Author's note:

There is a scene in this chapter that people might find offensive. A woman is abused. I will give a warning so that you can skip it.

It has been more than week since the incident of Tsukune's depression and yet, Ulquiorra has not being able to make any progress on his search. He was back to his usual appearance in his white clothing as Akasha preferred it. He did not see why it mattered to her because it was not something that will help him in anyway. Ulquiorra's priority was to discover his heart, not trivial matters and yet, here he was joining them in their snow trip. He agreed to come as he expected a livelier location in which he could explore on his own. However, it was not to be. He did not expect this isolated mountain.

"This is amazing. It is still way colder than I expected though." Tsukune stated as he examined the snow on his gloves. Tsukune expected the cold weather but it was starting to bother him. Still he focused on the snow on his hand. He had suggested this place and so, he would enjoy it.

"I agree. It is cold and this weather doesn't help." Moka looked up to see the snowflakes falling. It had been snowing, but it had increased in strength. She had agreed with Tsukune's suggestion since she still felt guilty about what she had caused. How could she say no to the person who had forgiven her? How could she refuse when he was so adamant about it?

"Don't complain you two. This is supposed to be a fun trip and besides your clothes will keep you warm." Akasha told them as she motioned to her new snow attire. They were all wearing snow garments except for Ulquiorra. Akasha's snow apparel was pink while Tsukune's and Moka's were blue and red respectively. He had told them that the extreme cold did not affect him. At first, they did not believe him, so they had given him one too. They were soon proven wrong upon arrival. He had sat down on the cold snow. He examined their stunned faces. He did not know why, he already told them it was not cold enough to bother him. He casually tossed the black snow garment to the side. Their attention quickly shifted on playing with snow. Ulquiorra had used this opportunity to check their surroundings and he noticed they were near the top of the mountain. He used his Pesquisa and he could not detect anyone or anything near them. He was slightly disappointed as there was nothing for him to do here. Ulquiorra had been reluctant to join them on their trip. He figured he would not have "fun" like they wanted. The concept of fun was alien to him, but apparently if he was able to experience it, he would be one step closer to finding what he lacks.

"Now that we're here, what is it that you plan to do?" Ulquiorra asked them all as he put his hands in his pockets to keep the annoying snow off his hands. He had no choice but to ask. There was nothing to do, nothing to explore, except for the cave he spotted on the side of the mountain. There was nothing living in it, so he had chosen to ignore it.

"Let's build a snowman. That always seems like fun in the stories I read." Tsukune cheerfully stated as he quickly started to roll a snowball in his hands. It was something he always wanted to do ever since he was little. The snow activities he knew about seemed to bring families and friends together. He wanted to grow closer with them especially after the way he had treated them.

"That's a great idea Tsukune lets build a snowman together." Akasha responded matching his cheerfulness.

"Let's do it then." Moka gave a sigh, but she nodded in agreement. She thought it was a bit childish for their age. She could not deny that she was a little curious though.

"In that case let's make one as big as we can as I would like to be able to climb it." Tsukune told them and he started to shove the considerable sized snowball in front of him. It would be something to remember.

"That's insane and it would probably be impossible though." Moka told Tsukune as she thought about it. Would the snow even be able to handle the weight of what he was planning?

"Oh really? I guess this is something I'm better at than you are." He responded to her smugly and waited for her predictable reaction.

"You are not. I can make a stupid snowman better than you!" She angrily argued back.

"Prove it!" Tsukune could not help but to smile as he watched Moka grumble to herself while she too, started shoving a giant snowball. Moka was too prideful, so she always sought to be the best at everything. It was far too easy for him to manipulate her to do things for him this way. Maybe vampires were too competitive for their own good?

"I'll make the bottom part. Tsukune you can make the head and Moka can make the middle body." Akasha instructed them as she watched them compete. She also, started rolling a sizable snowball.

"Sounds good!" They both answered simultaneously as they continued with their task. The vampires meticulously rounded the snowballs. They patted them down to give them higher strength.

"You know you can help us too, if you want." Akasha told Ulquiorra as she rolled the giant snowball around him. Ulquiorra did not respond to her invitation. He viewed this activity as pointless. Making a snowman sounded like a complete waste of time to him. It was meaningless. He watched Tsukune roll a snowball that was a little bigger than he was. He watched the boy struggle to move it any further and wipe the sweat off his forehead. Clearly, he was pushing himself to his limits. Moka rolled a snowball that was twice her size effortlessly towards Tsukune's one. Akasha's snowball was a bit larger than Moka's as it would be the foundation that supported the rest. They had placed their snowballs next to each other in a triangular formation.

This is utterly pointless. They are wasting their time rolling snow.

Ulquiorra thought to himself as he was beginning to regret coming here. He was already bored of being here. He could hear them laugh and smile at each other. They planned how to carefully make the snowman. It was nonsensical to him, but it was something that grabbed his attention. He focused on their expressions as they interacted with each other. They were apparently having fun. He tried to comprehend their joy, but it was hopeless.

I don't get it. What is so amusing?

As he pondered about his question, he could not help but to remember asking a similar question.

Flashback

Ulquiorra had heard the crazed laughter of the blue haired man before him. It was not something he knew about him. He had been recently recruited by Aizen. He had effortlessly beaten four soul reapers at once. Perhaps, it was amusing to him?

"Tell me Grimmjow. What is so amusing about defeating those weaker than yourself?" He confronted a grinning and bloodthirsty Grimmjow, who had removed his Zanpakuto from the dying soul reaper's torso. He watched the pain expression of the soul reaper, who gargled a scream. He was unable to move his body and his reiatsu was practically gone. Grimmjow glared back at him while he kicked aside the unfortunate soul reaper.

"Fuck, you're annoying Ulquiorra. You're always asking stupid questions. Isn't it obvious? It proves that I'm the strongest." Grimmjow sneered as he flicked the blood of his sword. He was enjoying the sweet moment of victory until it was completely ruined by his fellow Espada.

"Beating trash does not prove anything." Ulquiorra did not see the benefit of defeating someone so weak. Grimmjow clenched his teeth in anger. He suddenly plunged his Zanpakuto to the ground.

"I don't have to explain anything to you, you bastard! Just fight me here and now and I'll show you I'm the strongest." Grimmjow stated with his savage grin at the thought of killing him.

"Nonsense." Ulquiorra countered. He began to walk away from him.

"Where are you going? Are you scared to fight me?" He heard Grimmjow yell at him.

"Aizen-sama would be displeased with me if I were to fight a fellow Espada." Ulquiorra turned to face him briefly. He did not wait for his reply. He quickly vanished with a sonido.

