"Huh." Orihime stared at the person who kicked Ichigo. The person was someone she has never seen before. He had a white shirt, a black pant, and black sneakers.
"Who are you?" Ulquiorra asked which surprised Orihime since Ulquiorra doesn't talk much.
As soon as Ulquiorra asked, Ichigo appeared in front of the person using Sonido, swung his Zanpakuto.
The person disappeared before the sword came to contact and appeared behind Ichigo, kicked him in the butt.
'Sonido?' Ulquiorra thought. He quickly came to the conclusion that the person was an Arrancar since he used Sonido, which only Arrancars can use. But he couldn't remember an Arrancar strong enough to fight Ichigo in his new form which he who was in Segunda Etapa was unable to do so.
"You are...Nova?" A distant voice came.
"You know him Ury?" Orihime asked. She was wondering if the person who was currently fighting Ichigo had also come to save her.
"Yes." Uryu arrived at the spot where Orihime was running while panting.
"He said his name was Nova. He came to Hueco Mundo with us." Uryu got shivers when he remembers the first meeting with Nova.
He met Nova for the first time when he went to Urahara Shop with Sado a little before entering Hueco Mundo.
While Nova was fighting Ichigo, Ulquiorra managed to heal himself with his last drop of Spiritual Energy.
"How come you guys come with an Arrancar?" Ulquiorra asked Uryu, who had a puzzled expression on his face after hearing this.
Ulquiorra at first thought Nova was a secret weapon created by Aizen since it was the most logical answer to why there was a stronger Arrancar than most of the Espada. But after hearing the Arrancar came with Ichigo's group this theory was shattered leaving Ulquiorra with the same question.
"Arrancar? Are you telling me that Nova guy is an Arrancar?" Uryu shouted. Even if Uryu was a genius his brain couldn't process the information. After all, why would Arrancar help them when they were enemies.
"He used Sonido." Ulquiorra gave a short answer.
Uryu knew that Sonido was exclusive only to Arrancar like Shunpo was exclusive to Shinigami.
"Ichigo." Orihime screamed and run while Uryu was in deep thought.
Uryu was startled by the sudden change of event and looked in the direction where Orihime was running to.
There he saw Ichigo laying on the ground. He lost his Hollow like appearance and was returned to his normal look. Also, the hole that should be in his chest completely vanished.
"Who are you?" Ulquiorra asked indifferently.
"I'm Nova, a natural Arrancar like you." Nova replied.
"Why was Arrancar like you were with us?" Uryu interrupted the conversation that was about to begin between Nova and Ulquiorra. "It surely wasn't to save Orihime, right?"
"Of course. Why would I save a human girl that has no connection with me?" Nova replied coldly.
"Then why?" Uryu was dying to know the reason.
"That doesn't concern a Quincy like you." Nova was cold towards Uryu as he always been.
"Grrr..."
Uryu was glaring daggers at Nova before he heard slight grunting from Ichigo.
As Ichigo woke up Orihime cried out of relief.
Ichigo soothed Orihime before noticing those around him.
Nova glanced at Ichigo before asking Ulquiorra to leave with him if he wants to learn about his, to which Ulquiorra agreed.
"Who is Nova? And what is his objective accompanying us here?" Uryu asked the question which Nova wouldn't tell him, hoping Ichigo might know.
"All I know is, Nova is an Arrancar that is friends with Urahara. As for his objective, he said he was planning to turn all artificial Arrancars into natural Arrancars." Ichigo replied.
"Urahara? Are you talking about that Urahara?" Uryu asked more fiercely this time.
"Y-yes." Ichigo was scared of the aura Uryu was emitting.
"Why would that Urahara be friends with an Arrancar? He is an enemy of him" Uryu was bursting fire right now.
"I don't really know. They just said they had an agreement to help each of them and never told me anything except that."
"Wha..."
Before Uryu asks another question Orihime stopped him telling Ichigo needed time to rest.
***
Nova and Ulquiorra who returned to his normal appearance was walking while talking some serious stuff.
"So your objective is to turn artificial Arrancars that born with the help of Hogyoku to natural ones. But why?" Ulquiorra after asserting all the information he learned from the conversation.
"You are aware of Arrancar born with the help of Hogyoku is typically stronger than natural ones, right?" Nova asked.
"For some cases, yes." Ulquiorra replied. He knew most natural Arrancars were inferior to the artificial Arrancars with few exceptions.
"But they will become weaker as natural Arrancars learn to use their power properly and achieve further stages like Segundo Etapa."
"Are you saying there are further stages after Segundo Etapa?" Ulquiorra asked.
"Yes. It maximizes at the Tres Etapa."
Ulquiorra stayed silent after hearing the statement, wondering if he could achieve that so-called Tres Etapa.
"And back to the topic. After turning all possible candidates into natural ones I would like to create a place where Arrancars can leave in peace. Just like Las Noches. So will you help me?"
"Yes." Ulquiorra replied after thinking for a while. He just wants a place where he can learn about emotions. "Is there others beside me who knows about this?"
"Tier is the only one besides you. But don't worry I will recruit all the Espada that are worthy."
Ulquiorra stayed silent as he acquired all the information he needs.
Nova then vanished using Sonido leaving Ulquiorra alone. But Ulquiorra followed him.
Soon after they arrived at the battlefield where Ichigo fought Grimmjow.
Nova walked to Grimmjow who was on the brink of death.
Nova crouched and extended his right hand, touching the head of Grimmjow.
Ulquiorra watched the event silently from the side for few seconds before Grimmjow's wounds magically began to heal.
After Grimmjow was completely healed, Nova kicked him, bringing him back from the dreamland.
Grimmjow looked around, surprised before noticing Ulquiorra then remembers Nnoitora's sneak attack which made him mad.
"Who are you?" Grimmjow asked Nova but Nova told Ulquiorra to explain things as he had job to do.
Nova then stood beside the green-haired kid that had broken bone on his head.
"Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, I presume?" Nova asked the kid who was clearly startled by the sudden arrival of Nova.
Nel stood silent before Nova crouched and touched her skull.
Suddenly she felt something was changing inside him.
Ulquiorra after explained everything to Grimmjow was watching Nova who was touching a kid like he did with Grimmjow.
Suddenly, the broken skull on the kid's head healed making Nel transform into her real form.
"He did that to me too?" Grimmjow asked which he didn't get a reply as he anticipated.
"You two take her to somewhere else while I have a place to go." Nova stood up, opening Garganta in front of him.
"Okay." Ulquiorra answered solemnly.
Soon Grimmjow, Ulquiorra, and Nelliel were in one of the towers waiting for Nova to come back.
Grimmjow scratched the back of his head, said "Something has been bothering me this whole time."
"What?" Ulquiorra was forced to ask since he was in charge of these two.
"I feel like something inside of me has changed." Grimmjow confessed.
"You felt it too. I have been feeling the same too." Nelliel added.
Ulquiorra stayed silent. He guessed they might have turned into natural Arrancar but he wasn't too sure since he didn't have clue about it.
"Maybe he turned us into natural Arrancar while healing." Nelliel exclaimed which Grimmjow agreed.