Bleach:Zangetsu

she saw it.

The sight made her breath caught in her throat. She could barely process the sight. She looked frantically between the figure before her and the crumbling dust that was once Ulquiorra.

Orihime stood frozen, the air felt unnaturally still, a heavy weight pressing down on her chest. Her heart pounded in her ears as her eyes desperately searched for any trace of the person she once knew. But this... this wasn't the Ichigo she remembered. Ichigo wasn't a killer.

The figure stood tall, his back turned toward her, gazing up at the moon. His long, orange hair whipped around in the wind, there was no warmth in his posture, no familiarity in the way he held himself.

His clothing was torn, a strange black-triable marking spread all over his torso moving toward the hole in his chest. Despite seeing 'Ichigo' standing right there. She could not sense his spiritual pressure, nor could she recognize it. It was like he was.....Dead.

The thought Nearly broke her.

A cracked mask hung on the left side of his upper skull with a single Horn—was unlike anything she'd ever seen before. It wasn't the mask she had come to associate with Ichigo. This was something else.

"Ichigo..." Orihime whispered, barely daring to believe the word as it left her lips. But it felt wrong, like it was slipping through her fingers. It was him—right?

The figure didn't respond.There was a coldness in his aura that sent a chill deep into her bones. Orihime's stomach twisted, her hands trembling at her sides as she stepped forward hesitantly.

"Ichigo?" she tried again, her voice more urgent this time, but still it was as if he didn't hear her. Or perhaps he didn't care. She couldn't tell.

The figure remained silent, his gaze still fixed on the moon. His presence was overpowering, filling the air with a Calm killing intent. She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck rise, an unsettling feeling crawling up her spine. Something was wrong—everything about this situation screamed that something was deeply wrong.

What happened? What happened to you, Ichigo?

The thought made her stomach twist painfully. She knew deep down that this wasn't the same person she had fought besides, the one she had shared laughter and tears with. But she couldn't bring herself to let go of the hope that maybe, just maybe, it was him. She looked to the hole in his chest, The thought of healing him entered her mind and that was what she would do.it was the least-

"Stay There"

Before she could process her feelings further, a sound cut through the air—a soft, low voice that came from the direction of the man. Orihime's heart skipped a beat as her eyes widened.

Her body tensed as her instincts screamed at her to move, but her legs wouldn't obey. She was rooted to the spot, too stunned, too confused to act.

The hollow didn't react. He just stood there, his hollow eyes now shifting from the now-dying Ulquiorra to her. Orihime flinched. Those eyes… They weren't the same. There was nothing in them. Nothing but Darkness.

Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by a voice she recognized. Uryuu.He stood behind her as he held his bleeding stomach in pain as he attempted to walk to her.

"Orihime!" His voice rang out, strong and commanding. He was running toward her now, his Quincy bow in hand. "Get back! Don't approach him!"

She didn't know whether to be relieved or more frightened. But the moment she saw Uryuu, she couldn't help the rush of anxiety that flooded her chest. I don't want to believe it.... I can't believe it... It can't be.

what was she supposed to do now? How was she supposed to act.?

"Uryuu?" she whispered.

Orihime took a step back, as if by instinct, but her feet felt like they were made of lead. She opened her mouth, but no words came. All she could do was stare at the hollow—the thing that had once been Ichigo. Her heart ached, twisted in ways she couldn't even begin to comprehend.

She turned her head quickly toward Uryuu. His eyes, too, were full of hesitation, but his expression was more resolute than hers. "Stay back, Orihime," he said firmly, glancing at the hollow cautiously. "This isn't Ichigo anymore. We can't act recklessly."

Orihime's throat tightened, her mind racing. But how can I just leave him like this?

"Why?" The question escaped her lips before she could stop it. "Why is he like this? What happened to Ichigo?" She looked at Uryuu, her voice breaking. "Please, tell me."

Uryuu's gaze softened for just a moment. "I don't know," he said quietly. "But whatever happened, it's not Ichigo anymore." Uryuu didnt want to tell her the truth but as a Quincy he knew what had happened to Ichigo. Quincy were natural enemies to hollows.

