{đ„ł The Fanfic is now fully completed! đ
You can access 300+ advance chapters right now on Patreonâavailable for subscription or purchase! âš
đ patreon.com/Oreski
đ„° Your support keeps me motivated and eager to create even more amazing stories! đ}
The golden Cero thundered toward her, yet Nilu stood unmoving. She opened her mouth wide, and to everyone's shock, the beam was drawn into her small frame.
"What?!" Nnoitra's single eye widened in disbelief as the light vanished. The brilliant torrent that should have reduced her to ash was swallowed whole.
Nilu's stomach bulged grotesquely, her cheeks puffed as though she were about to burst. "Mmmphâ!" Her hands clutched desperately at her mouth, face flushed crimson.
Nnoitra faltered, confusion flashing across his expression. Before he could comprehend, Nilu could hold no longer. She gagged, then released.
Boom!
The golden torrent erupted from her throat like a dam breaking, the very same Cero unleashed back at its master.
"â?!" Nnoitra tried to evade, but the beam engulfed him.
The laboratory convulsed in the blast. Air exploded outward in a violent wave, tearing walls, shattering vials, sending dust and sand roiling into a storm. Liquids and instruments alike were hurled against stone, crashing and breaking apart.
"Haa⊠haaâŠ" Nilu panted, chest heaving, her tiny frame trembling from exertion. Wide eyes fixed on the swirling cloud of smoke, her gaze was filled with fear, dread, and a hint of determination.
Peixue and Dondochakka forced themselves upright, battered bodies shaking as they stared anxiously into the dust.
Slowly, the haze thinned. A shadow emerged.
It was Nnoitra.
His body was battered, Arrancar robes torn and shredded, his chest and arms gouged with bleeding cuts. Red dripped down his sides, but his presence was far from gone.
Nilu's face paled. Even turning his own Cero against him had not finished him.
"Damn⊠this monsterâŠ" Peixue muttered bitterly, unwillingness twisting his features.
Nnoitra's breaths came ragged, his expression dark as pitch. Being struck by his own Cero had injured him, yet it had also stoked his fury beyond reason.
"You⊠you littleâ" His glare locked onto Nilu, volcanic hatred erupting in his eye. "Bitch!"
His spiritual pressure surged violently, drowning the chamber. Peixue and Dondochakka collapsed flat against the ground, unable to move beneath the crushing weight.
Nilu staggered, her mind blank, fear freezing her limbs.
With a sudden shhk, Nnoitra raised his massive scythe. His knees bent, muscles coiling, and thenâ
Boom!
The stone beneath his feet exploded as he launched forward like a cannonball. Gravel sprayed in all directions.
"Niluâ!" Peixue and Dondochakka's muffled cries bled through clenched teeth, their faces pinned to the floor.
In the blink of an eye, Nnoitra loomed over her, scythe descending with murderous force. "Die, you filthy bitch!"
Her eyes dulled, the blade's black edge filling her vision. His roar, her companions' helpless shouts, the shadow of death overheadâit was all too familiar.
And thenâdeep within her soul, the sealed doors shattered.
Memories burst forth like a flood: Peixue, Dondochakka, the laughing sands, the betrayal, the brutal blow that cracked her mask. And above allâthis man, this sneering beast before her.
She remembered. She remembered everything.
Her gaze cleared, pupils sharp with sudden clarity.
Boom!
A cloud of rose-colored smoke erupted in front of Nnoitra, halting his strike.
"Whatâ?!" His expression twisted, body meeting resistance. Metal clashed against metal, his scythe stopped cold.
"Nilu!" Peixue and Dondochakka struggled to look up, eyes widening as the smoke thinned.
From its heart stepped a woman.
Long turquoise hair cascaded down her back, framing refined features of both elegance and wild beauty. Her body was full and strong, her curves commanding, her legs long and poised like a warrior born. The tatters of cloth barely concealed the proud form beneath, yet she carried herself with calm grace, untamed power radiating in every line of her figure.
Two opposing aurasâwild ferocity and quiet composureâmerged seamlessly in her presence.
Nnoitra froze, eye wide, as recognition struck.
Peixue and Dondochakka gasped, tears blurring their vision.
"NellielâŠ"
Their commander. Espada No. 3, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanckâreturned before them.
Nilu, no longer a child, stood with a ZanpakutĆ drawn, its blade resting calmly against Nnoitra's massive scythe.
Her voice was serene, unwavering. "Sorry to make you take care of me for so long. From here on, leave it to me."
At her words, Peixue and Dondochakka broke, tears streaming freely. They clutched each other, sobbing uncontrollably. To see her again, to hear her voiceâonce only a dream, now reality.
Nnoitra's face contorted. Long ago, it was he who had struck her down, shattering her mask, reducing her to a child. To see her restored filled him with fury.
"Damn you, youâ"
But before he could finish, steel flashed.
Shhk!
A spray of blood burst from his chest as Nelliel struck low, eyes locked coldly onto him.
Shhhk! Another slash followed, blade gleaming as she pressed forward.
"Damn itâ!" Nnoitra snarled, scythe lashing out. Their weapons collided in an explosion of force, wind and rubble tearing across the lab.
Peixue and Dondochakka shielded their eyes, watching with everything they had left. This was her battle, her vengeance, fought with her own hands.
Steel clashed ceaselesslyâbang, bang, bangâas their duel ignited.
Though blood covered Nnoitra's body, Nelliel remained untouched, calm as the tide, graceful and unyielding.
"Damn⊠this womanâŠ!" Nnoitra spat bitterly, rage boiling. Even after all his years, his rise from No. 8 to No. 5, the gap remained. Between him and the woman once No. 3, the gulf was still vast.
Her blade kissed his neck, carving a shallow line of blood. His breath hitchedâany deeper, and it would have been severed.
"Hatefulâ!" Desperation hardened his features. He leapt back, voice bellowing in rage.
"PrayâSanta Teresa!"
His form twisted grotesquely. New arms burst from his shoulders, two more scythes forming until he held four. His silhouette loomed like a monstrous mantis, eyes glinting with predatory hunger.
Spiritual pressure surged anew, heavier than before, crushing the chamber into trembling silence.
Peixue and Dondochakka nearly fainted under the weight, their faces drained white.
But Nelliel stood calm, her turquoise hair swaying, expression unmoved. Her lips parted, her voice pure and resolute.
"Sing⊠Gazelle Knight."
{ đ„ł Enjoying the chapters? đ„° Support me on Patreon and unlock 300+ complete chapters right now! đ
âš Available by subscription or as a one-time purchase for lifetime accessâno membership needed!
đ patreon.com/Oreski}