Hey there everyone! So, tons of stuff going on in my life currently. First off, I'm currently running a sound board for a set of plays. I only got the invitation to do so last Thursday by a guy I work with who is the producer of the plays, so it was a bit surprising, but I agreed to do it since I did this past summer for him. The plays (it's 4 shows pushed into an hour and thirty minutes. The 4 are "A Different Day", "Biting the Snake", "Skipper", and "Ballad of the Bard") are pretty good. Really they're pretty funny, though it's questionable how they'll go. At times, it was curious if we'd be ready or not, but we'll see tonight I guess, seeing how it's opening night. They run for three nights (tonight (Thursday), tomorrow (Friday), and Saturday) in a row. I hope they'll go over well, but it's still a tossup on that. The kids doing it are teenagers, well, with exception of two or three actors. After these plays are over, I immediately roll into another for sound again, lol. I was asked Sunday by the director if I could do his sound, so I was like, sure. The guy I work with stars in it, so it should be interesting. However, we only have 2 weeks to work on it, with it starting Sunday and running through next week, then taking off Thanksgiving week, and picking back up the following week, with the play opening that Friday… So about 2 weeks to get things in row. I'm not sure if I even have any sounds yet, plus the computer we do sound from is currently not hooked up to the sound board, so yeah… Should be very interesting to see how things go. Besides that, Thanksgiving is coming up really fast, though it may not be as hectic, but I don't know. My mom isn't coming in for it, which is a touch irritating, but whatever. Regardless, that week is going to be super busy and filled with food, hehe. Monday I know my step mom is having her family in; Thursday is my dad's family. Somewhere in there, my wife's family will have dinner, plus we'll probably have dinner with my grandparents (mom's side). It'll be great and all, but I'm not big all the holiday visits. They're sometimes irritating, seeing how one family plans something on the day you intend to go visit another family. Oh well, it's just part of the life of belonging to a family that was divorced and remarried. At any rate, lots of stuff going in my life, to say the least.

Writing wise, I hit a bit of a slump the last few weeks. I don't know why, but I've gotten to the point where I wasn't inspired to write, nor wanted to do so. Don't know why, but it's just been that way. I'm hoping to fix that soon, so no worries. I will finish the story, regardless of what happens, so be patient with me.

Thanks to Katanna for reviewing. I always enjoy hearing from you. Your feedback is very inspiring to continue on with this story and not give up.

To any who have yet to review, I encourage you to do so. It's important to me as a writer to know what the readers are thinking about what I've written. It lets me know if I need to change my style of writing, incorporate some other aspects, etc, etc. In other words, it helps me out as a writer to know what you, the readers, are thinking about what I've produced. So please, if you could review, I would truly appreciate it. Thanks.

So, that's it for me. Next post will be Thanksgiving week sometime. Till then, enjoy!

Chapter 4

"Damn it, I'm so weak…"

Laying on his back in only his black pants and his eyes covered by his right arm, Ichigo growled lightly and fisted the blanket that lay underneath him with his free hand, nearly ripping it in the process with his short claws. The only sound heard within the room other than his breathing was rain pattering on top of the thatched roof. Sitting nearby on the ground were his inner and outer tops, white ribbon obi, socks, and sandals. Leaning against the wall near him was the massive cleaver blade sword he wielded.

Images of the battle he had with the bat demon over a month ago ran through his mind, making him clench his fist even more tightly. The wounds that had been inflicted upon his body from the fight had long since healed, but the memory of the battle remained fresh in his mind as the day it happened.

"I was powerless to stop him. All I managed to do was damage his clothes and nothing else."

Squeezing his eyes shut and turning his head onto it's side, he yelled in his mind "What the hell have I been doing these past nine years! Is this all the power I've gained! If it is, I've wasted all of so much time."

"Ichigo, you were tired from your training. That's the only reason he probably beat you."

Hearing the consoling words of the bobcat demoness roll through his mind, the quarter demon shook his head roughly, murmuring "No, Orihime was wrong. I was defeated, even if I was somewhat tired from my training. There was no way I was that weakened before that battle. The fact of the matter is I lost to him, even when I went at him full force."

Sitting up with a jerk, the quarter demon grabbed his white top and threw it on. Sliding on his sandals, he stalked towards the doorway. Pushing aside the hanging bamboo door curtain, he moved through the gentle rain at a quick pace in the direction of the hut where the leader of the village resided. Reaching the front of the hut, he gently rapped on the door frame. A moment passed before a voice called out "Enter."

