"No, I wasn't daydreaming. I was thinking!" Ulquiorra said.
Ulquiorra looked intently at Ichigo:
"You might not know this, but Hollows have an innate sensitivity towards space!"
"Manipulating space is something we are born with."
"So, when you created that space, I saw it. You expanded the space using an ability and then stored everything from outside inside!"
"The space you created isn't large!"
"But the issue is, even Hollows need to breathe Reishi from the atmosphere, and humans need to breathe air!"
"However, that small space of yours just now doesn't have that much air, does it?"
"How long can you keep people inside there?" Ulquiorra asked.
"What? So that's how it is!" Grimmjow understood.
Their secondary mission this time was to try and eliminate Ichigo.
Originally, they planned to attack what he must protect. But now, the thing Ichigo must protect was moved by himself.
Yet, unexpectedly, the thing Ichigo moved cannot stay for long!
Simultaneously, having his space-hiding method exposed, Ichigo's expression turned grim.
Inside the not-so-large space were one woman and two heavily injured men. Their every breath consumed a significant amount.
By Ichigo's estimate, the air inside would last only about ten minutes.
"So what? Even ten minutes is enough to deal with you two!"
Ichigo's gaze grew determined.
Both Ulquiorra and Grimmjow were characters he liked very much.
But now they were enemies, and Ichigo had the resolve to slay them!
In that case, they shouldn't blame him for being ruthless!
Placing his left hand on his face, Ichigo lightly brushed it. The Hollowfication mask fully covered him.
A voice with a metallic quality emerged: "Then let me experience what it means to fight one against two for justice!!"
"And let you two experience something I learned from Hana-nee!"
Hollowfication provides immense enhancement.
Similarly, the change in aura it brings is also immense!
As they say, once the mask is on, love is gone.
With the Hollowfication mask on, his sclera dark, his eyes pure yellow, Ichigo, compared to his previous gentle handsomeness, gained a few degrees of sinister danger.
Seeing Ichigo like this, Ulquiorra shuddered, memories of their previous fight resurfacing.
However, even though he had seen Ichigo's post-Hollowfication combat power from a third-person perspective, and now teamed up with Ulquiorra and also in his own Resurrección state, Grimmjow felt somewhat relaxed.
"Hollowfication is like our Resurrección. But after so many years in Hueco Mundo, I can't say I'm proficient at fighting Shinigami, but fighting Hollows is as natural as breathing."
"You Hollowfying yourself just puts you in our familiar territory, doesn't it?"
"And with just this, you still want to fight both of us at once?"
Grimmjow mocked: "To be honest, I think Hollowfication is just a weakening!"
"Is that so..." Hearing Grimmjow's words, Ichigo smiled indifferently.
"Then... let's give it a try!"
As soon as the two words were uttered, Ichigo suddenly appeared before Grimmjow as if the video had skipped frames.
Under Grimmjow's drastically changing gaze, Ichigo raised his sword and slashed at him!
Screech!
The hard Tensa Zangetsu and Pantera's claws scraped against each other, producing sparks.
Using his sharp five fingers and his exoskeleton-covered palm combined with Hierro, Grimmjow tried to restrict Ichigo's blade.
However, after Unohana's training (one-sidedly getting cut), Ichigo had long become a veteran in swordsmanship. His way of using a sword was no longer straightforward and simple.
Seeing Grimmjow's hand grasping his blade, Ichigo's wrist trembled. A vibrating force instantly transmitted to the blade!
Under this vibration, Grimmjow's fingers went numb, and he momentarily loosened his grip.
"Damn it!" Realizing he could no longer restrain Ichigo's blade, Grimmjow wanted to compensate. He extended his left hand to continue grabbing at Tensa Zangetsu, because only by grabbing it could he create an opening for Ulquiorra.
However, Ichigo's target from beginning to end was Grimmjow's right hand!
Soundlessly, Ichigo released his right hand gripping the sword, but his arm continued the upward motion.
By the time Grimmjow noticed, Tensa Zangetsu slid down naturally under gravity. Ichigo's left hand lightly caught it… he had completed a hand-switch.
Holding Tensa Zangetsu backhanded with his left hand, an instant Getsuga Tensho erupted once again above Grimmjow's right hand!
Boom!
A pitch-black explosion engulfed the two.
The next moment, Grimmjow, spinning and flying backwards, spitting blood, flew out of the explosion first!
His entire right hand was a bloody mess!
Simultaneously, showing no intention of giving Grimmjow a chance to catch his breath, Ichigo closely followed Grimmjow's falling figure, shadowing him like Lee performing the Front Lotus!
"You bastard, you actually tricked me!"
Grimmjow noticed Ichigo had arrived behind him. Enraged, he reached for Ichigo with his intact left hand.
But at this moment, Ichigo had already unleashed another Getsuga Tensho at Grimmjow!
Boom-
The pitch-black Reiatsu heavily struck Grimmjow's back, the immense force nearly snapping his spine!
His body was bent backwards almost into a U-shape as Grimmjow plummeted vertically towards the ground.
Though originally a pristine white Leopard King, he fell as a pitch-black streak!
Rumble rumble rumble!
His hard body collided with the ground, blasting out a circular crater.
Lying powerless in the crater, feeling the pain radiating from his entire body,
And the numbing itch from regeneration repair… though not as strong as Ulquiorra's High-Speed Regeneration, he still had some regenerative ability-
Grimmjow felt as if he had eaten a bowl of foot-smell beef noodles, his whole body sour and invigorated. Or as if he had taken a sip of dirty river water, containing the myriad flavors of the entire periodic table in one gulp.
Thus, climbing out of the crater with some difficulty, Grimmjow looked angrily at Ulquiorra beside him, whose expression hadn't changed at all from before.
"Bastard, Ulquiorra! Why are you just watching?" Grimmjow issued his questioning.
Facing Grimmjow's questioning, Ulquiorra remained poker-faced, but he also explained: "I was observing."
"Observing?" Grimmjow's inner fire blazed. "Observing... means watching me get beaten up alone?"