Ichigo and Ulquiorra's battle was intensifying, and Ichigo could tell the Espada was holding back, for reasons he didn't know. Ichigo was fighting at full strength and it felt as if the Arrancar was just toying with him. Ichigo used the palace walls for support and used a Getsuga Tenshou against Ulquiorra which, the Espada dodged pretty easily. Ulquiorra decided to end this battle, and shot upwards, above Las Noches, and Ichigo grew annoyed. "Hey where're you going?!" He yelled and followed the Espada into a hold in the sky, and it revealed a darker, secluded desert, and Ichigo only assumed one thing. "This is above the dome of Las Noches?"
"That's right. Espada above the rank of four, are forbidden to unleash their power within the dome." Ichigo looked on, as the green eyes Espada spoke. "There are two things forbidden under the dome of Las Noches. One is an Espada's cero. A Gran Ray Cero. And the other is for anyone above the rank of four to unleash their power. Both are so powerful, they could destroy Las Noches itself." Ulquiorra pointed his sword to Ichigo and spoke, "Bind. Murciélago." Darkness, in the form of spiritual pressure enveloped Ulquiorra, and Ichigo could see black fragments of Ulquiorra's power surround him, and shoot out in all directions across the desert. His eyes widened as he saw wings, above that dome where Ulquiorra once stood. Ulquiorra stood there, with a new addition to his appearance, black wings, and his gaze was steady. "Don't tremble." Ichigo's eyes widened. "Don't break your stance. Stay aware of your surroundings, don't let your guard down." And the next thing Ichigo knew, Ulquiorra's blade was touching the crook of his neck, and he was ready to cut his head off. Ichigo used his Getsuga Tenshou as a reflex, and got out of the Arrancar's hold.
"You used Getsuga reflexively. A prudent decision." Ulquiorra turned to see Ichigo, his hollow mask cut a little across the side. "If you hadn't, your head would be under my feet right now." Ulquiorra stood there, and attacked the next second, and Ichigo dodged barely. 'No way, he's just too fast. It's impossible! Even in his Arrancar form, I was no match for him.' Ichigo thought to himself, and looked at the Espada. "You're hollow powers have gotten stronger, and you're able to maintain that form longer, but I easily managed to shatter your mask." Ulquiorra stated. The next second, Ulquiorra came right at Ichigo with his blade pointed toward him. Ichigo's eyes widened and he backed away a little, "Too bad." Ulquiorra said. Ichigo dashed away from the Arrancar, in an immeasurable speed, and stopped himself at a distance using his blade. He glared at the Espada who came right at him, and within a fraction of a second, "Ichigo Kurosaki." Ulquiorra said, his blade fully pressed against Ichigo's. "Use Getsuga. You're at your strongest form, and getsuga is your strongest attack. Hit it with me, now. I'll show you how much strong I am." Ichigo pushed away the Arrancar with his brute strength, and said, "Use Getsuga? Don't make me laugh." He steadied his blade and said, "-I was already planning on it." He shot his blade in front of him, and a black wave of energy shot out of Ichigo's sword. "Getsuga-"Ichigo strengthened his hold and said,"-Tenshou!" The wave of energy scooted forward toward the Espada, but much to Ichigo's surprise, it made no effect. His eyes widened, and he head Ulquiorra mutter, "Just as I thought." The smoke from the blast cleared, "You're just a human after all." Ulquiorra finished. "You're unharmed?" Ichigo found himself asking the Espada. "You're Getsuga, resembles my Cero." "You're Cero? I'll thank you for not making it a comparison." Ichigo said. "That's right. You still haven't seen it yet. It's over now, so I'll show you. An Espada's fully recovered, black Cero."
"Cero Oscuras." A pitch black light covered everything Ichigo could see, and his mask ruptured, overwhelmed by the Cero's spiritual pressure. 'What the hell…!' Ichigo thought to himself.
