Chapter 20: Awaken! Steel Panther
"Grimmjow… Jaegerjaquez…. Its been too long." Nightmare narrowed his eyes.
Grimmjow looked up at him smirking, " Nightmare Von Ollivante… glad to see someone pulled the knife out of your back."
"It wouldn't have been there in the first place if it wasn't for you…." Nightmare spat.
Nightmare lifted his blade and began to swing down again, but Grimmjow used the opening and gashed Nightmare across the chest, slicing open the armor.
Nightmare stepped back teeth smashed together and growling. "Lucky blow….. you wont get another!"
Nightmare swung his blade and Grimmjow parried it. Grimmjow stepped back to Orihime who stood motionless.
"Hey, you alright?" Grimmjow asked.
Orihime nodded, still shaken up from what happened a moment ago.
Grimmjow took her around the waist and flash stepped to the top of a tall sky scraper.
"Just stay up here and don't wander off…. If you want to live through this…. I'll do what I can against the old man." Grimmjow then looked toward Orihime and grinned. "Im still new to this saving the world bull shit."
Grimmjow waved a hand over his sword. "Grind!... Pantera!"
His sword released into its shikai state, a scimitar like sword with spiked knuckles with finger slots around the handle, the sword had a blue tint to it.
Nightmare used a Sonido to get up to the top of the skyscraper. "Im impressed Grimmjow!" He laughed, "I never anticipated that you would progress so far with just shinigami powers."
Grimmjow laughed. "Maybe if you paid closer attention to this world old man you would have seen that."
Grimmjow pointed the knuckles on his sword towards Nightmare and grinned widely, "Dart Shot!" Grimmjow roared, the knucle spikes grew slightly larger and all of them shot out ad bullet speed.
Nightmare had very little time to react, the darts connecting all into his rib cage area, causing him to fall off of the skyscraper.
Grimmjow turned his back and a large explosion rang out. " What a joke, he will be back…."
Orihime clenched her hands together and looked worried. Grimmjow looked at her, "whats the matter? You still worr-"
Grimmjow didn't finish his sentence, Nightmare rose back up the skyscraper completely pissed. Pieces of his armor hissing with steam, Grimmjow sneered and rushed Nightmare with ferocity.
As they collided blades Grimmjow noted, "I knew you wouldn't be fell by that little trick…. But that doesn't mean I was trying!"
Western Karakura downtown…..
Yammy and Isshin began their battle, two over powering forces with brute strength and cunning sword skills…..
"RRRRRAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Yammy roared swinging his sword.
Isshin blocked the sword effortlessly with one hand, the other found its way into Yammy's gut, packing enough force to send him flying backwards.
"You're a strong one Espada…. This will be interesting…" Isshin smiled.
Yammy got back up gripping his sword with two hands. "your not bad yourself…."
Yammy charged Isshin again, but Isshin stood calm and collected. Isshin raised his blade to block and Yammy swung down hard. Isshin miscalculated for a second and Yammy kicked him in the gut causing Isshin to move back some. Isshin how ever wasn't fazed much.
Isshin looked up into Yammy's eyes, his face set in a dead out smirk. "You hit like a child!"
Yammy grunted and charged again digging his blade through the ground ready to uppercut Isshin.
Isshin watched every move Yammy made, raising his sword and yelling as he swung down.
"Getsuga Tensho!" Isshin roared.
East Karakura downtown- Downtown mall
Yoruichi turned and saw the top of a large wave of energy explode out on the other side of town.
"A Getsuga Tensho….. Isshin is getting serious…." Yoruichi narrowed her eyes.
"Fair warning…. Don't take your eyes off an opponent, that's a rookie mistake for someone as skilled as you.." Nelliel grinned.
Yoruichi turned to face Nelliel who had her arms crossed with her sword sheathed.
" How respectful, for an espada…. Your a lot different that the two ive fought once." Yoruichi complimented.
Nelliel grinned wider, "Yeah I'm not your run of the mill espada…."
Nelliel used a sonido to be with in feet of Yoruichi, she unsheathed her blade and pointed it forward at Yoruichi, who did the same with her sword.
