AN: I know it's been a while since I updated. 2020 has been a crazy year for me. I'm sure it has been crazy for you as well. With what is happening in the world and all. I would have liked to upload this sooner but I never had the time to type it nor the motivation. Oh right, this is the last chapter I wrote in HS. I don't know if I'll continue it though. Who knows? Maybe if I see more people wanting me to finish it, I might. Still, I wanted to preserve it and maybe help inspire people to write more Ulquiorra fics.

The plan was to cautiously observe the boy for any sign of loneliness. Ulquiorra had been forewarned by Mizore and he was interested to do so. Yet, Tsukune had not shown any signs of it. He thought the boy was oblivious of him. Unfortunately for him, Tsukune became aware of his constant presence one day. Tsukune had tried to ask him about his behavior, but Ulquiorra would flee. At first, he ignored Tsukune completely after that day, but the boy was persistent. With Moka's help, he became relentless. In the end, Tsukune had confronted him for his odd behavior and he used this opportunity to clarify he was curious about the boy's lifestyle. He was living with monsters after all. It was a weak cover and he expected that his answer had ended his only chance to keep observing him. Tsukune only nodded. He had accepted his answer and continued on his way.

"Is that really all you wanted to ask me?" Ulquiorra asked the retreating boy. He had noticed that the boy had opened his mouth to speak but he only nodded. He watched the boy come to a stop.

"There is something else I would like to ask, but now I'm not so sure." Tsukune commented out loud without facing him. His voice quickly grew quieter with each word spoken.

"Ask away. There is nothing to fear." Ulquiorra was now curious. What would he ask of him?

"Okay. Here I go." He psyched himself up by shaking his head as he worked up the courage to face the pale man. He took a deep breath before he finally turned his attention to the arrancar.

"Why don't you just say what you really mean? I can tell you're lying. If you want to hang out with me, just say it." Tsukune was certain that Ulquiorra wanted to accompany him. Why else would he be stalking him? It weirded him out. He would rather hang out than to be followed. He understood Ulquiorra was not exactly normal. Ulquiorra was taken back by the boy's words. He expected the boy to be repulsed by his current actions, not this. His mind went blank. He did not have an answer for him. He vanished without a word. The confused boy looked around the long hall for him, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Tsukune did not expect Ulquiorra's odd behavior to continue for long, but it did. He had not been able to speak to him since he confronted him. In fact, it had been three days since he last spoke with him. Tsukune was worried he had offended him that he had told Moka about it. She immediately bellowed with laughter as she heard his story. Ulquiorra was hiding like a child even though he was supposed to be the most powerful being on Earth.

"I didn't tell you this to laugh at him. I'm really worried if I offended him or hurt his feelings." Tsukune had a visible frown as he was in no mood for laughter. He was hoping for her help. Moka wiped some of her tears as she struggled to keep it together.

"I'm sorry, but you're forgetting who he is. I doubt you could hurt his feelings." She stifled a chuckle. It was hard for her to speak at the moment.

"I'm not so sure. He has been ignoring me after all." Tsukune voiced his concern. Could she not take a hint? This was worrying to him.

"Let me handle this." Moka had regained her composure. What could she do to help him out? It did not take her long to hatch a plan. She smirked and Tsukune could tell she thought of something. She began to explain her plan to the bewildered boy.

Ulquiorra did not understand why she had refused to speak to him about it. Hate was part of the heart. How dare she deny him? He would make her tell him later. He had let it slide, since she had chosen to speak about kindness instead. Her great kindness allowed her to spare her enemies and that weakened her. She reiterated her dislike for violence and that she would not fight unless it was absolutely necessary. He concluded kindness was the reason behind the foolishness of humans and monsters. Showing mercy to your enemies, ridiculous. He lacked kindness. He would always eliminate Aizen's enemies without mercy and he would do the same for her. Yet, she imposed her kindness upon him. Still, he would obey for now. Should she continue to ignore his requests like today, then he would have to remind her about the consequences. He walked the halls calmly thinking of what to do next.

Now what could he do? The boy had sensed him and he could not get close to him without him noticing. He could only observe the boy outside their home without him realizing. He would often observe him from the mansion's rooftop. The boy's confrontation was still fresh on Ulquiorra's mind and even now he was puzzled by his own bizarre behavior. He did not understand why he chose to respect the boy's privacy. Perhaps it was to prevent the boy from complaining to Akasha-sama. Or was it something else?

Of course. That is all it is. Mizore was correct after all. She had told me Tsukune was lonely. Why else would he ask me such a thing? A hollow as a human companion. Ridiculous.

Ulquiorra surveyed the enormous backyard of the mansion. It had taken him a few seconds to arrive here from the hall. Tsukune was nowhere to be seen. It seemed he had missed the boy's training. Today he would not be able to learn anything from him. He decided to lay on the mansion's rooftop and he quietly observed the clouds. It would not be a meaningful day. He closed his eyes in thought. It did not take him long to reminisce about his past.

Flashback

Ulquiorra kneeled in front of his lord. Aizen had him stay after the meeting concluded. He had commanded for the room to be clear. Ulquiorra was well aware that Aizen was displeased with him. He was aware because the other espadas had been through this before. Not to mention the small frown Aizen wore on his face. It was the first time his lord was displeased with him. He did not know what he had done to warrant Aizen-sama's displeasure. What did he do wrong? He had not failed any of his missions. His thoughts ended when Aizen's mouth began to move.

"Ulquiorra, I have become aware of your strange conduct. You have been questioning your fellow espadas on their emotions and their thoughts. I can understand that you wish to learn about something you lack, but in the end, it is futile. You can never understand something that was never yours. You're a hollow that was born without purpose and without meaning." Aizen could not allow this behavior to continue. It would weaken him in battle. He needed him to be merciless and easy to manipulate. He would be his grand piece to elevate Ichigo's power.

"Forget this nonsense. Cease this foolishness. I alone, give your existence meaning or did you forget?" Aizen darkly questioned him.

"Forgive my foolishness Aizen-sama. I exist to serve you and I will not allow anything to get in the way of that." Ulquiorra's eyes looked upon his lord with certainty. A hollow like him should not desire anything and only obey. What a fool he has been to not see that.

"From here on out, you will no longer be able to form teams with the other espadas. Your only partner will be Yammy. That is all." Aizen's frown turned into a smile. The large buffoon lacked the intelligence to converse about his behavior and emotions. He watched the pale arrancar nod. Surely, it would be the end of this.

Flashback ends

Ulquiorra's thoughts about the past were interrupted by a darkening sky. He snapped his eyes open and came face to face with Moka. She grinned at her achievement because she managed to approach him without alerting him. His green eyes stared at her red ones.

"What has your mind on the clouds?" She teased him with a smirk. She figured he was annoyed at her comment. She straightened up and the clear view of the sky returned. He did not bother to speak with her. He bent forward to sit up. Tsukune stood in front of him. He awkwardly waved him a hello.

"So Ulquiorra, why did you run from Tsukune the other day?" Moka boldly asked. Tsukune swiftly hid behind Moka. He was not sure how Ulquiorra would react to her question. Moka should really watch what she says.

"Moka don't be so blunt." Tsukune was visibly shocked. She was not following the plan. Still, he could not deny he wanted to know.

