Chapter 26
"What are you doing?"
Ulquorria was the first to speak as the shield was dispersing into nothing after he had shattered it.
"Huh?" Orihime said in confusion.
"I'm asking, why did you help him?" Ulquorria stated again.
"Because, he's..."
"Because he's your friend?" He interrupted. "But, then why didn't you shield him from the first blow? Why did you hesitate?"
Dante frowned and slowly flipped Astrid so the blade was facing forwards.
"I'll tell you why. It's because..."
Dante then vanished with sonido and slashed at Ulquorria, who blocked without looking. He glanced out of the corner of his eye as their blades remained locked and said, "It's unlike you Dante, to charge in like this."
Dante was pushed back and flipped from the force before landing and replied.
"Well, I think Ichigo would agree with me when I say we don't need to hear your little speech about hesitation, since it's just a mind game. Though I'm sincerely surprised. When we first met, you were the silent type."
Ichigo smirked as he grabbed his sword with both hands. "I was thinking the same thing. Inoue."
She looked at Ichigo and his gaze softened slightly. "Thanks for the shield, but just...keep yourself safe."
She looked down and nodded slowly, looking a bit ashamed to have interfered. But she did back up to a wall as asked, which, Dante noticed, had a paper thin line on it. His eyes narrowed and thought, 'I'm missing something.'
But Ichigo distracted him by creating a large Getsuga Tensho, looking ready to fire it.
"A Getsuga? Haven't you learned they aren't effective y..." He was cut off as Ichigo didn't fire off the Getsuga, but charged forward, keeping the blast in his blade.
Ulquorria blocked the attack while thinking, 'He kept the energy in the blade so it would be a sword slash with Getsuga Tensho's power behind it. Creative.'
"But not enough." Ulquorria slashed again, dispersing the energy before they started trading blows quickly.
Orihime was now standing close to the wall with her back towards it as the battle went on, looking worringly at Ichigo as she did. Dante suddenly snapped his head towards her. 'Something's not right. I feel something.'
No sooner then he formed this thought, the entire wall swung backwards silently, with four hands reaching out of the shadows towards Orihime.
"Shit!" Dante grunted. He had forgotten two people. Orihime was just aware as two hands grabbed her arms while another one held her mouth and wrenched her head around to see one person. Loly. And she looked crazed as she muttered something to Orihime that caused her to look fearful.
"Let her go Loly!" Dante shouted at loly and Menoly. They both looked up, surprised they had been spotted as Dante charged forwards at high speed. Ichigo had heard Dante's shout and turned at the same time. Seeing her predicament, he also rushed to try and rescue Orihime.
"Stop or I'll pluck out her eye!" Loly shouted, but Ichigo and Dante didn't slow. They would make it in time.
Only Ichigo was stopped as Ulquorria appeared in front of the group and slashed. Ichigo blocked and shouted in anger, "Out of the way!"
"Then defeat me." He retorted as they started trading blows again.
Loly and Menoly had been so put off by he Ulquorria's safe that they didn't see Dante until he was kicking them both away, flying backwards and hitting the ground hard.
"Are you all right?" Dante asked as he looked her over.
Orihime nodded slowly. From what Dante could see, her clothes were only ripped while she had been unharmed.
Dante whirled around and punched seemingly empty air, stopping Loly who had been trying to get close to sonido. The punch hit Loly right beneath the rib cage, sending a whoof of breath and sliding to the ground.
"Leave her alone Loly. Or you're answering to me." Dante growled.
"That little bitch needs to be knocked off her pedestal." Loly shouted back. "And you need to die for betraying Azien you freak!"
Loly shouted in pain and clutched her side. Tier and Nel we standing in front of Dante now, both blades stained red on side.
"Loly!" Menoly shouted as she rushed to her friends sides.
"Talk to Dante like that again..." Tier said in a low tone.
"...and you will receive much worse." Nel finished in the same tone.
Loly looked at her side to see two slashes forming an X on her skin, not too deep.
"Nel, Tier, take care of Orihime." Dante said looking down at the floor with narrowed eyes. "We have company."
They heard rumble and the room started shaking until the ground behind Loly first cracked, then burst outwards like an explosion reveling...Yammy.