"lets introduce each other shall we…. Im the tres Espada…. Nelliel Tu Odelshwanck."
"Yoruichi Shihoin…. Former captain of squad two…. Former leader of the stealth force."
"Impressive… lets put those skills to the test shall we?" Nelliel stepped back and took an offensive stance.
Yoruichi narrowed her eyes holding the same position she was in when they pointed their swords.
Just then Nelliel used sonido and Yoruichi used flash step at the same time ricocheting off of the walls and ceiling, only blurs were seen and sparks when their swords clashed.
They landed in the center of the mall once again as they stood and clashed back and forth at point blank.
They both held their blades at each others necks.
Yoruichi opened her eyes a little her eyes and grinned, "Not bad…. But your holding back…."
"I can say the same for you….. don't hold back." Nelliel smiled as she used a sonido to gain distance from Yoruichi.
She pointed her sword at Yoruichi and grinned widely.
"Declare…. Gamuza."
Pink Reiatsu exploded like fire around Nelliel, enveloping her as her sword released.
As it faded and Yoruichi stared at the new form Nelliel took, much like a centaur, with a dual sided lance in her right hand.
"your Resurreccion I presume." Yoruichi said seriously.
"Yes that's right.." Nelliel trotted around. " Do you like it?"
"Must say Ive seen better and worse….." Yoruichi smiled.
"Right…. Now go full strength Shinigami woman. Or die where you stand!" Nelliel grinned evily.
"Fine have it your way…. SHUNKO!" Yoruichi gritted her cat like teeth holding her sword arm out.
Compressed Kido energy traveled sporadically all around her body like white lightning, the jolts of energy crashing into walls and hurling benches around in the mall.
"Oooooooo…. How shiny…" Nelliel laughed, "Shiny doesn't win fights you know!"
"Of course." Yoruichi smiled, before using her enhanced flash step to launch herself onto Nelliel's back.
Nelliel's eyes widened as she felt Yoruichi land with cat like sensitivity on her back. She swung her lance around and Yoruichi disappeared and reappeared infront of Nelliel punching her in the chest.
Nelliel was sent crashing through a store as Yoruichi took a defensive stance as the smoke began to clear.
Her eyes widened as she heard a muffled bang sound… the infamous sound of sonido… as Nelliel appeared behind her and attempted to slash Yoruichi in the back. She cut Yoruichi slightly across the shoulder, producing very little blood. She turned around and took a defensive stance against Nelliel, whose face had blood streaming down.
They circled each other staring into one anothers eyes, Yoruichi stepped quiet as a whisper, while Nelliel's hooves clattered on the tile floor of the wasteland like mall.
Yoruichi lunged with feline swiftness and put a small cut on Nelliel's cheek. Nelliel cringed slightly and thrust forward with her lance, nearly catching Yoruichi in the side. As Yoruichi flash stepped behind Nelliel, who held up her lance as if to throw it.
"Lanzador Verde….." Nelliel whispered as pinkish reiatsu spiraled around her lance as she threw it at blinding bullet like speed at Yoruichi.
Yoruichi gasped slightly leaning completely backwards esque of that syfy movie with Keanu Reeves. As the lance whizzed past her body almost an inch away. Yoruichi's heart raced with adrenaline watching it whiz by. She stood up to find Nelliel with her mouth gaping wide open and a purple cero charging up. Nelliel fired the Cero and Yoruichi had no time to react as it connected completely. Sending her flying through the doors of a closed down shop.
Mid Downtown- Skyscraper….
" Grimmjow you disappoint me greatly!" Nightmare coyed.
"Bull shit, we just got started old man!" Grimmjow spat.
The two began to clash swords yet again, fiercer and faster than ever, the two flying circles around the skyscrapers that adorned the skyline of Karakura town.
Grimmjow grinned widely as he chased down Nightmare and continued their ferocious clash.
" Your not even in your Resurreccion yet old man! Are you too chicken shit!" Grimmjow laughed.
