Chapter 10: Ulquiorra vs Ichigo
Sorry for the delay everyone! I have been so preoccupied with my High school DxD story and life itself, that I haven't been able to get around to writing more. But after seeing the devil may cry 5 trailer at E3 and seeing Ichigo in the jump force trailer, I have become eager to try to finish this story yet again. So I don't go off in a tangent and ruin this story completely, I plan to finish it in 15 chapters. Thank you for taking the time to read my story, and I hope you enjoy this next chapter.
After a full on destructive impact, Ulquiorra disappeared within the aftermath of Ichigo's Granray Tensho.
And yet despite Ichigo's ultimate technique, he refused to lay down his weapon.
Still within its Bankai state, Ichigo kept his eyes focused on the ginormous cloud of smoke.
"I should have known that wouldn't be enough to kill you." Ichigo said with his Zanpakto pointed directly at the Arranchar.
Ulquiorra shot out through the vision impairing smoke like a rocket, his wings fully outstretched.
"Lanza del relampago." Ulquiorra muttered in his regular quiet tone.
However, instead of throwing his lance of thunder and lightning, Ulquiorra came directly at the substitute soul reaper, using his lance as a sword instead.
Ichigo met Ulquiorra's spiritual weapon with his own blocking the creatures' vicious strike.
Ichigo could now rest at ease, knowing full well that Ulquiorra was no longer interested in attacking Orihime. The battle had once again, become a battle between Arranchar and soul reaper.
"You may have gotten a bit stronger Ichigo Kurosaki, but you're not the only one who has improved!" Ulquiorra argued as he summoned more power upon Ichigo, the pressure on his sword pushing Ichigo's own blade towards his face.
"I already told you Ulquiorra, this time, you have no chance!" Ichigo yelled dealing a mighty slash to the unaware Arranchar.
Liquids of emerald and jade seeped from the rank 4 espada originating from the laceration to his chest.
The slice from Ichigo's mighty blade forced Ulquiorra backwards once again.
"I see, so it's not just offensive power you have gained. You seem to be able to defend yourself this time." Ulquiorra stated as he began to heal his chest wound.
With his flash step's improved speed, Ichigo closed in on the caught off guard Arranchar before he even registered his opponent had immediately closed the gap between them.
"Getsuga Tensho!" Ichigo roared firing off his signature move at point blank range.
Ulquiorra felt the force behind Ichigo's attack this time. Despite Ichigo's repetitive and futile use of this attack in their previous bout, Ulquiorra was finally showing signs of pain and irritation from his piercer of heaven's power.
However, Ichigo was far from done. Just after Ulquiorra faced a direct impact from Ichigo's mighty attack, the substitute soul reaper embraced his Tensa Zangetsu with the radiant glow of his Getsuga, attacking his deadly opponent with the ferocity of the piercer from his very soul.
"Not this time Ulquiorra! Ha!" Ichigo yelled pushing his opponent back with his superior strength.
"I guess it's time to put you down after all. Ichigo Kurosaki!" Ulquiorra said with his permanently emotionless face.
"That's my line Ulquiorra!" Ichigo replied back as they both engaged in mortal combat.
The sparks continued to scatter, floating amongst the two swordsmen as they continuously clashed against each other.
Orihime could only wait patiently to help Ichigo. The Substitute soul reaper and Arranchar, were travelling at such a tremendous speed, that Orihime could no longer follow their movements.
The only evidence to prove they were still within this very room, being the sword of their weapons clashing against each other.
"Getsuga Tensho!"
"Gran ray cero!"
Both the Gran ray cero and the Getsuga Tensho, exploded upon direct impact. But Ichigo was quick on Ulquiorra's tail, literally.
Using the blast as a diversion, Ichigo grasped hold of Ulquiorra's tail, which seemed to be Ulquiorra's greatest attack against him in there last bout.
Pushing all of his power into his right flexed arm, Ichigo threw Ulquiorra into the ground with full strength.
The startled Arranchar, quickly pulled himself together and launched himself back towards Ichigo.
