Welcome to my latest hyperfixation—Er, sorry, latest project.
It's been rattling around in my head for a couple years now as a vague idea, so I finally took a stab at it once I got writer's block on my main project. It's actually somewhat inspired by some similar stories that you may have run across on this site before that also make Ulquiorra a reincarnated Naruto character, but all the ones I've seen make him the ramen-lover himself, which I always thought was ill-fitting.
I will warn you, though, I'm going somewhat AU with Naruto's universe for this story. The power scaling of characters prior to the 4th Ninja War is just not anywhere near up to par for posing a threat to Ulquiorra. As such, I'm going to be giving them a bit of a buff rather than nerfing our edgy protagonist. To be clear, I'm not doing this to take away from his badassery, merely to keep him from curb-stomping otherwise interesting characters.
Finally, I'm not going to promise any kind of consistency with this story's upload rate, nor do I guarantee it will ever be finished. I'll keep writing as long as I have the time and interest, but it's by no means a top priority. I'm sharing this on the site so I can hopefully inspire other people with ideas, not because I expect to be one of the few people to actually complete a fanfiction project that's over 100k words.
With that said…
On with the show!
"If these eyes cannot see it, then it does not exist..."
These were the words that defined him.
There were others, of course—such droll descriptors as 'powerful,' 'logical,' and 'empty.' They were no less true, but they were reductive. They could mean many things beyond what was accurate, while the phrase left no such room for error. The words were clear, granting no place for unnecessary embellishment, and directed all who heard them to the truth of the man called Ulquiorra Cifer.
Yet… there was an outlier, a mistake, that defied his inner truth. A consistent thorn that refused to comply with his reality… and it all started with her.
The woman had barely been present in Las Noches for a day before she began to cause trouble. Arguing with Fraccion and wandering where she did not belong… Eventually, Ulquiorra simply took it upon himself to keep her out of trouble. He was the one to deliver her to the castle, after all, so she was his responsibility.
At first, the girl was tolerable—cowed by his mere presence. It was not to last, however, as her obnoxious and cheerful personality broke through her fear after a few days without consequences.
It was… insufferable.
She never stopped asking questions, coming up with utterly asinine hypotheticals, and bounced around him like a Hollow-Beast forced to entertain by threat of a cero. Even then, Ulquiorra maintained his composure—annoyed though he may be—and followed his orders.
The girl was not to be harmed, as she was useful.
But even his nigh-infinite patience was strained when she followed him into his room and started decorating.
"Enough," he declared, his voice low but carrying the force of authority.
The orange-haired girl froze in place, her hands moments from pinning a childish drawing of a flower to his wall, and she began to shake.
Good. She knows that she's pushed too far.
"I have no need of such things, Woman," he stated, though his forcefulness was reduced greatly.
Sighing dejectedly, the girl pocketed the paper, her tremors fading by the second as she realized the danger had passed. Soon after the tension had dissipated, she chose to flop onto his simple mattress carelessly.
"Woah, what's with this bed…? It's so hard!" the girl exclaimed, already focusing on something new to distract herself from her life at Las Noches.
"It serves its purpose," Ulquiorra stated simply.
"Hmm…" the girl hummed thoughtfully. "That's no good! A bed is supposed to be comfy and soft, Cifer-san!"
There was no need to respond to such a rhetorical statement, so he did not, choosing instead to close his eyes and lean against the wall, waiting for the girl to get bored and decide to do something less annoying.
Silence reigned for several moments, the girl uncharacteristically staying quite still.
What is she doing…?
Despite his closed eyes, he knew exactly where she was and the precise position of her body—Pesquisa made sure of that—but it defied every behavioral pattern she'd displayed so far to stay so utterly still without an active threat nearby.
"Woman," he began, opening his eyes, "What are you…"
She was staring at him with watery eyes. No tears had begun to fall, but it was clear that they could run at any moment.
"I—I'm sorry," she started, wiping away the wetness with her sleeve. "It's just… You look so sad."
A single eyebrow was raised in question, the rest of his expression utterly placid.
"Your heart… it's empty, isn't it?" she asked.
"You've mentioned this heart enough already, woman," Ulquiorra replied, almost tiredly.
It was her favorite topic, her usual shield whenever he tried to break her spirit. Her asinine faith in the imaginary tested his patience almost as much as the cheery behavior he was attempting to stamp out by assaulting her mental wellbeing as frequently as he did.
"Yes, but—"
The green-eyed young man stepped forward, cutting her off with his motion.
"If you refuse to accept the truth, then perhaps a demonstration will convince you," he stated, raising a hand.
The girl crawled back in fear—still on his cot—no doubt remembering his words…
"What is a heart…? If I rip open your chest, will I find it there? If I crack open your skull, will I find it there…?"
In a blur of motion, his pale arm came down.
Flinching back and shutting her eyes, the girl didn't even see the end of the violent motion.
…
…
…
Blinking, the girl opened her eyes after she realized she felt no different than moments prior… only to gasp at the sight in front of her.
