Chapter 112: The Entire Hueco Mundo Has Turned into a Chaotic Mess.
Almost at the same time.
"One, two, three… six?!"
Omaeda stared at the horizon, his face turning green as he counted again and again.
"Captain Hitsugaya's side has six Arrancar! You've got to be kidding me! Are there really that many enemies?! Don't tell me every squad has to deal with this many. If that's the case, we're dead for sure!"
"Relax. Not every Espada brings as many Fracción as Grimmjow. Some of them prefer to fight alone."
The voice came from beside him, still watching the horizon. It sounded friendly enough that Omaeda nodded without thinking.
"I see… By the way, Grimmjow sounds like the kind of guy who tries too hard to look cool. Is he actually strong? Is Hitsugaya's side going to be okay? If they have the most manpower and still end up the first to fall, then the enemy will be free to reinforce other battlefields. That'd be a disaster."
"Grimmjow is sixth among the Espada. In terms of raw killing power, he isn't the most extreme, but you still can't underestimate him. He's a warrior with both reason and savagery. Even cornered, he can flip the situation, so it's hard to say who wins."
"Even the Sixth is that annoying? Then what kind of monsters are the others, especially the higher ranked ones!"
"Monsters? Well…" The woman hesitated, then sighed. "That's actually hard to refute. The top four, excluding me, are all pretty bland. Most conversations die after a few sentences."
"That's just your terrible social skills. Look at great me… wait." Omaeda froze. "Top four excluding you?"
His teeth began to chatter. His face turned an even deeper shade of green as he stiffly turned his head.
The woman beside him had lake green hair flowing past her waist. A mask like an antelope skull rested on her head, and markings traced her face, giving her a wild, primal aura. Yet she wore a tightly buttoned white uniform, immaculate and restrained.
She stood tall, spine straight, one hand resting on the hilt at her waist. There was no loose savagery in her posture at all. If anything, she carried an indescribable holiness, like a flawless desert spirit.
Then she drew.
Elegant. Swift. Merciless.
Boom!
Blades collided in an instant.
Captain level Reiatsu crashed together, triggering a violent explosion. The sand beneath them ruptured, a crater carving itself into the ground as the shockwave hurled a gale of grit in every direction.
"Waaaah!"
Omaeda was blown away by the sudden sandstorm, bouncing across the ground like a rubber ball. He barely reacted in time, clutching the reitō pillar and anchoring himself before he was swept even farther.
"Ca Captain?!"
As the dust settled, he saw his own captain forced back.
Soi Fon's expression was dark as still water. Her Zanpakutō had already transformed into a gold and black gauntlet like stinger that covered her right wrist. She was fully in combat mode, and she had already exchanged a blow with the enemy.
She had gained no advantage.
Even with a sneak attack, it had been the same.
"This is your fault, Omaeda," Soi Fon snapped. "Couldn't you have pinned her down a little longer?!"
"I wasn't pinning anyone down!" Omaeda shouted back, voice cracking. "I just didn't realize for a second that the person talking to me wasn't you, Captain. It was the enemy!"
"That's exactly why I'm saying it." Soi Fon's eyes narrowed. "If you're stupid to this extent, why couldn't you be a little slower? It would've been better if you stood there obediently and let yourself be killed. Then I could've struck from behind. The success rate would've been higher than what we just did."
"Eh? Eh eh eh?!"
Omaeda stared at her, dumbfounded.
"In other words… Captain didn't warn me on purpose and threw me out as bait?"
"What are you talking about?" Soi Fon looked genuinely surprised. "This is simply the way the Onmitsukidō operates."
"…" Omaeda had nothing left.
Nelliel, however, stepped in calmly, as if she couldn't ignore it.
"Using your own subordinate as bait is truly too much."
"Right, right, right!"
"This unknown Shinigami gentleman is far too clumsy. He's not suitable as bait at all."
"Huh?"
"I wouldn't be distracted by bait like that and let my guard down."
"…" Omaeda's face twitched.
"So tactics like that are doomed to fail. Your subordinate will most likely die." Nelliel's tone stayed righteous, almost stern. "As a superior, if you know your subordinate isn't suited for the task yet insist on using him anyway, then what is that if not sending him to a meaningless death? It is truly too much."
Those righteous words struck Omaeda like a thunderbolt.