"Well?" Moka continued her interrogation, but he remained eerily silent. Ulquiorra stood up and shook the dust off his clothing. He faced Moka for a brief moment, before he glared at the peeking boy.

"Hollows and humans can never be companions." He was abruptly blunt. It was an absolute fact to him. He could never be the companion they wished for. The two were stunned by Ulquiorra's harsh words. Next, Ulquiorra's piercing gaze focused on Moka.

"That includes you as well." He coldly told her. He walked towards the edge of the roof and he took one last glance at their saddened faces. Perhaps he should clarify his viewpoint.

"Do not misunderstand. I do not say this to be cruel. I simply cannot be the companion you wish for. We are too different from one another. My existence as your companion would be meaningless. Besides, I lack the desire to be one like you do, Tsukune. I lack what you both have. I cannot understand your emotions. I will not be able to join you in your joy or in your sadness. Even now, I feel nothing." He jumped down, unwilling to see their faces.

"He's too hard on himself. I kind of regret forcing him to answer." Moka spoke out loud while she watched the pale man walk further from them. She moved closer to the edge of the roof. Tsukune had quickly approached her side to join her. She heard him sniffle.

"Moka, I can't leave him by himself. Even if he refuses I won't listen. He considered our feelings and it isn't his fault if I end up hurt. It will be all my fault and I would gladly accept it." His tears flowed freely down his cheek. One day, Ulquiorra would be a true and kind friend. Until then, he will tolerate anything for the man.

"Yeah." Moka would not let Tsukune carry this burden alone. It was too depressing for her. Despite her mean demeanor, she had a kind heart.

Truth to his words, Tsukune tried his best to change Ulquiorra's mind. At first, Ulquiorra ignored the boy and his attempts to talk to him. Tsukune suggested that they could talk and not be companions. Ulquiorra accepted his request and chose to converse with him again. However, when the boy spent too much time with him, he would vanish. To circumvent this, Moka would join them when Tsukune spent too much time with him. She would take over the conversation to prevent him from leaving. Of course, Ulquiorra would question them about their emotions when he had the chance. It took Tsukune two weeks for Ulquiorra to finally give up and start to talk to him. He was even beginning to spend more time with him. Moka would also occasionally talk to him on her own accord. As they spent more time together, Ulquiorra learned that Tsukune desired to become strong. Tsukune accepted his limits. A human could never be as strong as them, but he still had hope his training would pay off.

"That is why you train every day? To become strong? Don't you realize you have us to protect you? Strength is important but it is not everything." Ulquiorra knew this fact well. Yammy possessed tremendous power but he lacked the skill to wield it effectively. It made him a poor fighter.

"I know that, but I don't want to be weak either. I want to be able to protect myself. I want to be able to protect others. I don't want to be a burden to anyone." Tsukune told him how he truly felt. He felt defenseless in this world. At this rate, he would always rely on Moka and Akasha for his safety. He would never be able to protect them in kind in his current state.

"I see. Well then, there is a way for you to become much stronger. However, it is something that will harm you greatly if you cannot resist the training."

"What? Really? Please you must train me to become stronger." Tsukune pleaded to Ulquiorra as he grabbed on to him.

"Didn't you hear me? It can cause you great harm, so it is not something that should be taken lightly." Ulquiorra was slightly confused by the boy's enthusiasm. Did he not hear him? It was too dangerous for a child to do.

"I don't care! Teach me please." He shook Ulquiorra's left arm with vigor.

"No. Akasha-sama would never allow it." He knew that she cared too deeply for him to risk his health. His life would be in danger.

"Let me ask her. I'm sure I can convince her as this is important to me." Tsukune did not wait for his answer and he immediately took off to find her. Ulquiorra watched the boy race through the yard before running in through the doorway. He should have not brought it up.

Ulquiorra did not have to wait long for him to return with Akasha. He explained to her that his training could be dangerous to Tsukune, who had no experience with reiatsu. Ulquiorra would be able to unlock his latent reiatsu by forcefully awakening it with his own. However, it was dangerous. He recommended that it was foolish for a child to undertake it. He fully expected for her to deny Tsukune's request after hearing his explanation.

"Please do it." Akasha pleaded with him with a stern gaze. Did he hear her right?

"Did you not hear me? This is an unwise decision. It is even possible for him to perish." Ulquiorra could not believe what he heard.

"I believe in him and I have never seen him with such determination before. I'm sure he will be fine." Akasha patted Tsukune's hair. Tsukune gave her a strong hug after hearing this. She was worried but how could she say no, when he looked so happy. Also, she silently believed in Ulquiorra. He had grown closer to her children these past few weeks. Ulquiorra would have not suggested this if he knew deep down that Tsukune would be fine.

Illogical reasoning. Ulquiorra had tried to warn her, but she refused to listen. She was taking a huge risk.

"As you wish." Ulquiorra conceded. He was not willing to argue further.

"Yes! I will become strong." Tsukune shouted out loud in happiness.

"Let us begin." Ulquiorra gently placed his right hand on Tsukune's shoulder. He poured a bit of his reiatsu into Tsukune's soul. He could feel Ulquiorra's power inside him, but it was not harmful as he explained it to him. Ulquiorra could tell that he succeeded in awakening his reiatsu. The boy possessed a considerable amount of reiryoku. Now it was time to see if he could handle it. As soon as he stopped pouring his reiatsu, Tsukune's body would have to adapt to the change.

"This is not so bad so far." Tsukune chimed in as he looked up to Ulquiorra.

"I'm holding your latent reiryoku back. As soon as I stop, you will feel it. Are you prepared?" Tsukune gulped at his explanation but nodded. He slowly eased off his reiatsu until he completely stopped. He removed his hand and stepped back from Tsukune to observe him. Tsukune could feel his energy inside him and it felt good. He could feel himself getting stronger. It was like his whole life he was caged in and now he was set free.

"He seems to be doing well and he is giving off similar pressure like you." Akasha studied the boy carefully.

"Yes, but soon it will pour out of him and threaten to crush him if he does not adapt to his new power." With those words spoken Tsukune suddenly screams and he falls to the ground.

"Tsukune!" Akasha rushes to his side and reaches out to him.

"Don't touch him. His reiryoku is currently very unstable, and you can harm his soul if you contaminate it with your energy." Akasha could have sworn he would have shouted out to her if he spoke any louder. She quickly retracts her hand from him and steps back a little. Akasha felt guilt for agreeing to let him do this. Ulquiorra warned them after all, but she didn't expect it to be this bad.

I can't control it. This is too much for me. I feel like I'm going to die. Tsukune's pain was immense even compared to the torture he endured in the past. He felt like at any moment he would burst like a balloon.

"Mother! What is wrong with Tsukune? Why are you standing there and not helping him?" Moka angrily questioned her. Moka had raced to Tsukune's side and appeared beside him. She had heard his screams from her training grounds. Akasha could not respond with all the shame she felt. Moka did not wait for her to answer her though, she had heard him grunt in pain.

"Don't touch him Moka!" Akasha yelled at Moka before she could kneel beside him.

"What are you saying? He's in pain and we can't leave him like this." She was visibly angry with tears forming on her eyes. Her mother should be holding and caring for him.

