Ichigo Kurosaki finally pushed his way to the front, his sleep-addled mind clearing to a scene of pure dread. He saw Orihime Inoue, head bowed, walking steadily away from them, toward the waiting Espada.
"Inoue?!" Ichigo's voice cracked with disbelief. "Inoue! Come back! Don't go over there!"
Orihime heard him. She paused, her shoulders trembling. Slowly, she turned her head, forcing a fragile, heartbreaking smile onto her face. "I'm sorry… Kurosaki-kun."
Ulquiorra stepped to her side, his presence a cold finality. "The objective is secured. Our timing is optimal. Withdraw." He glanced at Barragan.
The Segunda Espada sneered but released his Resurrección. The oppressive, decaying aura vanished as his form reverted, and the lethal black mist of Respira dissipated into the air.
The moment the mist cleared, the Visored surged forward—Shinji, Hiyori, Kensei, Love—a blur of masked fury aimed at Ulquiorra.
They were too late.
A thick, brilliant yellow beam of light—Negación—lanced down from the ceiling of the cavern, enveloping Ulquiorra and Orihime completely. It was the same teleportation light used by Gillian-class Menos to rescue their own.
"Negación! Damn it all!"
"INOE!" Ichigo roared. Black spiritual energy erupted around him. "Bankai! Tensa Zangetsu!" The compact black blade appeared in his hand. He didn't stop there; his hand ripped at his face, the white bone of a Hollow mask forming over his features. In a single, explosive motion, he swung the blade. "Getsuga Tenshō!"
A crescent of black-and-red energy screamed through the air and struck the yellow light pillar. It dissipated against it without a sound, without a ripple.
"DAMN IT! GETSUGA TENSHŌ!" He fired again, pouring every ounce of his rage and fear into the attack. The result was the same. The Negación beam was absolute, a dimensional transfer mechanism no conventional attack could breach.
A strong hand clamped on his shoulder, pulling him back. "Ichigo, stop! You've seen this before! It's useless!" Shinji Hirako's voice was harsh, edged with his own frustration and guilt.
"Are we just supposed to stand here and watch them take her?!" Ichigo screamed, his voice raw, the mask on his face cracking from the strain of his emotions.
…
On the surface, Amamiya Miyako, having deduced Ulquiorra's true goal, was racing toward the warehouse at maximum Shunpo speed. 'Hirako and the others are strong. As long as Aizen doesn't move personally, no one should be able to take Inoue by force…'
He arrived with Byakuya Kuchiki and Renji Abarai just in time to see two towering pillars of yellow light piercing the night sky above the warehouse.
"Negación?!"
"It can't be…!" Amamiya didn't slow down. He found the breached barrier and plunged into the underground training ground.
Below, the atmosphere was heavy, thick with a silence more crushing than any defeat. No one was visibly hurt, but the weight of failure pressed down on every face.
Amamiya skidded to a halt before them. "Hirako! Who attacked? Where is Inoue?!" He'd received a Hell Butterfly alert en route: two more Espada-level signatures. But by the time he arrived, they were gone.
The grim silence was his answer. His worst fear had materialized.
"What happened? Even with two Espada, you shouldn't have lost her so easily," Amamiya pressed, his brow furrowed in confusion. The Visored's combined strength was formidable. Even the Primera Espada shouldn't have overwhelmed them this quickly.
"There was one… his ability was bizarre," Shinji said, his voice tight. "A black mist that rots anything it touches. We were pinned down. Then the other one threw something… and Orihime just… walked over to them."
'Barragan Louisenbairn. He sent the Segunda already?!' Amamiya's mind reeled. "She went willingly? Why?"
Byakuya and Renji, who had followed Amamiya down, frowned at this. A willing defection was a troubling complication.
Ichigo, who had been standing frozen, finally snapped. Without a word, he turned and bolted for the exit.
"Ichigo! Where the hell are you going?!" Shinji shouted after him.
"I'm going to get Inoue back," Ichigo growled, not breaking stride.
"You idiot! She was taken to the enemy's stronghold! What can you do alone?!" Shinji's reprimand echoed in the chamber.
"SO I'M JUST SUPPOSED TO WAIT?!" Ichigo's roar was pure, unfiltered anguish.
"Ichigo," Amamiya interjected, his voice cutting through the emotional storm. His tone was calm, pragmatic. "Go to Kisuke Urahara. He will have a method to reach Hueco Mundo."
The simple logic of it cut through Ichigo's panic. He met Amamiya's gaze, gave a sharp, wordless nod of thanks, and flash-stepped away, leaving his Gigai behind in his haste.
"Hey! Why tell him that? Hueco Mundo is a death trap!" Hiyori protested.
"If we do not retrieve Inoue swiftly, Aizen will use her ability to complete the Hōgyoku. Time is now our greatest enemy," Amamiya stated flatly. The grim truth settled over everyone.
"…Damn it." Shinji spat the curse, acknowledging the brutal calculus. A rescue was a suicidal risk, but leaving Orihime in Aizen's hands guaranteed disaster.
"Renji. We depart," Byakuya commanded, having observed the situation. "This intelligence must be relayed to the Captain-Commander immediately. If Aizen succeeds, all our preparations must be accelerated."
"Yes, Captain!" Renji understood the gravity. They vanished in flashes of Shunpo.
Amamiya let out a slow breath. Aizen's determination was terrifying. Multiple Espada deployed in a single day, even revealing the Segunda's fearsome power. The Visored's protection, a seemingly foolproof plan, had been dismantled with chilling efficiency.
But the 'willing' aspect nagged at him. "Hirako-san. You said they threw something. What was it?"
"This." Shinji handed over the small satchel.
Amamiya opened it, examining the contents. Ordinary school supplies. He flipped open a notebook. The name written inside made his blood run cold.
Arisawa Tatsuki.
The pieces slammed together. 'Of course. Not a defection. A coercion.' Ulquiorra, with his perfect memory and analytical mind, had recalled the one human who resisted Yammy's Absorción on their first visit. He had taken Tatsuki hostage.
"I understand now," Amamiya said, his voice low. "Inoue went to save her friend. Arisawa Tatsuki has also been captured."
"That bastard Aizen! Using hostages?! How low can you get!" Hiyori exploded, her fury a bright, hot thing in the gloom.
"Should we be surprised?" Shinji's voice was weary, etched with the memory of a century-old betrayal. "Aizen has never cared for the rules. Only results."
"I must go as well, Hirako-san. This location is compromised. You should relocate immediately." Amamiya picked up the Gigai Ichigo had left behind—a necessary vessel for the boy's soul upon return—and turned to leave. An infiltration of Hueco Mundo was now inevitable. The race was on.