In the middle of the ruined wasteland laid the collapsed office building which was immediately consumed in a massive destructive pillar of spiritual pressure, that vaporized the entire area around it for miles, while stretching thousands of feet into the sky, before fading away into nothingness. While Quincy, Fullbringer, and Hollow alike, on the battlefield looked up in awe and amazement at the spectacle before them. But especially Ichigo.
'Keigo…' Ichigo muttered in barely a whisper. For while, he may not know how Keigo did it. He can tell that his friend won his battle against Grandfisher. Yet even so…he couldn't help but still worry about him.
Meanwhile, at a far-off cliff. Keigo himself sat on the ground. Tired, drained, but very much alive, watching his handy work's explosive results.
'Well…I cut it close, but I finally managed to avenge you, Mizuho' Keigo said to himself while grabbing his left arm. 'I hope you are capable of fighting on your own for now…Ichigo' Asano said to himself as he looked down at his arm. The space around it was distorted, while pieces of his skin and flesh pilled themselves off before floating up into the air and breaking down into nothingness.
On the other side of the battlefield, Bambietta's fight with Grimmjow concluded. But with the latter emerging victorious.
For a while, the 5th Espada suffered a few slight burns. He was practically unscathed, while Bambietta was an utter mess. Her uniform was nearly completely coated red with blood, and her body was filled with punctured holes. Leaving most of the Sternritter's bones and internal organs pulverized, while her right arm was torn off from its sockets.
She was broken and beaten beyond all measure. Yet even then, her foe was still not satisfied enough, as he then grabbed her by the throat with his right claw and slowly began to crush it.
'Well, Quincy, how do you feel now that I have finally beaten you?' Grimmjow boasted. 'You know if you beg for mercy, I might spare your life …or just put you out of your misery
Bambietta, her once beautiful face now bruised with twin blacked eyes and a swollen mouth, merely smirked. 'You fucking idiot, why would I have ever submitted myself to a loser like you? Who runs away whenever he gets himself in a fight he can't win and only brags when crushing someone weaker than them?' She insulted while Grimmjow growled lowly.
'If you want to kill me…just do it already…' she said in defiance, and the Espada, not wanting to be insulted anymore, prepared to read his other claw to pierce her head and silence the arrogant woman once and for all.
But he was stopped when he felt a burst of spiritual pressure and recognized it…before cracking a bloodlust grin.
'So…it would seem the black prince has arrived to save his dearly beloved comrade,' Grimmjow spouted sarcastically before tossing Bambietta to the ground like a discarded broken toy.
'You know, even after gaining this new form. I thought it was a bit too powerful when dealing with small fry like her. But you the successor of the Quincy king himself?' The Espada then chucked in excitement. You will be more than enough!'
(Soundtrack of Choice: Battle Is To The Strong)
Then Grimmjow, without warning, rushed at Ichigo with such speeds that his feet have broken apart the ground beneath them, along with the sound barrier as he stuck out with his right claw now blazing blue with highly condensed spiritual energy. Yet Ichigo, with almost casual ease, blocked the attack with his arm coated in Blunt Vene.
But even so, Ichigo still grunted in slight pain from the blow.
'It's just as I figured...' Kurosaki thought as he pushed away Grimmjow and forced him back. 'It is definitely, the power of Segunda Etapa. Just Like Ulquiorra's, and just as strong
Ichigo then flexed his hands and then pumped more Reishi into his veins. 'Even though I have a natural affinity for blunt. It is still nowhere near as developed as my Shinigami powers, and I still have months to go before fully mastering it…' Ichigo then stared back at Grimmjow's and then at Bambietta. 'However, given his level of power now. It might just be enough to allow me to win and not blow my cover...so long as I end this as soon as possible
Kurosaki then readied his stance and got into a fighting position. While Grimmjow then let a furious laugh. 'That's the sprite Kurosaki Ichigo!' Show me the full power of a king's successor before I crush it!'
The Espada then lunged at Ichigo, exchanging a flurry of kicks and punches at Kurosaki. Yet the latter continued to dodge and counter them with ease even as the blows themselves devastated the street around them. With sidewalks of the roads being uprooted and more buildings collapsing into rubble.
