Chapter 7: Fullbring
Karakura Town
Bambietta and Candice continue their search throughout Karakura Town as the former groans, "Ugh! We're getting nowhere!"
Candice suddenly hisses at her companion, dragging her to the side of the road and behind some bushes, "Shut up!"
The woman then points towards a white-haired man walking down the road, "That's Ryuken Ishida. If we follow him, we'll likely find clues about Yuzu Kurosaki."
Bambietta nods, her expression becoming more serious before the pair use some ability to hide in the shadows undetected, following Ryuken as he walks through the town.
The man stops in front of a two-story building before walking past a gate on the side of the sliding doors leading into the clinic. He walks along a small path past the gate before stopping in front of the side entrance and finding a letter posted on the door. The Quincy takes the letter off the door before opening it and reading it briefly. He cannot help but sigh as he pulls out a pen and writes out a note of his own on the other side of the paper before putting it back where he found it and walking away.
As Ryuken leaves the area, the women notice that the building has a sign on the front that reads 'Kurosaki Clinic' and realize that this is the place they are looking for. Bambietta promptly uses Hirenkyaku to enter the house as Candice follows after her. The pair immediately begin to search the place before soon concluding that no one is home. At that point, they notice a giant picture of a smiling woman with long light brown wavy hair hanging on the wall, which they find quite off-putting.
Candice remarks casually as she continues to take in the picture, "Either her mother was truly something special, or her dad's a total weirdo…"
Bambietta shrugs, not paying it further mind, "It could be both…"
She continues to observe the room before noticing another picture of two young girls, an older man, and a teenage boy. She picks up the picture to eye it more carefully, prompting her companion to approach and look over the other black-haired woman's shoulder to see what has her interest.
Candice points to Yuzu in the picture, "That's her."
The lime blonde's eyes shift to the teenage boy in the picture as she adds, with a hint of lust, "That boy in the picture looks like quite the catch. He looks a bit young though… I'd give him a couple more years…"
This causes Bambietta to slap her companion upside the head, "We are not here to talk about how attractive the Kurosaki relatives are! Girl, you need to get your head out of the gutter for once in your life!"
The black-haired Quincy then places the picture back, huffing as she asserts, "We'll need to find a place nearby and wait for Kurosaki to return home. It is only a matter of time before she does."
Candice nods in understanding as the two leave the house.
Naruki City
Yuzu wasn't expecting to have to take a train to get to the 'hideout' Ginjo was talking about, but she can't say the experience wasn't unpleasant. The group received a few odd looks from the other passengers, something the girl took note of, but otherwise, the trip was uneventful.
After loading off the train, Ginjo led both the Yuzu and Chad out of the station and down the street. The walk felt like it took forever, but suddenly the man pauses, causing the girl to stand at attention.
"This is the place.", Ginjo states, opening a door to a shabby-looking apartment for the pair to walk through.
The young girl lets out a gasp as a room far larger than what should be able to fit inside this small apartment greets her. Chad is also surprised yet doesn't fail to note the cockatiel shifting uncomfortably in its cage.
To the right of the entrance, there is a bar with various alcoholic beverages stored behind the counter.
Ginjo calls out into the dark room, "Riruka! Yukio! Come out and say hi to the newbies!"
Yuzu turns to find two individuals coming out from the darkness. The first is a young blonde boy wearing a black overcoat and matching hat. The boy maintains a bored expression while playing some kind of hand-held video game. The second is a teenage girl with long red hair worn in pigtails, who assumes an annoyed scowl. Yuzu notes that the look is not directed at her or Chad, but rather at Ginjo.
The teenage girl snaps at the man loudly, "I thought you went to Karakura Town to visit that noodle shop you like so much! You should've told us you were getting new members! The place is a mess!"
Ginjo's eyes widen as he clicks his tongue, "Dang… I forgot to get noodles…"
Riruka's brow twitches, prompting the man to chuckle jovially, "Ah well, I can get noodles next time! I ran into these two and decided this was more important."
The girl lets out a sigh before crossing her arms and glaring, albeit with less hostility, at the Karakura natives, "Well then, who are you two supposed to be?"
Taking the cue, both Yuzu and Chad introduce themselves.
"I'm Yuzu Kurosaki. It's nice to meet you both!", the girl states with an enthusiastic smile as she bows in greeting.
