Arrancar attack (first update!)

It was the weekend.

Yoriichi sat cross-legged in the center of his room, Hekyō resting across his thighs.

His consciousness sank into his Zanpakuto's inner world, an endless crimson wasteland stretching around him. A blazing sun hung in the sky, and as its light fell on the blade, intricate flame patterns lit up along it.

Ever since learning Kidō, he had resumed sword meditation.

Kidō could only supplement his arsenal.

What truly determined a Soul Reaper's ceiling had always been their Zanpakuto.

Yoriichi reached out and grasped Hekyō, about to continue sensing the will within the blade, when several unfamiliar sources of Reiatsu suddenly reached him from outside.

Boom!

The blazing sun in his inner world trembled slightly.

Yoriichi opened his eyes and looked through the window toward Karakura Town.

Those sources of Reiatsu were extremely heavy, laced with undisguised malice. After arriving, their owners had made no effort to suppress their presence, instead sweeping it brazenly across the entire city.

Though ordinary people could not see spiritual bodies, Reiatsu could still affect them.

The closer they were, the more serious the consequences.

Gripping Hekyō, Yoriichi slowly rose to his feet.

Aizen had still failed to hold back.

The next moment, he vanished from the room.

Karakura Town, the shopping district.

A pitch-black spatial rift opened in midair, and three figures dropped from within, crashing heavily into the middle of the street.

Bang!

The ground instantly caved in, sending rubble flying in every direction as a crater several meters wide appeared before the crowd.

The nearby pedestrians jumped in fright.

They could not see the three Arrancar in the crater, only the perfectly intact pavement suddenly exploding, so they gathered around.

"Did a gas pipe explode?"

"Call the police!"

"Did something just fall out of the sky?"

The crowd buzzed with discussion, and some people took out their phones to take pictures.

In the center of the crater, Grimmjow raised his head.

He had short, pale blue hair and the remnants of a toothed mask on his right cheek. His open white jacket exposed his muscular abdomen.

"Hey, Ulquiorra."

Grimmjow rolled his neck, his turquoise eyes sweeping over their surroundings.

"Which one is this Soul Reaper Aizen told us to watch out for?"

"Is that guy really here? Why can't I sense his Reiatsu at all?"

Ulquiorra stood beside him, his short black hair stirred gently by the falling dust.

His face was utterly expressionless.

"Grimmjow, remember our mission."

"Do nothing unnecessary until you receive orders."

Grimmjow's lips spread into a grin.

"Are you giving me orders?"

Their gazes clashed, and the air around them instantly grew heavy.

Yammy climbed out of the crater.

He brushed the dust off himself and looked at the growing crowd around them, obvious impatience showing on his face.

"The Reishi here is way too thin."

"And these humans are so damn noisy."

Ulquiorra turned to look at him.

"Yammy, don't do anything reckless."

"Shut up."

Yammy opened his mouth, and a powerful suction suddenly erupted.

The souls of the surrounding pedestrians were pulled toward him, their consciousness rapidly fading. The few closest to him went limp and collapsed on the spot.

Then more people lost consciousness.

Before any cries of alarm could ring out, the entire street fell silent.

Yammy took a forceful breath, then spat on the ground in disgust.

"What a lousy taste."

"These souls taste awful."

Ulquiorra gave him a cold look but did not stop him.

As long as it did not affect the mission, whether humans lived or died was unimportant.

At the other end of the shopping district, Orihime Inoue was supporting Tatsuki Arisawa.

The two had arranged to shop for clothes together over the weekend. Neither had expected to encounter anything like this.

Tatsuki's spiritual sensitivity was far stronger than that of ordinary people, so she naturally felt the Reiatsu more distinctly. She held out for a few seconds, but ultimately lost consciousness and collapsed into Orihime's arms.

"Tatsuki!"

Orihime hurriedly knelt on the ground and held her.

An invisible suction tugged at Tatsuki's soul, as though trying to drag her forcibly out of her body.

Orihime raised her head and finally saw the three figures beside the crater clearly.

White clothes.

Incomplete Hollow masks.

And the Hollow Holes in their bodies.

"Are they... Hollows?"

No.

Ordinary Hollows could not possibly possess Reiatsu like this.

With no time to think further, Orihime immediately removed her hairpins.

"Shunō, Ayame!"

"Sōten Kisshun, I reject!"

Two streaks of light flew out, and a pale yellow oval shield swiftly spread, enclosing both her and Tatsuki.

The soul that had been leaving Tatsuki's body was pulled back by the power of rejection.

Color gradually returned to Tatsuki's pale face.

Yammy noticed them.

"Oh?"

He strode over, his massive body blocking out the sunlight.

"There's something strange about this woman."

Grimmjow looked over as well.

"That isn't Kidō."

Ulquiorra did not answer, merely watching Orihime inside the shield.

The ability to reject phenomena that had already occurred.

Lord Aizen had mentioned this ability.

Yammy walked up to the shield, raised his fist, and smashed it down.

Bang!

The pale yellow Light Screen shook violently, broad ripples spreading across its surface, but it did not shatter immediately.

Orihime's face paled, and cold sweat beaded on her forehead.

After just one punch, she felt that Sōten Kisshun was already close to giving out.

"Pretty tough."

Yammy raised his fist, preparing to strike again.

"Stop."

Ulquiorra walked past him.

Yammy frowned but withdrew his hand nonetheless.

Ulquiorra stopped before the shield, raised his right hand, and pressed one finger against the pale yellow Light Screen.

Orihime looked up at him.

His eyes were utterly calm.

That was precisely what made him even more frightening.

Crack.

A tiny fracture appeared beneath Ulquiorra's fingertip.

Then the cracks spread rapidly, covering the entire shield in an instant.

"How is that possible...?"

Orihime's pupils contracted slightly.

She was already using all her strength, yet Sōten Kisshun still could not stop that hand.

Bang!

The Light Screen shattered completely, scattering into tiny motes of light in the air.

Shunō and Ayame were sent flying.

Orihime instinctively held Tatsuki tighter, shielding her with her own body.

Ulquiorra's hand continued forward.

"Orihime Inoue."

For the first time, he spoke her name.

"Come with us."

Orihime froze.

They had actually come for her.

But she could not leave.

At the very least, she could not leave Tatsuki here.

Ulquiorra gave her no time to consider, reaching straight for her shoulder.

Just as his fingertips were about to touch Orihime, a figure appeared between them.

All Ulquiorra saw was a flash of dark gray blade light before his eyes.

Slash!

Blood sprayed.

A pale arm fell to the ground.

Ulquiorra retreated, lowering his gaze to the cleanly severed stump.

Crimson scorch marks clung to the wound, preventing his High-Speed Regeneration.

Yoriichi stood in front of Orihime, slowly drawing Hekyō back.

He looked at the three Arrancar before him, then at the humans lying all around them.

His expression gradually grew grave.