Chapter three:
Ginjo was floating around in the warehouse aimlessly. "I never knew I can fly."
"Apparently, you can…" Ukiryuu yawned. "When's the pedophile coming back?"
Ginjo shrugged and at that exact time, the red-haired captain flew back into the warehouse. "Don't call me pedophile," he growled. "'Kay, now we got that matter cleared up… You two! Come with me!"
"Where are we going?" Ginjo whined.
"Somewhere!" Renji roared impatiently.
Ichigo Kurosaki inspected the excavation from the top of a tree stump. The hot desert sand whipped around his tall figure as he examined the scene. The majestic sphinx rose up from behind him on the bronze desert with the pyramids being framed against the afternoon sun.
"Kurosaki-san!" a tall lanky man scrambled up to him.
"Yes? Did we find the entrance to the true hidden tomb of Khufu?"
"Yes!!!" the man grinned.
"Yo, Rukia!" Ichigo exclaimed. "We found it!"
Rukia, Ichigo's wife dashed over to where the workers clustered around the newly discovered door. It was intricately carved with hieroglyph warnings about tomb robbers and images depicting the Egyptian gods.
Suddenly, a sharp ring split the air. It was Ichigo's phone.
"Hello?" he said into the phone.
"Ichigo?" a familiar voice hit him.
"Renji?" Ichigo made the connection.
"Yes, it's me," the red haired captain growled. "You never told me you had kids."
"I didn't?" Ichigo scratched his head. "Maybe it's just because you didn't listen!"
"Yeah, yeah," Renji mumbled. "But you never told me they were reincarnations of the cuarta and sexta espada!"
Ichigo narrowed his eyes. "Well if I told Soul Society, they might come and take them away because they're espadas."
Renji was silent. Then he said, "Well I know you can't help trying to protect your kids, but they have their own zanpakutous as well their own shinigami powers."
"What?" Ichigo blustered. He already knew that Ukiryuu had a zanpakutou but... "Even Ginjo?"
"Well, after you sent them to America," Renji explained, "They were attacked by a powerful hollow. Then, they got knocked out and when they woke up, they had zanpakutous."
"A hollow!?" the orange haired man said, quite shocked. "My kids were attacked by a hollow?!"
"Well, what do you expect if they had high spiritual pressure?"
Rukia came over with the sound of the commotion. "What? Ukiryuu and Ginjo have been attacked by a hollow?!"
Ichigo handed his cell phone to Rukia who chattered away about her children's safety. He reminisced back to the time when his kids were born and being raised.
The tall orange-haired man paced impatiently around the hospital waiting room. Sweat beaded on his permanently frowning eyebrows. His hands were clasped around his back.
"Dr. Kurosaki!" a doctor rushed up to him. He looked quite flustered. "Rukia had the twins!"
Ichigo rushed into the room. Rukia was holding two swaddled babies. Their shrill cries rent the air. "Healthy lungs, eh?" he grinned as he examined his offspring.
One had jet black hair, like Rukia's. The other baby had lighter hair, almost with a tint of blue to it.
Sudddenly, a blonde man in an overcoat and hat burst in. "Congratulations, Mr. Kurosaki!"
Ichigo eyes him suspiciously, but Rukia greeted him. Suddenly, he made the connection between the blue haired baby and someone he was not over fond of seeing ever again. The archaeologist grabbed the blonde man. This man had a penchant for annoying him.
"Urahara!" he roared. "Whose soul did you put into my son?!"
Urahara smiled and fanned himself. "Whose soul you say? I have no idea."
"Don't act dumb with me!" Ichigo growled dangerously. "This is Grimmjow, isn't it?"
Urahara's face fell. "I thought it would take you longer to recognize him. I put him into your son, because I believed he could redeem himself from the atrocities he commited as an espada by being your son. He will also be good practice for improving your people skills. After all, you don't go around grabbing people like this!"
"What about the other kid?" Ichigo asked.
"Oh," Urahara said slyly with a wink to his hat-shaded eyes, "He's normal."
The orange haired man glared at Urahara.
"Ichigo," Rukia chirped. "Let's name Grimmjow Ginjo."
Ichigo's eyes soften as his eyes traveled over to Rukia. "Sure."
"What about him?" Urahara asked cunningly, like a fox, while gesturing to the raven-haired baby. "I believe Ukiryuu would suit him."