"Coward!" Grimmjow angrily shouted.

Flashback ends

"Is he going to join us or just stare at us all day?" Moka asks Akasha, who briefly turned to look at the pale man who was intensely gazing at them.

"I don't think so. He would have joined us by now if he was interested." Akasha thoughtfully deduced. She took her daughter's snowball and put it on top of her own.

"I have an idea on how he could join us. Let's finish this snowman first though." Tsukune quietly spoke to them and he began to decorate the head.

He quickly made the snowman's face and motioned for Moka to place the head on its proper place. She obliged and she heaved the large snowball over her head. She skillfully jumps over the torso of the snowman and places it on top. She landed back on her feet and quickly turned to admire her work. The snowman was finished, and it was grinning at Ulquiorra. Tsukune carefully climbed on top of the snowman's head and he looked back down on them. He beckoned them to join him at the top. They effortlessly leap on to the snowman's body. Meanwhile, Ulquiorra stared at the grinning snowman. He had noticed it was missing its nose.

He forgot the nose. He cannot accurately depict a man of snow. What a fool.

Ulquiorra feels a whack at the top of his head and he is snapped out of his thoughts.

"What was that?" He thought out loud as he quickly touches his head. It was a clump of snow. He dusts the rest of his head.

"Hahaha! That was so funny I didn't expect for you to freak-out like that. It was just a snowball Ulquiorra." He focused his gaze on the child who prepared another snowball from atop of the snowman. Why did he throw the snow at him? Was the boy upset with him?

"Come on! Let's have a snowball fight!" He shouted and tossed another snowball towards him. It strikes him again, but this time on his chest. He was confused on his strange proclamation. How is this a fight?

"A fight? I don't see this as a fight as your attacks have no effect on me." He casually stood up to shake off the snow from his clothing. Clearly the boy had no idea what a fight entailed.

"It's not a real fight silly. It's a game where you toss snowballs at each other for fun. Hence, a snowball fight." Akasha told him as she now stood next to him. She scooped up some snow and tossed it at Tsukune who quickly hopped off to dodge it.

"How can that be fun?" He probed the bizarre notion of theirs.

"Why don't you try it and see." She answered him and dodged the incoming snowball. Akasha ran towards Tsukune with a snowball in her hand. It was worth a try. Ulquiorra haphazardly scoops up some snow with his right hand. Who would he toss it to? Moka quickly caught his attention with a wave of her hand.

It seems she wants to be chosen. He tosses it at Moka who does not react to it. The clump of snow had quickly dispersed as soon as he threw it. It seemed the friction of the air had disintegrated most of the snow. Had he used too much strength?

"You should form into a ball so that it doesn't scatter like that." Moka commented on his failed attempt. He takes her advice and forms into a ball.

"Go on and try it." She stated as she readied herself for his throw. He watched her stretch her legs. It was the perfect time to strike. Without warning, he threw the snowball at her with such speed that she was barely able to get out of the way in time. She had skillfully rolled off the snowman and landed by its side.

Splat!

The snowball had impacted the snowman's head with such force that it effortlessly knocked it off.

"Maybe you should hold back a bit more." They all told him after witnessing the damage he had caused. The head rolled quite a distance from them. The head had become warped as it was missing the snow on the impact site. He nodded and bent down to scoop some more snow. He gently gathered the cold snow with his hands and begins to shape into a ball. He would shape it into a perfect sphere so that it would not be swayed by the air. He had attempted to hit the girl's torso earlier, but it had veered off a bit. He examined it closely as he felt it was round. However, it was not a perfect sphere. It needed a little more work.

"I got you now!" He heard the young girl shout. He turned his head in her direction. It was too late.

Whack!

Ulquiorra was struck by the snowman's torso with such force that he was unable to stop it. Moka had launched it at him with a kick. The heavy snow blanketing the ground made him slide continuously. There was no way for him to slow down. His eyes slightly widen. He knew the force would undoubtedly launch him off the mountain's side.

"Oops. I guessed I used too much force as well." Moka muttered to herself as she helplessly watched him fall.

Ulquiorra weighed his options as he fell through the air. His first instinct was to float on the air. However, there was nothing he could do. He was unable to do so because there was no reishi he could use to walk on. His next thought was to plunge his Zanpakuto into the mountain and stop his fall. He quickly unsheathes it and stabs Murcielago into the side of the mountain. It too was futile, as the snow covered the mountain entirely and made it impossible for him to get a proper grip. Only the tip managed to puncture the side of the mountain. However, the force was too great and his Zanpakuto failed to halt the growing distance from the cliff. Perhaps firing a cero to slow his descent would be the logical choice. No. There was always the chance he could harm someone he was not aware of. He had already decided that he could not use his Resureccion too. His immense reiatsu would inevitably cause an avalanche that could harm the children. So, his only choice was to fall. It was a few thousand feet until he reached the ground and he knew it would not harm him much. He would eventually hit parts of the mountain. They would serve like cushions that would soften the blows of a direct fall. He braced himself for the impacts that were to come. He sheathes his Zanpakuto to his side.

"Elder they have come. I was the only one who was able to escape. The others stayed behind so that I could reach you in time." A beautiful woman with ice blue hair and blue eyes wearing a white yukata kneeled to the beautiful lady who sat on her throne made of ice. Despite being an elder she appeared youthful and she wore an elegant purple yukata with traces of gold outlines. Her white hair was not due to age, it was to show she was the elder. She opened her eyes to reveal violet ones as she hardened her gaze.

"You have done well Yuki." She stated in a soothing voice. She slowly rose from her chair and joined her hands together.

"I will not let them get away with this. Gather our strongest fighters as we must protect our village at all cost. I will weaken them with the Blessed Blizzard passed down by elder to elder."

"Right away elder." Yuki quickly responded to do as she was told.

"How dare they attack my people. We are a peace-loving race. They will pay for this." Fubuki eyes glowed icy white. She had activated her technique.

Blessed Blizzard, please protect and empower my people. Weaken my enemies as they are not welcome here. Her body instantly becomes the epicenter of the new and fast-growing storm.

"I didn't mean to knock him off the mountain. It was a simple accident." Moka was unapologetic as she told Tsukune and Akasha her side of the story.

"I can't believe you did that Moka. Aren't you worried about him? He could get hurt or even die from that." Tsukune shook his head in disappointment.

"Oh please. He'll be fine. He fought mother and he survived." Moka responded defiantly to his worries. She knew her mother was far more dangerous than a simple fall. There was no reason to worry.

