A powerful gust of wind surged forth from Asguiaro outstretched hand, making the charred smell of the sand to spread outwards.

“Thank you, slowpoke!”

Luppi couldn’t help but slump down on the hard black glass, his face relieved as the fire covering his behind was scattered by the wind.

I looked at the comical situation and turned back to Cirucci, who clung tightly to my sides in a tight hug.

“How did that guy manage to locate you within the dimensional crack?”

It was a question I couldn’t help but ask, it was weird that a captain would come directly to attack lower ranked arrancars. Something was fishy.

Cirucci looked up at my face, a fire in her eyes as she scowled. “That guy... He had his sights on our new generation of Arrancars. He wanted to snatch away our little girls.”

That was actually in norm with his usual way of doing things. Only something as twisted as experimenting on a new kind of being would move him to act.

“He defeated Asguiaro and Luppi who were outside the dimensional crack.” Cirucci continued, her grip on me tightening, her nails attempting to dig into my sides.

“He claimed to have tracked a similar spiritual energy to that of an Arrancar child he had captured. Unfortunately, the child was already dead.”

I cracked my fists harshly at that, I could now understand why Cirucci had come out of hiding. She was the kind to lead by example rather than from afar.

For her, abandoning her fellow Arrancars to their fate must have been an agonizing decision.

Cirucci trembled in fury. “So I stepped forward, but he effortlessly dissolved my Resurrección with his gas.”

That should have been quite a hard hit for her, the resurreccion of an Arrancar is part of one's soul. It couldn’t be easily repaired like a Shinigami’s Zanpakuto.

Smiling down at Cirucci, I firmly grasped her shoulders with my hands.

“Calm down.” I reassured her. “Our top priority right now should be to have Orihime tend to your injuries and eliminate the poison from your system. We can deal with our losses later.”

That was the most important, my white fire had the ability to purify the air, but in the end it couldn’t deal with the poison whitin them.

They had been hit quite harshly by it, especially on Asguiaro, who, upon a closer look, resembled a dried squid.

“Right!”

Cirucci exclaimed, releasing her grip on me and swiftly making her way toward our two injured Arrancars.

“Come on, you two losers. We need to patch you up before your funeral.” Cirucci taunted with a mean smirk. “We can't let a couple of dried squids ruin the view!”

“Oi! Who are you calling a dried squid, you witch?” Asguiaro retorted, incensed. “I can understand if you're talking about Luppi, but don't lump me in with him!”

Luppi, in the background, could only shoot them a resentful glare, too injured to join their bickering.

“Enough, Reddy.” She scoffed, forcefully pulling him up and dragging him towards the hiding place of my sister. “Let's get going.”

Helplessly, I could only watch their retreating backs as a sudden realization flashed through my mind.

I had forgotten about Cyan Sung-sun. Knowing her loyalty towards Harribel, it was inevitable that she would follow her to the human world.

Dreading for the worst, I decided to extend my hand and called out, attempting to stop Cirucci.

“Wait! Where is Sung-sun? Why isn't she hiding?”

Cirucci didn’t bother to turn back to face me, but I could hear her sighing in frustration.

“Where else would she be? She went after Harribel. We always knew she'd choose her when the time came.” She replied, her voice sounding heavier than usual. “She made her choice after witnessing your rampage.”

“That fool!”

Our relationship was never that romantic, and the time we had been together had been shorter than the time she had been following Harribel.

But, it still hurt to be left behind like that.

An unpleasant sensation spread from my chest. A pain I knew all too well.

It was jealousy, corroding my body. A resentment at not being the first priority of a loved one that I had only felt once in the past when my brother was chosen over me for our father's inheritance.

Involuntary, my spiritual pressure started leaking, making the black glass around me crack and sink. Fragments of it even scraped the motionless Luppi.

“Cirucci, wait here.” I commanded the purple haired arrancar. “I had planned to clean Las Noches and leave Aizen to the shinigami, but it seems I would have to save an unloyal woman.”

Cirucci didn’t seem to like my statement as her shoulders trembled and her head turned to look at me.

“Idiot!” Cirucci protested, attempting to stop me.

I didn’t stop, ignoring her. Instead, I spread my red wings and took off with a burst of Sonido while shouting out for her to hear.

“Sorry, but your spiritual pressure is too depleted. Stay put this time!”

I couldn’t bring her to a battlefield like that. Even with Orihime rejecting her injuries, it would take far too long for Cirucci to regain her spiritual energy.

It was better for me to deal with this quickly, for with each passing moment, the enemy was becoming even more dangerous.

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sora/Renato now must try to salvage Las Noches while going to the human World to fight off Aizen.

—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Omake: Meeting

Unohana observed her opponent, a bemused expression playing on her face.

He was gliding in the air quite awkwardly, like a newborn chick.

His eyes were wide open and unfocused, his breathing heavy and his face flushed.

A flash of realization washed over her.

She had seen such a sight before…

It was the exact same look her former victims would wear when they tried to flirt with her… Before she cut them down.

Truly, the fact that such a man could stir even a flutter in her heart was nothing short of absurd!

This world was such a joke!