His entrance caused all battles to stop for the moment while Nel and Tier both readied their blades. Yammy got through and got a look around. He then smirked when he spotted Ulquorria and said, "Hey Ulquorria. Came to help."
"I never asked for help from you Yammy." Ulquorria stated.
Ichigo was frozen as he realized this was the other Arrancar from before. But he seemed...bigger.
"Ah, don't be like that. Seems like the kid has gotten a little stronger. Let me try him."
Ulquorria looked Yammy over.
"I see. You've recovered completely. But like I said before, you're helps not needed. Either go back to sleep or go clean up the shinigami captains that got here."
"Ah, don't be so stingy Ulquorria." Yammy said in a friendly tone. Then he stopped and looked around, instantly spotting Menoly and Loly, both looking scared. Yammy swung his arm and backhanded Menoly carelessly, sending her flying and smashing through a wall outside the tower.
"Menoly!" Loly shouted in fear. Dante reacted in an instant and sonido'd out, grabbing Menoly and brining her back in, settling her in a corner and quickly looking her over. She had a broken arm, three fractured ribs, and sever bruising. She would need medical attention, but he couldn't provide that now.
Yammy was leaning over Loly and smirking as he asked, "What are two rats like you doing here? You're in the way, so why don't you just...die?"
Yammy reached forwards to grab Loly, but Dante sonido'od in front of him and lightly pressed the tip of his dagger into Yammy's hand, stopping him.
"I wouldn't try that if I was you." Dante said in a voice that the others hadn't heard him use. It was dark, powerful, and his eyes showed centuries of power and knowledge. It reminded them of some sort of storm.
"Dante. Good to see you, but I think I heard you say you betrayed Azien, so, what do you say to a fight or two?" Yammy said with a wide smile.
"Poision, Escolopendra!"
Everyone turned around to see Loly had gone into her released state. She had taken on the form of a centipede-like creature, her mask grown and covering both of her cheeks. She had armor over her legs, arms, breasts, and neck, while her arms now had the form of two long centipede-like creatures, which were sending out a liquid that sizzled and melted whatever it touched.
"You will all die here by my poision!" Loly shouted as she started shooting liquid towards them. Everyone dodged with ease, Yammy getting close easily and smashing his fist down on her like a bug. Loly grunted while blood started flowing from her mouth. Yammy picked her up with ease, keeping her arms pinned and unable to move as he lifted her up and said in a bored tone,
"That's it? I expected more even from you."
"Damn it... Taken down...by trash like you..." Loly spat out hatefully.
"Hhmm?" Yammy questioned before smashing through the wall. He held Loly outside as he said in a singsong tone, "I can't hear~ you."
Loly didn't respond as her head rolled loosly, apparently knocked out.
"That's really it?" Yammy snorted. "How boring." He grumbled as he let go of Loly, who quickly began falling out of sight.
"That's it."
Everyone looked to Dante, who unlike earlier didn't seem angry. Now, he was smirking at Yammy.
"You really that confident Dante? Care to test your luck?" Yammy challenged.
"No, times up. Because someone's making a come back." Dante checked the Ultramatrix and said, "In 3...2...1."
They heard the flapping of cloth as Uryu appeared outside the hole Yammy just made, an arrow cocked in his bow. Yammy whirled as Uryu fired it at Yammy, hitting him in the shoulder. The force of it forced Yammy forwards onto the ground as Uryu landed on the inside of the tower. But Yammy instantly got to his feet in rage and spun, rushing towards him while shouting, "Who the fuck are you?"
"That much power and it still didn't pierce you? Not bad." Uryu noted over his shoulder. But he said as Yammy was about to take another step forwards,
"But, it might be good to watch your step."
Dante smirked and quickly brought out some sunglasses before it happened. An explosion of flame from underneath Yammy, like a pillar of fire that was at least 15 feet across and it came from underneath the floor.
"That mad scientist gave me a special anti-Arrancar mine before I left." Uryu said as the floor gave out under Yammy, but he managed to grab the edge of the hole by one hand, his clothes and skin burned slightly.
"You bastard..." Yammy growled as she tried to hold on.
"You must be the Yammy that Szayel mentioned earlier." Uryu said without turning around.
"What if I am?" Yammy demanded.