Soi Fon even glanced at him with open disdain. "Do you still think she's right? Honestly, she makes sense. I'm sorry, Omaeda. I had too high expectations for your clumsy self."
"Damn it!"
Omaeda yanked out his Zanpakutō and glared at Nelliel furiously.
"Who are you calling clumsy?! In the end, isn't this all your fault, you heartless person who just starts talking to people like it's normal?!"
"Enough, Omaeda." Soi Fon's voice turned sharper. "Stop embarrassing me."
Then she fixed her gaze on the opponent, who still hadn't moved a single step since the beginning.
"From what you just let slip, if you weren't lying, you should be the Fifth Espada, correct?"
"Yes."
Nelliel twirled her blade once, serene smile returning, yet her Reiatsu carried an awe inspiring fighting spirit.
"Fifth Espada, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck. Nice to meet you, Captain."
"A straightforward answer." Soi Fon shifted her stance, posture tightening into a killing line. "Then I have no reason to hide my identity."
"I am the captain of the Gotei 13 Second Division, and the Commander in Chief of the Onmitsukidō. Soi Fon."
"Onmitsukidō…" Nelliel's smile slowly faded, leaving only cold severity. "Chief Tosen told me it is an assassination organization. Is that why you care so little for your comrades? For your own life, and the lives of everyone around you?"
"Did you not hear me?" Soi Fon replied bluntly. "This is the way of the Onmitsukidō. Even if I act as bait myself and let my comrades kill me along with the enemy, it's fine."
"…Is that so." Nelliel's eyes sharpened. "Then I'm certain now. You will never defeat me."
"What did you just say?"
"Because I fight carrying my comrades' expectations." Nelliel's voice was steady, uncompromising. "I fight to lead them across despair. My blade carries the weight of our bonds, a weight you cannot endure."
The moment her words fell, Nelliel vanished.
An Arrancar's Sonído could bypass Pesquisa and normal Reiatsu sensing. Even a frontal rush could still land like an ambush.
"?!"
Soi Fon reacted instantly, raising Suzumebachi to block.
Clang!
The impact was absurdly heavy. Soi Fon's whole body was sent flying backward, unable to stop herself.
"Captain?!"
Omaeda's eyes widened.
Soi Fon was the captain who specialized in Hakuda, and she had far more physical strength than her frame suggested. Yet she had been launched like a doll.
"It's not surprising," a voice remarked casually from the side. "Even Nnoitra, the one said to have the strongest Hierro, struggles to withstand Lady Nelliel's slashes."
"I see…" Omaeda nodded without thinking.
Then his brain caught up.
"Like hell I do! Smash him, Gegetsuburi!"
He whipped around and swung his Zanpakutō.
With Shikai released, Gegetsuburi transformed into a massive morning star that came crashing down on the bastard who'd been mocking him.
"How dangerous!"
The speaker jumped back to dodge. He was, indeed, another Arrancar.
He then pulled a lightsaber out of his crotch and announced himself proudly.
"Allow me, Lady Nelliel's Fracción, Pesche Guatiche, to be your opponent!"
"Hmph! A mere Fracción!" Omaeda snarled. "I'll smash you into pieces!"
Before he could follow through, the sand beneath his feet churned. Omaeda flashed back with Shunpo, barely avoiding being swallowed.
The attacker was an Arrancar with an enormous head and a body build disturbingly similar to Omaeda's.
"Hey! There's another one?! Didn't you just say some Espada don't even bring subordinates?!"
"He is Dondochakka Birstanne." Pesche spoke with infuriating sincerity. "Although he is also Lady Nelliel's Fracción like me…"
Pesche lifted his chin.
"In Lady Nelliel's eyes, we are comrades. Not subordinates."
"Do you think that'll fool me?!" Omaeda barked, then squinted. "But it looks like there are only two of you, so fine!"
"Soon you won't think so." Pesche's eyes sharpened. "Dondochakka!"
"Understood! For Lady Nelliel!"
Dondochakka opened his mouth and pulled out a massive mace like hammer, as if it had been stored in his throat the entire time.
"Indeed, for Lady Nelliel," Pesche declared solemnly. "I must defeat you no matter what!"
Omaeda's face went green again.
Two Arrancar was one thing.
Two Arrancar who were determined, coordinated, and clearly used to fighting together was a nightmare.
He instinctively turned to the reitō pillar at his side.
