"Holy shit!"
"I'm not dreaming, am I? The future me actually turned the tables?!"
Seeing himself in the video—dressed in a gentlemanly white suit with a black shirt, exuding a domineering aura and radiating the presence of a Vasto Lorde—Grimmjow clenched his fists, his eyes misty with emotion.
Thank the heavens!
The moment he'd been waiting for!
He'd evolved into a Vasto Lorde!
Even seeing it with his own eyes, it felt unreal, like a dream.
Everyone knew Hollows had three life stages: Gillian, Adjuchas, and Vasto Lorde.
Gillians were a dime a dozen, but Adjuchas were rare, especially after Arrancarization, all becoming Espada.
But for 99% of Hollows, Adjuchas was the end of the line!
Evolving into a Vasto Lorde?
The odds were slimmer than the Arrancar army conquering the Soul Society—near zero!
Otherwise, in Hueco Mundo's long history, there wouldn't be only four living Vasto Lordes!
"Vasto Lorde…"
"Grimmjow evolved into a Vasto Lorde? Impossible!!!" Nnoitra's envy flared, his voice cracking with jealousy.
A lowlife, ranked below him, had overtaken him in the future?
Why?!
The rage from watching himself get slaughtered by Kenpachi Zaraki in an earlier ranking boiled over!
"You're that triggered already? What a clown!" From his high seat, Baraggan cast a cold glance at Nnoitra, sneering at his outburst.
Sure, Grimmjow's evolution was unexpected.
But so what if he became a Vasto Lorde?
In the future, amidst the chaos of Shinigami and Quincy battles, a Vasto Lorde's power was nothing!
After so many rankings, the Skeleton Emperor had seen through it all!
Nearby, shaking off his earlier gloom, Stark smiled empathetically. "Who'd have thought? Grimmjow's the most promising Adjuchas. I'm happy for him!"
The wolf didn't overthink it.
His comrade getting stronger meant he was further from loneliness—that was enough.
As for the others?
Some stayed silent, some were envious, and some, like Nnoitra, were consumed by jealousy. Hardly anyone was genuinely happy for Grimmjow.
While the Arrancars schemed, the video's perspective quietly shifted!
---
In the video, it wasn't just Grimmjow—another figure appeared, fleeing!
"Hey, hey, hey… Arrancar, if I stop running, you won't kill me, right?" With his curled bangs swaying, Askin Nakk Le Vaar fled while pleading.
His behavior sparked immediate buzz!
"?!"
"This guy just went to the Soul King's Palace, didn't he? Shouldn't he be one of the Sternritter's strongest? Why's he running from Grimmjow alone?!"
Watching Askin's pathetic escape, Szayelaporro frowned, puzzled.
What was going on?
Was Grimmjow too strong?
Or was this Quincy too weak?
If the latter, why was he at the Soul King's Palace?
It didn't add up!
"Could it be… he's faking weakness?" one of Aizen's subordinates whispered.
"Huh? Faking weakness? Yeah!"
The Arrancars suddenly realized.
The subtitles had called him "Playing the Pig to Eat the Tiger"!
So that was it!
This Quincy was pretending to flee to set a trap!
"Tch… trying to bait me? Save it!" After his initial euphoria, Grimmjow regained his cocky confidence.
Even if Askin was faking, running from the Leopard King was foolish!
Grimmjow was certain: the future him, once bored of the chase, would pounce and rip this clownish Quincy to shreds!
Sure enough…
As the thought crossed his mind, the video's future Grimmjow, as if hearing his inner voice, crouched ferociously, snarling:
"Run all you want!"
"I'll catch you and snap every bone in your body!"
His ten fingers curled into claws.
With a flash, leveraging his Vasto Lorde explosive power, Grimmjow closed the gap to Askin, his claws aiming for his heart!
It was clear: in seconds, this pathetic Quincy would have his heart crushed and die!
Hueco Mundo, Las Noches
"What the hell! That's it? What a letdown!"
