Chapter 563 - 563 Sudden Change! Aizen Appears!

"You... you're lying! How could Nel be an Espada? That's completely impossible!"

Hearing Nnoitra say she was an Espada, and seeing the suspicious looks from Rangiku and Ashido, Nel quickly tried to defend herself.

She didn't really care much about Rangiku and Ashido, as she had only just met them. But she didn't want Toshiro to misunderstand her.

"Hah? What are you saying? What a joke! Don't you remember anything about back then at all?"

Nnoitra said angrily with a dark face.

If Nel didn't remember anything at all, then what was he, who had always harbored a grudge over that incident? Thinking of this, Nnoitra couldn't help but feel a surge of inexplicable anger.

"I... I really don't remember... Nel really isn't an Espada..."

Nel defended herself with a terrified expression.

"Hmph! I haven't seen you for a while, but you've become even more detestable! How annoying!!"

Nnoitra snorted coldly.

"What... what are you even talking about? Nel... Nel doesn't understand at all..."

Nel said, confused and frightened.

"Heh, still pretending? But I suppose it makes sense. In your current pathetic state, there's no way you could rescue your two useless Fracción from Las Noches by yourself. So, you have no choice but to deceive and use these Shinigami to help you rescue them, right?"

Nnoitra said self-righteously.

"No... that's not true! Although Nel does want Toshiro to help her rescue Pesche and Dondochakka, Nel never intended to deceive Toshiro!!"

Nel defended herself loudly.

"Hah? If that's the case, then why didn't you tell them about your identity as an Espada?"

Nnoitra questioned.

"Nel already told you, Nel really isn't an Espada..."

Nel looked like she was about to cry.

"Tch! Still not admitting it? This attitude is disgusting! If that's the case, let me finish you off!!"

Nnoitra said coldly.

Swish!

With that, Nnoitra used Sonído, instantly appearing before Rangiku, who was holding Nel. His six arms simultaneously swung the giant scythes at Nel.

Shing—!

The sound of a long sword being drawn suddenly rang out.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Six brilliant flashes of sword light streaked by.

Clang, clang, clang—!!!

Several clear metallic collision sounds rang out, and Nnoitra's body flew backwards faster than he had come.

"You bastard, did you forget that I am still here?!"

Toshiro looked angrily at Nnoitra flying backwards.

"To... Toshiro... you have to believe me... Ne... Nel really didn't deceive Toshiro..."

Nel, completely unconcerned that Nnoitra had just tried to hurt her, explained tearfully, afraid that Toshiro would think she had deceived him.

"Well, of course."

Toshiro reached out and gently stroked Nel's little head, saying softly: "How could Nel possibly deceive me?"

"Toshiro... waaah..."

Hearing Toshiro say he believed her, Nel cried even harder. But earlier she had been crying from worry and anxiety... now, she was shedding tears of gratitude.

"Don't worry, Nel. Whether it's me, Rangiku, or Ashido, everyone will believe you. Regardless of whether you were an Espada before, we will believe in the Nel who is here right now. If you don't believe me, you can ask Rangiku."

With that, Toshiro signaled Rangiku with his eyes.

"Well, if I'm being honest, Ashido and I have only known you for a short time. We don't really know you well, so trust isn't really something that exists yet. However..."

Rangiku first put on a serious face, then suddenly did a complete one-eighty, smiling warmly as she said: "But we trust Captain. We trust that he wouldn't misjudge someone. So, since Captain has chosen to believe in you, then we will believe in you too!"

Rangiku had indeed suspected Nel when Nnoitra first said she was an Espada. But as she said herself, although she didn't know Nel well, she trusted her own Captain completely. Since Toshiro chose to believe in Nel, then Rangiku, Ashido, and the others would also believe in Nel.

"Tha... thank you, old lady..."

Nel thanked her tearfully.

Rangiku's face was covered in sweat drops: "If you're going to thank me, don't call me old lady. Just call me Rangiku."

"Alright, Nel, don't worry anymore. You just stay here. I'm going to go defeat the bad guy who bullied you!"

Saying this, Toshiro gently stroked the crack on Nel's mask again, then glanced at Nnoitra and said: "Earlier, from what you said, it was you who broke Nel's mask, wasn't it?"

"Ah, that's right. I smashed her head from behind, hard, and then threw her out of Las Noches..."