"Too bad Uryu came by. Guess our fight will have to wait till later."
Yammy suddenly felt a sharp pain across his fingers as Dante sliced with Astrid and he let go out of instinct.
"Ciao." Dante said with a two fingered salute.
"You bastarrrrrrrrreeeeeeeddddd..." Yammy shouted as he fell through the hole and then down and down and down, through every other floor.
Dante leaned over the hole and winced every time there heard a crack, which happened three or four times before Dante whistled and said, "Nice going Uryu. You broke the pillars on every floor as you came up?"
"Yes. Took a while too."
"I believe it. Looks like Chuckles patched you up pretty well." Dante noted with a quick look over. Indeed, Uryu didn't look like he was injured at all and even his clothes were fixed. No, wait a moment...
"Oh crap. Don't tell me you actually brought a back up cape."
Uryu frowned and simply looked away, though Dante did see a slight blush.
"Dude, get a freaking hobby besides sewing. Or better yet, a girlfriend." Dante snorted. Ichigo chuckled. After Uryu kept annoying him, it was nice to see him humiliated now.
"Right, getting back to things. Nel, Tier, please keep Orihime safe, while Ichigo and I both take care of Ulquorria." Dante asked them in a conversational tone. Both of them nodded and instantly used sonido to appear next to her and help her to her feet. Her clothing were slightly ripped and she had a few bruises, but nothing time couldn't fix.
"Meanwhile, Ulquorria, Ichigo."
Both turned towards him and Dante jerked a thumb at the hole in the wall and said simply, "Going up and out."
Ulquorria narrowed his eyes and said, "Very well. I shall show you my full power."
He vanished and Dante turned to Ichigo, saying seriously, "Ichigo, when were fighting him, keep a calm head. Don't blink, not even for a second." Dante couldn't help but think of how that phrase applied to another creature as well, but ignored it for the time being.
"Have your hollow mask on for the whole time. And don't, stop pressing him. Understood?"
Ichigo nodded and Dante said, "Then let's go."
Dante lifted off the floor and flew out off the hole while Ichigo followed, both rapidly ascending while the others ran to the hole to watch them go, Orihime looking worried. Nel and tier were too, but they hid it better as Dante and Ichigo went through the hole.
Ichigo and Dante both landed on top of the dome and looked up, Ichigo slipping on his mask as he did so. Ulquorria was standing on a pillar high above them, his back to the crescent moon, and ready to fight as he stated,
"Are you both prepared to die?"
"Nobody's dying today Ulquorria. Not even you." Dante stated before saying,
"Turn back the clock Astrid."
Ichigo was holding his sword both both hands as he growled, "What are you waiting for?"
'If I'm right, and I'm rarely wrong, he's about to release him self.' Dante thought.
"Observe." Ulquorria stated as he rose his blade. "Enclose, Murciélago."
A blast of air was blown back while black flames with a hint of green in them.
The flames then exploded outwards like a dark rain, as his spirit pressure increased enormously, unlike anything Ichigo had felt before. Dante had felt power several times higher, but it was formidable nevertheless.
Ulquorria was now in the same state as earlier, looking much more like a vampire then before.
"Don't blink."
Ichigo got into a more secure stance as Ulquorria stated, "Don't blink, lower your awareness for a second. Keep you reflexes sharp. And observe..."
Ulquorria started forming an green lance from earlier and said, "...The gap in our powers."
The next thing Ichigo knew, Ulquorria was at his neck and about to decapitate him. Ichigo's eyes widened and was about to unleash a Getsuga Tensho on instinct, but before he could, Dante was was kicking Ulquorria away from Ichigo, sending him skidding to the side.
"You all right?" Dante asked, not taking his eyes from Ulquorria.
Ichigo's was too shocked to reply as he tried to contemplate what just happened. Ulquorria had been fast, too fast for him to see in hollowfied state?
"Ichigo, get your head out of your ass and wake up!"
Ichigo jumped as Ulquorria was charging again and wanted was blocking him from getting to Ichigo, trading blows at super high speed with the blades whistling and the air howling as they clashed. Ichigo cursed himself for freezing and flash stepped behind him, Dante getting out of ten way as Ichigo shouted, "Getsuga Tensho!"
