Chapter 29
La Batalla del Príncipe y la Princesa ("The Battle of the Prince and the Princess")
"Ah!" The sound of Orihime enjoying his tongue on one nipple caused Ulquiorra to grow hard underneath his boxers. His member brushed against Orihime's leg as they lied on her bed together. He wasn't aware of how much time passed, but he knew they had stripped down to nearly nothing in a short time. The moment they sat on the bed together, he and Orihime had shared another passionate kiss. Soon, his shirt and pants were pulled off and her robe was tossed to the floor. There was something wild about what they were doing now that they were in the comfort of the bedroom.
The tension between them from the past few days seemed to snap as he began to lick her breasts again. He couldn't stop himself from kissing and exploring her body. Every inch of flesh was surrendered to his mouth. She moaned and squirmed beneath him, only making him harder and more impatient to release. Still, he knew he couldn't rush through the beginning of sex. He wanted their first time together to be memorable.
He ran his tongue down the length of her stomach, causing her to moan against him. Dipping his tongue into her belly button, he brought his hand to her lace panties and began to rub the area softly. Her breath hitched before a moan left her mouth again. He could feel the wetness through the lacy material, confirming her lust. Taking the top of the panties, Ulquiorra pulled the panties off her body, leaving her naked. He sat back to admire her beautiful body, taking in her curves and shapes. She tucked her legs underneath her body before rising on her knees and grabbing his boxers. Soon, his boxers joined the pile of clothes on the floor.
Naked, his member stood erect from his body, waiting for her. Nervously, her hand came forward and stroked its flesh, making him gasp loudly. The pleasure was beyond anything he had ever felt, even when he relieved himself by his own hand. Her small hand, though inexperienced, soon fell into a rhythm, causing his member to harden even more. The need to release was becoming unbearable, and Ulquiorra did everything he could to keep himself from coming.
The sounds that came out of his mouth seemed beside him. He moaned much like Orihime had, her name on his lips. She kissed him on the lips, the sounds trapped in his mouth, as she tightened her grip on his erection. Her scent wafted up from their passionate kiss, leaving him more intoxicated with her than ever.
They pulled apart for more air. Ulquiorra wanted to calm down his racing heart, but Orihime did something he never expected: her mouth closed around his member, engulfing him into a sweet, hot pleasure. The pressure in his abdomen began to rise, go wild, as if telling him to let go of the dam somewhere in his body. But he wanted to make Orihime scream, make her feel this same pleasure. Grabbing the last strands of control, Ulquiorra pushed Orihime back, removing her mouth from his member with a wet smack.
He eased her back down on the bed before kissing her deeply. He could taste himself on her, but he didn't mind. He just wanted to make her come. He showered kisses down her neck, breasts, and stomach until he reached her mound. She had shaven away the hair down there, leaving only the pink flesh for him to take. The moment his tongue touched her lips, a strangled moan left her mouth. Her loud moans of pleasure made him harder. He licked the warm, wet flesh while slowly lowering his mouth to her entrance. When he slipped his tongue inside of her, she cried out, bucking her hips against him.
Underneath him, her body seemed to hum with excitement. Carefully, Ulquiorra slipped a finger into her, hoping to bring more pleasure to her body. He remembered seeing a man do the same thing in a porn magazine. Orihime's cries of desire rang in his ears, her hips moving against his hand. His finger brushed against something, and Orihime immediately stiffened before her body moved mercilessly against his finger.
"Oh…right there…" she murmured lustfully.
Just watching her buck into his hand made his lust for her rise to impossible heights. Pulling his hand out of her, he laid his body on top of hers, his penis angled at her entrance. Ulquiorra kissed her, his silent way of reassuring her that everything would be ok, before he proceeded. Slowly, he eased a little of his head into her, earning a gasp and a pained look from her. She gripped his shoulders, her nails biting his flesh. He pulled back and repeated the action, thankful that she relaxed more this time. A third time, and she gave a small moan of pleasure. He pushed his member further inside of her, feeling her lips stretch over him as she stiffened from the pain. Again, he pulled out of her and eased back in twice, controlling himself until Orihime released an excited moan. After repeating the action several times, he finally buried the length of erection into her, cries of pleasure escaping from both of their mouths.
