"And so, only the last Duke remains" Ulquiorra said amused. "I thought it would come to this eventually, but I never imagined your friends would pull it off so smoothly"
"Cifer-kun... How powerful is the last one?" Orihime asked worried.
"How strong is Arikado indeed?" He digressed. "Probably no one knows for certain, but he will surely give those two a good fight"
In the projection, Nel and Ichigo were crossing the desert, almost at the entrance of Ulquiorra's new Palace.
"Please, be careful Kurosaki-kun, Nel-san..." She wished inside her mind.
"Well, I guess it's time for me to leave" Ulquiorra got up.
"Huh? Where are you going?"
"I don't plan to fight Kurosaki Ichigo in this place. Just look at the mess those Demons made during their fights"
In fact, almost every Palace had been reduced to debris and the whole rooftop of Las Noches had been destroyed, leaving only the black sky and the crescent moon as ceiling.
"But... What about me? Don't leave me alone, please... Or else, who knows if another one of those Demons comes and takes me away!" She begged.
"Don't worry. I prepared thoroughly for this event. In fact, I've been planning this fight for far too long to miss such an important detail" He replied to calm her down. "You are coming with me" He took her by the hand gently.
"Huh? C-Cifer-kun, wait!"
"What's the matter?" He gazed at her with a confused look.
"I... I don't understand what you're trying to do!"
"That's point..."
"It's not pointless! You said you would kill Kurosaki-kun! Do you really think I would simply watch as you take his life away?!"
"You won't have other choice. After all... I need you, in order to face the one who truly killed me. The one who I really want to fight... Is the Hollow inside him. I want to know who he is. I want to understand what he is. I need to uncover the mystery behind that being!"
"What?" Orihime became curious at that confession. "What is wrong...? With his Hollow?"
"That creature... It's not like any Hollow I've ever seen. It was fierce, wild and yet highly intelligent. Its strength... Was simply out of this world"
"So that's what you really intended..." She frowned, realizing what killing Ichigo really meant. "I... I'm not helping you"
"Why? Even after I told you the truth... You are telling me you don't want to cooperate?"
"Of course not! That being... That Hollow is not Kurosaki-kun!" Her eyes let small tears appear as she remembered the past. "I know that the last thing he wants is becoming that monster again! Besides... Who knows what might happen? Last time we were lucky, but what if he never returns to being the same one? What if you are killed by him?"
"It's a risk I'm willing to take"
"Well I'm not! You're playing with fire, Ulquiorra!" She called him by his first name, trying to make him reason.
Ulquiorra could see a dreadful despair in Orihime's eyes. He understood, that she would not help him. Not now. Not in a million years. Not once in eternity.
"I understand" He sighed. "You do not wish to take part in this, and I won't force you. I imagine... Friends don't do that kind of thing"
"Cifer-kun..."
"But I'm afraid that I have yet another way of getting that Hollow out. It won't be easy, but I can say with certainty that it will work"
"What... What do I have to say to make you dessist from that idea?!" She slapped him, crying. "I want to be your friend, I really do... But I simply can't, not if you're gonna do such a despicable thing!"
Ulquiorra closed his eyes with a sad look. "Then I guess... We cannot be friends anymore"
"Huh?"
"Thank you for everything you taught me about the heart. Right now... It's hurting, and I perfectly understand why... Wonderful" He smiled as he realized that. "Enclose... Murciélago"
He turned into his normal Resurrección.
"Cifer-kun..." She felt a heavy sadness in her heart, seeing how feeling that sorrow made Ulquiorra happy.
"Well. I'm going to take you to a group of friends that can protect you. Just heal them and they'll be as good as new... " He said as he picked her up bridal style.
"W-What?" She asked in a cute yet awkward way.
Ulquiorra silently exited the Palace and fled the area with an elegant yet high-speed flight.
He didn't want to leave her, but there was no other choice. If she wasn't willing to help him, it was possible she would suffer a terrible fate, one that not even him could control.
