Chapter 111: Grimmjow
"Why are you following me, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez?"
Grimmjow's piercing blue eyes fixed on Fiander's form, his throat constricting involuntarily as he swallowed hard. Despite the tension crackling in the air between them, he forced his characteristic savage grin and drawled, "I should be asking you the same question. Why did you let those Shinigami escape?"
His voice carried a dangerous edge as he continued, "Killing them would have been more in line with Aizen-sama's expectations, wouldn't it?"
Fiander paused in his stride, his silver hair catching the pale light of Hueco Mundo's eternal moon. Without turning around, he replied with cool indifference, "Whether those people live or die is irrelevant to me. They pose no threat to my goals, so their fate is inconsequential."
Slowly, Fiander pivoted to face Grimmjow, his movements fluid and predatory. With deliberate grace, he began twirling his fingers through the air, spiritual energy coalescing into crystalline form. A perfectly crafted frozen rose materialized between his digits, its petals sharp as razor blades and gleaming with deadly beauty.
Without warning, he flicked the ice rose toward Grimmjow. His reflexes kicked in automatically, catching the frozen bloom before his conscious mind could process the action. He stared at it suspiciously, feeling the bone-deep cold seeping through his hierro-reinforced skin.
"What... what's the meaning of this?" he demanded, his voice betraying the first hints of uncertainty.
Fiander's lips curved into an unsettling smile that never reached his eyes. "The meaning? How quickly you forget your own transgressions, Grimmjow."
His voice dropped to a whisper that somehow carried more menace than any shout. "You took Inoue Orihime without authorization. You saved Kurosaki Ichigo when you should have eliminated him. In the eyes of Las Noches, that constitutes betrayal."
He took a step closer, his reiatsu beginning to leak out in controlled waves. "Let's not even discuss what Aizen-sama might do to me for allowing those Shinigami to escape. As for you—I could kill you where you stand, and not a single Arrancar would question my decision."
Grimmjow's jaw clenched, his fangs grinding together audibly, but he remained silent. Even his pride couldn't overcome the stark reality of their situation. He had witnessed firsthand the devastating battle between Fiander and that female Shinigami captain. Unless he was completely delusional, the overwhelming gap in their power was undeniable. Fiander's reiatsu approached Aizen's level, though it hadn't quite reached that pinnacle of strength.
With his recent power increase, Grimmjow needed every ounce of mental fortification just to remain standing in his presence without his knees buckling.
His fists clenched with an audible crack of knuckles, spiritual pressure flaring defensively around him. "Then... are you planning to kill me and present my head to Aizen as proof of your loyalty?"
Fiander's expression grew distant, almost bored. He turned away dismissively, beginning to walk into the endless white expanse of Hueco Mundo's desert. "Pointless. Your death would prove nothing to me, Grimmjow. That frozen rose can preserve your life when death comes calling. Use it wisely."
Grimmjow stood motionless, watching Fiander's figure gradually disappear into the shifting sands, the ice rose burning cold against his palm. Long minutes passed before he finally moved.
"Tch! Acting high and mighty again," he muttered, though his voice lacked its usual venom. "Even so, he's still so... irritating!"
Meanwhile, Ichigo was carrying Nell while Inoue ran alongside them toward Las Noches. Suddenly, Nelliel pointed toward the sky with excitement.
"Itsygo! Look-look! The snow-snow has stopped!"
"What?!"
Both Ichigo and Inoue halted abruptly, craning their necks skyward. Above the dense cloud cover, the ominous black storm clouds that had been releasing a torrential snowfall were rapidly dissipating, as if some invisible force had simply switched them off.
"So suddenly... why did it just stop like that?" Inoue whispered, covering her mouth in amazement as she surveyed the thick blanket of snow behind them. During their journey, the accumulation had reached nearly ten centimeters in depth, and she had assumed the blizzard would continue indefinitely.