"I wont need my Resurreccion to beat you Grimmjow." Nightmare used a sonido to try and get behind Grimmjow, but before he swung his blade, he gasped from shock. Grimmjow was staring at him with a devious wide smile across his face his sword was placed under his arm with the knuckle piece pointing straight at Nightmare.
"Dart shot….." Grimmjow said softly. The knuckle piece glowed and shot four darts at Nightmare who took them all in the chest and, destroying the arm piece of the black hollow armor he wore.
"What No!" Nightmare roared.
"Whats wrong Nightmare loosing control of your hollows?" Grimmjow laughed, "I know all to well about that armor, it can control hollow souls bending their will to your command… but it isn't any good if you cant sustain the chest piece. And that has taken significant damage…"
Dammit…. I cant allow this to happen I wont allow a child to beat me…..
"Looks like I started to under estimate you Grimmjow." Nightmare laughed, as he used sonido to sit atop one skyscraper holding his broadsword pointing to the sky. Grimmjow used a flash step to sit on the skyscraper across from Nightmare.
"you know Nightmare… I kinda have to admit you look a lot younger….. maybe its because you stole my body." Grimmjow smirked.
"yeah I did, I like it, very well suits you Grimmjow, its strong and agile. Exactly why I chose you to be my first victim in my Resurection, with out you and the girl, I wouldn't have come back." Nightmare then became serious. His reiatsu began to spike tremendously as lightning shot out from his blade into the sky, causing black clouds to form over the city. "Get ready Grimmjow!"
Grimmjow stood back slightly, his resolve not shaken, he knew what was coming.
Hes going to release into his resurreccion….. damn his power combined with my old hollow powers is tremendous… looks like I don't have a choice on this one, I have to go all out now…
Dust began to swirl around Nightmare, picking up speed as the black clouds began to pour rain, and lightning danced through the sky over Karakura Town. The rain steadily grew into a downpour drenching everything.
Nightmare grinned evily as he turned his sword over and grasped the handle with his other hand pointing towards the ground. Blood red Reiatsu sparked out encircling Nightmare, the reiatsu climbing higher and higheras the dust whipped around tremendously.
Grimmjow scowled as he took his sword in his right hand and held it side ways under his left arm, his left hand pressing its fingers into the blade, a tang rang through the sky as his blade began to glow a bright blue, the rain beginning to swirl around Grimmjow.
Ok here we go!…..
Grimmjow pressed his fingers down onto the blade harder, another tang rang out as a royal blue Reiatsu chaotically flamed around him. Growing ever higher beginning to match Nightmares power .
Grimmjow stared forward his eyes dead locked onto nightmare looking through rain soaked blue hair that dripped over his face, a serious and fierce look on Grimmjows face.
"THIS IS DESTINY GRIMMJOW! OUR FATES DECIDED ON THIS FINAL BATTLE! HAHAHAHAHAAHAHAAAAAH!" Nightmare laughed maniacally.
Grimmjow wasn't phased, he looked forward, raising his power exponentially.
Cmon….. cmon…. Almost there…higher higher….. Keep it up Grimm!
Western Karakura Town….
Isshin continued his battle with Yammy. The two matching blow for blow….
"Its time we ended this… Shinigami." Yammy said with seriousness in his voice.
"You think? I was just starting to have a little fun…." Isshin punched forward creating a schock wave of force that sent Yammy off of his feet, whom recovered quite well from the attack. Yammy smirked as he then cut his hand with his sword, blood trickling out of the cut as an orange sphere of energy bgan to form and grow in size before Isshin.
Shit shit shit a Cero!
"This… Isshin…. Is the espadas ultimate cero…." Yammy laughed as it got to full size.
"GRAN REY CERO!" Yammy roared as the ball exploded out into a large wide beam of energy.
Isshin growled. "Getsuga TENSHO!"
Yammy laughed as he watched the cero make its way toward Isshin, then the unthinkable.
"WHAT!" Yammy roared.
The orange energy was blasted back from a large tower of blue energy that surged towards Yammy.
Yammy stepped back his eyes completely widened as the blue energy surged forward and consumed him completely, ripping him apart particle by particle.
