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Chapter 273 B
🕑 Added 2025-02-28 16:00:18 +0000 UTCChapter 273
2-in-1 chapter:
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Amid the raging surge of spiritual pressure, Ulquiorra revealed his transformed appearance.
Where before he wore a half mask on his head, now the entire thing formed a solid helmet with two curved horns rising like a demon’s. A pair of black wings unfurled behind him, pushing the style factor to the max. Yet the puzzled look on his face undercut the dramatic entrance.
Seeing Kaelith casually toss aside his Zanpakutō, Ulquiorra thought it over for a moment, then spoke:
“Shinigami, is it that you saw me set aside my blade, so you decided to abandon yours as well? If that’s the case, there’s no need. I have not forsaken my sword; I merely reclaimed the power stored within it—taking back my Hollow essence to display my full strength.”
“Huh?” Kaelith paused, then seemed to understand. Don’t worry. My decision has nothing to do with that.
“I happen to love my sword too much and don’t want it getting nicked. So I’m taking care of this fight on its behalf.
“Go ahead and come at me!”
At Kaelith’s words, Rixiang Jimie—still lodged in the sand—began trembling even harder.
Ulquiorra said nothing. For a moment, he suspected that sword wanted to fly over and hack at its own master.
Dismissing the thought, he remembered his original purpose.
“Shinigami, I came here to ask: what is the heart? What is the meaning of existence?”
He had barely finished his question when Kaelith’s expression twisted.
“Seriously, officer? We’re in the middle of a fight, and you want a pop quiz now? But since you’ve asked so sincerely, I’ll be generous and enlighten you!”
Ulquiorra’s eyes lit up. An actual answer existed! With mounting anticipation, he watched as Kaelith folded his arms and adopted a profound pose.
“The meaning of existence is finding a balance between pleasure and peace of mind. For any sentient being, the greatest drive to survive is the pursuit of pleasure.
“Eating good food, indulging in sexual desire, seeking recognition, wielding power, reveling in victory—these are all sources of pleasure.
“By the looks of you, with that, uh… ‘low-energy vibe,’ you might think you’re not the type to chase pleasure.
“But that’s not true. Even as you search for the heart’s meaning, you’re satisfying your thirst for knowledge.
“And just now, when I said I could solve your problem, you definitely felt a spark of excitement, right?”
Ulquiorra blinked. Indeed… He had long believed pursuing enjoyment was foolish because pleasure eventually cooled, leaving you with nothing. Yet only moments ago, he had felt excitement at the prospect of hearing Kaelith’s answer. What made him hold these conflicting views?
He frowned, about to ask. Kaelith, however, flashed a grin:
“No need to fret. That’s perfectly normal.
“When you devote yourself to a specific kind of satisfaction, all other pleasures will seem hollow by comparison. If you’re starving, you’ll think playing around is a waste of time.
“If you’re absorbed in a book, you’ll think games can’t offer any real fun. You’ve become fixated on quenching your curiosity. Of course everything else looks fake to you.
“But once that thirst is fulfilled and you develop a new need, you’ll discover new forms of enjoyment.”
Ulquiorra looked thoughtful. Kaelith’s explanation seemed to make sense. After a moment, he asked, “What about peace of mind?”
“That’s even simpler.” Kaelith waggled a finger.
“Let’s say you’re starving and only have disgusting food, while the little girl next door has something delicious.
“If you only cared about pursuing pleasure, you’d go right over and rob her, maybe even kill her and take her meal.
“But doing that would break the balance between pleasure and peace of mind.
“Afterwards, you’d wake up in the middle of the night, slap yourself, and curse what a monster you are.
“You’d lose your sense of calm, and with it, true enjoyment.”
Ulquiorra mulled that over, then shook his head. “A strange theory. What if I eat the girl, too, so there’s no chance of regret?”
“…” Kaelith studied him for a few seconds, then abruptly changed examples.
“Let’s say your curiosity is so intense you’ll do anything to satisfy it—even hurting yourself until you can’t regenerate anymore, leading to death.
“Sure, it might briefly bring satisfaction, but you’d be facing mortal terror. You’d lose your peace of mind.
“To avoid that outcome, you have to find a place to draw the line—a balance between feeding your curiosity and stopping before it destroys you.
“That balance is the meaning of survival.”
Ulquiorra nodded slightly. The pursuit of enjoyment shouldn’t be endless or reckless; you have to account for both pleasure and peace. Odd as it sounded, it gave him a workable frame of reference. After reflecting a moment, he folded his black wings and bowed his head toward Kaelith.
“Thank you, Shinigami. I appreciate your explanation.”
“Mm, no problem,” Kaelith replied. Then, in one swift motion, he yanked off his white haori and tossed it aside.
“I’ve satisfied your desire. Now it’s your turn to satisfy mine.”
With a grin, Kaelith tugged open the top half of his black Shihakushō, revealing a well-built torso.
“All right, Ulquiorra—show me everything you’ve got. Entertain me!”
Blue flames burst around Kaelith as he stomped down, launching himself like a human battering ram at Ulquiorra.
For a split second, Ulquiorra was confused. Why fight again, after they’d just reached an understanding? Then he recalled Kaelith’s logic—he was simply chasing the thrills of combat and victory.
How, then, would Kaelith strike a balance between pleasure and peace while pushing himself toward that enjoyment?
