Ichigo glanced at Grimmjōw, who had been injured during his clash with Ulquiorra, and turned to Orihime.
"Orihime, heal him."
Orihime hesitated. "But… Kurosaki-kun… he wants to fight you. I don't want you to get hurt…"
Ichigo blinked in confusion. Since his debut, he'd fought dozens of battles and barely ever gotten seriously hurt.
Well… maybe that time with Unohana got a bit intense—when they both lost control in their "sparring"—but that was different…
Seeing Ichigo's puzzled expression, Orihime realized she might've overreacted. Meanwhile, Nel was looking at her like she was an idiot.
"Aren't you Ichigo's comrade? Why don't you trust him at all?" Nel asked innocently.
That question nearly broke Orihime's emotional guard. Blushing furiously, she turned away and started healing Grimmjōw.
While being treated, Grimmjōw looked up at Ichigo and said, "Kurosaki Ichigo, I bet you don't know how Hollows evolve."
That made Ichigo pause. Why was Grimmjōw suddenly getting philosophical?
"There are three main ranks of Hollows—you know that. But what you don't know is how we evolve."
His expression grew distant, almost nostalgic.
"After becoming Hollows, most feed on human souls. But a few… that wasn't enough for them. Those ones began feeding on each other."
"And when a Hollow devours enough of its own kind… it becomes a Gillian."
"Most Gillians are mindless—they just wander and devour endlessly. But a rare few retain their consciousness… and continue consuming their fellow Gillians."
"As the devouring continued, they evolved into Adjuchas—that's what I was before I became an Arrancar."
"Adjuchas have high intelligence and talent. We hunt Gillians not for anger—but survival."
"An Adjuchas that stops feeding begins to devolve. It'll fall back to being a Gillian, lose consciousness, and never recover again."
"So we devour to survive—even if it means turning on our own."
Grimmjōw's gaze darkened, remembering how he once encountered his Fracción—only to accidentally devour part of their masks.
Though his companions regressed into Gillians, Grimmjōw, with the potential to evolve further, continued to wander Hueco Mundo.
If Aizen hadn't appeared… maybe Grimmjōw would've become a Vasto Lorde. Or maybe… he'd have fallen back into mindless oblivion.
But thanks to Aizen, he underwent Arrancarization—gaining power, but also stagnating.
And that's why Grimmjōw resented him.
He was meant to rise with his pack. Now… that dream was shattered.
(Some say that in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, he gained power comparable to a Vasto Lorde—but whether he was one? That's debatable.)
Ichigo didn't really follow all that. He was just a high school student, after all.
Dreams, evolution, destiny—how was he supposed to understand all that?
Still, he respected it.
"I'm fully healed now," Grimmjōw grinned. "Come on, Kurosaki Ichigo. I can't hold back anymore!"
Ichigo sighed. He knew Grimmjōw wouldn't let them leave Hueco Mundo without a proper fight.
And with no way to contact Urahara, they still needed to figure out how to get back.
"Not here," Ichigo said, glancing at Nel and Orihime. "Let's go somewhere else."
"Hmph. Fine by me." Grimmjōw took off, soaring into the distance.
Ichigo followed with shunpō.
Though he wasn't planning to go all out, Ichigo knew he had to show his real strength.
Last time, Grimmjōw had lost an arm—he was nothing more than a training dummy. Even Rukia could've stepped on his head.
But now, fully healed, Grimmjōw was on a completely different level.
Orihime's power didn't just fix visible wounds—it even healed internal damage Grimmjōw didn't know he had.
In a way, Orihime had handed him a ticket to the Vasto Lorde level.
Because her ability didn't heal—it rejected events entirely.
"Grimmjōw," Ichigo said, "You're a worthy opponent… so I'll fight you properly!"
With one hand on his sword, Ichigo skipped Shikai entirely—
"Bankai—Tensa Zangetsu!"
His spiritual pressure exploded, shaking the very air. Grimmjōw stumbled back three steps.
"Impossible! How can a Shinigami wield this much power?!"
Ichigo swung the chain at the end of Tensa Zangetsu lazily. "Sorry—I haven't used this form in a while. I might need a little warm-up."
"You're kidding me!"
Feeling Ichigo's oceanic reiryoku, Grimmjōw nearly lost his confidence.
He could believe it if someone told him Aizen had arrived!
No hesitation now—Grimmjōw unleashed a move only Espada-class Hollows could use:
Gran Rey Cero!