He began to set a rhythm, moving his body to an invisible tempo that felt incredible. Kissing her fervently, from her lips to her neck, he gave himself over to the feeling humming inside of his head. In and out, the pressure built greater, like a spring ready to unwind. He couldn't think beyond the action of thrusting and kissing, of succumbing completely to the growing desire that gripped his entire being. He rocked harder into Orihime, his mind splintering off. The small cries that left her mouth only urged him to thrust harder and faster.
Soon, Orihime gave a final cry of pleasure before her hot walls clamped firmly over his member. She shuddered against him, causing the spring to reach its limitation. The pressure burst from deep inside him. His entire body tightened before his seed rushed out of his hardened tip into Orihime's wetness. The spasms shook his body, deafening all rational thought as he collapsed on top of Orihime. They breathed heavily against each other, sweat mixing between their bodies.
"Ulquiorra…" he heard her call out softly. Her hands pushed against his chest, indicating his weight on top of her. "You're a little heavy," she added meekly.
Quietly, Ulquiorra pulled out of her and rolled off of her, his body giving out on him immediately. Even after all of the battles he faced, Ulquiorra had never felt so tired in his life. It was difficult to keep his eyes open. Orihime shifted next to him until he felt her weight disappear from the bed. He heard her slip out of the bedroom, and moments later, the water of the shower turn on. Though he wanted to wait for Orihime to rejoin him in bed, all he wanted to do was rest. Their actions removed all his strength, yet he felt strangely complete.
He sank deeper into the bed, succumbing to the whispers of sleep.
The orange light encompassing part of the field was thin enough to see the entire underground terrain. Tessai Tsukabishi stepped away from his work, his mustache twitching as he spoke to Orihime from the outside of the force field. "Do not worry," he told her confidently. "This is a high-level barrier, and only someone with spiritual energy as high or higher than it can break the barrier."
Orihime sent him a wiry smile. She was glad to know that Tsukabishi was good at making barriers, or she would feel more worried than she already did. It was the last day to remove Ulquiorra's spiritual energy, and everyone had gathered at the Urahara Shop, readying for the day's events. Along with Urahara, Tsukabishi and Kuchiki prepared the barrier around Ulquiorra and Orihime. Kurosaki and Abarai sat back, watching. Their job was only to intervene if a Hollow broke through the barrier.
"Inoue," Urahara said from the other side of the barrier. "Please be careful. Remember to control your spiritual energy. Don't think too much. Just let your powers take over."
Orihime nodded, facing Ulquiorra. The time had come. It came faster than she anticipated, and though she had prepared for the upcoming battle, she felt anxious. Her nerves were unsettled, her heart racing in her chest. Ulquiorra's green eyes regarded her solemnly. She wasn't sure if he looked at her differently, but she understood what he was thinking.
What will happen?
The fear in her heart grew as she watched him quietly. Would he continue to be at her side? Or would she be forced to live without him? She didn't know, and the fear of being abandoned again sent a chill through her body. Collecting her courage, Orihime decided that she needed to begin. After all, the future was only paved by action, not silence.
Pooling her spiritual energy, Orihime called forth Seiran. Please come out. It's time. Her spiritual energy grew until it beat like her own heartbeat inside her body. Slowly, the energy changed; it was hot, and Orihime felt Seiran enter the sphere of power.
I know.
Seiran materialized between Orihime and Ulquiorra, appearing exactly as she did when Orihime met her in their soul plane. Except for her blue shitagi, dark navy-blue hakama, and white obi, Seiran looked like Orihime's twin sister. She glanced from Orihime to Ulquiorra before her eyes settled on Orihime. Only determination gleamed in Seiren's grey eyes. "Ready?"
"Yes." But she wasn't ready. She didn't want him to disappear. If he disappeared… She couldn't take such thoughts. Instead, she tried to push them out of her head, clear her mind.
Seiran took her hand and Ulquiorra's hand before joining them together. Ulquiorra's pale hand was warm, calming her distressed mind slightly. She peered into his emerald orbs, finding his gaze to be unwavering, resolute.
"Ok, let's get started," Seiran announced, taking their free hands in hers and forming a small circle. Soon, Orihime could feel her spiritual energy pooling in the center of the circle. Seiran smiled at her. It was a small smile, one that didn't strike Orihime as confident but reassuring. "Remember, you're strong, Orihime. You can do this."
