Fighting the Espada (1)
Renji Abarai stared at the almost identical dark passage before him and spat out a curse, "Pah! Just as expected, they resort to such underhanded tactics! Forcibly separating us, are they trying to play hide-and-seek or something?"
Yasutora Sado stood beside him, his massive frame like a reliable fortress. He asked, "Renji, should we... try to find Mr. Liu Hao and the others to reunite now, or..."
Renji Abarai scratched his bright red hair, somewhat annoyed, and said, "Tsk! My spiritual sense isn't naturally as sharp as Liu Hao's or some of the Captains'. In this maze-like place, where Reiatsu is interfered with, it's too difficult to accurately find them." He paused, his eyes turning fierce, "However, with Liu Hao's strength and intelligence, he should have no problem protecting himself in Hueco Mundo, and might even be able to take good care of Ishida and Rukia. I'm a little worried Ichigo, that simple-minded idiot, who might fall into some trap again."
Yasutora Sado thought for a moment and said, "We shouldn't worry too much about Ichigo. I have a feeling that Nel, the little girl who's always by his side, is quite extraordinary. There's something about her that's... unfathomable."
Hearing Renji Abarai also thought of that mischievous little boy who sometimes spoke with an air of maturity, and grinned, "Now that you mention it... that makes sense. That kid is indeed a bit strange." He shook his head, clearing his mind of distractions, patted Chad on the shoulder, and revealed a wild and untamed smile, "Looks like the only ones we need to worry about are the two of us! Fine, let's show those hiding Arrancar scum how we, Soul Reaper from Rukongai, and our human partner, can smash our way through their lair! Let's go, Chad! From now on, we'll pave the way with our fists, smash through walls, and kill enemies! Be careful, don't fall behind!"
"Okay." Yasutora Sado replied briefly and forcefully, clenching his fists. His right arm faintly glowed with a dark red light, and a flash of white electricity seemed to appear on the fingertips of his left hand.
The two nodded to each other, and without further hesitation, stepped side by side into the unknown passage that belonged to them. The red-haired Soul Reaper's wildness and the human boy's composure formed a unique and powerful scene in the depths of the perilous Hueco Mundo, as they resolutely faced the unknown and powerful enemy hidden in the darkness.
The three groups, forcibly separated, faced the only, seemingly pre-prepared, deep passage before them. Almost without hesitation, they each made the same choice—to move forward. There was no way to retreat, and waiting in place was tantamount to certain death. Only by moving forward, breaking through all obstacles, could they possibly reunite and achieve their ultimate goal.
Liu Hao, Uryū Ishida, Rukia Kuchiki, and Pesche and Dondochakka, who were carrying Nel who had reverted to her tiny form and was yawning, made their way cautiously through the passage. The passage wasn't completely dark; the walls were inlaid with unknown minerals that emitted a faint glow, providing a barely visible light source. The air was damp and chilly, filled with a faint smell of stale blood mixed with some kind of chemical agent.
The passageway suddenly opened up into a relatively spacious area, resembling an abandoned hall. In the center of the hall, a figure was already waiting.
It was an Arrancar with a rather bizarre appearance. He was tall and thin, wearing the standard Arrancar uniform, but the most striking feature was the white mask he wore on his face—not the traditional style that covered half of his face, but a pure white bone mask that covered his entire skull like a helmet. On the front of the mask, there were eight deep, circular holes arranged neatly in two rows of four, like strange compound eyes, staring emptyly at the newcomer. His Reiatsu was solid and chaotic, as if forcibly mixed together from countless different auras, emanating an unsettling, viscous feeling.
Uryū Ishida adjusted his glasses, his gaze behind the lenses sharp as an eagle, and said in a low voice, "It seems our 'welcomeees' are already impatient."
Liu Hao's gaze fell on the unique white mask, his eyes remaining completely unwavering, as if he were merely confirming a number he had long anticipated. He spoke calmly, as if stating a fact. "NO.9, Aaroniero Arurueri. The only Hueco Mundo Espada, a unique case of a 'Gillian' -class Menos Grande successfully Arrancar."
