Bleach: Awakened — Chapter 81 - Hueco Mundo's First Battle

"Oh, oh!" Ichigo sat cross-legged on the ground and nodded. "So you're trash-tier arrancar, right?"

"That's right, that's right." Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck smiled with pure innocence. "Nelliel is just garbage—nothing like those numbered ones in Las Noches."

"Numbered ones?" Ichigo asked. "Is there some other difference, between arrancar and arrancar?"

"Of course! Ones like Nelliel are just really terrible." Nelliel thought for a moment. "The numbered ones are all Hollows of Menos Grande rank or above who went through Arrancification—directly under the Espada's command. They're combat specialists!"

"Combat specialists?" Ichigo's eyes narrowed slightly, and a faint smile crept onto his lips without him noticing. "Combat specialists are my favorite."

"Why is that, Ichigo?"

"Why?" Ichigo grinned. "Combat specialists—they're seriously strong guys, right?"

"Me, I've never gotten to fight a really strong Hollow. So I'm really looking forward to it."

"Is that so... Ichigo, you're a battle maniac?" Nelliel thought for a moment. "But it's better not to pick fights with the arrancar of Las Noches. They're not only very strong, but I've heard they're also very cruel, the type who kill without a second thought."

"And on top of that, Lord Aizen is there too."

"...You know about Aizen?" Ichigo paused. "Aizen is a Soul Reaper, why wouldn't you think he's a villain?"

"Lord Aizen is a good Soul Reaper." Nelliel pointed to herself. "Under Lord Aizen's rule, Hueco Mundo isn't like before, when all anyone knew was slaughter. It's much more peaceful now."

"And someone like me was even able to become an Arrancar. Lord Aizen is quite merciful."

"Come to think of it, putting someone like you through Arrancification, that's what's actually cruel."

"Is it?" Nelliel wore an expression of pure innocence. "I wouldn't know... Either way, it's true that Lord Aizen brought peace to Hueco Mundo."

"Peace... huh..."

Gazing at the shattered mask fragment atop Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck's head, Ichigo turned those two words over in his mouth. His expression was unreadable.

"By the way, Ichigo, how did you get to Hueco Mundo?" Nelliel looked to the right, the direction of Las Noches. "Didn't Lord Aizen seal off the space around Hueco Mundo?"

"...You even know about that?"

"Yes, yes." Nelliel smiled. "Lord Aizen regularly uses a loudspeaker to announce things to those outside Las Noches."

"Even garbage like me gets to know about some of the big events!"

"I see... Aizen really has quite a system for managing things, it seems."

"Yes, yes." Nelliel looked at Ichigo, then suddenly asked: "Are you close with Lord Aizen?"

"Hmm... I received some guidance from Aizen at one point, I suppose."

"Is that so..."

"Speaking of which, is that Las Noches over there?" Ichigo also looked to Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck's right. "I noticed you glanced that way."

"It is! Does Ichigo want to go to Las Noches?"

"Yeah. I want to go say hello to Aizen and thank him for the guidance."

"Is that so... Then I'll take you there!" Nelliel patted her chest. "Don't let my looks fool you, my pet is really fast!"

"Oh, oh... Then I'll be in your care!"

Across the white sands, a massive worm inched forward, curling and stretching its body as it went. Ichigo sat cross-legged on its back, quietly sensing the changes within his own body.

The worm's owner, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, used the advantage of a small frame to clamber all over Ichigo, as if studying the construction of this human who claimed to carry the power of a Soul Reaper.

"Alright, alright." Ichigo said helplessly. "The basic structure is about the same as yours, just without a mask."

"Hehe." Nelliel scratched the back of her head with a dopey grin. "But come to think of it, Soul Reapers only have one sword, right? Ichigo, you have two."

"Because I'm very strong. And very special."

"Is that so, then... Huh?!"

Nelliel was about to ask something more when the white sand beneath them suddenly shook violently. The worm lurched with it and nearly sent Nelliel flying.

"What's going on?!"

"To fraternize with Soul Reapers..."

A massive white creature with a mask like a king's crown burst up from the white sands. Its emergence threw everyone off the worm's back, and the worm itself dove straight back into the sand.

"I, guardian of the white sands, Runuganga, will take you all down!"

"Wha, what?!" Nelliel sat on the ground, face pale with terror. "No, no, Ichigo is a good Soul Reaper too!"

"I... Ichigo?" Runuganga's aura faltered. The question came out carefully. "Ku... Kurosaki Ichigo?"

"That's right!" Nelliel scrambled up, poked Ichigo's shin, and winked with a smug little grin. "Hehe... who would've thought you're so famous, Ichigo, even someone this powerful knows your name."

"Of course." Ichigo crossed his arms, thoroughly pleased with himself. "Go ask around, would the top fighter of Karakura Town have a reputation that's all talk and no substance?"

"An orange-haired, dual-blade Soul Reaper... that's right... just as Lord Aizen described."

Muttering under its breath, Runuganga turned and ran. Runuganga had no legs, its entire lower half was fused with the white sand. Calling it running was generous; it was more like sliding across the surface.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Ichigo cracked his neck. Spirit particles gathered beneath his feet, blue light flashed, and he appeared directly in front of Runuganga in an instant. "Can't let you go and report this."

"I still want to give Aizen a nice surprise."

His right hand swung. The blow landed on Runuganga's body with terrifying force, scattering white sand in every direction.

"I, Runuganga, am an immortal guardian god!"

The white sand converged again and Runuganga's form reconstituted. Fused with the sands, the endless white desert was its life pool. As long as there was no water, even damage to its mask, ordinarily fatal to a Hollow, meant nothing. Runuganga could...

"Pure physical attacks have their limits, huh."

Ichigo extended the left hand. Blue light flickered in the palm. Terrifying spiritual pressure converged in that single point, and a blue orb of light materialized in an instant.

"Then let's try this."

BOOM,

The blue light swallowed Runuganga whole. The white sand dissolved in an instant. Not even a scream escaped. The creature that had called itself immortal vanished without a trace.

"Wa... was that a Cero..." Dondochakka Birstanne stared blankly. "But why does something feel off..."

"That was not a Cero." Pesche Guatiche had a single bead of cold sweat on the face. "That was simply brute force, pure spirit particles packed together and blasted out. Not a single ounce of technique to it..."

"But that power... it already felt like it surpassed an Espada's Cero..."

"Then..." Dondochakka Birstanne swallowed hard, staring at Ichigo with an expression of sheer horror. "Just what kind of monster is that guy..."

"Immortal, my foot." Ichigo shook his head, thoroughly unimpressed. "Can't even withstand something like this..."

"The guys under Aizen's command aren't all going to be this kind of trash, are they."

Hueco Mundo's first battle, the top fighter of Karakura Town, Ichigo Kurosaki, versus the guardian of the white sands, Runuganga.

Ichigo Kurosaki's overwhelming victory.

➤ Next: The Candid Gin Ichimaru