Seiran was right. Orihime had trained for this situation. No matter what, she was going to do it. She was going to save Ulquiorra. Closing her eyes, Orihime's spiritual energy grew, becoming bigger and bigger before it engulfed Seiran, Ulquiorra, and Orihime. She concentrated on controlling her power just as Urahara instructed, smoothing out any stray strands of energy and packing them back into the pool of power. It was far more difficult to maintain her spiritual energy. It was different than her training sessions. The larger it grew, the more her powers wanted to uncoil from the mass of energy.
Just as she recoiled all of her spiritual energy, Orihime felt something change within their circle. She opened her eyes to find an orange light surrounding Ulquiorra's lithe body. With his eyes closed, he remained still, even as a wind picked up and blew their hair in all directions. The shift in energy told Orihime that the process of splitting Ulquiorra and his energy had already began. A blue bubble formed in the center of the circle, rising until it became the same height as Ulquiorra. Something else developed within the bubble, and Orihime watched as it reformed and twisted in the blue encasement.
Gradually, limbs formed and hardened, black hair shining from the top of the shape. Finally, Ulquiorra's replica matured in the bubble, and the orange light surrounding Ulquiorra dissipated. Slowly, Orihime withdrew her spiritual energy, causing the bubble to collapse and fade away. Everything fell silent as they stared at the newly-made Ulquiorra. His eyes remained closed while Orihime released her grip on Ulquiorra and Seiran's hands.
Though the process had been short, Orihime could feel the exhaustion in her soul. Her breath came quicker and her body felt heavy. But she was glad. The separation seemed to work, and there was no sign of the Hollow that once existed inside of Ulquiorra. Even the real Ulquiorra stood before them without showing signs of disappearing.
"Thank goodness," Orihime whispered with a small smile, taking a step towards him. Ulquiorra's green eyes only seemed to acknowledge her when she stepped closer, but Orihime caught the apprehension too late.
"Orihime!"
A porcelain hand suddenly grabbed her by the throat, cutting off the air to her lungs. Her eyes widened in fear and surprise as the hand squeezed her neck tighter. She focused on the person holding her, on the green eyes that peered at her with a cool detachment that Ulquiorra once bore as an Espada. It wasn't her inability to breathe that scared her; it was the emotionless face that was still Ulquiorra's face. He stared at her as if she didn't exist.
"Ul…quiorra…" She struggled to say his name, but he paid no attention to her. Instead, his fingers dug into her flesh. The edges of her vision grew fuzzy, her mind screaming with pain.
An orange light sliced through his arm, allowing the hand to loosen its grip on her neck. Orihime stumbled back, the hand falling from her body. She coughed, sucking in the precious air that she was deprived of for only a few moments. As the clouds around her vision faded, she forced herself to focus on the situation. Seiran stood between her and Ulquiorra, his arm sliced cleanly from the wrist down. In spite of having his hand severed off, he remained rigid, no emotion in his face. No pain. No hatred. Nothing.
"Are you ok?" Seiran asked Orihime, not looking at her.
Orihime nodded, slowly rising to her feet. "I'm fine."
"Let's get serious then. A Hollow is in front of us." Orihime stood next to her, gathering all of the courage inside of her to overcome her fear. Between them and the real Ulquiorra was the imposter Ulquiorra. "Prepare yourself."
A murky spiritual energy began to pour out of Ulquiorra's body, a dark presence rippling through the air. Every hair on Orihime's body stood up, fear seeping into her bones. This energy she knew. She felt it before a long time ago. The darkness enveloped the imposter, moving as if it were possessed, shredding his clothes. It circled Ulquiorra before entering different parts of his body, staining his skin until his arms, waist, and legs were pitch black. Two pointy, white horns protruded from the top of his raven-haired head. His eyes changed, going from a green to yellow. Even the whites around his eyes became green. A pair of black wings unfurled from his bare back and spread into the air, an ominous feeling filling the barrier. Finally, the center of his chest caved in, a large gaping hole forming.
What stood in front of them was a Hollow, a Hollow named Ulquiorra Schiffer.
