19 The Unexpected Encounter and Collision

As he neared the source of the two powerful spiritual signatures, a realization dawned upon him. They were Tokinada Tsunayashiro and Aura Michibane, a name currently highest on his list of potential recruits Fullbringer or not. An anticipatory smile bloomed on his face slightly.

'What a pleasant surprise...', This was an unexpected yet delightful turn of events. Aura, who had shown immense potential in his previous world's supporting material for the Bleach universe, was within his grasp way sooner than he had previously anticipated in his plans.

With a spark of anticipation gleaming in his eyes, Esteban activated his Sonido. The air around him rippled with the sheer velocity of his movement, the world blurring as he darted across the sky.

Tokinada was there currently already revealing a dark secret to Aura, a dreadful truth about her father's demise. The aristocrat had masterminded the heinous act, following the ruthless plants of his Noble House. The treacherous revelation hung in the air like a malignant specter, chilling and perturbing.

However, the reaction Tokinada received from Aura was nothing he expected. There was no shock, no tearful accusations, or vengeful outbursts. Instead, Aura remained detached, her apathy running deep as if she was an observer of her life rather than a participant.

Her disinterest in her fate and the happenings around her piqued Tokinada's interest, seeing her as a potential pawn for his sinister machinations. Her extreme indifference was a trait he intended to exploit for his own amusement and twisted purposes.

He was becoming sure that she wouldn't resist becoming his pawn who would blindly follow him in the future. She looked like she wouldn't be having any motivation or the will to offer resistance to him now.

However, just as Tokinada was about to proceed with his coercive persuasion, he only previously scratched, and get to the point, a high-speed noise pierced the sky, halting his thought-out words.

It was the sound of Sonido, a technique used by powerful Hollows for rapid movement. The sudden disturbance caused Tokinada to step back a bit in alarm, his eyes darting around to locate the intruder.

Then, in a powerful display of strength, Esteban descended upon the field. His arrival was marked by an explosion of spiritual pressure that radiated outwards, causing the ground to crack under sheer force.

The structures within a certain radius all quivered under the intensity, some even collapsing, despite him holding back his power at all times now, giving a physical testament to Esteban's formidable power.

Tokinada was immediately taken aback by the newcomer's overwhelming spiritual energy, his usually composed demeanor rattled. The aristocrat could barely mask his shock, even as he hastily moved out of the way for the first few moments.

Esteban, however, paid no heed to Tokinada's surprise. His attention was solely on Aura, "I apologize for the intrusion... But, I caught up on your conversation just now accidentally...",

He took a slight glance at her stunning figure that stood out amidst the tumultuous events. Her black hair, cut short yet slightly longer on the left side, framed an ethereal face. Her captivating emerald eyes, both detached and intriguing, observed the unfolding scene.

Esteban began, his voice carrying the same assertive quality that mirrored his powerful entrance. His words cut through the tension in the air, as sharp as the wind that whipped around them, "And I think that you don't need to succumb to the whims of someone as trivial as him.",

"Also... What you are looking for... You won't be able to find it there...", His gaze locked onto Aura, the hard edge to his eyes softening by the barest degree, "So... Just stay still and allow me to deal with him for now, and then we'll talk.", Turning and focusing a dismissive gaze towards Tokinada, Esteban's words were confident, filled with quiet authority and power.

Aura was still, her detached gaze flickering from Tokinada to the newcomer apathetically. His entrance was nothing short of grand, the sheer pressure of his arrival leaving visible marks on the surrounding area. Yet his physical prowess wasn't what caught her attention—it was his words,

'What I'm looking for...?', His words echoed through her mind as she watched him with slight newfound curiosity. She was also looking forward a bit to see what would happen next surprisingly.

His statement secretly definitely carried a slight hint of recognition and a fleeting suggestion of empathy born from shared loneliness perhaps.

Though barely perceptible, it was enough for Aura to realize that the otherworldly human-like Hollow perhaps saw something familiar in her.

This subtle understanding resonated within her, causing a ripple of surprise in her usually calm sea of apathy, 'Could there be others, just like me?', She found herself asking.

Esteban's focus was unyielding, leaving no room for distraction. As Aura stood in the backdrop, his gaze was honed onto his opponent, Tokinada, and the imminent conflict that was about to unfold.

He knew all too well the importance of the next few moments. They would determine the outcome of the day, whether he could dispatch this adversary swiftly and efficiently.

Esteban was well aware of the potential risk of leaving enemies alive, and he had no intention of allowing Tokinada to survive their encounter. His determination was set in stone; Tokinada had to die, and he was the one to execute that fate. Esteban knew that the crucial element here was the element of surprise and the first few moments of their engagement.

And so, he wasted no time. Using Sonido, he dashed toward Tokinada with astonishing speed. This all happened in a matter of fleeting moments, a testament to his skill and resolve. But as he advanced, Tokinada was preparing a countermeasure of his own.

The usually pompous nobleman quickly got unusually serious, the sense of imminent danger from the strange Arrancar intruder sobering his often casual demeanor. The reiatsu radiating from his attacker was powerful, one of the highest he has seen in his entire life, putting him on high alert.

In response, Tokinada didn't even dare to speak so as to not waste any time as he swiftly reached for his stolen weapon, the ancestral Zanpakuto, Enrakyoten. The blade belonged to the Tsunayashiro family, one of the Four Noble Houses of Soul Society, carrying an air of immense age and power.

