Harribel and her Fracciones were passing by the corridor that led to Katsuko's chambers. Her Fracciones had no interest in the ongoing conflict in Hueco Mundo. Some Espadas were actually engaging in battle. They were obeying their Espada, who was following the orders Aizen gave everyone. In addition, they were getting ready and making their final preparations to go to war. After all, it was only a matter of time before the Soul Society stormed in with some of their high ranked fighters. When that time comes, it would be Aizen's next move.
From where they stood they could see no door to the room.
There was only smoke in there, preventing them from looking inside.
They could hear things being destroyed in that room.
"The hell's going on over there?" Apacci squinted her eyes.
"It sounds like someone is throwing a childish fit." Sung-Sun said behind her sleeve.
"I think I know who it is." Mila Rose huffed.
Just as she finished her sentence, their leader took calm strides to the room. When the smoke came up to her face, she flicked her hand, and all of it blew away, revealing Noctter Grandett inside. He was holding the broken leg of at table while breathing heavily in the dark. If one looked a the mess surrounding him, it wouldn't be hard to see just what transpired in that room.
"Calm yourself." Harribel spoke to him. For some reason, her voice spooked him a little. His eyes darted to Harribel, and they could all see him regain some life in his eyes. It looked like he was in his own world until she spoke to him. Her Fracciones were just staring at him like as if he was some odd creature they discovered in the deepest cave of Hueco Mundo.
Noctter's fingers loosened around the object and he let it fall with a resounding clack! in the room. As instructed, he breathed in to calm himself down. All they could hear in that room was the brief roll of the table's leg before it stopped against a pile of fragments of what looked like a broken vase. When his breath came out, he suddenly grinned like a playful fool and held up a 'ok' with his hand.
"You're right, Three." Noctter agreed. "It's not like me to get upset like this." He sighed with his shoulders. After he said that, he stuffed his hands in his coat's pockets and started making his way out of the room. Mila Rose and Sung-Sun made way for him when he was coming their way. They didn't want anything to do with that Soul Reaper. Harribel watched him leave with almost a pitiful eye.
His footsteps echoed in the long quiet corridor, and they watched his figure disappear around corner before saying anything.
"Poor thing." Sung-Sun commented.
"Noctter is a wild card." Mila Rose spoke. "You can't tell what he's going to do or how he's going to act."
Apacci scowled and crossed her arms. "It's a wonder how a broken toy can be of use to him."
Harribel could remember the first time she laid her eyes on Noctter when he first appeared. To
say she was surprised was understandable.
His existence was not normal, far from it.
…
…
…
Noctter's face carried an indescribable darkness as he walked. His previous demeanor, cheerful and playful was no longer present.
Earlier, when he sensed Grimmjow's spiritual pressure diminish, he could sense that Ichigo had won the battle. Plus, he felt it grow weaker at some point, giving him hint that Ichigo tried to land a finishing blow on him. He tried to kill Grimmjow. Why? Ichigo wasn't someone who killed his opponents. His purpose to fight was to win and protect. And yet, he dared to try and kill Grimmjow. That discovery had Noctter destroying everything in Katsuko's room, wholly enraged by his fucking insolence.
Just a while a go, he imagined the leg of the table as his sword as he violently rammed it into the couch, picturing Ichigo's face on it.
When Noctter made it to some stairs, his first step came as a stomp.
…
…
…
"I see." Aizen closed his eyes and smiled a little, somewhat pleased. Then, he placed his hand on Noctter's shoulder in a reassuring manner to calm him down more. This caused the blacked haired Soul Reaper to look at Aizen with furrowed brows. He was obviously worried about the whole Katsuko vanishing. But for what? Aizen could not quite figure out for once.
After all, within Noctter, there was inexplicable chaos.
"Don't fret, Noctter Grandett. I can sense Hiragi Katsuko within Las Noches. She is still nearby. With the abilities she learned recently, it wouldn't be hard for her to hide her spiritual pressure from you." Aizen explained to him. This slowly brought some clarity to Noctter's frazzled mind. "In time, you will be able to locate her. For now, I just want to you to keep fighting and follow whatever your heart desires."
"Whatever my heart desires?"
