Chapter 9: The bird has been set free! Raging emotion vs the emotionless.

It had been exactly one hour since the frightened girl had been separated from her strong willed fellow captive. Kyrie could still feel Orihime's gentle warmth in the palm of her hand as she gently reassured her safety. It had felt like it had been hours since that cold hard steel door had slammed shut and took Orihime away from her.

The distraught girl felt so powerless, so concealed as she did before. Just like the last time, when she was captured by the grand priest, Kyrie was alone, it was cold and time itself, felt as if it had come to a sudden halt.

Several questions raced inside the frightened girls head as she lay there in the cold and dark room. Is Nero really coming to save her? Is he fighting that monster right now? And what about Orihime? Is she okay right now? Or has something terrible happened?

Kyrie sat up from her curled up position on the steel bed, reacting to the loud and hurrying footsteps coming towards her cell.

A blade scraping the floor outside caused Kyrie to shield her ears with her hands as she crouched into a protective ball.

The steel door rattled as the unidentified tried to open its locked seal.

Kyrie begged for the noise to stop as she cowered from the possibilities behind that door.

As if her prayers were answered, the resistance against the door ground to a halt.

But this terrifying sound, was quickly replaced with a loud thumping against the heavy door.

A huge echo crashed against the door three times. And then suddenly just like before, stopped completely.

Kyrie peeked through the gaps in her fingers when a bright light shone through the tightly shut door.

Suddenly, a rush of hope and happiness rushed through Kyrie as the warm blue light grew larger and larger.

The previously formidable seal on her door, was quickly crushed by the scaly hand which pried it off of the wall and its hinges.

"Kyrie!" A familiar voice yelled as they scooped up the frightened girl into their arms.

"Nero! It's you! It's really you!" Kyrie replied wrapping herself tightly around him.

"I'm sorry for taking so long. You're not hurt are you?" Nero asked as Kyrie drenched his shoulder.

"No I'm fine.." Kyrie began to say. But just when she repeated what her saviour just said again in her head, Orihime's happy face appeared in her head once again.

"Nero! It's bad, really bad! We have to go! We have to go and help Orihime!" Kyrie said making Nero smile.

"Don't worry, Orihime is in good hands. She's got one badass guy protecting her." Nero said making Kyrie relax her built up tension and collapse onto her silver haired swordsman.

Orihime P.O.V.

I can feel it again, that same suffocating energy, coming from Ichigo. Has he become a hollow again?

I want to help him, but my feet won't budge from this spot. I can only see the back of Ichigo's head, but it's enough for me to see that horn sticking out of his gentle hair. I want to turn him around and hold him. I want to reassure him that everything is okay, that he doesn't need to hurt himself again in order to save me. But my eyes continue to stare at the back of his head and my feet refuse to move.

My breath suddenly comes to a halt as I call out his name.

"Ichigo? Is that you?" I ask and my voice seems to reach him.

My heart beats steadily as I watch his body react to my calling out to him.

His head begins to tilt and his hips begin to pivot towards me.

The beating of my heart begins to rapidly increase as his face begins to show.

"Yo." He says to me, making my heartbeat and breathing return to normal.

He looks different, but he still warmly smiles towards me with his usual grin.

Now I have a chance to see Ichigo, I can tell, that even though half of his face has begun to show similarities to his past hollow form, that everything in reality, was fine. Ichigo was still here, and he was still himself.

"Everything is going to be okay Orihime, I will never let you see me go berserk and become a monster ever again." Ichigo said to me, destroying any fears I previously held towards this transformation.

"Okay Ichigo, I believe in you." I said feeling slightly nervous that Ichigo was going to fight again.

Ichigo's gentle smile greeted me once again and I was pulled in by Ichigo's surprisingly high optimism.

"Orihime, after all of this is over, I don't want to waste another second of my life without you. So after I have wrapped things up here and we have returned to the world of the living safe and sound….. Let's get married." Ichigo said making my cheeks redden and my heart race.

I remained speechless in response to Ichigo's sudden proposal, I just stayed transfixed to him as he continued to speak as he gripped his katana in his hand.

"I want to protect you and keep you safe. I want you to stay by my side where my sword can protect you. I swear I will protect you from harm and to spend the rest of my life thanking you for all you have done for me." Ichigo said making the tears flow uncontrollably.

"Okay, okay Ichigo! I'll be waiting for you! I will be here ready to heal your wounds and I will also protect you!" I said back as reality dramatically hit me.

Ichigo proposed to me, and this nightmare was finally coming to an end.

Normal P.O.V.

"Enough of this Ichigo Kurosaki. You speak as if you have already won. Well I assure you, this won't be anything like the last time we fought." Ulquiorra said as he prepared to throw his spiritual spear.

Ichigo with a quick manoeuvre of his sword, sent the now startled and off guard Arranchar, hurtling backwards into the wall from the sheer force of his Zanpakto.

