In desperation, Ulquiorra condensed another Lanza del Relámpago, ready to make a risky move. The previous exchange had proven that his Cero Oscuras was ineffective against this opponent. His only option now was to detonate the Lanza del Relámpago at close range and try to regain the initiative.

Even though both combatants would suffer severe damage if it exploded at such proximity, Ulquiorra still had one advantage—his super-speed regeneration. In terms of recovery, he wouldn't lose.

However, just as the Lanza del Relámpago formed, it was seized mid-air by Gyuto Ichigo with one hand.

At the same time, Ichigo's sword came down, slicing off one of Ulquiorra's horns.

Gyuto Ichigo's fighting style was brutally simple: overwhelming speed, monstrous defense, shattering the Lanza del Relámpago with his bare hands, and severing the demon horn with a single slash.

There was no complexity—just unstoppable force.

Ulquiorra found himself completely helpless.

His opponent's spiritual pressure was too immense, his power level far too high.

And terrifyingly enough, this wasn't even his final form.

After that strike, Gyuto Ichigo's eyes finally opened, revealing blood-red irises blazing with murderous intent. Red Reiatsu cloaked his body, giving him the aura of a fire god—an Asura of the underworld.

He lowered his head, aiming the remaining horn at Ulquiorra and charged a red Cero.

"BOOM!"

A crimson beam tore through the sky, blasting apart the Palace of the Night and reducing Ulquiorra's body to shreds.

With a single blast, he suffered a fatal blow.

Even super-speed regeneration couldn't save him now—his internal organs had been obliterated.

He was already a dead man walking.

Yet Gyuto Ichigo didn't stop.

He continued his merciless assault, ravaging the mangled body.

This was no longer combat. It was the desecration of a corpse.

Ishida Uryū, unable to stand by, rushed in to stop Ichigo.

But instead of coming to his senses, Ichigo knocked him down and aimed a Cero directly at him.

Neither Uryū nor Orihime had expected this.

They stood frozen, stunned by Ichigo's intent to kill his own comrade.

Caught off guard, Uryū couldn't dodge.

But just then, Ulquiorra, with the last of his strength, conjured a blade of energy and slashed through Ichigo's horn—the source of his Hollow power.

Ulquiorra had watched Ichigo's evolution from the beginning.

Though Ichigo's growth had been rapid and his bull-headed form terrifying, the weakness in his Hollowfication remained unchanged.

With a clean, decisive blow, Ulquiorra severed Ichigo's source of power, forcing him out of his Hollow form.

The mask shattered.

Ichigo collapsed to the ground, returning to his human self.

Orihime immediately rushed to heal him, only to find his body recovering on its own.

Ichigo awoke, glancing at his chest in confusion.

"Didn't I have a hole in my chest? I'm... not dead?"

His memory was blurry. All he could recall was Ulquiorra's Cero piercing through him.

The rest had been a haze of rage and loss of control.

Seeing Ulquiorra still standing, Ichigo rose and shouted, "Ulquiorra! Let's continue! I'm going to defeat you!"

Ulquiorra looked at the restored Ichigo, his voice filled with rare passion.

"Come on, Kurosaki. Let's settle this."

But as he finished speaking, his body began to dissolve into spirit particles.

His face returned to its calm, emotionless expression.

"So this is the end... It's beyond my power now. Kurosaki Ichigo, you win. Finish me."

He had hoped to end his existence by Ichigo's hand.

To him, that would be a fitting conclusion.

"How can you call this winning?!" Ichigo shouted, his voice trembling with frustration.

Taking a life or achieving victory this way was never his goal. He wanted to win through strength and fairness.

Seeing the fire in Ichigo's eyes, Ulquiorra's expression changed once more—genuinely, and for the last time.

He released his Resurrección form, returning to his original appearance.

He had never expected Ichigo to understand the meaning behind an enemy's existence.

And now, in this fleeting moment, Ulquiorra finally understood what a "heart" was.

For the first time, he accepted that there were things in the world that could not be swallowed by emptiness.

"What a shame... Just when I started to take an interest in you... it's already too late."

Only Ulquiorra's cold voice lingered in the wind.

His body turned to dust, disappearing into Hueco Mundo.

And everything returned to silence.

Meanwhile, in the replica of Karakura Town, the battle between the Shinigami captains and the Espada raged on.

Despite the intense scene, both sides were holding back.

The Shinigami were waiting for reinforcements. Once all the captains arrived, with Uehara Shiroha and Kurosaki Ichigo joining them, victory would be within reach.

So for now, their goal was simple—hold the line.

On the other side, the Espada wanted a swift victory.

But they too were holding back.

The reason? Uehara Shiroha's power had redefined the battlefield.

His sword alone had raised the ceiling of strength in the Shinigami world.

It had shaken the self-confidence of every master.

Once, they thought themselves invincible.

But after seeing that blade, none dared call themselves strong.

They felt like ants.

Uehara Shiroha had shattered the Arrancar's backbone with a single slash, broken their illusions of power, and ushered in an era of transcendence.

Now, no matter how brilliantly Hōgyoku Aizen or Hollowfied Ichigo performed, they were merely shadows cast by Shiroha's brilliance.

The Espada had lost their edge.

Their swords, dulled by fear.

And without that edge, a quick victory was impossible.

Even though Uehara Shiroha wasn't physically present, his very existence influenced the battlefield.

For example, in the original timeline, Matsumoto Rangiku would have been overwhelmed by the beast god Ayon, her noble strength cut down in tragedy.

But this time, Harribel's three Fracción didn't charge in recklessly.

They didn't use their special moves immediately.

They chose the most cautious, conservative fighting style.

Because they knew—somewhere out there, Shiroha's sword still loomed over them all.