Orihime thought such a rush would mean a rough journey, but it was surprisingly enjoyable. Ulquiorra used his Reiatsu so that the air wouldn't bother her at that speed. No Demons even got close to them as they went through the air above the desert, although that probably was due to their numbers dropping to practically zero during the heroes' assault.
"This Reiatsu is...!" Orihime suddenly felt a known source.
A second later, they were standing next to Chad and Uryuu, who were back on their feet and moving towards the final Palace, despite their wounds.
"I'm sorry..." Ulquiorra whispered as he carefully left her in the sand.
"You!" Ishida called his attention, clearly recognizing him.
"Orihime! What did you do to her?!" Chad wanted an explanation.
"I'm sorry" He said once more, not even looking at the other two, who were clearly preparing to fight him.
In a flash, Ulquiorra disappeared from their sight, flying towards a much more meaningful place for his rematch with Ichigo and his Hollow.
"Hey, Orihime! Are you alright?" Chad went to her immediately, helping her get up, although she didn't really need it.
"What was that all about?" Uryuu asked.
"Sado-kun! Ishida-kun! I-I'm alright..." She replied, though she was still saddened by what happened earlier.
"Really? He didn't do anything weird, right?" Ishida insisted.
"W-Weird?! W-What do you mean?" She blushed.
"I don't know, like stealing your Reiatsu or take advantage of your powers in some way..."
"Oh that..." She said in relief. "No, nothing at all. He... He didn't do me any harm"
"So he didn't lie about that at least..." Chad sighed, feeling a lot better. "Why did he bring you to us? What is he planning?"
"I guess he didn't need me anymore... I... I now know what he wants to achieve" She revealed.
"Really? What is he scheming?" Ishida asked in a rush.
"He... He wants to wake... The Hollow inside Ichigo... Just like the last time, Ishida-kun" She replied, with difficulty.
"What? No... It can't be...!" Ishida murmured.
~~~~X~~~~
"What the?! Is that... Ulquiorra?!" Ichigo said as he noticed the silhouette of the bat-like Espada soaring through the dark sky.
"It seems he is? Is he possibly... Fleeing?" Nel theorized, although it didn't make sense in any way.
"Not if I can stop him"
Ichigo jumped, decided to take him down, when a hurricane of slashing green wind stopped him.
"I can't let you do that" A male voice said, appearing from the eye of the hurricane.
"Tch... I knew this would happen, but I was expecting to find you at the Palace" Ichigo replied.
The wind dissapeared, allowing them to see the Duke.
He had long red hair and blue eyes. His fair skin looked smooth and pure, and he had an air of sofisticafion around him, possibly due to his clothes.
"You must be the strongest, aren't you?" Nel asked him.
"Power is relative. Many Dukes never showed their true potential, so it's hard to say... But if you're asking about my number, yes... I am the first Duke, Arikado"
"And your sword's name... Is Abaddon" Ichigo remembered Urahara's words.
"That's correct. I am surprised that you knew the name of my Onibuki... Though it is a bit famous. After all, its power has been feared since before humans even existed"
"Before... Humans existed?" Ichigo thought, not being able to imagine the magnitude of that expression.
"I would fight you here, but Ulquiorra-sama ordered me to battle somewhere else. Follow me"
A gust of green wind elevated him and carried him through the dark sky above Las Noches.
Ichigo and Nel followed him with no trouble, despite the tremendous speed.
Now that there were no Lesser-demons left to block their path, they moved incredibly fast through the desert of Hueco Mundo.
Arikado guided them towards a place neither of them had ever seen. A place where the white sands turned darker and darker as they advanced, until there was nothing but great plains of black sand and trees.
"This place..." Nel thought, feeling uneasy. "Why does it seem familiar?"
Arikado descended and pointed his blade at them.
"Ulquiorra-sama wanted me to bring you here. If you defeat me, he will make sure to give a signal for you to find and confront him, Kurosaki Ichigo"
"Bring it on, then! I've been wanting to fight a real Demon ever since I started training, so you better don't disappoint me" Ichigo grinned as he pointed his Zanpakutou at the Demon.
