XX-level Hokage

In his words, Neutra's death seemed insignificant.

Ichigo Kurosaki's body swayed even more violently. His Hollowfication was on the verge of collapse. He could feel the violent power within him backfiring on him, as if it were about to tear him apart completely.

However, he stubbornly held on, refusing to collapse.

“Inoue…” Ichigo murmured hoarsely, his gaze turning towards Orihime Inoue. He knew that what he needed most right now was to protect his comrades.

Orihime Inoue's tears blurred her vision as she concentrated all her spiritual pressure on Ichigo, trying to alleviate his pain.

Ulquiorra's gaze fell on Ichigo again. A barely perceptible fluctuation flashed in those empty green eyes. He slowly raised his hand and focused a green spiritual pressure.

"Since we've reached our limit, let's end this observation here." Ulquiorra's voice carried a hint of resolve. His spiritual pressure erupted, and a green beam shot towards Ichigo Kurosaki!

"Ulquiorra!!" Nelielu roared, lunging forward to try and shield Ichigo.

Hitsugaya Toshiro also unleashed Hyōrinmaru in an instant, and a huge ice wall condensed in front of the beam of light, attempting to block Ulquiorra's attack!

However, Ulquiorra's Cero was incredibly fast and far more powerful than imagined. "Boom!"

The green beam of light pierced through Nelliel's figure in an instant, and easily penetrated the ice wall that Toshiro Hitsugaya had condensed. With destructive power, it slammed into Ichigo Kurosaki's body!

"Ichigo!!" Rukia, Renji, Matsumoto Rangiku, and Hinamori Momo all let out a heart-wrenching cry.

Ichigo's body jolted violently, the powerful impact instantly blasting him away, crashing heavily into the distant ruins. His Hollowfication could no longer be maintained under this attack, collapsing instantly and revealing his original Shinigami form.

Spitting out a mouthful of blood, Ichigo's body collapsed limply into the ruins, his Zangetsu sword slipping from his grasp and falling to the side. "Ichigo!" Orihime Inoue cried out in anguish, rushing towards Ichigo without hesitation.

Nellyel's body fell from the sky, her chest pierced by a Cero, leaving a charred wound. She struggled to crawl toward Ichigo, but ultimately collapsed helplessly.

Hitsugaya Toshiro's face was ashen. He gripped Hyōrinmaru tightly and glared angrily at Ulquiorra. "You...you actually tried to kill an already severely injured opponent?!" Hitsugaya Toshiro roared.

Ulquiorra's gaze remained cold. He withdrew his hand and calmly said, "This is Lord Aizen's order: to confirm whether he still has any value." Clearly, he didn't.

He turned and prepared to leave, as if everything was over.

"Don't even think about leaving!" Renji and Rukia rushed forward at the same time, their strength gradually pointing at Ulquiorra.

“You…” Ulquiorra merely glanced at them indifferently, his eyes devoid of any emotion, as if they were nothing more than two tiny insects.

However, at that moment, a familiar yet heavy voice echoed once more from the ruins. "Ulquiorra."

Ulquiorra paused slightly, his empty green eyes slowly turning towards the direction from which the sound came.

Kurosaki Ichigo struggled again, using Zangetsu to support his body, and slowly stood up! His wounds were bleeding profusely, and his face was as pale as a dead man, but in his Shinigami pupils, an indomitable flame burned!

“You…” For the first time, a hint of unease appeared in Ulquiorra’s eyes. He had thought that his attack would be enough to completely end Ichigo Kurosaki.

"I... will never let you... hurt my comrades again!" Kurosaki Ichigo's voice was hoarse, but it carried an astonishing will. He could feel his spiritual pressure draining away, but he would never allow himself to fall.

He slowly raised Zanpakuto, the tip of the blade pointing at Ulquiorra.

Ulquiorra stared at Ichigo Kurosaki, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. He sensed the almost depleted yet exceptionally tenacious spiritual pressure emanating from Ichigo.

“Interesting…” Ulquiorra said softly, a slight smile appearing on his lips for the first time. He knew that the real “observation” had only just begun.

Chapter 208: Ichigo's Death

Above the ruins of Las Noches, the subtle curve of Ulquiorra Cifer's face vanished in an instant, yet it was like a cold, sharp lightning bolt that pierced the deathly silence.

He raised his hand again, and a green Cero flash gathered in his palm. This time, the target was still Ichigo, but the power was more concentrated and more deadly than before.

“Since you can still stand, then let me see just how far you can go.” Ulquiorra’s voice was as cold as a machine, devoid of any emotion.

"Ichigo!!" Orihime Inoue screamed, desperately pouring her spiritual pressure into Ichigo Kurosaki's body. However, it was all in vain. She could feel his body weakening and his stubborn will faltering.

Hitsugaya Toshiro charged forward, Hyōrinmaru whipping up a biting wind as he attempted to construct an ice wall once more. Neriel struggled to look at her pierced chest, desperately trying to shield Ichigo once more.

Renji and Ruki also roared, wielding their Zanpakuto, attempting to charge at Ulquiorra. However, Ulquiorra was too fast; his Cero was unleashed almost instantly – "Boom!"

