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Spiritual pressure poured over the battlefield like a relentless downpour. Ichigo stumbled back in panic, barely able to follow Ulquiorra's impossibly fast strikes.
Two black wings snapped open behind his opponent, and in his hand a strange green weapon clashed against Ichigo's Zangetsu.
Boom!
The explosion tore through the air, shaking the entire arena. Dust and smoke swallowed everything in sight.
When the haze finally cleared, Ichigo emerged. His black robes were shredded, half of his Hollow mask was gone, and he looked utterly battered. Gasping for breath, he muttered between pants,"No way… too fast… I couldn't even react, even while Hollowfied!"
Ulquiorra's expression didn't flicker."Your so-called Hollow powers have improved. You can wear that mask longer now." His tone was ice-cold. "But it still shatters too easily. Pathetic."
Before Ichigo could reply, Ulquiorra hurled his green weapon at him.
Ichigo's eyes tracked its arc. "I can see it!" He jerked his head aside, and the blade whistled past his ear.
But his relief vanished instantly. A second weapon came from above, too fast to dodge. It pierced clean through his shoulder, blasting him backward.
He tumbled uncontrollably until he jammed Zangetsu into the ground, sparks flying as the blade scraped across stone, slowing his momentum.
Black reiatsu gathered on his left hand as his mask reformed, sealing over his face once more.
Just as he steadied himself, Ulquiorra was already there, closing the distance in a blur. Their blades collided again, Ichigo straining against the crushing force. Ulquiorra's strength pressed him back step by step.
"Kurosaki Ichigo," Ulquiorra said flatly, "try your Getsuga. Let me show you the difference in our power."
Ichigo grit his teeth, reiatsu flaring. "Tch. Like I needed you to tell me!"
He raised Zangetsu high, spiritual energy flooding outward in a storm that dyed the battlefield blood-red. Black energy coiled along the blade, seething with murderous force.
"Getsuga… Tenshō!!"
The attack tore through the air, a giant black crescent screaming toward Ulquiorra.
But Ulquiorra simply let a strange green aura erupt around his body. He didn't dodge. He didn't even flinch. The black wave struck him head-on.
It dispersed against him like water against stone.
Ichigo's eyes widened. "He's… completely unharmed!?"
Ulquiorra's voice was calm, almost bored."As expected. Your black Getsuga does resemble a Cero…" He tilted his head faintly. "But in the end, you're still only human. Your power doesn't compare."
"Don't you dare compare Getsuga to that!" Ichigo roared.
In answer, Ulquiorra raised a finger. Black energy condensed at its tip, swallowing the light around him. His reiatsu pressed down like a crushing tide."Then see the difference for yourself. A Cero Oscuras—only possible for an Espada in released form."
The energy swelled until it was unbearable to look at.
"Cero… Oscuras!!"
A beam of pure darkness ripped across the battlefield, engulfing Ichigo.
The explosion swallowed everything. His mask shattered, his body hurled through the inferno. Smoke, fire, and shockwaves spread in all directions, shaking the pillars that held Hueco Mundo's dome aloft.
When the blast cleared, Ichigo fell from the sky like a broken doll. His robes were tattered, his breathing ragged, his body trembling.
"Damn it…" he hissed, trying to force himself upright.
High above, Ulquiorra hovered, wings beating slowly. He looked down at Ichigo like a god passing judgment.
"You mimic the Arrancar well enough… but the gap in strength is insurmountable." His voice echoed in the ruined silence. Step by step, he descended from the sky as if walking on air.
"For humans or Shinigami to imitate us may be natural… but you'll never stand as our equals."
Ichigo pushed himself up, leaning on Zangetsu for support. His whole body shook, but his grip only tightened. Energy shimmered faintly along the blade's edge.
"Getsuga…" he whispered, trying to summon strength.
Ulquiorra cut him off with a cold snarl. "I told you—it's useless." With a flick of his weapon, he swatted Ichigo aside like an insect, slamming him into another pillar. The stone cracked under the impact.
