"Damn iiit..."
Las Noches' fifth tower. Fallen to the lowest level, Yammy Llargo punched the nearest moving object, venting the rage swirling in his chest.
"That Shinigami and those bitches... I'll never forgive them! I'll kill them all!!"
Everyone was trash. The veteran Espada was indignant at his comrades' utter incompetence.
Yammy Llargo was one of the earliest Arrancar. He'd served Aizen Sosuke since the old days when the organization was called "Espada," supporting his power.
Of course he'd resisted at first. But not against King Aizen. It was against the single female Shinigami the king appointed as commander of the Arrancar army.
『N-nice to meet you, Yammy.』
That woman was small in body and attitude.
Bowing to a kid three heads shorter and a seemingly frail girl—it seemed absurdly like rational irony to utilize his Resurrección.
『Bad boy, Yammy. Be good.』
But that woman was strong.
He who'd challenged her as second after Baraggan learned what a true "Shinigami" was. While pouting and sulking like a child, she transformed the desert into a boiling glass purgatory—that terrifying Shinigami form.
He'd probably been taught pack hierarchy down to his bones by her then. Spending six months in an incubator for regeneration treatment of his carbonized body, Yammy afterward strangely felt no discomfort at that boss's weak behavior deferring to everyone.
Knowing that hell, her slack appearance while cheerfully serving delicious hamburgers was truly angelic...
"This is... Yammy!"
Hearing a voice and looking down, weak-looking Shinigami and humans stared up in surprise.
"What the hell are you? You're in the way, annoying."
Spiritual pressure pitiful, abilities pitiful. These trash defeated the Espada comrades he'd gathered running through Hueco Mundo with that person?
The grudge Shinigami stolen by Ulquiorra, the maid Arrancar's betrayal—fuel added to Yammy's rage flames.
"...Damn, pisses me off. Acting tough when you're weak... making me this angry!!"
『!?』
The Espada unleashed spiritual pressure accumulated by sleeping and eating tons for today. Not an amount wasted on these guys, not power stored for them. That fact irritated the giant more.
And.
"Don't panic! Look at the shoulder number! Lower rank than any Espada we've fought!"
"No point being scared of size! Beat him fast and help Ichigo!"
『Yes!!』
The trash below spouting nonsense, their rising fighting spirit finally exploded Yammy's rage.
"Beat me? You trash think you can beat me!?
—Don't make me laugh!!"
『!!?』
Mocking the surroundings bracing for surging spiritual pressure, Yammy released his zanpakuto from its sheath.
"'Rage'!!"
—Ira—
Fine, if you love numbers so much, I'll teach you. The true form of my No. 10 as Décima Espada.
Released from double-digit shackles, I'm that person's strongest force.
"Cero Espada
Yammy Llargo!!"
***
In the rubble-buried Octava palace, a woman's obscene ragged breathing echoed.
Limbs thrown to the ground, convulsing while rolling back white eyes—behind the test subject, the reborn Octava Espada Szayelaporro Grantz stood proudly before the dazed audience.
"Do you understand, Kurotsuchi Mayuri? The magnificence of this Gabriél?"
The youth spoke leisurely to his harbinger of destruction.
A being constantly reborn anew like a phoenix by impregnating enemies with himself. Not transcending death but incorporating even death into his life cycle—existence endlessly repeating death and rebirth.
That's called—"perfect life."
"Now, show me. How will you end this existence without end?"
Szayelaporro spread both arms, seeking that answer from the bottom of his heart.
But ignoring him, Kurotsuchi Mayuri staggered forward. Not toward Szayelaporro but toward his own lieutenant clutching her body behind him.
"Worried about your subordinate? How delicate, unexpectedly."
"..."
"But don't worry. The pattern I tested this time is specially modified from the original effect. She surely enjoyed it."
The Modified Soul female Shinigami mother showed no external injuries. But her cheeks flushed red, eyes moist, breath holding sweet heat.
The pleasure signal drugs should've worn off long ago, yet she remained aroused.
"...ah, ...haa...♥ M-Mayuri-sama...♥ I... apologize..."
"Ah, persistent sexual arousal from reishi nervous system abnormality perhaps? Did existing spiritual synapses change to amplify sexual pleasure? If so, it'll continue at minimum a month..."
—But this isn't bad.
Observing his lieutenant desperately resisting unabating sexual urges, Szayelaporro replaced that figure with another. That single girl gripping her hakama crotch tightly as if enduring something, blushing that usually friendly lovely smile. That pure maiden's disgrace—her prim and proper impression lewdly disturbed, young body knowing sex becoming unmanageable.
