Don't own either series that's present in this story.
…
"…Why won't you teach me, Tensa? Ghhk!" A question sounded out, completely unhindered by the ocean currently submerging the person who asked. Said question was only met with the occasional grunt of exertion, as well as the collision of blade against blade. Truly, it made no sense for there to be such defined sounds underwater, but this wasn't a normal body of water to begin with.
"You still don't get it, do you… Kurosaki?"
And so the identity of one was revealed. Kurosaki Ichigo: Age 16, Human and Substitute Shinigami, last hope of the Soul Society against Traitor Sosuke Aizen. Currently, he fought against the one person he thought he understood most.
"Enlighten me, Tensa Zangetsu. What don't I get?" For a few minutes after, blows were traded in silence, as the now-known Tensa Zangetsu, Spirit-Weapon of Kurosaki Ichigo, seemed to ponder how he should word his next statement-or question.
"…What you wish to protect… is not the same as what I wish to protect, Kurosaki."
"But… I thought you said that you'd lend your power to me, no matter the cause-"
"Fool! You're referring to your Shikai again! Remember who your Bankai is, Kurosaki!"
As this was yelled out, Ichigo found himself drifting back through skyscraper after skyscraper, having deflected the enraged blow Tensa had delivered. His Bankai really was a scary individual.
"And there you go, forgetting the other half of your power! You're frustrating me on purpose, aren't you, Kurosaki!?" Ah, that was his Hollow powers acting up in Tensa. It was at least better than actually speaking to that deranged white clone of his.
"Excuse me for not understanding you so soon, Tensa! We've only just met some time ago!" Dammit, now he was sounding like his Quincy friend, all prim and proper. All this time in his inner world was really calming him down.
"Forget understanding me, Kurosaki Ichigo! I refuse to ever teach you that technique!"
Clang!
Another clash of swords. Despite how much force was behind his blows, Ichigo was beginning to realize that Tensa lacked any real killing intent towards him. For now, all this seemed to be doing was improving his skills with the sword, as well as his physical ability. At least he'd be gaining something after all of this was over.
"Tensa…" He was interrupted once again, as his Bankai decided to finally up the ante with his first big move of the fight.
"Getsuga… Tensho!"
"Agh!" Raising his blade quickly, Ichigo had managed to block most of the black-red crescent, but had lost both sleeves of his Bankai coat as a result. Huh, his arms seemed a bit longer, and more defined too.
"Tch…" An annoyed sound came from Tensa's lips, though his face showed a small amount of worry. Wait…
"That was pretty strong, Zangetsu…" Immediately, he found Tensa before him, face full of anger once again. Smiling dimly, Ichigo allowed his blade to float from his grasp, just as he found his chest impaled. No pain, only warmth, as he found the blade refused to harm him.
"Kuro… saki.." His expression pained, Tensa quickly pulled the blade from his partner's stomach, realizing he'd made a terrible mistake.
"I understand now, Tensa." Ichigo spoke softly, a sad smile on his face. He finally understood what his partner wished to protect. Him. Ichigo himself.
"You understand why I refuse to teach you such an awful ability, Kurosaki?"
"I'm guessing it has to do with losing something, otherwise you'd probably be on board with granting me more power to protect myself."
"…Correct, Kurosaki. To be more specific, by using the Final Getsuga, you'd lose all of your abilities as a Shinigami in the process. I'd be unable to protect you if this happened."
Well, if that was the case, he'd have to figure something else out, in order to defeat Aizen. He knew he'd still need his powers when all was said and done. He had a reputation to live up to, as The One Protector, after all.
[Of course, there is always another way. A much better way, in my opinion.]
In an instant, Ichigo's body turned, as he felt the fire of a thousand suns spring up before him. Flames so hot, they seemed to evaporate the rain of his internal anguish with ease, removing the ocean they previously floated in. Only the buildings remained, though they looked a little worse for wear.
Within those scorching flames, however, was quite the imposing entity indeed.
"D-dragon…?" Ichigo managed to stutter. Tensa was in a similar position, though he only showed his hesitation on his face.