"And I'm Chad.", the boy introduces himself far more casually, merely raising a hand to wave at the duo.
The girl raises a brow before her scowl shifts to a smirk, "Well, I'm Riruka Dokugamine, and I LOVE cute things!"
Riruka's eyes widen as she examines Yuzu more closely, her mouth suddenly shifting to a disgusted frown, "Ugh! What is THAT?!"
The teenager points at the younger girl's cape, causing her to follow the gaze.
"My cape…? Pretty cool right?", the young girl asks with quite a bit of enthusiasm.
Riruka scoffs, "The cape isn't cute at all! It's totally unfitting for a cute girl!"
Yuzu almost pouts in protest, but the boy wearing a black overcoat steps forward, earning her attention.
The boy lets out a sigh as he looks up from his video game, "Don't listen to what this idiot says—the cape looks pretty cool."
"IDIOT, HUH?! Says the video game addict! What would you know about fashion?!", Riruka barks in protest, although her comments are ignored.
Yuzu notices the boy looks about her age and that he had been doing nothing but playing video games in the corner since the trio arrived.
Once more wearing a smile, the girl enthusiastically agrees with the boy's take, "I thought the cape looked cool too! I'm glad I brought it—I just knew somebody would like it! By the way, I think I recognized some of the noises from the game you were playing. If I'm not mistaken, my sister and I play one just like it."
The boy's eyes widen slightly, "I can't believe it… finally, another Fullbringer with actual taste…"
After breaking out of his momentary shock, the boy introduces himself, "Anyway… my name is Yukio Hans Vorarlberna. You can just call me Yukio, though."
Both Yuzu and Chad nod, before shifting their gazes back to Ginjo, who explains, "There are a few more members of Xcution spread out throughout the globe. We hope to create a safe haven for people with spiritual awareness like us. Society often calls us insane, but anyone who can see spirits knows the truth."
Yuzu remains quiet, processing the man's words as Chad sends him a questioning look, "How exactly is our Fullbring training supposed to work, anyway?"
Ginjo looks like he is about to explain when the cockatiel suddenly starts freaking out.
"Oh no, he's found us!", the cockatiel squeals, earning a look of shock from the members of Xcution, not expecting the bird to be able to talk.
Ginjo, for a split-second, wears a malicious expression before shifting to one of urgency. Just then, the door at the entrance explodes, and small green vile creatures come in through the blasted wall. Ginjo looks outside and sees a green Hollow with wings hovering in the sky.
The beast calls down to them, "FOOLISH HUMANS, YOU SHOULD HAVE NEVER TAKEN THAT COCKATIEL! TOO BAD… YOU'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!"
Yuzu's eyes contract as her body stiffens, not used to being in violent situations like this. Yukio gives the girl a look as he pulls out a flip phone and dials a number.
"Ugh! The nerve of this guy! Blowing a hole in our hideout—he'll pay!", Riruka shouts, looking ready to go out and give the beast a piece of her mind.
Before she can, however, Ginjo steps in front of her and sends her a serious look, "This isn't your fight, Riruka. Go to the other place while I deal with this."
The girl begrudgingly does as commanded, backing off as Ginjo then turns to regard Chad.
"Is this a part of my training?", the boy asks with a raised brow.
The black-haired Fullbringer merely nods in confirmation, prompting the boy to steel himself. As Chad begins to walk out of the building, with the cockatiel in hand, Ginjo follows, but not before regarding Xcution once more.
"Riruka: take Kurosaki with you to the backup hideout and start her training without me. Yukio: deal with the authorities."
The blonde boy tilts his head back as he gives his boss a look, "I'm calling someone from the company now. They'll deal with it."
Ginjo gives the boy a nod before running off to catch up with Chad.
Riruka groans as she walks out of the hideout, motioning for the younger blonde girl to follow, "All right, Kurosaki, let's get out of here…"
As Yuzu exits the building alongside the others, she sends Chad a worried look. The boy notices this, prompting him to give her a reassuring thumbs up. The girl nods, still wearing a worried expression, as she begrudgingly follows Riruka.
Chad approaches the Hollow, squinting his eyes as he is barely able to make out the beast's outline—only recently having gained any spiritual awareness.
Ginjo calls out to the boy, giving him advice, "Focus on something that gives you great pride! That's the only way you'll survive."