Uryu and Orihime couldn't stand straight, as there was an immense spiritual pressure which surrounded their surroundings. Orihime screeched and "Orihime!" Uryu yelled, concerned for his friend. "What-What's happening up there?" Uryu found it difficult to even talk. Orihime looked towards the sky, and she stared intently at the hole which separated where Ichigo and Ulquiorra were, and where the two of them stood. She narrowed her eyes a bit and turned to Uryu. "Uryu?" The Quincy turned to face Orihime. "Can you take me up above the dome?" Her voice was weak because of the spiritual pressure, but Uryu could never skip out on noticing the determined look in her eyes. 'It was easy enough to guess what she would ask, and I couldn't say no. But-'Ishida's thoughts were interrupted when Orihime spoke. "Please." '-I would immediately regret agreeing.' He thought.
Ichigo was falling, unable to move. "Damn…it…" He muttered as he grit his teeth. Ichigo landed on his knees and panted. "Do you get it now? No matter how much you look like a hollow, or how much your moves are similar, the difference between us is like the night and day." Ulquiorra finished. It's natural that humans and Soul Reapers would imitate hollows to grow stronger, but humans will never be the equal of hollows." Ulquiorra spoke. Ichigo was panting as his life depended on it, and as he wobbled he stood up on his feet, and muttered, "Getsuga-""I'm telling you it's useless!" Ulquiorra slashed Ichigo across his stomach and Ichigo went flying backwards. Ulquiorra gained in on Ichigo and caught hold of his neck, as the Espada stood above the tower, where he first released his full power. Ichigo held on to his blade as tight as he possibly could, and Ulquiorra noticed. "Why don't you let go of your blade? You can see the difference in our strength. Do you still think you can defeat me?" Ulquiorra asked, and Ichigo did something close to a chuckle. "The difference…in strength…what about it?" Ulquiorra's gaze grew cold. "Do you think I should give up, just because your stronger than me?" Ichigo asked the Espada as his eyes grew wide with shock. "I've always known you were strong…nothing I see now will change my mind." Ichigo spat out, and Ulquiorra was baffled. "I will defeat you…Ulquiorra…" Ulquiorra dropped Ichigo to the ground and muttered, "Nonsense. Ichigo Kurosaki, those are the words spoken by someone who does not know the meaning of despair. So, I will show you. This is what true despair looks like." Ulquiorra said. Ichigo's eyes grew wide as Ulquiorra's body was now covered in black. "Look, Ichigo Kurosaki, this is true despair." Ulquiorra said.
"I am the only Espada able to reach the second stage. Not even lord Aizen know about this form." Ichigo readied his blade, and tried to get back up. "You still mean to fight even after seeing me like this?" Ichigo's gaze didn't waver. 'It's not that he's too confused to feel fear. But I can see it in his eyes that he hasn't thrown away his life yet, so he still thinks he can win.' Ulquiorra thought and he spoke, "Fine. Then I'll rip you're body to shreds and make you understand." Ulquiorra said. He dashed forward so quickly Ichigo couldn't even see, and he whipped him around with his tail. As Ichigo's back hit against the wall of another pillar, he used his hollow mask. "You're a fool Ichigo Kurosaki." Ulquiorra commented. "You fear my power, yet you fight like you can still win. I don't understand you." Ulquiorra admitted. "If it's because of that heart you humans speak so highly about, then it is the heart that causes you pain. It is because of the heart, that you will die." "I don't fight because I think I can win…I fight because I have to win." Ichigo said, finally. "Nonsense." Ulquiorra said, and picked up the boy with his tail, and he turned around to see two more humans. "So you've come girl?" Orihime's eyes widened. "You're just in time. Watch closely. This is the moment where the man you've put all your hopes in, will lose his life." Orihime was too shocked to even speak. "I…chi…go…" And with a cero attack which went through Ichigo's chest, the boy, died.
