Battle Against the Espada (10)
"It seems you've taken Little Hao's words to heart and remembered quite a bit." Nel n't turn her head, her voice still low and even slightly teasing. "Then why were you so disheveled and timid when you fought the little leopard earlier? Just remembering the information isn't enough; you have to internalize it."
"Um... I..." Ichigo Kurosaki was speechless when asked the question, and could only scratch his head awkwardly, his face burning. Indeed, he had remembered the information Liu Hao shared, but when it came to a life-or-death battle, those ingrained habits and mental barriers were not so easy to break.
Nel didn't continue the topic. Her gaze remained fixed on Nnoitra, who was walking slowly towards her. She said calmly, "This guy has some old 'grudges' with me."
"Although I personally don't really care about those old grudges..." She paused, a hint of coldness in her voice, "However, seeing you now with most of your Reiatsu depleted and covered in injuries, defeating him when he's in full strength will probably be very difficult, and you might even pay an unnecessary price. So—"
She turned her head slightly, glancing at Ichigo Kurosaki out of the corner of her eye, her tone resolute and unwavering. "Leave this battle to me. It's time to settle our old scores."
"But, Nel, you..." Ichigo Kurosaki instinctively wanted to retort, but the words caught in his throat. Of course he was worried about Nel; in his eyes, Nel was still that little girl who needed his protection. But he also vaguely sensed that Nel's condition was somewhat off at the moment; her eyes and tone were completely unlike a child's.
Before he could even gather his words of dissuasion, the sight before him, along with Orihime Inoue and even the unconscious Grimmjow on the ground (if he were still conscious), instantly widened their eyes in utter shock!
Suddenly Nel's petite and delicate childlike body began to emit a soft yet powerful emerald green light! Within the light, her body began to grow and change rapidly, as if being inflated!
Her slender limbs became long and powerful, and the child's round face became elongated, revealing the graceful lines and curves of a mature woman. Her short, emerald-green hair grew and spread as if it had come to life, transforming into long, smooth hair that reached her waist.
The cute little kimono she wore melted and reformed in the light, transforming into a white bodysuit and skirt with a Hueco Mundo design that hugged her new figure, outlining her perfect, curvaceous curves. The two green tear-shaped patterns on her forehead, which were originally just decorative, became clear and deep, and above the center of her forehead, they coalesced into a complete and exquisite white mask in the shape of an antelope skull, with two gracefully curved antelope horns extending from the edges of the mask.
The light faded.
The one standing still is no longer the little girl Nel who needed protection.
Instead, she is a tall, elegant woman with an undeniable air of authority and power, wearing an antelope mask and with long, flowing emerald green hair that dances in the wind— Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck.
She stretched her neck slightly, feeling the long-lost, powerful real body, and a faint smile, different from Nel's previous innocent smile, appeared on her lips, carrying a hint of laziness and nostalgia.
She looked down at Orihime Inoue, who was completely petrified and whose mouth was agape enough to fit an egg, and said in a childlike voice that didn't match her size, "Inoue- san, you see, I was really serious when I promised you. I said that with me around, Kurosaki-kun would definitely not die. Now, you should believe me, right?"
Orihime Inoue completely lost her ability to speak, and could only stare blankly at the beautiful woman in front of her who had suddenly transformed from a loli into a mature woman, radiating a powerful yet warm Reiatsu.
Just then, Grimmjow, who had been unconscious on the ground, seemed to be stimulated by the sudden burst of powerful Reiatsu, both familiar and unfamiliar. He twitched slightly and struggled to open his eyes a crack. When his blurry vision finally focused and he could make out the tall, emerald-haired figure with an antelope mask standing in front of him, his heavily injured and weakened body shuddered violently!
"Uh... you... you are..." With his last ounce of strength, he trembled as he raised a finger, pointing at Nelliel (in Nel adult form). His icy blue eyes were filled with disbelief and horror as he uttered, almost in a hoarse voice, the name that had once symbolized absolute power and status in Las Noches: "Former... former... the... 3rd Espada... Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck...?!"
Upon hearing Nel 'Grimmjow voice, Nelliel (in her adult form) turned slightly to look at the disheveled Grimmjow on the ground, a gentle smile of surprise on her face, "Oh? Little leopard, your memory is quite good. That's right, it's me. When I was still Espada, you weren't selected yet, were you? I didn't expect that after I've been 'retired' for so long, you could still recognize me at a glance. You deserve praise."
Her tone was relaxed and casual, as if she were talking about a trivial matter, but the composure and demeanor of the former 3rd Espada that she spoke of stirred up a storm in the hearts of everyone present except Nnoitra.
Looking at the completely different Nelliel (in her adult form), Ichigo Kurosaki Nel the unfathomable yet incredibly gentle and inclusive Reiatsu emanating from her. He finally understood why Liu Hao had shown such extraordinary trust and familiarity with Nel throughout their journey. This "child" whom he had always protected as a little sister probably possessed a true identity and strength far beyond his imagination.
Nnoitra Gilga, meanwhile, had just reached a distance suitable for conversation (or rather, provocation). He stopped, his single eye fixed on Nelliel (in Nel adult form), whose smile, a mixture of cruelty and boredom, seemed to have intensified, and become even more... dangerous. He casually slung his massive scythe over his shoulder, its tip reflecting the pale light of Hueco Mundo.
"Yo," Nnoitra broke the silence with his distinctive, metallic, husky voice, "Look who's back? Our 'merciful,' 'anti-combat' former 3rd Espada, Lady Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck. What, had enough sleep? Finally crawled out of your pathetic childlike state?"
Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck stood quietly on the pale sand, her long emerald green hair swaying gently in the breeze of Hueco Mundo, and the antelope mask on her head reflecting a soft yet resilient luster in the pale sunlight.
Her emerald green eyes, now imbued with a mature charm, calmly gazed at Nnoitra not far ahead. Gone were the innocence and curiosity of childhood, as well as the deep-seated hatred or rage; only a serenity born of experience and a restrained sharpness that inevitably arises when facing an old enemy.
"Nnoitra," her voice was clear and melodious, yet carried an undeniable penetrating power, "To be honest, during these years of slumber, I've long since let go of many of the past grudges and conflicts, and I'm too lazy to pursue them anymore. If you hadn't appeared here today, perhaps those old scores between us would have been completely buried by time and never been mentioned again."
She paused, and a gentle yet incredibly solid Reiatsu began to slowly rise from her body, like an undercurrent surging beneath a calm lake.
"But since fate has brought us together again here, at this moment," Nelliel's gaze hardened, fixing on Nnoitra's single eye, "And you, it seems, haven't changed your unpleasant nature. Therefore, as a former colleague who received your 'special attention,' I think it's indeed necessary for us to 'settle things over'."
"Ha ha--!" Nnoitra seemed to have heard the most ridiculous joke, throwing his head back and letting out an exaggerated and ear-piercing laugh, a laugh filled with undisguised mockery and cruel pleasure. The huge scythe he carried on his shoulder trembled slightly with the laughter, emitting a low buzzing sound.
"Purge? You? Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck!" He stopped laughing, a dangerous and excited glint in his single eye as he sized Nelliel up and down, as if assessing a lost toy. "Look at you, just recovered from your previous state, your Reiatsu still not fully stable... Just how much of your former strength have you regained? Who gave you the courage to stand before me and so arrogantly utter the word 'purge'? Was it that brat who got beaten half to death by Grimmjow? Or have you been asleep for too long and your brain has become muddled?"
Faced with Nnoitra's sharp mockery, Nelliel showed no anger, but rather a slightly pitying, almost sorrowful smile. She gently shook her head, her tone still calm, yet each word clear, like icicles striking metal:
"Nnoitra, have you forgotten something? Or perhaps, a fact you've been unwilling to face deep down?" Her gaze swept over Nnoitra's arrogant face, her voice carrying a subtle reminder, "Even before I 'left,' my position was always above yours. I was number 3, and you... after all these years, it seems you've only barely climbed to No. 5. This difference in numbers represents more than just ranking; it represents Aizen's assessment of the essence and potential of our power."
These words were like a poisonous thorn, precisely piercing Nnoitra's most sensitive and least wanted sore spot. The smile on his face, a mixture of boredom and cruelty, vanished instantly, replaced by a violent and ferocious expression as if his profanity had been touched. His single eye blazed with a fierce light, and the cold, sticky Reiatsu around him surged violently like boiling venom!
"Shut up, Nelliel!" Nnoitra's voice suddenly rose, becoming sharp and filled with killing intent. "Do you think the Espada of today are still the same lukewarm people you were when you left?! Lord Aizen's power is vastly different now! The Espada's positions have changed, and the standards of strength are no longer what you remember! No. 5? Hmph! The power I possess now is enough to crush your outdated 'Number 3' title, along with your laughable 'mercy,' to dust!"
With a clang, he slammed the giant scythe into the sand, sending up a wave of sand. His one eye was fixed on Nelliel, burning with an almost morbid desire to prove himself and trample everything in his path.
"Is that so?" Nelliel remained calm, even tilting her head slightly with an "I see" expression, as if listening to the clamor of an ignorant child. "Since you're so confident in yourself now, and think that past rankings are meaningless... then, isn't the best way to verify this the way we've always been most familiar with?"
She slowly raised her right hand, her slender, pale fingers grasping the hilt of the Zanpakuto at her waist. The Zanpakuto's design was simple yet elegant, perfectly complementing her current demeanor.
"Since words cannot make you face reality, then," Nelliel's emerald green eyes lost their gentle luster, replaced by a hard, cold fighting spirit like that of a gemstone, "Let's see who's the best. Use your body to feel for yourself what 'outdated' and 'present,' what 'third' and 'fifth' truly mean."
"Just what I wanted!" Nnoitra let out an excited growl. His long-suppressed jealousy towards the high- Espada (especially Nelliel, who had once been superior to him), his thirst for battle and killing, and his obsession with proving his own strength all erupted at this moment!
Without another word, he gripped the handle of the gigantic scythe, which was much taller than him, with one hand, and the sand beneath his feet exploded! His massive body didn't appear clumsy; instead, it unleashed an astonishing speed disproportionate to its size, like a steel behemoth charging forward, carrying a suffocatingly cold Reiatsu and a piercing metallic scraping sound, charging towards Nelliel! The huge scythe dragged behind him, carving a deep furrow in the sand, its cold light gleaming, pointing directly at the emerald green figure ahead.
Faced with this menacing charge that seemed poised to cleave her in two, Nelliel's expression remained unchanged. She chose not to retreat or dodge; just as Nnoitra charged to within meters of her, and the giant scythe whistled as it swung upwards—clang!
A clear, melodious sound, like the murmur of a spring, rang out as the sword was drawn from its sheath.
Nelliel moved at the same time. She didn't use any high-speed movement techniques like Shunpo; she simply took a step forward, and her Zanpakuto was already unsheathed, drawing a beautiful and swift emerald green arc in the air, meeting the terrifying scythe that was larger than her entire body with perfect precision!