Grimmjow Part 2

[A/N: I HAVE RETURNED]

High atop the endless white canopy of Las Noches, beneath a sky of artificial blue that mimicked a calm, cloudless day, two figures stood like thunderclouds ready to burst.

Ichigo Kurosaki, robes swaying in the desert breeze, Zangetsu resting lightly across his back. Silent. Focused.

Across from him, standing atop a nearby pillar with one foot cocked in defiance, was Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. His teal hair caught the light, his wide, cocky grin curled with arrogance and hunger.

A crack tore through the air as Grimmjow vanished in a blur of sonido, the air warping in his wake.

BOOM!

White dust erupted behind him, the column beneath his feet exploding outward. In the same breath, steel slammed into steel with a shriek of impact. His curved blade met Zangetsu mid-strike, crashing down with enough force to split a mountain.

But Ichigo didn't budge.

Feet planted, arm steady, eyes unmoved — he blocked the strike without flinching. The sound echoed across the desert of pillars, sharp and clean.

Grimmjow's eyes narrowed.

"Tch—!"

He spun midair, blade slicing in wide arcs as he came again — faster this time. One horizontal slash at the collarbone. Another vertical aimed for the thigh. A swift feint to the left before launching a twisting strike at Ichigo's throat.

Ichigo parried all of them with no effort, no wasted movement. A subtle twist of the wrist, the edge of Zangetsu gliding over Grimmjow's blade. Each block felt practiced, like he'd already seen the attacks before they arrived.

Grimmjow's frustration grew. He dropped low and swept his leg out, kicking up a wave of white sand. In the cover of the dust, he vanished from view, sonido-enhanced speed masking his movement.

A claw nicked Ichigo's cheek. A thin line of blood appeared.

Grimmjow reappeared, grinning. "Got you." Ichigo's response was immediate.

BOOM!

Zangetsu came down with the force of a hammer. Grimmjow caught the blade with his sword, but the raw weight behind the blow sent him crashing down onto the stone. Cracks exploded outward from the impact beneath his knees as he held his position with effort.

Ichigo stood above him, calm, untouched.

Grimmjow snarled. "Still looking down on me, huh?!"

He vanished again, reappearing above Ichigo with his blade reversed. He stabbed downward with a savage cry.

Ichigo tilted his head the sword passed cleanly beside him. Then, without warning, he appeared behind Grimmjow.

Midair.

Zangetsu arced.

Grimmjow twisted, catching the blade in a blur of movement with his bare hand his claws scraping against the vibrating reishi.

SKRRRRRRK! Sparks flew.

"That all you got, Ichigo?!" Grimmjow snarled.

The two clashed in the air, weapons locked. Pressure radiated from the point of contact, the sky behind them rippling from the force.

Then Grimmjow roared and shoved forward with a violent burst of strength, knocking Ichigo back. Ichigo flipped, landing on a nearby column without a sound. Grimmjow landed opposite him, breathing heavier now, a streak of blood across his cheek.

"You're holding back." His voice was lower now. "I can feel it."

Ichigo didn't answer. He simply watched him.

Grimmjow's jaw clenched. "I SAID—!"

He blurred forward, blade roaring through the air. He struck low, then high. A hook across Ichigo's ribs, followed by a brutal overhead slash.

Ichigo moved like water. He slipped between the strikes, letting them pass harmlessly. His blade intercepted each attack at just the right angle gentle, exact.

But when he countered , it was different.

A diagonal slash nearly bisected Grimmjow's chest. A horizontal sweep forced Grimmjow to duck so low his foot scraped the stone.

Another step, and Ichigo was behind him again. A thrust stopped just short of his shoulder.

Grimmjow reeled.

"Stop looking at me like I'm nothing!!" he shouted, snapping a high kick.

Ichigo caught his leg midair. There was a blur of movement, then —

CRACK!

Grimmjow's body flew like a meteor. He smashed through a stone spire, cleaving it in half. Debris rained down as he skidded along the sand.

Ichigo stood atop the ruins, watching silently. He hadn't shifted his stance. His grip on Zangetsu never wavered.

Grimmjow rose slowly. His shoulders trembled. Blood dripped from his lip.

And then he laughed. A low, dangerous sound.

"That's more like it," he said.

His body shimmered. The air vibrated around him, power spiraling upward. Electric. Alive. Ichigo's eyes narrowed.

Grimmjow raised one hand, and energy crackled across his back. His reiatsu flared like wildfire blue and white reishi bending the wind.

"I was saving this for later," he said, eyes gleaming. "But if you're gonna stand there like a god looking down on me... I'll drag you down myself."

He took a step forward.

The air cracked.

"I'm not done yet. Not until you fall beneath me."

Ichigo closed his eyes and inhaled. Slowly. Calmly.

When they opened again, they were sharper.

He shifted his stance.

Zangetsu tilted, angled behind him like a drawn sword.

And for the first time — Ichigo looked like he was about to start trying.

Grimmjow struck again, his movements increasingly erratic, wild, like a beast refusing to accept its chains. The blades collided in a spray of sparks that lit the air blue. Ichigo blocked each one, effortlessly now, his movements sharper, faster, colder.

With a twist of his wrist, he deflected Grimmjow's slash and stepped in, planting an elbow into his ribs with a WHUMP that sent the Espada hurtling through the air again. Grimmjow twisted, caught himself mid-air, and came roaring back.

Ichigo vanished.

Then reappeared directly in front of him.

A punch cracked against Grimmjow's jaw. THWACK! His head snapped sideways, blood flinging from his mouth. The follow-up kick to the stomach folded him over, and Ichigo spun, bringing the hilt of Zangetsu into Grimmjow's back.

BOOOOM!

Grimmjow plummeted like a missile, carving a deep crater into the stone pillar below.

The canopy sky above shimmered with static from the spiritual pressure shaking the air. A stillness fell.

Grimmjow dragged himself out of the crater, breathing hard. His shirt was torn, blood covering one eye, but his grin never faltered.

"You bastard..." he panted. "You're really starting to piss me off."

Ichigo landed softly. Calm. Balanced. Still not breathing heavily.

"Then stop trying to win with half your strength," he replied.

Grimmjow's eye twitched.

Another sonido — he appeared behind Ichigo, slashing horizontally — but Ichigo ducked, then spun and backhanded Grimmjow with a reishi-coated fist.

The Espada flew.

Dust billowed. Stone cracked.

The air thrummed with pressure.

As Grimmjow stood again, chest heaving, he roared into the sky. "DAMN YOUUUUUUU!!"

Ichigo raised Zangetsu slowly. One cut. Just one.

And Grimmjow knew he'd lose.

He lunged anyway.

Their blades met one final time — and Ichigo's swing overpowered him completely.

CRAAAAASH!

Grimmjow hit the stone, embedded into the ground, breathless.

And Grimmjow — beaten, bleeding, broken — laughed bitterly.

"I never thought I'd use it " He said. Then he grinned " Grind Pantera "

TO BE CONTINUED