Chapter 33: Paths 3
Unlike the paths taken by others, the one that Chad and Lily were going through was alight with reishi blasts and explosions everywhere.
"To your left, to your left!" alerted Lilynette, and Chad wasted no time firing off another 'El directo' from his right arm, disintegrating the hollow that had been charging up a cero. A quick backhand and another El Directo stemming from the momentum of his backhand obliterated a flying hollow and half a dozen four legged hollows. Three pathways lay ahead of them, one to the left and two branching pathways to the right.
"That one!" screamed Lily, pointing to the rightmost path. She then jumped over a hollow that came sliding at her. Chad then grabbed the girl and kicked the hollow coming after them, sending it crashing into the ceiling.
"GUUUH!" Chad could feel a blast hit him squarely in the back, sending him toppling over. Lily found herself rolling along with Chad as he protectively covered over her as he rolled along. From afar, two more hollows were firing off balas
"Tch" A quick side step and two quick blasts were enough to obliterate the hollows along with a good portion of the wall. He paid it no heed, quickly checking over to see if Lily was unharmed before proceeding further.
That's how their entire ordeal had been from start to finish. Lily knew this of course, for this was the area where the hollows meant to be turned into arrancars were. Normally, Espada wouldn't even bother visiting a place like this, though some of the fraccione would from time to time. Even so, being lowly hollows none of the inhabitants of this section of the palace would actually dare try anything against arrancars. But for Lily who hung out with Crescent, there was practically no place she hadn't been in all of Las Noches. Perks of being arrancars but not a combat one, she would tell herself. Once the alarm had sounded, it was a free for all, and they were IT.
"But the good part is that you won't likely meet anyone way above your level save for the occasional fraccione" said Lily to Chad. "Given how many of these guys there are, we have no choice but to plough through. If I was by myself, these guys wouldn't have done anything to me. But since you're with me, they have all reason to try and attack us both. You think you can manage?" Chad nodded.
"I know what you said earlier, but I think you can give us some credit. We're not that weak you know" he said. And that was true, Lily told herself. The big guy was actually half decent. None of the hollows here had posed any sort of threat to him and the few hits he had tanked did nothing more than to slow him temporarily. All while protecting Lilynette from harm.
"Alright, you have me impressed" she replied. "For being a mere human, I'd say that was pretty kickass" she admitted. "Still, don't get too confident, big guy. These guys are just small fry. Remember, we still don't want to meet any Espada or arrancars. We see one, we run the other way. Got it?"
Chad too, had been surprised by his own self. Since coming here, he could feel something as different. His arm felt quite different than before, and at times, even using his left arm packed enough power to finish off hollows. It was as if there was something there, dormant, waiting for the right stimulus to awaken. As for his Right Arm of the Giant, he could fire way more reishi shots with it than he ever could without truly becoming tired. Not only that, he could even control its power so that every time he threw a punch, it didn't end up destroying the entire wall.
The duo kept running, now finding themselves in a long hallway with pillars on each side and giant glass windows on the left. The sands of Hueco Mundo could be seen quite clearly. At the end of the hallway was a spiral staircase that went upwards and downwards.
"This is it. From here, we just need to go down and then we'll be in a place where we can reach the others if they made it out as well" said Lilynette. Chad could sense relief in her voice. "Even knowing that there wont be any powerful arrancars here, its still unnerving just knowing that someone could have come here" she said, heaving a sigh of relief. "Anyways, great job, big guy. If you're still up and rearing, let's get out of here before something happens. I don't want to stay here a second longer"
The two ran along the depths of the hallway, down the stairs and through a short corridor before ending up under the radiant blue skies and vast white sands of Las Noches. In the distance, Chad could make out many titanic pillars, some slanted, some upright along with the other sections of the palace.
"We made it" said Lilynette, smiling. "Now, we just need to find the others, I'd say, let's start wit-"
"Well, well, well…! What….do…we….have….here….!" came a disturbingly slithery, snake like voice. The gentle giant and the horned arrancar froze where they stood, a devilish chill running down their spines. Lilynette slowly turned around to see none other than the lanky form of the 8th Espada, Nnoitora Gilga grinning at the duo with glee.
"…..Dammit of all the scumbags we could run into….…..it HAD to be this one…me and my mouth…." she rasped, holding on to Chad's hands tightly. He could tell that she was tense.
"Now that's not a nice way to greet a fellow arrancar, now is it? I don't see the big guy with you. Don't tell me you're all by yourself, Lily-chan?" he asked, his perverted grin widening even more. Chad stepped forward, covering Lily protectively. "And just who are you?" he asked.
"Espada No 8, Nnoitora Gilga at your service" he said with a sly grin. "Now, tell me, Lily-chan, what could possibly bring someone like you here with one of the intruders to boot?" he asked with a grin.
"Yeah? What's it to you? I can go wherever I damn please. It's none of your damn business. So why don't you just buzz off and I'll go my own way. If you do, I'll ask Starrk not to beat you down too much" snapped Lily.
"Someone's gotten quite cocky I see. I wonder how long you can keep up your bravado when your precious Starrk isn't around to save your traitorous ass. So even if I slice you up, no one's gonna complain about it. Or…..maybe I should just use you to get rid of that whore Harribel or that bitch Nelliel or that broad Ruby" he said, licking his sickle like blade. Chad had enough, rushing forward to attack Nnoitora after sensing his bloodlust towards Lily.
"Wait, you absolute moron, are you crazy?! Didn't we agree that we see an arrancar we run?! Hey!" shouted Lily, but to no avail. Nnoitora merely welcomed Chad charging in towards him with a sinister smile.
*BOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!*
Chad's right fist hit Nnoitora right in his chest, a loud resounding noise ringing out from the impact. It was an attack that could take out multiple hollows at once, even destroying walls with a single hit. And yet, the eight Espada hadn't so much moved from the spot.
"Really?! That's all the spine you have? What a fucking joke!"
*SCHICKK!*
Lily watched helplessly as Chad's Right Arm of the Giant was cut clean in two with a single stroke of Nnoitora's zanpakuto, drawing a large spray of blood.
*SCHICK!*
*SCHICK!*
On and on he went, slicing at Chad in several different places, making sure all of those cuts were non-lethal, so that he could prolong his onslaught for as long as possible. The gentle giant was already on the ground, his red life stream pouring and staining the white sands with the same color.
"Stop…!" shouted Lily. "He's down, he cant fight you, why're you still mutilating him?! Stop you evil asshole!"
"Now why would I do that?" asked Nnoitora in a slippery voice. "He's intruder-sama and Aizen-sama has given permission to take care of intruders like this flea" he said, striking at him once more. "What surprises me is why the fuck do you care for a measly human like this one" he asked. "It's not like you know him" *SCHICK!* "And it's not like Aizen-sama asked to anyone to spare him like that human pet of his" *SCHICK!* "So tell me, Lily-chan, Why, are you covering for a weakling like him?" he asked, smiling with glee. Lily only continued to glare at him. Nnoitora smiled once more.
