Ulquiorra lifted his Zanpakutō slowly, his tone calm and unshaken as he began his Resurrección.
In an instant, his Reiatsu surged like a black tide. A deep emerald aura erupted from his body, wrapping him in shadow. The air trembled. From the heavens above, black Reiatsu rain began to fall—cold, heavy, and suffocating. When it faded, Ulquiorra's transformed figure emerged before Shiraha.
From his back stretched two vast obsidian wings that seemed to blot out the artificial moon. His form was cloaked in a white robe fused seamlessly to his hollow armor, a crown-like helm of twin horns rising from his head. His hands ended in long, blade-sharp claws.
"Well now," Gin said, his eyes narrowing with a rare flicker of surprise. "So this is Ulquiorra's release? Impressive. The Fourth Espada indeed… Makes you wonder how terrifying the top three must be."
It was the first time Gin had witnessed Ulquiorra's Resurrección with his own eyes. The Reiatsu pouring from the Espada was immense—easily surpassing that of most captains, rivaling even Kuchiki Byakuya. Only those like Kyōraku Shunsui and Ukitake Jūshirō could compare. And yet, Ulquiorra was only the fourth. Above him stood three more Espada whose strength defied reason.
"You'll see soon enough, Gin," Aizen said quietly, his gaze locked on the battlefield. "For now, I'm more interested in witnessing Kuchiki Shiraha's Zanpakutō—its Shikai."
"Is this your release?" Shiraha asked softly, eyes tracing the black wings spreading before him. "Interesting."
The immense gravity field that had weighed on Ulquiorra moments ago now pressed against his transformed body, yet most of it was dispersed. The residual force only hindered his movements slightly, not enough to matter.
"Kuchiki Shiraha," Ulquiorra said, his voice cold as the void, "draw your Zanpakutō. Assume your stance. Focus every nerve. If you let your guard down for even a second… you will die."
He raised his right hand, and a weapon of condensed emerald spirit particles formed within his grasp—a long, luminous spear known as Lanza del Relámpago, the Moonlight Spear of his release form.
"When the time comes to draw my Zanpakutō," Shiraha replied with a faint smile, "you'll know."
A wave of Reiatsu erupted from his body—an overwhelming surge of violet laced with deep blue, scattering upward like an aurora. Its density rivaled Ulquiorra's own spiritual pressure.
"Still refusing to draw?" Ulquiorra said flatly. "Very well."
He vanished with a whisper of static, Sonído propelling him forward faster than sight. The next moment, he appeared directly before Shiraha, thrusting his Moonlight Spear straight through the air.
"Ulquiorra," Shiraha said lightly, without moving, "has Aizen not told you what my Zanpakutō's ability is?"
Ulquiorra's pupils contracted. Within a single meter of Shiraha, his speed faltered. The world seemed to slow. His motion stretched, distorted—like time itself had stopped. The gap between them became an uncrossable abyss.
He instantly used Sonído again, retreating dozens of meters back, eyes narrowing. "What was that just now?"
"Sorry, Ulquiorra," Aizen said from afar, voice composed. "Perhaps I should explain. Kuchiki Shiraha's Zanpakutō grants absolute immunity. No attack can reach him—unless the opponent's Reiatsu surpasses his by at least tenfold."
"What…?" For the first time in centuries, Ulquiorra's expression shifted. There was disbelief in his hollow eyes, the faintest glimmer of shock. And because Aizen himself spoke the words, there could be no doubt of their truth.
Without hesitation, Ulquiorra vanished again, Sonído flashing from every direction. Each time he came within a meter, time itself resisted him—slowing him to a crawl. No strike could land.
For ten long seconds, Ulquiorra attacked from every angle, every height, every shadow. The result was the same. His blade could not even touch Shiraha's clothing.
The Espada's eyes narrowed further. "Then let's see how you handle this—"
With a flick of his wrist, multiple Moonlight Spears materialized around him. "Shoot!" he commanded, launching them in rapid succession.
At the same time, a black orb of energy gathered at the tip of his right index finger. "Cero Oscuras!"
The black beam erupted forward, expanding into a massive column of annihilating darkness hundreds of meters long, merging with the barrage of emerald spears. The attacks tore through the air toward Shiraha, shaking the heavens.
Yet they all stopped—frozen in place a meter before him.
Shiraha shook his head lightly. "Didn't Aizen just explain it? Your attacks are useless."
The air rippled. The Cero and the spears shimmered, then disintegrated into glittering fragments of reishi that faded into nothingness.
Ulquiorra's strength was undeniable; even the mightiest captains would struggle to endure that assault. But against Shiraha—it was meaningless.
"Well," Shiraha said at last, resting his hand on his sword hilt, "since you've been so eager to see my Zanpakutō… I'll show you."
He drew the blade slowly. The white steel gleamed under the pale moonlight. In the same instant, five arcs of violet light slashed outward—crescent-shaped waves that tore through the air with impossible speed.
The dozen Moonlight Spears and the enormous black Cero collided with them—
"Boom!"
A blinding flash erupted, followed by a thunderous explosion. The attacks were cleaved cleanly apart, dispersing into fragments of reishi that dissolved into the void. The shockwave pulverized the surrounding ruins into dust finer than sand.
"What—what speed is that?" Ulquiorra's eyes widened. He hadn't even seen the motion of Shiraha's draw.
It wasn't his perception failing. In that instant, Shiraha had invoked his Zanpakutō's Shikai ability—accelerating the flow of time around himself. His movement and strike speed had multiplied fivefold.
"Ulquiorra," Shiraha said quietly, his figure now right before the Espada, "you should feel honored."
He raised his sword, the moonlight glinting along its white edge.
"You're the first to witness my Zanpakutō's true form."
Then his voice cut through the night, calm and absolute:
"Reverse everything—Baiyue!"
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