Kyuubi Fight 1:
At first, Ichigo thought he had tripped, but then the searing pain in his back taught him otherwise. He went skidding along the mall floor, catching himself just in time to avoid tumbling into the waterway. He was smart enough to move quickly, and just dodged the second blow, which carved away a good chuck of the floor where had laid all of one breath ago.
"What the hell?" He bellowed. "This is a formal tournament not some street fight, what're you attacking my damn back for?"
His opponent straightened, clearing himself from the settling rubble and glared at Ichigo, amber eyes simmering with a blood lust so deeply ingrained into his psyche Ichigo was at first unable to comprehend it. Then he noticed the cool, calm way he walked, surrounded by all that fiery energy and yet not in the least taken over by it, and realized this man was not like anything he had seen before. He gulped and took a step back.
"What's the matter, boy?" Kyuubi said softly, all nine tails twitching like a cat on the hunt. "Not so snide now?"
"Are…are you an old spirit or…?"
The laugh that escaped the demon was loud, sharp, and stung Ichigo's ears as if they were being grated like cheese, not by the pitch, but by the sheer maniacal essence that came with it. His grip on his Zangetsu tightened. He already hated this man.
"If you want to know what I am," Kyuubi growled. "You can fight me and find out."
Ichigo was going to make the first move, but Kyuubi was already charging, clawed hands dead on target for Ichigo's throat. The death-god narrowly dodged, and his counter was a weak after-thought to avoiding the unexpected suddenness of that attack. Realizing he could waste no time on the build-up Ichigo jumped back far enough to give him the moment he needed, and then raised his sword again and shouted "Bankai!" immediately setting off the transformation. Kyuubi flipped over the shot of energy easily, watching Ichigo curiously as the new-transformed death-god waited to judge where Kyuubi would land, and then charged in to start again. Kyuubi landed on his hands and sprung himself over again, to land once more on his feet, then stumbling backwards slightly as his dodge was very nearly intercepted by an attack so fast Kyuubi had almost completely missed it.
Fast. That's good. It'll be something of a chase. Kyuubi thought with a smirk.
A low grumble of a laugh reverberated in Kyuubi's throat again as he and Ichigo fell into a violent dance of attack and dodge, parry and counter, Kyuubi running around his blade as though it were nothing, to slash at Ichigo, and Ichigo pushing his speed to the limit, trying to slip an attack under the demon's arm or behind his leg, but Kyuubi was always one step ahead. There was a moment when he though he was going to get a solid hit, right at the shoulder, but then Kyuubi caught the attack by the blade, hardly noticing as his palms were split open, and threw it aside, and the moment was gone in a fresh wash of shock and horror.
"You were so unlucky boy, to have to face me after I was forced to sit out, and watch all that carnage happen without the joy of participating, it was all I could not to eat the spectators."
The few gore-enthusiasts that had not already been scared into a far corner of the mall by the ferocity of the fight backed away at that, thinking to watch from a safer distance. All but one. The pale, serpentine ninja watching from the railing above them continued watching and snickering as the battle went on.
Kyuubi punched Ichigo hard in the face, and felt blood slip over his hand with a sneer of satisfaction. But he had underestimated Ichigo's resilience, and the retaliation that came only a moment later he would have never imagined humanly possible. So Ichigo finally scored a hit, chopping into Kyuubi's thigh and causing a howl of pain to escape the demon. Kyuubi made a fresh sweep at Ichigo, but only succeeded in pushing him back far enough to give Kyuubi time to seal the wound, as a flash of red chakra surrounded him and then the gash had healed. But to Kyuubi's frustration, the pain remained. Ichigo used no ordinary blade, more unto the likes of Orochimaru's sword, infused with energies beyond cold steel. It only served to make him angrier. He charged in again, but now Ichigo was driven by the knowledge that he had actually hurt Kyuubi, and that he had a hell of a better chance than he had thought before, and started thinking he could possibly win the round. But the animal look of rage behind Kyuubi's eyes made Ichigo pause, and then decided with a small nod that he couldn't risk holding back even the slightest, and as Kyuubi charged again he was abruptly buffeted by a shockwave of energy that was certainly not altogether human. That was what stopped him, made him crouch low and glare and Ichigo, sizing him up once more, his blazing yellow eyes scanning Ichigo's newly-masked faced curiously.