"I know, let's do this instead! You're already doomed to be killed for letting these intruders inside the palace. After this guy, I think I'll slice you down as well. I hate cutting down weaklings, but well, orders are orders" he said in a sinister manner. "However, I'll give you the choice of walking away scoot-free. Just like that. But, I'll be taking care of the intruder. I'll even tell Aizen-sama to lighten your punishment for bringing one of the intruders to be disposed of. You wont be a traitor anymore. Now isn't that a wonderful deal? For disposing a human you don't even know, you get away practically with everything you've done" he said, closing in on her, smiling down on her face. "Howeverrrrr~~!" he hissed. "If you really want to save this human, I'll do so on the condition that you become my personal pet" he said, holding her cheeks. Lilynette tried turning her face away, only for him to hold her tighter. "You'll do everything I say till the day you die, be it against your precious Starrk, or bringing me that bitch Nelliel or becoming bait for me to finish of that broad Ruby once and for all" he said, grinning like a mad man. "You wont have to die nor will this human. If you'd like, I'll even help you reach the other intruders and save them. See? Arent I generous? You wont find a being that treats his pets so generously, don't you agree?"
Chad could barely move his body, the cuts on his body filling him with searing pain every time he tried to move even a little. He was disappointed by how quickly his body had refused to listen to his brain's demands. He'd suffered many types of injuries before; be it while taking the attacks of bullies back when he was young, be it having a steel beam fall on him and a motorcycle crash on him when he was protecting the boy's soul stuck in the parakeet's body, or be it fighting soul reapers in the Soul Society. But nothing hurt him more nor imprinted the imminent fear of death on him as much as the injuries Nnoitora had inflicted on him in mere moments. He felt disappointed and ashamed that he, who always gave it his all and made it his calling to use his strength to protect those he cared for, just like his grandfather wanted him to, couldn't protect the little girl in front of him as she was made to face the twisted arrancar in front of him. He never thought he would see someone fall so low, even for being an arrancar.
"Well, I'm waiting" called out Nnoitora with glee. "I may be generous but even I have my patience you know? So choose!" he asked her. Lilynette spared a glace at Chad, noticing that though he was awake, he was just barely there. Helplessness at her own weak self and hopelessness was what she felt. And yet,
*SPLAAAT!*
"Do your worst, snake-eyed scumbag. Like I'd believe anything that comes out of your devious mouth. You thought you could get me to do whatever you want by using a cheap threat like that just because I couldn't fight? Even if I had to die at your hands, I would rather die knowing that the 'great 8th Espada' couldn't even get a 'little girl' like me to agree to his demands" spat Lily, calmly looking at him with a look of utter defiance. Nnoitora's expression grew to one of shock, before he scrunched his face with an expression of delirious rage.
"Now THAT was pretty fuckin' stupid Lily-chaaaaan~~!" he roared, holding her by her throat and bringing his sickle like Zanpakuto to her throat, clearly intending to lop it off.
*BZZZT!*
*KLAAAAANG!*
The blade was mere inches from Lily's face. Nnoitora had the most displeased expression on his face. Parrying his zanpakuto, glaring at the snake-eyed arrancar was Tier Harribel. And with her, just a few paces behind her was Orihime Inoue, watching with a horrified expression as her companion collapsed to the ground covered in wounds.
"N…no….this is horrible…! I'll heal you up right away..!" exclaimed Orihime, projecting her Soten Kisshun over him.
"Why….you….!" growled Nnoitora, struggling under Harribel's pressure.
"Tia…! You're….here….!" exclaimed Lily with a look of relief. Tier said nothing, merely striking back at Nnoitora multiple times, pushing him away with each hit. The snake-eyed arrancar was barely managing to hold up his own against the 3rd Espada whereas the blonde arrancar didn't even looked fazed.
"Tch!" Nnoitora used a quick sonido to put some distance between himself and Tier, charging a cero in his mouth as her did.
*BRRRRR!*
Tier simply charged a smaller cero firing back. Though not at its full power, it had been more than sufficient to intercept Nnoitora's blast. The collision kicked up the nearby sand and dust, obscuring their line of sight. An opening that the snake eyed arrancar used to make his quick getaway.
"Cowardly bastard" cursed Tier, sheathing her sword. A relieved Lily ran up to her, hugging her.
"Tia! Oh thank god you're here! You really showed that guy his place!" she said with a wide smile. Tia rubbed her head.
"You were quite admirable too. I'm proud of how you handled the whole situation, especially when faced with someone as despicable as Nnoitora" she said with a smile.
"Tia…..how come she's here with you?" asked Lily, pointing to Orihime. Chad's injuries were just about gone. "And…..where's Ru-chan? Did you manage to find any of the others?"
"Actually, it was the little one who came up to me with her. She looked quite disturbed. It turns out, Loly and Menoly were abusing her while we weren't looking. Ruby took care of Loly and made sure Menoly wouldn't dare do something like this ever again but it still leaves a bad taste" said Tier. "Which is understandable of course, considering that she was technically under our responsibility. Even so, I've personally reprimanded her for not even mentioning this when she had the opportunity to do so multiple times. What doesn't help also is knowing the identity of our intruders here. All she asked me was that I take her with me and that she wanted to look for Ichigo herself. She said that it was something she had to do herself, and didn't want to burden us with that task. As for the other intruders, I haven't come across them. You're the first ones. Seeing as you aren't with the others, am I to assume you were split up?"
Lily nodded. "And Crescent is with one of them. We got split up so suddenly, I didn't really have the opportunity to make out who was with who. But…..Crescent was sticking quite close to one of the soul reapers. She's about Crescent's age appearance wise and has pink hair. Her name's Yachiru. The two were getting along really well and didn't leave each other the whole time. My best bet is that she's stuck with her. I'm not sure about Ichigo and the others"
Tier sighed. "I see. This whole ordeal has become much more complicated than I thought. After the announcement from Gin Ichimaru about our intruders, we decided to split up and look for them separately as well. Considering the route you came in from, all we needed to do was to look for you here, which is where all of you would eventually end up. So I suggest that we go look for the others here. They should be quite close by if they've made it out to this area. Nel and the others are already there waiting for them, so it shouldn't be an issue. But before that"
"Yeah. Sounds like a plan. But before that, I have one last thing to settle, Tia. It wont take long" said Lily, walking up to Chad who lay on the ground after Orihime finished healing him. She went up to the gentle giant, pulled his face up by his collar and…
*SLAAAAP!*
Orihime stood there stunned, and Chad stayed on the ground, shocked. Pain shot across his cheek, but what stung more was the furious expression on Lilynette's face.
"You! What were you thinking back there?! What the hell did I tell you?! We see an arrancar, we run! We see an Espada, we fucking run! Does 'run' mean draw back your fist and try punching a hole through them? Huh?!" she said, shaking his collar back and forth. "Did I ever, in all that time, ask for your help? Did anyone here ask you guys to come here and call for your help? No. That was something you decided on your own. Made it your job instead of going to school like a good boy. All because you got your hands on a little bit of power. And suddenly, you think you can start playing hero. Know you place, human!" she continued, berating him, making Chad flinch at the last sentence.
"And you!" she went up to Orihime. "I don't know what you were thinking or what plan you had, but why would you….no scratch that, why would ANY sane human let themselves be abused like that from those two of all people when all they needed to do was let the right people know? What were you thinking?!" she roared, and Orihime shrunk within herself.