Sui Feng panted hard. Omaeda rushed toward his Captain and Hachi was shocked. "I can't believe she cracked the walls of the Kido barrier, what unbelievable power." Misaki smiled faintly. "Captain? Are you alright?" Misaki asked, looking down at the lieutenant who was holding Sui Feng. "Of course she's not okay girl! What if she dies?" "Shut up Marechiyo…I usually can do Jakuho Raikoben more than once in three days. And here I've used it twice in one day." Sui Feng turned to the girl, "You'd better pay me back, girl." Misaki smiled and Hachi sighed. "Of course, Captain." Misaki promised. Then suddenly a rush of a dark spiritual pressure headed in the direction of Sui Feng. It grazed her foot, and she immediately removed her footwear. Misaki's eyes widened. She turned toward the Kido barrier, and her eyes never regained normal size. 'It can't be-!' She thought as she saw Barragan. "I'll never forgive you." Hachi was shocked beyond belief. "I'll never forgive you pests for wounding me like this!" Misaki gulped and bit her teeth. "You will rue the day you so rudely turned your backs on the emperor!" Sui Feng's eyes grew wide with terror. Barragan released his spiritual pressure ten folds and Hachi used a Kido barrier and Misaki took shelter within it as well. "Clever! But who do you think you're playing with Hollow? Know you're place!" his gaze turned to Misaki and he laughed darkly. "You're just a human, and you think you can face off against the King of Hueco Mundo?" Misaki frowned. 'What is he…?' She thought to herself. The barrier began to break and Misaki was pushed down by Hachi, and she yelled, "Hachi!" The wall of Kido broke and Misaki's eyes grew wide as Hachi's mask broke. "Soul Reapers and humans, Hollows and Arrancars each have their own differences, their own quarrels! They have will and freedom, and animals and plants, and the moon and stars and the sun and every other thing! But only my power is absolute. Everything else is insignificant." Barragan said.
Hachi's hand began to fade away and Misaki yelled as she noticed his hand began to rot. "Hachi!" She dashed forward toward her friend, and muttered, "Tempestas Obex!" An orange box encased Hachi's injured arm, and she muttered, "Amotio…" The arm vanished in a second. Hachi's eyes grew wide. "Misaki?" "Forgive me, Hachi, I didn't know what else to do with your arm. So I had to throw it away-""Damn you! What have you done with his right hand?" Misaki's gaze grew cold. "I transplanted it inside you." Hachi's eyes grew wide. "I thought about it before Captain Sui Feng used her Bankai on you. I also had a feeling that it wouldn't work. You have the ability to age anything rapidly, and the only thing which cannot age is time." Misaki said. Hachi stared at the girl beside him. Misaki panted a little and continued, "That barrier I used to seal Hachi's arm, is a time barrier. Inside it, your powers cannot affect it." "What?" Barragan yelled. "That's not all." Hachi's arm was recovering back where it had once been cut off. "M-My arm?" Misaki's gaze was fixed on Barragan. "The attack you used on Hachi was intended to age him so fast that he's disappear. I used my time barrier on Hachi's arm, and transferred the location of your attack inside you." Hachi was shocked at the girl's quick thinking. "Now, whatever your powers meant to do to him, are going to do to you." Barragan gasped loudly, and Hachi sighed as he moved his recovered right arm. "My powers are of life logging and procreation. I restored Hachi's arm, and I'm inducing the same damage to you, King of Hueco Mundo." Misaki said. "So, if your power is absolute, then even you can't fight it." Misaki said, and Barragan slowly faded away. Sui Feng was shocked beyond belief and Omaeda was jaw dropped. Shinji witnessed the fight from afar, and smirked. 'Way to go, Misaki.'
"I won't forgive you! You pest! You're a human! Going against a God! How dare you? I won't forgive you! Never!" Barragan yelled as he evaporated away. Misaki looked at him, and her gaze softened. "Evanesco Semper." Barragan reduced to dust in a fraction of a second. Misaki panted heavily, and said, "We won…" She went to Sui Feng and touched her shoulder, Sui Feng was shocked. "Don't worry Captain. Tempestas Obex-"Misaki panted heavily and Sui Feng's arm returned. Misaki panted and fell on one knee, and Hachi caught her. "I'm okay." She said, and smiled. Hachi was also tired, and he used a healing Kido on the girl. Sui Feng stared at her recovered arm, with Marechiyo celebrating. Misaki giggled. "Thanks, girl." Sui Feng said. "Don't mention it, Captain." Misaki smiled at her. Hachi was very tired, and Misaki noticed. "Hachi, rest." He listened to her. "You saved my life Misaki, I am eternally grateful." Misaki blushed and waved her hand in front of her face. "Gah! It's nothing compared to you teaching me!" Misaki smiled.
