Reaper of Rome chapter 23-shadow of sorrow
This will cover the fight between Ichigo and ulquiorra.
And will cover 267-272
There will be a special twist leading to other event later on
this will start the count down of 5 chapters until my special arc between the arrancar and fullbring arcs
Tatsuki pov
I watched as the espada drew his blade and blocked Ichigo's path to Orihime as Ulquiorra declared he would be the one to kill Ichigo. The clash started with an explosion of two powers as the first blood award went to Ichigo. On the other side of the screen, I saw Rukia, Renji and Chad clashing with hollows outside of the arena Ichigo was in. with Chad and Renji facing one enemy while Rukia was facing another.
In the clash between Ichigo and his opponent, I could see Ichigo catching up to his enemy and Renji having to use his bankai. Then Chad seemed to figure out a secret and used it to do real damage to his enemy. it seemed like Ichigo was almost completely taking charge of the battle, but Ulquiorra was taking things more seriously was well. it wasn't long into that battle, that two female arrancar went for Orihime and then Uryu arrived on the scene.
But as Ichigo went after the girls Ulquiorra blocked. It also seemed like one of the two wanted to fight while the other didn't. it was after that, the large dark skinned espada came into the room and asked to join the fight. He soon ended up going after Orihime as the two girls ended up defending her. Then the darker haired tried to use her release blade but couldn't hold out against the espada. then a new savior came in the form of Uryu to help Orihime.
It was after that Ichigo decided to unleash his hollow mask but held it off after seeing Orihime so close, and thankfully Uryu drew the other espada off the battlefield with Ichigo. At the same time Rukia was clashing with infinitely multiplying skull head arrancars. For Uryu he was using hit and run tactics. Soon enough help came to Rukia in the form of Chad and Renji. It wasn't long after the hit and run attacks Uryu seemed to do real damage and soon revealed he set a mine field and then trapped the espada in a pit.
After that, Uryu took Orihime out of the battlefield and Ichigo used his mask for real. But soon enough Ulquiorra took Ichigo and himself outside of the castle of los Noches and revealed Espada rank four or higher were too strong to unleash their zanpakuto. It was after that said espada unleashed his power and it was like black rain and then said espada unleashed bat wings and then an attack that Ichigo was barely able to block. He started to struggle against the unleashed espada further.
It was after that, the espada requested Ichigo use his most power move, the black Getsuga but it failed to damage the more powerful espada. in turn he struck back with a black cero black with Ichigo losing his mask. The black was so powerful that Uryu and Orihime felt the attack from inside the fortress and then went to check on the battle above.
After that, I saw Ichigo was still alive and managed to recover. But the espada still acted superior and Ichigo still tried with futility to us another attack. But Ichigo still held on to his blade even with all the power of the espada. as Ichigo choked out a declaration to win the espada still promised to show Ichigo true sorrow.
It was then alarms began to blare out, "danger, danger, beast emergence soon." it was then the screen bubble exploded due to the power as the boy Jinta came in and I asked, "what does this mean?" he replied, "this is bad a beast of humanity is emerging just like Urahara predicted." Then the alarm stopped, and the boy said, "we lucked out, what were you watching?" I replied, "Ichigo was fighting Ulquiorra." Then the boy said, "those two hollows claimed they took something from ulquiorra it must have been the factor that allowed him to fully emerge as a beast." I asked him "what's beast of humanity and is Ichigo safe?" he replied "the world isn't in complete danger, but Ichigo may not be safe. A beast of humanity is a creature that is designed to test humanity as a whole and if one did emerge it would be very bad, and I would have had to perform a summoning and hope for the best. But thankfully for now those idiot arrancar saved us."
I then replied back "if someone else has this beast factor isn't there still a chance that it will be an issue later?" he replied "yes, but we at least know it is out there and we won't have to rush the process."