"This is part of his training and we cannot touch him while his reiryoku pours out of his body. He can die if we interfere." Ulquiorra calmly explained knowing Akasha was too worried to do so.

"You jerk! How could you do this to him! Tsukune considers you his friend!" Moka cried out in tears. She was furious. What had he done to him? She would not forgive him for this.

The boy considers me a friend. What nonsense.

"I was starting to tolerate you too. I was such an idiot!" Moka glared daggers at him with anger as she rubbed her tears away.

"Stop...It was…me Moka. I…wanted this." Tsukune forced himself to speak. He didn't want her to blame him. Ulquiorra did warn them after all. They did not listen to him. This was on them.

"Tsukune!" The vampires shouted in unison after they heard him speak.

"I…will not fail. I'll…get stronger!" Tsukune blurted out his resolve. He knew he could not give up here. He was worrying them again. He had to do something.

I won't let my own power beat me. I must force all my energy back into me. Come back inside me! I won't be weak and let you win!

Ulquiorra eyes widen a little. He had noticed how Tsukune's reiatsu condense. It seemed to form a bubble around his leaking reiryoku. It forced his reiryoku back inside his body.

Impossible. He was able to control his reiatsu so that he could force his reiryoku back into his body. It should have returned on its own not forced back in like that. The boy should have not been able to do that. Tsukune was unable to stay awake as he spent his last strength.

"He succeeded." Ulquiorra uttered out loud. He examined the boy sleeping peacefully. He felt he had some potential. Anyone who can sleep after that heavy ordeal must have some.

"Tsukune!" Moka yelled as she reached out to him.

"He will be fine. He has successfully controlled his reiatsu." Ulquiorra reassured them because he knew they were still worried. They knelt by his side. Akasha reached for his forehead while Moka held on to his hand.

"Once he awakens, tell him that I will teach him how to control his reiatsu. I will be waiting when he is ready." Ulquiorra instructed them, before he headed back to his room.

Today could not have come soon enough. Tsukune could not wait as he was ready to train with his new power that Ulquiorra agreed to teach him about. He did not feel well yesterday but, today he felt great.

"Ulquiorra, I'm ready to learn about my power. I have finished all my lessons with Sakon-san."

"Before we begin, I need to examine your fighting style in action. Try to land a decent hit on me. I will only defend from your attacks. You will have all the time you need." Tsukune only nodded with confidence. Surely, he could connect with at least one hit. Even Sakon had been caught off guard today. Someone like Ulquiorra who has no experience fighting him will surely be taken by surprise.

"Let's begin then. Come." Ulquiorra beckons Tsukune. His stance did not change which was strange to Tsukune. Tsukune spotted Ulquiorra's Zanpakuto sticking out from its sheath.

"Aren't you going to remove your sword? It would only get in your way, right?" Tsukune pointed to his Zanpakuto.

"I always have it on me. It does not interfere in combat." Ulquiorra unconsciously adjusted his Zanpakuto as soon as the boy pointed it out. Tsukune nodded before he got into his stance. Ulquiorra signaled him to begin with a nod. With his approval, Tsukune quickly charges at Ulquiorra who did not budge from his sudden movement.

His movements are quicker than normal humans, but he is still just a mere human. I need to restrain my strength considerably to make it fair for him. However, Ulquiorra's innate abilities could not be suppressed. He still viewed his attack as sluggish. Ulquiorra could see Tsukune's leg muscles tense up and he watched the boy prepare to jump. With plenty of time to think he could figure out he was going to start with a jump kick.

Why isn't he preparing to block or dodge this. I'm sure he could see this coming.

Tsukune could not help but smile. He had felt his foot connect with Ulquiorra's chest.

"Looks like I won Ulquiorra. I was able to hit you on your chest." Tsukune proudly stated as he landed back on his own two feet.

"The match is not over. I easily blocked your predictable attack." Ulquiorra raised his left arm to show Tsukune's footprint on his forearm.

"That's impossible you didn't even move when I hit you." Tsukune was certain of this.

"I blocked your attack the moment you blinked." Tsukune's mouth opened wide in astonishment from the revelation. He suddenly realized he couldn't hope to win. He will not be able to overcome their difference in speed. He grew discouraged.

"It's very hard for me to match your movement speed. Humans are really slow compared to hollows." Ulquiorra had noticed the boy's disheartened expression. This had the opposite effect of Ulquiorra's intention.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know I was too slow for you." Tsukune sheepishly commented with a lowered head.

"I will adjust so let's continue." He reassured him.

"Right!" Tsukune prepared his stance once again.

Tsukune was laying down on the floor totally exhausted with fatigue and frustration. Ulquiorra had matched Tsukune's speed but he was still completely defeated. Tsukune had tried to connect a direct hit in the last hour. He was unsuccessful. Ulquiorra was an expert hand to hand combatant. Tsukune had learned techniques from Sakon which he tried to use on their match. They were utterly useless against him. He was not only powerful, he was skillful too. Ulquiorra signaled that the match was over by raising his hand towards him. He was offering him a hand. Tsukune took it and he was pulled to his feet.

"We can start your spiritual training tomorrow, it seems you reached your limit." It would be unwise to train him now.

"I agree. You did do a lot of training today." Akasha told him, who had unexpectedly stood right behind Tsukune. Tsukune could not help but be startled by her sudden appearance.

"Akasha-san you scare me when you do that." He grabbed his chest to regain his composure.

"I'm sorry." She apologized to the boy. It was not her intention. She quickly turned her attention to Ulquiorra.

"We have a visitor who came to see you. They're waiting in my office. Shall we go?" She politely asked him.

"Of course Akasha-sama." He could already guess who it was.

"Who is here to see him?" Tsukune did not know of anyone who would want to visit him. What was going on here?

"Tsukune go take a bath and tell Moka to take one as well. It is now the afternoon, so we still have quite some time before the sun sets. After that, go eat some supper. I was thinking we could go for a fun trip before the day is over." She spoke in an upbeat tone. He gave her a nod that he will do just that. He still wasn't sure where she wanted to go though.

"Where to?" Tsukune probed her with curiosity.

"Somewhere fun." That was all she said before she vanished. Ulquiorra followed her action. Tsukune did not expect her vague answer. Why was she refusing to answer him though?

"I brought him here." Akasha told the small figure which sat on one of the two chairs in front of her desk. It was Touhou Fuhai. Akasha walked around her desk and took her own chair. Touhou motioned for Ulquiorra to take the seat next to him. He nodded and sat down.

"Akasha I have done what you asked of me. I was able to prepare a seal for him. Still, there is no guarantee it will work." Touhou's glasses gave off a little shine. He had tested it on a small portion of his power, so it was not a good benchmark.

"It is worth a try though. Ulquiorra is unable to alter his appearance to blend in with humans. It will surely be a problem in the future." Akasha was certain of this. She along with the other dark lords planned to open a new school for monsters and humans to go together in. She had planned to have Ulquiorra help her with the school. Moka and Tsukune would eventually attend it after all. She could feel at ease that Ulquiorra would help them stay safe.

"There is no need to worry Akasha-sama. Only a select few of humans can see me. Tsukune is a special case. He was aware of my presence from the start. He is spiritually aware, that is why I thought it was possible for him to accept my reiatsu."

"There is always that small chance and it is not something I am willing to risk." Akasha responded immediately. She had a serious demeanor.

