A few days has passed.
As they walked around the town killing off Hollow’s they didn’t realise that they were being watched by the Grimmjow who was accompanied by a man with black hair and big green eyes that man had a mask covering one half of his head, his name is; Ulquiorra.
“Soon” Ulquiorra mumbled ready to turn back to the portal in which they came when he noticed the glint in Grimmjow’s eyes.
“I want to fight them” Grimmjow grinned evilly.
By now Ichigo, Zuri and Rukia had split up from the others and were walking home. When Grimmjow came down to their level and increase his reiatsu making the air around him become dense. Ichigo and Rukia gasped while Zuri stood there normal for her reiatsu protected her from everyone else’s.
“Is he an Arrancar too?” Rukia mumbled. “The level of his reiatsu is worlds apart”
Zuri raised an eyebrow at her. What’s an Arrancar. During those few days that had passed, all the Shinigami were up against extremely strong opponents which were known as Arrancar. An Arrancar is a Hollow with its mask ripped off and has gained Shinigami-like powers.
“Which one of you is strongest?” Grimmjow spat.
Rukia’s eyes widened “Ichigo! Zuri! Run away!”
In the blink of an eye Grimmjow had punched a hole into Rukia’s stomach forcing her to cough up blood and fall to the ground unconscious.
“Didn’t think it would be you” Grimmjow mumbled as he looked down at Rukia.
Then he looked up at Ichigo and Zuri deciding which one of them was strongest. They both had the same amount of reiatsu, Zuri gulped she knew Ichigo was stronger than her but she didn’t want to back down.
Zuri growled and grabbed hold of her Zanpakuto but before Zuri even got a chance to move Ichigo launched himself at Grimmjow and slammed his sword against him but was pushed away by his power reiatsu.
“The 6th Espada...” Grimmjow started “...Grimmjow Jaggerjack”
Espada are the top ranked Arrancar and are the most powerful under Aizen; he has ten of them with their numbers indicating how strong they are.
Ichigo disappeared and reappeared in front of Grimmjow and slammed his sword down, Grimmjow blocked by just holding the sword and releasing some of his reiatsu to push him away. Ichigo jumped away and launched himself at Grimmjow, his blow nearly landed but Grimmjow grabbed his sword and then kicked Ichigo in the head.
“Oi, Shinigami, quit yankin’ my chain” Grimmjow mumbled annoyed “I’m only giving you a break so you can release your bankai”
Ichigo looked back at Rukia and then at Zuri. He then held on tight to his Zanpakuto and concentrated all his reiatsu to that point so he could release his Bankai.
“Bankai!” Ichigo shouted.
His reiatsu exploded around him in a bright light and his clothes changed and his Zanpakuto became smaller in width and just all black.
“That it?” Grimmjow chuckled at Ichigo’s Zanpakuto.
Ichigo tried to land hits on Grimmjow but kept missing because Grimmjow was constantly blocking. Grimmjow slammed his foot against Ichigo’s cheek forcing him to fly down to the ground and crack it while Ichigo coughed up blood as he arched his back.
Grimmjow walked along the road toward Ichigo ready to kill him. Ichigo groaned and tried to get up but failed. Grimmjow grabbed him by the collar and started aiming punch after punch at him. Ichigo’s body was immobilized, he couldn’t move his body not even lift his finger.
Grimmjow laughed evilly as he watched Ichigo’s will to fight fade away. He punched Ichigo’s jaw upward and then appeared behind him to kick him into the ground.
“Is that all there is to his Bankai?” Grimmjow mumbled “Don’t disappoint me, Shinigami”
Grimmjow’s widened as the dust appeared away from Ichigo, he saw Ichigo’s reiatsu turned dark and was now black tainted with red.
“Getsuga Tenshou!” Ichigo shouted releasing some of his reiatsu into one blow.
Grimmjow couldn’t move, he took Ichigo’s blow head on producing a long scar down his chest ending at his Hollow hole. Ichigo was panting with blood and sweat dripping down his face.
“What the hell was that?” Grimmjow spoke “Ulquiorra didn’t tell me about that, Shinigami!”
“Am I still disappointing you, Arrancar?” Ichigo smirked.
Grimmjow tilted his head back and laughed “Bring it on, Shinigami! Now I can say there is a reason to kill you”
Ichigo still held a smirk.
“Ichigo, what are you smirking about?” Ichigo’s Hollow spoke within his mind.
Ichigo felt his Hollow side try to take over but he forced it down, it didn’t go all the way back and turn one of his eyes black. Ichigo noticed that Zuri was still with Rukia so she didn’t have to witness his hollow side if it did take over.
“Wait, just a bit longer” Ichigo thought to himself as he covered his eye.
“How far do you think you can get on your own?” Ichigo’s Hollow mocked
Ichigo growled as he saw that Grimmjow was barely injured even went he hit him with Getsuga Tenshou. A portal in the sky opened to reveal a dark skinned man holding his sword while staring down at Grimmjow. The man appeared behind Grimmjow.
“Grimmjow, Aizen is furious with you, you will receive your punishment at Hueco Mundo” the man spoke turning and leaving.
“Tch, whatever” Grimmjow muttered bored while following after the man.
“Wait! Where are you going?” Ichigo shouted up toward Grimmjow.
“Shut your ass up, we’re going back” Grimmjow grinned.
“Get your ass back here!” Ichigo shouted “You can’t just fight me and leave!”
“Gimme a break, Shinigami” Grimmjow chuckled “Me leaving is the only thing that would’ve saved you!”
Then Grimmjow left. Ichigo looked down at the ground he knew Grimmjow was right; there was no way he could defeat him at his current level.
Ichigo saw Zuri run toward him panting once she stopped a metre away from him. Then she glanced up and forced a smile out.
“He left. Did you win?” she asked
Ichigo didn’t answer he just looked down and by that Zuri knew he didn’t win. Zuri placed a hand on his shoulder in a comforting manner. All thoughts about Ichigo and what she thought about him vanished.
Zuri glanced up at the sky deep in thought. Ichigo watched her. He believed that she would have won if she fought Grimmjow, but she knew she couldn’t.
“I admire you, Ichigo” Zuri spoke quietly still looking up at the sky.
Ichigo’s eyes widened as he watched her.
“You’re stronger than I would have guessed” Zuri mumbled.
Ichigo’s eyes stayed glued to hers.
“Heck, I haven’t even released my Bankai” she chuckled running a hand through her hair “You are always 2 steps ahead of me...”
Ichigo then looked up at the sky, it was true. He had released his Bankai whereas she was nowhere close. She admitted it to him even though he knew it she must hate feeling weak. Zuri then turned to walk home not wanting to meet Ichigo’s gaze after she said that.
