulquiorra glared at Orihime in disbelief.

"How could you possibly lose track of someone like Grimmjow so easily?" Ulquiorra demanded. The guy was built like a bear, dressed all in white and had electric blue hair. He was impossible not to be aware of.

"Well, I finished healing him," Orihime explained, "but I didn't really know what to do with him, because he was unconscious. I went to ask Kurosaki-kun, and when we turned back, he was just… gone."

Ulquiorra stared at Orihime blankly. "You're saying you let Grimmjow out of your sight, for even a second? Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?"

"He was unconscious," Orihime reminded, pouting.

"Nonetheless," Ulquiorra pressed. "Do you have any sense of self-preservation at all?"

As the couple bickered, Tatsuki noticed that Uryuu seemed unusually tense. His arm was crossed over his chest and his hand was brought to his chin in a look of deep contemplation. The look might have been amusing to Tatsuki if it wasn't for the dead seriousness in his eyes and the tangible air of apprehension surrounding him. "What's up, Ishida?"

The Quincy replied, still immersed in his thoughts. "It just doesn't add up." Uryuu looked up to Orihime and Ulquiorra with calculating eyes. Looking at the situation objectively, those two were exceptional in their uniqueness…

The Hollow had led Rukia and Yasutora for quite a run. The Adjucas looked like a skeletal albatross, wings barely feathered with deep purple cartilage feathers. Despite its massive size, it was quick to dodge any of Yasutora's or Rukia's attacks, and it became quite a hassle to fight. The Hollow led the pair into a dense forest with thick underbrush and uneven terrain. Whenever either tried to jump above the trees, the Hollow would catch them unaware and shoot a highly acidic solution from glands in its mouth.

On ground level, the orange canopy of leaves hid the Adjucas, and as the two were trying to aim their attacks properly, while not tripping, they didn't notice as the forest broke off into air and they were looking down a forty-foot drop. There to greet them was the Adjucas, mouth opened wildly, ready to devour them. The Hollow was a split second too slow, and Rukia managed to block the creature's bestial charge with her sword. Yasutora then punched the winged Adjucas with enough energy to burst every cell in the being's body. The Hollow disintegrated with a scream, as Rukia tried to steady herself against the edge of the cliff.

Disaster averted, the two were able to focus on the next most urgent thing that they were faced with: Grimmjow was in the Material World, fighting Ichigo. As they ran back out of the forest, they followed closely what was going on with their friends. The two, confused, became aware that Uryuu and Captain Hitsugaya were also engaged in battle. Something terrible must have happened for Soul Society to send a Captain to the Material World. Both fights ended before Rukia and Yasutora had even left the forest.

They were rushing back to the school to meet up with their nakama when it happened. At first, it was a momentary bleep on Rukia's internal radar. She stopped for a moment, concentrating hard on the reiatsu.

"What's wrong?" Yasutora's deep voice asked.

Rukia couldn't feel the reiatsu anymore. She turned warily back towards the road ahead. "Nothing. I thought I felt something." The two continued running.

Barely two minutes later, Rukia felt it again, and halted immediately. Yasutora looked at her with serious eyes. "Maybe we should check it out," the man voiced in a deep rumble. Rukia nodded, and they both suppressed their reiatsu and dashed down a street to their left.

Leaving the main street lined with commercial stores, the two found themselves in a manufacturing area. Warehouses and the occasional factory flew by as Rukia and Yasutora searched the area for the strange reiatsu. Finally, Rukia stopped before a wide grey warehouse, eyes hard and her hand over her sword. She slid open the door.

Neither Rukia or Yasutora knew what they had been expecting, but it certainly wasn't what they found beyond the warehouse door. An aluminum crate had been moved from the neat piles at the back of the warehouse to the center of the structure. Powerful lights had been set up all around the crate, all pointing directly at the being lying lifelessly upon it. Even naked, the being was easily recognizable, with his shocking blue hair, as none other than Grimmjow Jeagerjacques. Also easily recognizable, to Rukia at least, was Kurotsuchi Nemu, fukutaicho of the Twelfth Division, wrist-deep in Grimmjow's innards.

"What," Rukia choked out in shock, "is going on here?" Nemu, noticing the presence of intruders, did not look particularly perturbed.

"Release the gas," she said simply into her earpiece, and returned to work, scalpel in hand.

"Hey," Rukia shouted, stepping forward. "What are you doing to him?" She and Yasutora tried to move in towards the horrific scene, to stop this terrible injustice, when their worlds started to tilt. Their faces hit the concrete, but neither felt the impact. A moment later, both lost consciousness.