As the explosive beam of light that engulfed Yammy died down. The once Strongest Espada was reduced to a crippled mess. With third-degree burns covering his body, exposing his roasted flesh and bones. His eyes rolled back to their sockets, and the man's throat was filled with so much pain that he could barely speak.

Then, just when the large man was about to step forward, he slowly stumbled before collapsing to the ground, his body too injured and drained to call upon his anger anymore to heal him, and when he regained focus from his eyes. Yammy then looked at the exhausted Stark, now worn down, weary, and sad.

'How embarrassing...' Yammy muttered bitterly. 'All those years of training, and I still couldn't surpass you. Even with my Segunda Etapa' he then placed his hand over his eyes. 'I am unworthy of the title of Prima'

Stark then forced a smile. 'What the hell you are talking about, you big luge?' He teased. 'You had surpassed me years ago, even without that second form of yours. So you more than earn the title.'

Yammy then let out a short laugh. 'Don't patronize Stark; you're far too good for that,' He rebuked, then took a deep breath and stared deeply into his friend's eyes. 'I would have joined you if you asked, you know.'

Stark then hesitates before answering. 'I didn't want to force-'

'Coyote...' Yammy interrupted, and the man went quiet. 'Whatever I wanted doesn't mean anything if it comes at the cost of our companionship. Unlike you, I cared nothing for those I killed...but I also never looked down upon you when you did.'

The Espada then coughed up a bit of blood, his time drawing near. 'But regardless of our past actions, you deserve a chance to live the life you want...and that is why I need to tell you this now.'

Confused, Stark put his ear next to Yammy's mouth, and the fallen Prima whispered something into his ear that made the former's eyes widen, and when he looked back to face his former friend, he had already passed on.

Jurgram then approached Stark. 'What did he say?'

Coyote remained silent for several seconds and grimly answered, 'We need to find Grimmjow as soon as possible.'

Meanwhile, back within the medical center of the black city. Entire rooms and hallways filled with wounded Quincy, Fullbringers, and nurses and doctors rushing to their side. The sounds of moans, grunts, screaming, and crying echoed throughout the facility.

Standing within the middle of the front entrance of the building was Bazzard Black. His forehead and arms were now covered in bandages while Aura stood beside him.

'If I had known the situation had been this serious, I would have never resigned myself here,' she said grimly as she looked over the wounded and dying. 'And maybe none of this would have happened.'

Bazz-B then then sighed. 'If you think I blame you for your inaction, save your breath, chair-woman. Yhwach gave explicated orders that neither you, the Vanguard, nor any of the other directors here go up to aid the Quincy out of the likelihood that they somehow invaded this place.' he then took a deep breath. 'And the same goes for the imperial guard who refused to leave his majesties side unless given good reason.'

Aura stood silent and looked at the wounded. 'Perhaps...but we never expected the Espada to be so powerful and clever, and countless lives have been lost because of that ignorance.'

Bazz-B then stared at Aura and let out another breath. 'Yeah, we didn't...but whining about it now an't change that.' He focused all his attention on her. 'Right now, we need to focus on getting rid of the rest of the Espada and drive the rest of those Arrancar out of the city, and as soon as I am fully healed-

'Sir!' A female soldat came running up to Bazz-B.

'What is it?' Bazzard ordered, and the Quincy woman began to stumble over his words.

'It's a Espada. He has appeared right outside the Palace of Governance!'

Later, Outside the Palace of Governance, Aura, and Bazzard confront the Espada, which turns out to be Grimmijow Jabberjack fully healed.

'I told you I would be back to kill you all!' The bloodlust man announced while both Bazzard and Aura stared him down.

'And I figured something like this would happen...' Bazz-B thought bitterly. 'But even in his Segunda, Epta. I still have Aura to back me up and the others below the city, and from what I have sensed, he should be the last Espada in the town.'

Grimmijow then smirked. 'Oh, I get what you were thinking; since all the pricks above me have died, it would be easy to take me down due to being middle-class trash!?' He then began to take a stance as the tattooed number behind his back began to glow white, and both Bazz-B and Aura felt a swiftness in his Spiritual pressure.

'Well, wait until you all see this!'

Bazzard wondered what the Espada was talking about, but then, out of his eye, he saw Jugram alongside Stark rushing beside him.

'Bazzard, don't let that man transform!' He shouted with far more desperation than Bazz-B ever heard from the Grandmaster.

But it came at a moment far too late.

Grimmjow was then engulfed into a monster tornado of light blue Spiritual pressure that stretched hundreds of feet across the ground and far beyond the clouds in the sky. With such instantly and force that even Yammy's own Segunda Etapa paled in comparison, As the entire realm and two others beyond it seemingly shook from the strength of the energy alone and prevented anyone else from attacking.