"Tell me…" Ulquiorra demanded; a slight trail of black liquid dripping from the corner of his mouth. "Is this not what you speak of…?"
In his open palm rested a heart the color of pitch, still beating in a regular rhythm as black blood leaked from its arteries. The young man's chest had a new hole in it, rougher and more savagely cut than his Hollow hole, staining his pristine clothes with a steady trail of dark liquid.*
"Souten Kisshun!"
Immediately, a barrier of yellow light surrounded him, his wounds already—
With a tap of his empty hand, the ability shattered.
"Answer my question, woman," the man ordered calmly.
"N-no! Only once you're okay!" she denied him.
"It seems we are at an impasse, then," Ulquiorra replied. "I will die in the next few minutes if you do not heal me, girl, but I will not allow that to happen if you do not answer me."
The girl began to panic, her hands twitching with the urge to re-activate her powers but knowing it would do her no good. Finally, her expression firmed up into a picture of resolve. She was going to answer his question.
Fool… As far as you are aware, you could have rid your 'friends' of a powerful enemy.
"N-no… That isn't the heart I've told you about," the girl denied, her face still pale with worry. "C-can I help you now…?"
Ulquiorra nodded calmly, tightening his fist around his heart and crushing it into particles of reishi… which flowed smoothly back into his chest and reformed the thing. The damage he'd done to access it remained, however, leaving the beating organ exposed to the world outside his body.
"Y-you tricked me!" she declared, even as she activated her powers to heal what remained of the injury.
The dark-haired Arrancar's instant regeneration made short work of the process, denying the girl even the smallest chance to be of use. His abilities in this field were second to none, even if remaking organs like his eyes or his heart required a level of focus that precluded their recovery in a battle.
"And you are a fool for believing me," the young man nodded.
The girl seemed to… pout…? It was unbecoming, whatever the expression was.
"The heart… It's not something you can see that easily…" the girl began quietly as the golden light under her control gradually undid his wound.
"Then how can it be seen?" Ulquiorra replied, his tone laced with derision.
"..."
The girl did not reply.
Of course she didn't. She was speaking of impossible things that she didn't understand. There was no way she would be able to describe—
"Bonds…" the woman declared suddenly.
"What?" the green-eyed young man questioned.
"Bonds with others, precious people—"
A flash of familiarity filled Ulquiorra at those words, a crippling sense of deja vu.
"—It's through these ties that you can see the heart."
For the first time that he could remember, the green-eyed young man felt… something… stir within him. What was it?
"I have no need for such things," he stated with cold certainty.
The Hollow turned on his heel and began to walk away, hands in his pockets.
"No."
Ulquiorra paused mid-step, turning to glance over his shoulder at the woman.
"I don't believe you," she continued.
"The truth cares not for your beliefs," he replied.
"But how do you know that's the truth?" the girl countered. "Have you seen it?"
Within his pocket, a finger twitched. It was the only sign of his annoyance.
"Twisting my words back at me will not change reality, woman," he stated, turning back to face her.
"Then I'll prove it to you!" she declared, her shoulders hunched as she tightened her hands into fists.
"And how will you do that?" the green-eyed young man asked expressionlessly.
"I'll be your friend!" the girl stated impulsively.
Ulquiorra froze, his entire body utterly still beyond the bounds of even his normal stiff posture. A flicker of… something… filled his vision. A spiky head of blonde hair, whiskered cheeks… A disturbing amount of orange…
"Have you forgotten? You are a hostage, woman. Were Aizen-sama to give the order, I would execute you in a heartbeat," he explained like he was speaking to a child.
Honestly, he might as well have been.
"But only if he told you to, right?" the girl countered instantly.
A fox-like smile danced in front of his eyes.
"You are insane," he stated with utmost certainty.
"No," she denied. "I just know what it's like to be alone."
The flash of deja vu from before struck again tenfold.
"My brother was my only family, but he died when I was a little girl," the woman went on. "I was alone and it hurt… It hurt so badly, but my friends saved me from that."
The words were different… but the meaning was painfully familiar.
"Even if you're my enemy… I can't let you suffer that kind of pain," she said with disturbing certainty.
"And when your friends come? What will you do when I eradicate them like the trash they are? When their bones litter the sands and their blood coats the walls of Las Noches?" Ulquiorra asked. "Will you still be my 'friend?'"
The orange-haired woman flinched as if struck, and the Hollow knew he had won. It was a simple truth that they could not—
"M-my friends are strong," the girl began. "And I believe in them… b-but even if you d-do kill them, I would still be your friend. J-just because I would be sad, it doesn't mean I should make you sad too."
To a human mindset, Ulquiorra imagined the girl would be called a saint. To his eyes, however, she was nothing more than a fool.
"B-besides," the woman continued. "I promised you just now. I-I don't go back on my promises. It's my—"
"It's my ninja way, dattebayo!"
Ulquiorra flinched.
