Fierce battle with Ulquiorra (4)

The moonlight, like frost, silently bathed this otherworldly space known as "Above the Canopy." Its silvery glow tinged every grain of sand with a pale pearly hue, and cast long, eerie shadows on every stark white stone pillar. In this almost frozen silence of the night, only the faint sounds of two people's breathing and heartbeats echoed across the vast Desert.

Ichigo Kurosaki knee, his right hand Zangetsu, which was deeply embedded in the sand, barely supporting his swaying body. His chest heaved violently, each breath aggravating the numerous wounds on his body, bringing excruciating pain. Crimson Reishi blood seeped from his shoulders, ribs, back, and palms, spreading shocking dark patches on the sand beneath him. Sweat mixed with blood slid down his cheeks, dripping onto the dry sand and instantly being absorbed without a trace.

But his amber eyes remained fixed on the figure suspended in mid-air, the flame in them never extinguished.

Ulquiorra Cifer hovered silently in the air about three zhang above the ground, his huge black magic wings fluttering gently in the moonlight, each flutter leaving a faint trail of dark green spiritual light.

His emerald green eyes looked down at the disheveled Ichigo Kurosaki below, his gaze devoid of mockery, contempt, or even the triumph of a victor—only a calm and emptiness as deep as a stagnant pool.

He spoke, his voice like the scraping of cold metal, exceptionally clear in the silent night. "Your companions didn't come to help you."

He tilted his head slightly, his emerald green eyes seemingly glancing at Liu Hao and his group, who were suspended in mid-air in the distance, before turning his gaze back to Ichigo Kurosaki.

"So, what are your plans next?"

Upon hearing these words, Ichigo Kurosaki's body trembled slightly. He slowly raised his head, letting the moonlight shine on his face, which was covered in blood and sweat. His breathing was still rapid, but his eyes were brighter and more determined than ever before.

He took a deep breath and answered, in a hoarse but incredibly clear voice, word by word. "Defeat you—that's the task Liu Shu gave me."

Supporting himself on Zangetsu, he slowly rose from a kneeling position with difficulty but unwavering determination. His knee trembled slightly, and blood gushed from his wounds, but he straightened his spine, like a Loneliness yet stubborn poplar tree in the Desert.

"Therefore, I will not ask anyone for help."

Ulquiorra watched him silently, something extremely subtle flickering in his emerald green eyes. It might be surprise, or it might be some indescribable... scrutiny.

"Is that so?" His voice remained flat, but the content of his words was like a sharp blade, piercing straight into Ichigo Kurosaki's heart. "But ever since they came up, your fighting style has completely changed."

"At first, on this Above the Canopy, you were at a disadvantage, but every parry and every counterattack was executed with a desperate focus. Your blade moved without hesitation, and your eyes were locked on me."

"But ever since they appeared," Ulquiorra's gaze flickered again in Liu Hao's direction before returning, "Your focus has decreased. You've started to become... at ease."

"It's as if," a barely perceptible hint of inquiry seemed to linger in his voice, "That their arrival makes you feel that even if you lose, even if you die, someone will take the blame for you."

Someone will avenge you, someone will rescue Orihime Inoue, someone will accomplish what you couldn't. Therefore, your focus has waned. From initially being able to barely contend with me, you've become someone who can only constantly flee from me, constantly getting injured."

"Is this what you call 'not asking for help'?" Ulquiorra's voice remained calm, but every word struck Ichigo Kurosaki's heart like a hammer blow. "Your so-called 'fighting alone' is nothing more than a disguised form of dependence, placing your hopes on others."

Ichigo Kurosaki was stunned.

He stood there, letting the night wind blow across his blood-stained face, letting the moonlight cast long shadows on him. Ulquiorra's words, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, stirred ripples deep within his heart.

Rely...

Peace of mind...

Placing your hopes on others...

Every word of these words was like a mirror, reflecting the truest version of himself that he had never faced before.

Yes...