"Wait, Ichigo" Nel stopped him.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
"You should save your strength for Ulquiorra. Let me handle this"
"But Nel... He's the first-"
"I know. If things get complicated, I guess there won't be more of a choice, but for now, please let me do this" She replied with a determined look in her hazel eyes.
"Okay... Just don't... You know..." He was terribly worried.
"It will be okay, Ichigo. I won't let anything happen" She smiled and caressed his face to calm him.
"Alright... Do your best" He smiled back.
"I will"
Arikado had no problem to fight any of the two (or the two at once if needed), so Nel's decission did not bother him in the slightest.
"Very well... Show me what you can do, Espada" He challenged her.
"Shunkou" Nel said, as an aura of fire started emanating from her body.
Seconds later, her body was surrounded by scorching flames, ones that even reminded Ichigo of Yamamoto.
"Those are as bright as the old man's..." He thought impressed.
Nel could feel Ichigo's gaze over her in that state, which made her chuckle.
"These, Ichigo... These are the flames born of my love for you" She thought happily.
"You look strong, but are you sure you want to try taking me on by yourself?" Arikado asked politely.
"I guess I'll try my best" She replied seriously.
"Very well then... I don't really like fighting women, but I see there's no other way"
"Don't worry, that wind of yours will only feed my flames" She mocked, a bit bothered by his comment.
"If you say so... Crissaegrim" The green wind flowed through his blade and he directed a barrage of slashes towards her.
Nel quickly dodged each of the slashes with no problem. Her speed had become monstrous, to such a level that even Arikado had trouble following her with his eyes.
"Now's my chance!" She thought as he lost her position completely.
She charged towards him from behind with a fist of fire.
As soon as Arikado felt a slight increase of heat however, he knew he was under attack.
"Valmanway" He said as soon as Nel reached him, making the green wind circle around him protectively.
She jumped back instantly as she felt the dangerous attack, receiving only a little cut on her cheek.
"What was that...?" She thought confused. "It was like... The wind was alive"
"Amusing. I've never faced an opponent that could escape my defensive attack so easily. All the ones I've engaged so far... Died as soon as I used that attack"
"It isn't easy to read. I bet all your past opponents thought that they had you and never expected you to counter in such a devastating way" She replied, still amazed by his move.
"Possibly, though I'll never really know..." Arikado sighed. "But you are different, and that's enough for me to want to keep fighting"
"Really? How flattering" She mocked. "Too bad that we don't have the time to fool around"
Nel appeared in front of him in the blink of an eye, and threw a devastating flaming kick at Arikado.
His blue eyes opened widely as he received the kick with his arms crossed.
To his surprise, the strength of the attack and the fire had damaged his arms, which were now uncovered as his black suit had been consumed by the flames.
"She's doing it!" Ichigo thought, as a smile appeared on his lips.
Arikado's strong arms had been burnt, though he didn't seem fazed by it.
Nel didn't plan to stop there, so she immediately threw several punches of searing flames.
Arikado evaded most of them with difficulty, but Nel managed to deal a powerful blow on his chest with her last punch nonetheless.
"Kgh..." He made a sound of pain as he flinched.
"Did you have enough?" She asked.
"Yes... For a warmup that is" He replied, taking off the black jacket and the white shirt he was wearing to uncover his muscular torso.
"I guess you'll fight seriously now" She deduced.
"Correct, no more games. It's time I show you the true power of the first Duke..."
Arikado turned his back on Nel. For a moment, she thought he was being disrespectful, but that idea was discarded immediately as she saw what he had.
A big "I" was tattooed on the center of his back, which was very striking considering three pairs of shining white feathered wings grew from it.
"T-T-Tenshi?" She murmured in disbelief.
"W-What?!" Ichigo was astonished as well. "Is that... An Angel?" He thought.
"I know what you're thinking... But take a closer look" Arikado told them.
As soon as he said those words, his white feathers were painted black. Pitch black. All light escaped his blue eyes as well, which became red.
"You... You are a Fallen Angel" Nel recognized, with a look of surprise.
"Nel... You know what that is?" Ichigo asked her, as he didn't know.