However, Ichigo began to drop down, as fast as Ulquiorra began to rise.
"Let's see if this works against you shall we?!" Ichigo said brandishing his blade. Slashing down upon his opponent in a horizontal fashion.
Ulquiorra tried to create yet another spiritual spear to guard against Ichigo.
However, his timing was just slightly off and with the rushed creation on Ulquiorra's part, Ichigo managed to cleave through both his spiritual spear and his intended target.
Ulquiorra grimaced at the sudden pain originating from his head.
Just as Ulquiorra had done in his previous bout with Ichigo, the substitute soul reaper managed to sever one of the Arranchars pointed horns from his head.
"Now let's try this again! Getsuga Tensho!" Ichigo roared dealing a devastating blow to the stunned Arranchar.
Ulquiorra once again descended towards the ground. Only this time, Ulquiorra plummeted straight into the ground.
Ichigo ceased his flight stepping and touched the ground once again, his blade pointed towards the cloud of smoke caused by the shattering ground.
Ichigo grinned after seeing the sorry state of his opponent.
Ulquiorra just as Ichigo did in his berserk hollow state, had been reverted back to his unreleased state as a result of Ichigo severing his horn and attacking him completely unguarded with his Getsuga.
Ulquiorra struggled up onto his feet, a dismembered limb on his spewing out an acidic like blood flow from its open socket.
"What's the matter? I thought high speed regeneration was your specialty?" Ichigo mocked as he witnessed Ulquiorra struggle to reform his formidable body.
"Our battle is not over yet…. I still have a blade to cut you down." Ulquiorra said releasing his sword from its green scabbard with his only working arm.
"That's right Ulquiorra. But I will end it this time!" Ichigo said vanishing from the startled espada's eyes.
Though wounded and bleeding profusely, Ichigo's opponent managed to block against Ichigo's attack.
"It seems you're reaction time Ulquiorra. Is a little slow!" Ichigo yelled throwing his left leg into Ulquiorra's ribs.
His only available arm gripping his sword, meant no defence was possible against Ichigo's strike from the side.
Ulquiorra began to fall to his opposite side, but Ichigo was on him once again like a shark on its prey.
Ichigo threw a power punch right into Ulquiorra's gut, and followed his punch with a strike to Ulquiorra's head with the back of his hilt.
The Espada began dazed and very dizzy, and yet, he still managed to fight back.
Once again, the sound of steel meeting with steel echoed throughout the huge walls of this cathedral like room.
"One last strike, one strike is all I'll need to cut that arrogant throat of yours. It doesn't matter how powerful you are Ichigo Kurosaki. A body without any head, is completely worthless."
"If that's the case, then I'll meet your last strike with my own attack!" Ichigo countered concentrating on the spiritual pressure within his very soul.
The swordsmen came rushing towards one another! The echoing rhythm of their swords resonated even louder and quicker as opposed to the last time.
Ulquiorra and Ichigo now stood in place, their backs to one another.
After a few seconds past the silent fighters, Ulquiorra fell head first onto the ground.
Ichigo on the other hand, stood strong and clearly marked his victory in this battle.
Even though Ulquiorra was and has been Ichigo's enemy in the past, the substitute still found himself running over to the critically injured espada.
The normally composed and powerful espada, looked a sorry state.
Huge lacerations were originating from his tough skin, whilst his blade lay shattered into pieces on the ground next to him.
"Orihime, please heal his wounds." Ichigo said making Orihime puzzled.
"You plan to take pity on your enemy?" Ulquiorra questioned as his arm which previously was removed by Ichigo, began to reform before his very eyes.
"That's not it at all. Orihime was very said after you died and turned to dust the last time we fought. But I won't let that happen again." Ichigo said making Ulquiorra even more confused.
"Why? Why would you go so far and do such a reckless deed to someone who tried to kill you.
"Because I love her. That's why." Ichigo plainly stated with a serious expression.
"I see, the human heart is certainly a difficult thing to understand." Ulquiorra said as he stood once again, thanks to Orihime's healing power.
Orihime rushed to Ichigo's side and began to him his minor burns and bruises.