Hmm, perhaps I'll skip unnecessary adjustments and keep it as is.
"...Bad taste, Szayelaporro. Quickly return her to normal...!"
"Kukuku... I'd prefer you not reject my gratitude so coldly, Quincy. She's enjoying it too, right? ...Ah, pardon—I should've said 'you all.'"
『N-not enjoying it at all!?』
Szayelaporro bantered with harmonizing adolescent peanut gallery while sneering at Kurotsuchi Mayuri who kept staring at his lieutenant's disgrace.
...But the Shinigami's face when he turned held neither rage at his subordinate's humiliation nor pity for her.
"Interesting."
What was there was wicked admiration. Insatiable intellectual curiosity that Szayelaporro himself knew well had driven out all other emotions.
"Good, truly interesting ability. Especially the mechanism hijacking the spiritual power apparatus itself rather than the mother's spiritual power to recover your own spiritual pressure—few successful examples exist. Plus temporarily fusing overworked organs with yourself minimizes fatigue. Your 'main target' would sob at such mercy."
"...I wasn't seeking such boring reactions from that person."
Perhaps possessing an ability detailing the Modified Soul lieutenant's physical changes. Having the basic spiritual power extraction mechanism exposed in this short time, Szayelaporro frowned.
No, what truly grated wasn't that. This man's interest lay not in the ability's purpose of life-death reversibility but in the power source—a footnote to a footnote.
And.
"So, is this all?"
In that arrogance itself that recognized no value beyond "interesting" in his ultimate ability.
"You call it 'perfect life.' There's more than this, right?"
"..."
"Come now, nothing to lose. Don't be stingy, show me, come on!"
Kurotsuchi Mayuri's urging was a kind of advanced provocation from genuinely thinking so.
But Szayelaporro's emotion wasn't anger but exasperation.
"...Honestly, do you have no pride as a scientist?"
"What's this, suddenly?"
"Your paltry impression of this magnificent ability... your lowliness makes me feel pity beyond rage... but this is a precious 'presentation' venue. To prove you're superior to me, demonstrate with results, not attitude."
Implicitly demanding "show your hand next," Szayelaporro crossed his arms.
Yes, this was an observation venue. To observe how Kurotsuchi Mayuri defeats this body of Szayelaporro and study that technique. Though already achieving reasonable results at the current lab, the youth still wanted certainty.
"...Hmm, indeed it's about time. If you won't show your life's culmination at your end, it can't be helped. Finally, with that body... experience my research's results.
My new drug."
"Oh?"
Gwaan—suddenly Szayelaporro's hearing went haywire. Calmly analyzing what happened to himself, his answer was infinitely close to correct.
"Several drugs are planted in Nemu's body. So if you eat Nemu or invade her body, I can administer them to you."
A mine using his lieutenant, creating small vesicles of different drugs by organ. And the drug planted in the organ where Szayelaporro laid "eggs" was—something called "Superhuman Drug."
The "time seeming to stop" phenomenon sometimes occurring in duels between masters. A drug to artificially recreate that special mental state triggered by senses honed to extremes.
"Do you understand? You've become a 'superhuman' perceiving one second as a hundred years. To 'ordinary' me, my movements must seem terribly slow and boring."
"..., ..."
"Now, Espada. I have one question for the test subject you."
—Does this sword look stopped?
Grinning with bared teeth, Kurotsuchi Mayuri thrust his zanpakuto toward him.
To Szayelaporro, that sword piercing his heart appeared as slow movement over hundreds of years. Against "superhuman" senses, the "un-superhuman" body lagged terrifyingly. His super-senses left his body behind.
"Never mind, you have plenty of time. Savor thoroughly the sensation of my sword piercing your heart until dripping bodily fluids turn to sand."
...Ah, I see. Too slow to even know it's moving, but as expected, I was defeated by this drug.
"Well then, Espada."
—Farewell until a hundred years hence.
Leaving those words, Kurotsuchi Mayuri began rummaging through the collapsed palace.
Watching that amusing figure, in a distant world, a single youth smiled.
"...And Szayelaporro Grantz perishes, released from the goddess's garden."
The youth quietly severed cognitive synchronization with his artificial soul body and lowered his distorted helmet from his head.
The first body parasitizing inside that biological Bankai. The second body absorbing various drugs inside the lieutenant's body.
With detailed data obtained through their noble sacrifices in hand, Octava Espada Szayelaporro Grantz leisurely turned heel toward his World of the Living hideout laboratory.
"Kukuku... I can't wait to see what reward you, beautiful and merciful one, will grant me for fulfilling destiny."
—Your Excellency.
***
—Why can you make such eyes? Before such despair?