"I had heard of the existence of both Tenshi and Oni, though I had never seen them with my own eyes until now... However, it is of common knowledge that along with the Oni, there are dark Angels that betrayed the Old Gods. They are known as Fallen Angels, or Yamitenshi" She explained.
"That's correct. I'm surprised that you know so much despite being a Hollow. The Old Gods were supposed to have annihilated all of Hueco Mundo's intelligent inhabitants all those thousands of years ago... But it seems they failed" He said bifterly.
"So you are not a complete Demon, but an evil Angel" Ichigo spat.
"Evil... I wonder if there's truly a good and an evil, but... I may just be overthinking stuff. Now then, I recommend you to get ready" He prepared his blade, surrounding it with green wind.
"There's something strange about that wind... And I'm going to uncover it!" She thought with sheer determination. "I'll have to fight seriously as well then"
Nel got her Zanpakutou out, and encircled it with the fire that surrounded her while increasing her Reiatsu even more. The flames' color changed into the same pink of her Reiryoku.
"Nel..." Ichigo admired her sight. Beautiful, elegant and, above all, powerful.
The two warriors looked at each other with fearless eyes, ready to clash at any moment.
In a second, both moved towards the other without a doubt in their hearts.
"Corte Abrasador!" Nel said as she attacked Arikado with her blade.
"Valmanway" The green wind clashed against the burning sword, protecting him from the flames that were menacing to devour him.
"That wind of yours is really quick. I have no choice... I'll have to show you what real speed is..." She said as she held her Katana with one hand in the air.
In a flash that Ichigo could barely perceive, Nel appeared on Arikado's side, having dealt him a burning cut already.
"What the-?" The Duke couldn't believe it.
And it didn't stop there, Nelliel continued appearing and disappearing with several slashes.
For a moment, Ichigo had a flashback. He remembered feeling that speed. A speed so high that even the eyes of Ulquiorra in his Segunda Etapa could not follow him.
"That... That wasn't a normal Sonido" He realized.
Arikado managed to protect himself from a couple attacks thanks to his frenzy of wind, but even so, he had taken serious damage from the Arrancar's attacks.
"Tch... You're giving me quite some trouble, miss. May I know your name?"
"I am Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, and I must say that I am also surprised by your power. I'm pretty sure that if I received a single attack of yours I would be instantly defeated, so I figured that I simply didn't have to get hit"
"Hah..." He chuckled. "A simple solution for a simple problem. I see why you were the one to accompany Kurosaki Ichigo, despite the threat such a decision posed"
"I would've followed him even if I knew that I would die protecting him!" She declared.
"N-Nel..." Ichigo, like always, couldn't have enough of her loyalty.
"Beautiful words from a beautiful woman. I wonder... If you can truly live by them though!" He said as he created a trio of hurricanes.
The green winds roared dangerously as they enclosed the two. Even Ichigo was in danger due to the massive scale of the attack, but he wasn't thinking about his own safety at the moment.
"Bakudou 81: Danku" He said as he created a giant void barrier to protect the two.
"Ichigo..." She muttered as she noticed his quick reaction, all to protect her.
However, Arikado grinned as he saw that. It was time to reveal the true nature of the green wind.
He moved his other hand, commanding the wind to go around the barrier.
"What?" Ichigo was surprised by it.
"No!" Nel thought, grabbing Ichigo in a moment and using her improved Sonido to get away from that place as soon as possible.
The wind surrounded the barrier completely a second later, but thankfully, the two were already out of that range.
"You two learn quickly" Arikado praised as he clapped his hands. "Truly, the best opponents I've ever faced... In a battle to the death at least"
Ichigo sighed in relief as he and Nel were safe. If she hadn't acted so quickly, it would be a different story and a darker one at that.
"Nel... What was that speed?" He asked, amazed. "I know that was not just Sonido"
"That's true. Yoruichi-san forced me to find a level above it. I call it, Velocidad"
"It truly is fast..."
"I appreciate your compliment, but I think it's not the best time" She replied, getting more serious. "You felt it too, didn't you?"
"Yeah. That wind... Is somehow alive" He knew what she meant. "Otherwise, my Bakudou wouldn't have failed"
"Actually, I think I uncovered the mystery behind that wind's life" Nel said, as she opened her hand.
