Chapter 59 Hueco Mundo Moves Again (8)
As Reinhard escorted Fiander back to Hueco Mundo, Grimmjow retreated alone from the battlefield in the park.
He discovered that Ruby and Yammy were still caught up in battle with the advance team led by Hitsugaya.
"What are you two doing here? These guys are trash, they should be dead."
In response to Grimmjow's inquiry, Ruby replied in confusion, "What? "
"Did my predecessor, Mr. Six, fail to capture his target? "
"Or have you been schooled by the prey? "
In that moment, Grimmjow felt the impact of the Reiatsu released by Fiander, and it seemed to elevate his spirit.
He no longer fixated on the advantage of words; even Ruby, who held his Espada position, mattered little to him now.
Looking back, it seemed he had always been the one provoking Fiander.
It was Fiander who had performed the Arrancar ceremony on him while he was still Adjuchas.
At that point, he envied Fiander's strength.
After many years of training, he had reached the level of Espada, while Fiander remained a half-Arrancar.
Grimmjow, who once felt jealousy of Fiander, became frustrated by Fiander's lack of advancement.
That frustration led him to instigate conflict multiple times, even as Fiander later achieved the rank of No. 10 among the Arrancar.
Grimmjow simply could not come to terms with it.
It was not until the overwhelming Reiatsu caused Karakura Town to shake that he realized the truth—that Fiander had disregarded him.
Just like Grimmjow, who craved battles and sought opponents of equal standing.
He had joyfully found Kurosaki Ichigo, but the latter turned out to be merely a weak adversary.
What a letdown! What a disappointment!
This accurately encapsulated Grimmjow's current sentiment.
"Whatever you claim, if your hard work only brought you to clean up these few nuisances,"
"You're pathetically useless. "
Having said this, Grimmjow dismissed Ruby and Yammy, tearing through the void and departing with the help of his subordinate, ShawLong.
"Clearly, he's not an Espada anymore, but still acts as if he is."
Grimmjow's dismissive attitude annoyed Ruby, who retaliated by fending off the attacking Yumichika and Ikkaku.
Drawing his Zanpakutō from his waist, he remarked with a wry grin, "I'm tired of playing with you pests,"
"Whether one or two, bring it on! "
He then turned to Yammy, who was still engaged in battle with Tōshirō, and called, "Yammy! ! "
"What? "
After deflecting Tōshirō's strike with his blade, Yammy responded curiously.
"Can I have your opponent too? "
Ruby's question momentarily surprised Yammy, but he quickly replied with a grin, "Sure, I didn't come here to fight him anyway! "
With that, Yammy sheathed his weapon and retreated, allowing Ruby to step into the circle surrounding Tōshirō.
"Do you really intend to face all four of us by yourself? "
In his Bankai form, Tōshirō's Zanpakutō addressed Ruby, confronting despite a faint shiver in the air.
"Incorrect, rather, I will kill all four of you alone! "
Upon completing her words, Ruby grasped Zanpakutō's blade, grinning wickedly as she commanded, "Hang it, Tsuta "
Moments after her declaration, eight massive tentacles emerged from behind Ruby. These appendages rapidly extended and increased in size, swiftly targeting Ikkaku and Yumichika.
With an overwhelming force, both of them were instantly rendered incapable of fighting back.
As Tōshirō witnessed the Espada's resurrecion he noted that two of his allies had been incapacitated by a single attack.
Tōshirō remained cautious; he swung his blade and shouted, "Matsumoto, move away! ! "
"Yes, Captain! " she responded.
Just as Matsumoto Rangiku was about to act, a giant tentacle ensnared her around the head.
Another tentacle transformed into numerous spikes, launching towards Rangiku's body.
"Getsuga tenso ! ! "
At that crucial moment, Ichigo and Urahara Kisuke, who had just finished their skirmish with Fiander, made their timely entrance.
Given that Tōshirō and his crew faced two Espadas, they urgently rushed to assist.