Ulquiorra guarded fiercely against Ichigo's descending katana as it came crashing down upon him.

"You're right Ulquiorra. This time, I will be the one to show you the power of a soul reaper!" Ichigo proclaimed as he broke through Ulquiorra's guard.

The former ranked fourth Espada, recovered from the surprise attack and stood firm.

"I see you're still as arrogant and foolish as ever, Substitute soul reaper. Did you forget that we Arranchars possess the powers of our hollow selves, and the power of you soul reapers? You obviously have no idea what you have gotten yourself into." Ulquiorra said as Ichigo stood across from him.

"You're wrong Arranchar. I do understand how powerless and weak I have been. Relying on a darkness that dwelled within me and scaring the one I care for the most. Losing my powers completely and letting another cut her. Taking away her precious memories and to let them be manipulated to their benefit. I lost someone I treasured before at the hands of one of you damn hollows. And I will not let that happen again!" Ichigo yelled as he disappeared from Ulquiorra's sight.

Ulquiorra could not locate Ichigo, until it was already too late! With yet another powerful swing of his Tensa Zangetsu, the former espada crashed through yet another wall as he felt the complete force of the blade.

"You don't get it do you Ulquiorra? You can't beat me this time. And that's because." Was all Ichigo could say after he was cut off by a sneak attack from one of Ulquiorra's cero's.

"Because it's not just my power you are facing this time." Ichigo said as the smoke began to disperse.

Ulquiorra stood back up and stared at Ichigo, the soul reapers hand was extended and smoking.

The logical conclusion being that Ichigo stopped his cero with only one hand.

"You see Ulquiorra, after I lost my powers and regained then once again, every captain and lieutenant of the seritei, shared with me a portion of their spiritual energy. So now I am much more powerful."

Ichigo surprises the normally composed Arranchar, the moment he transformed his combat pass into a white Tensa Zangetsu.

"Getsuga Jujisho!" Ichigo fired a Getsuga Tensho from both of his blades, consuming Ulquiorra into a giant cross shaped blast of energy.

After this very same technique against former number six Grimmjow, in his transformed state. Orihime was convinced that this battle was over.

However, Ichigo wasn't feeling as optimistic after unleashing his attack against him. The chilling past and his near death experience at the hands of this espada, taught Ichigo one thing. Never let your guard down against an espada.

The echoing sound of Ulquiorra's footsteps resounded throughout the hall as the Arranchar made his way back to the substitute soul reaper.

Green liquid dripped from the wounded swordsman's arm, and what remained of his leg.

"I see you have certainly gotten stronger since the last time we crossed swords. However." Ulquiorra said as his critically wounded arm and leg instantly regenerated.

"You are not the only one who has grown stronger!" Ulquiorra said, taking off in a deadly dive towards Ichigo.

"Orihime get back! Use your santen Kesshun!" Ichigo yelled as Ulquiorra came crashing down towards them.

Ichigo with impeccable reflexes, raised his blade at just the right moment to parry and block Ulquiorra's emerald spear.

"I won't let you hurt my Orihime!" Ichigo yelled as he mustered up enough physical strength to push the frightful attacker away.

Ulquiorra shifted his bodies axis through the air and landing safely.

However, the moment that the Arranchars feet touched down upon the ground, Ichigo was already in hot pursuit.

"Getsuga Tensho!" With a heavy slash of his blade, Ichigo unleashed his spiritual signature energy slash attack. And as a result, managed to sever his opponent's right arm.

Nevertheless, as quick as Ichigo could blink, that same arm which he had just removed from the assailant, was instantly replaced with another.

"I always told you that high speed regeneration was one of my specialties. But now they have reached a whole other new level since I was brought back by master Mundus." Ulquiorra boldly declared.

"I see, then I guess I'm going to need more spiritual power!" Ichigo stated as his white Tensa Zangetsu began to glow and break apart.

Ulquiorra's eyes began to widen once again, as Ichigo's spiritual pressure began to increase tenfold.

After a newly awakened spiritual pressure arose inside Ichigo, the substitute soul reapers Bankai began to display an enhancement of reiatsu and power.

"Now then, let's try this again then shall we?" Ichigo said in response to his newly expressed power.

Just as Ichigo's sentence disappeared into thin air, so did the substitute soul reaper also.

Ulquiorra focused his darting eyes on his surroundings and tried to find Ichigo.

"Sorry about this, I've gotten a lot faster now." Ichigo said as he shortly after punched the emotionless creature in the face.

"I wouldn't get too arrogant if I were you. Ichigo Kurosaki!" Ulquiorra said as he tried to strangle the image of Ichigo behind him.

"If I'm still moving too slow for you Ulquiorra, just say so. I can go much faster if you like? Just say the word and I will." Ichigo stated as he effortlessly dodged Ulquiorra's threatening tail.