Other Worlds Watching
In the One Piece world, Garp sipped tea as he watched the broadcast. "Hey, Sengoku, doesn't that trick of Ulquiorra's look a lot like our Geppo—Moon Step?"
Sengoku's brows furrowed. "It does. For a moment I thought our techniques had leaked into another world…" He shook his head. "But no. His is far more powerful."
Kizaru smirked lazily. "Scary, how strong people in other worlds can be…"
Akainu scowled, murderous aura rolling off him. "That thing reeks of evil. A world like that needs justice."
Aokiji, unusually serious, muttered, "Their power might even surpass an admiral's."
—
In the Naruto world, Killer B stared wide-eyed at the screen. "Yo, that black Cero's just like a Tailed Beast Bomb from my buddy Hachibi! Damn, what a monster! Wonder if my big bro could take him down…"
—
In the Dragon Ball world,
Vegeta scoffed arrogantly. "Finally, someone interesting shows up. Still not enough, though. Next time the list better put me back on top." He clenched his fists."The Saiyan race is the strongest in the universe. Kakarot, I'll surpass you yet. I am the Prince of all Saiyans—don't you dare think a low-class warrior could ever stand above me!"
Across countless dimensions, warriors reacted with awe, envy, or scorn. Ulquiorra's overwhelming display had shaken them all, sparking endless comparisons and rivalries.
Back in the fight
Ichigo was sent flying again, blood trailing through the air. Ulquiorra's wings snapped open, and he pursued instantly, unleashing another devastating strike. The force shattered the space around them.
Ichigo's battered body was hammered again and again, tossed around like a toy. Ulquiorra knocked him up, slammed him down, repeated the cycle mercilessly.
Finally, Ichigo's body scraped along one of Hueco Mundo's massive stone pillars, grinding across its surface for hundreds of meters before collapsing in a heap.
Ulquiorra descended, seized Ichigo by the throat, and lifted him effortlessly off the ground. The human dangled helplessly in his grip, life hanging by a thread.
Ulquiorra's cold eyes flicked toward Zangetsu still clutched in Ichigo's hand."Why don't you let go of that sword?"
"What the hell is going on!?"
That terrifying black spiritual pressure wrapped around them like a crushing wave.
Ishida's eyes went wide. "What… what is this? Is that reiatsu?"
"No way—it's way too different!""It's nothing like any spiritual pressure we've ever seen before!""This isn't just strong—it's alien."
"It's heavy, suffocating… like the ocean pressing down on the sky itself."
"This is bad. We've gotta move—now!"
Ishida gathered his energy and pulled Inoue with him, flying as fast as he could toward the rooftop.
"Black-Winged Demon—Second Resurrección!"
Aside from his torso, Ulquiorra's body had gone pitch black. A long tail unfurled behind him, and his face twisted into something monstrous—like a messenger straight out of hell.
"Among the Espada, I'm the only one who can release a second form," Ulquiorra said, his voice calm and cold."Not even Lord Aizen has witnessed this."
Ichigo slowly straightened, both hands tightening around Zangetsu as he readied his stance.
Ulquiorra tilted his head. "Even after seeing this… you still have the will to fight?"
Watching Ichigo's trembling body, his knuckles white around his blade, Ulquiorra thought:"He's not so far gone that fear has left him completely…""Yet his eyes don't hold the look of someone resigned to fate either.""…Does he truly believe he can defeat me?"
Ulquiorra stepped forward. "Very well. I'll reduce you to ash.""Let me bring you back to reality."
With a burst of speed, Ulquiorra charged at Ichigo!
Ichigo braced himself, raising Zangetsu high—
—but Ulquiorra's speed was overwhelming. Before Ichigo could even react, Ulquiorra's claw struck him across the head, swatting him away like a ragdoll.
Ichigo crashed into a pillar with the force of a cannonball, the massive stone structure collapsing into rubble around him.