The dark crescent severed one of Ruby's tentacles, and blood of a deep purple seeped from the resulting wound.
"Bastards"
This unexpected assault, filled Ruby with rage, she lashed out with several tentacles against those present.
Yet, she underestimated the situation, confronting multiple strong opponents at the captain level.
Even as the sixth Espada, she appeared somewhat outmatched.
With swift precision, multiple blades sliced through Ruby's remaining tentacles once more.
In anguish, Ruby quickly retracted the severed appendages, but Tōshirō seized this opportunity, gripping Zanpakutō firmly with both hands.
The wings of ice spread from behind him, enveloping him in an icy chill, as a surge of blue Reiatsu erupted forth.
As Tōshirō unleashed the blue Reiatsu toward Ruby, crystalline pillars of ice shot upward.
"If your power is limited to this, then it's time to end this! "
"Thousand years, ice, prison! ! "
As Hyōrinmaru spun in Tōshirō's hands, hundreds of solid ice cages rapidly descended upon the once-mighty Espada No. 6.
"Ahhhh—"
The clear ice struck swiftly, leaving only the sound of Ruby's screams in its wake.
In the following moment, the tentacles encircling Ruby shattered into countless fragments alongside the ice.
"Apologies, it seems the odds are more in our favor. "
Nearby, Yammy sighed and expressed his frustration upon seeing Ruby, who had previously flaunted his strength, now defeated.
"What a pathetic fool! He was so boastful before; he's truly embarrassed the Espada. "
Simultaneously, after witnessing Tōshirō's victory over Ruby, Urahara Kisuke turned his attention to Yammy and Wanda Wise, who had been observing from the sidelines.
The child-like Wanda wise sowed considerable uncertainty in Urahara Kisuke.
Just as he was about to speak, Wanda Wise, devoid of malice and possessing an innocent disposition, suddenly extended his immature hand and lunged directly at Urahara Kisuke's head.
"What. . . ? "
Taken aback, Urahara Kisuke swung Benihime and released a burst of red Reiatsu to deflect Wanda Wise's strike.
However, Yammy suddenly launched an assault from behind. This individual who thwarted his attack had always been engraved in Yammy's memory.
Ripples of crimson energy swirled in Yammy's right hand, a projectile twenty times swifter than Cero.
Close-quarter engagement became almost inevitable.
Then, a dark afterimage zipped behind Urahara Kisuke, revealing Kurosaki Ichigo arriving to provide assistance.
The collision of black and red Reiatsu erupted as he pressed his hands against his face, gazing coldly at Yammy with his golden eyes.
Ichigo recalled that this adversary had previously inflicted harm on both Sado and Inoue, as well as himself.
The red and white mask reemerged on Kurosaki Ichigo's visage.
The Reiatsu within Ichigo surged dramatically as he calmly lifted his blade and swept it backward.
Blood erupted from Yammy's enormous frame in an instant, once again succumbing to the prowess of this orange-haired Shinigami.
"Bastard! "
Grasping the gash on his chest, Yammy staggered back a few steps, incredulous at Kurosaki Ichigo, who was panting and masked.
"This mask? What's wrong with you? "
Ichigo, aware of his limited Hollow time, would not grant the opponent any extra moments for contemplation.
An afterimage flickered above Yammy's head, and Ichigo, now donning the mask, stood upside down, addressing Yammy, "Sorry, time is constrained! "
"Getsuga tenso ! "
The red and black crescent unleashed forcefully, brimming with immense Reiatsu.
As Yammy's eyes widened in terror, Ulquiorra abruptly shielded Yammy's form, casually inserting a hand into his pocket.
A simple flick of his hand neutralized Ichigo's attack with ease.
"Mission accomplished, retreat, Yammy."
Ulquiorra's icy tone was met with Kurosaki Ichigo's expression of shock.
The mask adorning Ichigo's face began to fracture before vanishing into thin air.
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