"And make sure to take good care of Hiragi Katsuko when you find her. Although, I have no doubt that you will do so without my say."
…
…
…
What his heart desires?
His face had a maniacal grin on his face as he began climbing.
Alright.
Nnoitra showed up for his turn against Ichigo as Grimmjow laid helplessly on the sand. When seeing that Grimmjow was still alive, Nnoitra tried to finish him off. Tried. Ichigo took his Zanpakuto and blocked his blade and shoved him off, protecting Grimmjow. Chisaki and Inoue backed away from the destruction when Nnoitra swung his blade, the shockwaves was enough to have Inoue stumble back with Nel. Chisaki's eyes widened when she remembered just what kind of state Ichigo was in. He was trying his best to block Nnoitra's swings, but Ichigo had to flash step away when he couldn't keep struggling against the heavy strokes.
He's fighting that Arrancar in this state…!
He can't!
Nel watched worriedly as Ichigo struggled in the air. "Itsygo…!"
Ichigo was suddenly pitched to the ground by another stroke of Nnoitra's blade, sending an enormous wave of sand to fly off behind him as he landed on the ground. The sound of the impact already had Inoue running off to get to him. Chisaki's jolted when she realized just what she was doing. What was she thinking?!
"Kurosaki-kun!"
"Tesla!"
Chisaki's eyes darted to the left when she felt a presence coming closer. She swung her blade and it clashed against another's, stopping them from going after Inoue. It was a slim, male Arrancar with dirty blonde hair. His only visible eye was turquoise while the other was hidden behind an eyepatch. His Hollow mask was on his forehead. Her eyes narrowed when she met his gaze.
Chisaki's turned away from Tesla and pointed her hand towards Inoue's direction.
"Bakudo 81: Danku!"
A slightly transparent and giant wall blocked Inoue's path before she could make it any closer to Ichigo. The wall was adjusted to have a long width, making it harder to simply walk around it. Inoue's hand planted itself on the wall to stop herself from running into it.
She looked at Chisaki with a frantic look. "Naogoma-san…!" Ichigo was in no condition to keep fighting. They both knew that. He needed help! If she could only get there and use her shield to protect him from harm! "Kurosaki-kun's hurt…! He's…!"
"Don't get any closer to them!" Chisaki instructed her seriously. She understood her concern for her friend. But it was not wise to just run to him. "It's too dangerous! If you go there, you will die! If you die, you won't be able to help Kurosaki-san anymore!"
Even if Inoue somehow managed to make it there and heal her, that Arrancar just might kill her on the spot. After that, there was nothing left for Inoue to do but die. That help she wanted to provide would only help in the short run. The hard truth was that, her abilities were more useful as a healer more than anything else. That Arrancar would make quick work of her. And she was realizing this now that Chisaki spat it bluntly in her face. As frustrating as it was, she couldn't do anything against that monster right now.
She'd imagine that's what Katsuko would tell her too.
Chisaki's face looked scarily the same as her.
"Just hold on! I'll think of something!"
"Do you think it wise to remove your eyes off the enemy?" Tesla flicked his sword, making her falter. He easily slashed her side when she wasn't ready. Chisaki's gritted her teeth when the pain flared in her body.
What could she do right now?
Ichigo was still fighting Nnoitra, struggling. She could hear him getting tossed around as she fought her own battle. Damn it! They were so close to finding Katsuko! Why did they have to show up now?! Wait.
Chisaki's pushed back Tesla and frantically looked around.
Grimmjow was gone.
Their lead was gone.
Where the hell did he go?
Was his spiritual pressure that weak for them not to notice him disappearing?
Nnoitra's presence alone must have blocked out Grimmjow's presence from their sensation.
Her blue eyes darted to Ichigo who was panting with one knee the ground.
If only I could…!
Suddenly, Inoue's shield came up and protected Chisaki's back. Tesla's eyes shifted to the human who interfered with the blow. Inoue's steeled herself against his gaze. Her mind was recalling Katsuko's warnings during their training, so she prepared to protect herself if it came down to it.
Chisaki was letting her guard down by thinking too much. But she knew she had to do something right now. And it wasn't wasting her time fighting this pointless battle.