The large boy is confused about how that's supposed to help, as the Hollow laughs loudly, "MORON! THERE IS NO WAY A MERE HUMAN CAN DEFEAT A HOLLOW LIKE ME!"
The Hollow rushes at Chad, attempting to take the cockatiel, but the boy retaliates, striking the beast in the jaw and sending it crashing backward.
"NO! IMPOSSIBLE! A HUMAN SHOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO THIS!", the Hollow shrieks as it regains its bearings.
The cockatiel begs, "Just let me go, Mr. Chad! You'll just keep getting hurt!"
Chad looks down at the bird with a resolute look in his eyes, "I can't do that. Don't worry about me."
The boy then gently places the cockatiel on the ground, freeing up both of his hands.
The Hollow growls, "THE TIME FOR GAMES IS OVER!"
The slimy green creatures begin to climb onto Chad. He tries to take them off, but they won't budge. The Hollow laughs and opens its mouth, releasing a dreadful shriek that causes the green creatures to explode, forcing the large boy to the ground.
"CHAD!", Ginjo cries urgently.
Realizing that it was foolish to try and pair a normal human against a Hollow, Ginjo grabs the cross-shaped pendant hanging around his neck, getting ready to attack. However, the Fullbringer pauses as the Hollow waves its finger at him.
"You don't want to attack me when I could so easily destroy little birdy there...", the creature states in a quieter, more sadistic tone.
Ginjo's eyes widen before he looks to see the birdcage surrounded by those slimy green creatures. For a split second, the man cracks a malicious smirk, as if, perhaps, the bird dying would do him a favor, before he returns to a more passive expression as he notes Chad getting back up.
The Hollow hisses gleefully, "I will enjoy teaching you a lesson, human!"
The Hollow punches Chad, sending him rolling violently along the road.
The Hollow continues to laugh as he reveals, "I was named Shrieker by Soul Society, due to my ability to make my leech minions explode when I shriek! A nasty ability, isn't it?"
Ginjo raises a brow, suddenly curious about the beast in light of this new information, "Why is a Hollow like you so obsessed with this cockatiel anyway? The Soul Society only names Hollows they deem as potential threats, so I hardly think this little bird would sate your appetite at all."
The Hollow laughs evilly, "You're right about that… so I'll explain. You may have heard of me—I was a big-time serial killer around here when I was alive. My targets were mainly women—one of which was the bird's mommy. I killed her—that was all well and good, but the brat grabbed ahold of my leg, sending me plummeting to my death from multiple stories up! So, I stuck the boy's soul into a cockatiel to get back at him! He's the bait I use to catch any unsuspecting humans and Shinigami kind-hearted, or rather, stupid enough to fall for it!"
Ginjo slowly widens his eyes in disbelief before his lips quiver and he suddenly scowls in disgust, "You're fucked up…"
This earns a laugh from the Hollow, who proceeds to taunt the Fullbringer, "If you attack me, both the human and birdie are goners! So just stay put and wait your turn!"
The Hollow continues to thrash Chad, laughing gleefully all the while. Despite his current situation, the boy can't help but be reminded of the past, when he was violent.
Chad's Memories
Fathers of children that I beat up came to take their revenge on me… but my Abuelo… he protected me…
"You're always so mean, Yasutora…What did it accomplish? You hurt those who hurt you… then what?!", an older man scolds as he places a hand on a much younger Chad's head.
A tear flows from the boy's eye as he looks to the ground in front of his Abuelo. Blood pours from the man's nose, down his gray mustache, mixing in with the cigar in his mouth. The man wears a hat with a visor, not unlike one a newspaper boy would wear in the past, along with long work pants and suspenders.
The man gently strokes Chad's head as he kneels in front of him, "You're very strong, Yasutora… you're tall… you're handsome. You were born with all the things people wish for."
At this point, the man's hands shift to Chad's shoulders as he looks up into the boy's eyes.
Chad's Abuelo explains, "People who are different always get picked on. I don't know what it's like in other places, but in this world, that's how it is…"
The old man pauses before finishing, "But Yasutora… learn to be kind. You've got big strong fists. You need to learn to use them for good."
I know, Abuelo… my fists aren't for hurting people. They are for protecting… so please…
Give me the power.
Present
By this point, Chad is beaten and bruised over his entire body yet still manages to stand regardless. Both Ginjo and Shrieker are amazed at his endurance.