Unlike Ulquiorra's green-black Cero Oscuras, Grimmjōw's was a deep blue-black, condensed into a fierce rotating mass in his palm.
He fired.
But Ichigo, in Bankai form, didn't even flinch.
He raised his left hand—
And caught the Gran Rey Cero like cotton candy, crushing it effortlessly into fragments.
Grimmjōw… burst out laughing.
"Hahahahahaha! YES!! That's exactly the kind of fight I want!"
Slashing his zanpakutō across his hand like a predator, Grimmjōw roared:
"Grind him down, Pantera!"
Blue light wrapped around him as he entered his Resurrección.
His form didn't change much—but his aura became savage.
His blade vanished, his body morphed into a white panther. His eyes bore extended markings, his ears became feline, and his hair grew long. The remnants of his mask shifted to his forehead.
Clad in tight white armor, he grew a segmented black-tipped tail, black claws, long fangs, and a wild mane.
He wasn't just a man anymore—he was a beast.
In this form, his speed and power surged exponentially—on par with Bankai and Shikai-class releases.
Grimmjōw cracked his knuckles. "Sorry for the wait. This form… I'm far more comfortable in it."
With a glint of fanged grin, he launched forward like a pouncing cat.
Ichigo's eyes lit up—like a kid who'd just found a new toy.
"Grimmjōw… now you're finally worthy to fight me!"
And they weren't alone.
With their powers fully unleashed, their spiritual pressure spread across Las Noches.
"So scary… Are they really just two Espada fighting?" asked a blonde Fracción, trembling.
Halibel stepped onto her balcony, watching in silence.
"What's wrong, Kurosaki Ichigo? You can't even fight back now?" Grimmjōw taunted, clawing wildly.
Ichigo, however, simply stood in place, dodging every blow with precise steps.
It looked easy—almost too easy.
"Go, Ichigo!" Nel cheered from the balcony.
Orihime… said nothing.
Even if ten thousand people were watching, none could've guessed what she was thinking.
Was she afraid?
Even though Ichigo had come to save her?
It wasn't his idea—it was his choice.
But Orihime just stood in silence.
Until Nel couldn't take it anymore.
"Hey, woman! What are you doing?! Why aren't you cheering for Ichigo?!"
"He's fighting… for you! If you won't even support him, then what's the point of everything he's done?!"
"Say something!!"
(This part was pure canon, the kind that makes your blood pressure spike. There are many writing sins in Bleach, but this one's a standout.)
Nel's words hit home.
Staring at Ichigo and Grimmjōw's clash, Orihime finally understood why Ichigo had always seemed distant to her.
"Do your best, Kurosaki-kun… Even if you can't win… even if it's hopeless… please… don't get hurt…"
(Yes, that was her actual line. Makes no sense, but hey, she's not in the spotlight much longer anyway.)
Ichigo didn't hear her. He was in the zone now.
He'd been suppressing his fighting spirit ever since failing to find Orihime.
Why did Unohana take interest in him?
Because she felt a kindred soul.
Ichigo's Tensa Zangetsu roared to life, smashing against Grimmjōw's claws. Even steel-like talons felt pain when struck by it.
Ichigo gradually increased his power—eventually pinning Grimmjōw down.
"Grimmjōw! Weren't you just saying I couldn't land a hit?" Ichigo roared.
Now you can't fight back!"
Tensa Zangetsu sliced across Grimmjōw's waist, cutting deep.
Had he not reacted in time, he would've been bisected.
Grimmjōw used sonído to create distance and sealed the wound with reiryoku. Then he fired five green projectiles from his elbow.
Ichigo didn't move—he caught all five with one hand and crushed them into dust.
Grimmjōw stared in disbelief.
"That was the power of five blasts! Incredible…"
To prove it, he fired just one toward a pillar—shattering it entirely.
"And you caught five without flinching…"
"Right back at you, Grimmjōw," Ichigo said. "You're the first one who's kept up with my Bankai this long."
That wasn't a lie. Even the unstable Byakuya had only traded a few serious blows with Ichigo.
Grimmjōw truly was Espada-level.
"KUROSAKI ICHIGO!!"
Grimmjōw roared and shaped his claws into a spiraled drill—aiming straight at Ichigo's chest!
But Ichigo caught it with a single hand.
Grimmjōw's eyes widened.
"Impossible…"
(End of Chapter)
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