"Ah!"
"This young man, let me introduce myself! I'm Arrancar No. 103—Dordoni!"
Hearing the eccentric man's self-introduction, both Ichigo and Nel looked completely confused.
"Nel, do Arrancar really go up to those numbers?" Ichigo scratched his head and asked.
Nel tilted her head in thought, then replied, "As far as I know, the Arrancar only go up to ninety-nine. Besides the Espada, the rest are numbered based on the order they were born."
"Of course, some weak ones weren't even given numbers… but I've never heard of anyone numbered over ninety-nine."
But the uncle-like Arrancar didn't seem the least bit bothered by her words. In fact, he looked smugly proud.
Elsewhere, Gin Ichimaru and Tōsen Kaname were observing Ichigo and his group's progress from the shadows.
Gin narrowed his eyes, smiling. "Oh? The 103rd Arrancar, huh? That's a rare one."
Tōsen, on the other hand, spoke coldly, "Just one of Lord Aizen's failed creations."
Gin glanced at Tōsen. "Isn't that a bit harsh? Even if they were stripped of their Espada titles, they were still part of Lord Aizen's early experiments."
"They're just defective test subjects, created before the Hōgyoku was perfected," Tōsen said with disdain.
Gin shrugged. "Still… they could pose a bit of trouble for Kurosaki Ichigo's group."
Tōsen didn't comment further.
Meanwhile, Dordoni looked at Ichigo and smiled. "Sorry about this, kid. But if I defeat you, Lord Aizen might let me rejoin the Espada. So… please lose!"
Ichigo's face twitched.
How shameless can someone get?
And then—Dordoni released his Zanpakutō.
"Spin, Baron of the Storm!"
He charged straight at Ichigo.
"What's wrong? Come on, release your Zanpakutō!" Dordoni taunted.
Twin cyclones swirled around him, emerging from the holes in his legs, forming towering whirlwinds.
Ichigo sighed. "Hey, how about this—we don't fight, and you just let me through, alright?"
Honestly, Ichigo could tell—this guy wasn't trying to kill him. Dordoni just wanted to show off.
It felt like a waste of time to fight someone like this. No gains, just delays.
"No can do, Kurosaki-kun! You're my mission!" Dordoni waved his hand, sending the whirlwinds hurtling toward Ichigo.
Ichigo simply tilted his head, dodging them with ease.
But Dordoni didn't falter. He sonido'd directly in front of Ichigo, wind-enhanced legs striking forward.
Ichigo blocked it with just the hilt of his sword, and even Nel—still clinging to his back—wasn't disturbed in the slightest.
"You're really strong, Kurosaki-kun!" Dordoni backed off again, charging a Cero in his hand.
But then Nel tugged Ichigo's sleeve.
"Let me handle this one, Ichigo!"
"…Huh?" Ichigo blinked, thinking he misheard.
Before he could react, Nel opened her mouth wide—and ate Dordoni's Cero like it was candy.
No resistance. Just gulp.
"What?!" Dordoni was stunned.
Nel puffed out her cheeks, barely holding it in—then boom! She spit it back with even more speed and power, right back at him!
Even Ichigo hadn't seen that coming.
The black-red Cero hit Dordoni square in the face, shattering his mask.
"Damn it!"
Dordoni panicked. He couldn't maintain his calm anymore—what if Nel could eat everything, including Bala?
He quickly fired a Bala at Nel.
But Ichigo wasn't standing still.
Smack! With a swing of his hand, he slapped the Bala away, then picked Nel up again and set her on his back.
"Hang on, Nel. I'm gonna finish this quick."
"Cry out, Zangetsu!"
The massive cleaver appeared in his hand. Before Dordoni could respond, Ichigo flash-stepped to him and slashed down!
Slash!
From shoulder to hip, a massive wound opened.
One strike. Instant defeat.
But Ichigo didn't leave right away. Instead, he had Nel heal Dordoni.
Though… her "medicine" was her saliva.
When Dordoni came to, the first thing he saw was Nel drooling healing spit all over his chest.
"Wha—what is this?!" He was horrified.
But when he realized his wounds were completely healed, even he was stunned.
"You healed me… but I still have to fight you!"
He stood up again, ready to draw his weapon.
Ichigo sighed. "Give it a rest, old man. I can sense more spiritual pressures heading this way."
This guy… was way too kind to be a Hollow.
And yet, looking at Nel on his back, Ichigo realized—Hollows weren't all the same. Nel herself was proof of that.
"Kid… if you understand, then you should go! You're here to save someone, right? Go save her!"
Dordoni, gathering what strength he had left, shoved Ichigo toward the corridor and stood his ground—awaiting the oncoming enemies.
Meanwhile, Rukia and Senna had a very different encounter.
After passing through a long corridor, they found themselves outside.
Unlike the eternal night of the desert, it was daylight here.
Blue skies. White clouds.
Rukia and Senna were stunned. Who knew Aizen had this kind of aesthetic taste, building such infrastructure inside Las Noches?
As they walked forward, a strange child's voice echoed behind them.
"Who's there?" Senna spun around, drawing her sword—but no one was there.
When they turned forward again, a figure stood at the palace doors.
"Come with me," he said.
But his voice was different from before—deeper, like a middle-aged man.
Cautiously, they approached the palace. Their power was enough to handle anything, so they weren't too worried.
The man opened the doors and stepped inside. Rukia and Senna followed—and the doors shut behind them.
Still, the two girls remained calm, eyes on the strange man before them.
"I'm sorry," he said, voice low. "I don't really like the sunlight."
Then, in a childlike tone, "Let me take off my mask and say hello."
He pulled off his mask—and both girls froze.
"That face—isn't that Ichigo?" Senna said, surprised.
"No," Rukia replied grimly. "Look at the hair… that's Lieutenant Kaien Shiba!"
At that moment, his voice changed again. "I'm Aaroniero, Espada No. 9."
Rukia's eyes widened. "You… are you really Kaien-dono?!"
"Rukia, don't fall for it!" Senna warned.
Still, Aaroniero used Kaien's voice, his mannerisms, even his expressions—everything Rukia remembered.
He moved like Kaien. Smiled like Kaien.
He jumped down from the platform and approached them with that all-too-familiar presence.
And Rukia remembered the Kaien who once smiled gently under the sun…
But then Aaroniero drew a wooden sword and tossed one to Rukia.
"To the girl next to you—can I borrow Rukia for a moment? It's been so long since we've sparred."
Senna narrowed her eyes but stepped back, warily watching.
Rukia instinctively raised the wooden sword—and they began to spar.
The same techniques. Same steps. Same strategy.
It was like returning to the days of the 13th Division.
And as before, Aaroniero knocked Rukia's sword away and held his own at her throat.
"If this were a real fight… you'd be dead."
Those familiar words—Rukia truly believed, in that moment, that this man was Kaien.
Then Aaroniero pulled out three cushions from behind a pillar and invited them to sit down and talk.
Rukia accepted and sat beside Senna.
Senna, however, remained suspicious.
Because she was a Memory Orb, she refused to believe the dead could return.
Aaroniero began to explain.
"That Hollow that possessed me all those years ago? It was one of Aizen's experiments. And when it was destroyed, it reformed in Hueco Mundo… with my appearance. I took its body and its memories."
"Since then, I've been hiding here… and eventually became one of Aizen's Espada."
"My real goal is to take revenge on Aizen Sōsuke. What happened to me was all his fault."
Rukia nodded slowly, half believing.
Aaroniero added, "The blue sky above is actually a massive surveillance system Aizen built inside Las Noches. That's why I brought you deeper into the palace—to avoid being seen."
(End of Chapter)
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