The Arrancar Attack (Part Three)

Liu Ziyun gave him no time to think. He reached out and waved his hand at Grimmjow, and a Zanpakuto appeared out of thin air in his hand. The sword appeared without warning, as if it had always been in his hand. The blade drew an arc the moment it appeared, and accurately struck Grimmjow's arm that was holding the sword.

A flash of blood.

Grimmjow's arm, along with his Zanpakuto, was severed. It spun a few times in the air before falling to the ground with a dull thud. He stared blankly at his severed arm, watching blood gushing from the wound, momentarily forgetting the pain.

"Aaaaaah..." A moment later, the excruciating pain finally reached his nerves. He let out a painful howl, quickly retreated, and picked up his severed arm from the ground with his other hand. Blood dripped down his arm, pooling on the ground into a shocking red puddle.

He stared intently at Liu Ziyun, his eyes filled with shock and fear. This man's strength... was simply unfathomable. With just a wave of his hand, he had severed his arm. If he wanted his life, that strike could have easily been aimed at his neck.

Ichigo Kurosaki was stunned. He stared blankly at the scene, his lips trembling slightly, muttering to himself, "Did you see that? Sensei... he's so amazing..."

Just then, a voice echoed deep within him. The voice was cold and mocking, tinged with disdain. "Yes, the teacher is very capable. What he taught you is also very capable, but you seem to have forgotten it all."

Ichigo Kurosaki froze. It was White Ichigo's voice; he recognized it.

"But I've remembered it," White Ichigo continued, a hint of smugness in his voice. "Those will all become my power. And you, from now on, can only watch as I use what our teacher taught you to defeat him."

Ichigo Kurosaki's face turned pale. He knew that what White Ichigo said was true—if he couldn't better control the power within him, one day, White Ichigo would completely replace him.

Just as Grimmjow was clutching his severed arm and confronting Liu Ziyun, the space behind him was torn apart again, and a Garganta slowly opened. A figure wearing glasses and sporting an afro stepped out of the Garganta — Kaname Tōsen, one of Aizen's most loyal followers.

"Grimmjow, come back with me." Kaname Tōsen's voice was calm and even, as if he were simply stating a perfectly ordinary fact.

Grimmjow gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with resentment. "How could this be... I've finally met an opponent I can fight..."

"Go back." Kaname Tōsen interrupted him, his tone still calm, but with an added air of unquestionable authority. "You attacked the World of the Living without authorization and sacrificed several Arrancars. Your actions have severely disrupted Lord Aizen's plans."

Grimmjow's body stiffened slightly. He knew that Kaname Tōsen was true, and he also knew what awaited him when he returned. But he had no choice. He glared fiercely at Liu Ziyun, tucked his severed arm under his arm, and followed Kaname Tōsen into the Garganta.

The Garganta slowly closed, and Grimmjow and Kaname Tōsen disappeared into the darkness. The suffocating Reiatsu also dissipated, as if it had never existed.

Liu Ziyun stood in the air, watching the two leave. His expression was calm and composed, revealing no emotion whatsoever. After a moment, he turned around and looked down at Ichigo Kurosaki below.

"Renji, stop hiding." His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears. "What, afraid I'll beat you up?"

Renji Abarai emerged slowly from the corner, bearing several wounds and tears in his Shihakusho, but appeared to be otherwise unharmed.

He looked up at Liu Ziyun, a hint of confusion and resentment in his eyes. "Mr. Liu, why didn't you make a move from the beginning? I believe that if you had made a move from the start, we wouldn't have won so hard."

Liu Ziyun landed back on the ground, looked at Renji's face filled with resentment, and suddenly laughed, "Why don't you all just commit suicide, and I'll live in your place?"

Renji Abarai was stunned, unsure how to respond for a moment.

Ichigo Kurosaki stepped forward, patted Renji on the shoulder, and said with understanding, "Renji, the reason our teacher isn't intervening is so we can understand each other's strength and improve ourselves. If we rely on the teacher for everything, we'll never get stronger."

Renji Abarai was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded. He knew that Ichigo Kurosaki was telling the truth, but the resentment in his heart was hard to quell.

Liu Ziyun didn't say anything more, but turned and walked away into the distance. "Alright, let's go check on Tōshirō and Ikkaku. They're badly injured this time."

The three traveled swiftly and soon arrived at the location of Tōshirō Hitsugaya. The young captain of the Tenth Division was lying on the ground, covered in wounds, his Shihakusho soaked in blood.

Orihime Inoue knelt beside him, placing her hands above his wounds, chanting the Release Phrase "Sōten Kisshun." Golden light emanated from her hairpins, enveloping Tōshirō Hitsugaya. The wounds slowly healed in the golden light, but very slowly, clearly indicating that the injuries were extremely serious.

Rangiku Matsumoto stood to the side, her face full of worry. Seeing Liu Ziyun and the others arrive, she breathed a slight sigh of relief and stepped aside.

Liu Ziyun walked closer, glanced at Tōshirō Hitsugaya's injuries, and then said to Ichigo Kurosaki and Renji Abarai, "You two stay here. I'll go check on Ikkaku."

He turned to leave, but was stopped by Tōshirō Hitsugaya.

"Thank you, Liu Ziyun." The young captain lay in the golden light, his voice weak, but his eyes exceptionally bright. "If it weren't for your sparring with me before, which helped me improve so much, I might have really lost this time."

Liu Ziyun stopped, turned around and glanced at him, smiling slightly, "I probably won't lose, it just might be a bit more difficult. Take good care of your injury, you'll be stronger next time."

Tōshirō Hitsugaya nodded and said nothing more.

Liu Ziyun and left, his figure disappearing into the night. He moved quickly, arriving at another battlefield moments later.

The situation here was even more dire than that of Tōshirō Hitsugaya's side. The ground was covered with traces of battle—deep trenches, huge craters, and shattered building fragments. The air was thick with the aftershocks of Reiatsu, giving the impression that a fierce battle had just taken place here.

Ikkaku Madarame was being supported by Yumichika Ayasegawa, his entire body riddled with injuries. His Shihakusho was in terrible shape, his body covered in wounds, and blood dripped from his clothes, pooling on the ground in a shocking red stain. Yet, his eyes remained bright, and a faint smile even lingered on his lips.