They were like water and oil therefore he had a knew better then anyone when a hollows precense was close to him. Ichigo's spiritual pressure was like a soft blue. gentle and warm even when he gained hollow powers his spiritual pressure had remained the same even when tainted with hollow Reiatsu.

Yet Now...Ichigo's spiritual pressure was completely vacant. All that was left was merely Shinigami and hollow reiatsu. The core of a person's reiatsu entirely gone. This is the life essence. In all sense This creature nothing but a corpse. 'Still how is it alive?'

Orihime's hands shook at her sides as she looked at the hollow once more. her heart filled with grieve.

"Then what do we do?" she whispered. Her voice was barely audible, and yet it felt like the loudest thing in the world.

Uryuu stood firm, his bow still drawn, his gaze flicking between Orihime and the hollow. "We do what we must," he said softly as his bow formed in reiatsu. a glowing blue. He knew he was no match for this creature but if he could cause a distraction they could escape. It was too dangerous to be close to it.

Then, in a flash, the figure vanished.

A sharp gust of wind whipped around Orihime's face, sending strands of her hair flying. It happened so fast, the air itself seeming to ripple from the sudden speed. Her eyes widened, trying to track his movement, but it was no use. He was gone.

"Flash step..."

Uryuu muttered the words softly, his tone betraying a mix of surprise and recognition. Orihime barely heard him; her mind was still reeling from what she had just witnessed. That... thing—it wasn't Ichigo. But it wasn't just a hollow either.

A heavy silence fell over them.

, whatever that creature had been—was gone. She didn't know where it went, or why it had disappeared, but she couldn't shake the unease in her chest. It didn't feel like Ichigo anymore. She wanted to believe there was still something of him in there, but… she wasn't sure. She couldn't be sure.

Her eyes scanned the surroundings, her heart still caught in a vice as she looked for any signs of movement. The wind had picked up, blowing dust and debris through the ruined landscape, but nothing else stirred.

Her focus shifted, then, to Uryuu. He stood just a few feet away, his body rigid, eyes still scanning the area with that sharp focus. His wound—a deep gash on his side—was still bleeding, staining his clothes with crimson. Orihime felt a pang of worry. He wasn't going to make it much longer if she didn't act quickly.

"Uryuu," Orihime called, her voice laced with concern. "You're injured. Let me heal you."

He turned to her, his usually composed expression tightening with an almost imperceptible wince as he adjusted his stance. "I'm fine," he said, clearly trying to downplay it. "It's just a scratch."

Orihime didn't buy it for a second. She could see the pain in his eyes, the way he was fighting through it. He was strong, yes, but not invincible. And if there was anything she could do to help, she wasn't going to stand by and let him suffer.

Without another word,Her Shun Shun Rikka—the six small fairies of her healing powers—swirled around her hands.

As she approached Uryuu, Orihime extended both hands toward him. The orange light of her Fullbring flared into a brilliant, concentrated glow. The six fairies danced around her hands as they merged into a single force, the shape of her Fullbring beginning to take form—a radiant shield of protective energy that shimmered as it hovered over Uryuu's wound.

"Hold still," Orihime murmured, her voice stronger now, a faint sense of confidence that she hadn't had before.

The energy from her Fullbring pooled over the wound on his side. Her fingers vibrated with power as the healing light spread across his skin. She focused on sealing the wound completely.

The scar left by the wound began to fade, closing and repairing, the blood ceasing its flow as the power within her kept his body from suffering any further damage. Orihime's breath quickened as she continued to pour her will into him, the light growing brighter with every passing second.

When the healing was complete, she slowly withdrew her hands, the glow dissipating, leaving Uryuu standing there, the wound now completely gone.

"You're okay now," she said softly, her voice steady but still trembling from the intensity of using her Fullbring.

Uryuu glanced down at his side, then back at her, and for the first time, a trace of a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Thanks… but you didn't have to do that." He said shyly. Orihime didn't say anything in response at first. Her focus had already shifted back to what had happened.

"Where did he go?" she muttered, more to herself than anyone else.

Uryuu stood silent for a moment, his face unreadable. "I don't know," he said finally.