Eventually, Ichigo. Not wanting to get Bambietta caught in the crossfire, flew up toward the sky. With his opponent following suit.
'What is the matter, Kurosaki, running away while the battle just started?!' The Espada roared in glee. As he used, sondio appeared behind Ichigo to deliver an ax kick down his head, and then, to Kurosaki's shock, he saw the kick and was then engulfed in a massive blade of blue spiritual power, forcing him to block the blow with both of his arms. Then the strike made contact, and a massive explosion was ignited. It is powerful enough to push Ichigo back and leave his arms with second-degree burns and deep bleeding cut wounds.
'Hahaha!' How do you like that Kurosaki Ichigo? Even your prized Blunt Vene can't protect you from my Desgarrón! But even that was only a tiny taste of what was to come! Grimmjow then stretched out both of his arms to the front and placed his hands to gather. Upon doing dozens of glowing spikes emerged from the black armor all over his body.
'Gran Garra De Pantera!' The crazed Arrancar declared and immediately launched the spikes from his armor at a speed that even Ichigo had trouble following. But when he dodged several of them by moving his head to the side and saw one exploding to the ground far below. His heart nearly stopped dead in shock.
The blast was so immeasurable in scope that made the white pillar of Grandfishers death look like a spark in the face of a super-nova. As it consumes fields, cities, forests, and even entire mountain ranges, and when the energy finally faded. All that was left of the landscape was a gigantic crater that stretched over a hundred miles long and thousands of feet deep.
And from that, Ichigo felt a horrifying terror within himself. Not because of his chances of winning, but rather at the full raw destructive range, Grimmjow's attack and how much Karakura Town and even the country of Japan itself was endangered by this battle alone.
Cover or no cover, this has dragged on long enough.
So, Ichigo decided to switch the Vene inside his body to another technique Quincy technique, which he also had a great affinity for.
Blut Arterie. The pinnacle of Quincy's offense and its power might…no, it has to be enough to end this fight here and now.
Ichigo then dashed at Grimmjow. However, unlike the soul reaper himself, The Esapda was barely able to dodge his opponent's blows or even get any breath from the assault.
The latter then decided to counter-attack by swiping at Ichigo's face with a Desgarrón kick, but the soul reaper used the flying step to evade it, appeared behind the Espada, and kicked him at the left side of his head. Sending the armed panther flying across the sky. Until he solidified the air with spiritual particles below his feet to slow himself down.
'So…' the Espada wiped the blood off his mouth. 'You finally decided to go all on for the attack, well, that is fine by me! Grimmjow then flexed his entire body, and once more a dozen glowing blue darts immediately spurted forth.
Let's see if you can dodge this!' He challenged before launching all the darts at once, and even when Ichigo managed to avoid them, they could track him.
'Great, now they can track my movements,' Ichigo thought to himself as he narrowed his eyes. 'But even they feel a bit… off' Kurosaki noticed when he saw that some of the darts made far longer curves than usual when tracking him and then looked over to Grimmjow and saw that he was panting a bit, and immediately a revaluation was made to Ichigo.
Thinking fast, the Soul Reaper then made a headline to the 5th Espada while the latter smirked in contempt.
'Oh, what you think that little trick would work on me! What kind of fool do you take me for!' ' Grimmjow mocked as Ichigo came in closer to him. Only to realize at the last minute that several darts were also coming from behind him, and then right before he could do anything, Ichigo used a flying step to escape from the Espada and allowed the darts to hit their launcher.
With no time to evade the darts. They exploded upon emending themselves into Grimmijow and when the dust settled. The Espada was heavily injured. With pieces of his black armor broken off and the skin on his face skin covered in 2nd-degree burns like Ichigo's arms.
'D-damn you!' Grimmjow screamed in frustration before launching several more darts. Only this time, much to his utter confusion and disbelief... They miss their target, with Ichigo not even bothering to dodge them as they explode harmlessly into the air.
'W-what!' The Espada stuttered in shock and then remembered Ichigo hitting him. 'You…' he said lowly in rage. 'What the hell you did to me ?!'
The Grimmjow question and Ichigo remain quiet for a moment before answering. 'I disrupted the control of your transformation.'
Grimmjow's eyes then narrowed in further confusion. 'What!?'