The Hollow calls out in disbelief, "HOW?! HOW CAN YOU STILL STAND, LET ALONE MOVE?!"
The boy looks down at his right arm, clenching his fist as he realizes what Ginjo meant by pride.
Chad's arm begins to glow as he declares proudly, "To honor both my Abuelo and my best friend Ichigo, I will use these fists to protect the weak and punish the evil. This is my pride as a warrior!"
The boy then jabs at the Hollow, sending a blast of Reishi at it, sending it crashing hard against the side of a building down the road. His right arm has changed shape to take on a black and red color, with two wedges protruding from his shoulder. The green blobs start to dissipate, along with the Hollow, turning to dust which is carried away by the wind.
Shrieker roars with his final breath, "CURSE YOU, HUMAN!"
The Hollow's roars fade as it disintegrates into nothing.
After a moment, Chad then turns to look at the cockatiel, "Are you all right?"
The cockatiel makes a nodding motion, "Yeah, thanks to you!"
The boy turns to Ginjo, questioning, "Do all spirits turn to dust like that when they die?"
The Fullbringer shakes his head, "From what I know, most people go to the Soul Society via the use of a Shinigami's Konsō after they die. I've also heard that Hell is the place that only truly evil people are sent to after they die—which would fit the bill based on what that Hollow just told us. Although, when a spirit disintegrates, it is destroyed entirely. In other words, that bastard is gone for good."
Chad then silently looks down at his arm, taking in its new appearance.
Ginjo shrugs, "That's probably your Fullbring, but only you can know for certain. Special Fullbring abilities only manifest within objects the user is proud of or loves."
The boy nods, taking that as his confirmation, "Well, in that case, this is definitely my Fullbring."
The black-haired man stares off in the distance with a somewhat urgent expression, "It's time to get out of here. The Shinigami will be here soon…"
Chad gives the man a stern look, "In that case, I'll stay… this cockatiel's spirit must pass on…"
Ginjo looks somewhat anxious at the bird before looking at the boy with a soft, understanding expression, seemingly resolving any internal conflicts he had, "Fine. Just don't tip them off to your abilities. If the Shinigami find out about us, they'll kill us all."
The boy flinches from how casually the man said that as if it were a truth as plain as having to breathe to survive.
The bird starts to protest at this, "I'd like to stay with Mr. Chad! I don't want to leave him with those Shinigami!"
Ginjo gives the bird an empathetic look, "Listen, kid, as much as my kind dislike Shinigami, they are helpful for most spirits—yourself included. You'll be able to be with your mom again in the Soul Society. And one day, when Chad and I pass on, you'll get to see us again too."
The cockatiel considers this briefly and then gives him a nod of agreement. By this point, Chad has deactivated his Fullbring, beginning to feel the sensation of strong beings approaching.
Ginjo sighs as he decides to take his leave, "Good luck Chad, you're gonna need it. Hopefully, we'll see each other again soon…"
Shortly after Ginjo leaves, Ukitake and Isshin arrive to check out what happened. Chad gasps as he recognizes Isshin.
"Mr. Kurosaki?! …Are you a Shinigami?", the boy asks in confusion.
Ukitake immediately furrows his brows slightly as he mutters to himself, "It is odd that so many humans around here are spiritually inclined…"
Meanwhile, Isshin raises a brow at the boy, "A little far from Karakura, isn't he? Eh, not like I'm his parent or anything. It's not my place to scold him about that…"
Isshin then approaches Chad, answering, "Yes, I am a Shinigami. Given the fact that you can see me, can you tell me if anything weird happened in this area? My co-worker and I sensed strong spiritual energy…"
The boy nods before explaining, "There was some kind of monster here trying to take my cockatiel, but I was able to scare it off."
Ukitake widens his eyes as he lets out a gasp, "It should be impossible for a normal human to defeat a Hollow by themselves…"
Isshin shakes his head, asserting with a slight smirk, "Nah, Chad could do it. This boy is one of the strongest people I've ever met when it comes to raw physical strength."
"I see…", Ukitake remarks, still not entirely convinced.
The Shiba man observes the cockatiel, prompting the large boy to ask, "Mr. Kurosaki, are you able to put this boy's spirit to rest?"
Isshin gives the boy a look before nodding, "I can… you'll want to step back so I can perform the Konsō."