The blast of darkness engulfed the fourth Espada with ease. Ichigo hopped it might have damaged him, but then they spotted a green slash through the wave, splitting it in half to reveal him to be completely unharmed.
"No way. You're not injured?" Ichigo said in disbelief.
"Your strength has increased, but nothing worthy of note. Though that attack, it's similar to our own Ceros."
"Cero? Don't comprehend my attack to that shit." Ichigo growled out.
"Ichigo, now would be a really good time to swallow you pride and shut up. He's baiting you." Dante warned while slowly moving his hand to the Ultramatrix. He knew what was coming and needed something ready to block it.
"You've never seen a fully powered cero before have you?" The bat like espada asked while raising two fingers.
"Ichigo..." Dante said in a warning tone.
"Then allow me to show you my cero."
Ulquorria's credo quickly charged, a ball of night, as he state, "Cero ouscuors."
Dante rapidly ran through the list of power at his disposal and finally found a picture of two circles on either side of a stick figure.
"Got it!" He shouted as he slammed the dial, just as Ulquorria fired his cero at Ichigo. He remained frozen as the wave of darkness born down on him until Dante appeared in front with sonido, sheathed Astrid, and held both arms up palms out and teeth gritted as the attack apparently hit.
The emotionless espada waited until the attack was pass while thinking, 'Why didn't he block that attack? What power did he choose now?'
The attack passed as Dante and Ichigo were fine, but Dante hunched over and panted heavily, sweating profusely.
"Dante, you alright?" Ichigo quickly helped Dante stand and asked, "Why'd you do that? I wasn't worth it."
"What...and leave...you...to take...the hit?" Dante panted out.
"Pointless."
The two looked up to see the fourth espada looking bored as he asked, "You apparently used an enormous amount of energy simply to block my attack, yet you achieved nothing but a minute to live."
Dante grinned through his exhaustion and said, "Who said I blocked the attack?"
Ulquorria cocked his head, curious what Dante meant.
"Hey, Ulquorria." Dane called while holding out his right palm at him. "I think this is yours!"
Dante's hand glowed green around the edges and Ulquorria heard a sound behind him. He looked over his shoulder to see a hole in space, edged with green and pitch black. He heard a rushing sound that sounded familiar, then the Espada's eyes widened in shock as he spotted a hint of green in the black. From the hole rushed out Ulquorria's cero, crashing into him from behind and below.
Dante smirked at the sight and commented, "Like the saying goes, 'what goes around come around.'"
Down below, the girls and Uryu were looking up at the dome, Tier and Nel with 'calm' faces, Uryu collected, and Orihime with a worried face. They heard a massive explosion and finally Orihime couldn't stand it.
"Uryu, please take me to the top." Orihime pleaded as she turned to look at him. Everyone looked at her, surprised that anyone had spoken.
"Orihime..." Uryu said hesitantly.
"Uryu, please. I...I need to do this. I need to know." Orihime said with wide eyes.
Tier and Nel smiled faintly. Both could clearly see Orihime cared for Ichigo deeply, and she would do anything to be by his side.
Uryu knew better then to argue as well and sighed while thinking, 'Don't make me regret this Ichigo.'
"Okay. Hang on a minute."
Uryu held out his hand and concentrated. Several small scraps of white light started forming in the air before they combined into a platform the right size for two people. Uryu waved his hand and brought it close enough to step on, which he did. Orihime timidly followed him on, unsure, but the platform held. He looked back to the others apologetically and said, "I'm sorry, but this is the largest platform I can make."
"Don't be. We can get up on our own." Nel said in a kind voice before looking to Tier and nodded, which she returned. They both glared at the hole in the sky and vanished with sonido, not wasting any time. Dante needed them.
Back with Dante and Ichigo, Dante was starting to get his breath as the cero he had redirected at ulquorria was clearing to show he was now moderately damaged, his clothes torn, some skin burned and in a few places burning. But he showed no discomfort, merely looked curiously at Dante and asked, "What was that power? You showed nothing like it before?"
"I haven't shown even an eighth of my powers at my disposal. But since you're so curious, let's see if you can't guess. Observe."
Dante pointed at his feet and his hand glowed again, but this time it was a red glow. A red rimmed hole opened at his feet and he fell inside, the hole closing behind him.
