Bleach: Awakened — Chapter 84 - Overwhelming Power

Walking through the white corridors of Las Noches, Ichigo and the group moved at an unhurried pace. Nelliel looked around with wide eyes, crying out in wonder every few steps, none of the earlier strangeness left in Nelliel's manner.

Pesche and Dondochakka trailed at the back, their steps growing shakier with every yard. The further they walked, the worse the dread coiling inside them became.

The spiritual pressure here was a nightmare given form, absolute malice radiating outward in waves. The Espada at the top of Las Noches' hierarchy weren't bothering to hide it. The oppressive weight hit like a wall.

"Hm?"

Ichigo's stride faltered. He stopped, swept his gaze around the corridor, rolled his neck, and gave Nelliel a wordless look to climb down.

"What's wrong, Ichigo?" Nelliel slid down with practiced ease and fell in beside the other two. "Did you find something strange?"

"Strange isn't the word I'd use." Ichigo said evenly. "Just three cowards hiding their spiritual pressure, too scared to show themselves."

"Who are you calling cowards! You little brat!"

The voice rang out with the cadence of a bygone era. A middle-aged figure stepped into view, a Van Dyke beard, a forehead-guard-shaped mask fragment above the brow. The spiritual pressure was being deliberately reined in, but even suppressed, it carried real weight.

"Stop wasting words, Dordonii." A figure with flowing wavy hair and teardrop markings beneath both eyes spoke flatly. "This is the intruder, right. Let's just move."

"An orange-haired Soul Reaper..." A solidly built figure with a wild shock of orange hair spoke in an even tone. "Same hair color as me."

"Judging by your reaction, you don't know who I am." Ichigo scratched the back of his head. "We haven't been introduced."

"Dordonii Alessandro Del Socacchio."

"Cirucci Sanderwicci."

"Gantenbainne Mosqueda."

"I'm Ichigo Kurosaki." Ichigo's eyes narrowed slightly. "There's stronger spiritual pressure further in. You three aren't Espada, are you."

"We are the Privaron Espada." Dordonii said calmly. "The ones who were removed. Former Espada."

"That explains it. No wonder you don't look all that strong." Ichigo nodded. "Is this your full power? If that's all you've got, I'd suggest you step aside."

"Fighting you wouldn't even count as a warm-up."

"Insolence!" Dordonii's voice cracked like a whip. "Spin, Giralda!"

A pair of white horns erupted from the shoulders. Both legs became wrapped in white material resembling a Hollow mask, and at the feet, two vent-like openings began streaming twin whirlwinds.

"Shred it apart, Golondrina!"

Wings tore free from the back, both arms thickened, antennae sprouted from the tail, Cirucci transformed into the likeness of a giant moth.

"Roar, Dragra!"

A white gauntlet shaped like a dragon's head covered the back of the hand, extending up to the shoulder and looping around behind the head to connect on the other side. Gantenbainne dropped into a fighting stance and faced Ichigo.

"Oh, impressive!" Ichigo gave a short round of applause. "So this is your release. Looks a lot like a Soul Reaper's Zanpakuto release."

"Just as I understood it—you reveal your original form."

An Arrancar's release and a Soul Reaper's Zanpakuto release are fundamentally different in nature. An Arrancar seals power inside the blade and unseals it when needed. A Soul Reaper infuses part of their own soul into the blade from the moment they first receive their Asauchi, drawing strength from that bond.

"Now you've got captain-level spiritual pressure." Ichigo shook his head. "Still not enough. At your level, you probably couldn't beat even the weakest captain."

"...Is that so. Soul Reaper captains are that strong." Dordonii's voice stayed flat. "Then if we defeat you, can we return to the Espada?"

"Hah." Ichigo let out a quiet laugh. "If you can beat me, even Sosuke Aizen would have to kneel before you and call you king."

"...Too arrogant! You little brat!" Dordonii's spiritual pressure erupted. The whirlwinds beneath the feet surged violently. "Repent after you're dead!"

"For daring to speak such words before us!"

WHOOOOSH,

Under Dordonii's control, the whirlwinds swelled to their full size and bore down on Ichigo with a force that could tear through anything.

"Waaaahh!"

Before Ichigo had even reacted, Nelliel was already shrieking and sprinting backward. The whirlwinds had a wide range, and Nelliel wanted no part of getting caught in them.

"Give me a break."

One sweep of a large hand. No spiritual pressure leaked. No technique. Just raw physical force, and both whirlwinds came apart.

Dordonii stared, eyes blown wide. There had been nothing to feel, not a trace of spiritual pressure, and yet the attack—the pride of that release—had simply ceased to exist.

"Uooooohhh!"

Seeing the attack fail, Gantenbainne channeled spiritual pressure through both feet. The space around them shivered. In the next instant, Gantenbainne was right in front of Ichigo, right fist clenched, spiritual pressure converged, driving straight for his face.

"You're all too weak."

The same left hand that had just scattered the whirlwinds swung up and caught that thunderous punch. Ichigo shook his head, fixing the three of them with a look of pure boredom.

"You don't even clear the bar for making me draw my blade."

Ichigo's five fingers tightened, just slightly. The dragon-shaped gauntlet on Gantenbainne's right hand shattered. Then, in the next moment, the entire right hand twisted out of shape.

"Waaaaaaahhhhh!"

The body lurched uncontrollably to the right. Every nerve from the fingertips upward screamed, Gantenbainne's right hand was finished. Cold sweat broke across the face. The arm pulled and pulled, but there was no getting free.

"Gantenbainne!"

Cirucci, still in moth form, cried out. Wings fired a storm of feathers at Ichigo. But the attack wasn't done, in the same breath, Cirucci tore the wings free from the back, drove spiritual pressure into the tips of the tail antennae, and shaped it into a massive fan blade.

Ting ting ting,

"Ala Cortadora!"

The feathers landed on Ichigo. Each one produced a light, brittle ring and fell to the floor. Then Cirucci's antennae swept forward, and the enormous axe blade came screaming in.

"A feeble attack."

Ichigo extended the right hand and caught it. A slight squeeze, and the great axe dissolved into scattered spirit particles drifting away through the air.

"Uohhhhh!"

Both whirlwinds condensed onto Dordonii's right foot. A running leap, and that foot came driving straight down at Ichigo.

"Still won't do."

The left arm swung. Gantenbainne's body lifted off the ground, helpless, and Ichigo hurled it directly into Dordonii's path.

No time to pull back. Dordonii's kick connected squarely with Gantenbainne. Blood sprayed from the impact, and Gantenbainne went tumbling through the air.

"Get out of the way."

Dordonii, still frozen in the flying-kick posture, watched a large hand fill the entire field of vision. It came down. Dordonii hit the floor hard, and the lights went out.

"Ah... what... kind of monster..."

Cirucci had watched both companions go down without effort. The gaze went distant. The body crumpled to the ground.

"You were just too weak." Ichigo walked past without a second glance at the fallen enemy. "Take care of your companions. And don't follow us."

"Let's go, Nelliel."

The Champion of Karakura Town, Ichigo Kurosaki, versus the three Privaron Espada.

Ichigo Kurosaki, an overwhelming victory.

➤ Next: The Worrying Future of Hueco Mundo