First Battle

After trying hard—and harder—Renji finally snapped. His brow twitched violently as he let out a sharp breath and unsheathed Zabimaru with a defiant shout, the blade gleaming in the dull light of Hueco Mundo.

"Alright, that's it, you smug bastard!" he growled, stepping forward.

Ichigo just laughed, hands behind his head, clearly unimpressed. "Got you"

Renji froze mid-step, sword still drawn. "Tch."

"Put your sword away before you hurt yourself," Ichigo added with a smirk.

Meanwhile, Rukia turned her head toward Nel and her brothers, who were watching the exchange with wide, fascinated eyes.

"Who are you guys?" she asked, tilting her head.

Nel beamed, standing proudly on Bawabawa's back. "I'm Nel Tu, the leader of the Phantom Thie Neltonpe!"

"No! It's called the Three Brothers of Desert Defense!" Dondochakka shouted, waving his arms.

"Wrong again! We're the three brothers only!" Pesh added, striking a ridiculous pose.

" I'm not even a boy, why would it be brothers!!" Nel shouted.

Immediately, the three began arguing with each other, flailing about so wildly that Bawabawa let out a low grunt of protest beneath them.

Rukia blinked.

"…How do you always attract weirdos?" she asked, slowly turning her head toward Ichigo with a deadpan expression.

Ichigo shrugged, grinning playfully. "I don't know… maybe that's how I pulled you."

Rukia's eyes widened—then a faint pink dusted her cheeks. "Wha—?"

She opened her mouth to retort, but froze. Her fingers curled tighter around her sword.

'Did he just…? Wait, no—he called me weird!'

Her blush turned to a frown. "Tch. Idiot."

Off to the side, Renji stood like a statue—his sword lowered, his face locked in emotional devastation.

'She blushed… she blushed at him. She never blushes when I flirt—wait, do I even flirt? Damn it—'

His head dropped in defeat.

'I will win this battle of love…'

The wind blew past him with silent pity.

But fate was cruel.

Sadly, 'win' and 'Renji' in the same sentence is just impossible…

[A/N: I don't hate Renji]

They walked toward the towering wall of Las Noches. Even from here, Ichigo could sense everyone inside—dense clusters of spiritual pressure. The strongest, of course, pulsed like a crushing star at the center.

Aizen.

With a single slash of Zangetsu, Ichigo carved open the entrance.

They stepped inside, Nel climbing onto his shoulder like a small child. The interior was massive and eerie—smooth white floors, sterile light, and an endless maze of corridors. Soon, they arrived at a circular chamber with five large doors.

"Alright, five doors. Five of us," Ichigo said casually. "I'll take that one."

"You're surprisingly okay with splitting up," Rukia said, eyeing him.

"I was worried at first. For Renji, mostly," Ichigo teased, throwing a smug glance his way.

Renji twitched.

"Alright," Uryuu interjected, cutting the tension. "If anything happens, we regroup here. Agreed?"

Everyone nodded.

In moments, they split—each vanishing down their own path. Ichigo ran forward, Nel still happily clinging to him.

"You know you left your brothers behind, right?" Ichigo asked.

"Whaaat? No way! Pesche and Dondo are right behind—"

She turned. Silence. Deserted hallway.

"Waaahhh! Where did they go?!" she cried, flailing.

"Don't worry. One of the others probably picked them up," Ichigo said calmly. "Let's just keep going."

They didn't get far before they hit the first interruption.

Tall pillars loomed overhead, and Ichigo felt it—that unmistakable presence. It wasn't visible yet, but he stared dead ahead, knowing the enemy was there.

"Nel. Stand back," he said, stepping forward. "I'll handle this quickly."

CRASH!

Suddenly, a figure dropped from above—slamming into the ground with a dramatic flourish. Dust shot into the air as the man slowly rose, humming… no, singing.

The dust settled to reveal a flamboyant Arrancar, hand on hip, his head tilted as he awaited applause.

Ichigo blinked. Nel tilted her head.

Nothing.

The Arrancar—Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio, one of the Privaron Espada—began to sweat.

"…What's with those expressions? You just witnessed the glorious entrance of Dordoni—yet you remain… indifferent?!"

"Grand?" Ichigo repeated flatly. "All I saw was some guy fall from the ceiling."

Dordoni deflated instantly, his pose faltering.

'And I rehearsed that for months…' he thought miserably.

Ichigo sighed and drew Zangetsu.

"Let's just get this over with."

Dordoni stood upright, arms wide, wind fluttering his cape as he grinned beneath his mustache. "So… this is the substitute Soul Reaper I've heard so much about, eh?"

Ichigo narrowed his eyes, one hand resting lazily on Zangetsu's hilt. "You talk a lot."

Dordoni chuckled. "You'll learn, chico. Show me what you've got!"

Without warning—

SHOOM!

Ichigo appeared in front of him in a blur of movement, bringing his blade down in a wide slash.

CLANG!

Dordoni blocked with his armored arm, skidding back with a whistle. "Fast… but not fast enough!"

He spun and countered, his leg sweeping across the ground like a whip. Ichigo jumped, flipping overhead and delivering a downward kick.

BAM!

The Arrancar tanked it with a grunt, crashing into a pillar and bouncing back with a grin.

"You're holding back," he muttered, brushing dust off his shoulder. "I can tell."

Ichigo shrugged. "You're not worth my full power."

Dordoni gasped, then laughed. "You've got a sharp tongue, Nino! But don't get cocky!"

He vanished with a burst of Sonído—reappearing behind Ichigo.

ZING—!

Ichigo twisted, his blade clashing with Dordoni's curved kick.

They broke apart and clashed again, sparks flying, feet hammering across the white floor of Las Noches.

Ichigo moved smoothly, easily blocking and evading every strike. Dordoni threw flurries of kicks and spiritual pressure bombs, but Ichigo ducked, sidestepped, and even countered with his free hand—calm, composed, and unbothered.

"You dance well, Señor," Ichigo smirked mid-spin, blade grazing Dordoni's sleeve.

Dordoni stumbled back and stared at the tear. "You little punk…"

Nel giggled from the side. "He's really strong!"

Dordoni's face darkened. "You don't understand… I was once an Espada. Number 103, Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio!"

He ripped off his jacket, releasing spiritual pressure in a burst of teal energy.

"Resurrección… Giralda!"

TO BE CONTINUED