"I….I just….wanted to…it was my problem….that's why, I didn't want to involve anyone…" she replied meekly.
"Well, now hasn't that worked out spectacularly?" asked Lily with sarcasm. "Not only did you continue suffering at their hands for way longer than you should have, you also got Ru-chan and us to feel guilty about it because you made us look like complete fools who wouldn't even take care of a single human without her being tortured and abused. And the end result? This bozo now has a reason to snap back at us and tell us 'Oh but see! We weren't wrong in coming and rescuing her! After all, you guys couldn't take care of her!'" she snarled, pointing to Chad. "If in all that time there was somebody you could just put in a word to and have them solve your problem…..oh wait, there was! Nel, Ruby, Starrk, Lilynette, Tier, Grimmjow, Apacci, Mila-Rose, Sung-sun, Yuzu, Ulquiorra! And yet, somehow, princess-sama here felt she needed to take care of a bunch of arrancars all by herself when she herself thinks twice about harming a single fly. If you want to take care of your own shit, make up your damn mind and don't be so half hearted in it and most of all, don't get others involved!" she continued on and on and on, making Orihime and even Chad shrink further and further within themselves. Orihime looked like she was on the verge of tears. "Don't forget, you're here. In Hueco Mundo. You do what it takes to survive. Even if it means calling for others to help you. I don't know what kind of sense of justice or honor or whatever crap you guys have from where you came from, but being here, if you can't follow the rules of this place, you shouldn't be here and cause problems for the rest of us"
Lily's throat was parched and she was out of breath from chastising the two in front of her. Even Tier had done nothing to stop Lily from ranting on top of her voice. Because those were her words and thoughts she shared as well as he other companions.
"Tia…..I think we should just boot these guys back to the World of the Living. I can't stand to see Ru-chan continue to worry about these guys doing stupid shit any longer. Why don't you open a Garganta and just yeet these guys out of here?" she suggested.
"We…..we're sorry…" came Orihime's voice immediately, tears dripping from her eyes. "….sorry….we won't cause you any more trouble…..and we'll listen to what you have to say…please….just let us come with you as well…we want to see this through till the end…please….." Chad hung his head in shame. Lily gave them a long hard look, before her expression softened, if only slightly.
"….fine, but this time, you guys are staying exactly where we ask you to stay and do what we ask you to do" she said. Orihime and Chad unconditionally nodded their head. "Good. As long as we're clear on that, I'm sure we can make things work. And also….sorry about earlier. Even though I said all that, it's still true that you went through horrible things because of Loly and Menoly and who knows whom else. I'm angry that you didn't tell us, but to be able to bear with that for all this time…..please understand that I only got angry because you went through all that when you didn't deserve it and didn't have to go through it"
"N..no, it's fine. I know you, Ruby-san, Nel-san and the others cared for me a lot. That's why I didn't want to burden you all. But…..from now on, I won't do something like this again. That's why, please allow us to come along as well" asked Orihime.
"Let's make haste and regroup with the rest first" she suggested. Lily nodded and the four of them made their way across the open plains.
After defeating Dordoni, Ichigo Kurosaki and the hooded girl continued onwards on the linear path they were on. At first, Ichigo had been carrying the girl on his left hand like she was a bundle of clothes, but after just a short while the girl wiggled around, breaking free of his hand. When Ichigo tried to grab her, she shied away.
"It'll be faster if I carry you, you know" he told her, offering his hand again. But the girl shook her head, tugging on his clothes and urging him to continue running.
Though he didn't mind, Ichigo wished that he could carry her instead. For one, he simply wanted nothing more than to rendezvous with the others as quickly as possible without waiting around for enemies to catch up to them. But if Crescent was walking, he would have to match his speed with her own, slowing down their pace.
Atleast, that's what he thought.
Much to his surprise, not only did Crescent keep up with him when he was sprinting at full speed, she seemed to be holding back. Because at times she would run ahead of him, only to slow down and match her pace with his own.
"You're…fast….!" Said Ichigo surprised. But she is an arrancar, I suppose that only makes sense, he thought to himself. He wondered if she would be able to keep up with him if he used his flash step. But one look at her big round eyes and innocent expression quickly made him disregard any thoughts he had about Crescent being battle ready. They ran in silence for a while more, until he could feel her tugging at his hakama again.
"What's up?" he asked. The girl pointed to Ichigo, and then placed her right palm on her face, making a motion as if she was pulling something over her face.
"You want to see my hollow mask?" he asked. Crescent nodded.
"Sorry, it's not something I want to keep using too often if I don't need to. I want to save it for when we encounter a really powerful enemy" he explained to her.
"You're quite carefree considering your current position, Ichigo Kurosaki" came a cold and empty voice. Ichigo stopped dead in his tracks, completely alert. He reflexively reached for his zanpakuto. Standing before him, atop a flight of stairs was a slender looking arrancar with short messy black hair, ghostly white skin and dead emotionless green eyes. The left side of his face was covered by hollow mask that bore a resemblance to a horned helmet, somewhat similar to Lilynette's. He also had teal colored lines descending from the lower part of his eyes.
Crescent peeked at the arrancar from behind Ichigo, her expression just as unchanging as the arrancar she was observing. Ulquiorra raised his eyes.
"I didn't expect you to be there with the intruders, but it matters not" he said. "So we finally meet, Ichigo Kurosaki. I must admit that I may have overestimated you after everything your sister told me" he said, casually walking towards him with his hand in his pocket. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Ulquiorra Cifer, Espada number 4"
"You're…..an Espada….?!" Ichigo felt…strange when he heard this arrancar talk. It was as if he wasn't talking to a person at all but rather something akin to a robot. Everything he spoke sounded like he was simply making mere observations. "Wait….what do you mean by my sister?!"
"Hmm? Now that is quite the uninspiring question. You are aware that she is an arrancar. And yet, you seem surprised that I, and inhabitant of Las Noches am aware of your sister. But to answer your question, yes. I'm well aware of you, Ichigo Kurosaki. Not only because of your sister's words, but because Aizen-sama has marked you as someone to be dealt with using extreme caution. What surprises me even more is how you continue to standby without attacking me even though I'm right in front of you"
"I'm sorry arrancar, but I simply don't have the time to be wasting, chatting with you. So if you don't mind, I'll be going now" he said, moving towards the stairs.
"You are in the presence of an enemy and yet, you would simply walk by without even engaging me in a battle?" asked the arrancar.
"Don't be mistaken. You haven't attacked me, and I have no reason to retaliate against someone who hasn't done anything to me. I'm not here to fight, I'm only here to rescue my sister and my friend" he said, grabbing Crescent's hand and urging her to follow along.
"Is that so? Tell me, Ichigo Kurosaki. Is this something that stems from your bond with Ruby Rose? Because she is an arrancar, have you come to develop some sort of empathy for others like her? Do you see a part of Ruby Rose in the other arrancars as well? Have you come to believe that her acquaintances are friendly to you as well? Is this what you and her call 'familial love'?" he asked. "Is that what drives you to invade Las Noches, hold on to that girl so protectively and even refuse to engage in a battle with me, all of it to save your companion?" asked the enigmatic arrancar. Ichigo ignored the arrancar.
