Corroded Spirits

Corroded Spirits: 42

Chapter 42: Hellish Paradise Part 2

 "Aizen... did?" Ichigo muttered all of the sudden, breaking the silence that had taken over everyone to make room for the Hollow and human infused entity to look back on what had been said. The entity did not speak, so Aizen filled in once again. "Yes... I did.." He said, his ever-so mocking voice, grating with the words. "It's not that surprising." Toshiro spoke up. "It wouldn't be the firs time he'd cut an ally down." He said seethingly, remembering a certain, precious someone to him, that had fallen victim herself to the traitor.

 Ichigo slammed his hand on the rubble beneath him and pushed himself to a kneeling position. "But Ulquiorra... Wasn't he your most loyal Arrancar?" Aizen smiled. "Why would you kill him?" The moment the question was asked, Aizen let out his oh-so mocking laugh. "Surely you would know by now why.." He said, sounding so elated.  "Kurosaki Ichigo, you've seen me dispose of my own comrades, have you not? Because to me, my 'allies' were just people that I had to do my bidding. Things that some of them found quite difficult to carry out, otherwise I
would've done them myself."

 The orange-head narrowed his eyes at the traitor. It would be unwise, if not down-right stupid to trust anything that came out of the despicable man's mouth. But it's not like his recent words were untrue. Ichigo knows how such manipulation works, even without seeing it with his own eyes. "Ulquiorra... was a pawn just like everyone else in my army was." Aizen whispered.

 While the conversation was taking place, Kisuke was keeping a wary eye at the back of the entity that was still there, who had all the sudden ceased speaking and moving. "Ulquiorra played the loyal servant in my deck of cards... He carried out the orders that I issued upon him. At the same time, his very existence in my army caused certain others to develop personal prejudices and detachment. I was all right with that. After all, a little conflict within-arms never hurt. Not to mention it was very entertaining." 

 Very slowly, seeing as he wasn't really being given much attention, nor needed to be known, Kisuke began to inconspicuously perform a hand-seal, and whisper something very quietly into the air. "But things took quite a dramatic turn, when I drew out a Queen from my deck." Aizen spoke up now. "Orihime Inoue... The human girl whom I ordered Ulquiorra to look after.... The prisoner that ensnared my beloved Quatra's weak and vulnerable mind."

 It was difficult to see, but Kisuke was noticing that the creature's grip on the javelin in its' hand was getting tighter to the point that its' hand was shaking. "They thought they could get away with it. And that just made destroying what they had, all the more--" "SHUT UP!!" The creature yelled, finally speaking up. "THAT'S ENOUGH FROM YOU!!" It spun the javelin in its' hand three times before dashing towards Aizen with the intent to kill. But before its' green blade could reach him, a pink wall cut the creature off from its' prey. "No!!" It yelled furiously, whipping
around to see who had interrupted it.

 Byakuya stood beside Kisuke, who now had finished his incantation, and reinforced the wall that was Senbonzakura around Aizen. "I am sorry, but we cannot let you kill him." Kisuke said solemnly. A simple act, and a few set of words, and the creature was exploding with rage. It dashed towards them, but was now stopped by the blade of Zangetsu. Ulquiorra and Orihime screamed at the apathetic face of Ichigo Kurosaki as he glared at them through a clash that was far too familiar.

 The Substitute Shinigami threw away the fused entity and steadied himself, ready to fight. "None of you really will let us be at peace... You will never leave us alone..." The volumes between Ulquiorra and Orihime's voices fluctuated so unevenly that it was frightening. It was unleashing Reiatsu again, and this time, it was harnessing the power into the javelin. "You are just like all of them."

---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----

 She's being crushed. In her stomach, her lungs, her ears and her head. The impact of the water was like crashing onto hard cement. It feels like she's still falling, with her hands clawing upward, and upward. But it feels heavier, and even though it's just a spring, Orihime feels as if she's sinking into the deepest depths of a non-existent ocean. A spark from above the surface catches her eye, and she frantically reaches up to re-surface.

