#nanana najakhoop

This is part 12 on the app ½.

Chapter 11

Destruction.

That was the form of death ‘they’ governed.

'They’ were slaves driven by an incessant destructive impulse, existing whilst embracing this paradox in which they would repeat the cycle of destruction because they sought liberation.

'They’ are the ones who once contended for the rank of '6’.

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.

Luppi Antenor.

The personalities of the two were completely different on the surface, but at its roots flowed the magma-like emotions which they both had in common.

In the past, Luppi had attained the 'Sexta’ numeral replacing Grimmjow who had made an error of judgement, and in response, the Espada who held the 'Octava’ numeral uttered this:

—— “I reckon the aspect of death you symbolise is the same as Grimmjow’s. That is why, you were chosen as successor out of the other candidates who were present like Dordoni or Cirucci.”

—— “I won’t let you tell me that I haven’t a clue what I’m talking about you know? You are only able to make a connection to something in the form of destruction. If one were to say that the hole bored into us Hollows is what we lack, then you, no, the two of you, can only fill that hole by means of destruction.”

—— “That you loathe Grimmjow from the very depths of your heart, it is mere repulsion for your own kind.”

—— “It doesn’t matter, you are the one who is legitimate Sexta now. You should treat him with compassion.”

—— “Well, if you end up killing him inadvertently, then I will have his corpse put to good use. Therefore, you can sate your own appetite with some peace of mind.”

—— “As long as you bear that № 6, you will always take the side that offers you 'destruction’ after all.”

Rukongai

Now that Aizen has left Hueco Mundo, and the significance has long since faded from the Espada numerals —— for 'them’, it is only the aspect of death known as “destruction” that remains.

“Hahaha! You realise I won’t let anyone get in my way? Because I’m going to demolish you, eight versus one!”

Swinging his eight tentacles which had been reduced to shreds, Luppi scattered spurts of his blood whilst delivering a flurry of blows at Grimmjow.

Having taken a form that was reminiscent of a beast by performing Resurrección, Grimmjow continues to beat back the turbulent barrage of assaults which were accompanied by physical blows, slashing attacks and even the occasional Cero, using only the claws on both hands as well as his own Cero.

“tsk… The likes of small fry won’t even be able to leave a scratch on me, guess I won’t find any sort of amusement in killing you.”

“If that’s the case, why not do me the favour of dropping dead while you’re busy getting bored?”

As Luppi enclosed Grimmjow with four of his tentacles from top and bottom, left and right, from the remaining four he unleashed a Cero fused with his own blood.

Counter to that, Grimmjow daringly juts forward and slips through a gap between the tentacles.

“But, I have reason to kill you asshole.”

Then, slashing away the Cero that was fired from those remaining four tentacles using his own claws, Grimmjow came prowling towards Luppi.

“…*gasp!*”

“Any fool who looks at me with mocking eyes, I don’t give a damn who they are, I’ll beat the crap out them!”

And thus, he attempted to drive the well-honed claws of his Zanpakutō into Luppi’s chest just as he had done in the past. ——

“…Got ya.”

Smiling fearlessly, it is Luppi who advanced forward without pause, and deliberately let the claws sink into his own abdomen.

“ ! ”

“You’ll beat the crap out the guy who mocks you Huh? Oh my, what a coincidence.”

He didn’t just offset the attack from his vitals which were being targeted, rather, as though an insectivorous plant was devouring its prey, Luppi wrapped his eight tentacles around both himself and Grimmjow. ——

“I intend to do the same, Grimmjow.”

In a gesture that compromised his own body, Luppi fires a volley of Cero at Grimmjow.

“…As if I’d let you!”

At the same time, Grimmjow instantaneously draws in a sharp breath, he spews an explosive roar woven with Reiatsu, and to top it off, from the armour on his arm which was free, Grimmjow launched hooked claws containing a mass of Reiatsu —— Garra de la Pantera.

Both of their attacks intersect, explosive flames and sprays of blood blanket the vicinity around the pair.