"Then, will you continue to hold me in that light even if I tell you that I was the one that made your sister experience death on multiple occasions?" he asked Ichigo stopped.
"What…..do you mean….?" He asked in a low growl.
"We arrancars under Aizen-sama are forbidden to harm each other or do anything to each other that might cause strife internally. However, your sister isn't one of them" he said.
"That doesn't make sens….!"
*WHOOSH!*
*KLAAAANG!*
With a quick flash step and an equally quick swing, Ichigo Kurosaki's form shifted from the flight of stairs to right beside Ulquiorra, his zanpakuto blocked by the Espada's arm.
Ichigo had a furious expression on his face. "You bastard! What the hell have you done to Yuzu?!"
"I see you catch on quickly. Your sister isn't an arrancar. However, she is under the protection of Ruby Rose. As a fellow Espada, I am forbidden from causing needless strife between ourselves by harming one of her own. But, making her experience the sensation of the fear of death isn't counted as causing harm" he said, calmly deflecting his blade with his one arm.
"Bastard! Why would you do something like that?!" he said, attacking again.
"Why? Because I wanted to know. Why would someone of her level continue holding on to her nonsensical notions of pacifism and have such an aversion to killing and harming others despite being under the risk of constantly dying? I could only assume that she didn't fear dying from mere hollows. And that is why I thought I would test her with something that could provide that sensation of death and see if she still continued to hold on to her nonsensical beliefs" he replied.
"For…..for something like that…." Said Ichigo, his expression unreadable. "Crescent…step back away from me" he said, his hand on his face. The hooded girl ran up to him, tugging at his hakama, vigorously shaking her head. But the orange haired soul reaper didn't budge. He merely smiled at her, assuring her with a convincing tone. "I'll be fine. Don't worry, I'll protect you. I'll finish this quickly and then go look for Yuzu, Orihime and the others" he said.
"Your reaction is quite extreme, Ichigo Kurosaki. Though she has been well cared for by Ruby Rose and the other arrancars, though I did nothing more than to merely jolt her instincts awake temporarily, something that Yuzu Kurosaki herself is grateful to me for, though your sisters themselves hold no animosity towards me for my actions, you, who weren't even present to witness their days here would still strike me? Very well. If this foolishness is what you call 'love for your family', I shall bear witness to it as well" said Ulquiorra, challenging him.
Dust kicked up around Ichigo as he transformed into his Bankai, something that didn't budge Ulquiorra in the slightest. However, when his face emerged from the dust cloud, Ulquiorra's eyes widened in surprised. For over the orange haired soul reaper's face was a mask strikingly similar to a hollows', his eyes reflecting the same. Ichigo swung his sword, sending a swirling wave of black reishi at Ulquiorra. The moment it made contact with his arm, the arrancar could feel much more resistance from the reishi that he expected.
*WHIIIISH*
The arrancar stood surprised as Ichigo appeared right next to him, faster than he could track. With another wave of his sword, Ichigo send another stream of dense, swirling reishi at point blank range, which sent Ulquiorra through multiple pillars behind him. The arrancar regained his stance mid air charging at him. Ichigo pulled back, pouring reishi into his sword.
"Getsuga Tenshou!"
With one final swing of his sword, a massive crescent shaped beam of concentrated reishi flew straight at the arrancar. He calmly stood his ground, pulling out his hand and stopping the attack from advancing. For a moment it seemed as if the arrancar had succeeded, however, the attack was still going strong and Ulquiorra was now visibly struggling to push against the attack with both of his hands. Ichigo could only make out his shocked face as the getsuga tenshou covered more and more of his surroundings until finally pushed through, covering everything in front of where Ulquiorra had been with its black reishi like a river that washed through everything in its path.
*CRAAACK!*
Ichigo relaxed himself, his mask breaking into fragments. When he sensed nothing inside the dust cloud, he turned back, making sure Crescent was alright. The girl herself had….an interesting look on her face. Ichigo couldn't tell from the look on her face, but for some reason, he got the impression that the girl was both excited to have watched them as well as surprised. He was also surprised that the girl was as calm as she was and didn't look scared at all, even after having seen his hollow transformation. He went up to her, stroking her head.
"So, this is the extent of your power then" came a voice from behind Ichigo. A voice that was unmistakably Ulquiorra's. With a look of utter shock and dismay, Ichigo turned around, only to see Ulquiorra completely unharmed.
"…..No…..no way…..!" he exclaimed, his eyes completely wide and his mouth agape. No damage…..?! But…that was a getsuga tenshou after I holllowfied…!
"That mask surprised me. It would seem that you're able to transform into a state similar to us arrancars when donning that mask, which is also reflected in your abilities. After all, it took me a bit of effort to deflect that attack using both of my hands. So, this is all the power you possess, Ichigo Kurosaki?" he asked. Ichigo could say nothing, his mind still having difficulty processing the reality of the situation in front of him.
"How very disappointing. After everything your sister told me about you, after everything Aizen-sama asked me to be wary of, this level of power is far below my expectations. Your power does not hold a candle to Ruby Rose, nor does it even match up to Yuzu Kurosaki's abilities, who isn't even an arrancar. I have fought against both of them, and yet, my exchanges with them lasted far longer than it did with you. All that is left for me now, is to complete my task of taking care of the intruders" he said.
Gritting his teeth, Ichigo forced his body to move, charging in towards Ulquiorra once more. A violent boom rang out and Ichigo's sword was blocked by Ulquiorra's arms once again.
"You materialized your mask the instant before you connected to deliver a strike with maximum damage before it shattered. Your reflexes are noteworthy. However, you're still a far cry at your current level. Give up" said Ulquiorra calmly. But Ichigo didn't falter, merely attacking him again and again and again with no pause. The arrancar didn't even move from his spot and calmly continued to deflect all of his attacks with his bare hands.
"It is pointless, Ichigo Kurosaki. Struggle as you wish, your attempts will end up in vain. The only thing that awaits you is death for being foolish enough to invade Las Noches with your level of power. You will never reach your sisters, and you will never reach me" he said, pushing Ichigo back.
It's…impossible…! Exclaimed Ichigo to himself, his entire being shaking. I've been hitting him with everything I have and yet….nothing's working…! I…..I can't…..I cant beat him…! He's….too powerful…..! He's not even using his zanpakuto and yet….!
His body was ready to give up, and his mind was following close by. And yet, he knew that he had to win. Because he knew. Because Lilynette had been right. Yes, Ulquiorra was an obstacle he needed to get past before he could reach Orihime and Yuzu and rescue them. But that wasn't what was going on through his mind. The only thoughts racing through his head, were the same thoughts Lilynette had already put forward to him.
He wanted to win, because he could never again forgive himself for losing like he did to Grimmjow ever again. It was a vow he made to himself ever since that moment, and it was a burning feeling that wiped away every other thought in his mind.
"It appears you have nothing more to show me, Ichigo Kurosaki, even after all your effortless flailing" he said, moving away from him.
"Ju….just where do you think you're going?!" growled Ichigo, thrusting his zanpakuto at Ulquiorra. This time, the arrancar didn't even bother batting away Ichigo's Zanpakuto.