Immediately, the girl halted mid-sentence, staring at him curiously.
"A-are you okay…?" she asked, genuine worry in her tone.
"Out," he ordered.
"But—"
The room began to shake as the leash he held around his spirit began to loosen.
"I will not repeat myself, woman," he interrupted, power lacing his tone.
Her eyes filled with fear—
Good. She should be afraid.
—and tears as she scampered out of the room. He could tell she was retreating to her own domicile through his reflexive use of Pesquisa.
Grabbing a fresh uniform from his closet, the Hollow retreated to the bathroom. They were curious things, unnecessary for beings like himself, but his master was an eccentric man and had included them anyway. The ability to clean himself off from the omnipresent sand of Hueco Mundo at a whim was, admittedly, a boon, but he could have gone without it and not cared in the slightest.
Currently, he was only there for use of the mirror. It was helpful to make sure he was properly presentable, with no hidden wrinkles in the fabric or other slight imperfections. It was somewhat illogical, given how easy it was to damage the cloth, but he would not allow himself to walk around like common trash in damaged rags.
As he buttoned up his replacement coat, he analyzed his reflection in the mirror.
"I'll be your friend!"
His fingers twitched in irritation, the edge of his black upper lip curling ever so slightly from his disdain.
"She is a fool," he muttered to himself.
The 'heart…' these 'bonds' she speaks of… Useless, all of it. Such weakness is the domain of trash.
A flash of blonde interrupted his thoughts, and he glanced into the mirror.
"I'm taking you back, [ ]! You can't just cut away your friends!"
The orange-clad figure stared back at him with determination, utterly certain of his cause.
"Bala," the man uttered instantly.
In a flash of red, a ring of energy cut into the fragile surface, boring through the thick wall behind it and flying off into the endless night of Hueco Mundo. The shattered mirror displayed a thousand images, spiderweb cracks reflecting infinite perspectives of the same image.
Closing the last button at his collar, the Hollow walked away in silence, his expression as empty as ever.
He didn't notice the way his green eyes had twisted in the mirror's reflection, revolving like emerald pinwheels for the briefest of moments before settling back to their proper form.
…
Kurosaki Ichigo was the worst kind of trash.
"You would leave without even attempting to kill me?" Ulquiorra asked.
He had a mission, to save the Woman… and he was willing to compromise it to rush off and assist a comrade that had already accepted the risk and joined his foolish invasion. What point was there in doing so? He would never reach in time, they both knew it, and he would be giving up an opportunity to slay what he no doubt saw as the face of his opposition.
"Is this all your 'bonds' mean to you?" he went on.
The teenager stopped mid-step, turning around with a ferocious scowl etched into his face.
"What would you know about my bonds…?" he growled, like an animal. There was something in his eyes, a familiar look of repressed rage that did not come from the boy...
His mind was not his own. Not fully.
Trash…
"Only that which I have seen," the Arrancar responded calmly, "and what I have seen does not impress me."
The Shinigami's hand tightened on his blade, the oversized cleaver inching forward from his shoulder as whatever was influencing the fool urged him to fight.
"You seem determined to throw away one of these 'bonds' in a vain effort to save Kuchiki Rukia," Ulquiorra continued. "Does your 'bond' with her take some sort of precedence over your others…?"
"That's not how it works," the orange-haired teenager spat.
The green-eyed Hollow stared silently, attempting to understand what his opponent was saying.
"...I see," he replied. "It was a mistake to expect sense from trash."
The boy's spirit energy began to leak from him, that inner madness attempting to claim control while he was distracted by anger… but after a moment, he halted the flow. Blinking away the influence, he turned away and started to leave.
"Even still, you will not fight?" the Arrancar asked.
Perhaps he had underestimated the Shinigami's control. Such simple provocations would not be enough, it seemed.
An easy mistake. It's a difficult task to gauge the relative worth of the worthless.
"I don't have time to waste on you," the boy ground out.
If Ulquiorra suspended his disbelief and assumed that the teenager could make it in time to his comrade, then this was certainly the logical decision… Was there something he was missing?
…No, he would not dignify the trash with such concern.
"And what if I told you that it was I who brought Orihime Inoue to Las Noches?"
The fool paused again.
"...It was you?" he whispered, the borrowed madness slowly returning to his being.
The weight of the world seemed to intensify around him as the boy's spiritual pressure increased dramatically, the bandages wrapping his blade coming loose even as his grip tightened on its handle.
"Correct," the green-eyed Hollow confirmed.
The word seemed to flow over the other young man like water, his mind too centered on the connection he'd made.
"It was you…" the teen growled. "You're the reason why the old man declared Inoue a traitor…!"
The room began to shake, its pillars wobbling in their places from the boy's tantrum. Despite the show, Ulquiorra was unimpressed.
"Tell me, is it your 'bond' with the girl that enrages you so?" he asked. "If that's the case, I cannot fathom why you have not cut it. Your loss of rationality only diminishes your chances of victory."
