Battle Against the Espada (6)

Ichigo Kurosaki carried Nel, who was still in her child form, and trekked for a long time through that seemingly endless, dark passage.

On either side were walls of a strange, cold, smooth material that seemed to absorb all light, and beneath their feet was a path of the same material. Apart from their own footsteps and breathing, there was no other sound. The concept of time became blurred here, with only the unchanging scenery and a gradually accumulating sense of anxiety.

"Ichigo, something's wrong with this place." Nel, clinging to Ichigo Kurosaki's back with her little arms around his neck, spoke in a rare seriousness in her childish voice, "We've been walking for so long, and the Reishi fluctuations around us have hardly changed, and there aren't any branching paths... This doesn't seem to be naturally formed; it's more like some kind of trap or maze."

Ichigo Kurosaki stopped, his brow furrowed. He had already sensed something was wrong; his Soul Reaper instincts were constantly warning him. "Ah, I felt it too. If we keep going like this, we'll probably never reach the end." He looked up at the still bottomless darkness ahead, then glanced around at the sealed walls, a resolute glint in his eyes. "Since the path is blocked, we'll forge our own!"

"Yes!" Nel nodded vigorously, her little face full of agreement.

Without further ado, Ichigo Kurosaki gently set Nel down, letting her retreat to a safe distance. He took a deep breath, his right hand firmly gripping the massive, bandaged hilt of the sword behind him. Even though he wasn't fully recovered, that familiar, the Heat, and overwhelming Reiatsu still began to surge around him.

"Drink up--!"

With a low growl, Zangetsu was forcefully drawn! It wasn't the complete Getsuga Tenshō, but rather a blade formed from concentrated, violent Reiatsu, creating an incredibly solid, jet-black aura. Ichigo the sword with both hands and slashed horizontally at the wall to his side with all his might!

Laugh--!

A piercing cutting sound rang out, and the seemingly indestructible wall was torn open with a huge gash by Zangetsu's incomparably sharp Reiatsu Slash, just like a hot knife cutting into butter.

Almost simultaneously, Nel puffed out her cheeks and pushed forward with her small hand. A Green Cero (although its power was greatly reduced due to her shrunken size) struck the edge of the rift precisely, widening it further.

Without hesitation, Ichigo Kurosaki picked up Nel again, and the two leaped out of the forcibly opened rift.

A blinding white light instantly replaced the eternal darkness of the passage, and a dry, the Heat wind rushed towards them. The ground beneath their feet was no longer a solid path, but soft, burning sand. They had landed in an endless, desolate Desert with a monotonous, hopeless color.

Looking back, what lay behind them was not the palace wall they had imagined, but a huge, smooth, seamless, pale, curved "wall." The cracks that had broken through were repairing and healing themselves at a visible speed, soon disappearing as if they had never existed.

"Is this... the outer perimeter of Las Noches? Or another dimension?" Ichigo Kurosaki squinted, shielding his eyes from the intense sunlight reflected off the Desert, his mind filled with doubts.

Nel her small hand to her forehead and gazed into the distance. "Whatever it is, Ichigo, look over there!"

Following the direction Nel pointed, on the distant horizon of the Desert, an exceptionally tall, grotesque tower, seemingly constructed of pale bones, stood majestically, its spire Hueco Mundo the eternal, unchanging, illusory "sky" of Hueco Mundo, exuding an undeniable, landmark-like presence. Between the massive, arc-shaped "structure" they had emerged from (perhaps just a part of the vast outer shell of Las Noches) and the tower lay undulating sand dunes and scattered architectural ruins, remnants of a fierce battle.

"That tower... the Reiatsu it exudes is very peculiar." Ichigo Kurosaki focused his senses. "Moreover, there seems to be a faint fluctuation of battle energy emanating from that direction. Let's go take a look; perhaps we can find other people, or... clues about Inoue."

"Okay!" Nel back down.

Without further delay, the two chose the direction of the tower and began to trudge forward on the soft sand. The Desert was not completely silent; occasionally, the shadows of small Hollows would flash past behind distant dunes, but sensing the undisguised and powerful Reiatsu emanating from Ichigo, they instinctively chose to stay away.