Ulquorria looked surprised. Dante's spirit energy had completely vanished.
"Think. What power could this be?" He cast his mind back to when Dante had redirected his cero, but before he could think, Ichigo was behind him with flash step, his sword swinging with his hollow mask on. Ulquorria blocked with his bare hand, not looking. Ichigo looked shocked and Ulquorria kicked behind him, slamming into Ichigo's stomach. He coughed out blood then went flying from the shock wave. He hit the roof and went sliding across hit, groaning along the way with every hit.
"Pathetic." Ulquorria said as he created another lance. Before he could launch it, he heard something behind him, some sort of a breeze. He looked over his shoulder to see another portal behind him, this one green around the edges like before. His eyes widened and tried to move out of the way, but he was too slow as Dante flashed out, slicing out a chunk of Ulquorria's side as he did, right between the ribs. Dante spun in mid air skidded back, stopping next to Ichigo as he stood up.
"You all right?" Dante asked, not taking his eyes from Ulquorria.
"Fine. But I don't see how we can take him down. He's too fast and strong for meas he is now."
"Don't know. And my ability is taxing. We need to..."
Dante felt something and looked down saying, "Hhmm?"
He heard two tell tale signs of sonido, as did Ulquorria. He turned then instantly ducked forward as a sword sliced at his head, only to flip backwars when another tried to slice him from behind.
Dante saw the both movements and smiled widely. "Nice to see you two decided to join us."
Tier and Nel both papered in front of Dante with their backs to him, smiling while not looking away from Ulquorria.
"We got worried. Decided to chip in. You don't mind?" Nel asked.
"Not at all. This ability was too taxing to use alone anyways."
"So, two more traitors to Master Azien decided to join." Ulquorria stated as he stood up.
"You cannot beat us Ulquorria. You failed to defeat me, with Nel and Dante here as well, you know you cannot win."
"I beg to differ."
Dante narrowed his eyes, as Tier and Nel did. They knew Ulquorria wasn't one to act like this, not unless he was confident he could win no matter what. But they had no choice, they had to end this now.
"Then you leave us no choice." Nel stated as she held her sword horizontalaly in front of her while Tier held her blade down. Nel's sword started glowing pink and producing faint pink smoke as she said, "Declare, Gamuza."
Nel was covered in a blast of pink smoke as her spirit pressure skyrocketed, while at the same time Tier said, "Destroy, Tiburón!"
Two blasts of water came from behind Tier, looking like a heart before they closed clam like around her, swirling rapidly before a familiar hire sword tip came from the middle and slashed down, dispersing the water allowing her to step out in her released state while the smoke around Nel also dispersed to show her new form.
Nel had the form of a brownish-green ibex-like centaur, complete with a black horse's tail. Her Hollow mask's horns were longer and more curved, and also extended slightly, framing the sides of her face, particularly the cheeks. Her shoulders were covered by white spaulders that come across her shoulder blade to her neck, complete with white elbow guards and white gauntlets. The parts of her arm that weren't covered by armor hadcovered by a black material, which also covered her hands, clenching Gamuza which had transformed into a double-sided lance.
"Nice look Nel." Dante complimented in an impressed voice. "Very impressive."
She smiled and felt pleased Dante approved of how she looked, but then her face hardened and she sank slightly to ready for battle, Tier doing the same. Dante noticed and thought, 'Hmmm. My powers drained considerable from using this ability. Better stop for the time being and stick with hand to hand combat.' Dante tapped the Ultramatrix dial and felt his portal powers become sealed again for the time being.
"Okay, Nel, get in close, Tier, use some long range attacks for now, Ichigo and I will support Nel."
"Got it." Tier replied as she kneeled down then jumped up, stopping twenty feet a over he dome.
"Ichigo, you ready?" Dante asked as he held Astrid pointed forwards.
"Yeah." Ichigo after gulping, his grip tightening. Dante noticed and said sharply, "Ichigo!"
He jumped and looked at Dante, who smiled brightly and said, "Just relax. We'll be fine if we work together."
Ichigo looked at Dante and smiled under his mask, his grip relaxing. Dante was right. He couldn't afford to get nervous. He needed to support the group and attack with his head clear. He turned back feeling reassured.
"Go!"