"Shut up," the boy demanded.
"Is it your 'heart' that forces you to retain this weakness?" the Hollow continued, undaunted. "What is the purpose of such frivolous—"
"Ban—" the fool interrupted.
Ulquiorra's eyes widened a fraction, his Pesquisa granting him a keen awareness of just how much his opponent's power had leaped in a single half-complete utterance.
"Kai!"
An explosion of energy flooded the room, overwhelming waves of pure black lapping against the walls like waves against the shore.
"Tensa Zangetsu…"
It was an impressive show of force to most, but to Ulquiorra… it was disappointing.
"Is that all?"
The boy merely glared at him, raising his left arm to his face, his fingers curled like claws. The madness that had danced in his eyes before seemed to intensify, his lips quirking into a smile not his own for the slightest instant before he dragged his hand through the air.
For the first time, Ulquiorra was well and truly baffled by the boy.
"A Hollow mask…?" he wondered aloud. "You are even more of a fool than I thought if you think that will make a difference."
Without any hesitation, the teen flickered forward, lashing out with his new blade. The black energy from before was now traced in red, its power multiplying notably.
Even still, it would not be enough.
"Foolishness," the Arrancar muttered, lifting his arm to catch the blade upon his Hierro.
Though the Shinigami's eyes were no longer visible, Ulquiorra could still feel the intensity of the glare behind them; of the barely controlled madness and lust for violence that lurked within his tall frame.
"Getsuga…"
Ulquiorra's eyes widened fully as he felt the boy's power multiply even further in the middle of his swing. Even still it would not be enough to scratch him. He had more than enough time to make sure his Hierro was reinforced with—
A winding ball of energy filled his vision and for a moment he was certain that the only thing he had that could counter it was the lightning sparking from his fingertips, the constant chirping of the yellow bolts overwhelmed by the sound of the waterfall. The orange slit glare of his opponent's demonic eyes tore into him moments before—
"TENSHO!"
Black and red energy lanced downward, cutting through the floor several times over and into the sands below, exposing the room to the artificial sky of Las Noches' inner compound. Ulquiorra stood a few dozen feet away, the stump that had replaced his wrist spurting black blood in regular bursts that matched his heartbeat.
With a thought, his energy was diverted and his hand replaced.
"You have grown since our last altercation," Ulquiorra stated calmly, flexing his new hand in several different ways to pop each and every new joint. "Impossibly so."
His opponent wasted no time, rushing in for another strike without any hesitation.
The Hollow batted the blows aside with his hands, undaunted by his opponent's mediocre strikes. He had only been injured by the fool's assault because of his… distraction. It would not occur again, even if he were to take a direct hit from his Getsuga. His Hierro would not falter from such a slip up a second time.
"How have you advanced so quickly?" he asked between strikes, taking care to make sure his words were heard over the clanging sounds of steel against his reinforced skin.
"Because of those bonds that piss you off so much," the teen replied, his voice distorted like a Hollow's.
The Arrancar raised an eyebrow in disbelief, his lip curling slightly with disdain even as he blocked another strike.
"Impossible," he stated. "That is not how the world works. 'Bonds' bring nothing but weakness and despair."
"Really?" the fool responded. "Then why haven't I given in yet?"
"I'll never give up! Bonds can't be severed that easily!"
For the first time since the fight began, Ulquiorra went on the offensive, effortlessly gaining the initiative and pressing his opponent back. The boy began to grow desperate, flickering back from the close exchange and pulling his blade back, energy rapidly coalescing around it.
"Getsuga…!" he began.
His muscles tensed beneath his black robes, his sword blurring—
"Bala," Ulquiorra stated casually.
While the Cero may be its superior in raw power, the Bala still had its advantages. Chief among them being its superior activation speed, making it perfect for moments like this.
The ring of red energy shot forward, impacting the orange-haired Shinigami faster than he could bring his sword down, and shattered his mask. Instantly, his power decreased by a significant margin as his technique dissipated. The boy looked at him, anger in his eyes melding with the influence of his borrowed power. The orbs had shifted to gold under the mask, inky darkness clawing at the whites of his—
A demon's eyes filled his vision, their slit gaze tearing into him with unmatched ferocity and hatred, ill-suited to the kind face beneath them.
—he raised his hand to his face again, clawing the mask into existence for a second time. After a few moment's pause, the fight began anew.
…
"Enough," Ulquiorra ordered.
Raising his arm, he pointed a single relaxed finger at his opponent. The boy was panting, his mask long since exhausted of its use, but still he maintained that worthless determination. The Hollow had given him a chance, curious to see if the fool had any way to prove his absurd claims… but all Ulquiorra saw was a small dog that thought itself a mastiff.
Green energy began to form, coalescing into an orb at his fingertip.
"Cero," he stated casually.