"As you wish." Ulquiorra understood her reasoning. It was always better to be certain.

Touhou pulled out a small fabric covered box. He handed it to Akasha. She swiftly opened it and examined the inside. It contained two rings with one ring having four red jewels. The other had four green jewels. They were practically identical. Akasha could not help but to examine them closer. She dumped them onto her hand. They were beautiful pieces of jewelry.

"I had to use my rarest gems to make them. I hope it works." Touhou commented to her as he had taken considerable time to produce these rings. Still as powerful as they were, he had no idea if they would work. He was hoping they would suffice.

"Try them on." Akasha held the two rings towards him. Ulquiorra gently grabbed them from her hand and he felt her soft skin rub against his hierro. She gave him a soft smile. He noticed that she had not retracted her hand away. He gazed into her eyes

What are they doing? Touhou found it strange at how long it took Akasha to hand him the rings.

"So, where do I put them on?" Ulquiorra asked the vampiress. He had no idea on which finger it would go. Or which hand.

Huh? Did I hear him right? Touhou could not believe that Ulquiorra had no clue.

"Let me put them on for you then." Akasha merrily took his left hand with her right hand and used her other to put it on his ring finger.

"This is your ring finger." She gave him a big smile and waited for the ring to magically adjust to his finger. It now fitted perfectly. Touhou could not help but to chuckle at the sight. He carefully regretted it though as it drew Ulquiorra's attention.

"I see." Ulquiorra did not know why but he did not like the chuckle Touhou had let out. Ulquiorra unconsciously backed away from Akasha when he heard Touhou's laughter. Akasha was a bit displeased with Touhou at the moment. As soon as Ulquiorra slipped the last ring on his other hand he felt a huge restraint on his reiatsu. His body felt strange and he felt himself grow weaker by the second. He figured it was the seal. He did not fight the sensation. Ulquiorra expected some kind of discomfort. Akasha and Tohou felt his power shrink by the second which was a good sign. Ulquiorra could feel his mask recede into him. It was a disturbing feeling. Next, his hollow hole was filled inexplicably. Then, his tear marks vanished and his pale skin darkened. Ulquiorra now had the appearance of a normal human, well except for his eyes. They had failed to change. His hair was now longer as there was no bony helmet to hold it back. Still it appeared he was shorter as he lost an inch or two from his missing hollow mask. He had one thought on that moment. Magic was fascinating.

"Yes it seemed to work on hiding his true nature." Touhou commented on his new humanlike appearance. Akasha could only nod with agreement as his human form was surprisingly handsome.

"How do you feel?" Touhou was still worried about his power breaking free from the seals.

"My power feels restrained but it is still possible for me to accidentally break these seals if I'm not constantly checking them." It would be relatively easy to destroy these seals if he did not hone his reiatsu to remain inside him.

"Hmm...perhaps if I added a third one that constantly forced you to leak some of your power into it. That would remedy this. Yes I think it could work." Touhou had devised this method specifically for him after all.

"How would that work?" Akasha had not heard of such seals before.

"I would need a sample of your blood with some of your energy. Then I could imprint the seal onto your body." Touhou indirectly answered her question.

"Like a tattoo?" It sounded like he was talking about a tattoo to her.

"I guess you can see it that way." Touhou gave a chuckle.

"Is it possible for me to choose the design?" Ulquiorra asked Touhou who quickly nodded. He was confident that he could draw it like he wished.

"Oh my. You have something in mind Ulquiorra?" What would someone like Ulquiorra choose for a design? Akasha could not wait for his answer.

"I would like it in the shape of a four on my chest. I could even show you the design if you like he told them. He slowly reached for his eye. Touhou was visibly shaken by his barbaric act of plucking his eye out but he came to understand once the design of the four came to his mind.

He possesses an interesting power. Touhou deduced that his power allowed him to share his thoughts or perhaps even his memories with them without speaking.

"Take all the blood you need. I won't heal fast without my full power, so it is the most optimal time for you to do so." Akasha looked away and held her nose to avoid smelling his wonderful scented blood. She knew that she would not be able to resist otherwise.

"I'll take them off later for you so that you can recover. I'll wait outside for you in the meantime." Akasha quickly did just that and exited in record time. She breathed a sigh of relief. She was able to avoid making a scene.

I hope they finish soon and Ulquiorra should avoid doing that in front of me. He knows I'm a vampire and his blood smells so wonderful. Aaaaa...what am I thinking! I'm going to go crazy if I don't drink some blood right now. With those thoughts on mind she went to go grab a blood pack.

"It will do." Ulquiorra had to admit it was the exact four he had as one of the former espadas. Touhou had completed the seal in under an hour. The seal seemed to suck on his reiatsu constantly. In fact, he doubted he could muster the strength to break the seals now. He quickly flared his reiatsu to test his theory. The seals held firm and the gems glowed as they helped to absorb some of his powers. It would be impossible to utilize his max power with them on. Most of his power was locked and absorbed by the seals. Touhou felt the pressure Ulquiorra emitted and it was still unnerving. With effort, his power still bordered the S category.

"It seems the seals worked as most of your power is gone. Still, I'm surprised your power is still amazing." Touhou now realized the difference between them. The seals he gave him were extremely powerful. Yet, some of his strength remained. He could now understand some of the fear humans had for them. He felt the same way for Ulquiorra. He was a monster among monsters. Ulquiorra nodded with one eye closed. He had stopped bleeding but his eye had failed to heal.

"Have Akasha remove your rings. The tattoo will only stop working after the rings are gone. If you ever need to remove the seals you must have Akasha do it for you. This is the only way to remove the seals. Do not try to forcibly remove them. I will take my leave now. I need to see my cute grandchildren. Take care of her." He winked at him before using the same ring Akasha regularly uses to open a doorway. He gave a short bow before entering the doorway and it immediately disappeared afterwards.

"What a bizarre man." Ulquiorra thought out loud about his last action. What was that gesture for? He exited the room to look for Akasha.

"You need me to accompany you? Why?" Ulquiorra had recently recovered and he was heading back to his room. He would have continued his stride if he was not grabbed by the hand to a sudden halt. He thought that Akasha should really stop doing this. It was bothersome. He turned his head to look at her pleading face.

"It will be fun I guarantee it." Akasha happily stated to him. She planned for him to come along. Sakon would accompany them as well after all.

"I think not." Ulquiorra clearly remembered his last fun trip with them. It was far from it. It was a giant hassle.

"This time is different." Akasha pouted with his blunt answer and she could guess what he was thinking. His eyes seemed more expressive in his human form. She could not stare down at him any longer. Her eyes looked elsewhere.

"How would it be any different from last time?" He doubted she could change his mind on this.

"This time we are visiting where we found you. We're going back to the human world." Akasha hoped it was enough to convince him. It seemed to work.

"Perhaps I'll be able to communicate with the humans." Ulquiorra was intrigued at the idea of communicating with the humans. The only human he could talk to was Tsukune. He was too young to discuss the philosophy of the heart. He hoped to be enlightened by adult humans.

"Is that a yes I hear?" He simply nodded. Akasha released her hold on him. She flashed him a smile of a child. This would be fun.

"You should get ready then. We'll be leaving in half an hour." He nodded and headed to his room to bathe away the scent of blood.