Nel vanished with sonido and reappeared in front of the pale espada, stabbing forwards towards his chest. Ulquorria grabbed the lance before it could perice.
"You are too slow." Ulquorria stared.
"Or is she just distracting you?"
Ulquorria felt two slices across his back. He hissed and looked over his shoulder to see Dante smirking before he shouted, "Ichigo, now!"
"Getsuga..."
Ulquorria looked up to see Ichigo was soaring down towards them, arm cocked back and a massive Getsuga Tensho ready to fire, as large as an air plane wing.
"...Tensho!"
He slashed downwards at Ulquorria, Nel yanking her weapon free and using sonido to get away. Ulquorria held up both hands and stopped the attack dead on, the force of it making him sink into the roof, cracking, but Ulquorria forced the attack away from him by shoving upwards, redirecting the force away to the dessert, where it exploded with the force of several tons of TNT.
"La Gota!"
Several blasts of water hit him from behind, sending him flying forwards.
"Wait a minute. I can use that!" Dante shouted, sheathing Astrid and twisting the dial on the Ultramatrix to a picture of a trident, slamming the dial, then when he felt the power rush through him. He rose his hand at the water and waved his hands, bending the water like ribbons.
He surrounded Ulquorria from all sides with the water, then clenched his fists, collapsing it and trapping him in a orb of water.
"Tier, boil it!" Dante shouted, his fists shaking to try and keep Ulquorria from escaping from the water prison.
"Hirviendo!" Tier shouted, pointing her swords at the orb.
Ulquorria shouted in pain as the water instantly turned scolding hot, even thorough his heirro. Of course, the shout caused him to lose all his air.
"Nel, use a long range attack and finish this!" Dante shouted.
"Done." Nel said as she lifted her lance, looking ready to throw it as she said,
"Lanzador Verde."
She then threw her lance then, at an extremely high speed, the lance spinning as it went, going faster and faster, almost like a drill. It plunged into the orb of water, going through with ease, and struck Ulquorria, pushing him out at high speed while the lance drilled gainst his heirro, pricing it and making a hole about three inches deep near his stomach, until it stopped.
Ulquorria fell forwards and panted, grimacing slightly as he grabbed the lance and pulled it out, a spurt of blood following it, then threw it aside as he held his other hand to the wound.
"You're defeated Ulquorria." Nel said as she appeared out of nowhere with sonido, grabbing her lance before it hit the ground.
"Surrender, and we'll spare your life." Tier stated.
Dante frowned. This didn't feel right. Ulquorria had clearly shown signs of having something up his sleeve, but this wasn't it. He tapped his temple rapidly while thinking of what he knew about Ulquorria, including some stuff he knew when he had read some of the manga back in his universe.
"I suppose it time to stop holding back." Ulquorria grunted as he got to his feet.
'Holding back... Come on, it's staring me in the face, what am I missing!?' Dante shouted in his head.
Tier and the others were confused as to what Ulquorrria meant, Ichigo feeling a familiar feeling of dred and foreboding in his stomach.
"I have not be honest with you Tier."
This confused Tier, not sure what he meant.
"I have not shown you my true power yet."
This caused everyone's eyes to widen except Dante, who almost had what was searching for, it was right on the tip of his tounge.
"Behold, my second released state."
As soon as he said that, it clicked in Dante's mind. He turned pale and thought the only thing that came to mind.
'Oh fuck.'
Darkness rose and swirled around Ulquorria, shrouding him in night nd hiding him. They all felt something happening, an enormous change and something else, something that they all knew. They knew this feeling of fighting a superior predator.
The darkness slid down Ulquorria like black water, slowing revealing his new and horrible form.
While he retained his black wings, his long white coat was gone, revealing aslender white torso, with his bare chest patterned so his Hollow hole (which had become larger) appeared to be dripping black, blood-like liquid. His waist was covered in something similar to black fur, which enveloped his arms and legs. His fingers now had claw-like extensions, and his feet resembled talons. The irises of his eyes were now a sickly yellow, and the sclera a light green. The tear-like marks under his eyes had increased in size and turned black, while Ulquiorra's mask was completely gone. He had two large bat ears, and the #4 Espada tattoo was no longer visible on his chest.
"Look upon the face of true despair."