Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck vs. Nnoitra Gilga

 is a fight which initially occurs between Ichigo Kurosaki and the 5th Espada Nnoitra Gilga, but Ichigo, on the losing end from the start, is saved by the intervention of Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, who reveals herself to be the former 3rd Espada.

Prelude
Observing Ichigo Kurosaki as he fights Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, Nnoitra Gilga studies Ichigo's attacks until they finish. When Grimmjow is defeated, Nnoitra attacks him, wounding the 6th Espada further, and says Grimmjow is a bad loser, and Ichigo is his opponent now. Asking him who he is, Ichigo wonders if he is an Espada, but Nnoitra does not respond. When he attempts to finish Grimmjow off, Ichigo, blocking the attack, asks him why he would try and attack someone who cannot move. Pushing Ichigo away from him, Nnoitra tells Grimmjow how he cannot stand him, seeing he lost to the enemy and had his life saved by him. Asking Ichigo for his name, he tells him he will remember it for the short time he will be alive.

Battle
Nnoitra attacks Ichigo with his Zanpakutō, destroying the ground where it lands. When Ichigo dodges the attack, Nnoitra, moving to him, attacks him relentlessly. When Orihime Inoue tries to intervene, Nnoitra has Tesra Lindocruz subdue her, prompting Ichigo to tell him to let her go. Laughing at him, Nnoitra, sticking out his tongue, displays his Espada tattoo, 5, stating it means the trash he just got all beat up fighting and barely won against is weaker than him,. Stating it is over for Ichigo, he says he is sorry, as he has already forgotten his name.

As they continue fighting, Nnoitra, noticing Ichigo is moving well against him, asks if this is not the first time he has faced someone with a long weapon. When Ichigo states it is in fact the second, an unimpressed Nnoitra, changing direction, attacks Ichigo from behind. When Orihime yells at him to stop, as Ichigo is already badly injured, Nnoitra plainly tells her to shut up, asking her if she is stupid, and says he is doing this because he is injured. He states this is a battle, so it is not going to be fair, as fighting is a monster born from unfairness and intolerance. Continuing his speech, he notes Ichigo is foolish to think no one will come after him after busting into the enemies's headquarters. He reveals he was watching Ichigo's fight with Grimmjow from the very beginning, and he already knows everything he is capable of.

Ichigo goes to attack Nnoitra, who, stating he is too slow, places his Zanpakutō up to counter Ichigo, who, dodging it, gets close enough to attack the Espada. Grabbing Ichigo's blade with his bare hand, Nnoitra slides it along the length of the blades edge with no injuries, much to Ichigo's surprise. Drawing him in closer, Nnoitra, telling him he guesses the blade just looks sharp, headbutts Ichigo, sending him flying into a nearby structure. As they fight, Nnoitra, noticing Nel, says she has become pathetic, asking if her broken mask aches. Ichigo questions how Nnoitra knows Nel. Nnoitra explains he wondered why she was here, figuring Ichigo brought her not knowing who she really was. Not knowing what Nnoitra means, Ichigo is confused, prompting the Espada to reveal she is Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, an ex-Espada.

When Nel tries to deny the accusation, Nnoitra steps on her, but Ichigo, blocking the attack, tells Nel not to worry. Kicking him away, Nnoitra states it does seem as though she has lost her memory, but after getting her head broken, it is no wonder she has forgotten all that has happened. When Ichigo questions what he means by broken, Nnoitra, picking Nel up by her head, explains he is the one who broke her head. Yelling at him to stop, Ichigo, becoming enraged, charges at him. As Nnoitra counters, Ichigo, getting in close, attempts to slash him.

As Ichigo realizes his blade has made contact but done nothing, Nnoitra, asking if he has already forgotten there is no way he can cut him with that blade, kicks Ichigo again, sending him further away. He explains Nel always made him mad, just like Ichigo is doing right now, so he broke her head from behind and threw her out of Las Noches. Screaming at him to let her go, Ichigo rushes to attack him, but Nnoitra counters, throwing Nel away in the process. Going over to a wounded Ichigo, he, stating it is time to end this, he grabs Ichigo's sword arm, breaking his wrist. Seeing Ichigo hurt triggers Nel's transformation into her original form, much to Nnoitra's surprise.

Nnoitra states she has returned to her original form. Before Nnoitra can react, she uses Sonído to move Ichigo a safe distance away from him. After a small talk with Ichigo, she, reassuring him they are still friends, resolves to face Nnoitra. Though Ichigo is uncertain at first, the back of Nelliel's shirt is blown up by the wind, revealing her to be the 3rd Espada. Attacking Nnoitra, Nelliel cuts him across the chest before he can react, surprising him. As he tries to attack her, she, effortlessly kicking his Zanpakutō away, pushes him off balance, sending him a distance away from her. Eventually stopping himself, he fires a Cero at her, prompting Ichigo to yell out a warning. Placing her hand up, Nelliel stops the blast entirely, much to Nnoitra's surprise, and, sucking the entire blast into her mouth, fires a Cero Doble at him, creating a large explosion. Letting Orihime go, Tesra, running off to aid his master, is sent flying away into nearby debris. Injured along his right side, Nnoitra asks Tesra who told him to let go of Orihime. As he apologizes, Nnoitra, smiling at Nelliel, asks what is wrong. Noting her face is asking why he is still alive, he admits he forgot about her Cero Doble, her trademark technique. He explains she does not get it, as she has forgotten one thing. Asking her how many years have passed since she disappeared, he says she should not think the power of the current Espada is the same as when she was an Espada, and the number on her back is meaningless now.

Evenly matched, the two Espada continue to battle. As they fight, Nnoitra, asking if she remembers calling him a beast and saying their strengths were not even, gloats, asking how it feels being beaten to death by the same beast. Kicking his Zanpakutō away as Nnoitra goads her, Nelliel tells him it is such a pity, as it will be difficult to transform again after only just returning to her original form, so she did not want to resort to it. She begins to release her Zanpakutō.

Realizing what she is doing, Nnoitra, moving to stop her, is not fast enough, and is forced back by the release of Reiatsu. As he is quickly overwhelmed, Nelliel uses her "Lanzador Verde" technique. As he tries to stop with his Zanpakutō, the attack, getting through regardless, slams him against a slab of rock.

Going to Nnoitra, Nelliel tells him it is over, but he should not despair, as she will not take his life. When she instantaneously reverts into a child, much to everyone's surprise, Nnoitra, stepping on her, laughs before kicking her, resulting in an attack from an enraged Ichigo, who is slammed into the ground. After getting bored with fighting Ichigo, he commands Tesra to finish him off. As Tesra, releasing his Zanpakutō, beats Ichigo mercilessly, Nnoitra forces Orihime to watch as Ichigo is brutalized.

Aftermath
Tesra continues to beat up Ichigo, who is unable to fight back. When Nnoitra states Ichigo is just about finished, he is saved by the arrival of Kenpachi Zaraki.