In her palm rested an unconscious iron armored figure. With a tiny golden crown on its head, the little creature had a human face, beautiful blonde hair, lion's teeth and a tail like a scorpion's.
"What the...? What the Hell is that?!" Ichigo asked in shock.
"I'm not sure... But they are the secret behind Arikado"
"It didn't sting you, did it?" He was worried.
"No, it didn't. I don't know if they are venomous, but I don't wanna find out either"
"How did you grab it?"
"Just as we were escaping, I swinged my blade, just to see what the result was. It seems that out of pure luck, I cut its wings and disarmed it"
"Disarmed?"
Nel showed him a small green lance and a pair of metallic wings on the sand.
"So those things have...?"
"Yes, it seems each of them has a weapon, not counting their tail of course"
"Damn, this guy is more dangerous than he seemed" Ichigo frowned. "I'm sorry Nel, but I'm not letting you continue, not on your own at least..."
"Don't worry, I understand. It's better if we fight together anyway" She smiled.
"Yeah... We can't lower our guard though"
"Never" She agreed.
Arikado flew towards them, followed by a swarm of the fairy-like beings.
"I see you met one of my locusts. They are a bit shy... But very powerful nonetheless" He commented.
"I imagine you are going seriously this time" Ichigo told him.
"I don't know what you're talking about, I've been serious this whole time. If you are referring to my full power, that's a different story though"
"Enough games, we came here to fight Ulquiorra, not his sidekick"
"You have a big mouth for someone who hasn't even fought against me"
"Well that's about to change... Getsuga Tenshou!"
The giant slice of black and red Reiatsu collided with an equal attack of green locust wind.
The explosion caused by the friction of the two powers was tremendously powerful. Nel had to raise her Reiatsu in order to stand her ground without being helplessly blown away.
"Very well then..." Arikado smirked. "Ulquiorra-sama did not lie. It seems you are worthy of my Onibuki..."
The Fallen Angel sticked his sword in the sand and flew above it.
"Open the gate of the abyss... Abaddon!"
The blade was swallowed by the sands, only to be striken by a small falling star. On the designated spot, a special Kimon, one darker and smaller than the one Nel had seen during the invasion, but the pressure that came from it was as heavy as it could get.
The sole feeling of discomfort the two felt just by imagining what was behind that portal was unbearable, although the two could imagine what it was by now.
Out of the Kimon, a black cloud of armored locusts came out, their wings sounding like the rattle caused by an invasor army during a raid.
"This... Is unreal" Nel muttered, with a hint of fear and incredulity.
Arikado himself had grown locust legs and a torax like body. Instead of a sword, in his hand, appeared an ebony baton.
"Hahaha, I bet you're impressed by the uncountable number of soldiers my army of locusts has, but don't be surprised... After all, this power was created with the purpose of purging one third of the world's population!" Arikado exclaimed proud.
"One... Third...?" Ichigo repeated, imagining the amount of lives that meant.
"It's... Ridiculous..." Nel said, matching perfectly with her boyfriend's current thoughts.
"Now... Where did all your determination go? Don't tell me this has made you give up! You are supposed to fight Yama! You can't be so weakminded, dammit!" Arikado reprimended them with anger.
The two were even more confused with those words.
"Huh? Is he... Angry that we felt like that...?" Nel thought surprised.
"What is this guy's real objective?" Ichigo thought. "The only reason he would get angry was that he...!"
"I know what you're thinking... But, I won't hesitate to kill you because of that. If you cannot defeat me, don't even dream about beating Ulquiorra or any of the princes at that! So you better start to get your mind back on track. Otherwise... Suffer unto the locust!" Arikado spat and commanded the swarm with his beaton. "Imperium"
The swarming cloud fell upon them violently. There was no second thought in these creature's actions, so the two knew they had to act quickly.
"Nel!" Ichigo asked for her help.
"I'm on it!" She created a giant pilar of fire to buy him time.
"How was it again...? Ah.