"Hey, pillar! Wake up and fight with me! You have that function, right?! I believe the calculating, no, far sighted Captain Shimiya planned for this! Do something, pillar!"
"Stop yelling," Pesche said coldly. "I'll give you time to leave an epitaph later."
"Help!"
…Location of the second set of stone pillars.
"I think I just heard someone calling for help?" Renji's brows shot up as he glanced into the distance.
"Renji." Byakuya's voice cut in, calm and commanding. "Do not be distracted."
"Sorry!" Renji snapped his attention back, gripping his sword hilt as his expression tightened.
The Reiatsu coming from the enemy ahead made his skin crawl.
"…You're right. This isn't an opponent you can look away from."
"Ha. It's just a red haired brat and a cold faced man." Apache crouched in midair, eyes full of disdain as she sized up Renji and Byakuya. "That pairing looks wrong no matter how you slice it. I can't even tell how strong they are."
"And it's only two of them. Lady Harribel doesn't even need to step in. Me, Mila Rose, and Sung Sun can finish them."
"Indeed." Mila Rose's gaze was steadier than Apache's. "How about we test their skills first, Lady Harribel?"
Sung Sun didn't speak, but her stance agreed.
"That won't be necessary."
Harribel's calm eyes moved between Byakuya and Renji, as if weighing them. She reached her conclusion instantly.
"You three handle the red haired Shinigami." Harribel's hand drifted toward her own hilt. "The captain wearing the haori is mine."
"I do not know which Espada you are," Byakuya said, blade slowly sliding from its sheath, "but the moment you boasted, your downfall was sealed."
His emotionless gaze swept over them like a cut. Apache, Mila Rose, and Sung Sun all stiffened, a chill spreading through their bodies.
Even Harribel's expression, usually flat, turned slightly solemn.
"Renji."
"Understood." Renji's grin flashed, fierce and confident. "End it quickly and don't let them retreat, right? Then… Bankai!"
"Bankai…"
Ice and fire erupted in succession.
The two of them released their maximum Reiatsu, overwhelming the battlefield the way defenders in a positional war should.
…Location of the Third Squad's stone pillars.
"Captain, Captain Kuchiki's side has started fighting." Iba observed for a moment, then turned to Komamura, who sat with his eyes closed. "I wonder who they're facing."
"It doesn't matter." Komamura opened his eyes, voice heavy. "As long as they give their all. Victory and defeat are not the only measures. Retreating when necessary is also valid. Only the living can remain useful."
He paused, gaze lifting toward the approaching figure.
"Although Captain Shimiya said so, I see it differently."
A blade approached openly through the desert, impossible to miss in this empty wasteland.
This wasn't a battlefield skirmish.
It was a duel.
"Sometimes, you cannot retreat," Komamura continued, voice deepening, "because that single step back will crush the persistence and self that carried you here. After that, you can never move forward again."
"…Right." Komamura's eyes narrowed. "Tosen."
Kaname Tosen stood not far away, perfectly still. "You surprise me," he said. "I didn't think you could speak so philosophically, Komamura."
"I surprise myself." Komamura's voice remained low. "Perhaps your betrayal forced me to think. I thought of these things at your friend's grave."
"I did not know your friend," Komamura continued, "but if I were your friend, the moment you stepped into darkness, I would not turn away. I would not hesitate. I would seize you. Even if I could not pull you back, I would not let go."
"…You still don't understand, Komamura."
Tosen wore white, a sharp contrast to his pitch black skin. The Zanpakutō in his hand looked like it could sever the boundary between black and white itself.
His voice held no hesitation. Only the clarity of years.
"The pitch black world in my eyes is the real world, one that hasn't been blinded by false peace."
"You want to stop me. You want to drag me back." Tosen's tone sharpened. "That would mean forcing me to fall into your false peace."
Komamura drew in a long breath.
"As expected. Words alone cannot move you." His hand tightened. "Then I will break your limbs and take you back!"
"My limbs were broken long ago," Tosen replied. "Now, the one standing before you is the incarnation of justice. Even if destroyed once, it will grow back again."
Komamura's face darkened as a realization flickered.
"Tosen… you couldn't be…"
Tosen did not answer.
He raised a hand to his face.
Reiatsu condensed, forming a mask. An ominous pressure wrapped his soul like a second skin.
"Hollowfication?!" Iba blurted, unable to hold it in.
"Komamura," Tosen said, voice now carrying a strange double resonance, "do you still believe you can stop me? Stop the one who stands above the mistaken existence called Shinigami?"