"That's it! Moka, you have been incredibly condescending towards him. You will apologize to Ulquiorra when you see him, and I will not have a repeat of this in the future." Akasha angrily told her. She did not like how her daughter had spoken. Moka widen eyes widen in disbelief. She looked at her mother who seemed genuinely angry with her. She was utterly speechless because her mother had turned her back on her.

"I can't believe my own daughter continues to speak in such a disrespectful tone." Akasha muttered to herself. She began to make her way down the mountain not waiting for them to follow. Both children stared at her because it was rare for Akasha to walk away in anger. It was unnerving and they remained silent for a short while as they gathered their thoughts.

"I think Akasha-san might be mad at you, so I think it would be best that you stop being so rude." Tsukune chimed in after making sure Akasha was far enough not to hear them. He knew Akasha had exceptional hearing.

"Thanks Einstein." She muttered under her breathe.

"Have you learned nothing?" Tsukune barked back. He did not wait for her reply and he began to follow Akasha who had made quite a distance from them. He was about to sprint after her, but he felt the air grew colder. Suddenly, Tsukune is forced to cover his eyes as a tremendous wind starts to pelt him with snow. Heavier snowfall began to join in. Tsukune's eyes widen as he knew what this was. It was a blizzard. It was too dangerous to continue pursuing Akasha because he soon lost sight of her.

"Moka! Where are you? I can't see you!" He shouted through the howling storm.

"Don't panic! Let's find some shelter! It is too dangerous to go after mother!" In truth, she wanted to follow her mother, but it was impossible to see anything so it was likely that they could fall down the mountain. She also knew that Tsukune would be unable to tolerate the extreme cold that they were experiencing. She could not risk his health. Moka quickly grabs his hand and guides him to a nearby cave she spotted before.

"Oh god. It's so cold Moka. Will Ulquiorra and Akasha-san be alright?" Tsukune began to shiver as he thought of what could happen to them and because of the extreme temperature. The cave did little to keep him warm.

"They'll be fine as I can still sense them through…" Moka was taken back as for some reason their energy disappeared. It was like the storm was interfering with her yoki sense. She could not sense them anymore. How would she able to check up on them? How would they find them? She could not tell Tsukune about this new situation.

"Oh right. You could sense them huh? Then there's nothing to worry about." He was relieved to hear that, but he was still afraid. He gritted his teeth and he began rubbing his arms on a desperate attempt to stay warm.

I can't tell Moka that I'm afraid. For some reason, I feel tired. I can feel myself getting sleepy. If I fall asleep then I might not wake up again.

"Moka! Tsukune!" Akasha frantically yelled through the storm hoping for a reply. She was worried for her children and felt totally helpless to find them She could not see anything through the blizzard. It had not only come out of nowhere, but it also interfered with her sensing. She had lost track of Ulquiorra's energy first followed by her children's. How would she find them now without getting lost? She had nothing to guide her. She felt so foolish for letting them out of her sight. Who could have predicted this though? She had no choice but to wait out the storm as it would be foolish to press on blindly. Still who had summoned this storm?

Ulquiorra could not see through the snow that covered him. He had fallen all the way down the mountain where he was quickly buried beneath the snow. He had collided several times which had caused him to be trapped under heavy snow. The damage he took had already healed as he felt no pain. There was too much snow to remove with his hands, so he released some of his reiatsu outward to shove the snow that buried him off himself. He could not see through the annoying storm with his Pesquisa. It was being blocked.

I don't know how far I am from them. This storm prevents me from sensing anything. It is not a normal phenomenon.

He would have to do something about it. He released more of his reiatsu which causes the storm to die down around him. He could now see that he was a couple hundred feet away from the mountain. Still the storm was persistent. It struggled with his reiatsu as it wanted to continue raging.

That is the way I must proceed to reunite with them.

Ulquiorra wisely chose to preserve his reiatsu as his constant emission would surely give away his position to whoever summoned this snowstorm. He had failed to notice a small figure which began to follow him through the storm. He had not walked very far until he heard a voice cry out in the distance.

"Let me go!" A female voiced cried out.

"I'm going to enjoy this bitch!" He heard a menacing man's voice shout to her.

(Warning) (Warning) (Warning) (Warning) (Warning) (Warning) (Warning) (Warning) (Warning) (Warning)

Ulquiorra could barely make out two figures in the distance. One figure straddled another beneath. The top figure slapped the one underneath. Ulquiorra thought this interaction was too abnormal as the woman sounded distraught. He chose to approach them. He started to make out the figure on top. It was a fat male with red skin and orange hair. He was practically naked if it had not been for his undergarment. He could see the figure below was a young woman with a torn yukata. Her beautiful face was covered in tears as she wept. She had long silver hair that covered her exposed chest.

"Stop crying bitch! Once I have my fun, I'll put you out of your misery." He sneered at her.

"You're disgusting!" She formed an icicle that threatened to kill him.

"You still haven't learned, have you?" He responded angrily and his hand instantaneously produced a flame so bright it instantly melted her icicle. She quickly became frightened at the intense heat given off by his flame. It was evidently painful to her as she struggled to resist the heat.

"It would be a waste to kill you without tasting you first. After all, you snow maidens are so beautiful." The fire demon stated as he licked his lips in anticipation. He had been given the task to find any hidden snow maidens and retrieve them. However, it would be better to claim he had found none. She looked away to her right in defeat. She knew she was powerless to stop him.

At least, Mizore was able to escape. This bastard will not be able to find her in this storm.

(Warning over) (Warning over) (Warning over) (Warning over) (Warning over) (Warning over)

Ulquiorra chose to turn away as he was reminded of Nnoitra's vile behavior.

It is of no importance. He began to redirect his course to the mountain, but he felt a cold sensation in his hand. It was colder than anything he felt before. He quickly realized it was in the shape of a hand.

"Please. Save my mother." He heard a soft voice behind him. It was a young beautiful girl with light purple hair and blue eyes. She seemed to be the same age as Moka and Tsukune. She had a strong resemblance to the woman who was being attacked. She was wearing a white yukata.

"Let go." Ulquiorra ordered her. He examined her eyes which seemed like a blue reflection of his. She shook her head in defiance. Ulquiorra quickly pulled his hand away from her and began to continue his path. His path was instantly blocked by a wall of ice. He swiftly deduced that this girl was behind it. He glared at her as she dared to stop him.

"Please don't go. Help her." She spoke once more in the same tone without an inch of fear.

He let his reiatsu spiked up a bit which was discomforting to Mizore, but she did not back down. It was hard for her to resist the pressure she was feeling, but she would not give up. She could not let him go. This man was her only hope on saving her mother and helping her people.

What the hell?