“They sure are making a damn mess of things. Geez, battles between fellow Hollows can get awfully wild huh.”

As the blast from the explosion raised a cloud of dust and deprived them of their field of vision, Ginjō who was covertly observing the progress of battle muttered this to himself.

Tsukishima who was standing beside him began to pose a question.

“I believe Ginjō tends to be quite reckless too though?”

“Don’t talk nonsense. I always put safety first don’t I?”

“If you say so.… That aside, it’s only a matter of time before they reach us.”

“…Yeah. Well, when it comes to that, there’s no knowing what may happen.”

Even as Ginjō kept his eyes trained on the battle between the fellow Arrancar, part of his cognition maintained vigilance against the Shinigami who was heading towards this place, as well as the other presence who appears to have joined up with him.

“It’s time, we should get down to business about whether or not we want to consider briefly retreating.… Even if we take advantage of the confusion, should we be careless enough to get caught in the crossfire it’s likely we’d wind up getting eradicated in the blink of an eye.”

“…tch. That move just now… you really thought that would work on me.”

What came into sight after the dust clouds had settled, is Luppi, tentacles torn to shreds even more so than before and blood streaming from his mouth as he smiled wryly.

Although he indicated no signs of disarray with his tone, Grimmjow had also sustained injuries all over his body.

“That’s my line, your sturdiness is fodder to me. Regardless, this ends here.”

Grimmjow then clicked his tongue as he flashed a grin, with that he began to charge Reiatsu into the claws of both hands in order to deliver a finishing blow.

However ——

“…tch. That move just now… you really thought that would work on me.”

“……?”

“…tch. That move just now… you really thought that would work on me.”

“Hey asshole, you touched in the head or something? What are you saying…?”

In puzzlement Grimmjow questions Luppi who repeated the same words, but then ——

“……!?”

Taking notice of the fact that his Reiatsu, which should have been gathered in his claws, was actually being reset, he came under the illusion that some strange event had occurred.

“That move just now, you really thought that would work on me.”
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“you really thought that would work on me.”
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“thought that would work on me.”
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“on me”
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“me”
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“me”
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“——”
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“——”


While he listened to the words of Luppi which were being made to repeat, he was seized by the sensation that all the nerves in his body was in a state of paralysis ——

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t mention it? The spray of my blood which you are completely soaked in, has been infused with a special poison.”

In response to Grimmjow who suddenly fell to his knees, Luppi spoke with a smile that was a mixture of innocence and indifference.

“I don’t understand the mechanism very well myself, but perhaps by seeing the past, it is simply your consciousness that repeats the same moment in time over and over again? Apparently it’s quite a frightening poison that ends up paralysing one’s whole body during the process.”

As Luppi himself also staggered with his injuries, step by step he drew closer to Grimmjow.

He knew that by the hands of Kurotsuchi Mayuri, the poison had been embedded in both his body as well as the others. To go even further, it’s effectiveness has actually been proven through a zombie Matsumoto Rangiku who did battle against him.

Although he made a gamble as to whether or not this would also hold true for Hollows, with convincing speculation that the poison had probably been adapted to this situation too knowing Kurotsuchi Mayuri, he adopted a battle technique which involved deliberately dousing the enemy with his own spurts of blood.

“A-HA-HA… though it’s not like me at all, using a method like this that is…”

Aiming a mocking laugh at himself who taken a course of action which entailed the acceptance of Grimmjow’s honourable defeat, Luppi stared down towards Grimmjow.

“Well, I guess it’s because you’ve made it possible for me to truly feel alive for the first time in a long while…. I’m very grateful to you for that, Grimmjow.… I’m still going to kill you though.”

Then, with Reiatsu charged in each of his eight tentacles, Luppi prepares to fire a “Gran Rey Cero” from every single tip.

However, it was at this point when something unexpected occurred.

Grimmjow who should have fallen victim to a complete paralysis of his body, slowly began to rise from his spot.

“What the…?”