"Misaki Otonashi." A voice said, sending shivers down her spine. Hachi was about to get up when Misaki stopped him. It was Sosuke Aizen. Her gaze darkened and she stood up. "Aizen." She spat. He looked amused as ever. "I am not going to fight you, my dear." Misaki cocked her eyebrow wondering what he was planning.
Orihime could not believe what she was seeing. Ichigo was…dead. Her powers were useless. She stared at his lifeless eyes and her voice was lost. 'What should I do?' She thought, her powers, not helping. 'I thought Ichigo would be okay, somehow…I thought he could win. I let him out of my sight because I had faith in him. What should I do? What should I do? What should I do?' Orihime grabbed her head and let tears fall. 'Misaki…she'll never forgive me…Ichigo…!' Orihime cried. Uryu was thrown aside, and Orihime's heart dropped. She turned to look at the Arrancar and she was consumed with fear. 'What should I do Ichigo? I don't know what to do. I don't know anymore…Ichigo…Ichigo…Ichigo!' Her thoughts meandered. "Help me Ichigo!" Orihime yelled her heart out. "Help all of us Ichigo! We need you! I need you! Misaki needs you!"
'She's calling me. I can hear her. I can hear her say her name. She needs me. I need to protect them. Stand up!' Ichigo stood up, or that's what Orihime thought he was. It was a hollowfied form of Ichigo. He attacked Ulquiorra, without answering, without thinking. With just raw power. This was not Ichigo? Orihime thought. He was a menace, with unbelievable power. He yelled like a demon, moved like a demon, attacked like a demon, and Orihime was afraid of what she had done. He was fast, his Cero was strong, and he was emotionless. A monster was born. "No way, is that really Ichigo?" Orihime asked to herself. And when the monster defeated Ulquiorra, he used the strongest Cero on him, ruthlessly, just like any monster would've done. Orihime's power saved the both of them from monster Ichigo's attack. "Ichigo?" Uryu said, and Ichigo unsheathed his blade. Uryu's eyes widened and stopped him, him from attacking further. "That's enough." Uryu said, as he held on to Ichigo's sword. "You've won. He may be the enemy, but there's no need to carve up his corpse. Ichigo, that's enough." Uryu said. Ichigo struggled against Uryu's hold and Uryu yelled out his name, but in an instant, Ichigo stabbed Uryu in his stomach. "Uryu!" Orihime yelled. As he moved forward to attack, "Stop Ichigo!" Orihime yelled. Ichigo's mask broke as Ulquiorra stepped in. "Ichigo…" Orihime said. And in an instant, after his powers returned, Ichigo stood up. "Orihime?" He said. He felt his chest and muttered, "Wasn't there a hole in my chest?" Orihime was thankful he was back.
Ichigo couldn't believe what he had done. He ordered Ulquiorra to cut off his arm and leg so it'd be a fair fight, but right before Ulquiorra could move, he began to fade away. "So this is how it ends…" Ichigo's eyes widened. "Kill me. I don't have much time." Ulquiorra said. "No!" Ichigo yelled. "What?" "This isn't the way I wanted to win!" Ichigo yelled, and Ulquiorra's eyes widened. "Even in the end, you never do what I want. I'm finally starting to find you all interesting." Ulquiorra turned to Orihime and said, "Are you afraid of me, girl?" Orihime couldn't move. "I'm not scared." She said, her gaze sad. Sad for the Espada before her. Ulquiorra reached out to her and said, "I see." And as Orihime reached out to touch Ulquiorra, he faded away.
'This here in my hand…the heart.' Were Ulquiorra's last thoughts.
"Aizen, you don't want to fight?" Misaki was confused. "Don't flatter yourself Misaki, you and I both know your no match for me. I won't fight you-"Aizen pointed to a new Garganta. Misaki frowned, and Shinji looked on with curiosity. "-He will." And out of the gallows emerged a man clad in white, with red hair and green eyes, and an ever present smirk on his face. His hollow mask covered a part of his left jawbone, and Misaki's eyes grew wide. Her lip quivered and Shinji couldn't believe what he was seeing. 'No-!' He thought. "Are you the one I gotta fight? Girl?" The Arrancar said, and Misaki gasped, and tears fell down her eyes. "M-Minato…is that…you?"