The fire demon turned his attention towards the source of this weird energy. It was unnerving. He had to find out who he was sensing. His yellow eyes gleamed at the woman beneath him. He gave her a smirk as she was lucky, for now. He would have to postpone his entertainment.

"Stay put. I'll be back for you." He evilly chuckled at her. He got up to see that the storm was slowly losing its power. The storm was a minor annoyance to him. He hated the cold and thus, he used some of his power to keep warm. The blizzard also seemed to drain some of his energy. He could see two people. One was the daughter of this snow maiden and the other was a strange monster. He was deathly pale and did not resemble any monster he knew about. The strange energy was coming from the man. Still that young girl was beautiful to him. He had to get her as well. He licked his bottom lip in anticipation. The weakened snow maiden, Tsurara, noticed the same energy that the fire demon did. She slowly turned to face the source of this yoki. Her eyes widen in shock and rapidly replaced by fear.

No Mizore! Why didn't she run far away from here? She helplessly watched her daughter lose her strength to remain standing. Mizore's leg wobbled at the escalating pressure that Ulquiorra emitted.

"Hey, white bastard that is my prey! She is mine!" Kahi shouted in annoyance. The pale freak was about to hurt his next toy. She was his to play with and destroy, not this loser. How dare he harm her before he could?

"Come and take her then, trash." Ulquiorra did not like the way that man had spoken. He did not like the way the girl stopped him from leaving. He did not like how he could not sense Akasha-sama. He did not like Nnoitra, and this man reminded him of his despicable ways. Nnoitra was an Espada and this man was simply trash. Ulquiorra could not punish his fellow member but this man was not Nnoitra.

Kahi immediately charged at them at full speed. His whole body became a blazing inferno. He would burn that white monster into charcoal black as he loathed the way he had spoken. He presumed him be weak to fire since he was living near the snow maidens. He had to be an ice attribute monster. This stupid monster would be no challenge for Kahi, who is one of the mightiest warriors of the fire demons. His kind were all A rank. He was in the realm of the S class. This nuisance would be roasted in no time or so he thought.

Ulquiorra could see Kahi charging at him with his right hand. Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed at the thought of being touched by this trash's filthy hand. The same hand that he used on that woman. He hurriedly vanished along with the girl before he reached his proximity. Ulquiorra instantly reappeared within the woman's sight which frightened her. His cold stare brought her discomfort which made her move away from him. Tsurara expected him to harm her, so she closed her eyes with his sudden movement.

"Stay with her." Ulquiorra tossed the poor girl without care to her mother who has was visibly frightened. He vanished once again in front of their eyes.

"Where the hell is he?" Kahi questioned as he looked around for him. He surveyed his surroundings, but he could not find him. He could sense his presence all around him. How was this possible?

"Trash like you should not be able to spread your filth around." Ulquiorra coldly stated to him after he appeared behind him.

"I have you now!" He shouted in rage and sprang for Ulquiorra. He lunged out once again with his right hand hoping to grab his face and setting it ablaze. However, he was unable to reach him. He could not reach because his arm was missing. Specifically, his right arm was cut off from the elbow downwards. What the hell happened? Kahi became terrified as he had lost his precious arm to this monster and the sight of his fountain of blood that gushed out. He quickly jumped back to put a distance between them. He skillfully sealed his wound with a patch of flame. His fear was quickly replaced with immense rage.

"I'll make you pay, you son of a bitch!" He shouted in defiance. He promptly prepared for his greatest attack. He aimed his other hand and placed it on the ground. He would not let this bastard live after what he did to him. He had taken him lightly, but he will no longer. He would expend a lot of yoki, but it would be worth it.

"I'll burn you to ashes! Firestorm!" He bellowed as great pillars of fire formed around Ulquiorra. Firestorm made escape impossible as it formed a complete circle surrounding him. Kahi started to laugh in glee. The fire would slowly close in on Ulquiorra. He smirked as the flames pressed him further.

Smug bastard, you're going to be incinerated.

Mizore and Tsurara watched helplessly. Even the powerful blizzard weakened further by the extreme heat that powerful attack produced. Mizore looked down hopelessly as her faith started to dwindle. It was impossible to resist the onslaught of the fire demons.

I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have asked for your help. Forgive me. She felt remorseful. It was because of her that he would die. Now they were at the mercy of this fire demon. She gazed at the flames which inched closer. When they collide, he would be scorched. They were starting to slow their advancement. She could see faint green energy escaping the flames. What happened next stunned them. The fire pillars slowly started to pull apart. In horror, they all could see that Ulquiorra's green reiatsu easily repelled and dissipated the intense flames that approached him. Kahi's panic face said it all. His best attack was resisted with ease. He was an S class and yet to this monster, it was like putting out a candle.

"Despair is something that I wish to learn more about. Tell me have you lost all hope to defeat me?" Ulquiorra waited for his answer. Kahi did not respond because he immediately kneeled in fear. He knew that this man was going to kill him. Instantly, Ulquiorra was standing in front of him. He wanted to examine him closely.

Yes, this is despair. This is what I wanted to see from Ichigo. His will to fight is distinguished. This was the expected result. It should have been the same for Kurosaki.

Clearly, this trash is not like him.

"You're very fortunate. I'm prohibited to kill, even trash like you." Ulquiorra told him as he increased his reiatsu. The immense pressure pressed his body to the ground further. He felt that any moment he would be crushed. He was unable to move and was utterly defenseless. He felt two ice daggers penetrate his torso. He was dead before he hit the ground. His body dissolved into dust and was quickly blown away by the harsh winds. Ulquiorra turned to look behind him with curiosity and he noticed a panting Tsurara. She had floating daggers near her. She had covered her daughter's eyes with her raised yukata sleeve.

She killed him for revenge. Even though he was no threat to them as he was already beaten.

Tsukune could no longer fight the urge to sleep. His eyes grew heavy. He clumsily laid down with his back away from Moka. He did not want to frighten her. He could tell that any moment, he would fall asleep. He did not wish to see her terrified and saddened in his last moments.

What can I do to help him? If I don't do anything he's going to freeze to death. Moka could tell that the cold temperature was unbearable for Tsukune. He would not stop shivering. There was nothing she could use to start a fire. There was nothing around, and it was too dangerous to go out and look for some wood to burn. There was only one way to save Tsukune. She had made up her mind as it was very likely that he was already in danger.

"Tsukune?" She called out to him in worry. He was eerily quiet. There was no to attempt to reply. He could not speak anyways because he had trouble moving his jaw. The extreme temperature only forced him to quiver.

