When Ichigo knocked Ulquiorra back with Tensa Zangetsu, he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity—as if this scene had already happened before.
Tsuna was right to send him to fight this Arrancar.
This opponent… was meant to be defeated by him.
Ulquiorra, however, showed no change in expression.
Since Ichigo was blocking his path to rescue others, then he would simply eliminate Ichigo first.
A fingertip-sized Cero gathered at his finger and shot straight toward Ichigo's face.
Ichigo's expression shifted. He immediately used Shunpo to dodge.
This emotionless guy… really didn't hold back. He went straight for a headshot.
With Ichigo no longer in front of him, Ulquiorra resumed his rescue mission.
Ichigo quickly swung Tensa Zangetsu and hurled it forward.
"Stop right there!"
Ulquiorra intended to ignore him and tank the blow with Hierro—
But he didn't expect that the thrown Tensa Zangetsu carried condensed Reiatsu.
This was a Getsuga Tenshō infused directly into the blade itself.
BANG!
Ulquiorra was slammed into the ground by the strike, and Ichigo immediately pulled Tensa Zangetsu back, continuing his assault.
Feeling the slight wound on his back, Ulquiorra finally drew his weapon and engaged Ichigo head-on.
Ichigo pressed relentlessly, his blade constantly charged with Getsuga Tenshō as he drove Ulquiorra back—step by step—toward the edge of Sōkyoku Hill.
Despite having the upper hand, Ichigo frowned.
For some reason… he couldn't feel any emotion from this Arrancar.
It was like fighting a stone.
A close-range Getsuga Tenshō forced Ulquiorra out of the Sōkyoku's range. Ichigo raised his sword and asked:
"Do you… not have a heart?"
A heart?
What was that?
Ulquiorra didn't answer. He simply stared at Ichigo, silently contemplating the meaning of "heart."
Ichigo scratched his head.
Great. I'm fighting an idiot.
Just as he didn't know how to proceed—
Ulquiorra suddenly asked:
"What is a heart?"
That question completely threw Ichigo off. He began awkwardly rambling, mixing half-baked explanations with personal interpretations.
Ulquiorra didn't understand a single word.
He glanced toward Aizen, recalling his mission—rescue his comrades.
"Shinigami, I need to save them. Do not interfere," Ulquiorra said plainly.
He had no ulterior motives—he simply acted on what he thought.
Ichigo froze for a moment, then snapped back to reality.
"Sorry—but you're not taking another step forward. And my name is Kurosaki Ichigo."
Ulquiorra studied him carefully.
From their earlier exchange, breaking through Ichigo wouldn't be easy.
This wasn't Hueco Mundo.
There were no restrictions on release.
"I am Ulquiorra Cifer."
After stating his name, he raised his blade.
"Bind—Murciélago."
Green Reiatsu engulfed his body, surging skyward before dispersing into dense Reishi—so concentrated that it condensed into liquid and rained down.
The green rain marked the beginning of Ulquiorra's true battle.
As the energy settled, he stood clad in white, wearing a Hollow helmet, with black bat-like wings spread behind him.
This was his Resurrección—Murciélago.
Ichigo's expression immediately grew serious.
After everything in Soul Society, his perception had sharpened—Ulquiorra's Reiatsu now was on an entirely different level.
Ulquiorra raised his hand again—
A green Cero fired.
Faster. Stronger.
Ichigo didn't dare take it lightly.
Crimson Reiatsu surged across his face as he raised Tensa Zangetsu and cleaved straight through it.
The Cero split in two.
Ichigo exhaled in relief.
If he hadn't come to terms with his inner Hollow, that half-baked mask from before would never have blocked that attack.
Now he understood why Tsuna had sent him here.
If it were anyone else—
They probably couldn't win.
As that thought crossed his mind, he even found himself hoping Tsuna would go easy on Orihime's brother—otherwise, even with Uryū and the Visored, they might not stand a chance.
While Ichigo's thoughts wandered—
A streak of green light suddenly struck in front of him.
Thankfully, in his masked state, White Ichigo warned him in time, allowing him to barely block Ulquiorra's attack.
Looking at Ichigo wearing a horned Hollow mask, Ulquiorra felt something was off.
It didn't feel like he was fighting one person—
But two.
"Idiot Ichigo! Cut him down already!"
Urged by White Ichigo, Ichigo clashed head-on with Ulquiorra.
Ulquiorra wielded a lance-like weapon formed from green Reiatsu—capable of both close combat and throwing attacks.
Because both ends were lethal, Ichigo was caught off guard and quickly suppressed—even with the mask.
"You useless or what? Want me to take over?" White Ichigo taunted.
"Alright, alright—I got it! Just don't hurt my friends!"
Knowing his control over Hollowfication was inferior, Ichigo agreed, hoping to learn from him.
With the mask on, Ulquiorra couldn't tell the difference.
He raised his hand—
Another Cero.
But White Ichigo didn't hold back.
Tensa Zangetsu's trajectory shifted abruptly, knocking aside Ulquiorra's lance.
At the same time—
A Cero formed at the base of his horn and fired point-blank.
(Red and green exploded across Sōkyoku Hill.)
The collision destroyed another portion of the hill.
And both fighters vanished—
Leaving behind a massive crater.
Ichigo flicked his blade, dispersing the smoke.
They were now in a new space—
Beneath Sōkyoku Hill.
"Where are we?" Ichigo asked internally.
"Do I really have to explain? You've seen a place like this before," White Ichigo scoffed.
The environment looked familiar.
Ichigo quickly thought of Urahara Shop's underground training ground.
"Don't tell me Urahara dug this too?"
"Hah. With how much he loves digging, his Zanpakutō should be a mole," White Ichigo mocked.
At that moment—
A green lance shot toward Ichigo.
Ulquiorra had also fallen into this space.
Ichigo grinned.
A sneak attack like that wouldn't hit him.
With a casual swing, a distorted black-and-red Getsuga Tenshō surged forward.
Watching closely, Ichigo memorized White Ichigo's technique.
No charging—
Every swing was a Getsuga.
Two immense forces collided again.
With nowhere to vent, the explosion burst upward—
A massive beam of red and green pierced through Sōkyoku Hill once more.
Light poured down from above—
Confirming they were underground.
"Hey, weren't you trying to save someone?" Ichigo mocked. "Hope they didn't die from your attack."
Ulquiorra stiffened.
Now he fully understood Aizen's rule—
Espada ranked Fourth and above were forbidden from releasing within Las Noches, precisely to avoid this kind of destruction.
For Ulquiorra, rescuing allies was his primary mission.
Ichigo was just an obstacle.
If Ichigo stepped aside—
He would abandon the fight immediately.
Ulquiorra hesitated.
Ichigo didn't.
Swing after swing—
Black-red crescents rained down endlessly.
The people above weren't Ichigo's concern.
But Ulquiorra—
Had to block every single attack.
And he did.
Using his lance and Hierro, he endured the barrage.
He didn't dare fire Cero either—fearing another destructive clash.
No throwing.
No Cero.
There was only one option left—
Force close combat.
Ulquiorra charged forward, enduring two Getsuga hits—taking wounds to his shoulder—as he closed the distance.
Ichigo laughed.
White Ichigo preferred this anyway.
Close combat was the best way to demonstrate true fighting.
Thus—
A tacit battle began beneath Sōkyoku Hill.
Ulquiorra sought to suppress Ichigo's ranged attacks—and kill him in one decisive strike.
Meanwhile—
White Ichigo controlled Ichigo's body,
Continuing his unfinished lesson in combat.
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