Only the mouth split open on his smooth mask, revealing a bottomless darkness.
"Above the Shinigami?" Komamura's Reiatsu surged. "Don't get arrogant, Tosen. You grew stronger by borrowing Hollow power, but you are not the only one who has grown stronger!"
He roared, crimson Reiatsu whipping around him like a hurricane.
"Bankai, Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō!"
A mountain sized armored warrior manifested, raising its hand as if brushing away the storm, standing upon the earth like an iron god.
"Still that old trick, Komamura…" Tosen's voice paused. "No. Wait."
His senses caught a blind spot.
When the Bankai activated, Komamura himself was gone.
"Komamura… you fused with your Bankai?!"
"Tosen!" Komamura's voice boomed from the giant's mouth, thunder shaking the air. "If you have fallen into a Hollow, then I am Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō! Just as a Zanpakutō purifies a Hollow, I will crush every trace of your evil power!"
The sound alone kicked up a sandstorm that nearly buried Tosen.
…Location of the Fourth Squad's stone pillars.
"That's Captain Komamura, right?" Kyōraku glanced toward the Reiatsu explosion, then turned back to the enemy in front of him. "Quite a commotion."
He smiled faintly.
"Don't you think so, young man?"
"That has nothing to do with me."
Ulquiorra stood atop the highest dune, hands in his pockets. His body looked small against the desert, yet his presence was crushing.
From Nanao's perspective, it was like he carried the night on his back. Just looking at him made cold dread seep into her chest.
"Captain…"
Kyōraku raised a hand to stop her. Then he looked at Ulquiorra with an easy smile.
"Fighting is hard work. And making a big scene like that comes with a price. I can't imagine how exhausted someone gets after a battle."
He tilted his head slightly.
"You don't look like the type who enjoys killing. So how about we sit and chat, or just go through the motions?"
"…" Ulquiorra stared at him for a long moment.
Then his gaze slid to Nanao.
"If I kill the woman beside you, or destroy the pillar behind you, and you still insist on this, then I will give up taking your life and walk away."
"…" "?!"
Nanao's body stiffened.
Her view was suddenly blocked by a straw hat.
Kyōraku had taken it off and placed it between Ulquiorra's eyes and her face, hiding her completely.
He held it there, then sighed. "That won't do. If my subordinate dies, or the pillar is destroyed, it becomes troublesome for me."
"But my orders are to destroy the pillars." Ulquiorra sounded mildly confused. "As for the woman… it isn't strictly necessary."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"You value her more than the pillars."
"You can't put it like that," Kyōraku said. "The value of people and things can't be measured so simply."
"Ridiculous."
"Ridiculous?" Kyōraku raised an eyebrow.
"You are burdened by what you protect," Ulquiorra said flatly, "and because you sensed my power, you avoid battle, trying to stall with words."
"When you say it that way," Kyōraku admitted, "it does sound a bit embarrassing."
"But I feel no shame from you." Ulquiorra's tone turned colder. "You are full of lies and swayed by pointless emotion."
"Therefore…"
He lifted his blade, voice like a verdict.
"That is why you have met me, the one who symbolizes emptiness."
"Emptiness is one of the causes of death for humans."
"And it is the destination for people like you."
"Let me release you."
Kyōraku watched him draw his sword, then sighed, placed his straw hat atop the bewildered Nanao's head, and suddenly called out:
"Before we do this, can you tell me your name and number?"
"Ulquiorra Cifer. Espada Number 4."
Kyōraku clicked his tongue. "No hesitation at all. You really are exactly what you look like."
He exhaled, eyes sharpening.
"In that case, expecting mercy is unrealistic."
He glanced at Nanao.
"Little Nanao."
"Yes!"
"Put up a barrier. I'll leave the pillar to you. Make it thick, preferably the kind that's hard to enter or exit from either side."
Kyōraku's smile remained, but his eyes were frighteningly serious.
"Because I probably won't be able to watch over you for a while."
"…Yes!" Nanao steadied herself and answered firmly.
Kyōraku nodded, relieved, then lifted his twin Zanpakutō and walked toward Ulquiorra.
"Young man, since you won't go through the motions, then let's play a few games to pass the time."
…Location of the Sixth Squad's stone pillars.
Kenpachi, already impatient, finally met his opponent.
