"Honestly, does Captain Aizen really think so highly of me? Sending a nobody like myself to stop you…"
Szayelaporro Granz appeared before Retsu Unohana and Isane Kotetsu,
Unohana's perpetual smile didn't waver and her eyes remaining closed. "Oh? It seems I have quite the reputation in Hueco Mundo."
"Of course. even for Lord Aizen, creating an Arrancar isn't a simple task. Every life is precious. He specifically instructed us to retreat if we encountered any of three Gotei 13 captains. He even said that a successful retreat in their presence should be considered a mission accomplished. Those captains were Captain-Commander Yamamoto, Captain Ailin of the Eleventh Division, and Captain Unohana of the Fourth."
"So, tell me… why haven't you retreated?" Isane, curious, looked at Szayelaporro. "Can't you escape? If you don't attack us, Captain Unohana won't pursue you."
Unaware of the delicate balance between the three worlds, Isane's words made Unohana frown slightly. Killing too many Hollows, especially Espada-level Arrancar, would disrupt that balance.
Each Espada had devoured thousands of souls. Killing one was equivalent to killing tens of thousands of lesser Hollows. While Shinigami, as guardians of the balance, sent Hollow souls to Soul Society for reincarnation, excessive killing would still strain the system, forcing the Gotei 13 to reduce their soul-collecting activities in the World of the Living. This would lead to a surge in unbound souls, increasing the number of Hollows.
Szayelaporro replied, "Oh, I assure you, I have no intention of retreating. Captain Unohana, after learning of your arrival, I've been… studying your combat style, analyzing your spiritual pressure. I've prepared a special… environment, just for you. You can't kill me here. Your spiritual pressure… is useless against me."
He laughed. To gather Unohana's combat data, he had deployed countless recording insects. Using that data, he had created this room, a space where her spiritual pressure, her reiatsu, the very foundation of her power, was neutralized. This was his strength, his genius.
"Captain Unohana, let me see what makes you so… different from other Shinigami."
He drew his Zanpakutō, placing the blade in his mouth, his tongue coiled around it like a serpent. Spiritual pressure flowed from the blade into his body.
"Sip, Fornicarás!"
Szayelaporro's reiatsu exploded outwards as he released his Resurrección.
…
"Grimmjow, is that all you've got?"
Outside of Las Noches, Ichigo watched the panting Arrancar.
Grimmjow's eye twitched. He had unleashed his full arsenal – his Resurrección, his Caja Negación, his Desgarrón – yet he hadn't landed a single blow on Ichigo. And the insult that stung the most… he hadn't even forced Ichigo to draw his second Zanpakutō.
"Don't underestimate me, Kurosaki!" he roared, gathering his remaining spiritual pressure for one final attack.
"Desgarrón!"
Ten massive, blue blades, each over a hundred meters long, shot towards Ichigo.
Ichigo sighed. He had been hoping for a challenging opponent, a chance to gauge his new strength. Ailin was too strong. Even after retraining his Bankai, he doubted he could fare any better against his teacher. He had briefly entertained the notion that Grimmjow, after his Resurrección, might provide a decent challenge. He had been mistaken.
"Alright, Grimmjow, as an opponent… you're… passable. Now, let me show you the true difference in our strength." Ichigo said, drawing his shorter, black Zanpakutō
He traced an arc in the air with the shorter blade, a white crescent of energy appeared before him. Then, he raised his larger, white Zanpakutō, bringing it down in a swift, decisive strike.
"Getsuga… Jūjishō!"
BOOM!
The two attacks merged, forming a massive, cross-shaped blast of energy that hurtled towards Grimmjow.
"Aaaaaah!"
Grimmjow roared and charged ahead with his Desgarrón.
But willpower couldn't bridge the gap in their strength. Ichigo's Getsuga Jūjishō shattered Grimmjow's attack, the force of the impact sent him flying into the depths of Hueco Mundo.
Ichigo shielded his eyes with his left hand, peering in the direction Grimmjow had vanished. "He's not dead, is he? I aimed to avoid any vital points… If he died from that… well, he was just too weak."
Sheathing his Zanpakutō, Ichigo turned his attention to where Chad and Uryū had been fighting. He had sensed a powerful surge of reiatsu earlier, nearly prompting him to intervene. But then, another, unfamiliar yet familiar, spiritual pressure had appeared, quickly extinguishing the first. He could now sense Chad and Uryū's reiatsu stabilizing.
"They're stronger, but Espada-level battles are still too dangerous for them," he thought. "I'll rescue Orihime myself. I can't risk them facing any more opponents."
He didn't rejoin Chad and Uryū. He turned and flew towards Las Noches.
…
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In the desert, Yammy Llargo who was nearly a hundred meters tall, slammed his fists into the desert. Each blow created craters.
But beneath him, a persistent laughter echoed, unfazed by his attacks.
"Hahahaha!"
"Damn it! I'm Lord Aizen's trump card, the Cero Espada! How can I be struggling against a mere captain?" Rage surged within him. His anger, usually the source of his power, his growth, now reached a plateau. He could feel a limit, a barrier he couldn't break through, despite his fury. And the Shinigami below… he seemed to have no such limitations. The stronger Yammy became, the stronger he became.
Zaraki, covered in blood, roared with laughter. Since regaining his peak strength, he hadn't enjoyed a battle like this. The vast difference in power between him and his subordinates had prevented him from unleashing his full strength for decades. He lived in constant fear of accidentally killing them.
He had clung to the knowledge that Ailin, a truly worthy opponent, still existed, a goal to strive towards, a reason to continue honing his skills. Without Ailin, he might have chosen to seal his power again, just to experience the thrill of a true battle. He hadn't anticipated finding such an opponent here, in Hueco Mundo. The more he injured him, the stronger he became! What had started as a one-sided slaughter had evolved into a true challenge.
But now, Yammy's growth seemed to have stopped.
"Am I… not hurting him enough?" Zaraki looked up at the towering Arrancar, frowning. "Alright, I don't like that old man, but if this can make you stronger… I don't mind using his technique."
He shifted his grip, holding his Zanpakutō with both hands. Then, he swung.
Swish!
A golden arc of energy carved deep gash in Yammy's side. Blood rained down, and a scream, filled with pain and rage, echoed through the desert.
"Ahhhhh!"
Zaraki paused, watching Yammy. The wound, instead of triggering further growth, simply healed faster.
"Hey, Arrancar! Why aren't you getting stronger? Is that your limit?"
Shame and fury warred within Yammy. "You… you dare mock me? Die!"
He opened his massive maw, a crimson Cero, brighter than the moon, gathering within it. The energy sphere, over ten meters wide, almost completely obscured his head.
"Cero!"
Boom!
A torrent of destructive energy erupted towards Zaraki. It was powerful enough to annihilate Las Noches.
"Hahaha! Now that's more like it!" Zaraki had a thrill of adrenaline surging through him as he sensed the attack's power. Then, for the first time in Hueco Mundo, he released his Zanpakutō.
"Devour, Nozarashi!"
BOOM!
His spiritual pressure exploded outwards. His battered Zanpakutō transformed into a massive, axe-like blade with an elongated hilt, easily held across his shoulder. He swung.
There was no sound, only the silent cleaving of Yammy's Cero. And beyond the severed attack… Yammy's massive form was bisected.