Entering into the hut, Ichigo found Neliel sitting on her knees in front of a fire pit with a cup of tea in hand. The steaming liquid's scent filled the air, causing the quarter demon to eye it.

Motioning for him to take a seat, the demoness softly asked "Would you like some tea, Ichigo?"

Receiving a nod of acknowledgement, she stood up and fetched a nearby cup from one of her neighboring rooms. Returning quickly, the teal haired demoness sat back down onto her knees and took the teapot hanging over the fire off and poured a fresh cup. Handing the cup to the quarter demon, she watched him take the warm cup and blow on it before sipping from it.

Staring into the cup of warm liquid, Ichigo began to speak, only to be cut off by Neliel. "You're here about what happened in that battle with Ulquiorra, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Ichigo murmured. Sitting silently for a few moments, he slowly said "Losing that battle has made me wonder if this is all I can muster. The truth is that I was no match for him. And before you say it, I realize we had been training that day and had expended some of my energy, but I wasn't that worn out. I still had plenty of energy, but it wasn't enough."

Gripping the cup slightly tighter, he added "Because of my weakness, Orihime had to step in and take up the fight. If you hadn't arrived, she would have …"

"Ichigo, she was only doing what she felt was right in her heart." Neliel spoke up, interrupting the quarter demon.

Hanging his head, the quarter demon softly said "She never would have been forced to do that if I had been strong enough to defeat him."

The pair fell into an uncomfortable silence for a minute until the demoness spoke up. "You intend to change that, don't you?"

"I do, and I know how."

Taking a deep breath, the quarter demon raised his head and stared into the hazel eyes of the demoness and said "I need to find a way to make my mask change again."

Frowning, Neliel cocked an eyebrow, prompting Ichigo to explain. "When my hollow powers first manifested themselves, my mask looked different from how it does now. Originally, according to Hat-and-Clogs, when my hollow took over and my mask formed, it only had three maroon stripes above my left eye. As my training with him progressed, it changed again until the three stripes were joined by two thinner stripes under my eye."

"After I came here and at last gained control of my hollow powers, I noticed that there were four maroon stripes over my left eye and two underneath it. This was in my first year here. After a few more years, I noticed it had changed again, this time with three stripes appearing on the chin part of my mask and the stripes above my eye stretching down over my nose. Lastly, I noticed the year Orihime came here that my mask had changed once more, this time with the stripes under my left eye increasing so that it had three and the stripes above my eye stretching down even further over my nose."

Pausing for a moment, he slowly added "With each change to my mask, I noticed a drastic difference in the amount of time I could keep it on and the power that came with it. Currently, I can keep my mask on for an hour or more. As well, when I use it, my power surges and I'm way stronger and faster than I am without it."

"So, you're saying if your mask changes again, you think you could combat someone like Ulquiorra?" Neliel questioned evenly.

Sighing, the quarter demon looked away, saying "I don't know for sure… But I can't let the people I care about get hurt because I'm not strong enough. I watched those that I loved get killed because of that once. It was then that I swore I would protect everyone, no matter how much pain or harsh training I had to endure."

Hearing the determination shining from the quarter demon's words, Neliel stared down at her hands that were sitting within her lap. Finally breaking the silence, she softly said "There is a way to get your mask to change."

Noting the quarter demon perking up somewhat, she firmly added "This method is extremely dangerous and could get you killed. No one has succeeded in this task, hence why I advise you against taking this route."

"Not like I haven't risked my life up until now to get stronger." Ichigo grumbled.

Unemotionally, the demoness replied "This will be one of your greatest challenges. To change your mask once more, you must go back into your inner world and face your hollow again."

"That all?" the quarter demon asked in shock. "It'll be a cake walk to kick his ass …"

"I'm not done." Neliel sternly said. "This time, you must find a way to force him to fight you at full strength. If he does not, your power will not increase. Only when he fights you at full power will your mask change once more."

Taking in a deep breath for a moment, she added "This method is extremely dangerous because of the danger that comes from your hollow being at full power. His true power will more than likely be more than you can handle. If you are to beat him, you must not rely on brute force or sheer power. You will have to be careful and mindful of what you do. I have no doubt it will take all that you have learned throughout your combat experience to defeat him."

"Are you sure you wish to do this, Ichigo Kurosaki?"

