"A shinigami? Well, this should be interesting." Kyuubi sneered, trying to intimidate the black robed man standing across from him. Ichigo stared back impassively, his right hand moving to grip the hilt of his sword, Zangetsu.

Taking the sword from his back, he pointed it at the fox demon, "You seem to know a lot about what I am, but I know nothing about you. Except your name, of course." The strawberry-haired young man stared intently at the demon, watching every swish of his nine tails, every twitch of his muscles. There would be no taking this lightly.

Still sneering derisively, Kyuubi responded with the utmost disdain, "If my name doesn't tell you anything, then you'll know nothing more. Unless I decide to show you." Kyuubi hunched over at that point, in what Ichigo took to be his fighting stance. Almost half the height he was when standing, his hands nearly scraped the ground, evoking a feral, animalistic sight.

Narrowing his eyes, Ichigo said simply, "Then I won't hold back. Bankai!" An explosion of reiatsu followed the exclamation, a veritable flood of blue energy pouring off the death god as one beam-like projection shot straight from the tip of his zanpakuto at the Kyuubi. Barely registering it with the backdrop as it was, Kyuubi felt it singe the fur on his tails as he sidestepped. Grinning, he looked back at the newly clothed death god, Kurosaki Ichigo. This would indeed be interesting.

Ichigo stood the same as before, only his eyes darting to track Kyuubi's movements. His garb had changed slightly, however, as his jacket top had become more of a long coat with ripped and fraying edges, ankle-length and with white lining. His sword had shrunk from a giant, six-foot meat cleaver to a regular sized daito. It was also completely black, with a short chain on the pommel ending in a half-link. Taking the sword in both hands, he turned slightly to face Kyuubi full on.

"Tensa Zangetsu."

Seemingly before the words had left Ichigo's mouth, the two combatants were gone from where they'd been standing, meeting halfway in a clash of arms. Kyuubi had used one hand to block Ichigo's two-handed swing, leaving his left open for a vicious swipe to the shinigami's midsection. Four slash marks appeared on Ichigo's black coat as he pivoted out of the way, spinning all the way around to slash at the Kyuubi with greater momentum.

But the demon wasn't there.

"You should never turn your back on your opponent, Kurosaki Ichigo." Red hot pain exploded on Ichigo's back as the Kyuubi connected with a two hand slash attack. Gasping, the young death god barely had the presence of mind to move out of the way of any follow up attacks. This was ridiculous! Not even Byakuya had been able to fully keep up with his bankai's speed, and this Kyuubi creature had just beaten it!

Glaring at the red-haired humanoid, Ichigo could barely keep himself from charging in blindly, and old and useless battle tactic of his. Taking in a calming breath, the death god brought his sword into a ready position. Taking another breath, he said to the waiting, smirking Kyuubi, "You are much stronger than I would ever have thought possible. You're forcing me to go as far as I can in my first fight. But it ends now." At this, Kyuubi started laughing, until a shockwave of power hit him full on.

Staring in curiosity now, Kyuubi watched as Ichigo was enveloped in a black and red aura of power. It felt like a mix of his original, human energy and something almost demonic. Raising an eyebrow, Kyuubi also watched a mask materialize on Ichigo's face, white with red stripes on the left side. His power is growing at an incredible rate. If this keeps up, he'll be able to match me. Could he be a jinchuuriki? No, his chakra doesn't feel right for that…

Before anything else was forthcoming, Ichigo disappeared, coming up behind Kyuubi and slashing at his back. The demon was able to duck, barely, and saw a few hairs float down in front of him before he shot forward at his top speed. The boy paced him, however, and eventually overtook him. Ichigo met the Kyuubi's escape-turned-charge head on; catching the youkai's clawed hands on his sword.

"You're mine. Getsuga Tensho!" Slashing down, a wave of incredibly powerful dark energy enveloped Kyuubi before he could move, sweeping him up. Relaxing his stance, Ichigo let his mask fade away. Trying to sense where the Kyuubi had gone, he suddenly felt a burst of the most awful, malevolent energy he'd ever known. He barely kept his composure, but couldn't keep the flicker of worry off his face.

A steaming figure was walking from the dust of Ichigo's attack, completely enveloped in the malevolent, red energy. Kyuubi's face was a sneering mask of rage, eyes wild and glaring straight at Ichigo. Snarling, the demon charged again at the young man, barely giving him time to put his hollow mask back on. Before he could think about catching the Kyuubi's claws again, the kitsune disappeared, reappearing behind the human. Spinning wildly, Ichigo parried one of the claws heading for his body, but the other got through and gave him a nasty slash across the midsection.