"It appears you still don't understand the difference in skill between you and I, Ichigo Kurosaki" he said, pointing his finger at him. A teal colored sphere began materializing.
"A cero!"
*BRRR!*
The teal beam passed right through where Ichigo and Crescent had been momentarily standing, passing right through the walls behind them until it finally exited into the open plains, kicking up a huge cloud of dust and sand. Out of the dust cloud emerged Ichigo, now looking much more battered and bruised than before. Held protectively in his hand was Crescent.
"You're quite fast on your feet, Ichigo Kurosaki. And still not ready to give up I see" remarked Ulquiorra, appearing right besides Ichigo. With one backhand swing, the orange haired soul reaper was sent right back the way he way, through the walls and crashing right into the debris scattered around after Ulquiorra's cero attack. His whole body ached and he found it difficult to even lift his sword properly. He wanted nothing more than to drop his sword and give in. And yet…his mind wouldn't let him. How could it? After all, it had taken nothing more than two attacks from Ulquorra to reduce him to this state. He couldn't, not ever again. He couldn't live with it if he let himself fall here. He just had to do whatever it took to fight back. Anything. No matter the cost. He could never let himself be set aside because he was too weak. He couldn't bare to see the look on his sisters faces when they showed sympathy for his weakness.
The stoic arrancar was approaching him with the same emotionless look on his face. "I refrained from eliminating you in hopes that you would give up voluntarily. Ruby Rose values your life and Aizen-sama values your life for reasons I cannot see. Even so, for that particular reason, I did not wish to cripple you in hopes that you would learn your place. However, now I can see that isn't an option" he said, raising his fist.
Move…dammit, anything….just move…!
His body creaked, as if it was ready to break apart any second now. Still, he continued, if only little by little, to try and push forward. His mind was blanking out, from pain, from fear, despair and helplessness. The stoic arrancar waited no more, and merely thrust his raised arm forward, meaning to impale him. He waited for the sharp, piercing pain. And yet, he felt nothing for the longest time. Slowly opening his eyes, he could make out the hooded girl's form standing in front of him, her fists holding Ulquiorra's hand.
Ichigo blinked. "Cre..Crescent….?" His mind was still blurry and he wasn't even sure if it was really the petite red-haired girl from before. The girl let go of Ulqiorra's hand.
"What's the meaning of this? I have no interest in fighting you or attacking you. Do not get in my way" said Ulquiorra to the girl.
Ichigo frantically called out to her. "Cres…Crescent….no, run! There's no way….you can beat this guy….!" But just then, the strangest thing happened. She simply turned around, offering him the warmest and kindest of smiles.
"I was really happy…."
Ichigo blinked, looking at her with a confused expression. "…Crescent….?"
"Mama told me that you would be scared of me if I played with you. She said that's why I shouldn't try to play with you like I play with mama and her friends. But you still played with me, you still carried me around and didn't get scared of me"
Her voice was soft, soothing and almost divine. Like an angel. Like a saint. Her words carried no special meaning and yet, they lured Ichigo towards her. He could feel his mind becoming lighter, any trace of tension or worry slowly draining away. His mind was still half muddled, and he didn't truly know if he was imagining her words or if his mind was making them up or if she was actually there, standing in front of him, talking to him with such a heavenly and soothing voice.
"When I met Yachi and everyone, I had a lot of fun too. I was so happy I got so many new friends! Mama never took me outside of Hueco Mundo, so I was really, really happy that I met you and everyone. But it looks like you're tired from playing with Ulqi. So just rest for now. I'll play with him in your place…..uncle" The girl patted Ichigo's head and then arched forward, placing a light peck on his cheek.
Then, her reaitsu spiked. Ichigo's jaw nearly dropped to the floor, and his eyes instantly went wide the moment she released her reiatsu. It was so nauseating, so twisted and so evil, it made his own hollow reiatsu look like so comforting. But what surprised him more was the fact that he'd sensed this reiatsu exactly once before.
"Hell…..reiatsu…? Bu…..but that's…!"
"This does not concern you, Crescent Rose. Cease your actions" said Ulquiorra, unperturbed by her reiatsu. The girl dashed forward, trying to make a grab for his zanpakuto. Ulquiorra was quick, anticipating her actions and swiping at her with his free hand. Crescent vaulted over mid-air, landing on his shoulder. She swung her fist down, as if landing a karate chop on Ulquiorra's head. The arrancar finally drew his sword, swinging it upwards. The girl was quick, simply disappearing and reappearing in front of him. She then stretched out her right hand, as if summoning something. A dark red reishi swirled around right hand and began to grow and expand, until it took a recognizable shape.
"So you really want to do this? I suppose that means I'll have to respond in kind as well. Let it be known that you were the first one to attack, Crescent Rose" said the stoic arrancar.
The scythe that materialized in the girl's hand was morbidly beautiful and foreboding. It was red and black in color, with a long handle that was curved and bent at certain angles. The blade at the end of the handle was a broad, curved blade containing a smaller, hook like double pronged jagged blade on the other side. Markings of rose branches with thorns could be seen covering the entire scythe. The most eye-catching feature however was the metallic skull with two crisscrossing crown of thorns and a metallic ribcage right below the skull. The scythe itself was easily twice the girl's height. And yet, she was spinning it around like it weighed nothing.
Ichigo could only watch in utter disbelief, confusion and shock as the two clashed blades. The girl was unpredictably fast, wild and moved in such an unpredictable manner that even with Ulquiorra trying his best to strike at the girl with his zanpakuto, most of them would slice at nothing but thin air.
*KLAAANG! KLAAANG! KLAAANG*
But Crescent didn't have it easy either. Ulquiorra himself was moving quite well, in that his movements were inhuman and not at all like a soul reapers'. He managed to evade few of Crescent's wide swings while parrying some of the rest. The last few that did manage to connect didn't do significant damage, being dulled by Ulquiorra's hierro. Despite that fact, the areas where Crescent cut Ulquiorra did have minor cuts while the girl herself had been relatively unharmed.
The arrancar then flashstepped backwards, charging another cero. Instead of moving aside like most fighters would, the girl simply charged forward, coming up close to Ulquiorra and forced his hand upwards. The teal blast instead of discharging in front of him was now redirected towards the ceiling, destroying a significant portion of it.
Klang, klang, klang, the sounds continued to ring out as sparks flew as the arrancar and the girl continued to try to maul and main each other. The disbelief and shock never left the orange haired soul reaper the entire time.
This is a lie…..right….? Is…..is this really…..the same girl…?!
*KLAAANG! SCHICK! WHOOOSH!*
The same girl, with her big, innocent round eyes, playing cheerfully with Yachiru, planning pranks with her, hopping around Rukia and the others like a child, was going toe to toe with the Ulquiorra, even making him use his own Zanpakuto while. The same arrancar who had defeated him in just two attacks with just his bare hands. And yet, she, whom he thought was so weak, so pure that she needed to be protected, was now the one protecting him instead, giving off such sick and twisted reiatsu. Ichigo could even sense a kind of unique bloodlust from her, one that contained no apparent ill-intent but was menacing and twisted all the same. Just like a child that was too young to know the evils of swinging a weapon around and killing someone. In all of her attacks, not once had Crescent flinched or hesitated when aiming at Ulquiorra's vital areas with her hellish scythe. It was inconceivable and Ichigo could do nothing but gape at her.
