Chapter 68 – Hueco Mundo – 2
Hueco Mundo, Las Noches,
Ichigo punched a Privaron Espado with an orange afro, blasting massive blue spiritual energy through his stomach, coming out from his back. The Privano Espada kneeled over, falling over the ground, fainting.
Ichigo walked towards the passageway, "Let's go."
He walked a few steps, realizing that Orihime wasn't following, glancing over his shoulder, "Orihime?"
Orihime was in the middle of covering the Privaron Espada's body with a blanket. She stopped in the middle, innocently blinking at Ichigo, "I just thought he'd get cold."
Ichigo covered his face, walking over to her, raising her up, pulling her, "Let's go."
"But...but...I have a small pillow too!"
Ichigo let out a sigh, walking in front, stopping, "Orihime..."
"Kurosaki-Kun?"
"I know you are trying to make me smile...but don't worry," Ichigo fixed his gaze in the distance, "I am fine. I'll end this, once and for all."
Orihime gently smiled, rubbing his back, "I believe you, Kurosaki-Kun."
"Let's go and end this."
The two of them rushed into the next empty room, with a high roof, looking at the black-skinned Espada with large lips, "You are right; we should end this."
Ichigo took out the long sword, but he pierced it backward rather than slashing it. A few centimeters lower and it would have cut Orihime's shoulders. But Orihime didn't even twitch in a few.
The Espada's katana was stopped by the tip of Ichigo's knife, but Ichigo didn't even bother with him, "You ok? Inoue?"
Orihime tucked her hair behind her ear, smiling and an orange shield appeared behind Ichigo's back. She stopped the Seventh Espada's attack, "I can take care of myself, Kurosaki-Kun. You should focus on the enemy."
Ichigo nodded, his eyes meeting with Zommari, "That was a neat technique. It's...something like this?"
Two more Ichigo appeared, appearing behind the two Zommari, slashing across their back. The clone disappeared, but the actual body fell on its knee, looking at Ichigo in unbelief, "How...?"
Ichigo rubbed the back of his head, "Do you know what it does to a guy when your brother can do almost anything? You learn to get stronger as fast as you can, to get better, to get a step closer. Over the years...it became a habit to copy his moves. Yours was actually simple. This fight has nothing to do with you, so don't get in my way."
Orihime bowed towards Zommari, following behind Ichigo, moving towards the exit of this room. Just as they were about to leave, the spiritual pressure of the Hollow behind them climbed swiftly.
Ichigo and Orihime turned back, seeing the Hollow transformed, and Orihime burst out in laughter, "Pfff!! He's like a peach!! Peach!!"
Ichigo laughed, trying to act thoughtfully, covering his mouth, when Orihime raised a shield, blocking the sun-shaped tattoos.
Ichigo pointed his short sword forward, forming a blue beam from the tip, firing it simultaneously as Orihime removed her shield.
The blue beam covered Zommari; his body became dimmer and dimmer, disappearing inside the blue beam before the ray thinned, disappearing. A beaten-down Zommari fell to the ground, his Resureccion disappearing.
He could only lay on the ground, hearing Ichigo and Orihime walk away, hearing their conversation, "Was that a Cero?"
"Cero? No. I can't use the Cero until I release the power of Hollow Zangetsu. This was just pure Spiritual Energy that I fired like I would a Quincy arrow."
"Oh, that was so awesome."
"You think...?"
Zommari closed his eyes, wondering, 'Why would Lord Aizen invite that monster here?'
Aizen told them that this guy would come, and others would follow him, and all they had to do was take them out. But this guy alone was a monster, and he said something about his brother.
"He was talking about me."
Zommari looked at the guy with rust-colored hair, silky. His deep red eyes watched him as the boy squatted beside him, "Geez, my brother is such a softy, even leaving you alive. But killing you would be a waste."
Jun placed his hand on Zommari, and blue veins spread from Jun's hand, spreading over Zommari's, "Yooouuuuuuu!!!!"
Zommari's body got twisted, turning into a long black swirling staff with a pink orb at the top. Inside, the pink sphere was filled with small eyes that seemed to look in all directions.
Jun straightened his knees, holding the black staff, creating four black tiki-like skull shields outlined in violet-purple. Each skull had a single verticle eye, "See, I told you it would be a waste to kill you. Having Sokyoku made me realize that sealed Arrancars make for an excellent weapon."
He walked behind Ichigo, erasing his presence, a happy smile hanging on his lips.
Outside the Privaron's Area,
Ichigo walked on the white sand, glancing back, "Did you feel something?"
"No," Orihime shook her head, but she stopped walking, "Not behind us."
"Him, I noticed him as well," Ichigo turned his eyes towards the Espada with spiky blue hair and light blue eyes, waiting for them to reach him.
"Finally! And here I thought that you'd never make it here."
Ichigo put his right hand on the heavy sword, narrowing his eyes, "Just get out of the way. You are no match for me."
Grimmjow laughed, covering his face, "No match for you, huh!! We'll find out about that when I tear that woman apart behind and see if you still underestimate me!"
Ichigo closed his eyes, appearing in front of laughing Grimmjow, slashing his large sword down, covered in blue spiritual pressure.
"Huh?" Grimmjow looked confused before blood splashed over Ichigo's clone that was left behind when he moved back to Orihime. He took her hand to walk past Grimmjow, hearing the thumping voice.
Orihime was walking with him when she created a shield, stopping a giant ax-like weapon with two crescent moons attached back to back, "Kurosaki-Kun...I can protect myself."
Ichigo glanced towards the lean Hollow that tried to kill Orihime, nodding towards her, "I know...I just want you to preserve your Spiritual Pressure since you can't restore that."
"Oh," Orihime parted her lips in surprise, happy that Ichigo didn't think she was a burden. She made a fist, "I will now."
"Oye! You!" The Fifth Espada spoke to attract their attention when he found them walking away. He just moved his ax-like weapon when numerous cuts appeared over his body, and blood came bursting out. He widened his eye in surprise, "When...?"
Ichigo sighed, "Hah, I wonder how many of these will Aizen send."
Orihime clapped her hands together, placing them under her chin, beaming, "This is good. It's like a field trip, unlike last time where you didn't have your memories, and we had to hide things."
"Don't remind me...Jun playing with my head is the worst nightmare come true."
Orihime giggled, walking towards the main palace in the distance.
Behind them,
Jun darted his eyes between Grimmjow and Nnoitra, "Umm...let's see. Axe weapon or claws."
"Just kill me...you damn fucker...."
Jun poked Grimmjows cheek, "Nah, lucky for you, you remind me of my brother...well if he let go and follow his instinct..."
He took up the ax-like weapon, covering it in blue veins that spread over Nnoitra, absorbing him, "You, on the other hand...I like your power. Should be useful in a few circumstances."