There's Levels To This

He ripped off his tattered jacket, flinging it aside as a surge of teal spiritual pressure exploded around him like a bursting cyclone.

"Resurrección… Giralda!"

Wind shrieked through the corridor as his Reiatsu warped the air, the stone floor cracking beneath him. From his back, dual circular fans began to spin violently, blades humming with energy. Curved horns curled from his skull, and his legs elongated into segmented, mechanical appendages, giving him the appearance of a whirlwind-born centaur knight.

He crouched low, chest rising and falling with excitement.

"Now… you'll see my true power!"

Ichigo scratched the back of his head, unimpressed. "You're really going all out, huh?"

"You better take me seriously!" Dordoni snapped, Reiatsu flaring. "Because I'm not pulling punches anymore!"

SHOOM! He vanished in a burst of wind, appearing before Ichigo in the blink of an eye—his fan-blades slicing the air in whirling arcs.

WHOOSH! SLASH! BOOM!

Each strike was thunderous—pressure waves tearing through the stone walls, pillars crumbling, chunks of floor flying up as Dordoni unleashed his storm.

Ichigo dodged smoothly, blocking casually with the flat of Zangetsu. Dust swirled around him, his body untouched.

Still no Bankai.

"STOP TOYING WITH ME!!" Dordoni roared, veins bulging.

His fans spun to maximum velocity, generating a twister-shaped energy blast that fired from his chest like a cannon.

FWOOM!

Ichigo's cloak fluttered wildly as the blast tore through the air.

He smirked, unfazed.

SHING!

Zangetsu cleaved through the whirlwind, splitting it in two. The blast exploded behind him, yet Ichigo walked forward, smoke curling off his coat.

"I'm not toying with you," he said, voice low. "I just don't need to go all out."

BAM!

Without warning, Ichigo vanished—appearing beneath Dordoni with blinding speed.

He slipped under the man's kick and—BAM!—drove the butt of Zangetsu's hilt into his gut, causing Dordoni to choke violently.

CRASH!

The former Espada flew backward, smashing through a wall and tumbling across the ground, his armor now cracked and dented.

He groaned, blood leaking from his lip… but he laughed.

"So… strong… heh…"

Still, he rose—legs shaky, but eyes burning.

"But I'm not done!"

He lifted his hands into a forming gesture.

"Cero!"

A blazing red beam of destruction burst from his fingertips, tearing toward Ichigo.

FVAAAHHHH!!!

Ichigo raised a single hand—coating it in dense Reishi—and redirected the blast, casually swatting it away like smoke.

BOOOOM!

It exploded off to the side, leaving a massive crater.

But Dordoni wasn't done. The moment the smoke cleared, he unleashed another secret weapon—a massive whirlwind technique, twice as fast and dense as before.

From behind the vortex, Dordoni grinned.

"You're done."

SHOOOOM!

The gale devoured the hallway in a frenzy.

BOOOOOM!!

The attack collided into a wall, tearing a hole the size of a house through the fortress.

Dordoni's smug grin faltered. He looked around.

"W-Where is he?!"

His eyes fell on Nel, watching from a safe distance. "WHERE IS HE!!?"

"Right here."

A hand clamped down on his shoulder. Spiritual pressure thundered down like a mountain.

Dordoni's body froze. Sweat poured down his face. His knees buckled. His pupils shrank.

"You see…" Ichigo's voice was low. Cold. "There's levels to this."

The sheer pressure made Dordoni fall to his knees, trembling.

But Ichigo didn't strike. He turned and walked back to Nel, who cheered and leapt onto his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his neck with a giggle.

"Let's go," he said.

They walked past Dordoni, who could only gasp in exhaustion.

But just as Ichigo passed—

"Wait…"

Dordoni grabbed his leg, his grip weak.

"Kill me… Niño. I'd rather die by your hand than theirs. Those Exequias… they'll come for me."

Ichigo paused. His eyes narrowed. He unsheathed Zangetsu.

"Alright."

SLASH!

.....

They walked away, leaving a him lying in his blood as he smiled. ' Maybe now I can rest' he thought as he closed his eyes.

The sting of defeat didn't bother him. In Ichigo, he had seen a warrior with strength and heart, the kind who fought not to dominate, but to protect. That alone made the loss easier to bear.

Nel clung to Ichigo's head, her tiny arms hugging his skull like a koala as she kicked her feet playfully. "Wow, you're really strong, Ichigo!"

"I guess," he replied with a shrug, keeping his pace steady. "I'm sure you're strong too, since you're an Arrancar and all. You just need that mask fixed."

There was a brief silence—then an explosive gasp. "Whaaaat?! How'd you know that!?" she cried, voice full of shock and panic.

Ichigo chuckled, one hand steadying her so she didn't fall. "It's pretty obvious. Your energy… it's different. Even in this small form, I can feel it."

Nel pouted, puffing up her cheeks. "No fair! You're not supposed to be that smart!"

"Well," he smirked, "for now, I don't mind you being small. Makes you easier to carry."

With that, he burst into a run again, Zangetsu on his back, the sound of his footsteps echoing through the endless corridors of Las Noches. Nel clung tightly, squealing in delight as they raced through the white expanse.

TO BE CONTINUED