'You heard me. I disrupted it,' Ichigo said coolly. Before readying his stance. 'Due to the enormous power of that second release of yours. It takes a great amount of experience and skill to use that transformation in battle. But your skill over it was so sloppy, that a simple blow to the head, was enough to make you lose control over your abilities.
Grimmjow then stepped away from Kurosaki as a sudden dread overtook him as the Quincy soul reappeared and continued to explain.
'To be fair, though, against most people, it wouldn't be a problem. Given the massive strength that transformation provides for you,' Ichigo then narrowed his eyes coldly. 'However, it doesn't mean anything if someone else can rival that strength.'
Ichigo Kurosaki then raised his spiritual pressure and further readied his stance. And the Espada couldn't help but feel imitated. 'Sorry to say Grimmijow but I am afraid it was too early for you to use that Power of yours, at least when up against someone like me.
Grimmjow then remains silent for a few moments that seem to last for a few seconds. With a stunning expression that exposed his shock, doubt...and fear. But soon, such feeble emotions were replaced by humiliation and wrath as his face morphs into an expression befitting a rabid animal.
'I...don't need you to tell me how to use my power...and I sure as hell refused to be pitted on!' The 5th Espada raged out as his spiritual pressure spiked. Causing the sky itself to shake and bellow before him.
Then Grimmjow lowered both of his arms in a stance and then stretched out his hands and in a few moments later. A pair of massive blue blades spiritual sprung from Espada's claws.
It looked similar to that of the Desgarrion the Espada used in his ressection form, only that it was far more majestic in scale and power. With each of the blades being far more extensive and solidified in structure. It resembled blinding white fangs that cracked with energy—at the same time, it radiated with so much power that it looked like it could cut the entire country itself in half.
'Fauces Del Gran Rey Panthera!' the ultimate attack of my power Kurosaki Ichigo!' Grimmjow roared and boasted with rage and pride. 'This final blow will tear you apart and everything else's you stand for. For Daring to look down on me and think of yourself as my superior!'
Grimmjow continued to boast, but Kurosaki paid him no need as another more critical decision overcame him. He sighed in disappointment as he looked down at his arms, bloodied, cut, and burn despite his best efforts in using a Blut Vene.
(Soundtrack of Choice: Chokkaku)
'Damn...I guess there is nothing for it then...' Ichigo thought to himself as he hardened his resolve. 'Even if I were to switch Bluts...it still won't be enough to deal with that attack of his...only my Shinigami powers would be able to overcome that' Ichigo then gripped both of his hands. 'But maybe if I combine my shinigami powers with my Quincy ones, it would have to be enough!' Ichigo shouted to himself with resolve and squished the doubt building inside of him.
He knew that he had very little information on this world. He has no idea what would happen if his cover was blown or the quinces saw him using Shinigami powers. But even so, what?
He is taking a gamble to expose himself using at least part of his full power. But even then, it didn't matter so long as he could protect those who looked up to him regardless of whether they were part of his world or not.
And so, with a deep breath, he channeled his Quincy powers while letting just the barest fragments of Shinigami one's flow into his being, and even now, while he would no longer speak to them. He felt the warming and strong presence of both Zangestsus, the one of white and one of black, within his very soul and heart. Parts of himself that he had too long denied.
Then a second later, two blades of reishi formed in both of Ichigo's hands. In his right palm was a large knife that equaled him in his height, and in his left palm was a short bald that just came up to his arm and while they are pale imitations of his actual Zanpaktou. They radiated power and might be far greater than when Ichigo switched from blunt vene to Arterie.
As for Grimmjow, he felt something was off when Kurosaki created those two swords of reishi, and while it felt like the power of a Quincy. There also seemed like another power seemed to lie just below the surface. But whatever it was, though, the Espada ignored the feeling. Because to him, he would crush that power all the same.
'DIE KUROSAKI ICHIGO!' Grimmjow screamed at his enemy and then launched both of his claws at the shinigami. Who in turn held firm with both of his blades of reishi, and then the Maw of the panther king stuck.
The force of the blow was so great that it pushes Ichigo across several feet. A massive shockwave was unleashed that dispersed all the clouds within the sky and vibrated the ground below. 'Forcing the remaining quinces and fullbringers to take cover. At the same time, Ichigo himself strains in fighting against the blow of the Panther's Maw.
