Fierce Battle with Ulquiorra (3)

Moonlight cascaded down like a waterfall, its silvery glow bathing this otherworldly space known as "Above the Canopy." Two figures clashed and collided between the pale stone pillars, each clash of swords emitting blinding sparks and deafening roars.

The struggle between Ulquiorra and Ichigo Kurosaki lasted only a few seconds, but for the two involved, every second felt like an eternity. The Moonlight Sword and Zangetsu were locked in a fierce confrontation, their dark green and black-gold Reiatsu and clashing with each other, forming visible ripples of distortion around them.

Finally, Ulquiorra's perpetually monotone voice broke the brief stalemate. "It seems this is all you're capable of."

His tone was calm, as if he were simply stating an obvious fact, without any sarcasm or contempt, only a pure judgment based on observation.

Those emerald green eyes shifted slightly, glancing at Liu Hao and his group who were hovering in mid-air, watching the battle from the Santen Kesshun in the distance, before turning their gaze back to Ichigo Kurosaki face was slightly contorted from exertion, right next to them.

"What, seeing them arrive makes you feel more confident?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Ulquiorra.

His free left hand had somehow materialized into another short but sharp Moonlight Sword —no, perhaps he had been waiting for this opportunity from the very beginning. This Moonlight Sword made no fancy movements, but thrust upwards with the force to pierce through everything, fiercely aiming for Ichigo Kurosaki's unsuspecting abdomen!

Ichigo Kurosaki's pupils constricted sharply! He tried to block, but both his hands were restrained by the opponent's Moonlight Sword; he tried to dodge, but the two were too close, and there was no time to react!

In that critical moment, he could only rely on instinct to twist his waist and hips, tilting his body to the side!

Laugh--!

The Moonlight Sword grazed his side, not piercing his abdomen, but leaving a deep wound under his ribs! Red Reishi blood spurted out again!

In the instant he lost his balance while dodging the sword, Ulquiorra seized the opportunity and raised his leg.

That kick had no Reiatsu attached to it, no fancy techniques, it was simply a straightforward front kick driven by the terrifying physical abilities he possessed after his Resurrección!

Bang--!

A dull thud, like the thunderous sound of leather being struck!

Ichigo Kurosaki felt an overwhelming force slam into his chest, as if he had been hit head-on by a speeding truck! Instantly, his feet left the ground, and like a ball being blasted with full force, he flew backward, arching his body!

Ulquiorra gave him no chance to catch his breath.

The moment he kicked Ichigo Kurosaki, his figure vanished from the spot. The next instant, he appeared beside the flying Ichigo Kurosaki, maintaining a perfectly parallel speed, like an inseparable ghost!

In his hand, another Moonlight Sword had already materialized, which he raised high and slashed down fiercely at Ichigo Kurosaki's unsuspecting side!

Although Ichigo Kurosaki was flying backward, his fighting instincts never wavered. Just as the Moonlight Sword was about to strike him, he gritted his teeth, forcefully twisted his body, and raised the short sword Zangetsu in his left hand upward!

Clang--!

Swords clashed, sparks flew!

The immense impact caused Ichigo Kurosaki, already flying backward, to plummet even faster! He crashed into the Desert below like a meteorite!

But Ulquiorra's attack was far from over.

Just as Ichigo Kurosaki barely managed to block the sword, Ulquiorra flicked his right hand, and the Moonlight Sword flew out of his grasp! It transformed into a dark green lightning bolt, shooting straight towards Ichigo Kurosaki's face!

The attack came too suddenly! Ichigo Kurosaki had just parried the previous sword strike, his old strength hadn't dissipated and new strength hadn't been generated yet, so he didn't have time to swing his sword to block this fatal blow that was so close at hand!

However, at this critical moment—

Deep within Ichigo Kurosaki's amber eyes, a faint yet incredibly pure golden light suddenly shone!

That was some kind of dormant power within him, an involuntary stress response when he was driven to the brink of despair!

The instant that golden light shone, Ichigo Kurosaki felt as if everything around him slowed down. The trajectory of the Moonlight Sword flying towards him became clearly discernible; every muscle and bone in his body seemed to be under his complete control.

In the nick of time, his left hand Zangetsu, and at an unbelievable angle, he hooked and pulled it back to his waist! The blade narrowly missed his ribs, as if it had been waiting there all along!