Since his personal Zanpakuto was confiscated, Tokinada had claimed this ancestral weapon, a tool with an unparalleled might, but also an insidious curse, something that didn't bother him much.

He was no fool despite his callous nature; he knew he was no match for the monster in front of him in terms of raw Reiatsu.

However, with Enrakyoten's power and a variety of stolen Zanpakuto abilities, he had at his disposal accumulated thanks to his high status over countless years, he could certainly strategize a counteroffensive, catch by surprise and defeat the intruder, and then subsequently exploit the Arrancar's remains for his twisted experiments.

His family's Zanpakuto allowed him to see any other Shinigami ability he saw with his eyes once. It was the power fitting for the most powerful Noble Family in the world.

"Who are you to interfere with my affairs?", Tokinada finally sneered, while narrowing his snake-like eyes, his voice dripping with contempt, "You're seemingly nothing more than an overgrown Hollow. I'll show you the true power of a nobleman of Soul Society."

His hand firmly gripped Enrakyoten, as if it transferred him some feeling of safety, ready to unleash its revered power and put the brazen attacker in his place.

However, his sneering expression suddenly altered, in the next instance, as he somehow perceived a change in his opponent. The humanoid monster's eyes were now spinning like miniature gray holes of a dark void itself, an unfamiliar sight that triggered an instinctive dread within him.

And before Tokinada could fully comprehend the eerie transformation in Esteban's gaze, a sudden fluctuation of energy surged through Enrakyoten. A horrifying realization dawned upon him as the ancestral Zanpakuto in his grip started to warp.

Its Reishi was going haywire, the blade's surface bubbling and corroding as if time itself was gnawing at it with ravenous hunger.

The former sneer on Tokinada's face had evaporated, replaced by a mask of shock and disbelief. He could feel the energy drain from the blade, his confidence waning as the weapon deteriorated in his hands.

His mockery towards Esteban turned into alarm as he felt the distinct loss of control. His once confident posture began to falter, giving away to a growing sense of dread.

"Wha-What is this?!", Tokinada stammered, his voice losing its earlier arrogant edge, and replaced by the tremor of fear. His eyes were wide, mirroring his disbelief as he looked from his decaying Zanpakuto to the imposing figure of Esteban, whose power was much more terrifying than he had originally presumed.

Stricken with sheer panic, Tokinada tried to distance himself but it was already too late. Esteban was too close, and in that moment of terror for the nobleman, the second phase of Esteban's assault began.

Now right in front Tokinada, he clasped his hands together, using his second ability, the Entrophy Quake, for his next attack, causing a pulsating sphere of energy to form between his palms. The air around them seemed to crackle and warp as the shockwave tore through the surroundings, obliterating everything in its path.

The environment around them quaked under the onslaught. Buildings didn't merely crumble; they were obliterated, shattered into their base components as though hit by a force beyond comprehension.

Concrete turned to dust and steel to shards in mere moments. The ground splintered and cracked as if the earth itself was being torn asunder, testament to the overwhelming might Esteban wielded. And then, the shockwave hit Tokinada.

His spiritual pressure, once an unyielding beacon of his noble heritage, faltered. It flickered, its once-stable rhythm stuttering under the disorienting effect of the shockwave. The proud flame was now an unstable ember, struggling against the storm of Esteban's power.

Tokinada's physical form did not fare any better. His body, once poised with aristocratic elegance, started to disintegrate. It was a horrifying spectacle, the nobleman breaking down at the most fundamental level.

However, just before Esteban's final onslaught, Tokinada Tsunayashiro, in a moment of profound clarity and dread, understood the gravitas of his situation.

His arrogance, his overconfidence in venturing alone into the Human Realm alone without any additional protection that he could summon, to recover the Soul King fragment from Aura Fullbringer, had led him to this terrifying moment.

He was staring into the eyes of a monster unlike anything he had anticipated.

With a crazed chuckle resonating in his throat, a bitter acknowledgement of his miscalculations, he palmed a small, inconspicuous device in his pocket.

This was a high-end piece of technology, courtesy of the Soul Society's Research and Development division. It was designed to capture and transmit real-time images and videos, a covert tool for surveillance and emergency contact.

Tokinada activated the device with a subtle press, aiming it covertly at Esteban. The device hummed silently, recording the imposing figure of his assailant. It was a desperate, final act; a spiteful seed planted for revenge.

Unbeknownst to Esteban, his image and the circumstances leading up to Tokinada's impending demise were being transmitted to Soul Society, a call to arms for his noble peers.

Then he waited, the tool in his hand having fulfilled its purpose. As Esteban's lethal assault neared, he was left with his thoughts, and an overwhelming sense of regret. His final act had been one of spite and determination, a wish for his death to ignite the spark of retribution.

With that, he braced himself against the incoming tide of destruction, his last thoughts filled with the hope that his noble brethren would avenge him, and that his killer would one day face the wrath of Soul Society. Little did Esteban know, he was now known to Soul Society, and vengeance was silently taking shape in the distant shadows.

His existence was being systematically erased, dismantled by the ruthless assault of entropy. His form shattered, dissipating into the night like a forgotten dream.

The shockwave eventually lost its momentum and dissipated, leaving a scene of utter desolation in its wake. All that remained of Tokinada Tsunayashiro was a swirling cloud of particles, fading into the winds of the shattered landscape.