The light blasted forth, tearing through the long hallway as it sought out its target. Immediately, the boy was enveloped by the attack, his blade raised in a futile defense. After a few moments, the energy dissipated, the dust and detritus gradually floating to the ground in the wake of the technique. Yet still, his opponent stood there, his sword pointed forward in trembling hands.
Casually, Ulquiorra began to walk towards the boy.
"You managed to pull out your mask again, mere moments before my attack impacted you," he stated. "That saved you, but pushed you even further beyond your limits."
Coming to a stop in front of the boy, mere inches outside the range of his black blade, the Hollow stared at him dismissively.
"What will you do now, trash?" he asked. "You cannot defeat me."
Drawing upon his seemingly endless well of stupidity, the Shinigami stepped forward, his sword slashing down at Ulquiorra's torso—intending to cut the Arrancar in two.
The green-eyed Hollow's first instinct was to catch the blow with a single finger, unknowingly mirroring a prior altercation the orange-haired teen had experienced, but he thought better of it and restrained the reflex.
Perhaps this will force him to see reality…
The dark steel skittered across the Arrancar's skin, the force its tired wielder exerted far from sufficient to pierce the reinforced surface… but it still managed to cut through the Arrancar's clothing.
"Now do you see your folly?"
The cloth fluttered away, revealing the mark that correlated to his rank.
"H-How…?" the teen whispered, staring in horror at the intricate tattoo. "Y-you're just the fourth…?"
When constrained to the same standards of the rest of Espada, yes… They have yet to reach their potential, ignorant as they are of it. I have no doubts that they could surpass me, given the opportunity.
"Do you finally understand?" Ulquiorra queried. "There was never a chance of your victory."
The dark-haired man watched his opponent, waiting for that inevitable moment. The second that reality would hit and the teen's foolish determination would wilt in the face of it. Like everything in this world, his drive was pointless.
Doubt flickered in the Shinigami's eyes, the crushing weight of his situation smashing into his will to fight with the force of a freight train… but it was not enough. There was still a kernel there, the determination to keep going despite the truth in front of him.
The orange-haired teen opened his mouth to speak, but it was not his voice that was heard.
"I'll never give up! No matter what happens or how impossible it seems, I'll keep on going! It's my—"
Ulquiorra's hand shot forward without conscious thought, spearing through his opponent's torso and obliterating meat and bone effortlessly.
"Guh…!"
The teen shook, blood spurting from his mouth as he looked down at himself. A moment later, the shock set in and he collapsed, sliding off the pale arm that had impaled him. His body hit the ground with a wet 'thunk,' splattering the already battered concrete with his life's blood.
Ulquiorra let out a shaky breath, his fingers twitching madly as he flicked away the remainder of the trash he'd just ended. After a moment of staring at the body, he shoved his hands in his pockets and walked away, his frown ever so slightly deeper than normal.
…
"Woman…" Ulquiorra began. "Why are you following me…? Are you truly foolish enough to believe I will protect you from the other Hollows now that Aizen-sama has declared your existence unnecessary?"
The girl shook her head, sending her obnoxiously orange hair whirling without even noticing.
"You looked even lonelier than normal," she explained.
The Hollow raised an eyebrow.
"Even assuming your baseless accusation has any substance, what business is it of yours?"
The girl frowned, though the expression had no real bite to it.
"Friends look after each other," she stated, as if it was obvious.
"You still believe I'm your 'friend?'" he asked dismissively.
She is unaware of his death, it seems…
She nodded resolutely.
"I promised."
Her orange hair seemed to shift, accents of blue and swirls of wind shifting it into the form of the blonde figure from before, his beaming smile determined to—
"What if I were to cut you down right now?" he queried.
The threat hung in the air, the tension skyrocketing from the sincerity of his question. He was not lying, nor suggesting something that he was uncommitted to doing. He would not hesitate to make good on his statement if given a reason to do so.
"Bonds are not cut away so easily," the woman stated resolutely.
The Arrancar's eyes widened minutely, the statement ringing with painful familiarity.
"Foolishness," he stated, turning away to continue—
The wall crashed in, a black wave of energy shattering brick and stone effortlessly as it cut across the oversized hallway. As the smoke cleared, it was clear who had arrived.
"Sorry I took so long, Inoue," the teenager stated, a confident smirk on his lips. "Now…"
He turned to face Ulquiorra.
"Get away from her, teme."
Several long moments passed as the Hollow stared down the boy, his fingers twitching in his pocket as his thoughts shifted to their last encounter.
It appears he has lived somehow…
"I intended to," Ulquiorra replied, cutting through the silence with his words. "I have no orders to harm her… but you are a different matter."
The dark-haired Arrancar stepped forward, the sound of cold steel echoing as his blade scraped out of its sheath. The boy's eyes widened, visible surprise coming to his face as he looked at the naked weapon.
"I'm shocked," he began. "I thought I'd need to force you to draw your sword."
A taunting note slid into place within his smirk, his eyes bright and more determined than ever.
"Does this mean you recognize me as an equal?"