Then, his left hand shot out like a serpent, its five fingers spread wide, and it firmly grasped the Moonlight Sword that had flown right in front of him!

He caught it with his bare hands!

But that wasn't truly "bare-handed"—the instant he gripped the hilt, an extremely thin, golden Reiatsu membrane appeared in his left palm, isolating him from the corrosive Reiatsu on the Moonlight Sword.

Without any hesitation, he flung the Moonlight Sword to the side, tossing the dark green energy weapon into the distant Desert as if it were trash!

However, no sooner had he thrown the weapon than he caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of his eye—

Another Moonlight Sword was flying straight at him! It was only a few feet away!

Ulquiorra had somehow conjured another Moonlight Sword and hurled it at an even greater speed! This strike aimed straight for his brow!

Ichigo Kurosaki's pupils suddenly contracted! He had just thrown the previous sword, and his arm was still in the momentum of retraction; he simply didn't have time to make the same movement again!

In that critical moment, he could only rely on his last instinct to twist his body sharply to the left!

Laugh--!

The Moonlight Sword whistled past his right cheek! The incredibly sharp blade left a thin, bloody gash on his right cheek, severing a few strands of orange hair that drifted into the air!

He narrowly escaped the fatal blow!

However, before he could even breathe a sigh of relief—

A chilling killing intent suddenly attacked from his left!

Ichigo Kurosaki abruptly turned his head, his pupils instantly shrinking to pinpoints!

Ulquiorra had appeared to his left without him noticing! He hovered silently in mid-air, maintaining perfect synchronization with the falling Ichigo Kurosaki, his pale face inches away, his emerald green eyes staring at him without a ripple.

In his right hand, another brand-new Moonlight Sword was already raised high!

This sword strike was no longer a projectile, no longer a slash, but the simplest and most direct one—a sweeping attack!

The sword flashed like a bolt of lightning, slashing horizontally towards Ichigo Kurosaki's neck!

Ichigo Kurosaki didn't even have time to think; his body reacted instinctively. He abruptly raised his left hand, the hand that had just gripped the Moonlight Sword, fingers spread wide, just as the Moonlight Sword was about to touch his neck—

Snap!

He actually managed to grab the blade of the Moonlight Sword that was sweeping towards him with his left hand!

The sharp blade sliced into his palm, and blue Reishi blood instantly gushed out, dripping through his fingers! But he gritted his teeth, gripping tightly, refusing to let go!

At the same time, the long sword in his right hand Zangetsu, finally gathered its full power!

A golden light flashed in his eyes, and his right hand wielded the longsword "Zangetsu," unleashing an unstoppable momentum as he swung it fiercely towards Ulquiorra, who was right in front of him!

This strike was swift and ruthless, aimed straight for Ulquiorra's ribs!

A barely perceptible ripple finally flickered in Ulquiorra's usually calm eyes. Perhaps it was surprise, or perhaps a barely perceptible hint of... approval?

But he didn't hesitate at all.

Just as Zangetsu was about to touch his body, he released the Moonlight Sword that Ichigo Kurosaki had grabbed, and at the same time, his body floated backward! His speed was unbelievable, like a weightless feather, lightly widening the distance between Ichigo Kurosaki, allowing the fatal slash to barely graze the hem of his clothes and strike empty air!

The two separated instantly.

Using the recoil from the attack, Ichigo Kurosaki adjusted his falling posture, tapping his feet several times on the sand to regain his balance. He gasped for breath, his chest heaving, and the new wounds on his body continued to ooze red Reishi blood, soaking his Shihakushō.

The wound on his left palm, slashed by the Moonlight Sword, was deep enough to expose the bone; it was bleeding profusely and trembling slightly.

But he still gripped the short sword Zangetsu tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.

Ulquiorra hovered in mid-air, his enormous black wings fluttering gently in the moonlight. He looked down at the slightly disheveled Ichigo Kurosaki below, and his emerald green eyes were no longer filled with complete indifference and emptiness.

He spoke, his voice still flat, but it seemed to carry a hint of something... indescribable. "You seem to have become stronger."

He paused, as if confirming something, or as if stating a fact. "But, that's all there is to it."

Ichigo Kurosaki looked up, sweat mixed with blood streaming down his forehead, but an indomitable flame still burned in his amber eyes. He gritted his teeth, his voice broken by gasps for breath. "What... what do you mean?!"