A low growl came from Kyuubi's throat. "You tread too closely to things you don't understand, human. You should not dare to brush the world of demons. I will teach that lesson."
"I never did have a very good attention-span in class." Ichigo snapped back.
Kyuubi scoffed, and then charged in once again, and their separate energies met and exploded into a fresh volley, this one faster, harder, more intense than anything Ichigo had ever felt, and he was exhilarated by it. They were chasing each other around the mall, crashing into store windows and terrifying the simple audience, and entrancing those who might face them later, with the ferocity of their battle. Kyuubi lunged at Ichigo, but he ducked low, and Kyuubi went over him harmlessly. However the second he had touched down he reversed his momentum and sprung back at Ichigo, this time grazing Ichigo's side with a slash he had meant to puncture his lungs, and the hilt of Ichigo's sword knocked down on his back painfully, cutting his momentum short and sending him into a somersault which the demon controlled into a quick roll and regained his footing a few feet outside of Ichigo's range. The deadly interaction sent them quickly down the mall and to the hedge maze, where they showed little respect for the plant life, and their wide-swung attacks began quickly chopping away bits of hedge as they made their way deep into the maze. A solid kick from Kyuubi sent Ichigo flying through three walls of the plants, landing him in a pile of loose debris, where he lay for a moment, breathless.
"Come on boy!" Kyuubi barked into the wreckage, his enthusiasm for the battle making him eager to taunt Ichigo, always curious to see human reaction. There was always time in a battle to use for his own amusement. "Don't you have it in you? Or are you just too young for this?"
A sword broke through the plant-wall behind him, stabbing him through the right shoulder, making him stand still in shock. He trembled in anger as he noticed now that Ichigo's shirt was all he could see lying amongst the rubble, and now he saw it looked flat and un-filled.
"Are you kidding me?" Ichigo snapped. "I'm and death-god, bitch! This is what—" He jerked the sword out. "—I—" raised it again. "—Do!" and stabbed it, straight through Kyuubi's chest.
There was a moment of absolute stillness, with Ichigo holding his breath, and Kyuubi still standing there, unmoving.
The next sound was a chuckle, deep and throaty, with the sound of gurgling blood underlying. Ichigo stared in horror as Kyuubi drew the sword slowly out of his back and then turned to face him, his aura suddenly becoming a tangible, visible force of angry red flames, making Ichigo stumble back a step, watching in horror as he thought he saw a huge, inhuman face in the fire.
"A death-god?" Kyuubi said, his voice suddenly so deep and dark in shook the earth, and made Ichigo and everyone within the mall tremble. "Oh, how naïve you are. I'm your worst nightmare, Ichigo, I transcend death and time. I have been a bringer of pain and suffering since before your kind could think. You can stab me and cut me into pieces as often as you like, I will not fall." Kyuubi leaned in closer, smiling with his sharp white fangs clearly visible, his eyes no longer holding within them any semblance to human life. "In short; you're fucked."
His aura suddenly roared and exploded, catching the entire maze around them in a ball of flame. Ichigo was suddenly choking on smoke and the stench of the pure malice in Kyuubi's chakra, the flame was hot, and each tongue that licked his skin burned with a pain more akin to acid than fire. He spun around, searching for away out, but all the shrubs were completely immersed in flame, there was only the twisting path. He ran. Ran for his life down the stone floor, searching desperately for the way out, not in any way assured that the tournament's rules would keep him from death. Kyuubi's laughter followed him, and in every flicker of the red flame he thought he saw the demon's eyes watching him. But somehow, impossibly, he found his way; saw the small gap in the flame that led out into the safety of the open mall.