"Ukiryuu?" Ichigo echoed. He was trying to remember something that came up from the depths of his mind triggered by that name.
"Oh, that's perfect!" Rukia smiled. "Ukiryuu and Ginjo Kurosaki! I have to write to Byakuya!"
Byakuya Kuchiki had retired as 6th company captain in the soul society and moved to America in the last few years. There, he was serving as a calligraphy artist. He was also head of Rukia's Kuchiki family as well as her brother.
Ichigo knew the next few years would be hard…
Ukiryuu and Ginjo: Age two
"Oww!" the raven haired boy yelled with pain. His blue haired brother grabbed his hair viciously. "Ginjo, stop it, seriously! This stuffed vampire is mine!"
His brother growled angrily. He must have that vampire! "Mama! Uki stole my vampire!"
Rukia sighed. The problems of parenthood haunted her every day since the day her twins had been born. The first few days had been happy and exciting, but then the chores became tedious, and finally when they had learned to speak and walk, all hell had broken loose in the Kurosaki household.
"Ginjo!" the mother scolded her son. "Stop pulling Uki's hair! Uki, is that your vampire?"
"Yes, mama," Uki glared at Ginjo with the intensity of a thousand green daggers. His green eyes flickered to Rukia.
Rukia had always found her son's eyes had been unsettling. They bore through her like two katanas made of emerald. It was as if Ukiryuu could read her mind. Rukia also saw something familiar in his emerald eyes. His jet black hair was as dark as a moonless night or a black abyss. It was always messy, no matter how many times Rukia had combed it.
Ginjo's eyes were like Ukiryuu's. They had the same cold pride as his like a snow leopard's eyes. His eyes were icy enough to freeze fire. His electric blue hair was beginning to have the same spikiness like Grimmjow's.
Rukia continued fixing the breakfast while her sons played. Ukiryuu tottered outside to the garden and began examining the roses that Rukia had cultivated. Ginjo began wandering around the kitchen, snatching food while she was not looking.
Ichigo came downstairs, his eyes brows frowned into a storm. "What's all the commotion?" he growled grumpily. He never liked getting awake early.
Behind him, a thin blonde boy with purple eyes followed close behind. This was Wonderweiss, whom the Kurosakis had adopted. He was also a former arrancar, but he was never violent in the way that arrancars go. Rukia had found him alone in Hueco Mundo and took him home to live in her closet. "Awaogh?"
"Breakfast is ready!" Rukia announced. "I got some waffles from Byakuya. He believes we might like them."
"What's a waffle?" Ichigo asked.
"They're like," Rukia tried to find the right words, "oh, just eat them and try it out!"
"Oww!" a sharp cry rented the air. "Ginjo's throwing food at me!"
Oh, no! Rukia thought. It starts again!
Ukiryuu and Ginjo: Age four (Also known as the First Kurosaki Annual Barbecue)
That day was a sunny day in Karakura town. Birds were chirping. The clouds harbored no threats of rain.
Ichigo was preparing some meat. Wonderweiss was doing only God knows what. Ginjo and Ukiryuu were playing in the garden while Rukia prepared a table for some invited people by their pool. The guests were coming in. Many people she had not seen in a long time filed in.
Byakuya was first to come in. He was dressed in a casual Hawaiian shirt and swim trunks. The former captain was holding a bulky bag.
"Konichiwa, Nii-sama!" Rukia hugged her brother. "Put the bag down. Must be a hard trip from America, right?"
"Not too bad," Byakuya replied. "Where are those twins of yours? I have a present for those two rascals."
"Ginjo! Uki!"
The two scrambled over. Ukiryuu was spotless, while Ginjo was covered in muck.
"Mom! Uki pushed me into the mud!"
"Ginjo…It was your own fault for throwing the plastic plates as Frisbees into the water…"
Rukia looked and there were indeed many plates floating on the water like albino lily pads. She palmed her face and shook her head.
Byakuya presented the twins with two paintings of their name in calligraphic form.
"Oh cool!" Ginjo grinned, quarrel forgotten. "My name is all pretty like!"
Ukiryuu just muttered a word of thanks and put it into his room.
Wonderweiss suddenly appeared with a grunt.
"Wonderweiss!" Rukia called. "Can you fetch all the plates from the water?"
"Augh!" Wonderweiss nodded and leapt into the pool.