"You'll never be as strong as me, [ ]! You don't even have the strength to discard the ties that chain you down!"
"Do not misunderstand me," Ulquiorra responded. "There is a difference between raising a blade to an equal's throat and seeing the inefficiency of swatting a fly without a swatter."
The teen's smirk shattered, falling away to reveal the scowl beneath it. The duo stared at each other for several long moments… and then the fight began.
The Shinigami lunged forward with a thrust, his form blurring into a black line as he closed the distance. A simple shift of the Hollow's position allowed him to dodge the blow by a hair, giving him an efficient opening to slash at—
The teen pre-empted him, leaping over the incoming strike before making a reishi platform mid-air, pressing off it to launch himself down like a rocket. This time, Ulquiorra blocked the blow, sending the ring of steel against steel echoing throughout the room.
The Arrancar slid back a few feet, his one-handed hold strained but not overwhelmed by his opponent's strike.
Almost lazily, he redirected the force to the side and took the opportunity to send a flurry of stabs at the teen's upper torso. Surprisingly, the fool managed to dodge them all—though he was nicked by more blows than he wasn't. Still, Ulquiorra continued, interested to see how the Shinigami would escape from this—
The boy's eyes flashed, his free hand lashing out at speeds he had never displayed before and latching onto Ulquiorra's sword-bearing arm. The brief moment of surprise granted the Shinigami a chance that he took greedily, lashing out with his black blade.
An instant later, the Arrancar ripped his hand from the trash's grasp, retreating a few feet. His eyes never left those of his opponent… who had an odd expression on his face now.
"That Hierro thing sure is strong…" the boy began, his prior smirk back in full force. "I only managed to nick you… But I didn't even need Getsuga this time…"
Impossible…!
His empty hand went up to his chest, the familiar sensation of blood meeting his palm. A glance only confirmed what he already knew.
"Heh," the Shinigami chuckled. "It feels great to be able to keep up."
"What?" Ulquiorra queried.
"Last time, I could barely see you move, much less react or predict what you were going to do…" the teen explained. "But now…?"
He paused for a moment, his grin bordering on infuriating.
"It makes me wonder… Am I able to keep up better now because I'm becoming more like a Hollow…?"
The smirk intensified as he went on.
"Or because you're becoming more like a human…?"
"You're not any better than us, teme! Just because you have—"
A single swing and the floor beneath them both became a chasm, the space below exposed from the new gap opened by Ulquiorra's strike. The world itself seemed to tremble under the weight of his spirit, shaking the loose pebbles and debris with its pressure.
"I see…" he began.
"You're actually feeling good about being able to fight at this level…?"
…
"Enclose…"
The moon hung in the sky, the pointed crescent digging into the blackness like a blade against flesh, while the rest of the heavens hung empty, devoid of any stars. It was here that Kurosaki Ichigo would be shown the truth of this world.
"...Murcielago."
…
Why…? Why will he not give in…?
The teen was held aloft by the Hollow's slender fingers, his body wounded and his mask gone, but still the boy retained his sword.
"Why do you still hold your blade…?" Ulquiorra asked.
Coughing, the boy merely grinned… and a dozen perspectives of an identical determined grin flashed through the Arrancar's mind. The blonde that bore them could not be more different to the fool in Ulquiorra's grasp, but in this one aspect they were alike.
They were incapable of grasping despair.
"Do you still believe you can defeat me?" he continued.
That got him a weak chuckle.
"You think that just because you're stronger than me I'll give up…?"
"Just because you're stronger than me doesn't mean I'll let you leave, teme! I'm dragging you back, no matter what you say!"
"...You are a fool," the Hollow said quietly.
"It doesn't matter, Ulquiorra," the human denied. "I'm going to beat you."
The boy blurred as he was thrown away, allowed to land and tumble across the rubble of the pillar they stood upon.
"Enough."
Rising to his feet, the teen looked in askance at his opponent's declaration.
"I finally understand you, Kurosaki Ichigo," the Arrancar declared, staring down the boy across from him. "It is not that you cannot see reality, it is that you refuse to acknowledge it. You live in a world devoid of malice, forgotten by cruelty, and that has led to your present stubbornness."
The orange-haired Shinigami glared at him, opening his mouth to interrupt, but the Hollow carried on swiftly.
"Your words… your thoughts… No, your very being can only exist because you have not felt true despair…" Ulquiorra explained. "So come… Allow me to educate you."
The weight of his spirit increased tenfold, distorting the very air with its seemingly endless depths. A rain of darkness came down upon the already abyssal sky, briefly blotting out the moon itself as words fell from monotone lips.
"Resurrección: Segunda Etapa."
…
An orb of pure darkness hovered in front of his clawed fingertip, primed to blow a hole through the fool's chest. A glance at his barely conscious eyes told Ulquoirra all he needed to know about the teen's condition.
Even now he still had the will to fight. His body had simply betrayed him, unable to keep up with the demands forced upon it.