After walking for about fifteen minutes, a more concentrated area of ruins appeared nearby. Several thick stone pillars with strange patterns were stuck crookedly in the sand, half-buried under the sand. Scattered around them were huge metal components and fragments of unknown material. It was obviously once a small building or Outpost, but now it was completely destroyed.

Just as they were about to round the ruins, Ichigo Kurosaki suddenly stopped, his pupils contracting sharply. He felt an extremely strong, incredibly familiar, and violently fighting Reiatsu emanating from the top of the tallest half-stone pillar in the ruins!

He slowly raised his head.

The intense sunlight was almost blinding, but atop the leaning stone pillar stood a proud blue figure. His short, sky-blue hair was unruly, a pale, shattered Arrancar covered half his face, and his icy blue eyes, like a cheetah before its hunt, were fixed intently on Ichigo Kurosaki below. He wore a white robe symbolizing his Espada status, Zanpakuto hanging at his waist, and emanated an undisguised, ferocious Reiatsu, eager for battle.

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.

"I've finally found you, Ichigo Kurosaki!!" Grimmjow's voice, like the grinding of sand, carried a long-suppressed excitement and fervor, crashing down from above.

His gaze swept over Ichigo Kurosaki and Nel on his back, a wild smile spreading across his lips. "Brought a little one along? Whatever, today's main characters are just you and me!"

Ichigo Kurosaki's heart sank. He put Nel down, shielding her behind him, Zangetsu horizontally in front of him, and said in a deep voice, "Grimmjow, I didn't come here to be with you..."

"Shut up!" Grimmjow interrupted him roughly, his eyes burning with a fierce fighting spirit. "Stop with those weak excuses. Wait until I tear you to pieces before you tell Hell! But until then..."

He deliberately turned to the side, revealing the view behind him that had been blocked by his tall figure.

A little behind the top of the stone pillar, on a relatively flat spot, sat an orange-haired girl curled up. She was hugging her knees, wearing a World of the Living school uniform, and her face showed fear and worry—it was Orihime Inoue!

"Inoue -kun!" Ichigo cried out in shock, his heart clenching instantly. He never expected to see Orihime Inoue here, in this way, and that she was clearly under Grimmjow's control. "Grimmjow! What have you done to Inoue?! Let her go!"

"Hmph, don't worry, she's perfectly fine." Grimmjow scoffed, his gaze returning to Ichigo Kurosaki, his eyes fixed on the most delicious prey. "I brought her here specifically to ensure you'll unleash your full power and fight me without holding back! Watch closely, Ichigo Kurosaki— " He abruptly drew his Zanpakuto, its tip pointing directly at Ichigo, "The rules are simple! Kill me, and you can take her. If you lose, or try to escape... you should know the consequences!"

"Grimmjow! I came to Hueco Mundo to save people, not to engage in pointless fighting with you Espada!" Ichigo Kurosaki gripped Zangetsu tightly, attempting a final negotiation, though he knew the chances were slim. He had already witnessed Grimmjow's obsession with battle back in Karakura Town.

"Useless? Hah!" Grimmjow as if he had heard the funniest joke, his laughter filled with savagery. "For me, fighting you is the most important thing! Everything else can go to hell!"

The laughter abruptly ceased, replaced by an extremely sharp killing intent. Grimmjow, without further ado, stomped his foot, causing a small piece of the stone pillar to shatter instantly. He charged down like a blue cannonball, Zanpakuto in hand, tearing through Ichigo air with incredible speed! Even before the blade arrived, the violent Reiatsu and chilling killing intent had already completely locked onto Ichigo!

"Nel, back off!" Ichigo Kurosaki only had time to let out a low growl before he had to fight back with all his might. He took a step forward, drew his short sword Zangetsu from his waist, and met Grimmjow's blade.

Clang--!

The two Zanpakuto clashed violently, unleashing a deafening metallic clang. A violent shockwave of Reiatsu spread outwards from the two of them, sending the surrounding sand flying several meters high and forming a brief sandstorm ring.

