CHAPTER 176: The Struggle (II)

A/N: This week was a fuckfest of renovations and shifting stuff. I didn't have the energy to write.

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Menoly dashed towards her objective, only to collide against a translucent yellow wall — a high-level barrier spell. Her katana — her Zanpakutō — slipped from her hands and clattered to the ground. As she scratched her head, her back bumped into another massive wall. Confusion and panic set in as she realized she was imprisoned in a shrinking box of energy.

"Vessel of the divine, fury of the lord."

Menoly's gaze followed the direction of the voice, seeing Nanao extending her hand with a claw-like gesture. The Vice-Captain was controlling the barrier, unafraid of the two Espada attacking her in this state.

"I won't let you kill them," Nanao said through gritted teeth and forcefully closed her claw hand. "With light, crush the prisoner. Shimen-sei no shi."

The barrier responded to Nanao's command, contracting with a force meant to compress Menoly into oblivion. Menoly frantically reached for her Zanpakutō to activate her Resurrección, but it was futile; her sword was beyond her reach. In a panic, she pounded against the barrier with her fists, but it was like striking steel.

Desperation in her eyes, Menoly turned to Ggio Vega. "Ggio, help me," she pleaded for her comrade's help, hoping they'd help get her out of the pinch.

Ggio Vega, the Arrancar with the saber-tooth helmet, looked on with cold indifference. "Fear not. I'll gladly take the #7 from you."

Menoly's heart sank. She had always seen Ggio as an ally, a friend even, but he was going to let her die for her rank. "We're on the same side. Why won't you help me?!"

"Miss Menoly, we don't need incompetent Hollows filling our ranks. Zommari, do you agree with me?"

Zommari glanced down at Menoly briefly before closing his eyes. The silence spoke his decision louder than words. Menoly was shocked beyond words. Even though she had done her best to please them and make herself useful to her comrades, they abandoned her at the drop of a hat.

At last Menoly turned to Loly for help. Her bully colleague happened to be looking at her, her face twisted in raw disgust.

She shivered, closing her eyes out of fear. "Please save me…"

"You utter trash of an Arrancar," Loly growled. "Kill yourself. Kill yourself now—argh…"

Loly's attention was drawn away by a sudden, sharp pain. Her eyes widened in shock as she looked down to see a blade protruding from her chest. "Damn you, Vice-Captain."

Rangiku had swiftly taken advantage of Loly's distraction and stabbed her. As Loly crumpled to her knees, Rangiku pressed her foot firmly onto Loly's shoulder, wrenching her bloodied katana free with a fluid motion. Confident in her final blow, she didn't register Loly's trembling hand reaching for her dagger.

Rangiku's gaze swept over the other three Arrancars. The strongest among them, the dark-skinned man resembling a monk, showed utter indifference to Loly's last gasp. Ggio, with a smirk playing on his lips, seemed almost entertained by the turn of events. Menoly, on the other hand, was slowly being crushed under Nanao's absurdly strong barrier spell. Rangiku might think Nanao wasn't under a seal had she not walked through the Senkaimon with her.

"Nanao, don't get soft now."

The Arrancars became her enemy the moment they chose to declare the war. Showing mercy to the enemies was the same as stabbing her allies in the back.

"But…" Nanao hesitated. "Maybe she won't—"

"Vice-Captain, Nanao," Rangiku said firmly. "I won't say it again…"

"Poison," a familiar voice whispered from her side, seizing her attention. "Escolopendra (Centipede)."

Suddenly a storm of pink Reiatsu whipped around Loly before covering her body. Her form began to change dramatically, her mask extending across her face while white armor encased her body. Her arms transformed into elongated, headless centipedes.

Most importantly, her Reiatsu had amplified to the point she would be in the same league as Nanao in raw Reiatsu.

Rangiku blinked her eyes. "Did you just use… Shikai?"

Loly got to her feet and laughed maniacally. "It's Resurrección, dickhead. It fully heals our wounds. Now, I'll poison you. I'll poison everyone in this city."

Toshiro frowned. Observing Zommari and Ggio's movements, he hadn't paid any attention to Loly, or he wouldn't have allowed Loly to recover. He had to make sure the Vice-Captains fight one opponent at a time. The Arrancars' lack of camaraderie made his job so much easier. "Rangiku-sensei, you aren't qualified to lecture Nanao-sensei."

"Ugh, my bad." Rangiku assumed a serious expression, holding her katana with both hands. "Growl, Haineko (Ash Cat)... Huh?"

But to her shock, nothing happened. Her Zanpakutō remained unresponsive to her chant. Pouring Reiatsu into her Zanpakutō, she frowned.

"Haineko, this isn't the time to joke around. Haineko? Haineko?!"

Her screams received no response from her Inner World. Haineko was whimsical, but she never messed around during a serious battle. She gritted her teeth, a sinking realization hitting her — without her Shikai, she was at a significant disadvantage.

"I can't use it…"

Engulfed in a whirlpool of confusion and fear, Rangiku didn't notice Loly's monstrous arms closing in on her. The headless centipedes slammed into her from both sides and coiled around her. Rangiku winced and bashed her elbows on Loly's arms, feeling as if she was hitting steel rather than arms made of bone — she had yet to learn about the Hierro defense of Arrancars.

"Die, wench. Melt away in my poison," Loly hissed, her face twisted in sadistic pleasure. The tiny, razor-sharp claws — the centipede's legs — began to secrete a violet toxin.

Loly's ecstasy was disrupted by a pleading voice.

"Loly…" Menoly barely squeezed out a whimper, the barrier forcing her into a curling position. "Please…"

Loly's expression contorted with contempt. With a violent swing, she attacked the barrier with her poison-coated limb. The impact didn't weaken the barrier but her purple poison corroded the barrier within seconds.

Menoly, unable to believe Loly's kindness, stared in disbelief. "T-Thanks…"

Loly swung her arm again. This time, the massive limb connected to Menoly's face and sent her crashing into a building. "Gross—"

"Sit upon the Frozen Heavens, Hyorinmaru!"

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