Urahara then came in. "Rukia and Ichigo! How's it going for the twins?"
Ichigo looked at him suspiciously. "You seem to be quite interested in them. Are you a pedophile?"
The blonde shop-keeper shook his head. "No, no! Of course I'm not! I'm just worried about my best friend Ichigo's kids!"
"They're fine! A little troublesome, especially Ginjo. Uki's quiet and rarely gets into trouble," Rukia pushed her husband aside as she answered. "Ichigo! Go grill the meat!"
Wonderweiss then went up to her with the thirty-some plates in his hand.
"Thank you, Wonderweiss!" Rukia patted his wet head. She took the plates. "Now go get yourself into a new outfit!"
The blonde arrancar nodded and left.
Then the last of the guests came in. The barbeque had officially begun!
"Ginjo," Ukiryuu muttered, "move your elbow. You're taking up all the room!"
"Excuse me, but I believe you're the one who takes up all the room!" Ginjo pushed him.
Ukiryuu's elbow landed on his plate which catapulted his salad onto Hiyori. The Vizard retaliated by throwing her spare rib at Ginjo but missed and hit Wonderweiss. Wonderweiss grabbed his shish kebab and speared Love's magazine into the fence. Love grabbed his hot dog and threw it, which hit Byakuya across the face. Byakuya trembled with anger, all ketchup and mustard covered glory with the bun resting on his head, and shot off a wallop of mayonnaise from his spoon at the questioned Vizard. The mayonnaise hit Ginjo square on the nose. The little boy grabbed his chicken finger and threw it back but missed and hit his mother.
Rukia stood up, with chicken finger breading on her clothing. "That's enough!"
The people didn't seem to notice and continued throwing food at each other. Even Ichigo joined the fun.
And officially, the First Kurosaki Annual Barbecue was also known as the Battle of Flying Spare Rib, because that was the first food actually thrown by will.
Ukiryuu and Ginjo: Age 7
Ichigo was roughly shaken awake by his son, Ukiryuu.
It was the dead of the night, the moon fully visible against the stark black sky. The star studding the black velvet twinkled.
"Dad," he muttered, "I had a night mare…"
Ichigo groaned with annoyance. "A night mare? Aren't you too old?"
"No, Dad," Ukiryuu muttered. "Apparently, I'm not."
"Tell me about it."
"Well, I was being chased by people in black robes. They had big swords and stuff. Then, I felt really angry that they were chasing me and I killed them…"
"Have you been watching any horror movies with Ginjo, Uki?"
"No, then it came to another scene. You were in it, but you were wearing a black robe like the people I killed except it was ripped and frayed at the ends. You also had a white and black mask. Your eyes were gold and black. You had a black katana, with a strange motif on the hilt."
"Tell me more…" Ichigo ordered. He remembered the same scene except it was from his perspective. He had an idea about where this was leading.
"I had wings. And a huge white spear. A white robe and a helmet thing on my head. Then we fought. You were getting beaten really badly after I transformed again, and I shot a black blast and made a hole in you. Then, a girl came over and tried to heal you using something."
Ukiryuu paused for a bit, clearly shaken by the disturbing dream.
"She kind of looked like the picture of Aunty Orihime. Except much younger. Just like you. You woke up, with long hair and a mask with horns. Then, you injured me mortally so I fell down. The a younger Uncle Ishida came over and tried to stop you from killing me, but I kept asking you to kill me, saying that I was worthless for not being able to beat a human. You hurt Uncle Ishida. You were about to kill him, but I stopped you."
Ichigo nodded with understanding. Aunty Orihime had passed away before their birth but they had heard tales of her kindness.
"Then you turned back to normal with no hole. When you woke up, you asked for a rematch. Since I was missing an arm and leg, you asked me to cut off those limbs too. After that, there was a burning sensation in my wings. I was dying. Aunty Orihime came over. I asked her if she was afraid of me. She said no. Then, I was gone…"
Ukiryuu was silent.
Ichigo hugged him. "Come on," Ichigo smiled. "It was just a dream!"
He was answered by silence. Then Ukiryuu buried his face into Ichigo's shoulder and began crying.
Ichigo had never seen his son cry after his babyhood which was around 1 year of age. He had always maintained an aloof and steely composure. To see him break down after such a tiny thing was too much for him.
The archaeologist led his son back into his room and tucked him into the bed. "Try to sleep, 'Kay, kid?"