In the center of the hall, the Arrancar — Aaroniero Elurueri—hearing Liu Hao accurately state his identity and true nature, the holes under his mask seemed to slightly adjust their focus, concentrating on Liu Hao. A distorted and strange voice, a mixture of multiple tones, rang out, carrying a hint of amusement and condescension. "Oh? It seems you've gathered quite a lot of information about us Espada. Well, you should also know that although I am of 'Gillian' origin, with my 'ability,' my strength has already surpassed the vast majority of 'Vasto Lorde's' who are all show and no substance. Among the Hollows I've devoured, there are quite a few Vasto Lorde as well."
Upon hearing this, Liu Hao's lips curled into an almost mocking smile, his tone flat to the point of indifference. "Surpassing Vasto Lorde? In my opinion, it's nothing more than an aggregate mixed with even more 'impurities.' Having a massive 'quantity' and a jumble of 'techniques' but lacking true 'quality' and 'principle' of its own, it ultimately remains merely at the level of imitation and mere accumulation."
These blunt comments caused Aaroniero's gaze behind the holes in his mask to darken abruptly. But Liu Hao no longer looked at him, instead turning slightly to Rukia Kuchiki beside him, saying, "Rukia, this guy is yours to practice on. Remember what I analyzed for you before, about the core weaknesses of his abilities and the strategies to deal with them. Finish him quickly; don't give him too much time to 'learn' and 'adapt'."
Rukia Kuchiki took a deep breath, a resolute glint in her purplish-gray eyes. She stepped forward, standing at the very front of the line, her clear, cool voice echoing through the hall. "Alright, I understand."
She unsheathed her Zanpakuto, and tiny ice crystals condensed on its scabbard. "Dance, Sode no Shirayuki!" Shikai words fell, a beautiful katana, pure white and radiating a chilling aura, appeared in her hand. The temperature around the blade plummeted, and moisture in the air began to condense into tiny ice crystals.
Battle is imminent.
The red-haired Soul Reaper and the silent human boy walked side by side in another passage with a similar structure but seemingly more winding. Renji walked ahead casually, with Zabimaru on his shoulder, cautiously scanning the surroundings; Yasutora Sado closely behind, his steps steady, his huge "giant right arm" not manifesting, but his muscles were taut, ready to enter battle at any moment.
At the end of the passage, there was also a spacious hall. But unlike Liu Hao's hall, in the center of this hall stood a completely different Arrancar.
He was tall and slender, dressed in a white research robe-style Arrancar suit, and wore small, round-framed glasses. Behind the lenses were a pair of narrow eyes that gleamed with a mixture of rationality and madness. A half-smile played on his lips as he stood there calmly, more like a scientist waiting for his subjects to enter the observation area than a warrior about to engage in a life-or-death struggle.
"Tsk, the one with glasses... he looks like he's up to no good." Renji Abarai stopped and sized up the other person, grinning. "If I'm not mistaken, you're the 8th Espada, Szayelaporro Granz, who likes to do all sorts of weird experiments, right?"
Szayelaporro Granz adjusted his glasses, his smile unchanged, his tone carrying a scholarly composure. "Oh? They've even investigated my name and hobbies? It seems the invaders have done their homework well. However, knowing a name and understanding my 'greatness' are two different things."
Yasutora Sado forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Renji, and said in a low voice with a grave expression, "Renji, Mr. Liu Hao specifically mentioned this Szayelaporro before. He is not only Espada, but also one of the top researchers in Hueco Mundo. His abilities are extremely bizarre, and he excels at setting traps, manipulating the environment, analyzing opponents, and developing targeted countermeasures. According to Mr. Liu Hao, given our current state, facing him head-on... I'm afraid our chances of winning are not high."
Upon hearing Renji Abarai showed no fear. Instead, his eyes blazed with even fiercer fighting spirit. He licked his chapped lips, revealing a set of white teeth, and grinned wildly. "Ha! Low odds? No problem! I'll just fight to the death! I've fought my way out of Rukongai and I've never been afraid of anyone! Forget about experiments and conspiracies, brute force will overcome anything! Chad, are you ready?"
Yasutora Sado looked into the familiar, indomitable light in his partner's eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly nodded, his right arm beginning to glow with a dark red light. "Yes. Give it your all."