"Inoue!" Orihime turned to see Kurosaki running towards the barrier, his face revealing a knowing concern.
"Orihime!" Seiran cried out sternly, earning Orihime's attention. "Pay attention! If that monster gets out of this barrier, we're done for!"
"But—" Orihime remembered how strong Ulquiorra was in his released form.
Seiran grabbed her wrist. "This Ulquiorra isn't the same as the original Ulquiorra! You didn't want the monster, so I made him weaker than the original! You wanted Ulquiorra, and Ulquiorra alone! This thing isn't as strong!" Seiran shook her wrist as if trying to shake the fear out of her. "You're not the same either! You're stronger!"
"But—"
The Hollow's dark energy swelled in the air, seemingly confirming Seiran's claims. Orihime watched as the energy twisted around the Hollow before the ground broke underneath its black foot. Suddenly, the Hollow disappeared. She gasped, immediately looking for it. Without warning, it appeared directly in front of her, its empty eyes glaring down at her. Seiran stepped between them in time to block the Hollow's swinging arm with an orange shield. They struggled against each other until the Hollow swatted Seiran's shield away, leaving her defenseless.
A green spear made out of dark energy materialized in the Hollow's hands. He pulled back his arm to strike. Seiran backed away, unarmed. Orihime didn't know what to do. Was this monster really not as strong as the original Ulquiorra?
A pale arm closed around the Hollow's arm and pulled it back, causing the Hollow to stumble backwards. He quickly regained his footing before a wing struck Ulquiorra hard in the chest. Orihime watched in horror as the wing penetrated Ulquiorra's body. His eyes instantly darkened, the stunned expression frozen on his face. Suddenly, Ulquiorra's soul flew out of his human shell, tumbling backwards with the body. They landed a distance away, unmoving. Orihime could see his human soul—clad in all-white clothing—lying on the ground, a chain connecting the soul and the body.
"Ulquiorra!" The Hollow approached Ulquiorra, its murderous intent evident in its black energy. Orihime looked at Ulquiorra and the Hollow. She knew the consequences of this separation, but she hadn't readied her mind for this scene. She couldn't take it. She couldn't understand it. Why was Ulquiorra lying on the ground, powerless to protect them? Why was she so powerless to protect them?
But she wasn't powerless. She wasn't powerless at all. She didn't get to this point by being powerless, by turning and running away.
The Hollow took another slow step towards Ulquiorra, the ground shattering beneath its feet.
She was strong. She could protect someone. She could protect someone she loved. She wasn't going to let another Hollow reap havoc on her life again!
"Inoue!" Kurosaki's voice seemed far away as he banged on the barrier. No, she didn't need Kurosaki. She didn't need to be helpless anymore. She didn't need him to protect her.
She needed to protect them.
"Inoue!"
The Hollow was only a step away from Ulquiorra's limp body.
Seiran was a piece of her soul that was strong, stronger than she ever realized. If she poured all of her spiritual energy into Seiran, she could release the strongest parts of her soul. Concentrating, Orihime collected all of her energy inside of Seiran's body.
The Hollow raised its foot over Ulquiorra's head.
An orange light glowed around Seiran's body, Orihime's spiritual energy entering the vessel that was her own power. The power contracted within Seiran until her whole body disappeared. The Hollow's foot paused in mid-attack.
Seiran faced the monster, his severed leg hanging from her hand. She tossed it to the ground, disgusted. Though Orihime stood afar, she could see Seiran's form. Her hakama, shitagi, and obi were all white. The only color on her was her exposed light-apricot skin and her shoulder-length orange hair. Two wings protruded from her back, standing in the air like beacons of light. In her own way, Seiran appeared to be an angelic version of Ulquiorra's Hollow form.
The Hollow steadied itself on its good leg, staring at Seiran. The silence that settled around them held a tension that gave way to anxiety. Orihime readied her spiritual energy, pushing more of her energy into Seiran.
A green lance of light materialized in his hand again.
Within seconds, a large sword the same length as Seiran's height appeared in Seiran's hands. A gold light surrounded the sword, humming of its strength. The Hollow's lance and Seiran's sword crossed, creating an explosive light between them. Everything went white in its wake.
Next chapter: El Rey y La Reina
The battle continues and something strange happens to Ulquiorra.
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