Ichigo pov
I knew as the espada began to change once again; I might not be able to win. but I would still try, and I knew I couldn't give up no matter what. He called the power Resurrección: Segunda Etapa and I knew he was on the verge of becoming a beast. This form was when a god becomes an enemy to all of humanity. But I could tell he wasn't a complete beast yet, so I knew I stood a chance to win. as he said, "only he had reached the second form." that close to a true demon. But I still lifted my blade and knew I would do whatever I could to win.
But soon the monstrous espada threw me to the next part of the castle like it was nothing. But I still got up and kept fighting, I even put my mask back on and kept fighting. He kept taunting me and asking why I kept fighting. But I knew I had to win; I knew I had to prevent this monster from becoming a great treat. But he soon caught me with his tail.
Uryu pov
I used a trick a learned in getting to this world to rise with Orihime but as I did a wave of black spirit power washed over us. we emerged to the top as Ichigo was caught and the further evolved Ulquiorra shot Ichigo through the heart with a black cero. Orihime could only scream out a painful no when she saw, and my regret began.
We saw what looked like Ichigo dying as Orihime tried to use her fairies to save him. but the espada blocked her way as I tried to attack the monstrous ulquiorra myself even if I wasn't sure I could win. but I knew I loved Orihime and had to save her. When Orihime came to Ichigo she seemed to not be able to heal Ichigo. But I needed to try and buy her enough time to see if she could. So, I fought the espada out of sheer desperation. I wasn't sure If I could survive but there was a chance if Orihime could heal Ichigo he could. As I struggled on, I wasn't sure Orihime could heal Ichigo. But as she cried out again, I felt ichigo's spirit power start to grow again.
When I looked on, he was a monstrous hollow and just cried out in rage. But as ulquiorra used his black cero, the hollow Ichigo countered with a red cero. She began to brutalize the espada repeatedly and he cried out in rage. The espada claimed the hollow Ichigo couldn't win but Ichigo seemed to take it as a challenge as he countered the espada's most powerful attack. The he brutalized ulquiorra again.
Ichigo's speed so far fast I could barely keep up, but I could tell he counter the espada over and over. Then seemed to deal a lethal blow on ulquiorra and was about to go into overkill as he prepared to fire on his down opponent.
If I wasn't for a well-timed shield from Orihime, that blast would have killed us as well. Then after it, I knew I would have to stop the rampaging, Ichigo. But he was too strong, and it took a lucky attack from the nearly dead ulquiorra to finally stopped the rampage by cutting off one of Ichigo's horns. After that he fell and returned to normal and fully healed and didn't know what happened to him. But after a few looks he soon figured out what he did and wanted to finish the battle the hard way. but Ulquiorra suddenly started to turn into ash as he said, "I wonder how things would have gone, if my crown wasn't taken. Please make a me a promise to stop the person that took my beast crown before they can end humanity."
As for Ichigo, he wasn't happy with the fact he won in a berserker state. But as the espada died, he accepted his win and said, "I will promise to end as many beasts still remain to further threaten humanity, no matter what I have to do." But part me knew I had to be with Rukia as well and make her life happy as well.
Rukia pov
My heart started to hurt as I felt ichigo's spirit power begin to fade but I knew I needed to win this fight and I soon used the power of my own hollow mask and then used my blade to freeze the tree arrancar to his core then shatter it to nothing.
It was after that, the voice my hollow said "we can make a portal to be the battle is. but the catch is we need to go now and only you can go alone." I then told the others and left to where the hollow within took me. as I hoped Ichigo could pull out this battle and win. it was the moment I stepped in the portal that I felt a power emerge within my boyfriend and I knew he could win.
Orihime pov
After the fight was done, I remembered Venus' words that I would have to hold somebody's hand and let go on another. I figured that hand I let go of was Ulquiorra and I would have to hold Uryu's hand at the right time. But when that was, I couldn't say. I knew from this point on I had to give up on Ichigo so he would never reach a state like that again to try and save me. I also wondered when Ichigo would meet the person that has that crown and if I could help Ichigo face that person.
Chapter end
Next chapter Rukia will have to try and help the others in the fake city
But first Shirou will have to find a solution to his problem as -
For updates
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