Ichigo Kurosaki's feet sank slightly as the sand reached his ankles. He gritted his teeth and resisted Grimmjow's overwhelming power. Their blades clashed, so close they could see the flames burning in each other's eyes—one a pure battle frenzy, the other the anxiety and anger of being forced into battle.

Just as the two were locked in a stalemate, Nel's small figure moved like a nimble antelope, leaping and bounding away from the vortex of the battle. She quickly climbed the leaning stone pillar and arrived at Orihime Inoue's side.

"You're Orihime Inoue, right?" Nel looked up at the girl in front of her, who was frightened but still had gentle eyes, and said with certainty.

Orihime Inoue, who had been intently watching the perilous battle below, her palms sweating with worry, was startled when she suddenly heard a sweet, childlike voice. Looking down, she saw a little girl in a cute kimono, with green hair and green teardrop-shaped markings on her face, standing in front of her, her big eyes full of concern.

"Yes, yes, I am Orihime Inoue." Orihime Inoue nodded quickly. Although she was in a dangerous situation, she still softened her voice instinctively when facing such a cute little girl. "You... who are you? What are you doing here?" She remembered that there shouldn't be any children like this in Hueco Mundo.

"My name is Nel!" Nel puffed out her small chest, trying her best to appear reliable despite her short stature. "I came with Ichigo to rescue you! Don't be afraid, once Ichigo defeats that blue idiot down there, we'll leave this awful place together!"

Upon hearing this, Orihime Inoue felt a surge of warmth and gratitude, but as her gaze returned to the two fiercely battling below, worry immediately took over. "Kurosaki-kun... can he really win? That person... Mr. Grimmjow, he's incredibly powerful." She had personally witnessed Grimmjow's power in the World of the Living —a terrifying strength capable of easily destroying streets.

Nel followed her gaze downwards. At this moment, Ichigo Kurosaki and Grimmjow had separated and were engaged in a high-speed mobile battle, their swords flashing and their Reiatsu constantly colliding and exploding, leaving craters in the Desert.

Nel watched for a while, then her small brows furrowed, and she sighed with an air of maturity, "Ichigo is indeed very strong; in theory, he shouldn't lose to Grimmjow. But..."

"But what?" Orihime Inoue pressed.

"But his mentality is problematic." Nel pointed to Ichigo Kurosaki in the battle below, who, despite having opportunities to launch more powerful counterattacks, often held back at crucial moments, choosing more conservative methods to block or dodge. "You see, he has too many concerns during the fight. He's afraid of hitting too hard and killing his opponent, afraid the battle will spread too far and attract other enemies, and he's constantly thinking about rescuing you as soon as possible... With so many things on his mind, how can he possibly wield his sword freely? His strength is naturally greatly reduced."

Orihime Inoue was stunned. She recalled Ichigo Kurosaki's usual character; he always put protecting others first and was unwilling to easily harm lives, even if the other party was an enemy. This kind of kindness was admirable in ordinary times, but in a life-or-death battle, it could become a fatal weakness.

"Then... what should we do?" Orihime Inoue became even more anxious; she didn't want Kurosaki-kun to be put in danger because of her.

"No problem!" Nel suddenly laughed again, stretching out her small hand and confidently patting her (not very well-endowed) little chest. "Although Ichigo feeling conflicted right now, his opponent—that Grimmjow —is quite a 'good teacher'!"

"Huh?" Orihime Inoue was confused.

Nel looked down at Grimmjow, whose attacks were growing increasingly ferocious and relentless, a knowing glint in her eyes. "A pure battle maniac like Grimmjow will use the most direct and ruthless methods to force out Ichigo's innate fighting instincts, shattering his unnecessary hesitations and worries. Don't worry, Inoue- kun," she turned to Orihime Inoue a reassuring smile, "I'm here watching. If they really go too far... I can help heal them. Now, let them have a proper 'exchange'."

Looking at Nel's calm gaze and confident words, which seemed out of place with her young appearance, Inoue Orihime Inoue felt a strange calming of her anxiety. She turned her gaze back to the dust-filled battlefield below, clasped her hands tightly to her chest, and prayed silently.

On the battlefield, Grimmjow's maniacal laughter mingled with the whooshing sound of his sword strikes, and the battle was sliding towards an abyss of intense conflict.