Chapter 27: Looking for an Answer! Ulquiorra Dies on the Battlefield!

Ichigo tried to grab Luffy by the head but Luffy ducked and kicked Ichigo into the air. Luffy blew his body up like a balloon and twisted himself. He let out the extra air and flew towards Ichigo. "Gum-Gum…" Luffy started to throw a barrage up punches at Ichigo. "…Storm!"

Before the fists could hit Ichigo, he disappeared, causing Luffy to stop. "What the…where did he…" Luffy felt Ichigo's hand grab him by the neck and threw him next to Uryu. Luffy coughed up blood when he did the ground.

"Luffy, please stop!" Orihime pleaded. "It's my fault! I'm the one responsible for making Ichigo like this. It's because I made Ichigo help me. I've trained so I wouldn't be a burden. I chose to come to Hueco Mundo so I can protect my friends from getting hurt."

"Don't blame yourself." Luffy said to Orihime as he slowly got to his feet. Orihime looked at Luffy with sadden eyes. "It's not your fault. None of this was your fault so get it out of your head!" Ichigo slowly walked towards Luffy and Uryu and charged up a cero.

"Ichigo, don't do this!" Orihime shouted but it fell on deaf ears. "Please! Listen to me Ichigo!" Then Ulquiorra appeared behind Ichigo with a green lance in his hand and cut off one of Ichigo's horns, causing the cero to be fired at him but it missed.

The cero engulfed Ichigo and Ulquiorra and then exploded. The explosive send a shockwave, causing Orihime to cover her face from the blast. The smoke cleared and Ichigo's hollow mask was shattered, revealing his pale face.

"What…just happened?" Luffy asked confused. The hole was still on Ichigo's chest as he started to fall.

"Ichigo!" Orihime shouted, running to Ichigo as he fell to the ground. "Ichigo?" Ichigo didn't respond. "Don't leave me, Ichigo! I need you!"

Ulquiorra's body part that were burned off the cero are slowly coming but in a deformed shape. Ulquiorra looked at Orihime and turned his back. 'My arms, legs, and torso are regenerating.' He thought. 'But it's all just for show. The internal organs that he blew away will come back. If it hasn't ended in that last strike, I would be the one lying there dead.'

Ulquiorra's eyes then widen as did everyone else's as spiritual energy has hovering above and shot down on his chest, closing the hole was there.

"Unbelievable…" Uryu said shocked. "The hole closed up."

"It's high speed…regeneration." Ulquiorra said.

"Hey Ichigo!" Luffy said, slowly walking towards Ichigo. "Are you ok?" Then Ichigo rose up to his hands and knees, surprising Luffy and Orihime.

"I'm still alive?" Ichigo whispered. Then he put his hand on his chest, where the hole used to be. "Wait a minute, didn't I…didn't I have a giant hole my chest?"

"Yes, but you're healed." Orihime said.

Ichigo looked at Orihime. "Orihime, are you alright?" Orihime nodded yes. Ichigo then looked at Uryu and saw his sword in Uryu's stomach.

"Uryu?" he whispered, standing back up.

"I see you finally…snap out of it." Uryu said weakly.

"Am I the one responsible for that wound?" Ichigo asked, sweat running down his head.

"Wait, you don't remember?" Luffy questioned confused. Ichigo looked at Luffy and saw that he was badly injured himself.

"Did I do that to you too?" Ichigo asked.

"You're a hard guy to kill." Ulquiorra said, getting everyone's attention.

"Ulquiorra…" Ichigo said, looking the espada. Ulquiorra appeared in front of Uryu, pulled Ichigo's sword out of his stomach and tossed it near the feet of its owner.

"Pick it up and let's finish this battle now." Ulquiorra said.

"The one that stabbed Uryu and injured Luffy, was it me?" Ichigo asked.

"What difference does it make?" A green lance appeared in Ulquiorra's hand.

"Am I also the one responsible for cutting off your left arm and leg?" Ichigo picked up his sword from the ground. "If so, then you can cut off my left arm and leg."

"What are you talking about?!" Orihime asked surprised. Then the green lance in Ulquiorra's hand disappeared as the espada looked at with widen eyes.

"The entity that fought you earlier was a hollowified being with no consciousness." Ichigo stated. "It was not really me. If we're going to settle this fight, I have to be in the same condition as you or we won't be evenly matched."

"Hold on Ichigo!" Uryu shouted. "Are you crazy?! You can't be serious about this! It's suicidal!"

Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes and turned towards Ichigo. "I'm fine with it." He said. "If that's what you want, that's what you will get." Before he took a step, he saw one of his wings beginning to dissolve.

"What the…" Luffy said surprised as everyone.

Ulquiorra looked at the dissolving wing and said, "So this is how it ends." He looked at Ichigo. "Kill me Ichigo. You don't have much time left. I won't resistance you. I no longer have the strength to even walk. If you don't take this opportunity now, our duel will remain unsettled forever."

"I can't do it." Ichigo said.

"What are you saying?"

"I don't want to…not like this." Ichigo said, making Ulquiorra narrowed his eyes. "It's wrong! This is not the way I want to defeat you!"

Ulquiorra widen his eyes as his body continues to fade away. He closed his eyes and said, "To the very end, you just won't do what I want." Then he looked over at Orihime, who just stood back up. "And just when I was finally becoming…a bit interested with the way that you people behave." Orihime looked at the espada with sadden eyes.

(Flashback)

In the fifth tower in Las Noches, Ulquiorra continues to walk towards Chopper and Orihime.

"Are you two afraid?" the espada asked. "The both of you are useless to Lord Aizen now. There is no one here to protect you. You two are alone. It's over. The both of you will die here. You will die with no one to witness it. So I want to know how frightened the two of you are."

"I am not…at all." Orihime said firmly.

"I'm not scared either." Chopper said firmly as well. Ulquiorra widen his eyes at their answer.

"You see, now we know that our friends came to rescue us." Orihime explained. "So right now, our hearts…our hearts are with them."

"What nonsense." Ulquiorra said. "Neither one of you are scared because your friends have come for you? You two can't be serious. You really think that they can save you?"

"Absolutely." Orihime responded.

"Your heart you say." Ulquiorra said he walked up to Orihime. "You human always toss around that word so casually. It is as if it is something you can hold in the palm of your hand. But my eyes can see everything. Nothing exists that I can't see. So if I can't it, it's not real. That is what I believe." Ulquiorra stopped walking when he was near arms reach of Orihime. "Tell me, what is a heart?" Ulquiorra raised his arm until his hand almost touch Orihime's chest. "If I tore a hole through your chest, would I see it?" Then he raised his hand to Orihime's forehand. "If I split open your skull, would it be there?" Orihime widen her eyes in fear, making Chopper look at the espada in anger.

(End of Flashback)

"So let me ask you again, girl." Ulquiorra said to Orihime, sticking his hand out towards her. "Are you afraid of me?"

"No, I'm not afraid." Orihime answered. "Really…I'm not."

Ulquiorra looked at her one final time and said, "I understand." Orihime tried to grab Ulquiorra's hand but it dissolved into ashes as well. 'I see now.' Ulquiorra thought as the rest of his body is dissolved into ashes and blown away. 'In the palm of my hand…is a heart.'

To be continued…

Next Chapter: The Strongest Espada! Yammy's Resurreccion Unleashed!