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"Tch. I don't care who you are." Kurosaki Ichigo's voice rang sharp with pride, his eyes fixed on the figure before him. "As long as I know you're the enemy—then I'll knock you down!"
He drew Zangetsu slowly from his back, the massive blade gleaming under the sun. A storm churned in his chest, grievances piled high and waiting to be unleashed. The shame of collapsing mid-battle against those two Arrancar, the bitter taste of helplessness, and the humiliation of being saved—not by his own power, but by Su Li. Every ounce of frustration was born from the presence of these enemies. Whether or not the man before him was the same as those from days ago mattered little. It was enough to know he was the enemy. By defeating him, Ichigo could reclaim dignity, erase disgrace, and prove that Karakura Town could be protected by his hands alone.
"Bankai!"
The air trembled as black reiryoku burst outward. The oversized blade shrank into a sleek black katana, his robes sharpening into the form of a Shinigami commander's garb. Ichigo's eyes hardened, confidence blazing as he leveled his weapon at Grimmjow.
Grimmjow's lip curled in a smirk. "The posture's not bad…" His voice sank, the grin twisting cold. "But trash is still trash."
Laughter rippled from his Fracción.
Ichigo's face darkened. Without hesitation he blurred forward, crossing the gap in an instant. His voice cut the air: "Getsuga Tenshō!" The black crescent roared forth, drenched in reiatsu, cleaving toward Grimmjow like a blade of night.
"Cut." Grimmjow's eyes gleamed with disdain as he drew his Zanpakutō with unhurried ease.
Steel flashed.
The black crescent tore skyward, but it struck nothing. Ichigo's pupils shrank as a chill shot down his spine. Grimmjow was already in front of him.
A white arc.
Blood sprayed.
Ichigo's body jerked violently, eyes wide, disbelief carved into his expression. He had been struck before he could even react.
The man's strength was nothing like the Arrancar he'd faced before—this was a gulf of power, crushing and absolute. His mind reeled blank.
The air cracked. A black shadow dropped from above, its speed merciless.
Instinct screamed. Ichigo raised his blade.
Impact thundered. Grimmjow's kick smashed into his guard, the force twisting his arm and slamming Zangetsu into his chest.
"Gh—!" Blood erupted from his mouth as his body rocketed backward, plummeting like a meteor.
The earth shook. He cratered into the street below, rubble exploding outward.
Pain tore through his body. Ichigo coughed blood again and again, limbs refusing to respond. Terror and bewilderment clouded his gaze. This wasn't a fight—it was slaughter. Against such overwhelming strength, he was powerless.
A heavy weight pressed against his back. Grimmjow's boot pinned him into the dirt.
Ichigo's cry choked into blood.
"Tch. No wonder Ulquiorra said you weren't worth killing." Grimmjow's voice dripped disdain as he ground his foot down harder. "Pathetic. Vulnerable… like an ant."
His Fracción cackled openly, their faces sneering with ridicule.
"I didn't come here for you," Grimmjow added coldly. "A worm like you doesn't even deserve my attention. But since Aizen-sama mentioned you… I might as well kill you here."
Ichigo's chest constricted. The truth was undeniable—he was nothing but an insect before this Espada. Despair sank into him like lead. Yet through the haze, a flicker of something surfaced. A mask.
His fingers trembled. "Damn it… I don't care anymore!"
The bone-white Hollow mask snapped across his face. His eyes gleamed with savage light as he surged upright, slashing down with power magnified several times over.
"Oh?" Grimmjow's brows rose slightly.
The black blade screamed toward his leg.
His smirk returned. "Pathetic."
His kick met the mask squarely.
Shatter.
The Hollow visage cracked apart in an instant, fragments scattering like ash. Ichigo gagged blood as the blow flung him through walls, demolishing houses until he collapsed in ruins.
"You? A Hollow before us?" Grimmjow barked laughter, voice cutting with scorn. His Fracción howled along, mocking Ichigo's futile attempt.
In a blur of sonido Grimmjow was upon him again, reiatsu flaring like a storm. His foot rose, poised to crush Ichigo's skull. "Ant."
"Shun Shun Rikka! I reject!"
A woman's cry split the air, golden light flashing across the battlefield.
Grimmjow tilted his head, the beam searing past. His eyes slid toward the newcomer, expression darkening with amusement. "Another ant?"
Orihime Inoue stood at the edge of the ruin, chest heaving, eyes wide with panic yet burning with resolve. She had felt Ichigo's reiatsu falter and raced without thought. Now, faced with his broken form crumpled in blood, her heart pounded in terror. This enemy was too strong. Ichigo's Bankai had been crushed like nothing. What could she do? She was weak, fragile, yet her feet refused to stop. When a companion had fallen, she could not look away. Even in fear, she would fight.
Grimmjow's Fracción stepped forward with cruel grins, surrounding her like wolves circling prey.
Orihime's throat tightened, but her eyes hardened. "Santen Kesshun!" Golden light rose again, forming a shield.
It shattered immediately under a single slash. The mustached Fracción sneered, Zanpakutō dripping sparks. "Not a bad trick… shame it breaks so easily." Laughter tore from the others as they encircled her.
Grimmjow only sighed, irritation flickering in his expression. "Idiots. Amusing yourselves on scraps." His attention returned to Ichigo, a savage grin tugging his lips.
Orihime trembled, despair closing in, yet her lips moved in a frantic whisper.
"Hurry… please hurry…"
The mustached Fracción leaned closer, mockery on his face. "What are you muttering, girl? Who are you waiting for?"
The answer came as a blade of snow.
"I am."
Frost exploded across the ground as a voice cut through. White steel glimmered, the air itself crystallizing.
"Sode no Shirayuki—First Dance, Tsukishiro."
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