When did I become like this?

When he encounters a powerful Hollow in the World of the Living, he thinks: It's okay, Soul Society will send Soul Reaper.

When facing even stronger opponents in Soul Society, he would think: It's okay, with Liu Shu here, he won't let me die.

While in Hueco Mundo, facing the Espada, he thought: It's okay, even if I can't beat them, Liu Shu and the Captains will take care of it.

Even when he was with Zangetsu, he always thought: Zangetsu will tell me what to do, Zangetsu will give me power, Zangetsu will guide me in the direction of battle.

He has always been dependent on it.

They relied on Liu Hao's protection, Zangetsu's power, their companions' support, and everything else they could rely on.

He thought he was fighting, fighting with his life.

But in reality, he never truly shouldered the entire weight of his life, his beliefs, and the entire battle himself.

He always left himself a way out.

That backup plan is "someone will come to my aid."

Just then--

A voice suddenly rang in his mind.

It was a voice he knew all too well, yet one he always subconsciously tried to ignore— White's voice. The voice was hoarse and deep, carrying a mockery and disdain that seemed to come from the depths of his soul. "Ha... trash is trash."

Aside from relying on his Zanpakuto, he's just dependent on others. I've said it before— Ichigo, you're nothing but trash. You think you're fighting? You think you're getting stronger? Don't make me laugh. You're just a perpetually immature, hiding behind others, needing others to clean up your messes... nothing but trash."

The voice was like a series of sharp needles, piercing the softest, most untouched part of Ichigo Kurosaki's heart.

His body trembled slightly. Not from the pain of the wound, but because something deep inside him was being torn open, churned, and laid bare in its raw form.

But just then—another voice rang out.

That was Zangetsu's voice—old, steady, like an old man who had experienced many vicissitudes. "Ichigo, the essence of power is never about dependence. Whether you depend on me, or on Liu Hao, or on anyone else, that is not true strength. True strength is... use."

Use my power when you need it. Use your own will when you need it. Use every weapon and means at your disposal when you need it—fight, defend, and accomplish what you must accomplish. Don't place your hopes on others and wait for them to do it for you.

Two voices, one mocking, the other admonishing, intertwined and echoed in his mind.

Ichigo Kurosaki slowly closed his eyes.

The night wind blew by, lifting the stray hairs stained with blood on his forehead.

The moonlight shone down, casting a faint silver hue on his tightly closed eyelids.

Liu Hao, standing quietly on the Santen Kesshun in the distance, crossed his arms and calmly watched the scene unfold. He saw Ichigo Kurosaki suddenly stop, saw his slightly trembling shoulders, and saw his tightly clenched hands with white knuckles.

The corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

"Here it comes," he said softly.

"What's here?" Orihime Inoue asked, puzzled, her deep blue eyes filled with worry.

Liu Hao did not answer, but his gaze became even more profound.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

Then--

Ichigo Kurosaki opened his eyes.

In those amber eyes, there was no longer any confusion, no longer any dependence, no longer any hesitation. There was only an unprecedented sharpness and determination, like a blade drawn from its sheath.

He slowly raised his head and looked at Ulquiorra, who was suspended in mid-air.

His voice, hoarse yet incredibly clear, each word etched as if carved into a rock. "Thank you, Ulquiorra."

A genuine flicker of emotion finally crossed Ulquiorra's emerald eyes. It was surprise, confusion, and some other incomprehensible feeling.

"Thank me?"

"Yes." Ichigo Kurosaki slowly tightened his grip on his twin swords, his movements no longer hesitant, each motion filled with a calm and unwavering strength he hadn't displayed before. "Thank you for enlightening me. If it weren't for you, I might still be struggling to understand this."

He took a deep breath, his gaze passing over Ulquiorra, seemingly looking further into the distance, towards the past version of himself who always hid behind others. "Indeed, I relied too much on Liu Shu and the others before."