"Hey, Arrancar. What number Espada are you?"
"Asking for the number right away?" Yammy grinned contemptuously. "I'm Yammy Llargo, a member of the Espada. As for which number… if you want to know, show me what you've got."
Kenpachi's grin widened. "Sounds like I've been waiting for a big fish. My luck's still good."
"Your luck is terrible," Yammy scoffed.
"Whatever." Kenpachi dragged his jagged blade from the ground and began to rise. "Hey, I'm going to make a move."
"…You're even warning me?" Yammy laughed. "You're a nice guy. Fine, go ahead."
"I wasn't talking to you."
Kenpachi's gaze stayed fixed on the top of Yammy's head.
"?"
Yammy frowned, then suddenly felt something take a bite out of his scalp.
He swung a hand to grab it, catching nothing.
"He's bald, like Little Madarame, but his head isn't as smooth as Little Madarame's!"
Yachiru's silvery laughter rang out as she scampered back to Kenpachi's side.
"Damn it! Damn it, you brat!"
It didn't hurt, but the saliva smeared on his head made Yammy tremble with rage.
"Yachiru, stay back."
"Okay! Go for it, Little Kenpachi!"
Kenpachi lifted his blade again, eyes gleaming.
"Arrancar, I'm going to make a move. I'm talking to you this time."
"Bastard!" Yammy roared. "I'll kill you and that brat before you even move!"
Slash!
An arm spun into the sky.
Blood sprayed across Kenpachi's face, making his grin look feral, monstrous.
"You…?!" Yammy's expression twisted in shock.
Too fast.
When did he close the distance?
"Why the shocked face?" Kenpachi laughed, Reiatsu boiling. "Didn't I warn you I was going to move?"
His aura surged like a demon standing atop a million Menos Grande.
…Location of the seventh stone pillar.
Nemu watched silently as Mayuri paced in a tight circle.
"Ah! Why hasn't he made a move yet?!"
Mayuri finally snapped.
"If this keeps going, I'll be standing here like an idiot! I shouldn't have agreed to Shimiya's plan for an operation like this. I'm a scientist, not a gatekeeper. This kind of simple assignment should've gone to someone else, so I could play a larger role!"
"But Lord Mayuri," Nemu said calmly, "didn't you also say this would be beneficial for setting traps?"
"Nemu!" Mayuri glared. "You're taking me less and less seriously."
"Hahaha…"
Mocking laughter echoed from all directions.
Mayuri's head snapped up. "Who is it?"
The laughter faded, but the voice remained, amused.
"Oh my. How rude. I wasn't laughing at you specifically, but hearing someone call himself a scientist while flailing about like a pathetic clown… I couldn't help it."
"Clown…?"
That word made Mayuri's eyelids twitch. His face went cold, sharp eyes slicing through the air as if he could tear the speaker apart with his gaze.
The voice continued leisurely.
"If you disagree, why not go to the watchtower fortress less than a kilometer to your left? I'm right there."
"The voice you're hearing is being broadcast through a monitoring megaphone. You can stop rolling your eyes around."
"Is that so?"
Mayuri circled the pillar, suspicious, releasing several small spirit recording insects. He found nothing.
The voice sounded almost comforting, but the mockery was unmistakable.
"Research requires curiosity, but experiments that miss the point are just a waste of time."
"What a coincidence." Mayuri smiled. "I think so too."
He suddenly hurled something like a bomb toward a direction that looked empty.
It exploded immediately, engulfing dozens of meters.
The smoke was not black.
It was a ghostly purple gas.
"Cough, cough…!"
A figure burst out of it, clutching his throat, face contorted in disgust.
"What is this!"
"Anti Arrancar stink bomb." Mayuri's tone turned pleased. "The gas makes anyone with Arrancar Reiatsu feel extremely uncomfortable. It becomes difficult to perform at full level."
Mayuri studied the pink haired man with glasses like he was examining a specimen.
"Tell me, Arrancar. How do you feel right now?"
"…" Szayelaporro's expression darkened. Even so, he kept his composure, barely.
"When did you discover me?"
"Oh, that."
Mayuri's interest vanished the moment Szayelaporro failed to entertain him.
"From the moment you hid there. You didn't act for so long, so I wondered what you were doing. Turns out you were just observing."
"So I complained about why you hadn't acted yet."
Mayuri's smile sharpened.