[Hai, hai. The Red Dragon Emperor, the Welsh Dragon to be specific.]
"Welsh Dragon? What is a dragon doing in my inner world?" This was a bit troubling, Ichigo already had enough trouble handling two entities in his mind. A third, though…
[Simple, child. Your will has awoken the Sacred Gear instilled within you upon birth. That'd be me.]
"S-sacred Gear? What is that?" Ichigo was full of questions, and he had plenty of time to ask them.
[Another simple answer. Sacred Gears are special weapons instilled into random Humans by God.]
…
Days later, within Ichigo's inner world, the boy found himself adjusting to this, unique, power.
[Boost!]
"That makes fifty-two consecutive boosts. You've yet to tell me what the point of these boosts are, Ddraig." Upon Ichigo's left arm, a bright-red, draconic gauntlet, topped by a bold green gem, surged with the power of fifty-two Boosts.
[Concentrate, brat. Aim your palm at one of the buildings around you, and focus the built-up energy into a tightly-condensed ball. After that, release your hold on it, and it will release.]
"Alright…" A warm sensation rushed through the metal-covered arm, focusing directly over his palm. The energy, at first, looked to be very sporadic, shooting off in every direction. It quickly formed into a very tiny sphere, thanks to his strong will. The process done, he released his hold with but a blink of his eyes, determined to get this right on the first try.
"Ryugetsuga… BAKUHATSU!" In a burst of vermillion and onyx, the ball transformed into a massive wave of energy, traveling faster than any Getsuga he'd ever fired. Before he could manage to blink a second time, the blanket of energy had dissipated, revealing a crevice of incinerated earth, stretching onward for miles.
"A fitting name for such an attack… Ichigo." From behind his partner, Tensa looked on with a sense of pride. The name truly was fitting, a combination of two techniques: the Getsuga Tensho and Ryu Bakuhatsu.
[Indeed, you're truly an interesting host, kid. I think you're ready.]
…
"No… I refuse… to be beneath such A PATHETIC HUMAN!" Upon the plateau before him, Transcendent Kurosaki Ichigo observed apathetically as his opponent, Transcendent Sosuke Aizen, allowed the Hogyoku to further morph his body into a horrid, gutwrenching Hollow form.
"… Sacred Gear, Boosted Gear." Within a second, his left arm was wrapped in the familiar gauntlet of his partner, Ddraig.
[Boost!]
"Oh? What sort of contraption is that, Kurosaki Ichigo? I assure you, nothing can best the power of the Hogyoku, especially not some ridiculous trinket." More than a touch of Hollowness reverberated within Aizen's voice. He truly was corrupted at this point, if not before.
[Boost!]
In the time it'd taken Aizen to speak, he'd already boosted another three times. Damn, this was too easy. "I assure you, Aizen, I'll be able to do much more than catch your blade now." Despite the temptation to smirk arrogantly, he held it in, continuing to scowl uncaringly, as if Aizen were beneath him.
"DIE, KUROSAKI!" Clink! Claw met Transcended blade, sending a powerful wind through the open area around the collision. Craters formed, mountains fell. Nothing was same from the natural disaster that was their final battle.
Effortlessly, Ichigo parried each and every one of Aizen's increasingly-sloppy attacks, finding the man to be a shell of his form self. His opponent's blade still remained in the form of sharp claws, and the spirit within cried in anguish each time it collided with his own.
"Do you not hear your partner, Aizen? It cries as you ignore it, using it as a simple tool, a means to an end. I hear it, and it saddens me that I am can do nothing for it."
"Do not talk as if you know anything, Human! The only thing I need is the Hogyoku! It has even deemed that I no longer need a blade with this glorious transformation!" Aizen's mask snarled fiercely, before forming a menacing grin. "Do not tell me you're jealous that the Hogyoku has granted me such a form?"
[Boost!]
