"Don't be so impatient, Grimmjow. Go back to your seat." Aizen Sōsuke said calmly.
Grimmjow still wanted to retort, but Aizen merely gave him a look. The sheer pressure of Aizen's spiritual energy forced Grimmjow to his knees, making it impossible for him to say another word.
The rest of the Espada all had varied expressions at the sight, but none dared disrespect Aizen.
Aizen looked around indifferently and spoke, "There's no need to worry. Just return to your palaces and wait for them to come to you."
This time, no one argued. All of the Espada obediently returned to their respective domains, waiting for Ichigo and his companions to arrive.
It was like they were setting up an experience grind dungeon for Ichigo. But the current Ichigo wasn't just any player anymore.
Having run a long while, Ichigo gazed at the massive Las Noches still looming in the distance—it felt like a mirage that never drew closer.
"Let's rest a bit. No need to burn through our stamina. If enemies show up, we'll be in trouble." Ichigo stopped and suggested.
"Alright." No one refused. Though even the weakest among them—Chad—had spiritual pressure close to captain level, the endless sprint across this vast desert had worn down their spirits.
Looking at a tiny lizard-like Hollow on the ground, Ichigo asked curiously, "What do small Hollows like this even eat? At this size, it probably can't even beat a regular soul."
Ishida Uryū shook his head as he sat. "They don't really need to eat. The spiritual particle density in Hueco Mundo is far higher than the World of the Living or Soul Society. Small Hollows like this can just breathe to get all the nutrients they need. Honestly, even my powers might work better here than elsewhere."
Rukia and Senna exchanged a glance, silently thinking, Sure, maybe you got stronger, but it's not like it makes a huge difference for the big picture…
Of course, they weren't dumb enough to say that aloud. After all, Ishida had risked a lot to come help them rescue Orihime.
Meanwhile, Tatsuki had been quietly staring off toward Las Noches. Among the group, she was closest to Orihime, and her worry for her friend showed plainly.
Just then, three Hollows burst from the sand!
All three were grotesquely shaped and were currently chasing what looked like a small figure.
"Why would there be a child here?!" Ichigo exclaimed in shock.
"Forget the questions—save her first!" Senna flash-stepped forward and launched a kick that sent a pancake-faced Hollow flying.
Rukia followed with an elbow to another Hollow that looked like a dried corpse, forcing it to collapse in pain.
Tatsuki picked up the largest of the three—one resembling a long snake—and slammed it over her shoulder, knocking it out cold.
Just as the three women were about to finish off the Hollows, the little girl suddenly shouted out.
"Stop! Don't hurt them! They didn't do anything to you!"
Ichigo turned toward the voice. Beneath the girl's hood was a small face partially hidden by a Hollow mask.
A long crack ran across her mask, with a scar on her cheek—but far from marring her appearance, it gave her a unique kind of beauty.
"You're…an Arrancar?" Ichigo was stunned. He hadn't expected someone so small to be one of them.
The other girls also looked at each other in surprise and chose not to strike.
The three Hollows sat obediently around the girl, clearly not hostile at all.
"Thank you! I'm Nel! These three are my best friends. They weren't chasing me—we were playing our game of Infinity Tag!" Nel explained cheerfully.
She introduced them one by one.
"This one that looks like a skeleton is my big brother, Pesche. The one with the huge head is my other brother, Dondochakka. And the one like a big eel is our pet!"
"You guys are nice people. Come play Infinity Tag with us!" Nel said, and in a flash, she snatched Ichigo's zanpakutō, New Moon, right from his waist!
Ichigo was shocked. Someone could still take something from him at this point?
Not only that, but the burst of speed Nel showed just now was clearly not something a regular Hollow—or even a normal Arrancar—should be capable of!
"Hey! Kid! That sword is dangerous! Give it back!" Ichigo instantly flash-stepped after her, but no matter how fast he went, Nel always stayed just a little ahead!
Rukia and the others were quickly dragged into the game of tag across the desert sands.
But their fun quickly turned dangerous—a massive Hollow suddenly rose in front of Nel!
It was entirely made of sand and roared as it towered above her.
"Watch out!" Ichigo charged in, scooping Nel into his arms while retrieving his zanpakutō in the same motion.
"What the hell is that?" Rukia looked at the sandy monster in confusion.
Still in Ichigo's arms, Nel shouted, "That Hollow is completely made of sand! Its weakness is water! But out here in the desert, it has no natural enemy—so it's basically invincible!"
But Ishida and Chad weren't about to give up.
"Rain of Light!"
"Giant's Strike!"
Neither the rapid-fire assault nor the heavy punch had any effect on the sand Hollow!
"Let me handle this!" Rukia drew her sword and stepped forward.
"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!"
"Second Dance: White Ripple!"
A massive wave of ice burst forth, freezing the Hollow in place—and when the ice shattered, the creature was already destroyed!
"As expected of Rukia." Senna praised.