Eyes and voice full of determination, Ichigo answered "Yes."

Nodding her head in acknowledgement, Neliel calmly replied "It will take a few days to set things up. Once it is ready, we will proceed."

"Until then, I want you to try and not strain yourself. Relax, for once you undertake this battle, you will no doubt be in indescribable pain."

Solemnly nodding his head, the quarter demon set the cup of tea down onto the floor. Slowly, he bowed and humbly said "Thank you, Neliel."

000

000

Approaching his fellow Vizards, Ichigo couldn't help but feel a touch of worry tugging in the back of his mind, but he pushed it away and steeled himself for what awaited up ahead.

"There is no turning back. I need to do this so I can protect everyone."

Glancing over to his right at the beautiful bobcat demoness walking beside him, he mentally added "I won't ever let what happened to Rukia happen to Orihime. No matter what, I have to win this fight and gain full control over my hollow. With his full power, I should be able to protect her and everyone else. I won't fail, no, I can't fail!"

Noting the visible tension in the quarter demon's form, Orihime reached over and took his hand into her own. Feeling his rough, callous hand lace together with her own smooth one, she softly smiled at him, earning her his attention.

"Ichigo." she huskily whispered, noting the tension in his body easing a bit and a small blush appearing onto his cheeks. Stifling a giggle, she said "You should try to relax."

Hardening his gaze on the group they were approaching, the quarter demon quietly replied "I wish I could, but I need to be on edge for what is going to happen."

"You could just let it go." the mage suggested.

"I can't, Orihime."

Letting out a small sigh, the mage looked away. Suddenly she found herself brought to a stop and looked over to find the quarter demon was staring at her intently with his brown eyes. Gray met brown for a few moments before he turned back towards the group they were coming up on.

"I want to be able to protect everyone. I thought I could before, but after my fight with that guy, I know I'm still not nearly strong enough to do so. May be it was arrogance to think that I had enough power to beat him, or overconfidence in my own abilities. Either way, I lost that fight and found that I have come a long way towards my goal, but still have a long way to go also. That's why I have to do this. Not because I want to, but I have to. Do you understand?"

Biting her lip, the demoness nodded her head mutely. Looking at him with somewhat glassy eyes, she quietly pleaded "Just don't get hurt."

Cockily grinning, the quarter demon flippantly replied "No worries, I don't intend to."

Feeling her own cheeks heat up a bit, the bobcat demoness did not get time to answer as she was dragged onwards. Reaching the group, the pair released each other's hands, with the mage moving into place beside of the pink haired hanyou. The quarter demon only continued forward until he stood in front of the teal haired demoness.

Evenly, Neliel smoothly said "Ichigo, I will only ask you this one last time. Are you certain you wish to proceed? Many have tried and failed at completing this training and I would hate to lose you because your pride won't let you stand down."

"It's not about pride." Ichigo answered without any hesitation in his voice. "I'm doing this, regardless of what you say."

Scowling as he crossed his arms over his chest, he added "I guess I'll just have to be the first to succeed at this training."

Lips twitching into a small smile, the teal haired demoness simply nodded her head of acceptance of his answer. Catching her motions, the quarter demon unfolded his arms and looked straight at her, asking "What do I need to do to get started?"

Without warning, a sickening sloshing sound filled the air, accompanied by a pained gasp. The quarter demon's shocked brown eyes slid over to his right, finding the teal haired demoness standing there, her hazel eyes coldly staring forward and her expression bland. Turning his eyes downwards, he found her right arm embedded up to her upper forearm through the center of his chest. Trying to form words, he stood there, his brain having difficulty grasping the situation.

"This." the demoness spoke in a one worded answer.

Withdrawing her arm in a fluid motion and stepping back, she flicked the blood off of her clawed hand, sending small droplets of the quarter demon's life force raining onto the ground. Staring into the eyes of the quarter demon, she saw his normally vibrant brown eyes beginning to glaze over. Looking at the wound over that she had inflicted upon him, she noted that the hole went completely through his body. Spotting blood beginning to pour from the wound and coating his clothing red, she saw the confused gaze in his eyes before he began falling forward towards the ground.

"ICHIGO!" Orihime screamed out as she rushed towards the falling quarter demon.

Not getting more than a few feet before she was suddenly brought to a stop by a light green energy box barrier abruptly created around her body, the bobcat demoness pounded her fists against the barrier. Unable to punch through, she helplessly watched the quarter demon fall face first onto the ground, blood splashing on impact from his wound, staining the ground a shade of crimson. Turning back towards the pink haired hanyou, who was holding her within his barrier, she let her tears start falling from her glassy gray eyes.