I'm so sorry Moka. I don't think I can last much longer. You and Akasha are my family. Sakon is as well. Ulquiorra, I consider you a friend. I'm so glad I got the chance to meet you all. Farewell.

Tsukune shut his eyes, accepting his fate. He was starting to succumb to the darkness.

"Stay awake!" Moka shouted as she gave him a squeeze. Tsukune felt her warmth radiating upon his body. He could feel her embrace. He peered a little with a struggle to stay awake. He saw her worried expression on her face. She repeated the same thing.

"Stay awake! Don't you dare fall asleep." She recited in his ear. She enveloped his torso further with her legs. He mustered his last bit of strength and placed his right arm over her. It was his way of reassuring her that he was listening. He saw her crack a small smile and she hugged him tighter. He would not give in.

Ulquiorra stared at the snow maidens while they embraced each other's in tears. He waited for what felt like an eternity, until they finally broke apart. He watched the older woman mend her clothes crudely with ice. The young girl whispered to her mother and she received a nod. She swiftly approached him which caused her to skid to a stop in front of him.

"My name is Mizore Shirayuki. I'm glad I was able to find you mister."

"Ulquiorra." He rudely interrupted her. He did not like the way she called him.

"Ulquiorra. Thank you so much for saving my mother. If you do not mind, there is a favor I would like to ask of you." She asked with a proper bow. She knew that this being deserved respect. She quickly realized that he was already leaving them.

"I did not save your mother. I simply put trash in its place. If he hadn't attacked me, I would not have bothered." It was the harsh truth. He headed back towards the direction of the mountain.

"Even so I thank you because you still saved me from that fiend." He heard Tsurara speak, who now stood in front of him.

"I know that it is not my place to ask anything more from you, but would you please help us once more?" She pleaded with him in desperation. He was their only chance of saving their village from the fire demons.

"Tell me woman? How did you feel when you killed that man for revenge? Did his death make you feel joy?" He ignored her plead and asked his own questions.

She was perplexed by his bizarre questions. What kind of person will ask such things from another? She was not proud of what she did, but she knew that this was her only chance of preventing another incident in the future. Men like Kahi were cruel and disgusting. He would surely attack some other female in the future. Her eyes hardened and she prepared her answer.

"I felt no such things. I felt anger and disgust for that man. I feel remorseful for taking the life of another, but it was something I had to do. I heard you tell him that you would spare his life. He was someone that didn't deserve to live. He threatened my daughter, so he was not someone that I could let go."

"I see. What do you want from me?" He asked in the same monotone fashion which made it hard to believe he was really interested. However, Ulquiorra was interested in what this woman had to say further. He wanted to know the meaning behind revenge and justice, which was often spoken by Kaname.

"I would like for you to help us defend the village from more of his kind. The fire demons are invading us. Please Ulquiorra save us from them." She too bowed to him as she pleaded for his acceptance.

"I would like to hear more about your thoughts and feelings in detail along the way."

"Does that mean you're going to help us?" She asked him as Mizore joined her side.

"Show me the way, woman."

"Oh, right. My name is Tsurara by the way." She felt embarrassed since she had forgotten to introduce herself to him.

Akasha had somehow managed to climb the mountain down. She had found the crater that Ulquiorra left from his fall. She did not find him there, so she surmised that he had moved on from here. Still he did not run into her. Perhaps he was lost in the storm? She was worried for Ulquiorra, but she was more anxious about finding her children. Akasha thought she was heading in the right direction, but she had ended up going downhill. The blizzard confused her sense of direction. She got frustrated as she thought about Tsukune's wellbeing. The extreme cold was not something Tsukune could tolerate. She would have to find them quickly and leave the area as soon as possible. She would return for Ulquiorra as soon as she dropped off the children with Sakon. It would be too difficult to navigate this storm without expending her yoki. It was risky, but it was the only way. She unleashed a substantial amount. The storm quickly lost the strength near her. It was beginning to clear up. She could see several feet clearly.

It's not good enough!

She released more of her yoki as she couldn't afford to waste her time any longer. Her yoki battered the storm away and she could now see a few hundred feet. She spotted the silhouette of the mountain. That was the way to go. She consciously conserved her yoki and bottled it back inside her. She would walk straight ahead towards it.

"You're a strange snow maiden. I never heard of the cold bothering you." She heard a man's voice call out to her. It was followed by an amused laughter.

Caught off guard she quickly turned to face his way. The man who had spoken to her was covered in armor of purple fire. She could not make out his face or features, only the crude armor formed by the raging flames. She wondered what he was doing here. She knew the fire demons preferred the heat. It was necessary for their maturity. She did not have time to think further because the man spoke once more.

"You're a strange one. I would have like to talk and learn more about you, but it would be better if I don't. Still, I'm sorry to say that I will have to kill you. Forgive me." He spoke with such sincerity that she was nearly struck by the flames that spewed from his flaming palm with incredible speed. The heat had singed her clothes a bit. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Oh, you're a fast one." He commented. He had watched her movements closely. He had watched her move incredibly fast that he had lost her momentarily.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked him. His hostility was very real as she was almost burned by his previous attack. What the hell was going on here? First the storm and now this? What was going on around here?

"I'm just following orders." He answered her honestly. As he conjured a small flame in his right hand.

Cleary this fire demon wanted her dead. He was keen on killing her due to mistaking her as a snow maiden. A battle to the death was occurring on this mountain and she had brought her children here. She had to get to them immediately. Her yoki flared intensively with the thought of the danger her children are exposed to. It did not go ignored by him as her eyes redden and glared at him. He realized that he had mistaken her for a simple snow maiden. How foolish of him to attack a vampire.

Fubuki looked in horror as her last line of defense was brought down. The strongest snow maidens were easily beaten by a single fire demon. He had volunteered to fight them alone as he desired to test his strength against their best warriors. He was utterly unimpressed as they were not able to put up a fight. Were the snow maidens really that dangerous as their ancestors portrayed them to be. He did not think so. He turned his gaze at the last woman. She seemed frightened but he could feel she was different than the rest. He could not help but to smirk at her. He had realized she was their leader. He quickly dispelled the blue flames that covered his body in armor. He was an intimidating man. His dark orange eyes glared at her with hatred. He stood six feet and six inches tall with dark blue long straight hair that reached his waist.

Is he coming for me next?

Fubuki took a few steps back as she watched the man approach him.

"Kaen-sama, you are the strongest alive!" Shouted one of his warriors.

"They were no match for Kaen-sama!" Joined another.

"Finally, after all this time we will have our revenge!" All the fire demons shouted in unison.