Intrigued, Ulquiorra decided to see it through. With a quick gesture, he formed a sword of condensed reishi in his hand and rushed forward to meet Kaelith head-on.
Not far away, Yammy watched this in surprise. He had known Ulquiorra for a while, yet never seen him so fired up. Typically, Ulquiorra fought only when there was no alternative, using just enough power to defeat his opponent. Now, though…
He was unleashing everything. Unreserved reishi, fierce light in his eyes—this was an Ulquiorra Yammy had never witnessed.
Was that Shinigami the cause? In just a few words, he’d triggered such a shift in Ulquiorra?
But Yammy soon realized a bigger issue. The shockwaves of Kaelith and Ulquiorra’s fight were growing more intense. Though Yammy was an elite among Adjuchas, he was starting to feel the pressure.
This was insane.
As much as he wanted to curse out loud, he simply kept backing away.
In the heart of the battlefield, Kaelith hammered forward with both fists, launching a flurry of attacks. After entering Resurrección, Ulquiorra’s strength soared—befitting a naturally evolved Vasto Lorde Arrancar. Each slash of that glowing reishi blade was as potent as a Cero from a high-level Hollow, and Kaelith’s fists felt the sting.
Yet it still wasn’t enough.
Ulquiorra’s most iconic move, after all, was his second Resurrección.
Taking one slash head-on, Kaelith pressed in with a powerful punch:
“Double—Ikotsu!”
Boom!!
The explosive blast tore through the silver sands, kicking up a wild sandstorm. Ulquiorra skidded backward; part of his cloak had been shredded, leaving him looking disheveled. Kaelith’s gaze drifted downward for a second.
“…Huh, there’s nothing there?”
Beneath the remnants of Ulquiorra’s robe, everything was smooth—no sign of certain, well, features.
Kaelith’s expression flickered with sympathy.
Poor guy, he was born missing one of life’s joys…
He recalled once worrying that Ichigo Kurosaki might be dealing with a case of unfaithfulness. Now Kaelith retracted any pity he’d felt—whatever feelings might arise, there was no possible outcome there.
Clueless about Kaelith’s thoughts, Ulquiorra continued slashing with one hand and launching black Cero blasts with the other, advancing like a dual-wielding warrior.
Kaelith was more than used to Cero techniques. Starrk was quite adept at them, and Kaelith had sparred with him too many times to count. Effortlessly swatting away a Cero, he shouted:
“Warm-up’s over, Ulquiorra! Show me that move—your second Resurrección!”
Ulquiorra froze in mid-attack.
“Second Resurrección?”
He really had no idea what Kaelith meant. Kaelith, seeing his blank stare, blinked.
“What, you haven’t developed it yet?”
Ulquiorra’s silence only made Kaelith’s disappointment grow. Among the Espada, many ranked below didn’t particularly interest him. Harribel was decent, but mostly for… aesthetic reasons. Baraggan’s skill was so-so, though his rot power was impressive. Starrk was strong but hadn’t tapped his real potential, usually just fancy-shooting like a bored bystander.
In other words, the most exciting Espada to fight was Ulquiorra with his second Resurrección. Yet now Kaelith had finally found him, only to discover Ulquiorra didn’t have that ability yet.
“Boring…” Kaelith muttered, rolling his neck as though ready to leave.
He took a few steps, but behind him, Ulquiorra followed.
“Shinigami, you’re sparing my life because you think one day I’ll gain that power? That I might bring you greater enjoyment?
“If so, aren’t you leaving a hidden threat for yourself? That means you can’t really have peace of mind… Doesn’t that contradict what you taught me?”
Kaelith snorted.
“Such shallow reasoning. You’re applying the theory mechanically without considering real conditions.
“With your earnest, rule-bound personality, are you really going to plan some revenge if I let you live?
“On the contrary, you’ll remember the favor I did you today. Maybe someday, when you’ve awakened that new ability, you’ll join me of your own will. That’s the perfect union of pleasure and peace, right there.”
Ulquiorra’s eyes went wide with disbelief. After a few seconds, he caught up again.
“Shinigami… Kaelith… why are you so sure I’ll master this ability?”
“Because I’m the chosen one, the only one. All sorts of intel about this world drifts into my mind unnoticed. You wouldn’t understand—it’s too profound,” Kaelith replied with a dismissive wave.
Oddly, Ulquiorra nodded. “That explains it. I never told you my name, yet you said it so easily.”
Kaelith paused, rummaging through his memories.
“Huh. Guess so.”
He tilted his head upward and smiled smugly. “Yeah, exactly!”
Ulquiorra fell silent for a moment, then, as though making up his mind, he let his Resurrección fade away. Gripping his Zanpakutō before him, he spoke:
“Shinigami… no, Kaelith. Please, take me back to Las Noches.
“I want to remain by your side, observe your words and deeds, learn the meaning of existence, and search for the heart.”
Kaelith burst out laughing. “Ha! Didn’t I say so? I knew you’d come around!
“Great—stay with me, learn and watch. You’ll become an outstanding individual, strong in virtue!
“No more confusion, no more suffering!
“Hahaha!”
Ulquiorra nodded, a glimmer of anticipation in his eyes. Not far away, Yammy felt a chill.
Somehow, he had a strong hunch that Ulquiorra was stepping onto the wrong path…
Comments
Harato Kerito
Ahh yes come here lost lamb come to the herd for the greater good, said a grandma wizard 🧙♂️