“tsk… You really got me good huh…Luppi!”

“Damn… why!? How are you able to stand up!? This is the very poison that even those captain class Shinigami were helpless against!?”

“Hn. That Arrancar, he has a resistance?”

Kurotsuchi Mayuri who was surveying the situation from a distance, whispered to himself with great interest.

“A resistance? To the captain’s poison?”

When Akon who remained at the Technological Development Department inquired over the communications, Mayuri explains the situation in a mixture of idle complaint against Luppi.

“Good grief, what an imprudent fool. Without me to set a point in the past to return to, the chemical agent cannot demonstrate its full potency I tell you. Well, even barring that, I have implanted an abundance of other varieties of paralysis poisons too.”

As if to indicate a great fascination, Mayuri scrutinized Grimmjow’s Reiatsu data whilst muttering to himself.

“Apparently, he was at the receiving end of some particular kind of poison, and he managed to survive in that condition. I wonder what kind of toxic substance it was? Very intriguing indeed.”

Having almost been poisoned to death once in the past via an ability belonging to the Quincy known as Nakk Le Vaar, Grimmjow has developed a strong tolerance towards poisons by undergoing said experience, although, even he himself was not aware of that fact.

In truth, if Mayuri had been by his side, then it’s likely he would have immediately 'tuned’ the drug thereby nullifying Grimmjow’s tolerance, however with the poison merely being sprinkled by Luppi it could never deprive bodily functions, so much so that it was possible for Grimmjow to still be standing on his own two feet.

“That was some sly move you pulled on me don’t you think? Whatever. If an asshole like you wants to kill me, then you’d better use all the tricks you’ve got.”

It’s not the case that the effects of the poison were nonexistent, and his physical condition should be approaching its worst, nevertheless, Grimmjow flashed a ferocious smile and grew all the more battle hungry.

“Because I’m going to take them all in one go and smash them up along with that smug face of yours.”

Observing that savage appearance, Luppi who was irritated by the fact that his opponent had stood up, quite conversely regains his composure.

“Ah, sure enough, things like poisons don’t suit my character. I’m no Szayelaporro.”

Rotating his eight tentacles which had been reduced to shreds, he began to accumulate his Reiatsu once more in order to unleash “Gran Rey Cero.”

“It’s fine by me, Grimmjow. Bring it on.”

With a fiendish smile similar to that of his opponent’s surfacing on his face, Luppi recites to Grimmjow his own intent to kill in a coarse manner of speech that was quite out of the ordinary for him.

“You still… won’t be able to shatter me from the front like before!”

A “Gran Rey Cero” octet.

Sensing that an unprecedented attack was imminent, Grimmjow also attempts to engage his opponent with a technique that could counteract that attack.

Desgarrón.

Grimmjow processes the Reiatsu density which even exceeds that of “Gran Rey Cero” on the tips of both sets of claws, taking the form of huge sharpened claws they begin to stand towering over the surroundings forking to the left and right of his body.

It is not clear which side would emerge more formidable, but there appeared to be no doubt that the environs would be blown to smithereens with the impact of the Reiatsu either way.



“Oh crap this isn’t good. Retreat.”



“What the hell is up with that!? Do they intend to swallow us up with them too!?”



Ginjō and Candice raise their voices at the same time, together with their respective companions they began to make a retreat from the two Arrancar, but then ——

'The one’ who came flying in by moving into their position, darted between Grimmjow and Luppi, the Reiatsu at the scene instantly descends into chaos.

“ !? ”   " ! “

With their concentration disturbed by the change of Reiatsu, Luppi and Grimmjow temporarily halt the exercise of their techniques.

"……Who the heck are you?”

Confronted by Luppi who posed this question without relinquishing the hold he had on the Reiatsu which was charged to fire a Gran Rey Cero, the strange mass of Reiatsu which came barging in, opened its mouth to speak.