"Wait.", the cockatiel suddenly states, causing the two captains to wear mildly surprised expressions.
The bird continues, "Before I go, I want you to know my true name, Mr. Chad. I am Yuichi. Yuichi Shibata. Hopefully, this will make it easier for us to find each other when you come to the Soul Society too!"
Chad nods with a smile, "It's a promise, Yuichi."
Chad and the cockatiel give each other one last farewell before Isshin performs the Konsō with his Zanpakutō.
The Shiba man regards the boy once more, now issuing him a warning, "You may be strong, Chad, but please avoid fighting any Hollows from now on. We Shinigami are here to do that to protect the normal people—it kinda defeats the purpose if the normal people get themselves killed trying to fight Hollows…"
Chad nods, "I understand, sir."
Ukitake promptly uses a healing Kaido spell to heal Chad's wounds before both captains use Flash Step to leave the area. Soon after, the pair regroups with the other captains, who look at them curiously.
Byakuya is the first to address the duo, "What was that weird Reiatsu?"
Ukitake explains, "It was just a spiritually aware human trying to protect a whole from a Hollow. The issue was mostly resolved by the time we arrived."
Aizen steps forward before that discussion can go anywhere, "Pardon me, but I don't think it wise to use so many resources on such trivial matters, especially not when the Hollow White could appear at any moment."
Byakuya nods, dropping all interest in the Reiatsu he felt, "I agree with Captain Aizen. Even just one captain for any normal Hollow is unnecessary."
Aizen continues, "Precisely. I propose that one of us handles all non-White-related occurrences in the Tokyo area. I volunteer myself and Squad 5 for the task."
Kenpachi snorts, "Fine by me. One less person I need to worry about getting in my way when White does come back…"
Byakuya follows up, "I also have no issues with this arrangement."
"I don't see anything wrong with it. What about you, Captain Shiba?", Ukitake questions.
Isshin is about to protest, but quickly decides against it, not wanting to potentially raise suspicion about the questionable connections he has in the living world, Kisuke Urahara chief among them.
"I… I'm fine with it.", the Shiba man half lies.
"Then it would seem we are all in agreement. We'll leave everything not relating to White to Squad 5.", Ukitake states with finality.
Aizen nods graciously, a slight smirk on his face, "Very well. I shall send for my vice-captain immediately."
Urahara Shōten
Underneath Urahara's shop, Orihime and Tatsuki continue to try and fight Ururu and Jinta with great difficulty. Ururu suddenly lands a punch on Tatsuki's mid-section, sending her crashing into a boulder. The girl grunts in pain as she tries to get up from the ground.
Orihime notices her friend struggling and instinctually runs towards her, "I'm coming to help, Tatsuki!"
However, before Orihime can make it to her best friend, Jinta appears next to her and bats her away with his large club.
"YOU thought you could outrun ME?! I'm Jinta Hanakari and I won't lose to a girl!", the boy boasts proudly.
As Jinta is laughing loudly to himself, Urahara approaches, earning the attention of Ururu, who shifts from her fighting stance to a passive one. The boy notices the shopkeeper as well, prompting him to become quiet.
"Looks like these kids are putting you two through the wringer… I'll take pity on you and give you a break…", Urahara states as both teenagers struggle to rise to their feet.
Tatsuki huffs, "Wait… I can… I can still fight!"
"No.", Urahara remarks, "Having these two continue to beat down on you wouldn't help either of you whatsoever. Clearly, we'll have to take a different approach if you're to unlock your powers."
The karate girl looks ready to argue before Orihime cuts in, "Where's Karin? You didn't answer me last time…"
The shopkeeper is silent for a long moment, earning worried looks from both girls.
Before either of them can inquire further, he uses a half-truth to elaborate, "Miss Kurosaki is undergoing private Shinigami training with the help of Ms. Kuchiki. It would be best if you gave them their space, as the Shinigami like to keep their traditions to themselves."
Meanwhile, at the top of a nearby hole, Rukia laments the progress made during the last day. Karin has been attempting, and failing, to get out of the hole by methods such as running up the wall. The girl tries sprinting up the wall once more before she quickly falls down on her butt next to the Asauchi still stabbed in the ground, earning her a scolding from the Shinigami.
