This time, Ichigo didn't even bother using his zanpakutō. Simply by standing there and continuously dodging, he easily avoided all of Ulquiorra's attacks.
"Enough."
Ichigo suddenly grabbed Ulquiorra's wrist, the one holding his zanpakutō.
Ulquiorra looked at him in shock. He hadn't expected Ichigo to catch his wrist so effortlessly.
With a powerful tug, Ichigo pulled Ulquiorra in and slashed at his chest with Tensa Zangetsu in his right hand.
Though Ulquiorra exploded his reiatsu in desperation to break free, Ichigo's blade still left a deep gash across his chest.
If not for his high-speed regeneration, that slash alone would have ended this fight instantly.
"Ulquiorra, stop showing off such pathetic attacks in front of me," Ichigo mocked coldly.
Hearing that, Ulquiorra raised his reiatsu to its peak – just below his Resurrección form.
"Boom!"
With a heavy stomp, Ulquiorra cracked the floor of Las Noches, sending countless stone fragments flying like a demolition site.
But even this so-called killing blow was easily blocked by Ichigo.
"Hmm, not bad. This slash has some weight to it. Orihime, get back. The battle from here on might involve you."
Blocking Ulquiorra's blade with one hand, Ichigo still had the leisure to call out calmly.
"I understand, Kurosaki-kun!"
Orihime quickly ran to the far edge of the hall, terrified she might become a burden to Ichigo's fight.
"Good. Now it's just the two of us. Show me your real power, Ulquiorra. Otherwise, this is too boring!"
Ichigo smirked coldly.
Seeing Orihime retreat, black Getsuga Tenshō energy began to swirl around Tensa Zangetsu in Ichigo's hand.
This time, he didn't fire it immediately. Instead, the black energy coiled around the blade like an enchantment.
Feeling that fierce reiatsu, Ulquiorra raised his guard to the maximum.
"Ulquiorra, don't die so easily. Even I can't fully control this power right now," Ichigo said, swinging Tensa Zangetsu lightly.
The swirling Getsuga Tenshō scraped against the palace pillars, corroding them instantly upon contact.
Ulquiorra fired a Cero at Ichigo in response. Even he couldn't afford to take a direct hit from that Getsuga Tenshō – it could truly cripple him.
But just then, another figure appeared.
"Boom!"
The ground before Ulquiorra shattered as a massive body burst forth.
"Oh? Ulquiorra, why do you look so miserable?" said Yammy, who had just arrived.
Since Ichigo entered Hueco Mundo, Yammy had done nothing but eat and sleep, resting until he reached his peak state.
Seeing Ichigo, Yammy immediately recalled how his arm had been cut off back in the Human World.
"So it's you, Kurosaki Ichigo! Ulquiorra, leave him to me!" Yammy declared.
But Ulquiorra shook his head and refused. "No. Kurosaki Ichigo is mine."
Yammy didn't get angry at the refusal. Instead, he turned and smacked away two Hollows who had been sneaking up on Orihime.
Orihime herself hadn't even noticed them approaching.
Just as Yammy prepared to attack her himself, Ulquiorra was surprised to see that Ichigo didn't move at all.
"What's wrong? Isn't that woman the one you came to save? Why aren't you reacting as Yammy approaches her?" Ulquiorra asked curiously.
Ichigo shook his head lightly. "Ulquiorra, someone like you could never understand what nakama means."
"Nakama?" Ulquiorra frowned. Words like that were beyond his comprehension.
But soon enough, he would understand through reality.
Just as Yammy reached out to attack Orihime, a spirit arrow suddenly pierced his shoulder.
"Who's there?!" Yammy roared in anger, turning around.
"Not 'who.' Just me," Ishida Uryū said calmly, adjusting his glasses as he stepped through the hole Ulquiorra's Cero had created earlier.
"Oh, a Quincy?" Yammy lost interest almost instantly.
But Orihime was overjoyed. "Ishida-kun!"
Uryū nodded to her and kept firing spirit arrows at Yammy.
Though his arrows could only barely pierce Yammy's Hierro, the stinging pain was enough to infuriate him.
"You damn bug! I'll crush you with my palm!" Yammy roared, charging straight at Uryū, completely forgetting about Orihime.
Seeing Yammy's attention focused on him, Uryū smirked and leapt down into the hole Yammy had emerged from.
"Try to catch me!" he taunted, disappearing below.
Smoke billowed around Yammy's head. Though Uryū's attacks hadn't harmed him, the humiliation was real.
Enraged, Yammy jumped down after him, ignoring Ichigo and Ulquiorra completely.
Ichigo watched them leave and shrugged. "See? That's the meaning of nakama."
Ulquiorra still couldn't understand. Why? Why did Ichigo trust that Quincy so completely?
Didn't he fear Uryū might fail to lure Yammy away? Didn't he fear Uryū could die by Yammy's hands?
