Boom!
Kurosaki ichigo and Ulquiorra clashed swords, both retreating almost simultaneously.
It must be said that Kurosaki ichigo's strength had indeed greatly improved compared to the original work.
In the original manga, Kurosaki ichigo, even with Bankai and Hollowfication, was completely helpless against Ulquiorra's first Resurrección.
And now, even with Ulquiorra being stronger than in the original manga, facing a Hollowfied Kurosaki ichigo, he only held a slight advantage.
This was normal, after all, Kurosaki ichigo had undergone Cocoon Transformation twice, once improving his potential, and once improving his reishi. Plus, he had specifically trained in Quincy power before coming.
His strength was naturally incomparable to his original state.
However, fighting until now, Kurosaki ichigo was already panting.
His Hollowfication duration was ultimately too short.
Once the Hollowfication ended, he would be helpless against Ulquiorra, only able to use Hollowfication again after a short pause.
However, doing so would put a great strain and drain on his body, and continuous use of Hollowfication would also damage his mind.
"Haa... haa..."
Kurosaki ichigo was panting, his head covered in sweat, while Ulquiorra's expression remained unchanged, calm and composed.
Although he could match him during Hollowfication, ultimately... the gap still existed.
"Is this... all you've got?"
Ulquiorra stood opposite him, saying calmly.
"What a joke, I haven't used my full power yet." Kurosaki ichigo gripped his sword with both hands, looked at Orihime nearby, and then looked at Ulquiorra, saying.
"Do you care about this woman very much?" Ulquiorra pointed a finger at Inoue Orihime and said, "If I kill her, will you unleash even greater power?"
?!!!! Kurosaki ichigo's pupils dilated. He said, "Isn't Inoue your comrade?!"
"For us, so-called comrades have no meaning." Ulquiorra said, "She is merely Captain Aizen's prize. From that moment on, her life belongs to me."
"Inoue belongs to no one!" Kurosaki ichigo quickly rushed towards Inoue, while Ulquiorra had already released a Bala at that moment.
The green Bala released from that finger blasted towards Inoue Orihime, who remained standing in place, her eyes vacant, seemingly indifferent to her own life.
Even if she was about to be killed by Ulquiorra, she showed no reaction.
But just in the nick of time, Kurosaki ichigo appeared!
He appeared in front of Inoue Orihime, simultaneously swinging his sword to shatter that Bala!
However, after delivering this blow, Kurosaki ichigo became even more exhausted, his breathing becoming more rapid.
And it was at this very moment that his pupils involuntarily dilated!
Because a sharp sting made his sluggish brain clear again. Behind him, the Inoue Orihime he was protecting had a golden light blade appear in her hand. That light shield, like a spike yet also a simple triangle, pricked Kurosaki ichigo in the back with its tip!
Kurosaki ichigo's face twisted in pain, and he even knelt directly on the ground!
"I told you."
Ulquiorra watched this scene, his expression completely unchanged, merely saying, "Inoue Orihime has become our comrade, and my subordinate. She will only fight for me."
"You... bastard...!" Ichigo said through gritted teeth.
"The power I just used was not something you could block." Ulquiorra didn't care what Kurosaki ichigo said, merely continued to speak to himself.
Based on his judgment, Kurosaki ichigo could not have blocked his attack to kill Inoue Orihime just now.
His attack just now was not designed to kill Inoue Orihime.
It was launched at a speed that surpassed Kurosaki ichigo's.
Given Kurosaki ichigo's state just now, dragging his exhausted body, he should not have been able to block that Bala.
However, at that instant, Kurosaki ichigo's reishi suddenly swelled!
Then, he rushed to Inoue Orihime's side at a speed that exceeded his body's limits at the time, blocking that Bala!
This is...
Why?
Is it just because of this that Captain Aizen and Yoshio are both paying attention to this human?
Ulquiorra was puzzled, but looking at Kurosaki ichigo, who was now kneeling on the ground, heavily injured but still trying to stand up, he said, "Can you still stand up?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Kurosaki ichigo had already stood up again, still gripping his Zanpakuto with both hands, not looking at Inoue Orihime behind him, even though she had just attacked him...
But he still held no hostility towards Inoue; instead, he continued to look at Ulquiorra.