It was… disappointing… that, somehow, even this was not enough to break Kurosaki Ichigo. Was he fundamentally incapable of falling to despair…? Such a thing should not be possible, yet…
"Kurosaki-kun!"
The Arrancar's eyes slid towards the woman below, the tears brimming in her eyes visible even despite the distance between them. Her face was a rictus of weakness, overwhelmed by horror and fear as she stared at what was no doubt her worst nightmare.
"Behold, woman!" he declared.
Her eyes widened in horror as the orb above his sharpened fingertip shrank to a pinprick, condensing its already mighty energies even further.
"This is what your 'heart' leads to!"
Falling…
Falling…
Falling…
The world was a blur, shades of gray that eluded his attempts to comprehend their form.
It's… so cold…
"—saki-kun!"
What had he been doing…?
So… friggin… cold…
The woman caught the Shinigami on her barrier as she rushed over to him, tears streaming down her cheeks as she saw the blood leaking from the massive hole in the boy's torso.
Foolish…
Without a sound, Ulquiorra crossed the distance in a single step, coming to a perfect stop in front of the girl and halting her in her tracks.
"You cannot save him this time, woman," he declared. "I made sure of that."
Her entire form was trembling as she visibly forced herself to not try and run past him.
"His wound is far larger than before, and he will die before you can even begin to treat him," Ulquiorra went on.
"N-no!" the girl denied between sobs. "I-I'll save him! L-let me go! I-I can help him!"
The Hollow stood there impassively for a moment, then spoke again.
"Answer one thing for me, woman, and I will let you waste your efforts however you wish," the Arrancar stated.
"A-anything!" the girl pleaded.
Staring into her eyes coldly, the dark-haired Hollow watched and analyzed every motion she made. Nothing would stop him from knowing the truth of her next statement…
"Am I still your 'friend?'"
Her eyes widened as her whole body froze, hesitation and fear overwhelming rational thought as she stared at him, eyes flicking between his bat-like appearance and the wounded boy nearby.
"I-I-I…" she stumbled.
Blinking expressionlessly, the Arrancar stepped to the side, allowing her onward. Immediately, the girl managed to regain her focus enough to rush to the orange-haired teen's side, mumbling his name in panicked terror over and over again as she tried and failed to save him.
As I expected… Such things are worthless.
Closing his eyes, Ulquiorra simply remained there in silence for several long moments… Simply processing the—
"Please! Don't leave me, Kurosaki-kun!"
The Hollow's eyes shot open as overwhelming, monstrous power shook the very foundations of Las Noches. Even Segunda Etapa was not quite like this. The bat-like Hollow's power was comparable to the weight of the heavens upon the earth, but this…?
This was like the world itself had begun to push back.
…What is this…?
And then the impossible happened… The Shinigami sat up.
What came next was nothing but a painful blur.
…
"W-what happened…?"
The fool didn't even know what he'd done. How… fitting…
Even now, the boy could not see the truth before him.
"Tell me, Kurosaki Ichigo…" Ulquiorra said calmly, in spite of the way he could feel his body falling apart inside. "Is this the power of your 'bonds…?' of the 'heart…?'"
The orange-haired Shinigami's eyes widened in horror as he noticed Ulquiorra's disheveled appearance. Between the stick-thin arm and leg and the fact that his spiritual pressure was as little as a gillian's now, it was quite clear that he did not have much longer.
"Did I…? Did I do that to you…?" he whispered in horror.
There is no point in asking now, it seems… I will not receive a coherent answer from him.
It was… disappointing. Surely, there was something to be learned from this. It felt like he was close to… something.
"No, no! You can't die! Not like this!"
Letting out a ragged breath, Ulquiorra took a single step forward.
"Kill me," he ordered. "Else this will never be finished."
The boy gaped at him, horrified by the statement. Whatever he said in response, it was overwhelmed by another's words…
"It wasn't supposed to end like this! I was supposed to beat you up and take you back to the village! Not… Not this!"
The Hollow felt it, the moment he passed the point of no return. His body began to fall apart, ashes on the wind as he looked at the humans in front of him. From the Quincy boy that was foolish enough to interrupt the fight of two monsters, to the Shinigami that would not… could not… give in…
To the woman that was shedding tears for the enemy.
"Tell me, woman…" he began as his legs drifted away. Reaching out with his one hand he went on—
"No!" she cut him off, startling them all. "I won't let it end like this!"
Her hairpin split apart as a bubble of energy formed around the Arrancar. His body began to regenerate… but it wasn't enough to outpace the rate at which it fell apart.
"Woman… Enough…" Ulquiorra stated softly. "You cannot save me."
"Souten Kishun! I reject!" she shouted, forcing more of her energy into the construct.
"...Let him go, Orihime," the Quincy interjected, gently resting a hand on her shoulder.
"I reject!" the girl repeated desperately, tears rolling down her cheeks in waves as she kept going.
For the first time that he could remember, Ulquiorra felt his lips pull upwards slightly.
