Bonding Over Big Swords
Written by Shaun Garin
Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo. Mahou Sensei Negima is owned by Ken Akamatsu.
Sword 01
"Goddamn freaking hollow, having to show up now," growled Kurosaki Ichigo, stomping towards the park. "I'm gonna KILL that bitch for sending me here!"
The bitch, as attributed to Ichigo's ranting had been none other than Kuchiki Rukia, his best friend for the last few years and counting. Despite their arguing, the pair were as close as brother and sister, despite the tendency to get into physical violence directed towards each other and members of their "extended" family.
Ichigo's old man hadn't changed much since Rukia had come into their lives, but he had insisted on sending Ichigo to the very private, very high priced Mahora University. Ichigo had protested but the old man had been serious long enough for him to persuade him to go. "There's enough Shinigami in Karakura to handle anything. If we need you, we'll call for you." And then the old man had physically kicked him out the door, earning what Ichigo proclaimed as a "grand sandal nut grinder" which left his old man in pain, his sisters concerned and Rukia trying not to laugh.
It made sense, reflected Ichigo as he made his way around a brick road, checked the street signs and then followed in the direction of the cell phone Rukia had given him. His old man was a Shinigami, Rukia was a Shinigami, Chad, Inoue and Ishida could handle themselves and if anything, Renji would come through the gate from Soul Society just to annoy him later for taking such an easy kill and where Renji went, Kenpachi came to annoy.
"DAMNIT! Why is the streets so full of people!" cursed Ichigo loudly, causing a few patrons to scamper to the side upon seeing the scowling and slightly maniac expression of the tall orange haired young man. "AND THESE STREETS ARE TOO FUCKING COMPLEX!"
Not for the first time, Ichigo wished he had actually paid attention in learning how to sense reiatsu. But trying to get him to learn properly was like driving Quincy Arrows into his brain; not happening. Rukia had been tempted to lump him into the class of spiritual morons. Not for the first time, Ichigo had a fleeting thought of Kenpachi. A chill went up his spine as he skidded around the corner and then he grinned in a feral manner as the Hollow came into view.
The thing was big, but he had seen bigger for the most part. Bipedal, or perhaps moving like a monkey with the long arms nearly dragging the ground, the hollow looked at the humans who were milling around. Ichigo cursed loudly as the hollow stomped over to a group of students who were blissfully unaware of the oncoming danger. How someone could ignore stomping like that was beyond Ichigo as he ducked into a nearby grove and grabbed his licence.
There was a brief flicker of blue light as his soul detached and Ichigo grabbed Zangetsu and the cloth wrapped around it pulling free. "All right, I'm pissed off and I need to make some room here!"
The schoolgirls wouldn't really notice the flurry of action and shrieked in surprise when wind kicked up around the area due to the force of Ichigo's flying tackle that knocked the hollow several meters away where it landed with an earth-shaking thud. "RAAAAAAAAAAAH!" yelled Ichigo as he dropped out of the sky, Zangetsu held high over his head for a finishing strike.
To his surprise however, the hollow rolled out of the way and Ichigo crashed into the ground, splintering the road and startling people who were surprisingly still out of the blast radius. In the crowd however, a girl watched him fight as Ichigo pulled Zangetsu out of the ground and started cursing out the hollow.
"Aw geez, what is this guy doing in the middle of the road!" exclaimed Kagurazaka Asuna and she threw her book bag to the side before drawing her card out of her pocket. By now, the fight against the hollow had run into the woods and the sound of snapping tree branches could be heard as people milled around the crater in the ground.
Once out of the crowd, Asuna ran through the woods where Ichigo was screaming obscenities at the hollow. "GODDAMNIT STAND STILL YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"
Skidding into the clearing, Asuna swung her hand and cried out "Adeat!" In a flurry of light, a giant sword materialized in it and she took off the hollow's leg. A fountain of blood accompanied it and the hollow cried out, the monstrous bellow making her flinch as Ichigo leapt high into the air and Zangetsu came down on its head, cleaving the mask in two.
Landing in front of the defeated hollow that was slowly dissolving, Ichigo spat and snarled, "Damn thing, when did hollows learn how to fucking DODGE anyhow?" Then, looking up, he noticed Asuna who looked back at him. He then looked at her sword and raised an eyebrow. "Hey."
"Hi," said Asuna, looking at his sword.
"Nice sword," they echoed each other.
In the aftermath of the statement, the pair chuckled as Asuna shouldered her massive blade. "That's a nice sword. Anti-demon?"
"Anti-hollow," he said, shouldering Zangetsu. "Yours?"
"Anti-demon slash magic slash whatever else I can put this end into," said Asuna. "I'm Asuna. Kagurazaka Asuna. Ministra Magi."
"Kurosaki Ichigo. Shinigami."
There was another awkward pause and Asuna said, "You want to get something to eat? I don't know about you but a fight really makes me hungry."
"Why not. I've had it up to here trying to find my way around this place," replied Ichigo, raising his hand up to just about his head and making a levelling sign. "Lemme grab my body and I'll be right with you."
"Asuna, you're home late," said Konoemon Konoka. "Were you out tonight?"
"Oh yeah," said Asuna, grinning from ear to ear. "It was nice today."
"Oh? Were you with a boy then?" asked Konoka and Asuna grinned wickedly.
"Yeah. He has a really big sword."
It was then that the door fell in and everything went to hell as the denizens of Mahora Girls Dorm demanded answers and details.
"I told you I'm fine. Just rid the world of a hollow, that's all," said Ichigo. He was lying on his bed and tossing a faux-Kon up and down. Kon had refused to accompany him and Ichigo had responded with thudding his stuffed head up and down on the bedpost.
So why are you calling now? It's pretty late, Ichigo.
"Eh, I thought you just would like to know that I met a girl today," said Ichigo and there was the sound of spitting on the other end.
Say what? The great and terrifying Kurosaki Ichigo found a date for the evening? What'd you do; sweep her off her feet and proclaim love?
Ichigo wished he could see Rukia's face as he said, "I showed her my big sword, that's all. And she showed me mine."
There was a very prolonged silence before Rukia said For your sake, I hope that was a pun. Now I gotta go bleach my brain before I come over there and whup your sorry ass. Expect me tonight Ichigo and pack bandaids.