Ulquiorra was greeted by the stun faces of Moka and Tsukune when he walked down the stairs. He looked like a human now. He was not as pale now which was noticeable to them. His new longer hair reached his shoulders. It seemed to suit him better than his shorter hair length. It was a welcome change.

"Ulquiorra, you look just like a human." Tsukune could not contain his silence any longer. Ulquiorra gazed at him at his obvious observation. Of course, that was the whole point besides limiting his power. Moka was thinking the same but she could still feel his power leaking through the seals. Any normal human would not notice but a monster would surely know.

"I suggest you keep your power from leaking out. Monsters will target you if you don't control it more." Moka did not know if he could fight properly in that state. It would also help to hide his identity. Ulquiorra could not help but to nod at her obvious statement. She smiled a bit at his acknowledgement.

"Are you all ready to go?" Akasha had appeared along with Sakon. Sakon took notice of Ulquiorra's appearance but he remained silent. He had to admit, it suited him. They all nodded to her.

"Great. Let's go." Akasha waved her hand and opened the tunnel to the human world.

It was eerily nostalgic to Ulquiorra returning to this small town. It was probably because he spent more time living here than anywhere else in this new reality. The soothing breeze he felt on his skin was a welcomed sensation. This form lacked his hierro which was why it was so sensitive. He viewed the small town from up the hill. It looked exactly as he remembered it. The small forest located nearby was his previous home after all. Would the humans be able to perceive his existence? There was only one way to find out.

"Sakon-san feel free to do as you like while we're here. I know you have not had the chance to visit the human world in such a long time." Sakon nodded he knew exactly what he wanted to do. He had to get his hands on new books about martial arts. He could check out a local bookstore while they were here. He could always learn some new techniques. It was an important hobby of his.

"I wish to go to the local bookstore. Maybe I will be able to find some books that catch my eye." Sakon stated his simple wish to her as they followed the path down the hill. He trailed right behind the children and Akasha.

"Mother why have we come here? There is no festival happening like before." Moka had hoped it would be somewhere she could train by fighting other monsters or beasts, not here. She was slightly disappointed. To be fair, she knew that spending time with Tsukune and her mother would not be boring.

"I was unable to fulfill my promise to Tsukune last time. He wanted to come here during the festival. Still he should have some time to communicate and see how humans live their lives here." Akasha hoped it was a satisfactory answer for Moka. The truth was there was another reason she chose to come here. She wanted to give Ulquiorra a chance to interact with humans. It might be just what he needs to get him to understand.

"It will be fun Moka. We will find something fun to do. We can go to the marketplace and maybe even buy a souvenir. Perhaps, we can even play some games with other children here." Tsukune wished he could play with other boys because he had never had the chance to. Of course, Moka couldn't agree more.

"Just remember about what I said. Do not get separated from each other." Akasha's tone was a bit harsh sounding. She knew the true reality of how humans could treat others unfairly. She did not want her children to experience that resentment.

"We know." They both answered her simultaneously. She smiled at how in sync they were with each other. Today would be a great day. The children ran down the hill. Akasha merely walked down the path. Sakon smiled at the sight of the children racing to see who could reach the town first. Ulquiorra simply followed after Sakon thinking of what he would do first. Perhaps he could meet the poor fellow he would always steal from. The apple seller. Now he could actually pay for the apples he had grown to savor while he was here. Yes, he could grab a bite. He had not eaten today. Besides those seals have strained his strength. It would be wise to recover that depleted energy.

They had finally reached the center of the town. It was close to the evening and there weren't many people at the moment. There were only a few elders sitting down the benches. They viewed the strangers. They were foreign that was certain. Only the young boy with them seemed like he belonged here. They did not get many visitors here and they have never seen them before. They could not help but to think how elegant and beautiful they were. They would have kept staring at them if it were not for the sharp gaze the shortest adult of the group gave them. His piercing emerald eyes made them return to their conversation.

It seems to be true, they can perceive me. Ulquiorra had felt their eyes on them and he turned to face the elders. Immediately, they returned to their conversation. The two females and one male had chosen to turn away once he had taken notice.

"Don't stare at them. You'll creep them out." Moka told him after witnessing the whole scene play out. Ulquiorra did not reply, he only turned to face Akasha. Akasha giggled a little at the whole thing. It was kind of amusing to her. He still gave people the chills in his human form.

"Sorry Ulquiorra. I agree with her. You may look human but your eyes are still kind of intimidating." Tsukune voiced his opinion. It was not a favorable one but it was true in his case.

"Speaking of which, Moka-sama, you have not activated your seal correctly. The silver hair might be fine but your eyes could give you away." They were not green like her mother's yet. They were still deep red.

"Oh crap!" Moka blurted out in embarrassment. She had ridiculed Ulquiorra and had completely forgotten about her seal. Her cheeks redden and she quickly activated her rosario cross. Her eyes changed to her mother's green eyes. However, her hair color remained unchanged.

"Thank you Sakon. I have failed to notice." Akasha was truly thankful for Sakon's sharp eyes. She was so preoccupied about Ulquiorra she had forgotten to check her daughter's seal. Sakon nodded to her. He would have mentioned it sooner but he was thinking of the books at the time.

"Now before it gets too late and the sun sets, I would like you all to be back here by eight. Especially the both of you." Akasha looked down at Moka before turning to face Tsukune.

"Do what you must to bring her on time. Okay?"

"Got it." Tsukune nodded with a chuckle. Moka turned her back on them with a huff.

"Off you go then and please do be careful." She stated and they both raced off to explore the town. She smiled with a shake of her head.

"Shouldn't you go with them? Isn't it more wise to be there to make sure they stay safe?" Ulquiorra knew how protective she could be. Why not be there to ensure their safety? It was illogical and irresponsible in his eyes. Sakon could tell that Ulquiorra was right. He knew he was just expressing his opinion, but it was awfully rude. Akasha gave a sly smile to his questioning.

"Moka and Tsukune sometimes need time to themselves. I know they don't like to be watched every time we go somewhere. They might be young but I feel they are wise for their age. Don't you think? Besides, I think I have someone else I need to watch here, don't you think so?" Akasha let out a chuckle at Ulquiorra's expense. Sakon could feel a cold sweat at her words. She had just treated Ulquiorra like a child. He could feel the tension in the air. Ulquiorra's eyes seemed to narrow a bit at her words. He gazed at the chuckling woman. He did not find it amusing.

"Akasha-sama I think we should get going. I will go on ahead to ask about the bookstores. I will be sure to return on time." And with that, he quickly walked to search for the nearest bookstore. Perhaps, it would help to deescalate the situation if he changed the topic. He not only wanted to check as many stores as he could, but he also did not want to be near the Arrancar right now. He was a brave warrior, but it seemed Akasha was braver.

"Did I hit a nerve? I was only joking." Akasha patted Ulquiorra's right shoulder. He did nothing and said nothing. Akasha felt it was awkward to continue at how motionless he stood.

"Why don't we get going too and you can tell me what you like to do." Akasha laughed nervously. She hoped he would not refuse to speak with her.

"Free at last!" Moka exclaimed and came to stop waiting for Tsukune to catch up. He quickly caught up to her panting. He matched Moka's speed but it was tiring for him. Moka should have realized that he was still tired from Ulquiorra's training.