Every time he was by my side, I felt that even if I lost, even if I fell, Liu Shu and the others would be there for me. They would clean up the mess for me, defeat the enemies I couldn't beat, and rescue the companions I couldn't save.

My battles always rely on Zangetsu. Whenever I encounter a powerful enemy, I shout in my heart, "Zangetsu, give me strength! Zangetsu, tell me what to do! Zangetsu, help me defeat him!"

"I had always forgotten—", his voice suddenly rose, filled with an unprecedented awareness and determination. "Zangetsu is my sword! It is my power! What I must do is not depend on them, but... use them!"

When I need it, I will use the guidance Liu Shu gave me; when I need it, I will use the power Zangetsu gave me; when I need it, I will use my own hands that wield the sword—to fight, to protect, and to accomplish what I must accomplish!

"Instead of letting them fight for me, letting them bear the responsibilities that should be borne by me!" With each word he uttered, the Reiatsu on his body, which had already weakened to the extreme, began to rise wildly at a visible speed!

That wasn't a simple recovery, but a qualitative change—a qualitative change from dependence to independence, a qualitative change from taking to controlling! The black-gold Reiatsu surrounding him began to become more solid, more profound, and more... dangerous!

"Whether it's Liu Shu or Zangetsu, they've always wanted me to become stronger." Ichigo Kurosaki's voice became deep and powerful. "Liu Shu always says my mindset is wrong, and occasionally gives me some pointers; Zangetsu and the others have also always tried their best to help me adjust my mindset and truly understand the essence of power."

"I just never understood, I never figured it out, I was like a child who never grew up, hiding behind their wings."

He gripped his twin swords tightly, and a richer, more vibrant golden pattern began to appear on the blades, a pattern never before seen.

"But now..." He raised his head, his gaze sharp as a knife, staring directly into Ulquiorra's emerald green eyes. "I've figured it out. Now, I will use the sword in my hand..." He crossed his twin swords in front of him, his Reiatsu surging to its peak. "To defeat you!"

The moment the words left his mouth— Ichigo Kurosaki vanished from the spot!

It's not Shunpo, nor is it Sonído; it's pure, extreme speed, driven by inner enlightenment, and transcends all limits!

For the first time, Ulquiorra's pupils contracted noticeably!

The next moment, Ichigo Kurosaki appeared in front of him!

With his right hand, Zangetsu Slash, high into the air, and with an aura of splitting the heavens and earth, he slashed down fiercely towards Ulquiorra's head!

Ulquiorra's reaction was incredibly fast. The instant Ichigo Kurosaki appeared, his right hand instinctively rose, and dark green Reiatsu surged wildly in his palm, instantly condensing into a Moonlight Sword that was even more solid and larger than before!

Clang--!

The deafening clang of metal against metal resounded Above the Canopy!

The moment the swords clashed, a violent shockwave spread outwards from the two of them, creating a huge sandstorm in the Desert below and causing the surrounding pale stone pillars to shake violently!

However, this is just the beginning!

Just as the swords clashed, Ichigo Kurosaki's left-hand short sword, Zangetsu, slashed forward at an extremely tricky angle!

"Getsuga Tenshō--!"

A golden crescent-shaped slash, more refined and dazzling than ever before, shot out from the blade of the short sword! It wasn't aimed directly at Ulquiorra, but rather swept upwards at his ribs!

The timing of this attack was absolutely perfect! It was precisely at the instant their swords clashed and their strength was locked in a stalemate that Ulquiorra had no chance to spare to block the blow!

A genuine... seriousness finally surfaced in Ulquiorra's emerald green eyes!

Without any hesitation, he instantly abandoned his struggle with Ichigo Kurosaki, leaned his body back sharply, his demonic wings flapped wildly, and he retreated at top speed!

The golden crescent-shaped slash almost grazed his chest, tearing a rip in the edge of his robe and leaving a shallow burn mark on the Hierro on his chest!

But Ichigo Kurosaki's attack is far from over!