The green beam of light struck Ichigo precisely once again, blasting his already swaying body away!

Ichigo coughed up blood, his body arcing through the air before crashing heavily into the distant ruins. Zangetsu also slipped from his grasp and landed to the side.

"Ichigo!!" everyone cried out in despair.

This time, Ichigo's body did not struggle to stand up as before. He lay in the rubble, a charred hole blasted into his chest by a Cero, and blood was constantly seeping from his wounds.

The spiritual pressure fell into complete silence, like a lamp about to go out, leaving only a faint wisp of smoke.

Orihime rushed to Ichigo's side, knelt down beside him, and with a sob in her voice, desperately poured healing spiritual pressure into Ichigo's body.

"Ichigo-kun! Ichigo-kun! Wake up! Please... don't die!" Orihime Inoue cried out hoarsely, tears streaming down her face and blurring her vision. She could feel Ichigo's life force rapidly fading away, and the feeling of helplessness tore at her heart.

Neriel struggled to crawl to Ichigo's side. She reached out, her hand trembling, and stroked Ichigo's pale cheek, her eyes filled with pain and regret.

"Kurosaki Ichigo," she whispered hoarsely, her former pride and resilience now replaced by despair in her eyes. Hitsugaya Toshiro's face was ashen; he gripped Hyōrinmaru tightly and glared angrily at Ulquiorra.

"You bastard...!" Renji roared, his eyes bloodshot, charging towards Ulquiorra recklessly, the snake-tailed mace in his hand gleaming with blood. "Renji! No!" Rukia cried out, but it was too late.

Ulquiorra simply watched Renji rush towards him calmly, his eyes devoid of any emotion. He raised his hand lightly, not using his Zanpakuto, but delivering a casual palm strike.

"boom!"

Renji's figure was instantly blasted away by an invisible force, crashing heavily into a distant wall before falling to the ground and losing consciousness.

"Renji!!" Rukia cried out in anguish. She looked at the fallen Renji, then at Ichigo, her eyes filled with despair.

Matsumoto Rangiku and Hinamori Momo also gripped their Zanpakuto tightly, but they knew that their power was so insignificant in front of Ulquiorra that they could not budge him in the slightest.

Ulquiorra withdrew his hand and once again cast his light upon Orihime and Ichigo Kurosaki, his eyes still filled with indifference and calm.

“Confirmed. He is no longer of any 'value.'” Ulquiorra’s voice was like the cold tolling of a death knell. “It’s time to end this 'observation.'”

He raised his hand again, gathering the last and most powerful Cero in his palm! This Cero was larger and more dazzling than any of the previous ones, carrying a destructive power capable of leveling the entire ruins, and its target was Ichigo Kurosaki lying on the ground!

"No!!!!" Orihime Inoue cried out in anguish, desperately shielding Ichigo with her own body, trying to use her frail flesh to block the devastating Cero.

Rukia, Toshiro Hitsugaya, Rangiku Matsumoto, and Momo Mori all let out desperate roars. They tried to rush forward, but were blocked by Ulquiorra's invisible spiritual pressure barrier. They could only watch helplessly as the destructive light engulfed Orihime Inoue and Ichigo Kurosaki.

"Boom boom boom boom boom!!!"

A deafening explosion resounded through Hueco Mundo once again, this time with a force far more intense than ever before. The entire ruins area was completely engulfed, turning into a dazzling white light.

The violent spiritual pressure shockwave spread in all directions, leveling everything within a radius of several hundred meters. Even the majestic Hueco Mundo in the distance felt the tremor.

When the dazzling light faded, everything returned to calm.

All that remained was scorched earth, a massive crater replacing the previous ruins. Kurosaki Ichigo and Inoue Orihime had vanished completely.

Ulquiorra Cifer stood at the edge of the crater, his empty green eyes calmly sweeping over the ground utterly destroyed by the Cero, without any emotional fluctuation.

"It's over," he said calmly, then turned and his figure disappeared slowly into the depths of the Void Palace like a ghost.

Hitsugaya Toshiro, Rukia, Matsumoto Rangiku, and Hinamori Momo stood frozen in place, staring at the charred crater before them, feeling the lingering destructive spiritual pressure, their hearts filled with endless despair and grief.

“Ichigo…” Rukia’s voice trembled, tears streaming silently down her face. She couldn’t believe that Ichigo, who always managed to create miracles, would disappear completely before their eyes in this way.

Neliel struggled to her feet, staring blankly and desperately into the pit.

“Kurosaki…Ichigo…” Nereel whispered hoarsely, her body swaying precariously. Although her enemy Nnoitra was dead, she had lost her most important protector.

Above the Palace of Emptiness, the originally gloomy sky now seemed to be completely torn apart by this force, revealing a strange and distorted space.

In the central hall of Las Noches, Aizen sat on the throne with Sousuke. He felt that familiar power that represented the end of Ulquiorra's Cero, and a barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips.