Right.
Chisaki's gaze hardened when she knew what to do next. She aggressively came after Tesla and slashed at him several times, taking him by surprise when he blocked. Where the hell was this sudden strength was coming from? Chisaki let out a cry when landed a harsh stroke that left him wide open for attack. Chisaki removed one hand from her hilt, clasping it around Tesla's sword arm's wrist. This position brought their faces closer. Tesla could feel a light glowing from their point of contact, forcing him to shove her off and take several steps back. His hand lifted to his eyes to spot a ring of blue light around his wrist.
Tesla's eyes narrowed at it. "What is this?"
Chisaki's sheathed her blade when blank look. "Your spiritual power will slowly begin to pause for half an hour or a full. You'll be harmless. Your presence will be nothing more than decor." As the realizing began sinking in, Chisaki lifted her leg and slammed it into his side, knocking his several feet away. Those sparring matches with Mashiro and Kensei were still fresh in her mind. Her Hakuda was nothing to sneeze at. She spun around and marched over to Inoue was watching Ichigo get wrecked by Nnoitra.
Her seals weren't on the same level as Tenka's. If he tried his best to forcefully break the seal, then it just might break it. But it would be enough to subdue him for a while.
Chisaki placed a hand on Inoue's shoulder. "Put up your shield and never put it down. I weakened him enough to not break your shield."
"Naogoma-san…? What are you...?"
Chisaki slammed a hand with Kido to break Danku, creating a shattering sound that caught Ichigo and Nnoitra's attention. "Kurosaki-san!" Chisaki held out her hand. "Grimmjow disappeared! The only lead to Katsuko is gone! I will use my seals on you and pursue him!"
The first problem with that plan was Tesla. She couldn't leave Inoue unguarded when there was a threat right there. So, she used one of those restriction seals on him to cut off his powers to make him unable to harm Inoue in any manner as long as she kept her shield up. As for Ichigo, he could not fight Nnoitra in his state. However, the least she could do was hide away some of his wounds to lessen the burden on his body. As long as she was alive, the seals would not be removed from his body. By doing so, Ichigo could fight back with more strength, he would have a better chance, and she would feel better about leaving Inoue behind even in the presence of that harmless Arrancar. It would not rejuvenate his stamina however. She didn't know if Ichigo could beat this one with the state she'd put him in.
But this was the best strategy she could think of right now to speed up the search of Katsuko.
Hearing this, Ichigo flash stepped closer to her, prompting Nnoirtra to run after him, his arm reeled back to swing his scythe like weapon. Chisaki growled and dashed forward, covering a great distance, shocking Ichigo when she passed him by. Her hand was outstretched to the blade.
Chisaki glared at Nnoitra.
"Bakudo 8: Seki!"
A blue energy came from her hand.
When Nnoitra's blade made contact with it, he was repulsed a great distance away.
The Naogoma quickly placed her hand on Ichigo's chest when she made it to him. A bright green light emitted from her palm, and Ichigo could already feel some of his wounds closing up from it. He was getting to experience first hand just how Naogoma's seals functioned.
"I can follow the weak traces of Grimmjow's spiritual pressure." Chisaki informed him while eying Nnoitra who was getting back up and closing the distance. He wasn't too fast, thankfully. "I will get the answer out of him."
Ichigo eyed Nnoitra, clenching his sword as he got ready to clash with him again. "Yeah. I trust you will. When I'm done here, I'll come find you."
"I'll leave Inoue-san with you. I rendered the other one harmless."
"That's perfect."
Just as he said that, Chisaki bolted away at the last second to dodge the giant weapon coming for her. Ichigo brought his blade forward to slam it against Nnoitra's. Ichigo smirked when he felt much better. The Arrancar looked immensely displeased with Ichigo's recovery. He was planning on toying with him while he was still weak. But that wench was able to heal some of his major wounds to help him fight back. How utterly annoying.
"Why were you so useless, Tesla?!"
"I'm sorry, Nnoitra-sama…"
Ichigo smirked. "What, are you getting worried I might beat you?"