Above Las Noches' dome. Before Kurosaki Ichigo who kept challenging him despite being thoroughly beaten down, Ulquiorra Cifer for the first time in his life felt clear "irritation" in his empty chest.
"Fire your Getsuga."
『!?』
Mid-blade lock, the Arrancar told the Shinigami. If that masked state and Getsuga together are your strongest technique, fire it here and now.
"I'll teach you the difference in power."
『Tch, you bastard! I was gonna do that without you telling me!!』
—Getsuga Tensho—
Taking the bait, Kurosaki Ichigo unleashed tremendously dense spiritual pressure. Indeed, enough to defeat Grimmjow.
"...But ultimately, human level."
『Uninjured... seriously...』
Precisely. Even wearing a mask, even firing attacks resembling our Arrancar Cero, that power differs as heaven from earth.
—Cero Oscuras—
『Gahaa...!!』
Black Cero fired by a released Espada. Not imitation but genuine Hollow power shattered Kurosaki Ichigo's mask in one blow.
"...You asked me earlier. 'Did I approach humans?'"
Ulquiorra landed on a spire level. And to the agonizingly kneeling Kurosaki Ichigo, the Arrancar declared.
"Nonsense."
『...!』
"Why should I approach and degrade myself to you weaklings? You gaining power by imitating Hollows is reasonable, but you humans and us Hollows will never stand equal through eternity."
But even receiving overwhelming power, Kurosaki Ichigo still didn't release his sword. Holding that hateful light in his eyes, not releasing hope.
Why? That emotion welled up more.
『—...Getsuga』
"I'm telling you it's useless!!"
An unintentionally spat shout. A strong emotion expression surprising even the youth himself.
Why? Why fighting him, them, does my chest stir so?
"...I don't understand. Witnessing this power difference, you still think you can defeat me?"
Ulquiorra asked. Believing the cause of this indescribable emotion lay there.
"...Power... difference? ...So what?"
And the human answered. Glaring at Ulquiorra with "human" eyes, Hollow traces vanished.
"If you're stronger than me... you think I'll give up...?"
Kurosaki Ichigo hadn't lost fighting spirit. He'd known the opponent was strong from the start. Now seeing the full extent changed nothing about fighting will...
"...I'll defeat you. Ulquiorra."
Eyes holding determination. Eyes believing unfailingly in his own victory—unmistakable "victor's" eyes.
I don't understand. Darkness filled Ulquiorra's chest. As if shadow accentuated by his light tried covering his entirety.
"...Nonsense."
Urged by immense loss, the Arrancar decided.
"Kurosaki Ichigo. Those are words of one unknowing true despair."
Was that light dwelling in those eyes "it"? That madness casting oneself into reckless battle, losing life?
If so, what a—what a worthless thing.
"...If you don't know, I'll teach you."
"This is true"
"Despair's"
"Form."
—Resurrección: Segunda Etapa—
The devil descended.
Governing human despair—embodying black goat, black dog, bat, ill omen symbols—the evil spirit devil.
Born a rare species even among the rare ecology of Hollows called clans—the white darkness's fallen child. This sword release only he among Espada could achieve—this one and only—would become Kurosaki Ichigo's true despair.
...But.
"Seeing this form, you still challenge me thinking you can win?"
Still Kurosaki Ichigo didn't give up. Though his body trembled with fear, whipping his dying body, trying to face him with insufficient Hollowfication.
—I believe in you.
He thought he heard a voice. Ulquiorra bowed internally to the superior who'd once said those words.
...My apologies, Commander. I still don't understand.
Even you who taught me human warmth, food's deliciousness, flower fragrance, what loyalty to a master means—even you lacked means to convey it...
"Foolish, Kurosaki Ichigo. If that recklessness is your 'heart'..."
『...!』
"If that's caused by what you call 'heart,' then you humans bear wounds because you have hearts...
—And lose lives because you have hearts."
Worthless.
That letting him go to Inoue Orihime was merely a momentary lapse. Thinking something was there, something precious not to lose—yet opening the lid revealed trash, madness and destruction-bringing poison equal to dust.
What foolish conflict I've carried throughout my long life.
"...I'm not... fighting thinking I can win..."
Kurosaki Ichigo raised his sword.
"I'm fighting... because I must win!"
Eyes filled with light. Mental strength standing up however tormented. Truly magnificent deception.
But his so-called "heart" was already known. Your words will no longer stir my chest.
"...Nonsense."
Dark Cero robbed the Shinigami's final resistance. Hanging the unconscious weakling by Hollow tail, Ulquiorra waited for this ridiculous play's final actor.