"Stay back!" Yuki shouted as she formed an several ice walls between them. She had poured a generous amount of her yoki that she was panting from her exertion. This would buy her some time, but there was nothing else she could do. There was no one else that could help her. It would only be a matter of time before he breached in and got to her. She could not think further because she noticed steam coming off the ice and the shadow of the man through the ice.

It can't be. He's much stronger than I thought.

The ice gave out and melted away. Kaen walked through the ice with the intense heat he generated. It was pathetic to him. Her struggles were pointless. She had no chance. She was the only one left. All the other snow maidens were already defeated. She glared at him defiantly. Undoubtedly, she did not know who she was dealing with. He radiated even more heat which caused her home to start to melt. She struggled to withstand the extreme temperature. He watched her kneel in pain. She was struggling to breathe. He was surprised her look did not change even though she was this close to death. Still he would not kill her, not yet anyway. He suddenly stopped his display in power and grabbed her by the neck.

"Don't die on me just yet." He darkly told her with a glare into her eyes.

"Stay here. I will deal with them shortly." Ulquiorra instructed to the two snow maidens who accompanied him. They were observing the army from a small hill that had a good view of the village. The fire demons were in the center of the village all facing a single towering igloo home. The other homes were much further away, and they encircled the largest household. Mizore and Tsurara had worked together to manipulate the storm to give Ulquiorra a view of the situation. They had offered to help him, but he told them they would only be in his way.

"Don't be crazy they have an army with them. You can't go by yourself." Tsurara argued with him. He obviously had no plan to deal with so many enemies. Mizore silently agreed with her mother. He was powerful, but he was only one person.

"It is of no concern. They will be unable to stop me." He was certain of this. His power far exceeded theirs. He did not wait for her to respond and he instantly vanished.

"That idiot!" Tsurara shouted in anger. He had shot down their concern for him. Mizore hugged her mother for comfort. She could not help but to worry.

"I wonder why Kaen-sama wants her alive?" Questioned one fire demon to the other as they stood apart from the others to gossip. They wanted to make sure no one could hear them.

"Clearly he wants to make her his wife. Why would we go through the trouble of all this if that wasn't the case?"

"Don't be ridiculous. They are too different from one another and besides we have killed some of the snow maidens already. I think he wants to put them under his control."

"Whatever the case is, this place is finished." He surmised the situation. He was certain Kaen-sama would destroy this place.

"Where is your leader?" They heard a male voice behind them. Before they could react, they are firmly grasped by the neck. A pale man had appeared before them. Ulquiorra easily lifts them and tightens his hold on them to prevent them from alerting the others. They struggled in vain as they tried to fight his grip. It was futile. He felt their pathetic flames tried to burn him. His reiatsu easily snuffed out their attempts.

"He's with the snow maiden at the center of the village in front of the army." One uttered with a choke. He was struggling to breathe. He could feel himself losing consciousness.

"You moron!" The other tried to shout.

Ulquiorra got what he needed from them. They were both knocked unconscious by his overwhelming reiatsu. He dropped them and immediately used sonido to vanish before they hit the floor. He was gone as easily as he had appeared.

Kaen dragged the snow maiden by her hair. He made his way back outside her home. He had finally succeeded in his plan to acquire the village's elder. He would return home at once and keep this woman as his trophy. A wonderous memento of the eradication of these vile women. He would now instruct his army to round up all the snow maidens to burn them and consume their ashes. Their power would increase greatly as a result. This was a given due to their opposite yoki affinities. He emerged from the elder's home and stood in front of his army. He smiled and hefted Fubuki like a doll in front of them. She squirmed in vain.

"Rejoice my brethren! I have captured their elder. I know we have lost some men along the way, but it was all necessary for us to achieve victory. We have succeeded in defeating them. They have brought this upon themselves. Long ago they killed and drove our ancestors away! It is only fair we return the favor! Gather the women from this village and burn them! We will feed on their ashes and become more powerful!" He heard their loud cheers of approval. Kaen looked upon his army knowing they would soon fulfill his wishes.

"As you wish Kaen-Sama!" They shouted in unison.

"You're despicable!" Fubuki cried out in despair. She realized he planned to kill every single one of them. He dropped her to the ground and grabbed her face. He darkly smiled at her.

"Don't worry. I'll spare you for now." He laughed at her. He shoved her head down roughly. He did not get to enjoy himself for very long. He was struck by a sharp pain on his back. He had been kicked away from her. Fubuki could only stare at the man who stood in his place. He was pale but intimidating. In fact, she shivered as his eyes gazed at her. Ulquiorra could see the fear in her eyes. She promptly closed them as he reached for her. He grabbed her by her clothes and brought her to her feet. He needed her to get away because he could not guarantee her safety.

"You should leave. I was sent by Tsurara and Mizore to help your village." He told her the truth. He turned to confront the man and the army who glared back at them. She was stunned at his words. He knew Tsurara and Mizore. Was he was sent by them to deal with this army? Who was he?

"Where are they?" She questioned him. They were nowhere to be seen.

"Do not worry about them. Just do as I say and leave." Ulquiorra nonchalantly stated. He slowly walked towards the group of fire demons who were approaching them. He released his reiatsu before they reached him, and they were instantly forced down to the ground. Kaen and Fubuki were confused on the strange situation of their men.

"I can't move!" One after the other they shouted. They felt a giant weight pinning them down.

"Who are you?" Fubuki questioned him once more. He passed through the fallen soldiers. They immediately lost consciousness soon after.

"Ulquiorra Cifer." He responded to her. He instantly vanished and reappeared before a stunned Kaen. Kaen was taken back the bizarre scene that unfolded before him. Some of his men that charged at the pale male were somehow taken out by him. Then he somehow teleported in front of him. Who the hell was he?

"You will leave." Kaen heard the short male command him. He leered down at him. Kaen could not help but to laugh at Ulquiorra's order. Could he not see that he was surrounded by his army and that he himself was powerful enough to command them. What a stupid thing to say. His army started to encircle Ulquiorra and he maliciously laughed.

"What is so amusing?" Ulquiorra questioned the man who seemed to be having fun even though he just ordered him to leave.

"You must be a simpleminded fool to be giving me and my army orders to leave." They all laughed at Kaen's words. This man hoped to defeat them. They numbered in the hundreds.

"I see." Ulquiorra understood that they were not afraid of him as he was outnumbered. They seemed to think it was impossible for him to win. However, it did not matter how much trash gathered together, in the end it was still trash. He would show them the difference between them. He instantly released all his reiatsu towards the sky and the powerful force of his reiatsu was unfathomable. They witnessed his green reiatsu flow out of him like a geyser. The raging storm that raged fiercely through the area was snuffed out by the immense pressure. The sky was dyed in a green hue with his reiatsu spreading throughout the area.

