Ichigo and Ulquiorra's final battle properly gets underway with the two of them being more or less evenly matched. Ichigo is able to read his opponent's movements better than he could when they first fought, and manages to wound Ulquiorra, if even slightly. Ichigo surmises that it's either he is becoming more like a Hollow or his opponent is becoming more human, which angers Ulquiorra. Meanwhile, Chad and Renji fight a gigantic Hollow-Arrancar hybrid in the desert of Las Noches, eventually claiming victory after discovering its weakness. Back in the Tower, Orihime manages to protect Ichigo from a near-lethal attack from Ulquiorra.