"Don't get cocky, Soul Reaper. You're still too weak to fight against me." Nnoitra stuck his tongue out, revealing his rank among the Espadas. "You're dealing with someone stronger than that guy you could barely defeat!"
"What...?!"
As Chisaki followed the weak traces of Grimmjow's spiritual pressure, Ichigo was left to clash with Nnoitra while Tesla and Inoue watched.
It wouldn't be long until little Nel's hiding spot was discovered.
…
…
…
After Grimmjow escaped Nnoitra and Ichigo's sights, he retreated into a small space where no one would enter lest they had a death wish. His wounds were still open and fresh, leaving him to bleed on the stone floor. He dropped on his back and winced from Nnoitra's cut when it jolted the flesh.
"Fuck…"
He cursed several times as he pushed himself up into a sitting position, slowly inching himself closer to the wall to rest his back against it. He wasn't going to lie on the floor looking like a dead prey for someone to feast on his corpse. Fuck that. When he rested his back against the cold wall, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Now, what to do?
Grimmjow's half-lidded blue eyes stared at the opposite wall.
How utterly frustrating.
He lost against Kurosaki Ichigo.
He hated that fact.
No matter how hard he tried to deny it, he lost.
And then Ichigo protected him from Nnoitra.
…
…
…
"I'm not giving up… there's no way I'd ever…" Grimmjow leaped froward. "Let you win!"
Ichigo tossed away his sword and dodged the tip of his sword to catch his wrist tightly. Grimmjow stopped with his arm out. The angle of his head had him staring at the ground. "Cut it out, Grimmjow. You lost. You may be some kind of King eating everybody you hate until you're alone. But what's the point of that? Wouldn't it be more satisfying to fight me over and over again? So let it go for now!"
Grimmjow kept his head bowed, his eyes shadowed by his messy hair.
"You're not some lone King who walks alone. You have someone who follows you. Don't make him worry more than he has to."
Noctter.
"Don't be cruel to your friend."
He saw how Noctter genuinely cared for his friend.
If Grimmjow truly didn't want to give up, then Ichigo would remain true to his word and offer him another fight another day. But for now, he just needed to stop.
That was the least he can offer right now for both of them.
"… not friends… She's not my friend." Grimmjow ripped his arm away from him with a growl. "Go fuck yourself! You're—"
…
…
…
Grimmjow closed his eyes.
He'll never understand that idiot.
…
His blue eyes shot open when he heard footsteps.
His hand was quick to grab the hilt of his sword.
The spiritual pressure coming from the approaching individual couldn't be detected, making Grimmjow glower in annoyance. Were they purposely hiding it to try and attack him? He seriously wasn't in the mood to deal with weaklings. But he couldn't confidently say that when he was one right now, as frustrating as it was. His eyes stayed fixated on the sole place where someone could appear in his sights. It was doorway to the left that connected another room with this one via a long ass hallway.
Soon the person made themselves known when they stepped into the hallway.
"… You look sad."
"Shut the hell up."
It was Noctter.
He still had his hands placed in his coat's pockets. But the eerie maniacal grin was absent. The truth is, sensing Grimmjow's spiritual pressure moving towards some place in the fortress calmed him down a little. He wasted no time in searching for him. He needed to see him. He needed to see the damage done to Grimmjow after Ichigo tried to kill him. And when he saw the Sixth Espada's body… he couldn't help but feel slightly despondent and worried.
He was still alive and breathing.
Grimmjow was still alive.
That's all that mattered.
While Noctter felt all types of emotions well up inside of him, Grimmjow didn't share the same emotions. In fact, he felt even more on edge after seeing Noctter. Everyone knew just what kind of chaos this person contained in his body. There was no telling just what he might do depending on his mood. However, Grimmjow's grip on his sword laxed when he recalled what Aizen told him a few days.
It was little after Katsuko began disappearing.
That's what made it so twisted and pitiful to watch Noctter.
"What do you want?" Grimmjow finally asked, causing Noctter to sigh and walk over to him, his feet dragging with each step.
"Kurosaki Ichigo defeated in you in battle." Noctter lamented, but his face was nothing but. Grimmjow's sharp eyes narrowed at him before shifting away from the crystal green eyes that watched him. "He put you in that state… he deserves retribution."