 The volume of breath when she escapes the water was justified even as she heard it echo around in the oasis. She only manages to catch her breath for a few seconds before it is stolen away again by the sight in the air above. "Ulquiorra!!!" She belted out as the Negaccion erased her Arrancar before her eyes. "Now, now, no need to fret." A pair of feet came upon the edge in front of Orihime, and she knew without looking who it was. "Come along, dear." Aizen almost growled, reaching down and grabbing Orihime by the hair. "Agh!!" The young girl cried as the traitor pulled her out of the spring and back onto the ground beside him.

 "For a second, I thought that you two really escaped.." Aizen chuckled while Orihime exclaimed in pain trying to fight out of his painful grasp. "But I have foreseen all of this way far before you two even planned it." He said. "Now look...." Aizen said, pulling Orihime's head back to make her look up. There was a sort of static charge sparking in the atmosphere. A crack formed in the sky, and it was as if it shattered like a mirror, and Ulquiorra returned. At first Orihime exclaimed in relief, but then she saw something else. Grimmjow suddenly materialized in front of Ulquiorra. "LOOK OUT!" She screamed.

 He heard it, and automatically, he Sonidoes out of the way before any harm can be done. When he reappears, a green javelin is in his hand and Grimmjow catches him in a clash. Aizen quickly pulled Orihime back and yanked on her hair so tight she clamped her eyes shut. "Even powerless you still prove to be troublesome. Nnoitra, could please do something about that?" Aizen said, and now roughly pushed Orihime forward. 

Even though she heard the name, it still felt as though that she fell on the ground with the impact of Nnoitra's Hierro against her face. "Hey there, pet..." He hissed with his long tongue. Orihime's arm almost got twisted in place as Nnoitra turned her around. "Let's make him see this.." Nnotira slithered. He placed an arm below her jaw and made her look up again, where Ulquiorra was under a heated battle with Grimmjow. He was about to parry a hit from Grimmjow, but then he saw what was happening below. What was happening to his Orihime. Nnoitra ripping off the shoulder of her dress.

 One second. One split second of distraction, and a blade is run through the right side of Ulquiorra's chest. He hears Orihime scream from below, and it tears his attention from Grimmjow again. Nnoitra was ripping out the other shoulder now. And with this, Grimmjow gets another hit on him. "Fight back, Ulquiorra! Figh back!" Orihime yelled, even though at the moment, Nnoitra was ripping off her dress piece by piece.

 He wants to fight. He really does, because getting injured was making the girl more pained than what the Quinta was doing to her. But it's more dangerous to him, what Nnoitra was doing, and what he could do once the last piece is off. With this thought, his anger is triggered, and Ulquiorra leaves his attention from Grimmjow and directs it below, to Nnoitra.

 Orihime watched as the Quatra dashes down towards her, and in one slash, he severs the hold between her and Nnoitra. She's never seen his face so dark with rage and the smallest tints of fear in the crevices. But the moment is broken again. "Amazing..." Aizen suddenly appeared between the two, and once again, it felt as if time stood still. "But that wasn't really Nnoitra, Ulquiorra." He said. And then everything shatters again. This time however, is more horrifying.
 

It was not just glass shards that explode in the air, but also blood. Ulquiorra's blood, gushing out from two fatal wounds across his abdomen. Orihime is confused, while Ulquiorra knew it within one second. Without even thinking, Ulquiorra released his second form, past the point of caring that he was revealing it to unworthy spectators, and begins to fight both the Quinta and Sexta who had been under the influence of Aizen's Kyouka Suigetsu.

 Orihime is back on the ground now, and she has no idea what was happening or what was real anymore. One thing was for certain though. She knew all too well that their plan was failing, if not already. And she knew, that they were battling a horribly losing battle. "This can't be happening." But it already has.