"Now I get it. You wanted to lure me to that trap ridden place, kill me, then come out and kill Nemu and destroy the pillar."
He tilted his head.
"Truly laughable."
"You…" Szayelaporro's calm finally cracked. "Those words were for me? Impossible. Even if I left a flaw and you noticed me, it couldn't have been that early!"
"Why is it impossible?" Mayuri's eyes glinted. "A scientist shouldn't say things like that so easily."
He shrugged.
"But it's no wonder. In this barbaric Hueco Mundo, your level makes you arrogant."
"What did you say…!"
"Didn't hear me clearly?" Mayuri's grin widened. "Fine. Your camouflage technology is so inferior it was phased out by me long ago."
Szayelaporro's killing intent surged.
Mayuri turned to Nemu.
"What are the results of spirit wave detection?"
"Yes."
Nemu produced a device resembling a tablet.
"Judging by the reishi concentration, nature, and intensity, he is undoubtedly an Arrancar."
"But his Reiatsu is less than one tenth of the reference subject. In other words, even among the Espada, he should be near the bottom."
"I see."
Mayuri curled his lip at Szayelaporro.
"Inferior ability. Backward technology. I'm no longer interested in you. Disappear. Get out of my sight."
"Even though those words were aimed at you, the one I'm truly waiting for isn't you."
He waved a hand dismissively.
"However, if you leave and notify that bastard Kisuke Urahara to come here and die, I'll thank you. I wouldn't mind telling you about even more advanced stealth technology then."
Szayelaporro laughed, fury twisting his mouth.
"You… there's a limit to how much you can look down on someone!"
"Why should I look up to you?" Mayuri replied, feigning confusion.
"A self proclaimed scientist who's actually a clown being toyed with in the palm of my hand. This attitude is perfectly appropriate."
"?!"
Szayelaporro's teeth nearly cracked from the pressure of his bite.
"I will turn your remains into a specimen! Sip… Fornicarás!"
His Reiatsu exploded, transforming him into a grotesque shape.
Mayuri raised an eyebrow.
"Now that's interesting."
He watched with clinical delight.
"Resurrección has research value. I'll kill you first, turn you into a zombie, then send you out to find that bastard Urahara."
…Location of the eighth stone pillar.
Ukitake had already clashed with the enemy, with Kira and Hisagi at his side.
But the opponents were not Espada.
They were former Espada, replaced and cast aside.
"Even if they aren't Espada, they're still troublesome," Ukitake said quietly, expression serious.
Facing the joint assault of four Arrancar, Luppi, Dordoni, Cirucci, and Gantenbainne, each with strength no less than captain class, he couldn't afford to relax.
They claimed they would trade their heads for a chance to return to the Espada. Their fighting spirit was ferocious, and with the numerical advantage…
"It seems," Ukitake murmured, "this will take some effort."
…Location of the ninth stone pillar.
"I wonder how Captain Ukitake's side is doing," Rukia said, worry tugging at her voice.
"He's fine." Ichigo kept his eyes forward. "He recovered for several days with Captain Unohana before we set out. His health is good. With Kira and Hisagi backing him up, their combined strength is solid."
Ichigo paused.
"Compared to that… our opponent is a problem."
"Where is the opponent?" Rukia started, about to say there was no one, when she turned and saw a figure lying on a rock ten meters away.
Her body froze.
"When… did that… appear?!"
"Don't panic." Ichigo stepped past her, walking closer. "Not long ago."
He looked down at the man.
"You're a weird one. I thought you'd try a sneak attack, but you just lay down the moment you arrived."
"Doesn't that match what you want?" Starrk replied, eyes still closed.
"Starrk!"
A young girl dropped from the sky and slammed straight onto his stomach.
"Ah!"
Starrk's eyes flew open as he cried out in pain.
Ichigo and Rukia both felt a little sorry for him.
The culprit did not.
She grabbed his collar and shook him.
"Why did you run so fast?! I told you to wait for me!"
"…Aren't I waiting right now?!" Starrk groaned.
"Hey," Ichigo said flatly, "that's not what you said earlier."
Lilynette and Starrk both stiffened.
Her face turned furious. His turned panicked.
"Ah!"
After beating Starrk a little more, Lilynette hopped off, refreshed, and faced Ichigo and Rukia with a proud grin.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Shinigami."
"No," Rukia replied seriously. "We don't mind. You can continue as long as you want."