This had Grimmjow snap his head back at him. "You leave him the fuck alone. He's mine to kill." He seethed at him. When he would get back in top shape, he was going to demand another fight from Ichigo and kill him for sure this time. He wasn't going to let this be the end of it. He was never going to be satisfied until he killed Kurosaki Ichigo. He didn't want anyone else stealing his prey…
And he still owed Ulquiorra some punishment for attempting to take Ichigo's life.
Noctter sighed once more and squatted down in front of Grimmjow, his arms resting on his knees. "You know… normally, I'd listen to you…" He admitted before resting his forehead on his arms, hiding his face from the Espada. "But Sousuke told me to follow what my heart desires… He also told me to fight. Funny enough, fighting is exactly what I feel like doing right now…"
Grimmjow scowled deeply.
Sousuke.
It was too late.
As Noctter said, he was usually loyal to Grimmjow, not in a vassal type way, but he was, for some reason, extremely loyal to Aizen despite how he may not show it.
"I'm warning you. Leave that guy alone. He's mine." Grimmjow grabbed the front of his coat. "You hear me?!"
There was no playful retort to that. There wasn't a laugh.
No, just an action.
Noctter smiled and fell forward on his knees between Grimmjow's legs. To the Arrancar's shock, Noctter gingerly wrapped his arms around his neck and placed a hand gently atop his blue hair. What was with this embrace? Grimmjow's eyes widened when felt Noctter's black hair touch the side of his face. If he wanted to, he could easily kill Grimmjow.
It would be little challenge.
But he would never do that.
Why would he?
"It's alright. I want to fight and protect you in my own way. If I see my friends hurt and could use some help, I'll obviously go and protect them. I don't want to just sit and watch. Get hurt? Then I'll support you. Can't move? Well damn, I guess I'll have to fight in your place."
Noctter was loyal to his friends.
"I'm just following my heart."
Noctter's body shifted against the Arrancar's. Grimmjow groaned and lifted a hand to push off Noctter off of him, slightly repulsed by his touch, leaving the Soul Reaper's hands on his shoulders.
He stilled when he saw Noctter's appearance.
What the…
…
…
…
Rukia's eyes gradually opened.
She was finally regaining consciousness.
Her fight against that Espada who took on Shiba Kaien's appearance, someone who she whole heartedly respected, took so much out of her. The enemy used Kaien's weapon, Nejibana, to hold her up with the trident in her body, thinking he had won. But she was able to use Shirafune to kill the Espada when he least expected it.
Rukia used her hands to push herself up on her knees. Her Zanpakuto already reverted back to its sealed state while she was unconscious—
Wait.
Rukia looked down at her body and saw a pool of dried blood on the ice.
But her body was healed.
Even her Shihakusho was repaired.
"Wait a second…" Rukia held a up a hand to her face when she recalled something.
It was fuzzy, almost like static.
Was there… someone crying?
Rukia stretched her mouth to the side.
There was the feeling of something dry on her face.
Dried tears on her cheek.
Rukia's eyes were losing the life in them as she stayed immobile on the floor. She was really falling in and out of consciousness each time her eyes closed and opened. Her state repeated several times. But she was sure that at some point, she could see a figure in white kneeling before her, saying something she couldn't quite comprehend.
But maybe she did hear…
She was just too weak to say anything else.
Odd. There were drops of rain falling on her cheek.
But from where?
And… what was this feeling?
Rukia's eyes closed once more.
Who was that?
When she opened her eyes again, she saw the figure walking away.
The individual wasn't so tall nor so short.
They wore a black as they walked away.
Her eyes blinked slowly.
The figure was in white this time.
"Wait…" Rukia's soft whisper was lost in the empty room as the individual left, leaving Rukia to fall intot he hands of unconsciousness.
"You…"
"Wait…"
Rukia's eyes widened.
It was clear to her now.
The spiritual pressure that person executed almost scared her now that her memories somehow became clear.
