Eventually, Ichigo came to a stop above an abandoned industrial zone at the city's edge—steel warehouses, cracked asphalt, and scattered debris stretching out below.
CLINK.
Ichigo landed lightly on the ground. His expression serious now. Grimmjow slammed down a moment later, dust kicking up from his landing.
"Not bad. This place'll work," he said as he loosened his jacket.
Their eyes locked.
Silence.
Then—
BOOOOOM!!!
Both flared their spiritual pressure in an instant, the sheer weight of it cracking the ground between them and rippling outward in waves. A nearby building crumbled under the pressure.
Ichigo lowered Zangetsu.
"I'll warn you once. If you're not serious, you'll regret stepping here."
Grimmjow cracked his knuckles, his reiatsu swirling around him like a storm. His smile was wild.
"Don't worry, Soul Reaper. I don't think I'll need to use release with you," Grimmjow said, confidence oozing from his smirk.
Ichigo didn't reply. He narrowed his eyes, then vanished in a blur—shunpo cracking the air behind him. In the same instant, he reappeared behind Grimmjow, Zangetsu mid-swing, the enormous blade slicing downward with devastating force.
Grimmjow's instincts screamed.
He ducked just in time.
Zangetsu tore through the space where his head had been, the sheer pressure trailing behind it like a blade of wind. A steel support beam standing nearby was sliced clean through—its upper half collapsing in slow motion before the entire structure groaned and toppled, crashing into the ground with a deafening clang.
"Heh," Grimmjow chuckled, twisting on his heel in one smooth motion. He dropped low and swept his leg in a wide arc toward Ichigo's ankles—aiming to trip him.
Ichigo leapt backward with a sharp exhale, landing effortlessly in a crouch several meters away, eyes never leaving Grimmjow.
The Espada straightened slowly, brushing dust off his pants with casual arrogance, that trademark smirk etched into his face. In the next instant, he blurred forward—vanishing in a streak of blue.
He appeared directly in front of Ichigo.
Clawed fingers lashed out, aiming for his torso.
Ichigo reacted just in time, sliding to the side, the claws raking past him with a whoosh. Grimmjow didn't stop—he slashed again and again, swiping left, then right, a frenzied barrage of strikes meant to overwhelm.
But Ichigo dodged every one.
His head tilted with a breath's timing, feet gliding across broken ground as if he were dancing on air. Sparks lit up as claws scraped against Zangetsu, the impact jarring Grimmjow slightly.
Then Ichigo responded—a single swing.
Zangetsu cleaved through the air in a powerful arc.
Grimmjow crossed his arms to block—but the sheer force behind the swing overwhelmed his defense.
BAM!
Grimmjow was launched backward, his body smashing through a rusted-out van with a metallic crunch. He twisted in mid-air and landed hard on his feet, skidding back with a snarl.
He stared at his arms—thin red cuts traced across his forearms. Already, they were healing, flesh knitting back together as if time itself obeyed him.
"Alright," he muttered, wiping his mouth. "Fun's over."
His smirk vanished.
In a blink, Grimmjow vanished again—this time faster, sharper, merciless. He reappeared before Ichigo, his fist a blur aimed directly at his face.
Ichigo just tilted his head to the side—barely avoiding the blow—and brought Zangetsu around in a tight, fast arc to counter.
But Grimmjow was gone.
Sonído.
He reappeared at Ichigo's flank—left leg raised high, foot snapping toward his ribs like a cannon.
Ichigo ducked beneath it fluidly, spinning on his heel. In the same motion, he twisted Zangetsu in his grip—now holding it in reverse, like a knife—and drove it forward, aiming to stab.
But Grimmjow vanished again—this time retreating several meters away.
He landed, breathing steadily, eyes narrowed.
'He keeps dodging… but he's not attacking full force,' Grimmjow thought, frowning. 'If he can dodge me, he can hit me just as fast. So why isn't he?'
Ichigo's eyes flicked to him—focused. Calm.
Then he smirked.
The bandage coiled around Zangetsu's hilt fluttered loose.
'I've always wanted to try this,' Ichigo thought.
He grabbed the end of the cloth and began spinning Zangetsu like a flail, the blade blurring faster and faster, until it roared through the air like a storm siren.
WHUPWHUPWHUPWHUPWHUP—
The whirlwind whipped dust and debris around him. The force alone knocked over a metal barrel nearby, and the sheer pressure made Grimmjow squint.
"The hell are you doing?" Grimmjow asked, irritated.
Then Ichigo stopped spinning.
In one motion—he let Zangetsu fly.
The sword shot through the air, a whirling blur of black steel and white cloth screaming toward Grimmjow like a missile.
WHEEEEEW—BOOOOOOM!
Grimmjow ducked at the last second. The sword tore past his head and exploded into a building wall behind him—ripping through stone and steel, sending chunks of rubble flying as it embedded itself deep inside.
But before the dust settled—
SNAP!
Ichigo yanked the cloth.
The sword whipped back, spinning like a buzzsaw.
Grimmjow leapt to the side as it crashed into the ground where he'd stood—blasting up rock and smoke, carving a deep crater in the cracked street.
"Hah! You missed again," Grimmjow laughed, rushing toward the now-unarmed Ichigo.
But Ichigo gave a small tug.
The sword reversed mid-flight—hurtling back horizontally toward Grimmjow's spine.
He sensed it just in time—jumping into the air, flipping forward. The blade screeched past, missing him by a hair. He landed just before Ichigo, claws raised—but froze.
Zangetsu was hovering right beside his neck. The bandage pulled tight, Ichigo still gripping it.
"You gonna take this seriously yet?" Grimmjow asked, breathing heavier.
Ichigo gave a small laugh. "If I did... this fight would end in a second."
Grimmjow's grin widened, sharp as a blade. "Oh really? Try me."
The sky above them darkened with their spiritual pressure—light bending, the earth trembling beneath their feet. Neither would back down. And the real fight was just beginning.
TO BE CONTINUED