He instantly destroyed my strongest spell with his yoki. He's a true monster. Fubuki felt her spell shatter. She had lost connection with it. Clearly, he possessed tremendous yoki. So much in fact, that she guessed that his single body contained more than them put together.

"Charge!" Another group charged at him. They had sensed his "yoki" spike up tremendously.

Fools. Ulquiorra focused on their presence and they were easily dealt with. They were flattened and knocked out with difficulty. It had taken him great mental effort to control his power. If he was not careful, they would have been crushed to a pulp. He could not disobey her.

Kaen's instincts told him to flee. He felt the enormous power radiating from Ulquiorra. He knew that it would be impossible for them to defy him. He had easily crushed his men with his power alone. Kaen had compared himself to him and his power would not be a challenge to the short male. He did not get the chance to command his army to retreat. They had already begun to run away in fear. Their loud stampeded made it clear he was on his own. It would have been considered comical as they dragged their fallen comrades if it had not been for their terrified faces.

"Listen. I'm sorry for disobeying you. I had no idea you were a dark lord. I'm leaving right now. So, please forgive my insolence." Kaen began to grovel. He felt intense fear. He imagined the short male ripping his head off at any moment. He kneeled to the ground in forgiveness. He begged for his life. He knew it was pathetic, but his terror overcame him. Who would have thought he crossed paths with a being like him?

"Leave and never return. If you disobey, I will kill you." He callously commanded that left no room for argument. Kaen could only nod. He shamelessly ran away because he wanted to get away from him as soon as possible. He did not want him to change his mind after all.

Ulquiorra limited his reiatsu once again as he watched the man flee. He expected a battle, but this was favorable as well. He could not kill them, so it was the best outcome. He doubted the villagers could hold them prisoners. He heard a cheerful laughter. It was Fubuki.

"That was simply amazing. Your power alone was enough to scare them off." She remarked.

He did not bother to answer her. He swiftly started to walk away heading towards the exit of the village.

"Wait! Don't go! We must thank you for all that you have done for us." She pleaded with him.

"It is not necessary." He stated his disinterest.

Ulquiorra found the stubbornness of these snow maidens to be a mild annoyance. He had finally reached the gate of the village and he had several women begging him to stay for a while. They really desired to thank him. Of course, they had joined in when Fubuki had told them about how he had saved them all. He thought about leaving with his sonido, but he did not want to leave too quickly. He had hoped Akasha-sama sensed him earlier. That was how she discovered him after all. He anticipated she would be here soon after he reached the entrance of the village.

"Won't you reconsider it?" Fubuki asked him again. He passed the gate's entrance.

"What should he consider?" Questioned Tsurara. She stood to the side of the entrance with Mizore. They have hurried here as soon as the fire demons left. Ulquiorra glanced at them before using his Pesquisa. He covered quite a distance. but he could not sense Akasha or the children. It seemed he would have to search for them.

"Perfect timing. We want to thank Ulquiorra for all he has done for us, but he is not interested." Fubuki told her because she hoped Tsurara could help them convince him.

"That's a great idea. You should stay for a while so that we can thank you." Tsurara chimed in along with them.

"No." He stated firmly. He moved right past them.

Tsurara felt her heart sank. He coldly and easily rejected her. He did not consider their feelings. Mizore perceived her mother's hurt feelings. She had to convince him somehow. She let her mother's hand go and she raced after him. Tsurara watched in amazement of her daughter's courage. She had run up to him and grabbed his hand.

Ulquiorra gazed at the young girl who dared to grab his hand again. He had stopped as soon as he felt her grab his hand. The same sensation was fresh on his mind. He stared right at her. Her eyes met his. She showed him no expression with them. She was odd to him. What was her deal?

"Please stay for a bit and let us thank you." She spoke in a similar tone to him. He could not help but to ask.

"Why should I?" He asked her and waited for her answer.

"Because then you won't be lonely." She grinned a little for the first time.

"I see." He thought of her answer. Loneliness. It was something he knew about because Coyote Starrk would talk to him about it. He remembered the first time he asked him. He expected to be rejected in anger as soon as he had mentioned it. Yet, Starrk just chuckled and obliged him by explaining it to him. Starrk told him it was the most painful feeling in the world and that he would rather die than to live through it again. Luckily, Starrk had finally found companions with the espadas. It was the first thing he recalls when he would think of Starrk, other than his laziness. Could she be right? He did not feel the intense pain Starrk warned him about. Perhaps the young girl in front of him was wrong? What an interesting predicament. The snow maidens observed them in amazement. Mizore was guiding him back into the village. They could only wonder what she told him.

Warmth. Tsukune could feel the warmth of fire. He felt Moka's sudden movement and how she released her hold. He slowly opened his eyes. He was greeted to the sight of an armor of fire. He wanted to scream, but he could not. He was still stiff from the cold. He tried to move away from it, but Moka had quickly put herself in front of him. He watched the figure wave his hand in apology.

"Whoa, whoa! Take it easy there." The figure spoke out loud. He took a step back from her. They were confused on how his voice did not match his menacing appearance. It was soft and kind.

"Moka! Tsukune!" Akasha had cried out and appeared next to the flaming figure. She had instantly hugged Moka. Tsukune stumbled on to his feet. He struggled and tried to join them. He almost fell but was quickly caught by Moka who pulled him into the hug. The fire demon rubbed his helmet with his right index finger. He felt out of place.

They all had a laugh. Akasha had explained that the fire demon known as Yuuma had agreed to help her. He agreed as soon as he realized he had mistaken her for someone else. Of course, Yuuma knew better than to pick a fight with the vampire. He had apologized for his attempt to harm her and he expected to be punished, but instead he had heard her accept his apology. She was remarkably kind to him. He did not mind even if he felt like was being used as a personal heater. Tsukune was thankful for the flaming man because he felt much better from the warmth radiating off his armor. The moment he recovered, they all agreed to go out and look for Ulquiorra.

Tsukune found it easier to walk through the raging storm. Yuuma provided enough heat for him to tolerate it. They hiked down the mountain with caution. Akasha assisted Yuuma in disrupting the storm with her yoki as they retraced the route they had taken. Yuuma's previous footprints were still visible. He had melted through the snow and it was still perceptible.