"You think running away will guarantee your victory?" Ulquiorra stated as he narrowed down Ichigo's possible location.

"Oh I'm not running away at all Ulquiorra. I just refuse to let my guard down against you." Ichigo said as he suddenly appeared and advanced against him.

Ulquiorra with a quick flick of his own weapon, managed to block Ichigo's Tensa Zangetsu.

"Looks like all you can do now Ulquiorra, is stay on the defensive." Ichigo claimed with certainty.

"Oh I'm on the defensive am I?" Ulquiorra calmly replied as he pushed back Ichigo's blade and threw his emerald spear towards Orihime.

"Oh no you don't! Getsuga Tensho!" Ichigo using his flash step technique, cut through the threatening projectile, before it was able to make contact with Orihime.

"You fell for it." Ulquiorra said as he now was up close and personal to Ichigo with his pale finger firmly extended towards his chest.

Orihime's eyes shot wide open the moment she saw the green spiritual aura surround Ulquiorra's finger tips. A painful and frightening memory of her love with a hole shot through his chest. Ichigo's lifeless eyes staring into space as his dead body lay on her lap.

"NOOO! Santen Kesshun!" Orihime practically screamed as Ulquiorra prepared to kill her Ichigo.

All of a sudden, a Ginormous spiritual shield shone brightly in front of Ichigo. The explosive force of its defensive barrier, caused the once again shocked Ulquiorra, to be propelled across the room.

As Orihime began to breathe heavily from the close call, Ichigo smiled back at her.

"Thanks a lot Orihime. You saved me." Ichigo said reassuring Orihime, that he was in fact still alive.

"Are you sure you're okay Ichigo?" Orihime questioned still getting scary flashback vibes of the last time Ulquiorra did such a devious and deadly strike.

"I'm just fine Orihime. Your Santen Kesshun really did the trick. Watch my back for me. Okay?" Ichigo asked making the cheery sun haired girl happy that she was being counted on.

"I see that you have gotten stronger as well girl. Then maybe it's best if I take you out first?" Ulquiorra blankly stated as he reached out towards Orihime's chest.

"You're not going anyway Arranchar!" Ichigo yelled as he grabbed Ulquiorra by the skull and threw him away from Orihime with tremendous force.

Ulquiorra regained his stature and proceeded to attack Ichigo again.

Sparks began to scatter and rain down upon the battlefield, as Ichigo's and Ulquiorra's weapon clashed repeatedly as they scattered across the area.

Ichigo and Ulquiorra began to travel at mind boggling speed. The sound of clanging metal and Ichigo's yells, were the only evidence to display the battle.

Tremors and incredible shockwaves began to erupt within the giant and spacious room as the two brought down their weapons with incredible force.

"Cero."

"Getsuga Tensho!"

A blinding light show of mystical blue and a malicious emerald, shone through the air, as Ichigo and Ulquiorra continuously clashed with one another.

"I thought you already figured this out since our last battle, Ichigo Kurosaki? You're Getsuga Tensho technique which you so heavily rely on, won't work on me." Ulquiorra stated making Ichigo look serious.

"Fine then! If that's the way you want to play things out, then I guess I will kick things up a notch!" Ichigo said as he began to produce a large amount of heavily concentrated spiritual pressure.

"Gran rey cero." Ulquiorra began to channel a cero mixed with his own blood.

Ichigo astounded the calm espada when after he prepared to unleash what looked like a powered up Getsuga, used his sword instead to cut the palm of his hand.

Ulquiorra fired his powered up cero at Ichigo, choosing not to give him any time to counter attack.

However, Ichigo was ready to counter with something very deadly.

"Getsuga Tensho!" Ichigo yelled as his cero began to shift into a red and black shade.

The two blasts collided and came to a sudden stalemate.

"It's over Ichigo. Even with your black Getsuga, you still cannot defeat me." Ulquiorra stated making Ichigo grin.

"You're right Ulquiorra, It really is over." Ichigo replied with as the blood on his palm began to trickle down his blade.

"Gran rey cero!" Ichigo yelled alarming the espada.

Ichigo's Getsuga Tensho suddenly became infused with the surprising attack that Ichigo had just unleashed.

Merging as one to become, the Gran rey Tensho!

As the blasts began to struggle in a power battle, a bright light shone across the atmosphere as the battle seemed to have finally come to an end.

Hey guys, sorry again for the delay. But as I mentioned before, I tend to struggle with writing about sword fights. I have no idea why though lol. I will be making changes to the first story soon and I plan to take down "I will protect you" to make it better and make much more sense. I plan to have a more intense battle between Ichigo and Tsukishima in the first chapter to make it more interesting. Also, I plan to bring the character from I will protect you, Mio into this story, as her surprising identity will advance the plot later in the story! Thanks again for reading and look forward to the next chapter .