Ulquiorra did not answer immediately. He simply hovered silently, the moonlight outlining a pale silhouette behind him, making him appear even more otherworldly.

Then, he moved again.

He raised his hand, and dark green Reiatsu surged in his palm, instantly condensing into a brand new Moonlight Sword, more solid and larger than before. He didn't throw it, but instead gripped the sword with one hand, and with a sudden flap of his demonic wings, he transformed into a streak of dark green light, swooping down towards Ichigo Kurosaki below!

In the instant he passed by Ichigo Kurosaki, his voice clearly reached Ichigo Kurosaki: "Your focus... is no longer as sharp."

Clang--!

Swords clashed once again!

But this time, at the moment the swords clashed, Ulquiorra did not choose to fight back. Instead, he used the reaction force to make his body feel weightless. In an unbelievable instant, he suddenly spun to the side and dodged!

Ichigo Kurosaki's all-out slash missed its target, and the immense inertia caused his body to stagger forward involuntarily!

Just one step.

But for an opponent like Ulquiorra, this step was enough.

Before Ichigo Kurosaki, Ulquiorra's figure appeared behind him like a ghost!

The Moonlight Sword was raised high, and then it slashed down fiercely!

Ichigo Kurosaki felt the chilling killing intent rushing towards his back! He didn't even have time to turn around, and could only rely on instinct to twist his waist and hips at the critical moment, Zangetsu in his left hand behind him!

Clang--!

Another deafening explosion!

The immense impact from the blade sent Ichigo Kurosaki's arm numbing and his hand splitting open! He staggered forward several steps from the blow, the blade that hadn't been completely blocked leaving a deep wound on his back! Crimson Reishi blood instantly soaked through his tattered Shihakushō!

But he didn't even have time to feel the excruciating pain in his back—

A Moonlight Sword was already whistling as it flew straight towards them!

After unleashing that sword strike, Ulquiorra didn't pause at all. With a flick of his right hand, another Moonlight Sword flew out, aiming straight for Ichigo Kurosaki's face!

Ichigo Kurosaki turn his head, letting the sword graz his cheek!

But before he could even catch his breath—

A second Moonlight Sword followed immediately! Ulquiorra also swung a Moonlight Sword out with his left hand at the same time! The two swords, one in front of the other, blocked all his angles of evasion!

A golden light flashed in Ichigo Kurosaki again! He swung his right hand's Zangetsu, sending the second Moonlight Sword flying through the air! At the same time, he leaned sharply to the left, letting the first sword graz his side!

However, just as he deflected the second sword and his body was still tilted—

Ulquiorra had already appeared beside him!

In his right hand, another Moonlight Sword had already materialized, carrying an overwhelming force as it slashed horizontally towards Ichigo Kurosaki's waist!

Ichigo Kurosaki gritted his teeth and barely managed to raise his right hand to Zangetsu the fatal blow with his long sword, Zangetsu!

Clang--!

Another loud bang!

The immense impact sent Ichigo Kurosaki flying sideways! He rolled several times on the ground, carving a long furrow, before finally coming to a stop! Another wound appeared on his body, and red blood stained the sand!

However, Ulquiorra would not give him any chance to catch his breath.

His dark green figure transformed into a streak of light once more, rushing towards Ichigo Kurosaki, who had just stopped and had not yet stood up!

Ichigo Kurosaki lay prone on the ground, catching a glimpse of the approaching figure of death out of the corner of his eye. He gritted his teeth, his eyes gleaming with a brilliant golden light!

Just as Ulquiorra was about to rush in front of him--

Ichigo Kurosaki suddenly flipped over! With all his might, he Zangetsu, into the sand beside him! The massive blade acted as an anchor, instantly stopping his flying body!

At the same time, he raised his short sword, Zangetsu, in his left hand!

Clang--!

Ulquiorra's Moonlight Sword, slashing down from above, struck his raised dagger squarely!

Sparks flew everywhere! The shockwave rippled across the surrounding sand!

Using the recoil from the attack, Ichigo Kurosaki pushed off the sand with both feet, and like a cheetah, he instantly retreated, creating a distance of more than ten meters between himself and Ulquiorra!

He knelt on one knee, panting heavily, blood gushing from his wounds, but his eyes remained fixed on the dark green figure in front of him, showing no sign of retreat.

Under the moonlight, two figures faced each other from afar.