Kunrinsha yo! Chiniku no kamen, banshou, habataki, hito no na o kansu mono yo! Shinri to sessei, tsumi shiranu yume no kabe ni wazuka ni tsume o tate yo!" He chanted quickly.
"Interesting..." Arikado thought.
"Hadou 33: Soukatsui!" Ichigo finished the favourite spell of the Kuchiki siblings, pointing the palm of his hand at the swarm and spreading a colossal blast of blue flames around the place.
Many of the locusts fell like flies to Ichigo's flames. Not even their armor could save them of such a fierce attack.
"Way to go, Ichigo!" Nel cheered happily.
"Yeah... But we're not half done yet"
And he was right. The amount of locusts was still enough to devour a small country's population in a single night.
"Is that your best? If that's so, you're better off dead" Arikado said in reply, commanding his army to descend upon them once again.
"That's funny, cause I don't remember saying this was my all" Ichigo replied, wearing his mask.
"Now he's serious" Arikado thought.
Instead of a Getsuga, Ichigo formed a helix with his blade's movement and speed.
"Cero Oscuras" He said as he blasted the trademark attack of the Hollows, with none other than the Cuatro Espada in mind.
As he did so, flashbacks of his training in the Dangai came back.
"You must learn to control your powers fully, Kingy" White grinned, wearing his black mask on top of his head. "Which means... To stop fighting like a Shinigami and start being your true self!"
"What? You want me to fire Ceros all over the place? Cause if that's it, I can do it all day!" Ichigo spat back, doing as his Hollow spirit told him. "Don't think for one second that doing that will give you an opportunity. I'm not scared of using my Hollow powers, cause I decided that I won't let you control me, ever again!"
"We'll see about that..." The Hollow chuckled. "...Kingy"
"I'm... Not... You..." Ichigo muttered as he erased more locusts from the faze of Hueco Mundo with a black and red shine.
Arikado blinked at his sudden increase of power.
"So he can be a real monster as well. In that case, I guess it's time for his final test" The Duke thought as he indicated one last dance for his locusts to follow. "Fifth Trumpet"
The locusts started flying frenzily around them, like a giant storm that leaves a city desolate and makes the seas go wild.
"Dammit!" Ichigo realized the danger, looking at Nel with worry in his brown eyes.
"Ichigo, I'll be alright! My Hierro can take a bit of damage" She said with a smile and an eye closed, though she was clearly tired and worried as well.
Ichigo pushed her away from the insects' range in the last possible moment, as his body was swallowed by the swarm.
"Ichigo!" She screamed as she was sent flying.
"Forming clouds, their shadow shrouds. Louder the tattered wings they sound. Descending down..." Arikado murmured.
The locusts engulfed Ichigo, not allowing him to see or make anything out, although there was a delicately crafted strategy inside that dissonance of movement.
He could feel how the creatures sticked together to create piercing weapons and giant hands made out of lances. As a result, it was inevitable to take serious damage.
His body was aching, bleeding and suffering strange effects like dizziness and numbness from the locusts' sting.
Not for one second, did his heart waver at the thought of winning the fight.
"I can't... Give up... Not until... Nel's safe... Not until... Inoue is safe... Not until... Everyone's alright!"
His black and red Reiatsu formed a destructive cupola, erasing the locusts around him instantly.
In a wild rush, Ichigo sprinted towards Arikado, determined to beat him.
"Come, Kurosaki Ichigo" Arikado said, calm. "I am wrath. I am pain. I am death. I... Am... Hell"
Although suffering from tunnel vision through the storm of insects, he was able to perfectly see Arikado. He was ready to end it all.
"Getsuga... Tenshou!" He screamed through his mask, throwing a slash with the shape of a crescent moon at the Duke.
Arikado used all of the locusts he had left to protect himself, embedding them with his own Reiatsu, but not even then... It was enough.
The black and red slash sliced everything on its path like it was thin air.
Arikado himself, felt the powerful Reiatsu, thinking it was his end.
"Well done... Kurosaki Ichigo" He muttered, closing his eyes.
"Arikado... I know you are full of regret ever since the raid on Hueco Mundo" A beautiful goddess of beautiful face, white skin, silky long black hair and pronounced curves that was wearing an elegant golden kimono told him with great sorrow.