Expressionless, Ulquiorra advanced on the wreckage.
Then his eyes narrowed. Ichigo was still there—half-kneeling, Zangetsu stabbed into the ground to hold himself up.
Ulquiorra lunged again, his speed terrifying. In an instant he was in front of Ichigo.
Ichigo swung down, but Ulquiorra was too fast—the blade cut nothing but air.
From behind, Ulquiorra's claw slashed forward. Ichigo barely managed to spin around and block it with Zangetsu—
—but Ulquiorra's tail whipped out like lightning, slamming Ichigo in the ribs and sending him flying once more.
He caught himself desperately on a shard of rubble, feet skidding as he forced his body to stop.
Power surged into his left hand, the hollow mask re-forming across his face.
Ulquiorra charged again. "How foolish."
Their weapons clashed midair—claw against blade—sparks exploded in the sky!
But Ulquiorra's strength sent Ichigo reeling backward.
Ulquiorra pressed forward. "To face an opponent so far beyond your reach… and still believe you can win…""You dare to challenge me?" His voice was like ice. "I can't understand such madness."
Another monstrous strike crashed against Zangetsu. The force slammed the blade back into Ichigo's mask, shattering it instantly.
Ichigo was blown away yet again—
Soul Society – Real World
Aizen's eyes gleamed with genuine surprise. "Ulquiorra… I didn't expect you to be hiding such power."
He glanced down at him, amusement flickering across his face. Ulquiorra felt a chill under his master's gaze.
"Lord Aizen," Ulquiorra said carefully, "perhaps… this is a power I'll only achieve in the future. I hadn't yet had the chance to report it."
The other Espada began whispering among themselves.
In the Soul Society, the captains watched the broadcast in shock.
Hitsugaya's breath caught. "Are all of Aizen's followers this powerful? His reiatsu… it's more terrifying than most of the captains!"
Kyōraku glanced at the Head Captain, his usual calm shaken. "Old man… how can Aizen's subordinates be this strong?"
Yamamoto slowly opened his eyes. "It seems we underestimated him. We must end this traitor before it's too late."
Naruto World
High in his tower, Nagato sat frozen in disbelief. "Konan… it seems the Shinigami world harbors monsters who may one day be our greatest threat."
"That Black-Winged Demon… just looking at his second form made my heart race. Ever since gaining the power of the Six Paths of Pain, it's been a long time since I've felt fear like that."
Konan placed a hand on his shoulder. "You don't need to worry. This 'multiverse ranking' may be some kind of advanced technology from another world. It lets us glimpse their strength, but it doesn't mean they can enter ours."
Kisame, usually grinning ear to ear, had lost his smile. "That power… it's suffocating. Honestly, maybe only the boss and Itachi could stand against him."
Itachi stepped out of the shadows, eyes calm but heavy. "The Black-Winged Demon… his power reeks of a curse. I doubt I could defeat him."
Saint Seiya World
The Gold Saints stared in silence at Ulquiorra's terrifying transformation.
Shaka finally spoke. "The aura around him… it's steeped in malice. It feels like a Specter of Hades."
Leo Aiolia frowned. "Are you saying… he's one of Hades' men?"
The gathered Saints turned to the Pope. He shook his head slowly. "No… this is not Hades' servant. This is an evil power from another world. It may not touch ours—for now. But the appearance of this screen is too strange to ignore. We must stay vigilant."
On the Screen
The sheer force of Ulquiorra's strike sent Ichigo crashing through two massive pillars, the sky filling with dust and debris.
Ulquiorra's voice cut coldly through the haze. "So this is what you humans call the heart…"
"Then it is proof. Because you have hearts, you suffer.""Because you have hearts, you hurt."
Still, Ichigo stood again—bloodied, shaking, but unbroken. His grip on Zangetsu never loosened.
"I'm not fighting because I believe I can win," he growled."I'm fighting because I have to win!"
"..."
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