With one final blow, the two stepped backwards once more. Ichigo could see that Crescent looked bruised here and there, but was otherwise unharmed. Ulquiorra on the other hand, had numerous paper-thin cuts, although none were truly serious or deep.
"You must know that it is futile, Crescent Rose. This is the limit of your abilities. You are but a part of her. You have no hope of impeding me without her aid. Stand aside. I tire of our contest. I have no gripe with you or her. If you still wish to continue, I WILL use the means necessary to end our pointless conflict" warned Ulquiorra. But the girl was already getting ready to launch her next attack.
"….very well then. Have it your way" he said, raising his sword. "Imprison, Mur-"
"That's far enough, both of you!" came a sharp, loud feminine voice from afar. Crescent and Ulquiorra stopped mid way, looking towards the source. There was somebody walking towards them. Upon seeing her, Ulquiorra relaxed his sword arm, and Crescent raised her eyes.
"…..N….nee-san…." Muttered Ichigo. Ruby merely spared a quick glance at him before walking right past him and in between Ulquiorra and Crescent.
"Ulquiorra, did you feel the really need to release your zanpakuto just to subdue her?" she asked.
"It was the most efficient way to settle things without harming her. And she is the one who attacked me first, shielding Ichigo Kurosaki. I was merely executing Aizen-sama orders to handle the intruders. Yet, she decided to get in the way" he pointed out. Ruby then looked back and forth between Crescent who looked at Ruby as if she was caught in the middle of a prank vs Ichigo, who was looking at his sister expectantly.
Crescent for one shied away from approaching her mother. She HAD run away (atleast in her mind) from her mother after a 'serious' argument (atleast according to her mind). And not only that, she decided to mess with Ulquiorra, the one guy she normally avoided unless absolutely necessary. She was sure her mama was going to get into trouble. But in her defense, all she wanted to do was to play with her uncle, aunt and their friends. She hadn't expected that her uncle would get into so much trouble just from a little spar nor did she think her mama would look so angry for bringing her uncle to her home. As Ruby approached her, Crescent closed her eyes, looking away, expecting punishment. Instead, she felt her mama's arms around her, gripping her tightly.
"I'm glad you're alright" she said with relief in her voice. Crescent blinked, her tiny mouth agape. The girl could sense overflowing relief from her, but also a twinge of anger. "….Yes, I AM angry but at the same time, I know you only went with the flow after getting caught up with them. But I am also happy that you're safe" she said. Crescent stared at Ruby, her eyes glistening. "Still, I never thought the first time you butted heads with Ulquiorra would end up like….this" she said. "Right now, there's something more important I need to do first. After that, I'll hear about all your adventures, ok?" Crescent nodded. Then, just like that, she began to glow a dull red before completely fading away.
"Wh…what was that…?! What happened to her…?!" questioned the orange haired soul reaper.
"She just returned back to me. There's nothing for you to worry about. We, on the other hand, have things far more important to discuss" replied Ruby. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to Ichigo, Ruby was finally looking at him, examining his condition. Her eyes narrowed in anger.
"Ne….nee-san...I'm.."
"Enough" interrupted Ruby, kneeling down by his side. She then placed her hand over his wounds, and a green light began enveloping them. Ichigo could feel his injuries prickle. "Not another word, Ichigo. You've done quite enough for today"
A painful twinge shot through Ichigo. It was the first time his sister had used such a tone with him, the first time she made that face to him and, the first time ever that she addressed him as 'Ichigo' and not 'Ichi'. There was no loving sister in front of him but rather an angry and disappointed one reprimanding him for his actions.
"…..Ulquiorra, thanks for handling the situation the way you did. I appreciate it" she said. Ichigo's eyes widened.
"Nee-san! How….why would you say something like that to the guy who did thi-"
"I WARNED YOU!" she shouted, scaring the living daylights out of the orange haired soul reaper. "I warned you…" she repeated once more, her tone softer this time. "That this war, these battles and this place, none of it has anything to do with you. Do you think I wanted to leave you by yourselves and go fight in a war?! Don't you get it that I was doing all that so that you could have the peaceful lives you deserved? So that you didn't have to get hurt and nearly die?! Even though I didn't want to burden my big-sis, Nel, Grimmjow, Lily and the others with my responsibilities, they still went out of their way to make sure that not only did things work out for you, Karin and Yuzu, but they even made sure that they didn't kill any of the soul reapers, who are technically our enemies in this war, just so that you had no reason to ever come here"
"Rukia…..that guy nearly killed Rukia!" argued Ichigo. "And him! He nearly killed me!"
"Though I'm grateful to Rukia for taking care of you all in my place, I haven't forgotten that she's a soul reaper, first and foremost. And if she's the kind of person I think she is, she wont have either. A soul reaper whose job is to make sure that normal, living humans like you don't have to get involved with the spirit world, even if it means giving up their lives. I'm sure that even she would have preferred putting her life on the line if it meant you three would be spared from harm. And don't even get me started with Ulquiorra, Ichigo. Because if he was really trying to kill you, you wouldn't have lasted two seconds" answered Ruby.
"Then…..what about Yuzu?! About Orihime?! You're asking me, asking us to stay put while Aizen takes away Orihime to a place where she doesn't belong?! Tell me, nee-san, was it so wrong to try to bring them back so that they could be where they belong? In a place where 'normal, living humans' like them belong?" asked Ichigo.
"Don't you dare go there, Ichigo. You knew perfectly well that Yuzu was safe here with me. And you also knew that Orihime was doing well. Nel, big-sis and everyone else took so much trouble to make sure she was well taken care of. We did everything we could, given our position. I even made sure to let you know that. And…if you really wanted to simply escort them back home, you wouldn't have dared come here by yourselves, bringing along your younger sister and your friends who are just regular humans and endangering their lives. Tell me Ichigo, if one of your friends or even Karin had died because you thought it was a good idea to bring them here, would that have made you feel accomplished? Would you take the responsibility for such a thing? Do you think you would have the guts to tell that to Yuzu?! Or to Isshin or to any of your friend's loved ones?!"
"…that's….."
"If you really were honest in your intentions, you would've just sent Isshin-san or Yoruichi or Urahara-san here. Yoruichi would have been more than happy to have met me or one of my friends discreetly and escort Yuzu and Orihime back home without endangering anyone's lives. But now, because of you, you've forced Aizen's hand, making him turn every arrancar against you. Unlike me and my friends, they won't hesitate to put you down because you're just humans. You even got the Soul Society involved because from what I hear, your group also has a bunch of soul reapers travelling with you. Because of that, even if I or my friends don't want to actively engage fighting Soul Reapers unnecessarily, our hands are forced. I trusted you back then because I believed that you were matured enough to know that and that you valued protecting the normal lives of Karin and your friends and yourself. I'm very disappointed, Ichigo. You've not only made light of the one single request I asked of you, you've also failed in your responsibility as a big brother. However…I agree that this is my fault as well. I should've sent Yuzu back despite her wishes. I should've just sent Orihime back when Aizen was done with her. I should've never given you a reason to be here in the first place. For that, I blame myself" she told herself. They stayed there for what seemed like several minutes until Ichigo felt the pain from his wounds disappear completely. She then got up, the light from her hands disappearing. Ichigo felt hurt, angry, disappointed in himself and sour at the whole situation. He'd never heard Ruby's voice sound so…..hurt. It sounded betrayed even.