Ukiryuu nodded, sullenly. The tear streaks down his face reflected blue against the moon and his skin seemed paler in comparison to his normal hue. Ichigo concluded that he looked like someone all too familiar…
Ukiryuu Kurosaki was the former cuarta espada, Ulquiorra Cifer.
Rukia was awakened by the noise. Rukia muttered something to her husband.
"What was that, Ichigo?" Rukia asked.
"Apparently, Ukiryuu is the cuarta espada…" Ichigo exclaimed as he fell into his bed. "Damn Urahara! If I get my hands around him, I strangle him and give him to Mayuri for a test subject!"
"You mean, that…" Rukia began. "Emo guy?"
"You're calling your own son the emo guy then?" Ichigo hissed. "Well, we have two ex-espadas for our kids."
"Well," Rukia said as she settled down to sleep again, "that's great. I knew something looked familiar about those green eyes…"
"Dad, there's a man in my closet!" Ginjo's plaintive cry of fear broke the silence of the room. He ran in, his blue eyes melted into twin puddles of terror.
Ichigo groaned grumpily. "Now what?!"
He picked up Ginjo in his broad arms.
"He has a long green snake…I think it's gonna bite me! It's gonna bite me!" Ginjo wailed.
Ichigo went into the room. The closet was open, and the darkness let reveal a purple light. The archaeologist grabbed Ginjo's baseball bat and opened the door to reveal Wonderweiss?!
Wonderweiss was playing Pokémon on the Nintendo DS. He was holding a long stuffed Rayquaza plushie.
"So that's where you moved Wonderweiss!" Ichigo glared at the arrancar.
"Is that a problem?" Wonderweiss suddenly hissed back icily as he tried to catch an Aron.
"Woah!" Ichigo fell backwards in surprise. "You can talk?!"
"Of course I can, dimwit!" Wonderweiss crossed his arms across his chest and shrilled indignantly. "What did you think I was, a retard?!"
"That," Ichigo and Ginjo replied in unison.
Wonderweiss palmed his face in despair.
Ukiryuu and Ginjo: Age 10
After that episode, Ichigo persuaded Rukia not to let their kids to be exposed to shinigamis in fear of waking their entire past memories with their spiritual energies. They also decided not to let their children know of their true identities in fear of the same things happening. Three years passed swiftly, with the two spiritual pressures increasing significantly as they grew older.
Ginjo and Ukiryuu were playing on the family Playstation in the family room.
"Die!" Ginjo grinned as he mashed buttons.
"Run away, you idiot!" Ukiryuu punched his shoulder gently. "You're gonna die!"
Ginjo continued attacking the evil zombies, but then that resulted in his death. Soon afterwards, Ukiryuu died with no back-up.
"Fool!" Ukiryuu glared at his brother. The screen blared a "Game Over" and started playing funeral music.
"It was your fault for not saving me at the heal center!" Ginjo retorted.
"Ridiculous!" Ukiryuu raged. "You shouldn't have died first!"
"Apparently, as Stark told me," Ichigo muttered to Rukia, "this was the same kind of relationship that existed between Grimmjow and Ulquiorra. They had conflicting natures and personalities, the like…"
Rukia nodded.
The little fight over the video game ended with both Ginjo stalking silently away back to his room. Ukiryuu went up to Ichigo clearly disturbed.
"Who is Grimmjow Jaegerjacquez?" he asked.
The silence that followed it was heavy. Ichigo did not want to answer the question. It must be from his memories so that he remembered his former nemesis.
"I don't know."
Ukiryuu's piercing green eyes met Ichigo's. They read him like a book, and he almost flinched at the intensity.
"You're lying," Ukiryuu hissed icily. "Tell me."
Ichigo sighed. He knew it was time. The former shinigami explained it all. About his adventures. About his enemies. About his friends.
Ukiryuu absorbed the information like a sponge soaking up water. He suddenly remembered everything. "I see. That is why you never told us about out former identities. You're afraid of the Soul Society taking us away because we're so powerful."
Ichigo nodded. "You learn very fast."
"That was why I was the cuarta espada, Kurosaki," Ukiryuu replied. "I never got that rank for nothing."
The archaeologist felt a familiar twinge of annoyance. This was the Ulquiorra he knew from his former life. "Hey, I'm still your father. Call me Kurosaki again and I'll make sure you never wish to call me that again!"
