Chapter 123: Ulquiorra's Second Resurreccion
"Don't get excited—they're not dead yet. But if you make any noise, they might be."
Fiander held Inoue around the waist, lifting her in his arms as he said, "Besides, from the very beginning, your eyes have been looking outside from time to time."
"What's the matter?"
"Worried about Kurosaki Ichigo? Don't be nervous, because I'm going to take you up there right now!"
With that, Fiander flash-stepped outside the walls of the Hueco Mundo palace and looked up at countless clouds that were constantly converging together, forming a scene similar to a water spout, accompanied by lightning and thunder that was genuinely frightening to behold.
Fiander raised his hand and gazed deep into the clouds, where the battle between Ulquiorra and Kurosaki Ichigo was centered.
"Wow, what a spectacular display. Inoue Orihime, can you guess what's happening up there?"
Looking at the lightning strikes resembling a natural disaster, Inoue couldn't keep her eyes open. She could only squint and said weakly, "Is Kurosaki-kun really up there too?"
"Tell me, you like him quite a bit, don't you?"
Suddenly Fiander changed the subject, looking down into Inoue's eyes directly.
"That's... that's not true!"
Inoue blushed and turned her head away, not daring to meet Fiander's gaze directly.
"Hey now, tell me the truth. This isn't something to be ashamed of! Come on, tell me quietly, and I promise not to tell anyone else."
Fiander suddenly seemed possessed by intense curiosity, persistently questioning Inoue about her feelings.
But the blushing Inoue seemed to have made up her mind—she wouldn't budge no matter what, remaining completely silent with her head down.
"Tch, how boring. I was going to say, if you told me, I'd help you save Kurosaki Ichigo, because right now he... might actually die?"
Fiander's words made Inoue forget about being shy as she raised her head and questioned him: "Why would you say that about Kurosaki-kun? He..."
Inoue wanted to continue, but Fiander suddenly covered her eyes, and an image instantly appeared in her mind.
Under the thunder-filled sky, an Ichigo with demonic horns was fighting frantically with Ulquiorra, who had entered his second stage of Resurreccion. But this time, Ulquiorra wasn't at a disadvantage.
Because at this moment, "Ichigo" had to deal with three opponents: Ulquiorra, Kurosaki Ichigo's own consciousness, and the Hollow within his body.
That monster, resembling a demon lord, was burning with black flames all over its body. While battling two souls inside its own body, it was simultaneously fighting against Ulquiorra externally.
"How could Kurosaki-kun look like that?"
Inoue Orihime's voice trembled slightly, because those emotionless eyes made him seem like a complete stranger.
"That monster's name is Jilianka. He's known as the bloodthirsty evil spirit, and he represents a true apex predator."
"The power he possesses cannot be resisted by Ichigo and his Hollow, because the gap between different levels of evolution is absolutely clear."
Fiander's voice reached Inoue's ears, making her turn pale as she asked: "Then... can you save Kurosaki-kun?"
Regarding Fiander's words, Inoue didn't doubt them. After all, given his overwhelming strength, there was no possibility he was deceiving her, and no need for it either.
"Well, didn't I mention it? You tell me if you like Kurosaki Ichigo, and I'll consider it."
"Ugh..."
Seeing that the enigmatic man before her was acting this way, Inoue felt both embarrassed and annoyed.
But thinking of the vision she had seen before, which couldn't be fake, Inoue mustered her courage, closed her eyes, blushed deeply and said loudly.
"I like Kurosaki-kun! Are you satisfied now?"
After Inoue opened her eyes, she found that Fiander's attention was focused entirely on the zenith above, not looking at her at all.
Just when she thought he hadn't heard and subconsciously felt relieved, she saw Fiander looking at her with a smirk on his face, digging in his ear with his other hand as he said: "Yes, yes, I heard you! Why did you scream so loudly?"
"You made my ears hurt!"
Fiander's words made Inoue feel an inexplicable sensation spreading from her neck to her brain, and that mortifying feeling left her silent, her mind wandering elsewhere.
"Hurry up, we're going through those clouds. It's dangerous up there, so don't fall."
"Eh?"
Before Inoue could react, Fiander's body suddenly flashed, and they were already beneath the storm clouds. After passing through this area, they would reach the zenith and find Ichigo and Ulquiorra.
You might wonder why the zenith can only be reached from this particular route—why not from anywhere else?
The answer is actually quite simple. Ten minutes earlier, Ulquiorra above the zenith was looking down at Kurosaki Ichigo at his feet when suddenly a surge of blood-red energy spread from Ichigo's body.
An aura that made one feel their very soul trembling emanated from Kurosaki Ichigo's form.
"What is this?"
Ulquiorra suddenly pulled back a safe distance, only to see that Kurosaki Ichigo, who should have been unconscious, was slowly standing up at this moment.
Strips of black markings spread from his heart to his limbs and head. When these runes were fully arranged, half of Ichigo's face suddenly changed dramatically.
A curved demonic horn protruded from Ichigo's forehead, and a massive bat wing wreathed in black flames stretched outward.
His hands and feet had completely transformed, and Ulquiorra was shocked by this power that was neither Shinigami nor Hollow in nature.
As one of Ichigo's closed eyes suddenly opened, the dark sclera was filled with golden vertical pupils.
"He's coming, Ichigo!"
"Ah! I know!"
At this moment, both Kurosaki Ichigo's own voice and his Hollow's voice spoke simultaneously.
"He?"
"Who are they referring to?"
Before Ulquiorra could react, a massive demonic hand suddenly appeared in his field of vision.
BOOM!!
With violent force, the somewhat dazed Ulquiorra was directly launched hundreds of meters backward. But an afterimage flashed by, and his opponent had actually exceeded his backward flying speed, once again grabbing the horn on Ulquiorra's forehead and slamming him back down to the zenith surface.
CRASH!!
The overwhelming difference in their strength levels left Ulquiorra stunned, but he brushed the dust from his body. Ulquiorra suddenly extended the Luz de la Luna in his hand, gripping it tightly with both hands.
"Since that's the case, there's only one option remaining."
"A form that even Master Aizen has never witnessed—my Second Resurreccion!"
Black Reiatsu erupted from Ulquiorra's body, and black feather-like substances began scattering through the air. With a violent noise that shook the entire zenith platform, tremendous spiritual pressure was released from Ulquiorra's transformed form.
At this moment, Ulquiorra's Second Resurreccion was successfully completed.
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