Having reached a new limit in his transcended form, over sixty-five Boosts, Ichigo was finally ready to end this farce. "No, Aizen. I only pity you for throwing away your partner so readily." With a shake of his head, he closed the distance between the two quite easily, spearing his blade through Aizen within a millisecond. As his opponent squirmed, stunned by the excruciating pain brought on by the wound, Ichigo brought the draconic gauntlet's palm up to the disgusting mask, a small ball neatly compressed already.
"W-what is this, Human?! Don't think that you can end me so easily! With Hogyoku at my command, I am immortal!" The man was delusional at his point.
"…Sacred Gear, Mid-Tier Longinus, Boosted Gear. With the power of the Red Dragon Emperor, your body will be erased from existence. Immortality is a laughable thing to a Longinus, after all." For the first time since the fight had begun, Ichigo smirked.
"Longinus… The blade used to kill Jesus Christ? It's not possible… I STILL HAVEN'T KILLED THE SOUL KING!"
"Ryugetsuga… Bakuhatsu."
All that remained, for several miles, was scorched earth. And a single, cracked orb, pulsating weakly.
…
"I'm sorry, Kurosaki-san. You'll have to use a special gigai from now on." The somber tone of one Urahara Kisuke spoke.
"No worries, Hat-n-Clogs. As long as I can still stay in the human world, I don't care if I have a real body."
As a result of Ichigo's transcendence, he'd been named 'the Hero of the Winter War'. A plus.
As a negative, upon trying to reenter his human body, he'd found that it had disintegrated. Bummer.
But Urahara had assured him that, with his pre-made, 'special', gigai, he'd be able to live normally.
"And you're sure it can handle using my transcendent abilities? I won't have to use Kon or the badge?"
"What do you take me for, an idiot? Of course it'll work."
"I dunno, you're pretty retarded.."
"I resent that."
Was he pouting? Hmph, baby.
…
Life had finally turned back to normal, or as normal as Ichigo could call it. With the defeat of Aizen, as well as most of the Arrancar, the 'Winter War' was officially over. Right on time, too. He'd be taking his final exams for the semester, and hopefully he'd be able to get into one of the more prestigious schools with his raised grades. Finally, he could focus on being human for once.
[Hmph, yeah right. I'm sure you'll find trouble at whatever school you get accepted into.]
"Why are you applying for a different school anyway, Ichigo?" Zangetsu questioned, thoroughly confused as to why he'd leave friends and family behind.
'Ah, c'mon. It'll only be two more years, and then I'll be off to college anyway. Why not get the backing of a more prestigious school, making it easier to apply for a better college?' Pausing as he filled in yet another application in his room, he turned to his window, looking out at what he could glimpse of Karakura from here. 'Besides, I'm sure I can entrust Hollow Patrol to Rukia. The war made her much stronger.'
[You've yet to talk about your friends and family, bratty host.]
'I trust Dad to take care of my sisters. He may be a goof, but I respect him.' Sighing, he threw the current application in the trash, not satisfied with it. 'As for my friends, I'm sure they'll doing something similar. Uryu'll definitely be trying for a school that's at the top. Same for Chad and Inoue. Mizuiro'll go wherever there're beautiful, older women, and Keigo will follow like a lost puppy. Tatsuki'll probably stick around Inoue, for her protection of course.'
Sensing that Zangetsu still wasn't happy with his answer, he sighed again. 'And it's not like I can't just visit on the weekends from wherever I go.' Feeling that Zangetsu was satisfied, he turned his attention back to his desk, not noticing the person perched on the rooftop across the street, gazing at him through his window.
"Quite the looker, and such a strong aura. I suppose he'll be getting accepted into Kuoh, by those traits alone." With a giggle, the mysterious figure vanished, a circle of light signaling her departure.
As he wrote, Ichigo felt a small chill run down his spine. '…I think you might be right, Ddraig.'
[Damn right, kid.]
…
And there it is. Hopefully, my attempt at such a crossover isn't too poorly done. With my interest in both Ichigo's Transcendent Form and Highschool DxD mixing, this is the result.
Hope you enjoy, and leave a review to tell me stuff.