"..."
Seeing Kurosaki ichigo truly stand up again, Ulquiorra was once again puzzled.
He...
Why can he still stand up?
He shouldn't...
This shouldn't be happening!
His body should have reached its limit, and his reishi had become very weak. At this level... it should be almost impossible to stand up and fight again.
But why can he still stand up, and even hold his Zanpakuto?
Is he going to fight me in this state?
How... ridiculous!
He wasn't my opponent even at his peak, so what can he do in this state?
Also...
Why doesn't he attack that woman?
With his strength, he should only need one blow to kill that woman, or make her faint.
However, he didn't do that...
"I understand."
Ulquiorra suddenly said.
These words also puzzled Kurosaki ichigo.
He...
Understands what?
Why suddenly say something like that?
"The reason you can still stand up, the reason you can still hold that dull blade, the reason... you still hold hope..."
Ulquiorra said softly, "It's just because you haven't seen true terror, nor have you ever seen true despair."
"Very well then, I'll let you experience what true terror is."
"...What... did you say?" Kurosaki ichigo frowned.
However, in the next moment, Kurosaki ichigo seemed to forget how to breathe!
Because the Ulquiorra in front of him suddenly erupted with a...
Suffocating pressure!
Boom!
At this instant, the entire sky and earth seemed to tremble.
The entire Las Noches seemed to be impacted by a powerful reishi!
Ulquiorra's body began to change, vast and dark wings spread, the clothes on his upper body disappeared, and black liquid seemed to flow from his eyes, the whites of his eyes turning green.
His hands seemed to transform into claws, and the Hollow hole also seemed to match his eyes, flowing with black tear-like patterns that extended all the way to his abdomen, while his entire lower body became incredibly dark!
"What... is this?!"
Ichigo couldn't help but swallow, he could barely believe his eyes!
This reishi...
How immense is it?!
The canopy of Las Noches had already been destroyed by Yammy before, and now Ulquiorra's Segunda Etapa further twisted and shattered the canopy.
This was not due to his power, but simply due to the distortion caused by his overwhelmingly powerful reishi. This distortion further destroyed the already damaged canopy, revealing a large hole!
Ulquiorra stood before the blood-red moon, looking at Kurosaki ichigo in front of him and softly said, "This is... the form of fear."
Boom...
Silent, yet like a thunderclap, the exploding reishi made the whole world tremble, and then... raindrops began to fall from the sky...?
The raindrops were green, like reishi, viscous, ominous, giving people a sense of oppression just by looking at them.
This reishi...
I've never felt it before...!
Even the few people fighting outside couldn't help but be shaken by the reishi emanating from the core of Las Noches.
"...This is the first time I've felt such strong reishi." Ishida Uryū broke out in a cold sweat, looking at Mayuri Kurotsuchi and saying.
Mayuri Kurotsuchi's expression was also solemn, but in the next moment, a hint of fanaticism appeared on his face, and he said, "We really came to the right place, Las Noches... what a great place! I can't wait to cut them open and examine their bodies!"
In a more distant area...
"What is that Ulquiorra guy doing?!" Yammy roared like thunder.
At this moment, his body was already over three hundred meters tall, to be precise, three hundred and thirty-three meters tall!
Of his three heads, one ox head looked towards Las Noches and said, "Can't even deal with a brat?!"
"That's no ordinary brat; that's the brat even Yoshio and Aizen are interested in." The goat head on his right said.
"Hmph, let's quickly deal with these Shinigami. I'm also interested in the brat who forced Ulquiorra into Segunda Etapa!" The human head in the middle, which was Yammy's original head, said.
"Ha! I was thinking the same thing!"
And in front of him, three Captains were still standing.
The three of them were now also at full power.
Zaraki Kenpachi's body was also like a monster, struck multiple times by Yammy, but after a while, he could stand up and fight again.
And...
The most terrifying thing was his strength!
Every time he fell and then stood up, his strength would increase!
However, as the number of times increased, this increase in strength also became increasingly slow, and by now... he seemed to have reached his limit.