"Don't you know I'm tired? Give me a break." He complained while he sat by a nearby bench. They were in a park. They have spotted some nearby children playing nearby. Moka had chosen to avoid them for now.

"Awww….Is that little baby tired. Does the little baby need his mommy." Moka giggled at his expense. Tsukune's face became crimson, knowing exactly what she meant.

"Shut it Moka! That was a long time ago! How do you even still remember?" Tsukune wanted to die in embarrassment. It was an old game Moka played with him when they were much younger. Her giggle had grown to laughter.

"What about you, hmm?" Tsukune said nothing but looked down. What could he say? He wanted to forget it if he could, but how could he? She made him remember with her teasing.

"Whatever!" He yelled out loud which caught the attention of the children nearby. The children had been playing tag but it was starting to get boring. They were all younger than Tsukune and Moka. The oldest child was ten, he was the leader of the group. He was the first to spot them. He had chosen to approach them. It would be much funner if they had more players.

"Excuse me. My name is Saito. Would you and your girlfriend like to play with us? We could always use more players." Tsukune instantly waved his hands in denial. His face was as red as a tomato. Moka looked away from them both in an attempt to hide her face.

"She's not my girlfriend! She's my friend." He corrected the boy's assumption.

"Oh really? Well would you like to play then?" He asked once more.

"We'll play. My name is Moka and this idiot is Tsukune." Moka sounded a bit annoyed at Tsukune. Saito nodded and motioned for them to follow. Tsukune looked confused at Moka's retreating figure. What did he do now?

"Do you have money to pay for it?" Akasha doubted Ulquiorra had the funds to pay for the apples he wished for. He shook his head and she reached into her dress. She pulled out a small pouch. She handed him some money. It was a generous amount.

"Take this and use it to pay." He nodded and put it in his pockets. They were walking by the fruit stalls. Ulquiorra had told her he wished to buy some of the apples he had eaten here before. Akasha had chosen to accompany him as it was his first time in the human world in which he could be seen by people. It did not take them long to find the exact same stall Ulquiorra had stolen from. The same man was still manning the same stall. Ulquiorra silently approached the man.

"Hello sir, would you like to buy some apples?" Ulquiorra did not say a word. He just nodded.

"Okay. How many would you like, sir?"

"My name is Ulquiorra, not sir." He told the fruit stand guy. The man could sense the hostility from Ulquiorra whose expression had not changed.

"I'm sorry. We'll take a dozen. He's a bit grouchy today. Forgive him." Akasha finally spoke after seeing Ulquiorra's horrible interaction. She could feel the man had become uncomfortable. She gave the poor man a warm smile. The man noted how beautiful Akasha was. He figured they were both models. They were both beautiful people to him. Still, he felt sorry for her. He appeared to be a jerk. Doesn't she know? Looks aren't everything. What a shame.

"That's quite alright. Let me get that for you." He quickly grabbed the nicest apples he could see and put them in a paper bag. He handed it to Akasha. Ulquiorra reached into his pocket and pulled out the money. He held up the cash to the man.

"Take it." Ulquiorra told the man. The man's eyes widened. It was too much for the price of the apples. Just one bill is enough let alone the pile of money he took out.

"That's too much money. I only need this bill and I can give you the change." He reached for the smallest amount and his fingers touched Ulquiorra's palm. He was quickly hit by a realization. He retracted his hand and reached for his temple. He could feel his head ache.

"Are you okay?" Akasha asked the man who appeared to be in pain. He waved her off to reassure her.

"Have we met somewhere before? My name is Shido." Now that he thought about it, Ulquiorra reminded him of someone.

"Perhaps." Ulquiorra placed all the money on the stand and began to walk away.

"This is too much! I can't accept this!" He shouted at Ulquiorra who did not bother to care. He had no need for money.

"Please accept it. He would appreciate it if you do. He was really keen on buying some of your apples. He really likes them. Thank you." Akasha bowed and waved a goodbye. She didn't want to lose sight of Ulquiorra. The man let out a sigh. Perhaps he judged the man unfairly.

"I wonder who they were?" The man massaged his temple to relieve his headache.

Tsukune and Moka waved goodbye at their new friends. Their parents have shown up to take them home. Daisuke was the last one to go. Tsukune and Moka enjoyed the time they spent playing with them. Tsukune enjoyed playing with and talking to the boys. Daisuke was closer to his age so they got along better. He could not remember the last time he had so much fun. Moka had enjoyed her time as well. She was the undisputed champion of the game called tag. The younger girls admired her for how pretty and how fast she was. It was a boost to her ego.

"That was fun, wasn't it?" Tsukune expected a favorable answer.

"It was." Moka answered him. It was not the fun she had in mind but it was certainly a great experience for her. She looked up into the sky. It was getting dark. She could see the sun was about to set.

"What time is it?"

"It's about seven o'clock." Tsukune checked his wristwatch. It was a black digital watch he would wear on trips. They could only do so much before they had to return to the center of town. Tsukune walked to the nearby bench and sat down. He was exhausted from all that exercise he had today. Moka joined him and sat down with him.

"Say, why were you mad earlier?" He gave her a curious look of concern.

"Just forget it." She sounded annoyed again. He had to bring it up when she was in such a good mood.

"I really want to know though and I have about an hour to get it out of you." He would not budge from here. He did not want Moka to be upset with him without knowing what he did wrong. Moka shrugged her shoulders. She remained silent. Tsukune could feel the tension in the air. He felt extremely awkward. They have not uttered a word for several minutes. She looked up to the sky again. The night had come. Tsukune could not help but to admire the night sky.

"I think I said something I shouldn't have right? Or maybe I did something wrong?" Tsukune continued hoping for a reply.

"Did you have to deny it so fast?" Moka gave Tsukune a piercing glare. It was sudden and quite scary.

"Huh?" He looked dumbfounded.

"Is there something you dislike about me?" Moka stood up from the bench. She crossed her arms and bent down to look at him. It was like a teacher lecturing their student sitting on their desk. It was frightening. He could feel his back press hard onto the bench.

"You wanted to talk right? Then, let's talk." She sounded like she was getting angrier by the second. He swallowed his saliva. Maybe it was best to keep quiet next time.

"Of course I don't dislike…"

"Oh really? I heard how fast you denied it. It was almost like you were disgusted at the thought!" Her angry face was close to his. Tsukune could not keep eye contact. He looked away from her. He had hurt her feelings.

"Maybe I was wrong and I'm the idiot." Her voice sounded disappointed. She turned around from him to stop him from seeing her face.

"No! I'm the idiot for not realizing sooner." He grabbed her shoulder. She shook his hand off. He would not be able to touch her, let alone hug her. What could he do to apologize? He could buy her a gift to say he's sorry. Maybe he should tell her how he really feels. No. What if it made things worse? Tsukune could feel himself sliding off the bench. Moka had reached under the bench and was lifting one side. Before he could react he was knocked onto the ground. The bench quickly fell into place. He rubbed his butt from the fall. He would have continued to apologize to Moka but she was already running away.

"You're such an idiot!" Moka yelled in anger, she could not stand to look at him right now. Tsukune kicked the bench in frustration. He really screwed up.