Ichigo extended his hand out to the exhausted Arranchar. Without his weapon in hand and the will to fight, Ulquiorra was no longer a threat to Ichigo.
All of a sudden, just as Ichigo was aiming to help him up, Ulquiorra's body dispersed into very small particles his very being erased before Ichigo and Orihime's eyes.
"Ulquiorra! Damn you, what did you do to him?!" Ichigo yelled seeing Orihime weep for the sudden death of Ulquiorra cipher once again.
"He was no longer of any use to me. So I erased him from this world." A hidden voice said with overpowering confidence and arrogance.
"Just who? What the hell are you?!" Ichigo questioned seeing a giant immobile statue with glowing eyes sudden appear before them.
"Watch your tongue mortal. You dare speak so insolently to a god?!" The statue bellowed firing a laser beam from his forehead towards Ichigo.
Thanks to his agile flash step ability, Ichigo managed to dodge the blast Orihime in tow.
"You mortals are all the same, scurrying around like insects, delaying the inevitable!" The statue roared once again.
"Just who the hell are you anyway?! Move aside!" Ichigo yelled protecting Orihime with his sword out and prepped.
"Very well, I shall grant you that much, as a tribute for your death. I am the ruler of the demon world! The unsurpassed prince of darkness! The all mighty, Mundus!" Mundus shouted making the room shake and the tiles fall from the ceiling.
"You expect me to call a creepy talking statue like you a god?!" Ichigo roared infusing Getsuga within his blade.
"Foolish mortal! It is time for you to die…. NOW!" Mundus roared firing another laser beam.
"Getsuga Tensho!" Ichigo yelled slashing right through Mundus' laser beam and struck his stony figure directly.
Cracks began to appear upon Mundus' shell.
"It's no good being a demon god, when you can't even move a muscle!" Ichigo yelled as Mundus' statue skin began to break and fall apart.
Suddenly, Ichigo was swept away by a powerful gust strike.
It wasn't how Ichigo believed at all, Mundus arose from his immobile state and unveiled his mighty and powerful stone built wings.
"Behold and fear me! This is my true form!" Mundus roared demonstrating the power he possessed.
The pillars around him were now decimated and joined the debris on the ground.
"I've had enough of this!" Ichigo yelled suddenly disappearing from sight and attacking Mundus' head directly.
To Ichigo's shock and dismay, he now floated stable within the air, Mundus' colossal fist had a tight hold around Ichigo's Zanpakto and his Ichigo's hand which clung onto it.
With a vicious strike, Ichigo was slammed into the ground, with a terrifying force.
Ichigo's Zanpakto remained within Mundus' hand.
"Such a feeble toy, its imperfections are so obvious and apparent." Mundus said when to Ichigo's surprise and gut wrenching pain, the demon god snapped Tensa Zangetsu's blade from its chained up hilt.
Tensa Zangetsu fell to Ichigo's side.
The clanging sound drowned out by Ichigo's outcries of pains and suffering. His very soul being affected by the destruction of his Zanpakto.
"Ichigo!" Orihime cried as she rushed to her soul reappears aid.
"Such a waste of life. You however, you have potential." Mundus said as his hand began to sweep towards Orihime.
"Orihime look out!" Kyrie shouted as she successfully managed to knock the healer to the ground.
"Ha!" Nero yelled slamming his red queen into Mundus' fist.
"Get lost!" Nero yelled, launching himself into the air and with the use of his devil bringer, smashed a giant fist directly into Mundus' face.
"Nero!" Kyrie screamed noticing his current obstacle.
"Kyrie! Keep them both safe! And leave the rest to me! This guy is definitely more my expertise." Nero yelled suddenly activating his full body devil trigger once again.
So that's chapter 10 done! Ichigo's Zanpakto is broken: O?! But Nero managed to jump in just in time to commence a battle with the demon god himself! Will Nero be able to stop Mundus alone? Or will Ichigo manage to repair his weapon and support Nero in his fight against the prince of darkness? Find out in the next chapter. Chapter 11: This is not my true form! A desperate race against time!