“Ouch-ouch-ouch-ouch… just as I thought, I’m no good at landing huh…”

After muttering to itself in a demeanour that disregarded the atmosphere of the scene completely, 'it’ introduced itself whilst flashing a smile that held not even a shred of malice towards Luppi.

“Oh right! I’m Ubuginu Hikone! Tokinada sama has instructed me that… err… I came here to see Grimmjow san.”

In response to Hikone who made this assertion with a nonchalant air, Luppi looks at Grimmjow through eyes mixed with bewilderment.

“Uhh… is this kid, like your backup or something?”

“That’s not how it is.”

Flatly denying the statement, Grimmjow fixes a glare at Hikone.

“…I mean, I don’t remember introducing myself to you that last time. How the hell do you know my name?”

“That’s right! Tokinada sama kindly informed me! You are the 6th Espada right!?”

Hearing those words, Luppi narrows his eyes ever so slightly.

Meanwhile, as if to indicate that he no longer cared for neither the Espada nor the number 6, Grimmjow reacted to the other name that hung among those words.

“Tokinada huh? You mentioned the same damn thing the other day. Is that the name of the Shinigamis’ boss?”

Suddenly, a different voice could be heard coming from behind Grimmjow.

“You’ve got it wrong fool. He’s a big shot alright. But our leader is unmistakably Kyōraku san.”

“You’re that damned…”

What appeared there, was a blond haired Shinigami wearing a captains’ Haori above a standard Shihakushō.

Though both his hair and garments were completely different, Grimmjow immediately recognises who this individual was.

“This Reiatsu… I remember. You’re the bastard that poked his nose into the death-match between me and Kurosaki in the Human World.”

“You must be mistaking me for someone else.”

“Was that supposed to be some kind of joke? And what the hell are you anyway? Are you that brat’s guardian or something?”

“I thought I already told you.… 'What’s it to you?’ right?”

“So you are the bastard from that time after all huh?”

Grimmjow who had heard the same remark a few years ago, spoke words of delight after giving a click of his tongue whilst his lips contorted fiendishly.

“Ha! To think that the punks I wanted to beat to death would willingly come to me one after the other! Now if that kurosaki asshole were to show up next, things would be perfect!”

However, Grimmjow’s hopes were swiftly dashed by Hikone.

“Kurosaki Ichigo san won’t be coming.”

“What’s that?”

Brushing aside the hostility of Grimmjow who was glaring daggers, Hikone continues to speak in an unperturbed manner.

“Because kurosaki Ichigo san should be busy in the Human World right about now! Apparently he is putting up a fight by risking his own life all for the sake of his sisters! Isn’t that amazing!? I respect him a lot for that!”

At those words, the blond haired Shinigami also raised his voice in puzzlement.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up rug-rat. How can you be so sure of such a thing? What’s going on with Ichigo?”

But before Hikone could respond to that, Grimmjow had moved into action.

He shoots a Cero in each direction; towards the blond Shinigami on his left hand side, and Hikone and Luppi to his right.

“That was close! What’s the deal!? Your opponent right now is that Ferris Wheel over there!”

In response to the Shinigami who uttered this complaint as he evaded the attack by a hair’s breadth, Grimmjow sneered with his canines bared.

“Don’t play dumb with me. I was planning to slaughter the whole lot of you anyway. Does someone have a problem with that?”

“Just now, did you just call me a Ferris wheel…?”

Luppi who had promptly defended against the Cero using his tentacles, fixed a piercing glare at the Shinigami and Grimmjow, but then he notices the presence of Hikone who was stood in the middle.

—— Hn?

—— This kid didn’t even try to dodge the the attack, and yet, how is it that the kid is unharmed?

At that point, an unsettling chill shot down Luppi’s spine.

And Luppi wasn’t alone.

Grimmjow, the blond haired Shinigami, and even as far as the Quincies and Fullbringers who were quietly observing the situation from a remote position; beads of sweat began to seep through the palms of their hands after they had all sensed some sort of mighty pressure.

“…Hey, this brat… seriously, what in the hell is it?”

At Grimmjow’s query, the blond Shinigami shakes his head as he replies.

