PROLOGUE
He had managed to dodge the first swing of his enemy's sword, as well as the second, but the third was what finally did him in.
Blood shot forth from the cut in his chest; his eyes widened to match that of his injury. Pain and weariness began to set in as his body would not allowed him to continue any further. Already, he had pushed himself far beyond what he ever did in the past, further even, than his alter ego had taken his body.
As he dropped to the tiled floor of the courtyard, his hand struggled to remain grasping to his sword, his breath had trouble moving in and out of his lungs, and his gaze could only seem to look upon the figure of his opponent. He could feel the effects of pushing himself, destroying himself to gain a few minutes more to fight a losing battle, or perhaps, to prove to himself that could still do it – that he could still win against the impossible.
As he summoned the strength to lift his head, he caught a glimpse of his dark enemy's grand finale. His mind could perceive the massing energy within its palm; a vibrant red glow, beaming brighter and brighter. The atmosphere shifted. The air became unnaturally heavy. Beads of sweat began to fall at an angle from a foreign source of gravity. It was no wonder to him what was coming next.
His body suddenly sapped of all willpower and strength. As his helpless body lay there, the words of the one standing over him echoed as the culminated energy capped out with a loud zapping sound.
"Kurosaki Ichigo," all at once, time stopped, "with your end, our goals shall draw nearer to completion." Its arm extended out to him.
His vision faded.
His body went numb.
He would not see the flash of light.
He would not hear the explosion.
All at once, it was over.
The dark one's arm lowered as pieces of debris still fell to the ground. "For this is the will of Atrum Norma."