"Amaterasu-sama... Excuse me but... That's wrong. I am glad, I followed the orders that were given to me" A pure Angel Arikado replied.
"You cannot even fool yourself, and you expect to fool me?" She mocked with grace. "Susano'o took a really drastic measure there. I am not happy with this outcome, but I do not blame anyone other than him. Do not hide your pain, Arikado"
"Amaterasu-sama... What can I do to redeem myself?!" He asked in tears.
"Like I said, there is no redemption you must seek. You are an Angel. You are just a servant of the Gods above you, which means there is no responsibility on your part"
"But... Even knowing that... I feel like my own heart is crushing me. The pain of those creatur- Of those people I killed...! I... I can feel it inside me and it's unbearable!"
"My poor Arikado" Amaterasu hugged him tenderly. "I would've never thought this would affect you so much. I imagine the agony you are going through, but I don't think it's correct for you to serve some kind of punishment"
"It doesn't have to be a punishment, just... Give me a path. Tell me a way to make the whole world a better place. Not just Souls and Humans, but those Hollows as well. Please"
"If that's what you wish for..." Amaterasu sighed with a bit of sadness. "We need someone of trust. Someone who would never betray his or our beliefs. Someone who will always do the right thing, as long as the situation allows him. Someone, like you, Arikado"
"What do I have to do?"
"We need someone to infiltrate Sorayama's court, down there, in Jigoku"
"In order to make sure, he doesn't do anything shady?" He inquired.
"Arikado... We know he will do it eventually. It's just a matter of time. Sometimes, as barbaric as it may sound, I even think killing him would've been the right choice, but we didn't do so back then"
"So... You need me to inform you of any menacing moves he does?"
"Exactly, but it won't be easy at all. You will need to earn his trust, completely. I know, you will have to turn into a Demon under his command for that"
"Amaterasu-sama... I'm already a Demon. After seeing the faces of those innocent souls... I have no doubt about that"
"Arikado...!" She tried to make him reconsider it.
"Thank you for everything until now... I'll make sure to make this mission a succes. Now, I will descend at once. I am not afraid. I will do whatever it takes. I will kill my heart. I will become Hell"
"Good... Good luck" She said in tears.
"Please, don't cry your highness. Don't waste tears in a lost lamb like me"
"Just don't forget... That you will always be my fifth trumpet, Arikado. No matter what you are"
"Of course. I would never forget"
Back in the present, with a single tear running down his face, he thought with a smile.
"I informed you of everything I knew, Amaterasu-sama. I trust you will come up with the most perfect solution to this problem, thanks to my work. I can gladly leave the rest in yours and this man's hands"
Just before the attack hit him completely, a hand took him by the shoulder and threw him down, into the sand.
He looked above with difficulty, almost passing out.
"W... Why...?!" Was all he could ask, before everything went black.
Ichigo panted heavily as he wore his mask off, falling to his knees to the pain and contamination.
"Ichigo!" Nel ran as fast as she could to his side.
"I... Won..." He babbled with a painful grin, before falling unconscious as well.
When he opened his eyes again, Nel was chanelling a powerful healing Reishi towards his body as he layed on the sand with his head on her thighs.
"What the...? Nel...? You know... Kaidou?"
"Ichigo! You're awake!" She hugged him strongly, crying of happiness.
"Ow...! Guess it still hurts a bit..."
"Oh, sorry!" She let go of him and rested his head on her lap again, accomodating him to keep healing. "My saliva can only do so much, so I... I asked Yoruichi-san to teach me all she knew. I doubt I'm nearly as good as her though, but as long as you're better, I'm glad.
"Wow... I never imagined you would go to such legths"
"I told you before, Ichi. I would do anything for you" She bent and kissed him gently on the lips after reminding him of that.
"Hey... How is... Arikado?" He asked, remembering how he used his last bit of strength to save the Fallen Angel from his own attack.
"You are crazy, Ichigo. I can't imagine you went so far to save your own enemy" She said surprised. "Though it makes me happy to know that you are a merciful warrior, just like me" She smiled at that idea.