"Ichigo Kurosaki... he really couldn't handle it after all." Aizen murmured to himself, his voice carrying a hint of regret, but more than that, it was filled with a calm confidence that everything was under control.

Gin Ichimaru stood to the side, a complex glint in his narrow eyes, but he remained silent. Aizen slowly rose, gazing towards Karakura Town, his eyes flashing with deep ambition. "Then it's time."

His voice echoed in the empty hall, foreshadowing that his true plan was about to begin.

Chapter 209: Urahara

On the ruins of Las Noches, which were leveled by Ulquiorra's ultimate Cero, only the despairing figures of Toshiro Hitsugaya and his companions remained.

In the deep pit, apart from the charred soil and rubble, there was no trace of Ichigo and Orihime. That destructive spiritual pressure seemed to carry a merciless declaration, utterly shattering all hope.

Ichigo and Rukia Inoue knelt on the ground, tears streaming down their faces. Their voices were filled with endless sorrow as they repeatedly called out their friend's name.

That figure, always charging ahead and creating miracles no matter the dire situation, has now vanished into nothingness.

Renji struggled to his feet from the rubble, his chest heaving violently. The physical pain paled in comparison to the despair in his heart. He looked into the deep pit, his eyes filled with resentment and anger.

Ulquiorra...Aizen Renji clenched his fists so tightly that his nails almost pierced his palms. He hated his own powerlessness, hated his inability to protect his comrades, and hated even more those enemies who manipulated everything.

Matsumoto Rangiku and Hinamori Momo supported each other, their faces filled with shock and sorrow.

Diao Sentao burst into tears, unable to accept that her comrades, who had just fought alongside her, had simply vanished before her eyes.

Neliel staggered to the edge of the pit, staring at the charred ground. Her dark green eyes were devoid of any light, only a deathly emptiness remained.

Her former pride as the 30th Espada, her gratitude and dependence on Ichigo, had all turned into immense pain. "Kurosaki Ichigo," she whispered, her voice barely audible, like a candle flickering in the wind.

Toshiro Hitsugaya kept his eyes tightly shut, Hyōrinmaru reflecting the pale light of Hueco Mundo, as he struggled to suppress the surging anger and sorrow within him. As the captain, he had to remain clear-headed.

“We…must retreat immediately.” Toshiro Hitsugaya’s voice was unusually hoarse, but he knew it was the only option. Staying here would only make them Aizen’s next target, or allow them to be discovered by the other Espada.

"Retreat?!" Rukia jerked her head, her eyes filled with confusion and anger. "Ichigo... how can we just leave like this?!" "He has already..." Toshiro Hitsugaya didn't utter the cruel word, but the pain in his eyes said it all.

"No! I don't believe it!" Rukia rushed to the edge of the pit, frantically sensing her surroundings, trying to find even the slightest trace of Ichigo's spiritual pressure, but all she received in response was deathly silence.

"Rukia! Calm down!" Renji rushed forward and hugged her, preventing her from getting close to the destructive pit.

Just then, a slight fluctuation of spiritual pressure emanated from the depths of the pit, so faint as to be almost imperceptible, yet it sent a jolt through everyone! "This spiritual pressure is...!" Hitsugaya Toshiro's sleep hole suddenly tightened.

Although the spiritual pressure was weak, it carried an unusual sense of familiarity and was accompanied by a strange sound, like shattering glass.

Then, at the deepest part of the pit, a barely visible crack slowly tore open in the void. The crack emitted an unusual light, not the deathly stillness of Hueco Mundo, but a vibrant spiritual pressure from the mortal world!

"A portal to another dimension?!" Lucia stared at the crack in disbelief.

"Impossible! To tear open a portal inside Hueco Mundo, unless it's...that guy!" A figure instantly flashed into Toshiro Hitsugaya's mind.

The crack gradually widened, and a familiar voice came from within, tinged with weariness and helplessness. "Honestly... you always end up making such a mess of things."

Immediately afterward, a figure tumbled out of the crack and crashed heavily onto the scorched ground. That figure was none other than Kurosaki Ichigo!

His body was charred black and covered in wounds, his Shinigami outfit almost completely shattered, and blood kept gushing from his mouth. But his eyes were clearly open, filled with the shock and indomitable spirit of someone who had survived a near-death experience, despite his exhaustion. "Ichigo?!" Everyone exclaimed at the same time, their eyes filled with unbelievable joy!

Immediately after, another figure emerged from the crack. He was wearing a familiar green striped hat, slippers, and a cane, with his usual nonchalant smile on his face.

"Looks like we made it in time." Kisuke Urahara's voice carried a hint of amusement, but his eyes gleamed with shrewdness and depth.

As soon as he appeared, he quickly placed a strange red rune on Ichigo's chest. The rune instantly entered Ichigo's body, and Ichigo's rapidly declining life force miraculously stabilized.

“Mr. Urahara!” Toshiro Hitsugaya stared in shock at Kisuke Urahara, then at Ichigo. “Urahara?!” Nereil was also stunned.

"What...what's going on?!" Rukia was completely bewildered by what was happening before her eyes. Kisuke Urahara coughed lightly and covered half of his face with his fan.