Nnoitra grinned maliciously, seeking death.

"Is that so? Then I'll kill you to avenge Nel and Ashido."

Toshiro said casually, his tone showing no regard for Nnoitra whatsoever, as if Nnoitra were merely an ant easily crushed.

Toshiro's contemptuous attitude infuriated Nnoitra. However, the calm tone of his voice seemed to contain a bone-chilling coldness that made even the fearless Nnoitra feel a chill down his spine.

"Tch! Hitsugaya Toshiro! Don't think I'm afraid of you just because you're strong! Since you insist on fighting me, then even if I die, I'll make you know what a heavy price it costs to kill an Espada!!"

Nnoitra said, somewhat embarrassed and angry.

Earlier, Nnoitra hadn't wanted to fight Toshiro, not because he was afraid of death, but because he didn't want to die meaninglessly.

Nnoitra's wish was to fight strong opponents and eventually die in battle against a strong opponent.

However, the 'strong opponents' Nnoitra referred to were those with strength comparable to his or slightly better, like the Espada ranked above him. It did not include beings of Toshiro or Aizen's level.

Fighting an existence of that level wouldn't be a battle... it would be a one-sided massacre, and he, Nnoitra, would be on the slaughtered side. This obviously wouldn't let Nnoitra experience the joy of fighting a strong opponent. Dying in such a battle would also be meaningless.

So, although he enjoyed fighting, he had never been stupid enough to challenge Aizen.

Now, Toshiro clearly wouldn't stop until Nnoitra was dead. So, even though Nnoitra didn't want to fight a strong opponent of this level, he had no choice but to accept.

"Heh, kill a guy like you would cost a heavy price? Don't be ridiculous. I even killed Ulquiorra easily, let alone a small fry like you!"

Toshiro said disdainfully. Then he pointed his sword at the sky and softly chanted: "Sit Upon the Frozen Heavens, Hyorinmaru!"

Boom!!!

Powerful Reiatsu instantly erupted.

Crack, crack, crack...

Bone-chilling cold spread out, even freezing the sandy ground of Las Noches.

"Roar!!!"

A deafening dragon's roar suddenly echoed. A giant ice dragon, hundreds of feet long, was condensed from Toshiro's Reiatsu.

Nnoitra had deeply angered Toshiro, both because of Ashido and because of Nel. So, Toshiro didn't intend to waste any effort on Nnoitra. He directly chose to release his Zanpakuto, preparing to kill Nnoitra instantly.

"Die, Nnoitra!!"

Toshiro swung his Zanpakuto fiercely.

"Roar—!!"

The ice dragon let out a huge roar and then flew straight towards Nnoitra.

Nnoitra couldn't dodge at all. He could only swing his scythes to meet the enormous ice dragon, like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

Boom!!!

The hundreds-of-feet-long ice dragon crashed into the spot where Nnoitra stood, producing an earth-shattering collision sound.

In an instant, dust and sand filled the air. Countless ice crystals formed from the shattered ice dragon fell like hail, pattering down.

Whoosh—

A gentle breeze blew, dispersing the dust and sand.

Then, Nnoitra was seen standing there completely unscathed! Not a single injury on his body!!

"How... how is this possible! He's completely unharmed by Captain's attack!!"

Rangiku looked at Nnoitra in shock.

Rangiku knew very well how terrifying her Captain's strength was. So, seeing Nnoitra unharmed after Toshiro's released Zanpakuto attack, she was astonished.

Toshiro said gravely: "No, it's not that he blocked my attack."

If one looked closely, they would see that Nnoitra, who had been attacked, also looked completely confused. It was clear that he hadn't blocked Toshiro's attack himself.

Given Nnoitra's strength, Toshiro could defeat him without even using his Zanpakuto. The only reason Toshiro had used his Shikai was that Nnoitra had angered him, and he didn't want to waste time on him, wanting to kill him cleanly and instantly.

'The only one in all of Hueco Mundo who could so easily block an attack from my Shikai like this is probably him.'

Toshiro said solemnly: "Come out. Since you're here, why hide?"

"Oh my, Toshiro-kun. It's been a long time."

A familiar, gentle, and magnetic voice sounded. Then, a figure walked out from the dust and sand behind Nnoitra.

"Ah, it has been a long time, Aizen."

Toshiro stared intently at the newcomer.