After it subsided the smoke cleared as Isshin threw his sword over his shoulder, a large cleaver like sword with chains wrapping over his hand and handle. "I was impressed by your strength.. Yammy Llargo… but your life must come to an end…. Hmm?"
Isshin looked up to the sky as it turned black and began to downpour he turned around looking through the rain up to the skyscrapers in the mid section of downtown seeing two different colored Reiatsu's blaze into the sky.
"Looks like this will be titanic….." Isshin smiled.
East Karakura Town mall.
Yoruichi jumped back into battle once again with Nelliel tu Odelshwanck…. Slightly wounded Yoruichi continued to out speed the tres Espada.
"You're a challenge ill admit….. but I will get victory an return to master nightmare." Nelliel luahged.
"This isn't close to over you know, we still have a lot left in power." Yoruichi smirked.
The two stopped to feel two tremendous spiritual pressures begin to overcome everything.
"Ahhhhh Master Nightmare is going to release… but who is the other one fighting him, that power is on par with my master…" Nelliel said outloud.
"Grimmjow…." Yoruichi whispered. "You finally used it….."
Skyline of Karakura downtown.
"Cmon Grimmjow… LET IT ALL OUT!" Nightmare continued to laugh.
The two's reiatsu climbed higher, releasing everything they had, the wind whipped around them as twisters formed around them and danced with their spiraling reiatsus.
"Its time you knew your fears Grimmjow!" Nightmare yelled. "RISE AND SHRIEK!... RABIAR CUERVO!" (Raging Raven)
Nightmare plunged his blade into the ground as his reiatsu exploded out causing the ground to shake under him.
Grimmjow felt his power rise to the level he wanted, THERE!
"Ok here it goes!" Grimmjow yelled as he forcibly curled his fingers that were pressed into the blade, as it created a scratching noise as he scratched his fingers down the blade and off of it, Blue reiatsu coming from the blade going into his arm.
"BANKAI!" He roared.
His reiatsu exploded like wild fire as the two powers collided with such intensity the ground below them began to shake. Windows on the skyscrapers began to shatter and the storm raged on, lightning dancing through the sky as the blue and red power collided.
The power release turned skyward and finally dissipated leaving a cloudy smoke.
A long double-edged sword stuck out and slashed sideways. There stood Nightmare, his armor protruded out still but he was now adorning a tattered and ragged cloak with very large black bone bird wings. Nightmare stared at his new sword, the large double bladed sword felt weightless in his hands.
"See this Grimmjow! This is your demise!" Nightmare laughed.
The smoke didn't clear yet over on the other skyscraper where Grimmjow supposedly was, but he could hear a hoarse howling noise coming from there and a small ball of blue light.
Nightmare stared closer to the ball in curiosity as the ball expanded out and a surging beam of blue energy blazed towards Nightmare, who barely blocked the blast from totally annihilating him.
"What the hell was that!" Nightmare demanded.
The smoke finally cleared and out stepped Grimmjow. He still wore the same jacket and all, but was covered in a blue hued armor reminiscent of his old Resurreccion form, on his arms, covered with the same armor. Two longer blades protruded out from his wrist and curled like claws, his hands were pressed together, smoke coming from them. His legs were covered in the same armor as his body and his feet were clawed as well giving him a slender beast like appearance. The Shihakushō bottom he wore was torn up making his armored legs more visible.
Nightmares eyes widened, How is that possible….. he shot a cero at me? Or was it a cero…
"You must be thinking how I was able to shoot a cero… well its very similar to a cero…. See this is my Bankai, Nightmare… Pantera de Acero (Steel Panther) my bankai is my pride as an espada… almost like a resurreccion… but the power has a different, feel to it…. Kinda like this…. Desgaron!" Grimmjow roared as he slashed downward.
Nightmare cocked an eyebrow, but mere milliseconds later, two blue streaks of energy slashed downward on Nightmares chest.
"COUGH** what the hell." Nightmare spat up some blood. He is able to generate blades of energy with his hands.
Nightmare looked up seeing Grimmjow floating just above his head.
"Why you little pest!" Nightmare swung upwards with his sword and Grimmjow dodged with ease.