At that moment, a figure fell from the sky—it was Renji!
"Yo, Ichigo! I'm here to help!" Renji called out mid-air.
"Renji?! Why are you here?" Rukia asked in surprise.
Renji huffed, "Captain only said I had to return. He never said I couldn't come back and help you save Orihime!"
Ichigo gave a wry smile. "Byakuya sure is strict with the wording."
Rukia understood her brother's intention and smiled. "I guess I'll owe big brother an apology when we return."
Even Ishida and Chad were shocked at Byakuya's unexpectedly supportive actions—even the usually stoic Kisuke almost had a surprised expression.
After all the commotion, Nel bowed and asked, "Are you all heading to Las Noches?"
Ichigo nodded. "Yeah, our friend is waiting for us inside."
Pesche and Dondochakka hesitated, then offered, "Then let us take you there!"
"Really?" Rukia asked joyfully.
"Sure! Our pet can get us to the outer wall quickly. Consider it our way of saying thanks for saving us!" Nel said, patting the big eel-like creature.
Turns out, you really can't judge a Hollow by its appearance—though the giant eel looked slow, it was incredibly fast.
In less than a day, they reached the outer walls of Las Noches.
Without hesitation, Ichigo drew his sword.
"Cry out, New Moon!"
He didn't bother hiding his presence—he slashed directly at the wall!
"Getsuga…Tenshō!"
The massive energy slash blasted open a hole in the wall.
Ichigo turned to Nel and the others. "Thanks for guiding us this far. But it's too dangerous ahead."
Unexpectedly, Nel refused. "No! I want to go with you, Ichigo! You're going to save your friend, right? I can help!"
Senna crouched to persuade her, but Pesche and Dondochakka clearly shared the same sentiment.
So, Ichigo had no choice but to let them come along.
Inside Las Noches…
Ulquiorra entered the room where Orihime was being kept. She had been forced to change into the white uniform of Aizen's army, indistinguishable from the others.
"Orihime, Kurosaki Ichigo and the others have infiltrated Las Noches. They're here to save you."
But Orihime didn't react the way Ulquiorra expected—she didn't smile. Instead, she replied with firm resolve, "I exist for Lord Aizen and his grand ambitions."
Ulquiorra nodded and left the room.
Orihime herself probably didn't even realize—her actions were all part of Aizen's manipulation.
From making her go invisible, to allowing only one goodbye, to leaving what was essentially a will at home—all of it was subtle brainwashing, convincing her that she had made her own choice.
But in truth, Orihime came to Hueco Mundo only because Ulquiorra threatened her friends' lives.
Now, even Orihime herself was unsure of her true intentions.
Such was Aizen Sōsuke—a master manipulator with an almost supernatural talent for brainwashing.
But Orihime's internal conflict had nothing to do with Ichigo's current battle.
At this moment, Ichigo and his team had entered Las Noches and were making their way toward Orihime step by step!
After some running, Ichigo suddenly raised his hand to halt the group.
"What's wrong, Ichigo?" Rukia asked.
Ahead, the path split into five different corridors. Behind each door, Ichigo could sense powerful spiritual pressures.
"A fork in the road?" Senna frowned.
"Which one is the right path?" Ishida also frowned.
Unfortunately, not even Pesche and Dondochakka knew their way through this part of the fortress—Las Noches was simply too large.
"What now, Ichigo?" Chad left the decision to him.
Before Ichigo could answer, Rukia spoke, "Let's split up. There's no way to know which is the right path. If we stick together, we'll never find Orihime in time."
Ichigo nodded. "Alright. Let's do it."
While splitting up did mean spreading their strength thin, Ichigo was confident. Other than Ishida and Chad being a little weaker, the rest were all captain-class fighters.
Even if they ran into an Espada, they could still put up a real fight.
So the seven split into five teams and each took a separate path.
Ichigo went alone—well, with Nel still clinging to him.
Rukia and Senna were paired—they had strength and synergy.
Renji went solo. With his Bankai, he could hold his own.
Ishida and Chad teamed up—they had the best teamwork.
Tatsuki went alone—she believed she'd be the first to find Orihime.
Pesche and Dondochakka followed Ishida and Chad, offering support since they were the least powerful among the group.
As for Ichigo, glancing at the little Nel still clinging to him, he sighed.
"Nel…you really want to come with me?"
Nel beamed. "Don't worry, Ichigo! I'll be useful!"
Ichigo sighed again. If she was that determined, there was no stopping her.
Not far after entering his chosen path, Ichigo and Nel came face-to-face with a strange man.
He looked like a walking comedy act straight out of the Human World's Karakura Town.
"Yoh ho ho! Intruders, huh? Seems like today's my lucky day!"
The bizarre man pointed at Ichigo and Nel with a wide grin.
But Ichigo didn't feel the slightest excitement—this guy was… weak.
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My Patreon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][www.p@treon.com/zaelum]
[+500 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter]
[Thank You For Your Support!]