"You came, woman."
The broken dome's peak. To the single human appearing from the tower elevator permitted only to king and retainers, the Arrancar displayed hope-crushing ending.
"...Kuro...saki...?"
"Yes. The man who fought to save you and will scatter."
"Stop... Ulquiorra..."
The woman's eyes clouded. The correct color weaklings show—despair's black.
Watch well.
The moment the man you entrusted hope to loses life.
And show me well.
Your "heart" alone possessing, still stirring my chest—its final moment...
"Stop!!!"
Above Las Noches' dome echoing with tragic scream.
There Ulquiorra Cifer killed Kurosaki Ichigo and utterly shattered the woman said to possess correct "heart"—Inoue Orihime's.
***
calling
calling can you hear
stand
stand I will
I will fight
***
"Kurosaki...?"
Impossible. Turning at the sobbing woman's dazed voice, Ulquiorra involuntarily gasped at the scene.
The human he'd killed—Kurosaki Ichigo—stood.
Showing night sky's moon through chest hole, wearing a mask with hooked twin horns—a mysterious Shinigami. Ulquiorra frowned at that transformed appearance.
"Who are you?"
Returned to the Arrancar's question was immense roar. An ugly beast lacking reason was there.
"Seems words don't reach."
Ulquiorra fired Cero judging it time waste. But the enemy's next action shocked him.
Not Getsuga Tensho but legitimate Cero—human Kurosaki Ichigo fired it. Enough to erase the black Cero.
"...!"
Momentary agitation. Realizing his back was taken, Ulquiorra had his reflexively swung right hand severed by the enemy.
But immediately recovering and fighting back. Only he among Espada became Arrancar while retaining ultra-fast regeneration. To defeat Ulquiorra regenerating all flesh freely except brain and organs required overwhelming fatal blow.
And he wasn't Cuatro Espada to easily permit that.
"Don't approach. Stay there."
—Lanza del Relámpago—
"Preferably, I don't want to fire this close."
Ulquiorra Cifer's proud ultimate technique. A jade lightning strike compressing abnormally dense spiritual pressure into spear form.
The full-power strike released with ripping flight sound unfortunately only gouged the enemy's shoulder, causing a massive explosion obliterating the distant outer palace.
"Missed. Still difficult to handle."
Then how about a second, Ulquiorra prepared follow-up.
However.
『—』
"What...!?"
Suddenly the enemy appeared right beside the Arrancar, slipping through Pesquisa. That was Hollow technique Shinigami couldn't use—Sonído.
Reflexively swinging the hand spear to crush the enemy's "play." And Ulquiorra's directly unleashed fatal lance thrust—was caught barehanded by the enemy.
"Impossible—"
Amid spiritual power storm collapsing the dome, the youth then—eyes met.
Hope, despair. Losing even that grandiose heart he'd entrusted himself to, holding only intent to kill—meeting the purest "Hollow" eyes...
One flash.
Victory decided—obvious to all.
Ulquiorra vaguely gazed at his lower half erased by enemy Cero, spitting self-mocking words.
Ah, what a ridiculous story...
『—Help』
But even in decided battle, the Hollow showed no mercy.
『...Help... I will... Help...』
Muttering something while stabbing Ulquiorra repeatedly—Kurosaki Ichigo. One after another, even his barely intact upper body organs crushed, the Arrancar youth surrendering consciousness to engulfing darkness slowly closed his eyes.
Defeated by Kurosaki Ichigo—no meaning remained for him.
Yearning for heart, defeated by a human who discarded it and became Hollow—joke-like fate. The void death yearning for heart would be struck down by heartless Hollow blade. Such hopeless karma—Ulquiorra Cifer could only vainly reach for his chest hole.
...But.
"Please, stop...!"
On their battlefield stood a human desperately trying to stop the beast's arm carving the loser, wrapped in bright orange veil.
***
My fault. Holding the beloved's arm inflicting brutality, tormenting the dying Espada, Inoue Orihime confessed to everyone.
Because I was weak. Because I wished "don't die." Kurosaki stood up even in that form, trying to fight to save me.
"...Enough, already... you don't have to fight..."
『...』
"Thank you... sorry... everything's... over... I'm okay now..."
No, why did this happen? Desperately holding back tears, Orihime looked at Soten Kisshun covering her feet.
『—』
But someone struck sword against that salvation shield.
"...Kuro...saki...?"
Orihime's voice didn't reach. Hastily erected Santen Kesshun shattered in one blow, more wounds appearing on the near-death Arrancar youth.
『—■■■■』
"N-no... stop... stop!"
Ulquiorra who showed interest in human hearts would die.