Ukiryuu smiled slightly. "Bring it, Kurosaki."
"Tschuss," Ichigo muttered. "Respect for your elders! Treat me like you did to Aizen. You used to patronize him!"
"Yes, Kurosaki-sama," Ukiryuu bowed, turned, and moved into the kitchen to help Rukia with chores.
"Wait!" Ichigo yelled.
The piercing eyes moved directions and faced him. "Yes?"
"Don't tell Ginjo. He is not as responsible as you. That fool would probably spout the truth out all over the place and bring us trouble."
"Yes, Kurosaki-sama," Ukiryuu said and disappeared into the kitchen.
Ukiryuu and Ginjo: Age 13
Ukiryuu's personality changed the past three years. He began to act in the same manner as his former self, the cuarta espada. The teen spent most of his time locked up inside his room doing god knows what. Ginjo didn't change much.
Ichigo decided to go into Ukiryuu's room to investigate. Today was a perfect day, since his son was at the library. As he opened the door, he felt a barrier of spiritual energy blocking his way. He easily broke it. The father was surprised at his son's self tutoring ability to teach himself to make a barrier so that none of his spiritual energy could get out of the house. When he came in, the scene surprised him more.
There was a zanpakutou laying in the corner, almost hidden by a wrecked bookshelf. It was the sword of Ichigo's former enemy himself, the cuarta espada. The katana had the same green sheathe and eye marking on the hilt. Books were strewn everywhere, scorch marks decorated the walls, and there were a few dents in the ceiling.
Ichigo picked the katana up. It was light. How had his son managed to form his zanpakutou? He wouldn't be surprised to find out a few years later, he would be able to do shikai and Bankai. He never knew how wrong he would be.
"What are you doing here, father?"
The archaeologist turned to find him staring into two forest green orbs. Ukiryuu had come back unexpectedly.
"I was surprised to see that you managed to form your own zanpakutou and get shinigami powers by yourself."
"I was surprised to see you invading my privacy. The barrier I set up would be sufficient to keep in all the spiritual energy released when I formed my Murciélgo."
"You can do Bankai?!"
"Release, Bankai," Ukiryuu muttered, "Whatever you wish to call it. They're both practically the same."
His father nodded with amazement. His son was truly astounding.
"May I ask you leave my domain?" the teen now shinigami muttered.
Ichigo nodded and left. He went straight to Rukia and blabbered it all out.
Rukia shook her head. "You're talking too fast. What did you say?"
The orange haired archaeologist opened his mouth to complain that his wife should listen better but he decided to summarize it. "Ukiryuu can do bankai."
Rukia's eyes opened wide. "What?! At such an age? How can he do it? Where did he learn it?"
"Apparently, he taught himself and unlocked his shinigami powers…"
"I'm so proud of him!"
"Can we let the Vizards train him?" Ichigo asked.
"Since he seems able to take care of himself, I guess so…"
The next day, Ichigo led his son to the Vizard warehouse where he once trained to gain more power. Ukiryuu recognized most of the faces who had attended the Kurosaki Annual Barbecue.
"Hey, Kurosaki!" a tall blonde man strode up to Ichigo.
"Get away from me, Shinji," Ichigo hissed icily.
"Why all the hostility?" Shinji smiled. "This must be Ukiryuu?"
The teen nodded.
"Well what do you need of me?" Shinji said.
"Teach my son to gain Vizard powers," Ichigo replied bluntly.
"At this young an age?!" Shinji exclaimed and backed away. "No can do. Let him grow up a bit more."
Ukiryuu stepped in to argue. "In case you haven't noticed, I was Ulquiorra Cifer, the former cuarta espada."
"I can tell," Shinji muttered and sat on a chair.
The ex-espada narrowed his eyes into green slits. "Did I mention I learned how to do Bankai by myself?"
"You're lying," the blonde man replied as he ate a cherry. "No one has done that!"
"Do you really want to be proven wrong?" Ukiryuu queried softly, sounding deadly serious.
"Bring it, little boy," Shinji yawned.
"Hachi!" Ichigo yelled. "Put up more powerful barriers!"
Hachi, a giant of a man, began doing so.
Ukiryuu drew his zanpakutou out of thin air. Then he unsheathed it out into its four feet keenness. "Bind…Murciélgo."