The one who healed her after her fight against that Espada…
"No, this can't be…" Rukia gripped her sword and pushed herself up on her feet. The memories from before were ringing warning bells in her head. "I have to tell the others…!" She needed to get moving. It was imperative she met up with someone. She needed to find someone to—
Rukia stiffened when she felt a new presence in the room. She looked behind her and found a large dark man dressed in white. It was another Arrancar. An Espada, too? Rukia
"That's not good." Zommari gazed at her apathetically. He reached for his Zanpakuto, pulling it out of his sheath slowly as he took slow steps towards Rukia. "You made a mistake, Aaroniero… you didn't remove the head of your opponent. That's why this Soul Reaper is this alive."
"Who are you?" Rukia asked. Her body was healed. And she had plenty of time to regain her strength. She was actually in top shape for another fight to be honest. "Are you an Espada?"
"That is correct, I am Zommari Rureaux, the Septima Espada." He took out his blade completely. "But my identity does not matter, Miss Soul Reaper. I am here to clean up Aaroniero's mess by taking your head."
Rukia gritted her teeth when he said that.
I won't be able to tell anyone just yet…
She was going to fight the seventh Espada when she already had trouble against the ninth. This is was going to be difficult. The spiritual pressure she felt from him was more than enough to tell her that.
Ichigo…
Chisaki slid to a stop against the sands when Grimmjow's spiritual pressure disappeared. No. It vanished. What the hell? What happened? He didn't die, did he? No. He wasn't dead. Because she could slightly feel Noctter Grandett's spiritual pressure coming from the place it disappeared. He probably hid away Grimmjow's spiritual pressure on purpose to prevent them from finding the Espada. Damn him.
Her blue eyes were casted to the ground as she clenched her fists.
As much as she wanted to solve the mystery of Noctter Grandett's appearance… she knew she had to focus on Katsuko.
That little girl she met basically saved her life when she was in great need of a shelter.
She was the only soul capable of hiding her.
She never understood why though.
But for that fact and because of the Hollow, Chisaki owed Katsuko so much. She owed it to her to bring her home where she was safe, away from Aizen's schemes. Chisaki knew that Katsuko was alive because she also felt her spiritual pressure near Rukia that one time.
Wait…
Katsuko was the only soul capable of housing her.
The other humans' souls refused to keep her inside.
The fact that Katsuko was able to… did Aizen somehow know why? What if it wasn't the human souls rejecting her… but the other way around? Was she the one rejecting them...?
What if it was her Hollow?
If her Hollow was the reason why it chose Katsuko… why did it reject the others?
That was an extremely good question to ask herself.
Oh god. It was terrifying being clueless like this.
Okay. For now, she'll just go to the place where Grimmjow's spiritual pressure disappeared. Maybe, she could find some type of hint where to find him, and she would have Kido spells ready to get the answer out of him. And soon, she would actually find Grimmjow, half healed enough for him to not be in major pain. It was Noctter. He had healed him enough before moving on and planning whatever he wanted to do next. He was still sitting against the wall with his Zanpakuto in his hand. When he saw Chisaki's face, he narrowed his eyes at her, causing her to stiffen. She was crazy to think she could demand answer out of Grimmjow, an Espada, but it was that or the hard way.
As for Grimmjow, he could only see Katsuko in Chisaki.
Very unsettling to see.
"You made a deal with Ichigo. Where is Hiragi Katsuko?" Chisaki demanded fiercely.
"Tch... you look just like her." Grimmjow looked away.
Aizen was his leader, yes. But he wasn't just some dog he could whistle up and expect him to obey every order. He was never his damn obedient dog. He didn't care about Aizen's ambitions. He'd do whatever he wanted without anyone telling him otherwise. That's what it meant to be King.
Chisaki stepped back with a hand on her hilt when Grimmjow pushed himself up on his feet. His sword was still in his hand. It was foolish to hope he would give her an answer without having her killed.
"Fine. I'll tell you the truth."
【The Search For H-K IV: Modulation】
So far, I've had reviews going 'idk what the hell is happening' but only 1 has a clear guess. I love the 'idk what's happening' reviews lol. Has anyone got more guesses?
Okay. So, next chapter is really about what happened to Katsuko in Hueco Mundo!
And like last time, I was rushing to finish this in time! If there are any mistakes, I'll fix them later.
Thank you for reading and I hope you have a nice day/night!