"That won't do." Lilynette's grin sharpened. "Our orders are to destroy the stone pillars. And kill as many as we can while we're at it."
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Ichigo and Rukia's expressions hardened.
Seeing their reaction, Lilynette looked satisfied.
"Then let's begin."
She took a step, then felt something wrong.
She whipped around.
Starrk was still lying on the rock.
Her anger flared.
"Starrk! What are you doing?!"
"As you can see." Starrk sighed. "Sleeping."
"We're not here for that!"
"I know…" Starrk rubbed his face, voice heavy with dread. "But that young man looks strong. I got spotted the moment I lay down. If we actually fight, it'll be exhausting."
"Even so, you have to fight!" Lilynette snapped. "It doesn't matter if you get tired to death! After this, we can rest for a long time! Besides, everyone else is fighting hard. If we slack off, what kind of companions are we?!"
"…Fine."
It wasn't clear which word hit him.
Starrk scratched his head and finally sat up.
His eyes were listless, decadent, and quiet.
He looked at Ichigo and Rukia.
"…" "?!"
Ichigo narrowed his gaze, but his expression didn't change much.
Rukia, however, felt like something terrifying had just stared into her soul.
"Ichigo… be careful." Her voice lowered. "His number is probably very high…!"
"Yeah."
Ichigo stepped forward, gripping his oversized blade.
"If we're going to fight, we might as well know each other's names. I'm Ichigo Kurosaki, lieutenant of the Gotei 13 Thirteenth Division."
He lifted his chin.
"And you?"
"Coyote Starrk." Starrk's voice was calm. "This one is Lilynette Gingerbuck."
"Hey, Starrk!" Lilynette shouted. "Who told you to introduce me?!"
"Anyway…" Starrk pressed a hand on her head, holding her in place. "It looks like we share a certain fate."
"There are two of us. There are two of you. Both pairs are male and female."
He continued evenly.
"Your name has 'one' in it. And I just happen to be Number One."
"Number One." Ichigo's mouth curled slightly. "Just as I thought."
"…You guessed that?" Lilynette's face tightened. Even she stopped fussing.
"Young man," Starrk said, almost impressed, "you're truly terrifying."
"What are you talking about?" Ichigo replied. "You're Number One, and I'm just a lieutenant. I'm the one who should complain."
His gaze sharpened.
"But if Number One is here with me, where's Number Two? He's second only to you. I'm worried he'll hurt my companions."
"Number Two?" Starrk shrugged. "I don't know what the others are doing, but him…"
Starrk's eyes drifted toward the distance.
"He went straight for your central camp. That should be your worst case scenario, right?"
"…No." Ichigo exhaled. "Quite the opposite."
Not only Ichigo, even Rukia breathed a sigh of relief.
…Meanwhile, at the expeditionary force camp.
Takeru stood at the camp entrance, watching the second Divine Bird fly away.
A voice sounded beside him.
"Takeru, did you forget about me?"
Yoruichi stood with hands on her hips, looking genuinely puzzled.
Takeru shook his head. "Of course not."
"Then what's my mission?"
"Infiltrate Las Noches," Takeru said smoothly, "then do whatever you want."
"…That's a lot of freedom." Yoruichi blinked. "So when do I go?"
As soon as she asked, a group appeared in the sky, releasing Reiatsu openly, like kings announcing their arrival and demanding everyone kneel.
Yoruichi's expression shifted.
"Maybe I should…"
"You can leave now," Takeru said.
"What?"
"The enemy's forces have all moved out. 'Strike while they're exposed' was practically invented for this moment."
Yoruichi fell silent for a beat, then nodded.
"I understand. Be careful."
With those words, she vanished without a trace.
Takeru straightened his collar, slid his hands into the pockets of his captain's haori, and rose into the air at an unhurried pace.
Step by step, he walked through the sky until he stood before the group.
The instant he stopped, his Reiatsu erupted like a hurricane, blasting apart the chaotic convergence of theirs and forcing the air itself to bow.
"Hmph."
Seated on a skeletal throne, Baraggan looked displeased as several of his Fracción were knocked unsteady, their posture turned pathetic by the violent currents.
Takeru withdrew his Reiatsu, then replaced it with words even more humiliating.
"Perhaps you've come to surrender, which I'd be happy to see," he said casually. "But you didn't bring your companions' heads."
His eyes narrowed.
"I don't like that very much."
.....
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