Akasha found it a bit odd that Ullquiorra was waiting for her outside the gift shop. She had walked into the store and purchased some gifts. She had taken twenty minutes to find suitable gifts. That included a gift for Ulquiorra. He had told her that he would explore the town in the meantime and that he would meet with her at the appointed time. She had accepted his terms because she could not buy a gift in front of him.

"I thought you said you would meet me later when it was time to leave?" Akasha raised her eyebrow in confusion. Ulquiorra had never changed his mind before.

"I got bored relatively quickly and now I'm here." Ulquiorra raised his arms to stretch them. Akasha could not help but to giggle.

"What is so funny?" He asked her with raised eyebrows. His face was so expressive. It was strange to her. He had never made a face like that before. It was adorable to her but it seemed off. Had talking with some of the humans worked better than she hoped?

"Oh nothing. I just never realized you could be so expressive." Akasha smiled a bit, perhaps the lessons were working after all. Ulquiorra gave her his usual gaze.

"Did you find what you needed?"

"Yes I was able to buy wonderful gifts." He nodded and crossed his arms. Akasha examined his strange behavior carefully. Maybe those apples are making him act this way? I know he wanted to eat two apples, so where are the rest?

"What happened to the apples you bought earlier?"

"I ate them already." That's strange. He said he would only eat two. Perhaps they were too delicious for him to resist.

"We should start heading back then." Akasha walked a steady pace and Ulquiorra followed behind her. Ulquiorra found it odd that she picked up the pace, like she was in a hurry. They walked quite a distance before Akasha headed into a nearby alley. Ulquiorra looked around and noted they were heading for a dead end. There seemed to be no one nearby and they had not run into any humans along the way. It was quite dark too. He would have continued to follow behind but it seemed strange to him. There was no point in coming here. He watched her put the bag full of gifts onto the ground. He observed her as she tied her hair into a ponytail and held it with her ribbon. What was she doing?

"You know, you almost had me fooled." Ulquiorra eyes widen. How did she figure it out? He had to stop her now. He dashed at her with incredible speed before she could turn around. He was swiftly kicked back to the wall. He gasped for air. He tried to stand back to prepare for her next attack but it was too late. He found himself off his feet before he knew what had happened.

"Who sent you? You're not Ulquiorra! You're a doppelganger." She interrogated him with a powerful grip that threatened to snap his neck.

"How the hell…" He struggled to fight her off. He heard her chuckle.

"I admit, you almost had me fooled. Still I should have realized from the start. You were too expressive to be him. He is also not a heavy eater. Still, what really gave you away was the lack of his Zanpakuto. He would never forget to carry that around." The fake Ulquiorra glared down at her in anger. She squeezed tighter.

"I really hate doing this, but you leave me no choice. You were hired by whom? Who sent you here? What were you scheming to do?" She was furious. How did they find out about their visit to the human world? Doppelgangers were the best infiltrators and the most successful monsters to hide among the humans. They were perfect for ambushing other monsters. Are there others here? She had to make sure he talked.

He knew it was too dangerous to talk. He would just have to bear it and escape when he could. He had some useful intel on her though. Apparently the strongest dark lord was kind. It was sickening to him. She would never kill him. The plan was never to defeat her anyways. He laughed in delight. The plan would still work.

"You'll see soon enough." Akasha's grip softened when she heard him struggle to speak. He felt her loosen. It was his only chance. He instantly disappeared from her grasp. He had shapeshifted into a small fly. Akasha tried to restrain him once more but it was too late. He flew off into the distance.

"Bastard!" She shouted to the flying insect. Who was behind all this? What was his purpose for imitating Ulquiorra? She had a bad feeling about this. She had to find Moka and Tsukune. The doppelganger did not get very far before he was quickly swallowed by a bat.

Ulquiorra was displeased. He had the opportunity to ask the humans some of his questions about their emotions. However, they had not taken him seriously. Most ignored him and walked away. A few laughed at him without being able to speak a sentence. Others asked him if he was alright. He was convinced that humans were incredibly stupid. Not a single one provided him a useful response. And the females were incredibly annoying. They wanted to talk to him about useless things. They all thought alike. Are you single? What kind of question is that? He now sat alone by the steps that led to the plaza. He was right again. He had gained nothing from this. His gaze shifted to the paper bag next to him. Well, it wasn't a total waste. He did repay the man and acquired some apples. He reached in and took a bite. He savored the nostalgic taste. It was just as good as he remembered. He always regretted scavenging for food here, but now he had to no longer. Well, as long as he had money to pay with that is. He would have taken another bite but his apple was knocked off his hand. A man walking down the steps had bumped into him. The man did not even bother to check what he had done. Ulquiorra immediately stood up.

"You imbecile." Ulquiorra could not believe the indecency of certain humans. He had lost an apple because this human was too stupid to see where he was going. The man was visibly frightened and took off running. Ulquiorra chose to sit back down on the steps he had lost his appetite. Maybe he should have not eaten on the steps. He had not seen humans passby recently. For the past five minutes, that was the only human he has seen since he came to these steps. He looked up into the sky. What time is it? Perhaps, he should head out to the center of town.

"There you are." Ulquiorra heard Akasha's voice behind him. He turned to face her. Something was off to him. Her presence felt different somehow. He was certain of it. She was not Akasha.

"You cannot fool me. You are not Akasha-sama. Who are you?" Ulquiorra stood up from the steps and walked down the plaza to confront this faker. He had to admit, her appearance was exactly the same, but her aura was not.

"Impressive. Only our kind can tell the difference between us and the real deal." Akasha grinned darkly.

"Enough. Answer me." He now stood facing the impostor who dared to take the form of Akasha-sama. He would not get off lightly.

"So it is true. You are the potential problem I heard about. Someone with great power who does not fear the dark lords. It's a good thing I bumped into you earlier." Akasha slowly morphed into Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra was surprised at how it had transformed into him. Ulquiorra did not have the chance to react before he was punched by his copy. The fake gave a dark laugh.

"Incredible. Your power is amazing." The doppelganger had never experienced speed like this before. Werewolves were incredibly fast, but this was on another level. Still he had to be careful with this speed. He had to adjust little by little to this new body. Ulquiorra stood up immediately from the gazebo he crashed into. He had to admit that was a powerful hit. Ulquiorra no longer possessed his hierro. He spat the blood from his mouth. He had to be careful to avoid injuries. He would not be able to regenerate in this form. He rapidly unleashed a volley of balas at his duplicate.

I need to figure out how to do that. Maybe it was effective against other monsters but he could see them clearly. It would be easy to evade. His doppelganger raised its hands and yawned.

"This is too easy. You will never hit me with that." The doppelganger cackled and moved side to side to avoid the incoming attacks. He did not get to savor the moment for long. He was savagely punched and kicked repeatedly by Ulquiorra. Ulquiorra gave him a kick into the air before he kicked him back down. As the dust settled he watched his fake remain motionless. He would have left then and there, but he watched as his fake stood once more. His face was severely beaten and bloodied. Ulquiorra eyes widen in disbelief. He was recovering. His face slowly returned to normal. Was it even possible to win? His regeneration seemed stronger than his own. He somehow had copied his regeneration when he did not possess it currently.

