Bleach: Starting as a Vasto Lorde

Chapter 293: Scythe

To say that Yammy Llargo was furious would be a gross understatement. The very air around him trembled under his fury. His already large frame had swelled to nearly twice its size, his white Espada uniform barely clinging to him. His eyes burned with a murderous fire, a stark contrast to Ulquiorra’s cold, unfeeling eyes.

Even as Ulquiorra’s shredded flesh knitted together and lost organs regenerated, he showed no hint of discomfort. Only his spiritual pressure waned ever so slightly.

Ulquiorra kept his eyes trained on the new Vasto Lorde. “It’s her.”

Kazuya also observed Nelliel with a calm look. He only had one option: stay and fight with Nelliel until they found an opportunity to escape. Leaving Nelliel on her own against a pissed-off Yammy and Ulquiorra might just end with her death.

Naturally, he couldn’t let her die.

“Shinigami!” Yammy roared like a beast. “You’ll pay for this!”

Kazuya arched an eyebrow, a wry smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Hold on a moment. Shouldn’t you be angry at her?”

Yammy's eyes narrowed, confusion momentarily eclipsing his rage. "What did you say?"

“What did I do to hurt your feelings?” Kazuya asked, his hand resting lightly on the hilt of his Zanpakutō. “That Hollow tried to kill your buddy Ulquiorra.”

He had done nothing to earn Yammy’s ire, well, apart from belittling him a few times. Nelliel served better for the target of his wrath. Or they were just excuses to avoid fighting a boring battle against Yammy.

{Not even sparing your allies. As expected, my partner is truly one of a kind evil bastard.}

Nami seemed to be falling deeper for him amidst all this chaos.

“Yammy, leave him to me,” Ulquiorra said coldly. “He is mine.”

Kazuya didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at Ulquiorra’s words. Since when did he become so popular that two peak Espada had a dispute over him?

Yammy’s narrowed eyes zeroed in on Nelliel. “I’ll kill her then.”

His massive form launched forward with surprising speed for his size. His landing kicked up a thick cloud of ash and debris. Nelliel leaped away from him just as a red Bala bullet tore through the smokescreen. Her hand reached out, and as if responding to her command, her lance shot back to her grasp.

“Cazador, you need to leave now!” Nelliel growled. “I’ll hold them off.”

Kazuya met her gaze, genuine confusion creasing his brow. “Cazador? You’ve got the wrong guy, Miss. My name is Kazuya."

Ulquiorra stared at Nelliel and Kazuya, analysing and picking apart the meaning behind this unexpected interaction between a Shinigami and a Vasto Lorde. “Why is she calling you Cazador?”

“Beats me,” Kazuya replied with a shrug. “I never forget a face, especially not one as pretty as hers. I’m damn sure we’ve never met before today.”

The skepticism in Ulquiorra’s gaze only deepened. “That’s a white lie. There is something between you two.”

“I don’t care what you believe. Let’s fight like men.”

Kazuya felt the rush of Reiatsu a split second before Ulquiorra appeared beside him, lance swinging at his face. He parried just in time to avoid a disaster.

“Hey, no sneak attacks.”

“Your reactions are impressive,” Ulquiorra remarked between strikes. “But ultimately, you’ll fall just like your friend. Then I’ll torture that Vasto Lorde to get more information about you… because I know there’s something tying you to her.”

“Funny you came to that conclusion,” Kazuya retorted, pushing back against Ulquiorra’s lance. “I’m just looking for a good fight.”

Ulquiorra let go of his lance, pivoting smoothly to perform a spinning kick. Kazuya put his sword between his belly and Ulquiorra’s heel. The impact still knocked him back, creating distance between them.

The Espada locked eyes with him. “Lying won’t save you.”

Kazuya’s mind raced. Ulquiorra had begun to glean too much information. If this keeps up, Ulquiorra might figure something out.

‘I have to take his mind off Nelliel.’

He slowly unsheathed the katana, and when it reached the halfway point, his voice dropped to a whisper that somehow carried across the battlefield. “Weave, Shinku-no-Tsubasa.”

Ulquiorra watched him intently. “I was waiting for it.”

Flames of scarlet and dark crimson seeped from the blade, setting the sword ablaze. When he drove it into his chest, there was no hesitation — just the motion of someone who had done this countless times before. The flames consumed him, swirling around his body like a raging inferno and spreading through his body as if his very blood had become fire.

The flames began to separate from Kazuya, coalescing into three distinct, floating blades that hovered around him.

‘Huh? Why three?’

{This goddess has buffed your Shikai with her unparalleled grace and divinity.} Nami chuckled. {Okay, I’ll be serious. Two of them are from me. The last one is Tsubasa because her soul is like half formed. Together, we have made your Shikai more powerful.}

“Father, join all three Enmyaku together. Nami and my strength combined will create something unique to you.”

He had grown so rapidly, so tremendously, that his Zanpakutō Spirits were still struggling to match his pace, evolving even now to keep up with him.

Smiling, he joined the three Shikai aspects of his Zanpakutō. What manifested in his hands was a weapon as unique as it was beautiful — a double-bladed scythe of scarlet and black.

{Forged in the flames of the abyss, bathed in the blood of gods… allow me to present to you, the Crimson Blades of Abyss.}

“...”

“I don’t like the name either, Father…”

As Kazuya’s fingers curled around the scythe’s handle, muscle memory he hadn't known existed guided his movements. He spun the weapon effortlessly, the blades whistling and dancing as if he had been practicing it for years. It felt right—more so than the katana form of his Zanpakutō.

He could feel both Nami and Tsubasa’s flames flowing in the scythe, the same flames that coursed through his own veins. The strong connection allowed him to direct both flames with mere thoughts. More than that, he discovered a new ability unique to his scythe.

{Ahhhh, Partner~,} a sultry voice purred from the scythe. {Handle me with care, would you?}

“Father, I’d like to tell you that I’m the glue holding both scythes. I’m between both ends of Nami… It’s so warm between both of you.”

{The warmth is coming from our flames.}

“No, it’s your and Father’s… love.”

{Baka.}

Kazuya couldn’t help but chuckle softly. Even amidst a battle, they found the leisure to joke around. Nami’s mischievous and passionate nature was evidently rubbing off on Tsubasa.

With a casual swing of his scythe, he beckoned Ulquiorra. “Thanks for waiting like a good boy. Let’s continue!”