The three had a clear division of labor: Zaraki Kenpachi was the main attacker and damage dealer, Toushiro was the main controller and secondary damage dealer, and Kuchiki Byakuya was responsible for harassment and support. Working together, they were not at all at a disadvantage against the now incredibly massive Yammy; in fact... they were subtly suppressing him!
This was mainly due to Tōshirō Hitsugaya.
After entering his current True Bankai state, Tōshirō Hitsugaya's strength increased like a rocket!
Not only was his control ability maxed out, but his output was also subtly no less than Zaraki Kenpachi's, and the areas he froze would become incredibly brittle, allowing Kuchiki Byakuya to inflict fatal damage on Yammy as well.
If it weren't for Yammy's terrifying regeneration ability and his 'Flames of Rage' which gave him extreme immunity to control effects, he would have likely been defeated long ago!
Boom!
Yammy slapped down again, instantly destroying everything in front of him. The mere force of the palm wind destroyed a large number of buildings, blew away a large amount of debris, and even blew the three of them a certain distance.
...
"See, this is the form of despair."
Ulquiorra said softly.
And Kurosaki ichigo in front of him was already dumbfounded at this moment.
This power...
It was simply too powerful.
He had initially thought that Ulquiorra had reached his limit after his Resurrección, and while he was stronger than himself, he wouldn't be much stronger.
But...
He hadn't expected that even at this point, Ulquiorra still hadn't used his full power?!
Only now had he truly revealed this despair-inducing form.
Kurosaki ichigo's eyes widened. Under the pressure of this reishi, he felt as if a mountain was pressing down on him, and this heavy pressure made it almost impossible for him to breathe.
More and more sweat appeared on his body, but...
Kurosaki ichigo's expression did not change!
He just continued to grip his Zanpakuto, his gaze towards Ulquiorra growing firmer!
"I..."
Kurosaki ichigo's voice was weak, but firm!
"I will defeat you!"
"And free Inoue from your control!"
!
These words, on the contrary, shocked Ulquiorra. He hadn't expected this Shinigami to have such strong willpower!
He...
Why can he say such things?
Doesn't he feel the difference in strength between us?
It's like a chasm...
"..." Ulquiorra's dark green eyes looked at Kurosaki ichigo in front of him and said in a deep voice, "Then..."
As he uttered those words, Ulquiorra's body vanished!
Wh...?
Kurosaki ichigo quickly observed Ulquiorra's movements.
I can still see him!
To the left!
Kurosaki ichigo quickly swung his sword to the left, but the swing missed?!
To the right?!
Kurosaki ichigo inwardly cursed, then hastily turned and attacked to the right. But just as he successfully turned to the right, Ulquiorra had already reappeared to the left!
The long spear in his hand instantly thrust out, directly piercing through Kurosaki ichigo's body!
Pfft!
"Ah!!!"
The immense pain pierced into Kurosaki ichigo's heart, making him scream in agony!
Ulquiorra flicked his spear, directly lifting Kurosaki ichigo's body into the air.
Kurosaki ichigo hung his head, as if he had run out of strength.
"With this, you should have clearly seen the difference in our strength, right?"
Ulquiorra looked at Kurosaki ichigo and said in a deep voice.
"I've seen it clearly."
Kurosaki ichigo said softly, "And then what?"
"?" Ulquiorra was puzzled.
And Kurosaki ichigo continued, "Just because you're stronger than me, I should give up?"
!
Ulquiorra's pupils constricted!
"From the very beginning... there's no such logic."
"Besides, I knew you were stronger than me from the start, but so what?!"
"Because you're stronger than me, what you do is right? Can the weak not resist the strong?"
"Do the weak... have to do as the strong say?"
"Because you're stronger than me, I should abandon Inoue... There's never been such a rule in this world!"
"If there is, then... don't even think about making me obey!"
Kurosaki ichigo's gaze was firm, like a sharp blade directly piercing into Ulquiorra's soul!
"Black Cero"
Pfft!
In an instant, a Black Cero was released from his hand!
This Black Cero instantly pierced through Kurosaki ichigo's body, which was impaled on the spear!
A huge hole was shot through Kurosaki ichigo's chest!
"As long as I dig into your body, I can see your heart." Ulquiorra said softly, "Then, let me see..."
"After you die, will your heart still be so resilient!"