Chapter 23: Rejection Of Ideas

When Ulquiorra released his Zanpakuto, his spiritual pressure rained down like black rain.

The highest-ranking Zanpakuto even control the weather, and Hyorinmaru was a good example of that.

This scene was a good situation, even if Ulquiorra’s spiritual pressure, his release, was on par with that.

When he released his Zanpakuto, a pair of wings appeared on Ulquiorra’s back, and his expressionless face became even more emotionless.

Ichigo couldn’t hide his agitation at the Arrancar’s first Resurrección, and Ulquiorra declared at the sight.

“Don’t be agitated.”

“!”

“Don’t break your stance. Don’t let your guard down, don’t be careless for even a moment.”

At those words, which seemed like advice, Ichigo seemed to realize that he had been careless a moment ago, and he readjusted his posture.

And the next moment, Ulquiorra created a green spear in his hand, and in an instant, he reached Ichigo.

“!!!”

“You can react to this speed.”

“Kuh!”

“Considering the speed at which you cut off Yammy’s arm, it seems that you are faster in pure speed.”

As he said, Ichigo may have reached the highest realm in pure speed, not only in Soul Society, but in all three realms.

It would be difficult to find someone faster than Ichigo, not only among those of his own level, but also among stronger enemies.

“But it’s only speed.”

Ulquiorra swung his arm to the side, and Ichigo was forced to roll on the ground without being able to resist properly.

As he said, Ichigo might be ahead in speed, but Ulquiorra was ahead in other areas.

Ichigo, who was rolling on the ground, spun in the air and took a stance, glaring at Ulquiorra.

Blood was dripping from the corner of his mouth.

“I won’t lose.”

“Your spiritual pressure has risen. Your spiritual pressure changes depending on your emotional state, is that what you call the heart?”

Ulquiorra raised his right hand and gathered jet-black spiritual pressure at the tip of his index finger.

“I need to kill you before you get any stronger.”

He muttered in a mechanical, emotionless voice, as if performing an assigned task.

“Oh, it’s Cero Oscuras!”

“Dodge, you idiot!”

“Ichigo!”

Ichigo also knew what would happen if he was hit directly by that, so he immediately took a defensive stance.

But then, as if he noticed something, he stopped his evasive posture and readjusted Tensa Zangetsu in front of Ulquiorra.

It was clearly a posture of confronting him head-on, not evading.

We were startled and shouted at that, but Ichigo still insisted on facing him head-on instead of evading.

“Cero Oscuras.”

“Getsuga Tensho!”

Then, the black Cero and the black Getsuga Tensho collide.

But the difference in power was obvious, so the struggle for power didn’t last long, and the Getsuga shattered, and the Cero Oscuras fired by Ulquiorra engulfed Ichigo.

“Guh!”

Ichigo coughed up blood.

He used Hollowfication at the last moment to explosively increase his spiritual pressure, but it only minimized the impact, and even with Hollowfication, it was still difficult to be Ulquiorra’s opponent.

As the Hollow mask gradually disappeared from Ichigo’s face, Ulquiorra muttered.

“Foolish. Why did you respond head-on? Your power is inferior to mine.

But in speed alone, you are ahead of me. The only way you could fight me was to use that speed. But you have the advantage in speed, yet you chose to tie your own feet.”

He’s right.

Ulquiorra was ahead in power, but Ichigo was ahead in speed, and if he had taken advantage of that, he might not have won, but he could have fought somehow.

But Ichigo seemed to know that much, as he said.

“If that thing is fired, what will happen to everyone…!”

Ichigo didn’t engage in a power struggle because he was foolish.

If he had avoided the Cero Oscuras, Ulquiorra’s powerful spiritual pressure contained in the Cero Oscuras would have been enough to wreak havoc on this area, and further, on Karakura Town.

As proof of that, a huge crater was created where the Cero Oscuras and Getsuga Tensho collided.

This was also because the power was reduced by Getsuga Tensho, otherwise, it goes without saying what would have happened.

“Is that the heart for your comrades? It’s so foolish that I can’t understand it.”

“…..”

“If you wanted to live, you should have run away with that speed. As a second best, you should have used that speed to fight. But you made such a bad move, you will die to me because of that heart, Kurosaki Ichigo.”

Ulquiorra prepared to fire Cero Oscuras again.

Ichigo readjusted Tensa Zangetsu again.

It seems that Ichigo still doesn’t have the option to run away.

I was startled at that.

“Hey, run away now! Ichigo will die!”

“That Ichigo won’t give up his body?!”

“Ugh, you’re so damn stubborn?!”

“You go out then?!”

“Do you think that’s up to me?!”

White can fight on behalf of Ichigo’s body, but basically, Ichigo has the initiative.

White took over Ichigo’s body when he was cornered and had no strength left, like in the fight with Byakuya, or when he died to Ulquiorra’s second release in the original.

He’s injured a lot now, but he still has some strength left, so White can’t immediately take over his body.

While we were in a panic, someone blocked Ichigo’s path.

“Orihime!”

It was Orihime.

“What, woman. Are you going to try to stop me?”

“….I’ll try to stop you.”

“A mere human is being reckless.”

And the merciless Cero Oscuras was fired.

Orihime held out both hands in front of the fired Cero Oscuras, and a triangular barrier was created in front of her.

“”!!!””

And an amazing situation was created.

The barrier created by Orihime is perfectly blocking Ulquiorra’s Cero Oscuras.

Not only Ulquiorra, who has no emotions, but even Ichigo was surprised at the sight.

“A human is blocking my Cero Oscuras?”

“Ugh, ugh!”

“Insolent.”

But as if his pride was hurt by that, the power of Cero Oscuras increased even more.

Hey, you said you were hollow?!

You said you didn’t have a heart?!

Why are you getting your pride hurt by that, you Hollow!

As the Cero Oscuras became stronger, cracks appeared on the shield created by Orihime, and Orihime herself began to be pushed back little by little.

As if to cheer herself up, Orihime shouted strongly.

“Santen Kesshun, I, I…….”

-Reject!

Boom!

Then, the Cero Oscuras exploded, causing a huge explosion.

And another crater of the same size as the one created when Ichigo fired Getsuga Tensho was created.

Just one thing was different from before.

“Unbelievable…”

Ulquiorra’s unbelievable voice fills the place.

This time, no one was hurt.

Neither Ichigo nor Orihime.