'HAHAHAHAHAAH' Grimmjow laughed in utter hysteria. 'Now you see how helpless you are before me, Kurosaki. It doesn't matter if I can't fully control my power. It makes no fuckin difference. When the difference in strength becomes too great, such things mean nothing! Now die with your forsaken town and allies!'
Ichigo listened to Espada's speech and had to admit bitterly to this type of situation. The Espada was right. In this type of battle. Power does rule over all, and indeed, If Grimmjow's attack had been more potent. Ichigo would have no choice but to reveal his true passion. Cover be damn.
But unfortunately for Grimmjow...it wasn't.
After being pushed away by Espada's attack, Ichigo Kurosaki finally gathered enough strength to stop it in its tracks. Much to the 5th Espada's stun disbelief.
'You know Grimmjow, you are right. After all, if you face someone much weaker than you. It really wouldn't have mattered if you lacked skill or not...but as I said before. I am not weaker than you, and if you did bother to train with your transformation more...you would realize just how fragile your ultimate attack is' Then with a single swipe from both of his reishi blades. Ichigo slashed apart the Panther King's Fauces Del Gran Rey Panthera to pieces. Much to his enemy's shock and utter horror.
'You see, while the output of your ace in the hole is practically unrivaled, nearly breaking my swords even. The longer the attack went on, the weaker that force became, along with its structure. Not helped when you were too busy being a crazed loudmouth to keep yourself focused or even realize the weakness of your technique.'
Grimmjow's jaw then dropped in stunned shock. 'How can you possibly be able to figure that out? Are you some scientist or something!' The Espada questioned, but Ichigo snorted.
'Hell no! But I do know my basics when it comes to spiritual power, and from personal experience, I know what it is like to take them head-on. After all, it doesn't take a genius to realize how flawed your trump card was, or rather it just required a bit of...' Ichigo Kurosaki explained while raising both of his blades.
'Instinct'
The Espada's face then contorted with humiliation and disgust at his opponent. All the while denying the reality, he had just lost this fight.
'You think that just because you disabled my attack with a fluke, you think you have won? I'll keep launching them until-'
'No,' Ichigo said, his voice speaking immediately from behind Grimmjow's back. With the latter widening his eyes in complete utter shock. Before jumping away from Ichigo.
'I believe I am ending this now,' Kurosaki declared sternly. As he once more begins to charge his shinigami spiritual power into his Quincy blades. At the same time, Grimmjow continued to look on in complete and utter disbelief and fear.
'This can't be happening,' he screamed as panic and despair consumed him. 'This power, the Segunda Etapa was supposed to give me the strength to crush Kurosaki once and for all. For all the times he has beaten me, humiliated me for years and years on end yet….'
The Espada then looked at Kurosaki's blades again with that underlying yet somewhat familiar power. 'He still stands far above me, awakening another power on top of that….' The Espada's arms and hands then began to tremble. 'In the end…nothing had changed between us, nothing at all!'
However, even when pushed to the brink of despair, Espada remains defiant to end. If only desperately so. 'No…no, I refused to accept that not after everything I have been through. I refuse to be looked down on; I refused to be humiliated; I refused to be second-rate and be humbled!'
Grimmjow readied his trump card again as brilliant blue fangs alighted his claws. At the same time, he was surging it with far greater power than ever before. 'I will defeat you, Kurosaki, even if I have to obliterate this battlefield, this city, or even this forsaken country of yours to make it happen!'
'Fauces Del Gran Rey Panthera!' the Espada cried out for one final time as he launched his fangs of destruction to annihilation at his hated enemy once and for all!
But then…it was over before Grimmjow could even realize it.
A sound of shattered blades and a bare gust of the wind was all Espada heard…before he felt the pain of a cross sharp wound of severed flesh ripped across his armor and chest. Before exploding in a gush of blood that rained down upon him. Draining away the last bit of strength he had left. Then before he fell from the sky, he saw Ichigo standing behind him in the air with his back turned and his twine blades raised. All the while uttering the one word that labeled the name of the finishing blow that was dealt against the Espada.
'Gestusha Jushisou'