There was an explosion of spiritual energy as Ukiryuu was enveloped in fog.
The Vizards stared in awe, awaiting the outcome.
Two black wings unfurled from the smoke dispelling it. Ukiryuu was holding a lance of lightning and a helmet with four horns rested on his head. He was wearing a white robe with a black obi sash.
All who saw Ukiryuu's Bankai were in awe. Learning Bankai at such an age was rare, but even rarer was those who self tutored themselves.
Shinji gaped in amazement. Ichigo felt a shiver run down his spine at the sight of his former nemesis almost reborn.
"I told you."
"How did you do it?" the blonde leader of the vizard gasped in amazement.
"Apparently, I tapped into my former self's memory of what knowledge I had about shinigamis," Ukiryuu explained as he tossed his lightning lance, whom his former self had named Lanza de Relámpago. "I wrecked one of my bookshelves in the process of my first Bankai, so I never did it again inside my room in fear of breaking more furniture. I hoped I could find an open place like this to release it in."
"Okay," Shinji gaped. "I'll train you…"
"That's better now, Hirako-sensei," Ukiryuu smiled.
On the next day, Ukiryuu trained on the Hiyori Walker.
"What does this do?" Ukiryuu grumbled.
"It helps you build stamina!" Hiyori yelled back from behind a sofa. She was eating popcorn and watching a movie with the rest of the Vizards while Ukiryuu was training.
"What is this thing called again?" Ukiryuu asked.
"It's called the Super Hiyori Walker!" Kensei answered. "Shut up and let us watch this movie in peace!"
"More like the shitty Hiyori walker…" Ukiryuu muttered.
"What did you say?!" Hiyori roared and pounced on Ukiryuu who tumbled onto the ground.
"Oww!" Ukiryuu grunted. He held Hiyori in a half-nelson, something he had learned from watching UFC with Ginjo.
"Get offa me you great lump!" Hiyori protested. Ukiryuu released but was rewarded with a vicious punch to the face that left him with a bloody nose.
"I should've broken your neck when I had the chance," Ukiryuu mumbled regretfully.
"Get back on the walker!" Hiyori ordered massaging her neck.
After another thirty minutes on the "Shitty" Hiyori walker Ukiryuu grabbed Shinji. "I can't bear another moment on that thing!"
The Vizards held a brief conference.
"Should we let him start the training?"
"He'll get consumed by his hollow!"
"Let's call Ichigo first!"
"Will he be able to handle his inner hollow's power?"
Shinji dialed a few numbers onto his phone. "Yo, Ichigo!"
"Yes?"
"Your son wants to start the real deal."
"Let him."
"You know the risk, right?"
"If I could do it back then, then he can! Besides, he learned Bankai by himself. He's one of a kind!"
"Well, you better talk to Rukia about this…"
"We agreed on letting him do Vizard training already."
"Alright then."
Shinji shut of the phone. "Let's start!"
Hachi erected a powerful barrier in a cube around Shinji and Ukiryuu. The rest of the Vizards stood back watching the action.
"Now do the same thing as you did when you were trying to find your zanpakutou's name," Shinji ordered.
"I already knew it when I got my memories back," Ukiryuu replied. "That was how I learned bankai."
"Ehh," Shinji scratched his head. "Hachi! Use the special treatment!"
Hachi lumbered forward. Ukiryuu fell asleep under his spell.
Ukiryuu woke up. The sky was black. White sand stretched as far as the eye can see. The only prominent figure was a massive domed building and a shadow.
The teen recognized the shadow. "Ulquiorra Cifer," he greeted his former self.
Ulquiorra stepped out from the shadows. He looked like Ukiryuu, except with paler skin and tear like streaks running down his face. His eyes were the same startling green as Ukiryuu's. A half horned bone helmet rested on his messy black hair.
"Welcome to your former world, Ukiryuu," Ulquiorra gestured to the sands.
The raven haired boy had seen this place before. "Hueco Mundo. World of Hollows."
"I know what you want, Ukiryuu," the arrancar said in a monotone. "Vizard powers. For that, you must defeat me."
Ukiryuu nodded swiftly. He drew Murciélgo. "I am ready."
Ulquiorra drew his own katana which was the same as Murciélgo. "It will not be easy, with your soul as forfeit."
"I know," Ukiryuu nodded again.
The two clashed together with a clang of steel.