"Of course. For what he was saying, he was never really an enemy to begin with"
"That's true. He's a couple meters to your right"
"He's alright then. Good" He said in relief, looking at the red-hair. He was back to his normal form, though he was still a Fallen Angel.
"Yeah. He's still out, but his wounds are not so bad. Don't expect him to fight for a while though"
"I thought as much. Any sign of Ulquiorra?"
"Not yet, but something tells me he's about to arrive" She frowned with a feeling of discomfort.
"I wonder how strong he is... Cause this guy was simply brutal. You've got to think that, in this form (and without wearing the mask) I was beating the shit outta Aizen" He explained.
"You're not planning to fight him alone, are you?"
"Nel... You knew that things would come to this"
"What? To you attempting suicide?" She asked a bit pissed off.
"Oh, c'mon... You know what I'm talking about"
"You think I'm not strong enough" She replied, now with a look of sorrow.
"It's really not that! In fact... I thought you were amazing as you fought Arikado" He remembered that with a slight blush.
"You really mean it?" She felt hopeful.
"Of course. I've told you before, you look dazzling when you fight" He playfully touched her nose as he said that.
"Ichi..." She blushed at that comment. "I... I love you"
"I love you too, Nel... And that's why I don't want you to risk your life in this fight" He gently passed his fingers through her hair. "This is something Ulquiorra and I left hanging for a while. It is our problem to finish it, with no one else involved"
"And what do you expect me to do? I can't help myself if I see you in grave danger"
"That's why... I want you to promise me that this time, you won't risk your life" He requested.
"Ichigo... You know how hard that is for me..."
"You're right, I know. But, that's why it is a promise"
"*sigh* You're putting me in a tight spot there"
"Hey, you want me to win, right?" He asked.
"Well, of course! Why would I wish for a different outcome?" She asked confused.
"Then think it like this. I will fight a lot better, knowing that you're safe and sound"
"Hmm... That does sound kinda right, though I wouldn't say totally convincing"
"So, what do you say...? Promise?" He raised his pinky finger.
"What is that?"
"It's something we do to make a vow where I come from. If you comply, wrap your pinky around mine" He explained.
She thought about it for a moment. She didn't want to risk losing him at all, but she knew him, he would do things his way in the end, it was inevitable. The best option was clear.
"Alright, I promise" She wrapped her finger around his. "But you have to win"
"Yeah. I'll make sure to" He smiled at her with decision, and leaned forward a bit to kiss her as their fingers were still entangled.
~~~~X~~~~
And... I'm back. God, it's been two crazy weeks this last time. I've been bombarded with tests and stuff (and honestly, I think I didn't do too well in all of them), but anyways, I managed to bring you all the first chapter of this year's Suicide Season (September for my country, in case you didn't know). I know that's not a happy thing, but I highlight it cause I want you all to know, that despite the hardships one may face through life, never consider ending it as a solution. There is always a way, believe me, and even if you feel like your life has no meaning and there's no point in living anymore, remember that no one really knows why we are here in the first place, so if you are alive, that's enough of a reason to keep living.
I, personally, am not (and have never been) truly happy living in such a limited world in comparison to many fictional ones. Despite that, I believe that such a pessimistic feeling (known as Weltschmerz) is what gives me the greatest impulse to keep creating my art (in all its different ways) and help inspire other people. I hope that in time I may be able to make something big out of all these things I create and bring a lot of happiness to the people I reach.
With this phylosophical monologue concluded, let's go to Reviews:
Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: Wicked. AWESOME! Loved this chapter! Keep it up!
Reply: Happy to hear that.
midnightscar17: Why are you using the satan names from highschool dxd?
Reply: These names are not original from HDxD at all, lol. They come from Christian and Satanic mythology and simbolism, so I just picked the Demons I liked for the swords.
See you all next chapter... Evhron out.
Glossary:
Corte Abrasador: Scorching Cut.
Velocidad: Velocity.
Crissaegrim and Valmanway: A very powerful wind sword from the Castlevania series (Arikado's name was also taken from there lol).