But Ichigo's eyes told him everything – he trusted Uryū unconditionally.
Belief… needs no reason.
Uryū soon proved worthy of that belief. Using a trap he had prepared earlier, he sent Yammy crashing all the way to the palace's lowest floor in a humiliating fall.
Returning to the top floor with Orihime, Uryū gave Ichigo a small smile.
Ulquiorra was stunned. He actually… pulled it off?
How did he deal with Yammy so effectively?
Ichigo's faith had been rewarded. With Orihime protected, he could now fight Ulquiorra at full power without worry.
"Ichigo! Finish him off! Then let's all go back to the Human World together!" Uryū yelled, shielding Orihime from the scattered reiatsu as he shouted at Ichigo.
Just as Ichigo believed Uryū could handle Yammy, Uryū too believed without question that Ichigo could defeat Ulquiorra.
"Yeah… I know."
With that, Ichigo drew his second zanpakutō from his waist.
"Whisper… Muramasa!"
Originally, Muramasa's power was to control zanpakutō and turn them against their wielders.
But zanpakutō evolve alongside their masters. Though the release phrase was the same, its abilities now were completely different.
To Ulquiorra's shock, Muramasa materialized in human form, holding Ichigo's newly drawn zanpakutō in his hand.
Their appearances were nearly identical, from physique to skin tone.
"How… how is this possible?! How can a Shinigami have a second zanpakutō?!" Ulquiorra cried out in disbelief.
Before Ichigo could speak, Muramasa replied coldly, "Why is it impossible? Who ever said Shinigami can only wield one zanpakutō?"
His words left Ulquiorra speechless.
Watching from the side, Uryū and Orihime were equally stunned.
Though they knew nothing of zanpakutō mechanics, even they realized – wasn't Muramasa supposed to be dead? How had he become Ichigo's zanpakutō?
And why did he follow Ichigo's will so obediently?
Both of them started to wonder… was the whole Zanpakutō Rebellion secretly caused by Ichigo?
"Hmph. Kurosaki Ichigo, no matter what tricks you pull, even with two zanpakutō, you can't defeat me," Ulquiorra declared arrogantly, despite feeling Ichigo's reiatsu now far surpassed his own.
Ichigo found his confidence amusing. Where does this guy's blind faith come from?
"Muramasa, I'll leave him to you for now."
"Understood," Muramasa said with a smile, pointing his zanpakutō at Ulquiorra. "I will slay your enemies for you."
With that, Muramasa flash-stepped forward, slashing down at Ulquiorra.
Ulquiorra barely blocked the attack, but the force behind it far exceeded his expectations, forcing him back with his arms trembling.
"Amazing…" Uryū muttered in shock.
Ichigo hadn't even moved. Just Muramasa alone was enough to overwhelm Ulquiorra completely.
"Cero!" Ulquiorra roared, firing his green-black Cero at Muramasa.
Muramasa merely smiled, purple reiatsu coating his zanpakutō.
"Getsuga Tenshō."
The purple Getsuga Tenshō, infused with Hollow energy, sliced cleanly through Ulquiorra's Cero and shattered the palace wall behind him into pieces.
Sunlight streamed in through the massive hole, illuminating Ulquiorra's disbelieving eyes.
"How… how can you use Getsuga Tenshō?!"
No two zanpakutō are the same. That was an unbreakable truth.
So how could Muramasa use the same attack as Ichigo?
Muramasa shrugged lightly. "I am Ichigo's zanpakutō. Isn't it only natural that I can use what he uses?"
Ichigo gave him a thumbs up.
Honestly, Ichigo was being merciful. If he and Muramasa attacked together, Ulquiorra would be torn apart instantly by their combined reiatsu.
So why wasn't Ichigo acting himself, instead letting Muramasa fight?
Because he had his reasons.
Ichigo was testing a new ability – something created from the fusion of the King's Seal, Muramasa, and his own powers.
Grimmjow and Nnoitra had been too weak for testing. The ideal opponent would have been Nel, but she wasn't here. So Ulquiorra, another Vasto Lorde, would have to suffice as his test subject.
How is it going, Muramasa? Ichigo asked silently.
Muramasa responded calmly. "After three engagements with Ulquiorra, my reiatsu analysis is 90% complete. Now, I just need to see his Resurrección."
Ichigo nodded. Understood.
"I know, Ichigo. Leave it to me," Muramasa said with a wild grin. "As the fourth Espada, you can't be this weak, right? That would be too boring."
Hearing Muramasa's words, Ulquiorra remained cold as ever. "A mere zanpakutō dares to speak to me this way?"
Muramasa sneered back. "Sorry, Arrancar. But right now, you can't even defeat me – a zanpakutō. And I'm going to kill you."
He raised his long, clawed hand to his face with a smile.
"Watch closely, Arrancar… this is your end."
(End of Chapter)
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