Ichigo clicked his tongue in frustration, his brow furrowing as he stared back in the direction they had come from. "Time is running short. We need to find Ishida and Sado first!"
With renewed urgency, he adjusted his grip on Nell and resumed running toward Las Noches.
"Kurosaki-san..." Inoue called softly, her perceptive nature picking up on the tension radiating from him.
The observant girl had noticed that Kurosaki Ichigo had been increasingly troubled since the snowfall began, but he clearly didn't want to discuss whatever was weighing on his mind. She knew better than to press him, understanding that he must be deeply concerned about something significant.
Deep within the southern outer wall of Las Noches, Rukia and Renji were stealthily navigating through a hidden passageway.
"Hey, Rukia, are you sure we won't be discovered using this route?"
"Don't worry. I've observed it carefully—it appears to be an abandoned drainage tunnel. I have no idea why Las Noches would need drainage systems, but regardless, just follow my lead."
"Got it!"
Renji never questioned Rukia's judgment, following her lead without hesitation.
After several minutes of careful progression, they finally encountered a heavily rusted iron door. Rukia attempted to pry it open with her Zanpakutō, but discovered it was completely immovable.
The door had been abandoned for so long that the entire locking mechanism had corroded and seized beyond repair.
Bang! Bang!
The frustrated Renji kicked at the door twice, and when that proved futile, he raised his hands to blast it with Hadō. Rukia immediately smacked him on the head and scolded, "Are you an idiot? We're supposed to be infiltrating an enemy stronghold, not announcing our arrival!"
"Making that much noise with Kidō would be as subtle as marching through the front gate."
"Then what do you suggest we do?!"
Renji rubbed his head with an exaggerated expression of pain, gesturing helplessly at the iron barrier blocking their path.
"Fool!"
Rukia shot him an annoyed glare before drawing her Zanpakutō. The blade began to transform as she chanted, "Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!"
The elegant blade of Sode no Shirayuki wasn't suitable for use in such confined quarters, so Rukia crouched down and conjured an ice chain from thin air. "First Dance: White Moon!"
"Freeze!"
Pure white cold energy instantly encased the iron door, the subzero temperature immediately destroying the molecular structure of the metal. Rukia tapped gently with her sword hilt, and the door instantly shattered into fragments.
"Let's go, Renji!"
She kicked aside the remaining debris and crawled through the opening first. The moment her head emerged, a figure with silver hair and perpetually squinting eyes appeared before her, smiling warmly.
"Well, well, Rukia-chan! It's been quite a while!"
Upon seeing the visitor's face, Rukia felt as though she had plunged into an arctic lake, bone-deep coldness spreading throughout her entire body.
Her eyes widened in shock as she stammered, "Cap...Captain Ichimaru..."
Meanwhile, when Ichigo and Inoue arrived at a damaged battlefield, they discovered it looked completely different from the surrounding landscape. Everywhere they looked bore traces of intense heat damage. Even the recent heavy snowfall couldn't mask the devastation that had occurred here.
"This place... what happened here?"
Ichigo's eyes widened as he surveyed the destruction, setting Nell down gently to investigate more thoroughly. The acrid smell of sulfur hung heavy in the air, mixed with the lingering traces of immense spiritual pressure.
"There's such a strong sulfur smell here," he muttered, drawing his Zanpakutō and waving it to disperse the surrounding dense smoke and fog.
Turning back to his companions, he called out, "Inoue, Nel-chan, we need to pass through this area. It looks like whatever happened here is over—there's nothing but smoke now."
"Yes, Kurosaki-kun!"
Following Ichigo's assessment, Inoue immediately took Nelliel's hand and walked toward him.
With the three reunited, Ichigo took point, leading them deeper into the scorched wasteland. They had traveled several hundred meters when Ichigo suddenly spotted two shadowy figures barely visible through the lingering haze.
His guard immediately went up as he approached cautiously.
From behind the smoke, a very familiar voice called out, "Kurosaki?"
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