Chapter 559 - 559 Return From Hell

"Thoughts? Although your strength is indeed great now, I won't give up that easily!"

Ashido said with a determined expression.

"Is that so? In that case, go die!"

Nnoitra shouted loudly and suddenly charged at Ashido.

Swish!

After getting close, Nnoitra directly swung one of his scythes, aiming a powerful blow at Ashido's head.

Seeing this, Ashido reacted quickly, crossing his sword to block.

Clang!

Ashido's Zanpakuto clashed with Nnoitra's scythe, producing a clear metallic sound.

However, after his Resurrección, Nnoitra had four arms and four scythes, while Ashido only had two arms and one Zanpakuto.

While one of Nnoitra's scythes was locked with Ashido's Zanpakuto, occupying him, Nnoitra suddenly swung the scythes in his other three arms.

Swish—

Swish—

Swish—

Three chilling flashes of blade light suddenly streaked by.

Schlick!

Schlick!

Schlick!

Three dazzling, blood-red blossoms of snow burst forth, and three massive wounds instantly appeared on Ashido's body.

"Ugh—!"

Ashido couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood, then said with difficulty: "A four-sword style... isn't that against the rules?"

Thud—

After speaking, Ashido's body finally gave out, and he fell heavily to the ground, severely wounded.

"Your blade is too dull, Shinigami!"

Nnoitra withdrew his four scythes and looked down at Ashido lying on the ground with a proud expression.

"Ashido, so you lost after all... Geez, I told you from the start to run away, but you had to be stubborn. Look what happened..."

On the other side, Gantenbainne Mosqueda, the Arrancar who had lost to Ashido earlier, watched Ashido being defeated by Nnoitra with a somewhat sad murmur.

Gantenbainne was an Arrancar, but like Dordoni whom Toshiro had encountered before, he was not a vicious or cruel being. Instead, he was someone who repaid kindness.

Earlier, after Ashido defeated him, he didn't choose to kill him but instead let him live.

So, Gantenbainne did not hate Ashido for defeating him... on the contrary, he was extremely grateful.

Thus, seeing Ashido defeated by Nnoitra now, Gantenbainne couldn't help but feel sadness and regret for him.

"Hmph! Lying there motionless... are you dead? What a useless fellow!"

Nnoitra looked at Ashido lying on the ground and sneered disdainfully.

Ashido lay on the ground with his eyes tightly shut, bright red blood seeping from his body, staining the sandy floor of Las Noches.

"Tch! What a boring fight. Oh, that's right..."

As if remembering something, Nnoitra couldn't help but look towards Gantenbainne not far away and said: "I recall that not only did you lose to the invader, but when I arrived, you even specifically warned this Shinigami to run away, didn't you?"

"Seriously, just a useless reject. It was already a great mercy that we let you live back then. Now, not only do you fail to serve diligently, but you even try to help the enemy and become a traitor. You deserve to die!"

"Well, that Shinigami earlier was too weak. I had just started to get interested in the fight, and he was already defeated. Now, I'll just kill you on a whim and enjoy the pleasure of slaughter. Consider it cleaning house for Las Noches..."

Nnoitra said, grinning ferociously as he walked towards Gantenbainne.

"Heh..."

Gantenbainne smiled wryly but did not run away.

First, he didn't want to. As an Arrancar, dying in battle was a perfectly normal occurrence.

Second, even if he wanted to run, he couldn't. In his fight with Ashido earlier, he had already been severely injured and didn't even have the strength to flee.

Moreover, even if he could escape, where would he go? The entire Hueco Mundo was ruled by Las Noches. Becoming a traitor to Las Noches meant death no matter where he fled.

"Well, dying like this is probably a release..."

Gantenbainne murmured, showing no sign of resistance, looking like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.

'Have I lost after all... How frustrating...'

'I'm sorry, Captain. I've let down your expectations. I can no longer follow you...'

Perhaps because he was about to die, long-sealed memories flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern.

Becoming the Commander-in-Chief of the first generation of the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force, leading the army into Hueco Mundo... Getting lost in the Forest of Menos... All his comrades dying in battle... Finally deciding to remain alone in the Forest of Menos forever, fighting in solitude until death... But then, he met Toshiro...

'Ashido! Get up! Are you a man who can be brought down so easily!!!' Toshiro's frustrated scolding seemed to echo in Ashido's mind.

'Ashido! Is this all you've got? If you die like this, I won't acknowledge that you have the right to follow in Captain's footsteps alongside me!' Sojiro's sarcastic voice also seemed close at hand.

"Yes! If I'm defeated like this, if I die such an ugly death, what right do I have to say I once followed that man named Hitsugaya Toshiro!"

"Besides, Captain and the others are deep in the enemy's nest, facing countless dangers. How could I have the face to abandon them and die so irresponsibly!!"

Thinking this, a strong will to survive surged from Ashido's heart.

On the other side, Gantenbainne, watching Nnoitra walk towards him, suddenly showed a look of astonishment.

"What? Are you going to beg for mercy now, ask me to spare you?"

Seeing Gantenbainne's expression, Nnoitra thought he was scared.

"It's useless. Begging for mercy now is too late. Just let me kill you quietly!"

Nnoitra sneered.

"No, it's not that I'm scared..."

Gantenbainne didn't explain anything to Nnoitra but instead showed a strange expression as he looked at Nnoitra, or rather, behind Nnoitra.

"Hmph! Playing tricks..."

Before Nnoitra could finish his sentence, a strong sense of crisis suddenly rose in his heart. Without a second word, his body instinctively dodged to the side.

Swish—

A bright, sharp blade light flashed from behind Nnoitra.

Schlick—!

An arm, accompanied by blood, shot into the air.

"Gyaaah—!!!"

Nnoitra screamed in pain, clutching the wound on his severed arm as he looked behind him.

There stood Ashido, drenched in blood, like an evil ghost returning from hell.

Nnoitra said angrily: "Damn Shinigami! You're not dead yet?"

Ashido's blood-stained face twisted into a terrifying, ferocious grin: "Ah, I did die. But I've returned from the depths of hell."