"you move pretty well for wearing that armor Grimmjow…. How is it that you got faster." Nightmare asked.
"this armor is very light weight, thus letting me move even faster now than in either sealed or released forms" Grimmjow attempted to stab at Nightmare who disappeared completely.
"still too slow Grimmjow…." Nightmare coyed but was cut short because Grimmjow was pointing a finger at Nightmare from under his arm, a ball of energy formed and shot a lightning like beam at Nightmare, who dodged it aimlessly.
"Cmon old man… you can do better than that." Grimmjow yelled.
Nightmare appeared infront of Grimmjow and extended his bony wings. "Feather storm….." Nightmare whispered as purple blades of energy in the form of feathers appeared and flowed towards Grimmjow encircling him.
"Really….. What kind of pathetic crap is this old man….." Grimmjow sneered. Grimmjow cupped his hands together and created a sphere of energy, he expanded his hands making it bigger as he thrust it forward shooting out a wide beam of energy trying to blow up the surrounding feathers, he managed to punch a hole towards Nightmare as he slipped through with incredible speed appearing right infront of Nightmares face who began swinging his blade.
Grimmjow grabbed the blade how ever and slashed Nightmare across the chest, the armor how ever wasn't phased the least. The rest of the feathers came back and slashed in a flurry like storm before disappearing, Grimmjow dropped to a knee for a moment as his armor had two cuts in the shoulders, his clothes torn. And a trickle of blood fell from his cut up cheek.
"Surprised Grimmjow…. The armors strength is dependant on the wearers spiritual pressure….. your attack there was no where close." Nightmare laughed.
Grimmjow groaned and kicked Nightmare in the face sending him hurling towards a skyscraper, Nightmare recovered however and turned to find Grimmjow grabbing at his armor, attempting to rip it off.
Nightmare resisted all he could, "Get off of me you imbecile!"
Grimmjow yelled as he put his full force into ripping away the armor. The armor began to tear wider and wider until.
It Shattered!
Nightmare became pissed.
East Karakura mall
Yoruichi continued her intense fight with Nelliel, fighting on equal footing with the resureccion tres espada…
"**pant pant** I have to….. End this." Yoruichi stood ready again to fight.
Nelliel was heavily exhausted, her Resurreccion began to fade, and before long she was back to her original form.
Yoruichi moved closer to her…. Until she noticed something in her eyes.
Nelliels red eyes faded away exposing two orbs of sage green.
"Huh? Where am I? Whats Nel doing here?" Nelliel looked around at the tattered surroundings.
"your fighting me remember?" Yoruichi said panting slightly.
"Why would I fight you, you haven't given me a reason to fight you, im not like that." Nelliel replied. "I remember walking around in las Noches, and then I woke up here, where am I?" Nelliel asked.
"you're in the world of the living….." Yoruichi said.
"hahahaah your funny…. Wait really?" Nelliel asked.
Yoruichi nodded, and Nelliel looked around more.
"Nightmare was controlling the hollows wasn't he?" Yoruichi asked.
"Nightmare…. Von Ollivante? I thought he was dead….." Nelliel said.
"No hes alive, Grimmjow is fighting him…. Hopefully Ichigo gets-"
"ICHIGO! WHERE IS HE!" Nelliel asked squealing.
"Uh, hes going to be back shortly," Yoruichi said sighing.
"Ichigo and I are good friends. He can help beat Nightmare, I know he can….." Nelliel yelled. "I hope so any way….. because Nightmare hasn't used his true power yet….."
"Wait he isn't even trying?" Yoruichi said shocked.
Nelliel shook her head, "No he has only released once…."
Karakura Skyline
Grimmjow jumped back ready for Nightmare to retaliate. How ever Nightmare looked at Grimmjow scowling.
"whats the matter? Did I break something of yours?" Grimmjow laughed.
"Grimmjow, you shouldn't have done that…. That armor was controlling the hollows, but it also prevented me from using my full power…."
Grimmjow's eyes widened.
"Segunda Etapa" Nightmare said as his red reatsu turned black and completely surrounded him.