"He's so close! He was so close to understanding!" the girl cried, her arms trembling as she held them in front of her to control her barrier.
The Hollow was nothing but a torso, now, and even that was vanishing rapidly.
"Woman…" he interrupted quietly.
She froze, eyes wide as she stared at his expression.
"Am I still… your friend…?" he asked.
"Yes…!" she whispered urgently, hiccuping between her sobs as she repeated the word like a mantra. "Yes, yes, yes! I am your friend! I promised…!"
Ulquiorra's face relaxed slightly, a look of gentle contentment appearing just as his chin began to dissipate. With a quiet breath, he let his eyes flutter closed.
"...I see."
What have I done…?
Ichigo stared miserably as the last fragment of his opponent faded away.
He was an asshole, but he didn't deserve… that…
To his side, Orihime collapsed to her knees, overwhelmed by the pain of the moment. He didn't know what she had thought of the Arrancar, but clearly there was more to the man than Ichigo knew… Than he would ever know, now…
"Inoue-san… It's… It's alright…" Ishida said gently, crouching at her side.
The orange-haired Shinigami did the same, a moment later, reaching around the girl hesitantly and pulling her into a hug for the first time that he could remember since they were kids. He wasn't a touchy-feely person, but he could make an exception for something like this.
"...reject… I reject… I reject…" the girl chanted under her breath, over and over again.
A nasty, crude thought wormed itself into Ichigo's head… Some part of him was glad that he had lived to see this, because he couldn't imagine how much worse the girl would have responded if he was the one that had died.
Immediately, he discarded the idea, eyes flashing to the ashes his opponent had become. He would not disrespect the dead like that…
"...Inoue… He's… He's gone," Ichigo began, trying to pull the girl from her grief.
"Reject… Reject… Reject…" she kept mumbling, her tone sounding almost… crazed…
Pulling away from the girl, he looked up at Ishida across from him and wordlessly asked for help.
"Inoue—" the Quincy began.
That's when they both noticed, eyes widening in fear, not for themselves but for the girl. Her spiritual reserves were dropping rapidly. If they didn't do anything now she was going to kill herself from exhaustion.
"Inoue!" they both shouted.
Looking around wildly, they couldn't see any barriers she'd made, or anything to suggest where the energy was going. It was like… she was trying to reject reality itself.
"—reject-reject-reject-reject-re—"
Shit!
Panicking, Ichigo did the first thing he could think of and started pumping as much of his own energy as he could into the girl, using the technique he'd learned to infuse the orb in Kukkaku's firework canister to bolster her reserves.
"What are you doing Kurosaki?! That's only going to make this worse!" Ishida shouted.
"Do you have any better ideas?!" the Shinigami shouted back at him. "There's no way to cut off her powers directly without hurting her!"
Grimacing, the Quincy placed his hand on the girl's shoulder and started helping as best he could. He didn't have the raw quantity that Ichigo did, but he had such control that not a drop was wasted in the transfer, the inverse of the orange-haired teen who wasted a bit more than half of the energy he tried to share.
"Shit, it's still not enough!" Ichigo declared.
They could both feel her reserves dropping to dangerous levels in spite of their efforts, the sheer energy required for what she was trying to achieve well beyond what they could offer…
"Kurosaki… Use… Use whatever you can to save her," Ishida ordered. "I'll never forgive you if she dies because of this."
The orange-haired teen nodded firmly and noticed how the air behind the Quincy began to warp and twist into blue energy. The other teen was converting the ambient energy of Hueco Mundo into something he could transfer to the girl, all while constantly pumping more and more energy over the connection. It was a staggering feat of control and technique.
"Of course," Ichigo stated, bringing his hand to his face without hesitation. "I'm the 'Number One Protector,' remember?"
Ripping the air in front of his face, his mask came into existence and—
Instantly, it was a struggle to remain sane, the overwhelming rage echoing from his inner Hollow pouring into his psyche and clawing at his mind. The thing was desperate to reclaim the control it had recently achieved, and wasn't holding back in the slightest with its efforts.
Grimacing beneath the facial covering, Ichigo forced the Hollow back, claiming its overwhelming energy for himself and adding it to Orihime's reserves.
"..."
The girl wasn't even audible anymore, her feverish chanting only present in the mild twitch of her lips as she clenched her hands together painfully.
No!
Ichigo could feel the drain that Orihime was forcing upon herself increasing exponentially, pulling on his reserves like they were just another part of the girl's own.
I won't let you die!
Ishida was mumbling something similar to Ichigo's thoughts. They were of one mind here, utterly determined to deny the worst outcome. To reject the reality before them… Even if it was for different reasons.
For an instant, all three humans were of one mind, and then the drain stopped.
"I REJECT!"
The world went white… the entire sky of Hueco Mundo lighting up as if it were day…
When the night returned, there was no sign of the three humans, nor of the ashen remains of the Arrancar they had fought.
In another time… across a different world… four young people awoke under a new sun…