"Stand up, Ichigo" she said sternly. Ichigo did as he was instructed "Come, we're leaving" she said, walking the other way.
"Leaving where?" he asked.
"Isnt it obvious? I'm sending you home" she replied.
"Home…?! You're just going to send me back home just like that?!" exclaimed Ichigo.
"I don't want to hear a single word out of you now, Ichigo. I'm sending you back and that's final. After that, I'm going to send Karin, Yuzu, Tatsuki, Orihime, Chad and Uryu back as well. You'll have no more reason to stay here. You've done enough. None of you belong here. As for Rukia and her friends, I've asked Nel to give them the option to leave as well. I really don't want to harm someone who has tried her best to take care of you. But, if they still chose to resist, then that's up to them" she explained with a final tone. "Ulquiorra, that should be acceptable to you and Aizen right? He has no need to send anyone else to take care of them"
"That would be acceptable. Aizen-sama quite wishes for the boy to live and the only order he gave is that the intruders be taken care of" he replied. "I shall take my leave in that case. I trust you'll handle this matter yourself" he said, slowly walking away.
"So that's it then, nee-san? You're just obeying Aizen's orders now?!" asked Ichigo, grimacing.
"Is that what you really think, Ichigo? Are you just bitter that I scolded you or did you not listen to me all this time?" she asked.
"You don't know, do you nee-san?" asked Ichigo. Ruby raised her eyes. "Of course you don't. If you knew, you wouldn't be telling me off like this!"
"Knew what?" she asked.
"After Grimmjow and Nel kidnapped Orihime, we found out why Aizen was planning this war against the Soul Reapers. Ukitake-san said that he plans to create something called the King's key, an artifact that'll allow him to enter the Soul King's palace. An artifact that can only be created by sacrificing a hundred thousand human souls. Souls from Karakura Town to be exact!" he said.
A deathly silence followed, with Ichigo waiting for a response from his sister whose expression was unreadable. After several long seconds, she finally said.
"I see…."
" 'I see…?' Didn't you hear me, nee-san?! What do you mean by-"
"I heard you the first time, Ichigo. Honestly, It's news to me and yet, I'm not surprised he would do something like this. Thanks for telling me. No wonder he kept this hidden from all of us. He knew that there was no way we would cooperate with his plans if we knew" said Ruby.
"Then..!"
"But what of it? This changes nothing, Ichigo. If he really is planning something on that scale, then it is still not your responsibility. If Urahara-san already knows about it, then I'm sure he and the Soul Society will do something about it. After all, this is exactly the reason why the Soul Society even exists. This is their job, not yours. Don't get me wrong, Ichigo. I won't assist Aizen in making his plans succeed. That has always been my intention and also my friends'. We will do what we can to impede his plans but we won't if that comes at the cost of having to involve any of you in this mess. Don't forget Ichigo. All that I care about is making sure that you guys are safe and sound, away from all of this. I'll make sure you, Karin, Yuzu and Tatsuki are kept safe. I'll always protect you. There's no way I'll allow you to endanger yourselves like you did today"
"We can fight! We're not that weak anymore, nee-san! Let us help you!" insisted Ichigo.
"No! You're going home and that's final! Don't be a child, Ichigo! Leave this to the adults!"
"I even defeated that arrancar from earlier, I can take care of myself!" argued the orange head.
"Enough! Don't be so full of yourself! A mere arrancar doesn't hold a candle to an Espada or even a fraccione! At your level you'll only get in my way even if I do agree to take you along. And even if, even IF you were stronger than me, seeing as how you irresponsibly put your sister and your friends in danger, there's no way you're convincing me. End of discussion! You're going back and that's final" she said, getting ready to open a Garganta. Ichigo remained silent for a while, his face darkening.
"Is that so, nee-san? You really won't allow us to fight alongside you? Then, I'll just have to show you that I'm not in need of being protected all the time, nee-san" he said, drawing his zanpakuto. Ruby stopped.
"Are you really being serious now, Ichigo?" she asked in a low tone, without even turning back. Ichigo didn't back down and continued to keep his sword pointed at her.
"Bankai" he said calmly, and his reiatsu shot up, transforming his meat cleaver zanpakuto into the familiar long obsidian blade.
"Alright. Seems like you wont listen to reason then. Sometimes, I feel Grimmjow is right. I might've been too soft on you guys. Let's have it your way then. Maybe if I try beating it into you, you'll finally see learn your place" she said, drawing her own zanpakuto.
The first to arrive had been the energetic lieutenant of squad 11 along with Tatsuki, who after much insistence was allowed to walk on her own. Yachiru was disappointed she wasn't allowed to carry the tomboy, for she was actually having fun carrying her around and watching her reactions. Unsurprisingly, the moment they arrived into the open area, Yachiru immediately insisted that they start looking for the others. Though Tatsuki didn't mind, she wished the girl wouldn't rush things too much, especially considering that they'd just finished fighting.
"Honestly, you're making me look old here" sighed Tatsuki, surprised that the girl had that much energy left to spare. But that's a soul reaper for you, she told herself.
"Rosy~~! Roooooosssssyyyyyyy~~!" cooed Yachiru, cupping her hands and calling out as they walked around. The area they were in was a vast dessert of white sand, with giant white cylindrical pillars in the distance in different orientations. Tatsuki was worried about Yachiru's calls alerting enemies around them, but seeing as how she had been calling out for Crescent for so long, she felt it didn't matter anyways. If someone was around, there was no doubt that they would've heard them.
It wasn't long until they were eventually joined by Renji and Uryu first, with Uryu sensing for others in the vicinity followed by Rukia and Karin. They briefed each other on their situations.
"Are you sure it was ok to leave that Yami guy lying like that? What if he decided to attack?" asked Rukia.
"We did what we could to get by with minimal damage. Even so, he's quite far away from where we are now. Even if he does decide to come after us, it'll be a long time before he can even catch up to us" assured Uryu. "Is there no sign of Chad, Lilynette, Ichigo and Crescent?"
"Nope. I've been looking for them but so far, I haven't really sensed anything. I don't even know how they were split up" said Karin.
"Wait…your bracelet…..it's…" said Uryu.
"Yeah…it's barely holding. Just enough that I'm not feeling the effects of the air here but I won't be able to absorb anymore reishi. It'll be fine. Don't worry" assured Karin.
"It's not fine, Karin! Didn't that perverted shopkeeper say that you'd suffocate under the air here if anything happened to that thing? And you're telling me that you're alright with that thing cracked like that?!" asked Tatsuki with concern.
"….Personally, I agree. I think its true dangerous for you to remain here any longer. I couldn't forgive myself if anything happened to you guys. I think it's best if you retreat. The same goes for you, Ishida" said Rukia.
"What?! No way! You're asking me to turn tail after coming this far?! Look, even this guy is here and the air here is practically deadly compared to what it would do to me!" argued Karin.