"I was expecting evolved Grimmjow to shine, but looks like no chance now…"
"He didn't even show any strength—why's this Quincy even on the list?"
The Arrancar army watched coldly.
Looking at Askin, they saw a corpse-to-be.
Death by heart-crushing claw?
What a pathetic way to go!
But—
"Arrancar…"
Without warning, Askin stopped running, standing still.
As the claws neared his chest, he calmly turned, made a welcoming gesture, and flicked out a purple poison orb.
With fake flattery, he said, "Thanks for the chase. As a reward for entertaining me, take this orb as a souvenir!"
"Idiot!"
"That slow speed won't hit anyone…"
Ignoring the enlarging poison orb, Grimmjow's sharp claws sliced it apart, dodging the purple toxin spraying out!
But…
Just as he was about to rip out Askin's heart—
"Huh?!"
His razor-sharp claws froze mid-air. Grimmjow's pupils dilated, his expression shifting wildly.
Then, his limbs went numb.
His body lost balance, crashing to the ground!
"What the hell!"
"I sliced the orb instantly—how'd I get poisoned?!" Seeing his future self collapse, Grimmjow's victorious grin froze.
Before this, he'd assumed this cat-and-mouse chase was to highlight his evolved strength!
But in one exchange, he was down?!
The reversal was too fast!
"Crap! It's a trap—Grimmjow's in danger!"
Seeing the purple poison spreading across the ground, even those who disliked Grimmjow worried for him.
Just breathing the air paralyzed him.
If the poison touched him, he'd probably die instantly!
---
Wandenreich, Silbern
"One move took down a Vasto Lorde Arrancar?"
"Askin Nakk Le Vaar! You've gotten way stronger in the future!"
"There's a reason His Majesty brought you to the Soul King's Palace…"
Whispers filled the air.
Askin's initial cowardice had made the Sternritter think he'd die.
But the tables turned!
The hunter became the hunted!
"Uh… honestly, I'm not sure what's going on…"
Facing admiring gazes, Askin scratched his hair awkwardly, unused to the spotlight.
Truth be told, he agreed with the "Playing the Pig" label.
The tricks in the video were his current hobby.
But why his Schrift's power was enhanced, he had no clue.
"I wouldn't finish him off right away, would I?"
Looking at Grimmjow, paralyzed in the poison pool, Askin rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Sure enough—
The battle ended with him approaching Grimmjow but not delivering a killing blow.
The screen faded to black, the outcome unknown!
---
Hueco Mundo
"Damn it! This cursed video author! Why not show the end?! Am I dead or alive?!"
Grimmjow's mentality shattered, his composure gone.
His anticipated grand performance didn't happen—instead, he was floored by a tiny poison orb, his fate unclear.
If he'd known, he'd rather not have appeared!
So humiliating!
"Ugh…"
Baraggan's face darkened.
Grimmjow's farce confirmed his thoughts.
Vasto Lordes were nothing!
Against Shinigami or Quincies, they were mere background fodder!
Just then, the screen flickered back on, fast-forwarding to another scene!
"Damn… it!"
"What did you do…?"
A vast purple poison pool spread across the ground, with an immobilized figure lying in it.
Orange hair.
Black Shinigami robes.
A sharp black blade in his right hand.
Seeing the "carpet-like" figure's face, Isshin Kurosaki, in Karakura Town's suburbs at Urahara's shop, froze in horror.
"Kisuke Urahara…"
"Tessai Tsukabishi…"
"I… I'm not seeing things, right? The one in the poison pool… is my son, Ichigo?!"
Struggling to speak, Isshin was drenched in cold sweat.
He never imagined his son Ichigo would appear again, in such a dire state!
"Ugh…"
Sensing Isshin's anxiety, Urahara wanted to comfort him but didn't know what to say.
He knew no father could stay calm seeing their son in mortal danger.
Isshin's mind was likely blank.
No one wants to watch their precious son die!
-------------------------------------------------
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