“Even if I knew, I wouldn’t be telling you… though frankly, I’d like to know for myself.”

What entered their vision, was a Zanpakutō.

The sword which had been unsheathed by Hikone before they knew it, had a curious expression of colour as though it was being filled in with a white light rather than radiating an intense white on its blade.

It is different from Sode no Shirayuki which was entirely pure white from blade to hilt; looking at the 'white’ that was wrapped in some sort of ominous air, the Shinigami and Quincies felt a sense of primordial fear, likewise the Arrancar and Fullbringers felt a sense of primordial affinity.

“This presence… it’s Hollow, isn’t it?”

With some annoyance Grimmjow answers Luppi who had inquired of his enemies in spite of himself.

“There’s no mistaking it. That brat’s Zanpakutō is one of us. It even opened up a damn Garganta last time.”

“Hikone right… That Zanpakutō of yours, what is it?”

—— If my eyes are deceiving me, I’d be fine with that.

—— But a moment ago, didn’t that Zanpakutō just swallow up the Cero?

There are several known Zanpakutō capable of absorbing Reishi based attacks, such as “Arazome Shigure”.

However, the one revealed just now appeared to be in a class quite different from those.

Through Hirako’s Reikaku, it felt as though the Reiatsu of the blade itself had ingested the Cero’s Reishi, like a creature in the flesh sipping from a body of water.

Upon hearing Hirako’s question, Hikone innocently begins talking with a glad-looking smile.

“Oh, why don’t I also introduce it to Hirako san! It was given to me by Tokinada sama, it’s my Zanpakutō!”

“Given, you say.”

When Hirako puzzled over which point he should retort, a voice that caused him further bafflement echoed across from Hikone’s hands.

“…How deplorable.”

“Hn?”

“I would never have guessed that the Reiatsu of my brethren who have broken their masks, would only amount to this level.”

That —— was a remark intended for Luppi and Grimmjow, cast from the Zanpakutō itself.

“I wonder what Baraggan is doing now? Has he been sealed away like me?”

For a moment he considered whether Hikone’s voice had changed, but Hirako instantly rejects the notion.

Because a Reiatsu intermingled in the very voice which caused a tremor in the atmosphere, and it carried within it a pronounced Hollow nature.

“What the heck is that Zanpakutō!? Did it materialize or something!?”

“Silence, Shinigami. I am not a Zanpakutō. I am… I am…”

The voice of the Zanpakutō which tried to reveal its name broke off, it switched to a voice brimming with a deeply held resentment.

“Blast… those wretched Shinigami, they… to my name…”

“…What in the world? The sword just pulled a one-man comedy routine, and it’s not making me laugh just by how creepy it is.”

Away from a dumbfounded Hirako, Grimmjow and Luppi each raise their voice in protest.

“What is that windbag suggesting?”

“Either way, can I take it that it picked a fight with us just now?”

The pair’s bloodlust turned towards the Zanpakutō which appeared to have scoffed at them a moment ago —— or rather, towards this Hollow-like thing.

“Uh-oh! My apologies! This one only recently became capable of talking, but I’m afraid it has a sharp tongue…!”

Hikone meekly bows in apology, but before long the child uttered a strange narrative which lit up its whole face.

“However, if you take offence, then I will gladly fight you with all my strength!”

“Say what?”

“Because this time for sure, I’ll show you that your hearts can yield, I’ll make you recognise me as king! Please look forward to that! I’ll do my very best!”

After naively speaking words of provocation, Ubuginu Hikone recited aloud words that sought to release the Zanpakutō, or rather, something that resembles a Zanpakutō.

“Okuri Shiruse* —— Ikomikidomoe” (*TN –Send them to their burials and engrave them in memory —— Ikomikidomoe)

At the same time, Reiatsu gushed forth like a tornado, it became an eerie partition which confused light and shadow in a disorderly mess and eclipsed the area surrounding Hikone.

“……!?”