"Mine is still in perfect condition and I've been at this for much longer than you. But the one in your hand looks like it could break apart any second!" retorted the quincy.
"Even so, I still-"
"Is that true..? Karin-chan…..?"
The group froze upon hearing that voice. There was no doubt to whom it belonged to.
"Yuzu..!" called out Karin, turning around before gasping in shock again.
Because she hadn't been alone. Along with her were three other arrancars. Two of whom she recognized. Standing along side Yuzu were Nel and Grimmjow along with a third arrancar who looked like a middle aged man with parted, brown hair reaching up to his neck and blue eyes.
"…..more arrancars?!" exclaimed Renji, his hand on his sword. Rukia in particular flinched hard when she set her gaze upon Grimmjow. The phantom spot in her abdomen where she had been stabbed began to send waves of pain. She unconsciously took a step back.
"No….they're…..Grimmjow…and Nel…!" she exclaimed.
"Heh, I see you still remember me, Soul Reaper! How's that hole I put in you holding up?" he asked grinning.
"Grimmjow…! So he's the one who…to Ichigo and to you…..!" glared Tatsuki.
"Yeah? What're you gonna do about it huh?" he asked casually.
"Grimmjow, that's quite enough!" snapped Nel, earning her an annoyed scoff from the blue jaguar. Yuzu then questioned Karin again.
"Karin-chan…..Tatsuki onee-chan…..Uryu-san….you're really here…." She remarked.
"Yuzu….you…."
"Is that true?" she asked "Is that bracelet the reason why you can stay here in Hueco Mundo and that its broken..?" she asked.
"That's…..yeah. It is" said Karin downcast. "But Yuzu, leave that, what about you?! How come you're with those guys?! What about your memories?! Where's Ruby-nee and Orihime?!
"Alright, alright, one at a time, Karin" advised Nel. "I'm not sure why you're so surprised that Yuzu is with us. I told you the other day right? I'm sure Ruby informed this 'Mr Urahara' as well that Yuzu is staying with us right? As you can see, she's hale and healthy. Same with Orihime. I think they should be here any second now. We did split up to look out for you guys"
"Ah, there you guys are!" called out Lilynette's voice as she approached them. Alongside her were Chad, Orihime and another female arrancar with blonde hair.
"Lily! Tia!" called out Nel. "I see you got Orihime here as well! Perfect!"
"Everyone! You're all ok!" said Orihime, going up to them.
"Orihime? Think you can fix this?" asked Karin, showing her the bracelet. The orange haired girl immediately got up to the task. "There, now you don't have to worry anymore"
"And there you are, you brat" sighed Starrk going up to her. "Honestly, you're such a pain at times, you know that?"
"Hey, don't blame it on me, blame it on these guys!" she protested.
"Heeey! Where's Rosy?!" asked Yachiru, going up to Lily.
"Crescent? I'm not sure, but seeing as we're all here, she and Ichigo must be the only ones who haven't come out yet. So she must be with them. Ru-chan went to get them so I imagine she's with them by now" answered Lily.
"Who….are all these guys?" asked Tatsuki.
"Wh….where did so many arrancars come from?!" asked Uryu, highly alert.
"Will somebody tell me what's going on here?! Why are so many arrancars here?!" demanded Renji.
"Alright, alright, before things get more chaotic. I suppose I should explain" started Nel. "We're Ruby's friends. I'm sure Lily here must've told you about us right? I'm Nel, the 6th Espada, this oaf here is Grimmjow, the 7th Espada, that's Tier, the 3rd Espada and that uninterested looking guy there is Starrk, the 1st Espada. And of course, this little one here, is Yuzu" she said cheerfully, squishing Yuzu's cheeks.
"WH…what?!" exclaimed Renji.
"They're…..all high level Espada…..!" gasped Rukia. "I assumed it was only Nel and Grimmjow but….to think those two are even more powerful….!"
"You can rest assured. We aren't here to start a fight you know? We just came here to bring back Orihime and Yuzu so that you can take them with you" answered Nel.
"You what…?!" exclaimed Renji.
"Why would you do something like that?" asked Rukia.
"Are you serious?!" asked Karin.
"Of course. Ruby is quite upset that you all decided to come here and endanger yourself to such a degree. If these two are the reason you're here all by yourself, then it's best if they don't remain here any longer" explained Tier.
"I…..thought about it for a while with Nel and the others. If the reason you'd put yourself in so much risk and come here, all because you want me to go back with Ichigo onii-chan and Karin-chan, I thought it would be best if I went back. I don't want you to get hurt because of me" said Yuzu.
"And Aizen has no more use for Orihime and doesn't really care what anyone does to her. Since he left her in our care, we decided it's high time she's out of Hueco Mundo and back where she belongs. We WOULD have sent her right back if you morons hadn't decided to make such a big mess of things" said Lily.
"So there you have it. We'll open a garganta for you and you can take that back to the World of the Living. As for you three" said Nel, pointing to the soul reapers. "I suppose its not as simple as asking you guys to leave as well, now is it? After all, I'm not sure you'll leader will be too happy to know that you encountered the enemy and didn't even fight back"
"Actually, they came here on their own volition, Nel. They aren't under any orders or anything like that. They're Ichigo's friends. So yeah, just kick them out of here as well" said Lily.
"Tell me something, Nel-san" asked Karin. "Ruby-nee told us that you didn't really side with Aizen…..is that true?"
"…..we're no allies, that's for sure. However, that doesn't mean we're on the side of the soul reapers either. All we care about is protecting ourselves and the ones that Ruby cares about" answered Nel.
"So, that means you have no problems attacking soul reapers if the situation calls for it, is that right?" asked Renji.
"Naturally. But out of consideration for Ichigo, Karin, Yuzu, and Ruby, we're willing to let you go this once. I would advise you to take this opportunity and leave peacefully. We have no personal vendetta against you" said Nel. "But should we meet in the battlefield, atleast it will be out of necessity and due to the situation calling for it. Here, you're outnumber and outmatched. Please don't force our hands. As for you guys, I'm having you go back, no talkbacks. Ruby is quite final about that"
"What about Ichigo?! He still isn't here!" pointed out Tatsuki.
"You needn't worry about him. I'm sure Ruby must be sending him back as we speak" answered Nel. "So if you're ready…."
At that very moment, multiple things happened at once.
One was a fierce clash of reishi that could be felt throughout the entirety of the open space they stood upon. Both spiritual pressures that were clashing were those of arrancars, with one being twisted, eviler and foreboding than the other which strangely had a good portion of Shinigami reiatsu along with hollow reiatsu.
The other, unnoticed to them, was a garganta that opened some distance away from where all the activity was. From the garganta emerged Unohana Yachiru, Kenpachi Zaraki and Byakuya Kuchiki.
The last thing that happened was Tosen commanding specific arrancars to regroup at the throne room to advance towards the World of the Living and prepare for the invasion. He also blared out specific instructions to Nelliel and her group regarding a few things, including the Shinigami captains who made their way into Las Noches using the Garganta.
Well, this is it. A lot of big events happening all at once! Hope you like it, and see you soon! I *might* take a short break of a couple of days, considering that I worked on two chapters at once. So it might be anywhere between 10-14 days before the next update.