They did not have to travel long when they noted the raging storm abruptly lose its power. It had cleared up even though it felt like it was too strong to die anytime soon. They all considered it strange on its sudden end. They would have questioned if it weren't for the green aura that touched the sky. The sky began to show a green hue. Akasha and Moka could feel it was Ulquiorra's energy. Moka did not show her fear, but she was afraid. Ulquiorra's energy seemed limitless to her. It had not only reached them, but it had managed to disturb the weather. Yuuma was afraid for his comrades' wellbeing. He knew his brother Kaen was at the mercy of the being in that village. The yoki was dense and made him dread to go down there, but he had to help him.

"We must hurry! Ulquiorra seems to be involved. It can't be good." Akasha had jumped down the moment she finished speaking to a path down below. Moka did not wait for Tsukune's permission as she grabbed him and jumped after her mother. They were in a rush after all. Yuuma quickly followed behind them.

What a strange way to show gratitude. How does having me wait for their ceremony to conclude, be appreciation? Humans and monsters are equally strange. Ulquiorra has remained sitting for a while on the elder's throne. Fubuki and Yuki stood on his right side, while Tsurara stood on his left. Tsurara had exchanged her yukata for a new one. She was currently upset on how he had treated her. He had been silent once Mizore left him. He had completely ignored the attempts of the other snow maidens to talk with him. This included her as well.

"When will this be over?" He could not help but to voice his thoughts.

"Soon." Fubuki had instructed him to be patient. He was eager to leave but it was necessary for them to perform this ceremony.

It has been almost an hour since they started surely, they would finish soon. He did not have to wait long until he saw the return of Mizore. She was holding a large ice box. He could make out an item inside, but it was obscured by the ice.

"What is inside?" Ulquiorra asked out loud.

"It is a gift that we hope you will come to accept." Fubuki answered him.

Mizore stood still a few feet from him. Yuki walked towards her to retrieve the item inside. Mizore offered the box and Yuki carefully opened and reached within. She turned to face him, and she held an ice medallion with a centered green jewel. It had a simple design with four snow maidens reaching for the jewel.

"Please accept this gift which recognizes you as our savior." He simply nodded to her. Yuki carefully placed it around his neck.

"Now that Ulquiorra has received the king's medallion, I hereby declare you as the ruler of the snow maidens, the Ice King!" She announced it to the villagers. All the snow maidens bowed to him. He was confused. He did not expect this reward. He had no interest in staying here. He was currently serving Akasha-sama.

"No." He immediately stood up and took his medallion off. They all gasped on how quickly he had refused.

"Why?" Tsurara was the first to recover and request an answer.

"I cannot stay here as I serve someone else. I could not possibly abandon them." He explained and handed the medallion back to Yuki. He should have left sooner. He only wasted his time here. He should have been looking for them instead. Mizore was only a child who could not explain to him the feeling of loneliness. Their gratitude was imposed on him. They only wanted him to stay for his protection. They were viewing him as their salvation. He began to leave before they could process what he just told them.

"Who could you possibly serve? There couldn't be anyone more powerful than you!" Fubuki shouted at him. The snow maidens pulled apart to let him through the path. He paused for a moment as he pondered if he should answer her.

"He serves me!" They heard a voice called out to them. They all turned to look at the source. It was Akasha and she rapidly approached Ulquiorra. Instantly the snow maidens surrounded her before she could reach him. He will be their future king, so it was their duty to defend him.

"She has reinforcements!" Shouted one of the snow maidens. Moka had appeared with Tsukune who had quickly got back into his own feet. They were about to surround her when Yuuma appeared next to them.

"They're with the enemy! Stop them!" Yuki shouted from behind. She spotted the fire demon who appeared by the children's side. She had given the command and the snow maiden warriors prepared to attack them. Ulquiorra could feel their hostility.

"Enough." Ulquiorra's reiatsu froze everyone on their tracks. The snow maidens who surrounded them felt the force of his reiatsu. He could not tolerate this any longer. He had saved them and now they wanted to attack Akasha-sama. He would not hesitate to defend her or her children.

"Stand down!" Fubuki shouted to the snow maidens. The elder felt great embarrassment as she could sense they had displeased him. Now it was certain that Ulquiorra served that woman because his yoki had flared the moment they had targeted her. They had foolishly angered their future king. He would be harder to persuade now. Still, she would not give up.

They had talked among themselves while they walked through the village. Akasha had explained the situation to Fubuki and she had explained it to her as well. Akasha was impressed with Ulquiorra's exploits. She had rushed here fearing the worst, and yet, Ulquiorra had shown restraint. Yuuma was thankful for Ulquiorra's lenience with his brother. Yuuma had apologized for his involvement. He clarified he was forced to join in his brother's conquest. They had only forgiven him as he never got the chance to harm a snow maiden. Tsurara and Mizore could tell that he was sincere. Fubuki had let the matter go as soon as Ulquiorra nodded to her when she had asked for his opinion. Yuuma had quickly said his goodbyes after that. He did not waste any time on leaving because he felt awkward being there. Mizore had quickly become friends with Tsukune, much to the aggravation of Moka. How or why? She did not know, but she did not like it.

"Perhaps I will return one day to accept your offer." Ulquiorra answered Fubuki while he stood next to Akasha by the village's exit. Tsurara and Mizore flashed a smile on his favorable answer. Fubuki nodded because she knew it was better than pressing him further. It was the best answer she would receive. Tsukune and Moka were stunned by this. Ulquiorra did not show any interests outside matters of the heart. Why would he now?

"Do you really mean that?" Akasha's voice was tinged with sadness.

"That depends on you." He stated. He was still bound to her after all.

"Right…We should return home." She quickly changed the subject. She conjured the portal in front of them.

"Will I see you again?" Mizore timidly asked the young boy.

"Of course. You're my new friend after all." Tsukune responded with his smile.

"We should get going." Moka pulled the boy towards the portal.

"Goodbye Tsukune." She waved at him.

"Goodbye Mizore." He awkwardly waved back while Moka dragged him away. He was easily forced through the portal.

"Excuse us. It's been quite a day and we wish to return home. Goodbye." Akasha firmly stated to them. She seemed in a rush as she wasted no time in entering the portal. She seemed out of character to him. Ulquiorra took a step forward before he heard their cries of thanks.

"Goodbye and we hope to see your return." Tsurara told him expecting a reply. He did not bother to give her one. This did not go unnoticed by the others.

"Ulquiorra please take care of Tsukune. I could feel he is lonely too." Mizore wished Ulquiorra would watch over him in her place.

Ulquiorra glanced at her. The boy had felt lonely and had recently recovered. Was Tsukune still lonely? Then did that mean he felt the same way? Nonsense. He had noticed no change. He felt nothing. He feels nothing. Nevertheless, he would watch over him. Maybe then would he grasp what she means. He slipped in after them.