"Why are you surprised? These are your abilities right?" He watched the fake crack his neck to relieve some of the tension from the last hits. This body was the most perfect he had ever transformed into. Once he killed him, he would become the original. Once he adapted to this body, perhaps he could become the ruler of this world. He would hone this transformation and then he would challenge the dark lords. It was a pleasing thought to him. His face contorted to show his true nature. He had a psychotic demeanor.

"Let us continue!" He shouted in glee. He wanted to test the limit of his new power. Ulquiorra could not win this fight. Not without neutralizing him completely. He would have to disobey Akasha-sama. He could not let him live. It was a simple matter of life and death. He would die in this pathetic state if he did not fight with lethal intent. He would apologize later to her.

"Come you pathetic imitation." Ulquiorra beckoned the impostor to attack him. It worked and he charged at him with visible anger. The doppelganger's strength relied on their ability to copy their enemies. It was quite insulting. The fake quickly tried to punch him and they were evenly matched. Ulquiorra blocked every punch and kick he received. His copy did as well. Ulquiorra wondered why his fake attacked so simply and with no skill. Maybe, he could not copy the experience one possesses. Ulquiorra kicks his copy back from him. It was time to find out.

His double's face scowled in pain before it was replaced by a smile. The pain was gone immediately. He attacked once again and they exchanged blows. He would eventually win like this. He continued to try to breach his defense, but it was futile. Ulquiorra began to block all of his attacks. Before he realized it, the doppelganger was unable to block some of the kicks Ulquiorra had delivered. He hissed in pain and in anger. Ulquiorra quickly chopped his fake while he tried to recover some of the damage Ulquiorra had just given him.

"You may have my physical abilities. But it appears you lack experience and cannot imitate my techniques that I have learned. You will be unable to beat me." Ulquiorra had analyzed the form his copy had used. While his speed and regeneration were troubling his hand to hand combat was terrible. It was not a problem if he continued to beat him like this. He could tire him out like this and not resort to kill him. The fake grew angrier and charged at him once again. It was the same story, he was constantly beaten back down by Ulquiorra. He could see that his energy was fading. His yoki seemed to diminish with each beat down he gave him.

"It seems you fakes can't copy us perfectly. My regeneration is quite taxing on you." The fake visibly became frightened at his observation. He knew it was impossible to copy his enemies perfectly but it shouldn't be this different.

"Fuck! This is bullshit! How can we be this different?" He shouted in frustration. He slowly stood up. His yoki was almost depleted.

"You're a fool to rely on transformations alone. You also require experience to fully utilize them." Ulquiorra kneed the fake on his stomach knowing he would not be able to recover. His yoki was practically gone. Ulquiorra stopped him from falling by grabbing his clothes.

"Who sent you? Talk now or I will kill you." Ulquiorra's monotone voice scared him. It was like Ulquiorra had no real interest if he told him or not. He had no qualms with either choice. Ulquiorra examined his own face in fear. It was a strange feeling to see your own face fear you. The doppelganger covered his head with his hands.

"It was some vampires that's all I know!" He shouted for his life. Ulquiorra nodded before hitting his fake on the head. It knocked him unconscious. He had to find Akasha immediately.

Where could she be? He had been unable to find her after she had run away. In fifteen minutes it would be 8 'o'clock. He had searched around the town but he could not find her. She must be terribly angry with him. He had awaited for her to return as it would have been impossible to keep up with her if she did not let him. Unfortunately, she never came back. He would be unable to talk to her until she was ready. He started to head back to the spot where Akasha had them agree to meet.

"Onii-chan." Tsukune could hear a gentle voice behind him. He quickly turns and comes face to face with a redheaded girl. She was cutely dressed with her red blouse, black skirt and black stocking. Tsukune did not have time to think about how cute she was. He was scared of how she was wielding an enormous spiked bat that easily dwarfed their size with one hand. The girl was walking towards him and it was very intimidating. What if she struck him with it? As she walked closer to him, he was able to make out her face. Her green eyes glowed through the darkness. He examined her two short ponytails, each tied with a red ribbon. She resembled Kokoa. Could she actually be Kokoa?

"Kokoa is that you?" Tsukune could not help but to ask. She was the youngest of the vampire sisters and he had the least interactions with her because of it. Her mother had taken measures to assure it. She carefully positioned the giant weapon in front of her to the ground to hide from his gaze.

"It is you, isn't it?" He asked once more hoping to have his suspicion confirmed. He saw her peek behind the bat and nod.

"I can't believe how much you have grown Kokoa. You caught up to me." Tsukune could tell they were similar in height. He remembered she was much shorter when she was younger. That was in the past now though.

"Onii-chan I missed you!" Kokoa blurted out suddenly letting the bat fall to the ground. The heavy thud and vibration confirmed the heaviness of the bat. He quickly felt his body be enveloped by the young redhead. He returned the hug. He had missed her too. He would have continued to hold her longer but it seemed she forgot that he was a human after all. He could feel that if she squeezed any tighter his spine would snap.

"Kokoa. I can't breathe." He managed to say out of breath. She quickly released him after hearing that.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't realize. I just haven't seen you in such a long time." Kokoa sheepishly apologized. She had forgotten her own strength there for a moment.

"It's alright Kokoa. I'm just so happy I get to see you again." He flashed a smile at her and she returned it with her own. He was glad that Kokoa seemed to be the same as he remembered her. She did not resent him like her older sisters. While he was truly happy, he could not help but find it odd. What was she doing here? What was the chance of running into her in such a small town like this, in the human world? It just didn't add up. His thoughts were interrupted by Kokoa's returning embrace.

"Onii-chan. There is something I have to tell you." He heard her whisper into his ear. Her voice was quiet but serious. She received a nod to confirm he was listening.

"The truth is I came here to look for you." Tsukune could understand that but how did she know he would be here? He would have to ask her.

"Kokoa! What the hell are you doing?" A fierce voice yelled behind him. Kokoa's smile faded and was instantly replaced by fear. He felt her arms loosen and return to her side. Tsukune was worried about Kokoa. She had not moved at all. She was deathly afraid of this girl's voice. He turned to face the owner of the voice. It was an older girl dressed in a black stealth skintight suit. It completely covered her body. Tsukune could see her light blonde hair swaying in the breeze. Her dark red eyes glared in disgust at him. He was immediately overcome with the same fear. He had recognized her. It was Kahlua and she was carrying Moka over her shoulder. She was visibly hurt and unconscious. She gave him an evil grin baring her fangs.

"Hey, Tsukune. Did you miss me too?" She gave a dark chuckle and he slowly backed away from her until he bumped into Kokoa. He turned to look at Kokoa and he realized what he had to do. He quickly grabbed her trembling hand and tried to run away with her. She did not move. He tried once more but it was impossible to move her. Her muscles were locked in place. He heard Kahlua's laughter coming closer.

"Please move Kokoa. She's coming! We have to find Akasha-san!" He tried once again but it was like trying to move a boulder. He began to hyperventilate at his predicament. What could he do?

I should carry her out of here. Tsukune felt like an idiot for not thinking of it sooner.

"You know what to do, right?" He heard the evil girl speak. At those words Tsukune was violently pulled back by Kokoa. His arm felt tremendous pain but he was swiftly punched in the gut before he could react. His vision darkened and he could have sworn he heard Kokoa say something. He succumbed to the darkness.

"Forgive me Onii-chan."