And there stood Kyuubi; surrounded by same flame that was closing in on Ichigo from his sides, smirking at him. He heard the crumble and roar of the wall behind him caving in and blocking any retreat. A spark caught on his pant leg, and he desperately tried to beat it out, but only succeeded in scalding his palms. Kyuubi was laughing again. The smoke and stench of the flame grew thicker; the foul air was burning and filling his lungs, choking him, making him unable to breathe, unable to do anything. He could recall no more of his energy, could not force his body to move—he was dying, but he could neither declare his surrender nor, through the pain and some black magic, completely faint. He had thought he knew fear. He was so terribly wrong.
Kyuubi watched with dancing eyes, his teeth bared in a feral grin, people were screaming and running around asking why no one was putting the damn flames out. The sprinkler system had been activated of course but it had no effect on the burning chakra. Ichigo was allowed no relief.
Suddenly Death by Chocolate was at his side.
"I declared you the winner. Let him out." He said.
"No."
"Let. Him. Out."
"He hasn't fainted yet."
"And when will he faint?!" Death by Chocolate growled. "When you're good and ready? You've won, let him out."
"No."
"Did you not hear me? I declared you the winner!"
"Look at me, low-ling. Do I look like I care? Until he's actually dead I've done nothing wrong."
Death by Chocolate stared, looked over at the flames and back to Kyuubi. "I will disqualify you."
"Then I can bring this whole place to the ground."
There was a massive crash, and suddenly Ichigo was rocketing out of the maze carried by a cackling ball of blue fur. The flames escalated for a moment, as Kyuubi raged internally, and then they faded with an angry hiss. Death by Chocolate glared at Kyuubi and then ran to be assured if Ichigo was still alive, and Kyuubi slowly clenched his fists.
As the small blue alien laid Ichigo on the mall floor the shinigami had already fainted, finally free of Kyuubi's poison. Kyuubi stalked over in a few moments, under many frightened, watchful eyes, and glared down at Stitch.
"You." He grumbled.
"Mega." Stitch agreed with a glare.
There was laughter nearby and Kyuubi turned to see Orochimaru sauntering over in his snake-like way. Kyuubi watched him approach coolly, giving him none of the reaction he knew the ninja was trying to get.
"Ah, yes, one of the few creations so truly indestructible he can withstand demon-flame." Orochimaru mused. "Amusing that he should be so…er…"
"Fluffy." Stitch offered.
"Indeed. Fluffy." Orochimaru gave a small smile and then turned to the demon. "Now Kyuubi, do you think that constitutes as losing our little bet?"
Kyuubi snorted and turned away. "I wasn't going to kill him."
Orochimaru smiled wryly. "Of course not. Well, since he did survive I guess I can't prove anything. I'll be watching next round…"
"You'd be better off watching your back."
Orochimaru wiggled his fingers in an obnoxious parting gesture and headed back down the corridor to his next fight. Death by Chocolate followed, looking at Kyuubi with a knitted brow, worried for the lives of everyone within mall, uncertain of how good an idea it had been to leave the tournament truly open for anyone. He did not like the feeling in his gut that made him think he was no longer the one with the most control.
Kyuubi watched them go for a moment, as Ichigo was carried to a medical station and people began quietly leaving, giving Kyuubi a wide berth for their own health. But when Kyuubi finally roared out a cry of frustration one unlucky patron happened to be sneaking by too closely, and Kyuubi grabbed him by the neck and chucked him through a window into a hardware store, where he caused a domino-crash of shelving onto several more un-deserving crowd-members. Kyuubi huffed through his clenched teeth and then turned away to seek some solitude.
There was a bit of a nod to my Ask Sakura fans in stitch's being able to tolerate the Kyuubi-fire. I figured that'd be ok for this story since Av and Khellan both fall under that category. Hee. Thanks for reading.