"You can't get out of the shaft like that! I told you that you need to focus inward! Try to imagine your inner power materialized! The Asauchi will help.", Rukia explains as a teacher would.
Karin snarls, "That's not helpful when I don't even know how to do that! What do you mean by inner power?! I'm already in spirit form!"
The raven-haired woman sighs, somewhat aggravated, "It sometimes helps if you imagine it as a red ribbon. Beyond that, I can't offer any advice. It's an instinct you'll need to figure out on your own…"
Rukia then turns her back to the hole and walks away, which leaves Karin more confused than she started, "Red ribbon…? What…?"
The girl then eyes the Asauchi intently as she shifts to a frown, "And how's this thing supposed to help…?"
Hueco Mundo
White wakes up from his slumber, hearing a group of Adjuchas pass the cave he was in. The only indication of the nap he took having any real length to it is that the pain in his chest from Barragan's attack is less significant, taking less of his Reiatsu to continuously regenerate from the miasma constantly eating away at him from the inside out.
The dragon manages to get up and fly after the Adjuchas that just passed. The group stops, recognizing him before attacking.
"IT'S THE WHITE DRAGON! LORD BARRAGAN WILL REWARD US FOR SURE IF WE KILL IT!", one of the Adjuchas yell.
White is surprised to find that despite these Adjuchas being far weaker than himself, he is still struggling to take them down.
He curses himself, "Damn! I should've taken Grimmjow's advice! This damned wound is holding me back!"
White nearly drops to the ground, which makes one of the Adjuchas believe they can safely go in for the kill. They are sorely mistaken. The dragon's instincts are in overdrive, causing him to slash the Adjucha's head clean off before immediately pouncing and devouring its body as the head flies through the air. The other Adjuchas back away as this gives White the second wind he desperately needs to get back in the game. Without further delay, the dragon rushes towards the rest of the Adjuchas, devouring all of them without mercy.
Upon finishing his feast, White lets out a sigh, "I can feel my power returning… but it won't be enough. I'd better stay grounded for now and take refuge in the caves. I'll rest until another group of Adjuchas find me and then devour them too… hopefully then this accursed wound will close."
White then walks off to a nearby cave before once more drifting off into slumber.
Elsewhere in Hueco Mundo
Miles away from White's cave, Grimmjow and his followers find themselves cornered by Las Noches' resident Hollow hunters—beings known as Arrancars. However, that's not all, as two of the five hunting them are Espada—elite Arrancars who likely were once Vasto Lordes. One of them is Nelliel Tu Odelschwank, a rather tall woman with long turquoise hair and a Capricorn mask worn like a helmet on her head. The other is Nnoitora Gilga, an extremely tall, lanky man with long, shoulder-length black hair. Nnoitora also wears a white eyepatch over his left eye. The remaining Arrancars include Dondochakka Birstanne and Pesche Guatiche, Nelliel's ever-faithful followers, whom she in all honesty treats more like brothers. The last one is Tesla Lindocruz, an eyepatch-wearing Hollow who follows Nnoitora out of respect for his strength.
Edrad curses out the Hollows before them, "YOU ARRANCARS ARE TRAITORS TO YOUR KIND! ABOMINATIONS! YOU FAKERS ACHIEVED POWER BY BECOMING LIKE THE SHINIGAMI, IT'S DISGUSTING!"
Grimmjow snaps at his companion, "SHUT UP EDRAD! I don't care how they got powerful—the fact is that they are powerful and worthy of killing!"
Shawlong regards his leader with a worried tone, "Grimmjow, please! I urge you not to antagonize them. We barely escaped Barragan after fighting that dragon, White…"
Grimmjow ignores him, continuing to provoke the Espada, "C'mon Arrancars! I'll show you how weak you really are!"
Nnoitora scoffs, "A pissant like you fight us? You've no chance in hell… but I'll gladly kill you anyway, fool! A mere Adjucha like you ought to feel honored!"
Grimmjow and Nnoitora begin to clash, as Nelliel ignores the two entirely, instead choosing to take note of what Shawlong said, "White…? Could that be the same dragon who wounded Barragan?"
Tesla engages Yylfordt, "You were a fool not to join the Arrancars as your brother did. You will die here along with the rest of your rabble."
The bull snorts, "That's where you got it wrong, brother, you're the fool for not realizing that Grimmjow's gonna be King once he becomes a Vasto Lorde!"