Shinji gasped as immense spiritual energy was released. Hot winds blasted him, almost breaking the barrier. A massive cloud of dust rose, shrouding Ukiryuu's form. Shinji readied himself.
A form lunged at him. Shinji parried it with his sword. He drew his hand across his face to bring out his Vizard mask. He would need it for vasto lordes.
Ukiryuu's half human half hollow body was terrifying. What else could you expect from a vasto lorde turned ex-espada? The hollow mask covered his face with a skull like fanged visage. Two horns protruded from his helmet crowning his head. Black wings sprouted from his back. His legs and arms were hollow form, with massive gashing talons that ripped things as if they were air. A whip lash tail swung to and fro, battering the sides of the wall. Ukiryuu roared.
Outside the Vizards watched in amazement.
"Vasto lorde?"
"I guess so."
"What power! I can feel it emanating through Hachi's barriers!"
"You got twenty nine minutes left!"
Shinji braced himself for the vasto lorde's next ferocious assault.
Inside, Ukiryuu and Ulquiorra had both released. They looked like mirror images of each other, complete with horns, wings, tail, and lances. One had a hollow hole, one didn't.
Ukiryuu was sweating profusedly. He knew his greatest enemy was always himself, since they could calculate each other moves and know what to expect.
Ulquiorra on the other hand was also tired. His reincarnated self had many tricks up his sleeves like changing fighting maneuvers in an attempt to surprise him. A couple of them had worked. Gashes across the arrancar's chest flowed dark blood as it bled.
"Good fight, eh?" Ukiryuu grinned meekly. His body had not gone without wounds. His thigh had been nicked and one arm had been cut to the bone. One wing was ripped at the edges. Ukiryuu tried to block out the burning pain.
The cuarta espada on the other hand suddenly dropped his lance. "You win."
"Really?" Ukiryuu gaped in amazement. "It's only been ten minutes."
"Ten minutes of fighting myself has worn me out."
"Thank you," Ukiryuu nodded gratefully.
"Ridiculous," Ulquiorra muttered. "Why would you need to thank me? After all you did beat me fairly like your father did."
Outside, Shinji was bone weary. He had never expected a vasto lorde to be this strong. But now, Ukiryuu/Hollow was motionless. Shinji braced himself for more attacks.
"Who were you in your past life?" Ukiryuu asked as he bandaged his wounds with some ripped linen from the edges of his robe.
Ulquiorra's self healing had left him like the fight had never happened. "Me? I think…The place where I live had sand, a lot of it. A great golden step pyramid rose in the distance."
"Egypt?" the teen asked in shock. "But I thought you were from Japan?!"
"Is Ulquiorra a Japanese name?" the arrancar asked his reincarnation. "I was the son of a general. Grimmjow was in my past life too. He was the Pharoah's son. Orihime was in it too. She was princess of the palace. My father died when I was young. My mother was gone as well, from a disease. I was the only one left, playing in the gardens of the pharaoh with Grimmjow and Orihime. I don't remember her name back then.
"Apparently, I fell in love with Orihime," he continued wistfully. His eyes radiated a calm sadness. "She was to be wed to a wealthy man, under the orders of her father. The princess didn't want to marry him but we declared our love secretly. Somehow, Orihime's father found out and had me executed. She suicided. Grimmjow tried to save me but got killed by a rebel who wanted Orihime's betrothed to the throne."
Ukiryuu could not help but give his heart out to his former self. "So that's why you turned hollow."
Ulquiorra nodded melancholically.
"Well," Ukiryuu said. "I must go. Thanks for letting me win."
"I had to redeem myself to Orihime, wherever she is now. Also, to Ichigo. Good bye, Ukiryuu. May we meet again."
The hollow parts of Ukiryuu's inert body flaked off. The rest of the hollow parts flaked off except for the mask which remained. The only markings on the bare white were the two tear streaks running down from each eye.
Shinji nodded happily. "He survived."
Ukiryuu strode forward and grabbed Shinji. The blonde man was shocked. Had the hollow taken over the body?
"You ass," Ukiryuu snarled, the jawbones of the mask parting and clacking together. "You never told me what to do! I had to guess that I needed to fight Ulquiorra!"
Shinji smiled sheepishly. "You figured out yourself, right? That's all there is to it!"
Ukiryuu glared at him. "I'm outta here." He dropped the Vizard's leader. "Peace!"
