Author's Note: Just a small Bleach one-shot of Ichigo's thoughts as he fights a horde of hollows, inspired by the Bleach song "Invasion" from the OST of DDR. You can decide for yourself when it's meant to be taking place. I strongly recommend listening to Invasion it whilst reading-that's what I wrote it to.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Or the song Invasion.
Invasion
The last hollow grabbed me, and flung me away to land heavily on the concrete ground. My head smashed against the pavement, and my own blood seeped down into my eyes as I struggled to my feet.
The hollow was almost passing the edge of Karakura Town, now, making its slow, deadly, purposeful way. I was worn out now by fighting the dozens of hollows, and my kimono was stained with blood. I felt like I would fall apart at any moment, and already I could feel my inner hollow rising up within me, taking advantage of my weakness, eagerly waiting the moment when it could take control…
For every man there is a cause which he would gladly die for…
The hollow crossed through into Karakura Town, and something inside me snapped. Forcing my inner hollow back down inside me, and gathering the last of my strength, I charged at the hollow, the power of my bankai allowing me to reach it in matter of seconds.
"Oh no you don't!" I cried. "I won't let a single one of you damn hollows touch my home!"
Defend the right to have a place to which he can belong to…
Weakly, I swung Zangetsu round in a half circle, as if I were drawing a crescent moon in the sky, and cried, "Getsuga Tenshou!" My throat was dry from screaming it over and over throughout the fight.
The hollow's arm fell away, but I had missed its mask. It opened it's great, yawning mouth, and a blast of cero knocked me away again. This time however, I managed to stay on my feet, hovering in the air a few feet away.
Reluctantly, I realised I would have to use my hollow mask-I hadn't intended to waste the energy it took up fighting a normal hollow.
And every man would fight with his bare hands in desperation…
I barely had the strength to summon the mask, but sure enough, it came. Through the golden-amber and black eyes, everything looked subtly different. It was as if I was looking at the world through a screen.
I struggled towards the hollow, which was making its way along one of the outermost streets of my home, the power from my mask and my own resolve the only things keeping me going.
"Perhaps you didn't hear me before," I murmered, standing in front of the hollow and raising Zangetsu so it's blade was pointing directly at the fallen soul's mask. "I won't let a single one of you damn hollows in here."
Then, in a single flash-step, I was less than two inches away from the hollow's mask. Summoning the very last of my strength, I raised Zangetsu high above my head, and brought it down on the startled hollow, cleaving clean through its mask, even as my own began to ebb away.
The hollow vanished in a cloud of black squares. I sheathed Zangetsu, and was about to turn away, when my knees buckled beneath me and my legs failed. I collapsed onto empty air that suddenly felt cold and hard, like the pavement looming below, completely spent. I struggled to rise, and ended up coughing up blood. I sank back onto my chest, and the world sank into darkness.
And shed his blood to spread the flood to barricade invasion!
Author's Note: Loved it? Hated it? Tell me! (But don't flame).