Kurosaki would kill a person, an Arrancar who'd shown interest in human hearts.
Won't let die. Won't let kill. Yet Orihime trying to restore the youth to sanity thinking of both had her hand brushed aside by Ichigo himself. Violently unlike a friend.
"Ah—"
And before rolling Orihime appeared her beloved gripping black blade.
『■■■■■■■!!』
"Ah, ahh..."
The vicious monster glared down at the girl. That terrifying mask, black-dyed eyes, great hole in chest—all recalled that trauma, and Orihime could only retreat trembling with fear.
***
In her blurring vision, another figure suddenly reflected—
what is it
if tear open that chest
will see inside?
you humans speak of it easily
as if—
***
Tremendous flash blinked—the Espada's desperate Lanza del Relámpago shattered Kurosaki Ichigo's mask.
Glancing at the woman blown by blast aftershock, Ulquiorra looked down at the collapsed bare-faced Shinigami and bit his navel.
...Again. My body moved on its own again.
Final attack squeezed with killing intent. But just before thrusting lightning spear into his head, that trajectory slightly deviated.
Whether that was rattling from forcibly moving regenerating body, or some unconscious intentional act—Ulquiorra didn't know.
"...! Kurosaki! Ulquiorra!"
The distant rolled woman rushed back. Then almost simultaneously, suddenly white spiritual pressure vortex enveloped Kurosaki Ichigo—his chest hole had closed completely.
"Kuro... saki...?"
"Ultra-fast regeneration..."
How very Hollow-like. Looking down at his own recovering body, Ulquiorra lowered his face emotionlessly.
He would die soon. Though regenerating limbs aside, lost organs would never return. That was the price of gaining Arrancar power.
"Take your sword, Shinigami."
And when Kurosaki Ichigo—consciousness and sanity restored—finished pale-faced conversation with the woman, Ulquiorra threw down the final duel gauntlet.
...But that battle would never be fulfilled.
"...Tch, this is my limit."
"What...!?"
All ending Hollows vanish without trace like wind-blown sand. Glancing at his weathering black wings, the Arrancar finally offered his neck to Kurosaki Ichigo who'd defeated him—"Kill me."
"...I refuse."
"Last chance to settle this battle. Quickly kill me."
"I said no...!"
Probably Ulquiorra the void's final desire. An empty wish to die by human sword possessing "that" he'd once secretly been drawn to—not beast but person.
"...This kind of... this kind of win..."
But the Shinigami.
"How can this be winning!!"
Kurosaki Ichigo coincidentally wished like Ulquiorra—to fight and win as a person.
"...Tch. ...To the end... things won't go my way..."
Narrowing wide eyes, the Arrancar gazed at the human face twisted in grief.
Fighting because must win. Words he'd said before falling to Hollow.
What then seemed mere destruction wish, madness-type "heart"—now somehow seemed something deeper.
Strange thing.
"Ul... quiorra..."
Suddenly, his fading ears heard the woman's sob. Clutching her tattered clothing's chest ready to tear, staggering closer—another "heart" possessor, Inoue Orihime.
"No... don't die... no..."
Watching the woman approaching step by step, Ulquiorra recalled these recent days observing her.
Thinking back, at first he'd just blindly believed the Commander's words, faithfully obeying what she told him.
Restrain aggressive words, knock three times before entering and get permission, match stride when accompanying and always protect from others, etc.
But watching the woman's lively emotions, he often glimpsed something he lacked there.
Why smile?
Because each meal's food is delicious?
Why sulk?
Because unable to call me with honorific?
Why anger?
Because comrades' recklessness was insulted?
Why...
"Why cry... woman?"
I'm the enemy. An Espada serving Lord Aizen who tried killing your friends.
To the Arrancar's question, the woman answered.
"...Because, I... with you..."
—Wanted to be friends.
A small phrase mixed in sobs.
Those words felt like lighting something small in Ulquiorra's void.
"...I see."
I also, finally.
"Was just becoming interested in you all."
The woman's tears flowing down her cheeks disappeared into floor sand stones. Like Ulquiorra's wind-blown body.
Watching that strange resemblance, Ulquiorra felt faint pain run through his chest.
"...Am I frightening, woman?"
A trivial question resembling that time. The woman who returned no fear existed in herself entrusting heart to friends before death.
Then does fear exist toward me who tried killing those friends?
Then, once perceiving only what those eyes reflected as entire world—Ulquiorra Cifer finally saw everything he'd pursued all his life in Inoue Orihime's answer—
"I'm not afraid."
—Ah.
——I see——
———This is———I see———
———What rests in this palm———
Heart