Having once confronted Hikone, it was Grimmjow alone who had noticed the 'abnormality’.

—— What the hell is going on? The release call is different from last time….

The release call he had heard in Hueco Mundo were the words “orbit the stars”. What the Zanpakutō had demonstrated on that occasion, was an ability in which the blade would transform into a Hollow-like arm, and mow down all enemies within its vicinity through independent actions.

It was a simple power yet one of unmatched brutality, in the end, it came to be that several Vasto Lorde class Arrancar had forced the sword into a retreat after overcoming its power with some effort.

However, it wasn’t just the words of the release call that is different.

—— Is it just me or is the Reiatsu concentration also on a completely different level compared to back then…!?

With his suspicions remaining unsullied, the Reishi tornado dissipated after a few seconds had elapsed. ——

As they raised their eyes to the thing that had emerged from within it, all those who happened to be present at the scene were left equally as speechless as the other.

“…What the heck, is that?”

Even from the position of Ginjō’s group who had decided to maintain a distance for the time being, it could clearly be seen.

Rather, it’s better to say that it would probably be quite difficult for them to miss it.

It may have been a familiar spectacle as far as the Shinigami and Arrancar are concerned.

Because in terms of size, that is when speaking with regard to this kind of scale, it has been proven in the past to manifest beyond the scope of normal standards and such examples can be found in the being known as Hooleer - an aggregation of Menos Grande characterised by its single eye, or the rage empowered Espada - Yammy Llargo.

However, even after taking that into account, if one considers the fact that 'it’ can maintain a Reiatsu density comparable to that of a humanoid Vasto Lorde, then it’s possible to say that 'it’ is evidently an abnormal being.

Visual perception and Reiatsu Chikaku - the being that constricted everything in this double sense, tread firmly on Soul Society’s soil whilst inhaling the last vestiges of the tornado.

The creature was larger than the ordinary Menos Grande, and it took a form that was both grotesque like an Adjuchas and beautiful.

Moreover, it was possible to identify that the Shihakushō clad child who had made an appearance only a short while ago, was the one riding on top.

“…That’s no ninja’s ōgama*…… it’s probably too dangerous to be kept as a pet.” (*TN –an ōgama is a giant toad, this line is a reference to a toad riding ninja in Japanese folklore based on the tale “Jiraiya Gōketsu Monogatari”)

Meanwhile, the Quincies were also left bewildered after seeing the enormity of strange-looking creature.

“…That thing over there, it’s bigger than that werewolf’s Bankai, the one who defeated Bambi, don’t you think?”

“There’s something more worrying than that…”

In response to Candice who spoke as if in disbelief, Meninas gave utterance to one particular inkling of suspicion.

“Yeah, I’m aware of that.”

As she broke out into a cold sweat, Candice assembled words that followed up from Meninas’ own.

“The little Shinigami-like brat riding on top… why the hell is it all mixed up with that guy’sReiatsu?”

“…It seems they have taken the bait.”

With a broad grin playing on his face, Kurotsuchi Mayuri mutters to himself.

Then, whilst operating the communications device fitted to his ear, he issued a set of instructions to NaNaNa Najahkoop who was stationed in separate location.

“It’s time you played your part. Using one of your few redeeming qualities, you should be able to lay their souls bare.”

“Few you say, isn’t that a little uncalled-for… well, I’ve accomplished what’s been asked of me I’ll have you know…. Have you had your sights set on that weird brat and the monster rather than the Fullbringers, from the very beginning?”

“It’s only natural that an analysis of Fullbringers would also be among my objectives. Strictly speaking, carrying out a study of that 'patchwork’ over there was planned a little later. However, I didn’t expect that the bait would be taken so easily…. I wonder if a situation that required an urgent response arose, or if I should consider that they had been deliberately sent out whilst knowing it was a trap.”

Mayuri then narrows his eyes, a sneer worked its way to his face as he utters the name of a certain man.

“If it’s the latter, then you have gravely underestimated me…. Tsunayashiro Tokinada.”