Barely keeping up with the Kyuubi's onslaught of attacks, Ichigo didn't have time to gather energy for another Getsuuga Tenshou. This is unreal! We were on equal footing before, and now this guy's power is at least double mine! I can't win like this! Before Ichigo could think of anything, another claw strike got through, this time digging into his abdominal area. Doubling over in pain, he couldn't move out of the way of Kyuubi's downward strike to the back of his head. As his face hit the ground, he was halfway to unconsciousness. Damn. Looks like this is as far as I go…

Before everything went dark, however, he found himself standing on the side of a building, facing his sword in its truest manifestation. A middle aged man with long black hair, yellow-tinted shades, a tattered white undershirt, and equally ragged black cloak. "Ichigo. Why are you fighting?"

Taken off guard by this question, the orange-haired young man took a moment to respond, "I'm in this tournament at a place called El Centro Del Mundo, and this guy—" The substitute Shinigami was cut off, as Zangetsu clearly wasn't talking about the tournament.

"I am aware of your situation, Ichigo, but why are you fighting? What did I tell you when last we spoke here?" Ichigo knew exactly what Zangetsu was talking about, when he'd fought Zaraki Kenpachi in Seireitai.

Nodding in understanding, Ichigo said simply, "Dull intent, dull blade." Zangetsu gave a simple nod in response, as Ichigo was sent back to his conscious mind. Picking himself off the ground with a small groan of pain, he climbed a little unsteadily to his feet. He immediately saw the Kyuubi turning around to face him again, the aura of red chakra gone from his body.

Eyeing the shinigami curiously, the demon said, "I congratulate you on your perseverance, but I think we both know what will happen if you attack me again. I'd rather leave you able to fight another day, since you remind me of someone I respect. As much as I respect any human, at least."

Ichigo smiled a small smile, and took up his fighting stance with one hand this time. His other was currently occupied with keeping his stomach inside his body. He replied, "That's awfully nice of you, as much as any demon is considered nice. But your offer is unnecessary. I just had to be reminded of the most basic principle of swordsmanship."

Nodding his head in what a human would have considered a sage manner; Kyuubi appeared in front of Ichigo and slashed for his head. The shinigami had already used shunpo to escape, however, and re-donned his mask. Diving back in, Ichigo slashed viciously for Kyuubi's midsection, which the demon tried to catch with it's claw as it had done the whole fight. Much to the fox's surprise, the shinigami's blade sliced right through, severing four fingers and a chunk of his palm.

Growling in pain and rage, Kyuubi was once more enveloped in his red aura of chakra. Ichigo could see the hand he'd half severed begin to grow back before his eyes. Kyuubi launched into another frenzy, but Ichigo was prepared for the wild, fast strikes this time. Using all his training, Ichigo was able to wait out the Kyuubi's wild barrage, and managed to score some hits besides.

After Kyuubi broke from his assault, Ichigo began gathering his reiatsu for one last attack. Noticing this through his haze of rage, Kyuubi gathered a great amount of its chakra for it's own attack. Kyuubi had his chakra gathered quickest, and unleashed a hellish red blast at Ichigo. When the dust cleared, the shinigami was nowhere to be seen.

"Damn foolish human. Hope he's alive though, I want to keep fighting in this tournament…" Suddenly Kyuubi felt the boys' presence again, right behind him.

"Getsuga Tensho." Ichigo said softly, unleashing a massive blast of reiatsu at the Kyuubi. He'd used shunpo not seconds before the demon's attack would have consumed him, getting behind the damn thing with ease. Charging into the dust after the things malevolent chakra signature, Ichigo found a weakened kitsune no yoko just beginning to get up. Ichigo was on it in moments, blade held strong against the demon's throat, "Give up, or I'll separate your head from your shoulders."

The demon was caught, and it knew it. Inside this mortal shell, it would be subject to the laws of physical death, though its demon fox form would hardly notice. Sneering, he replied to the shinigami, "I concede, human. I hope I see you again soon after this tournament, so I can show you my real power." Holding back a shiver, Ichigo held the demon's gaze and removed his blade.

There was an abrupt twisting of the air, and then Death by Chocolate was loudly proclaiming Ichigo the winner. The boy hardly heard as he kept seeing the Kyuubi's face sneering at him promising death. Only one thing was on his mind after that, If I ever see Yamamoto Sotaichou after this, he's gonna die.

A/N: It occurs to me I forgot to put translations in.

Kyyubi: nine tails

Zangetsu: cutting moon

Tensa Zangetsu: heavenly chain cutting the moon

Getsuuga Tensho: heaven stabbing moon fang

Youkai: demon