Then, to everyone's horror, the number five on Grimmjow's back burned off his skin, and its ashes swirled around right in front of him into a circle and manifested into numbers labeled from one to ten. Then, they rapidly twirled around into a blur before burning a black tattoo into Grimmjow's forehead.

Then, the explosion of Spiritual energy dispersed, revealing Grimmjow's new form.

He was utterly shirtless, his arms covered in black fur, and his hands turned into razor-sharp claws. His blue hair turned into a sliver, growing mane that was now far broader and longer as if it had a mind of its own. While his eyes became pure black save for a pair of blinding white slit corneas that gleamed with power, and his lower body was covered in white fur with black spots and clawed feet, and in front of his forehead was a black tattoo, the number zero.

Bazzard, Aura, and Jurgram looked on in dread at the Espada's new form, while Grimmjow then began to flex his arms in satisfaction.

'I may have had to lay low for a while, but it paid off. With me finally becoming the Cero Espada!'

Bazzard opened his eyes in disbelief. 'The Cero Espada, what the hell are you talking about!' He shouted in fear and anger, but Grimmjow merely laughed at him.

'It is exactly as I said!' The Panther king declared. 'As a fail-safe, whenever any Espada was either killed or defeated. The vast majority of their power is transferred to the numbers of the surviving members, storing it. Eventually, when only one surviving Espada is left, all that power can be released simultaneously!'

Grimmjow then raised his Spiritual power to overwhelming levels to the point it almost made everyone in the group stumble by the sheer force of it as the Espada continued.

'As of now, I possess the complete combined strength of all the Espada!'

Bazzard and the rest of the group gasp in absolute dread at what they just heard and realize that the most significant fight for Silver City has just begun.

Meanwhile, within Las Noches

Ichigo and Gremmy continued attacking Arturo in a sword and spear dance even after they felt the earth tremble around them. But despite them countering the General's attacks and landing deceiving blows upon his being. The massive Arrancar quickly healed from them and retaliated with just as much force.

Seeing that their method of attack wasn't working, Gremmy and Ichigo pulled back.

'That guy keeps healing himself by absorbing the reshi in the air, and he still doesn't seem to be worn down yet,' Ichigo muttered and then looked at Gremmy. 'Can't you use your visionary to prevent him from doing that?'

The young man shook his head. 'I could, but that would require a lot of concentration, given the level of spiritual energy he has, and even if I were to succeed, he would just transform into his Segunda Etapa the moment we present our advantage.' he then took a deep breath. 'There is nothing for it; I must use more than one clone to take this enemy down.

Ichigo then nodded in understanding. Right, I guess I will-

'Alone,' Gremmy interrupted while the Shinigami looked at him, annoyed.

'Look, I already told you I am not abandoning you to face him alone!' Ichigo cried in protest while Gremmy bitterly sighed.

'Kurosaki, if I were to use more than one clone, I cannot guarantee that I won't severely injure you in the process, and nor can I afford you to waste more energy on defeating someone who, while powerful, is weaker than Barragan' Gremmy explained sternly and Kurosaki narrowed his brow in frustration.

'But if we worked together, we can take this guy out and later do the same thing for Barragan!' Ichigo continued to argue, but Gremmy shook his head.

'Kurosaki...do you honestly believe that you can take down Barragan when you are not at your full power, even when he has the potential to rival Yhwach's might?' Gremmy argued back, and Ichigo then went quiet.

He then remembered when he faced the Yhwach of his world when he absorbed the power of the Soul King, how severely outmatched he was before using his hollow powers, and if Barragan was anywhere near that powerful on top of his aging ability. Fighting with anything less than his full strength would be suicide.

As much as he hated to admit it, Gremmy had a point.

Ichigo then turned his back around and then faced the young man. 'Don't try to make me regret doing this,' The Shinigami warned halfheartedly, and Gremmy chuckled.

'You are talking to the most powerful Sternritter in the Holy Kingdom, so try to have a bit more faith in me,' The imperial guard boasted, and Ichigo, with a reassuring smile on his face, left the battlefield in a burst of Shunpo.

Atero then laughed. 'You should have listened to that Shinigami, mind of the Reio, for he was the only one who gave you a chance to defeat me. Much like you only survived me in the past after all your friends sacrificed themselves to save your worthless hide!'

Gremmy then remained silent before twirling his spear of Mars and spoke calmly and resolved. 'I am not the same as I was back then.'

And with that, The visionary and the General clashed against each other once more.

Then, back in Cein's lab. The Alchemist stood over a worn down Royd while carrying a voodoo doll in his hand, detached in half while grabbing a group of toy organs in the other. At the same time, Lille Barrow looked on helplessly.