The remaining of Grimmjow's followers attempt to attack Nelliel but are cut off by Pesche and Dondochakka, who summon a giant worm Hollow who was hiding in the sand until now. The worm thrashes about, sending Grimmjow's minions flying.
After about a minute of quarreling, it is obvious to see that Grimmjow and his followers are losing badly.
Nnoitora pins the panther himself to the ground with his giant circular scythe Zanpakutō, regarding him with a bored expression, "I'd like to say it's been fun, but trash like you couldn't even amuse me… BEGONE!"
The Espada is about to deliver the fatal blow when Nelliel uses Sonido to appear in front of her peer, knocking his oversized weapon away with a single stroke of her sword.
"What do you think you're doing?!", Nnoitora questions with anger in his voice.
The woman wears an expression of disapproval, "We have no reason to kill these Adjuchas. They present no threat to us. Killing them would only prove that we have failed to evolve beyond them… you would be no better than them if you go through with this."
Nnoitora growls at her, "Idiot! I AM better than them because I am stronger! That's how things are here! Survival of the fittest! Now get out of my way… this is my kill!"
The three other Arrancars watch as their masters debate over their opposing worldviews for what feels like the millionth time. Shawlong takes this opportunity to pick up the limp form of Grimmjow and carry him away, the rest of the group following him as they make their covert escape.
Nnoitora notices this too late, and curses, "DAMN YOU, NELLIEL! YOU LET MY PREY ESCAPE!"
The woman sighs, "The fact that you view them as pray proves my point—you are just a beast…"
This prompts Nnoitora to start walking away in frustration, "That's it! Tesla, follow me."
Nelliel raises a brow, "Where are you going?"
The black-haired man tilts his head back to glance at the woman, "I'm fed up with you and your bullshit! Nothing but spitting off platitudes! That has no place here in Hueco Mundo! Tesla and I are hunting on our own from now on—you'll only get in the way!"
Pesche and Dondochakka approach Nelliel after the other Espada leaves.
Pesche inquires, "What should we do now, Master Nel?"
The woman turns back to face her followers fully, "Go back to Las Noches. If anyone asks, I split off from Nnoitora to hunt on my own and sent you two back to report."
The two Arrancars give a light bow to their master before jumping on the back of the giant worm.
"All right Bawabawa, let's get outta here!", Dondochakka declares.
As Nelliel watches the Arrancars leave, she thinks to herself, "Now… to find this White."
The woman promptly uses Sonido to vanish.
Author's Note:
The next several chapters will focus heavily on Yuzu and Karin's development, so White won't appear as much. The next arc will deal heavily with him, though, as well as Hueco Mundo in general. I will start to dive into the character of White at that point, but for now, he won't show up quite as much, just as a heads-up.
Now, to express my head-canons and speculation regarding the timeline of the Espada's development, because after doing research, it is very unclear when things happened and how. All I know for certain is that the trio of ex-Espadas and Szayelaporro (prior to splitting into two beings, Szayel and Yylfordt) held Espada positions prior to Aizen using the Hōgyoku to awaken anyone into Arrancars (although it is implied that the trio are natural Arrancars, while the original Hollow that was a fusion of Szayel and Yylfordt held the 0 seat as an Espada without being an Arrancar). We also know from the manga that Aizen recruited Stark and Lilynette after betraying the Soul Society.
Anything else is quite unclear, so I will be taking a lot of creative liberties when dealing with characters in Hueco Mundo, something Melkor did to a great degree in his fanfiction as well. Firstly, I am having Nelliel, Nnoitora, and a handful of other Espada/Arrancars from canon already be Arrancars. Whether they are natural Arrancars or were pushed to awaken by Aizen's incomplete Hōgyoku is irrelevant. Regardless, they did not see as big as a boost as those awakened by the full Hōgyoku would have, so that is my explanation for why some characters may seem weaker than in canon later on. Second, characters that may have been part of the Espada already in canon but it wasn't shown… some of these types I will have still being natural Hollows, which includes Grimmjow, Halibel, and more. Finally, I will assume that the complete Hōgyoku can be used to further enhance existing Arrancars—which was an idea Melkor went with as well.
By the way, the information about Szayelaporro is from the Spirits Are Forever With You light novels, which shed a bit of light on the backstory of the Espada as a group, particularly Szayelaporro.