章 7: Great Showdown in The Hueco Mundo

Esteban responded with a smirk on his face, his demeanor playful, though his gaze sharp and calculating. He let out a hearty laugh, his voice echoing in the emptiness of the plane.

"You yourself said it, beautiful...", He pointed a thumb towards himself, "That I've been causing a bit of a ruckus, haven't I? Messing with 'your' precious Reishi so much, disrupting the equilibrium of the realm and hunting your Hollows you supposedly 'protect' now with your established newfound 'order'. You must be quite desperate and angry about me, stop pretending."

His grin widened, revealing an array of sharp teeth. His eyes narrowed slightly, their gleaming, predatory look never wavering from Nelliel, "And yet here you are, instead of trying to put an end to me, you're extending an invitation. An interesting strategy, I must say."

His tone, though still light-hearted, held an edge that hadn't been there before, a threat that subtly seeped into his words, "I take it you've come to realize you don't quite have the means to deal with me immediately. You need me contained, pacified... A problem for later, perhaps when your dear so-called 'Lord' returns?"

His words hung in the air, heavy with implications. The silence that followed was deafening, each Espada was taken aback, surprised at the depth of his understanding.

Nnoitra's reaction was immediate and volatile, his sneering grin contrasting sharply with the seriousness of the situation. Grimmjow's was similar, his jaw tight, his eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. Yammy, meanwhile, was frowning in annoyance, seemingly tired of all the talking.

Nelliel stood there, frozen, staring at Esteban. She blinked, struggling to comprehend what just happened. The shock was evident in her widened eyes. How did he know? Her analytical mind was racing, trying to figure out how he came to such an accurate conclusion.

Behind his brutish appearance and jovial demeanor, there was a deep intellect, a keen understanding of the situation. She had clearly underestimated him. Despite his boisterous nature, he had a razor-sharp acumen, a trait that made him even more dangerous. As a leader, she found it unnerving yet intriguing.

His laughter echoed once again, breaking her out of her thoughts. Nelliel swallowed hard, maintaining her composed exterior despite her internal turmoil. She needed to tread carefully. One wrong move could escalate the situation and she didn't want that to happen.

As Esteban continued to speak, his tone shifted. What started as teasing humor now held an underlying current of threat and challenge. His eyes narrowed further, focusing intently on Nelliel.

"Also, if you're here simply to extend an invitation, why bring such a... sizeable welcoming committee?", He gestured with a broad sweep of his hand towards the rest of the Espada.

His smile seemed more predatory now, his muscular form radiating a palpable threat. His joviality was replaced with clear intent, and his next words held no ambiguity, "I don't take kindly to attempts at control or containment. I value my freedom above all else. Attempt to take it, and I will retaliate brutally...",

His declaration hung heavily in the air, the sheer force behind his words causing a perceptible shift in the atmosphere. The sands of Hueco Mundo seemed to still be in anticipation, the air tensing with the promise of potential conflict.

His gaze never left Nelliel, the Third Espada, who despite her initial surprise, had regained her composure. She was no stranger to threats, but his were far from hollow. She could sense the resolve, the unwavering intent behind his words. Despite the potential danger, she maintained her poise, her analytical mind working quickly to navigate the situation.

His final statement echoed ominously, each word cutting through the silence like a knife. Despite the underlying threat, he still appeared to hold some respect for Nelliel. It was not a simple appreciation of her beauty, but an acknowledgment of her intellect and composed demeanor, "Destroy anyone who tries to control me...", He repeated, his tone quieter, almost introspective, "That's my policy."

He stretched his arms wide, his face taking a menacing turn. The air around him crackled with power as he fully released his chaotic Reitasu as if attesting to his strength, underlining his words.

"After all, no matter the quantity, garbage is still garbage. One, ten, or a hundred - it matters not.", Esteban's words were a direct challenge, a mockery directed at the rest of the Espada.

As Esteban's words echoed in the still air, Nelliel, despite the urge to retort, remained silent, her eyes locked with his. Her mind was a whirlpool of thoughts, rapidly trying to analyze and dissect the situation. It was clear now that she had underestimated Esteban.

Not only did he possess immense power, but his intellect was far sharper than she had initially gauged. He had already deduced much of their plan, even though they had revealed little. His insight was unnerving, but it also forced Nelliel to reassess their strategy.

'He's right...', she mused inwardly, 'We did want him contained, for now, pacified till we were ready to deal with him. The situation is far more volatile than we anticipated. He isn't just a threat because of his power, but because of his unpredictability. And now that the fight looks to be unavoidable, it will be a bit tricky...',

A grim understanding settled within Nelliel as she acknowledged the complexity of the problem they faced. There was no easy solution here, no straightforward path to pacifying Esteban.

They also hadn't brought their Fraccion or Numeros for a reason - the risk of him fleeing. They feared that the overwhelming force might provoke Esteban to simply teleport away using Garganta, disappearing into the depths of Hueco Mundo, remaining an uncontrollable menace.

And even if they had brought their Fraccion and Numeros, their presence might have done more harm than good. Their enemy could absorb their souls to nourish and strengthen himself, turning their own forces against them.

So, they decided to limit the encounter to the strongest among them, but even that might not be enough. He was a category of Hollow that stood at the top of the hierarchy. Moreover, he was an anomaly, an aberration that broke the norms of what they understood about Hollows.

Silently, she let out a sigh, her usually composed exterior betraying a hint of her inner turmoil. The seriousness of the situation had begun to weigh on her. But even in the face of such adversities, her resolve didn't waver. And, there were still eight of them against him.

Nnoitra's reaction was immediate and volatile. His laugh, sharp and mocking, cut through the stillness, "Garbage? Really? How cute...", He sneered, his grin malicious as he released his reiatsu, the raw energy whipping the surrounding sands into a frenzy. He had no problem ganging up on him alongside the rest of them and then making him regret directing those words at him.

Grimmjow, characteristically hot-headed, reacted almost as quickly. His jaw tightened, eyes narrowing into dangerous slits, "Let's see if you can back up that big mouth of yours lucky newcomer...", He challenged, his powerful reiatsu flaring up around him in an impressive display of power, a vibrant blue aura that reflected his fighting spirit.

Even though he was always prideful about his own strength, he knew he stood no chance alone against a being with such a crazy amount of Reishi. It was the second highest he saw outside of their leader.

Yammy grumbled in annoyance, his large frame radiating a heavy, aggressive reiatsu, "Too much talk, not enough action, let's prove yourself...", He complained, his tone surly. He was ready to crush anything in his path, no matter how powerful it was, his impatience palpable.

Zommari, the calmest of the bunch, remained silent, his response measured. He released his reiatsu slowly, a dark, pulsating force that stood as a stark contrast to his peers' raw energy. Despite his silence, his readiness for combat was apparent.

Dordonni, Cirucci, and Gantenbainne, the Privaron Espada, reacted in their own ways. Dordonni, despite his usually jovial demeanor, looked serious as he released his reiatsu, a steady wave of pressure.

Cirucci responded with a snarl, her own reiatsu flaring to life, crackling with intensity. Gantenbainne, usually reserved, merely narrowed his eyes, his reiatsu surging forth like a quiet storm.

Nelliel watched her companions' reactions, her own surprise swiftly replaced by a serious determination. Her gaze returned to Esteban, her reiatsu swirling around her, matching the palpable tension in the air. She knew the confrontation was inevitable. And she was ready.