Szayelaporro looked at the two "experimental subjects" before him, who were clearly aware of the danger yet still brimming with fighting spirit. His interest behind his glasses grew even stronger. He clapped his hands lightly. "Not bad fighting spirit. Well then, let's see how much surprising data you can bring to my 'entertainment venue'."
Complex Reishi runes quietly lit up the walls around the hall, and the atmosphere of the entire space suddenly became eerie and dangerous.
The orange-haired Soul Reaper and the tiny Arrancar (front) walk through a seemingly endless passage. At first, Ichigo Kurosaki tries to find his way by sensing Reiatsu or observing subtle differences in the walls, but he soon discovers that the scenery around him seems to be repeating itself.
"Hey, Nel," Ichigo Kurosaki stopped, frowning as he looked around at the almost identical passageways, "Don't you feel like... we're going in circles?"
Nel, perched on his shoulder, yawned slightly, rubbed her eyes, and began to observe her surroundings. Her small nose twitched, and she examined the arrangement of the fluorescent minerals on the walls and the wear and tear on the floor. A knowing look appeared on her face. "Hmm... it really does seem to be some kind of Reishi maze. Using Reishi refraction and spatial folding, it makes people endlessly loop within a limited area, misleading their senses. Truly... one of those boring tricks that Szayelaporro likes."
"What should we do? We can't just keep wandering around here!" Ichigo Kurosaki, somewhat annoyed.
Nel rolled her eyes, pointed her little hand at the wall beside her, and came up with a simple and straightforward idea. "How about... we try breaking down the wall? Maybe there's a way out behind it, or we can disrupt the Reishi structure of this maze!"
Ichigo Kurosaki's eyes lit up. "Great idea! It's better than just spinning around here like an idiot!"
Without further ado, Ichigo Kurosaki gripped the hilt of his Zanpakuto, which had grown longer and more menacing after his special training in Hueco Mundo, his eyes flashing with fierce light. With a low shout, he unleashed a powerful diagonal slash at the wall to his right!
"Getsuga Tenshō!"
The pitch-black Reiatsu condensed into a huge crescent-shaped blade of light, tearing through the air with a sharp whistling sound, and slammed heavily into the seemingly solid gray-white wall!
"Boom--!"
The wall shattered with a crash, sending bricks and stones flying! However, the anticipated "next room" or "new passage" did not appear. At the broken wall section, there was no building structure; instead, there was an endless stream of pale, fine sand, gushing forth like sand from an hourglass!
"What the hell?!" Ichigo Kurosaki in surprise, Shunpo his Shunpo (Shunpo) to instantly dodge back more than ten meters, narrowly avoiding the sandstorm that almost engulfed him. The fine sand flowed to the ground, quickly accumulating and making a "rustling" sound, soon forming a small sand dune in front of the broken wall hole.
Nel was also startled by the sudden "sandstorm," grabbing Ichigo Kurosaki's collar tightly. "Whoa! How can it be sand?! Is this labyrinth built in a sea of sand?!"
Ichigo Kurosaki stared at the still-flowing sand, a lingering fear in his eyes. "Hey, are you sure we won't be buried alive? What if we break through the load-bearing wall and the whole thing collapses?"
Nel tilted her head and thought for a moment, then pointed to the opposite wall. "Then... shall we try another direction? Maybe the other side isn't sand?"
Ichigo Kurosaki glanced at the still-flowing sand wall, then at the intact wall opposite, and gritted his teeth. "Fine! Let's try again!"
He gathered his Reiatsu once more, this time aiming at the left wall, and unleashed a second "Getsuga Tenshō"!
"Boom!"
The wall broke again.
This time, no sand came out.
Behind the broken wall, a much wider entrance, completely different from the previous one, was revealed. The walls were inlaid with glowing crystals, and it looked like a "proper" passage!
"It's done!" Ichigo Kurosaki and Nel exchanged a glance, both seeing the joy in each other's eyes.
"Let's go!" Ichigo Kurosaki didn't hesitate any longer and rushed into the newly appeared passage. Nel gripped his shoulders tightly, her little face also showing excitement. The two figures quickly disappeared into the depths of the new passage, leaving the strange looping maze and quicksand trap behind.