In a desperate voice, she pleadingly cried out "Let me out Hachigen!"

Shaking his head gently and looking at her with saddened eyes, Hachi softly replied "I cannot do that, Orihime. Lady Neliel asked me to not let you interfere."

"But he'll die!" the mage declared heatedly with tears pouring down her cheeks. "I can save him if you let me go!"

Averting his eyes, the pink haired half demon began to answer, only to be cut off by the voice of the teal haired demoness. "This is how it must be, Orihime."

Turning a fierce glare at the teal haired demoness, Orihime angrily spat out "Why, why are you doing this Neliel! Ichigo wanted your help, not to die by your hands!"

"Training of this level requires Ichigo's hollow to be let out. To draw it out quicker, a hollow hole must be created. This will speed up the process, allowing him to confront his hollow sooner than how we normally train."

Glaring at the teal haired demoness, the bobcat mage screamed out "He trusted you!"

"And I trust him." Neliel answered calmly. "Ichigo wished to push forward with his training and this was the only way to do so. Do not think that I wished this upon him, for I did not."

Calming a bit, the bobcat mage closed her eyes for a moment, only to snap them open when she felt a familiar, dark demonic aura flaring to life. Finding a thick black aura with red licking the tips of it surrounding the quarter demon, she couldn't help but feel a bit of uneasiness settling in.

"Hachi, has your barrier been raised yet for the training field?"

Flicking a glance at Neliel, Hachi simply nodded his head, saying "Preparations have been made, Lady Neliel. I created my strongest barrier around us, with five pillars filled with my own demonic power. As requested, I made the barrier's strength capable withstanding hits from even you Ceros, though I do not think it was necessary."

"We cannot underestimate his hollow's strength. Our previous engagement with it showed that it has considerable power." the teal haired demoness stated.

Turning to the remainder of the Vizards, the demoness smoothly said "All of you prepare yourselves for combat. Unlike last time where I dealt with Ichigo's hollow alone, we will do so as a team this time. He will transform much faster this time and no doubt reach the form I fought near the end of our previous battle. However, I expect Ichigo will convince his hollow to use his full power. When this happens, Ichigo's body will undergo another transformation into his hollow's true form. His true form will require all of us working together to contain it. Do not hold back in this battle, even if you must use deadly force. I have no doubt Ichigo's hollow will be able to withstand about any kind of attack we use against him, so do not be afraid for his wellbeing. Is that understood?"

"Yes!" all of the Vizards yelled in unison.

Noting the saddened look on the bobcat mage, the demoness moved towards her. Nodding towards the pink haired hanyou, she watched as the barrier around the mage faded away. Sadly smiling, she placed a comforting hand onto the mage's shoulder.

"Orihime, I am sorry for you to have to see this, but we do require your aide. If you do not think you can fight with Ichigo's hollow, then I wish for you to tend to the wounded from the battle. I will be depending on both Hachigen and you to help keep all of us in this battle."

Sliding her gray eyes away towards the ground, the mage weakly replied "I'll try."

Watching the teal haired demoness turn away, the bobcat mage turned back towards Hachi, who had a look of guilt on his face. In an apologetic tone, he said "I am sorry for that, Orihime."

Weakly smiling back, Orihime softly remarked "Don't worry about it, Hachi. It was my fault."

Not replying due to the flare up of black demonic energy, the Vizards, with exception of the pink haired half demon, drew their swords and moved into ready positions. Each had an assortment of expressions on their faces, none sure what the battle ahead held for them.

000

000

Waking to find himself standing on one of the horizontal skyscrapers within his inner world, Ichigo opened his eyes and stared out across the vast world. A light breeze caught his clothing and hair, sending them rustling gently, along with the white cloth wrapping hanging from the hilt of his cleaver blade like sword on his back. Slowly floating vertically across the blue sky were white fluffy clouds that lazily moved by.

Looking straight ahead, the quarter demon found the person he desired to see staring back at him with golden eyes. His white pristine skin glistened slightly in the sunlight while his white hair, clothing, and black cloth hanging from the hilt of his sword shifted slightly from the breeze. The clothes he wore were identical to the quarter demon, with exception of them being white rather than black. On his back, a similar cleaver blade like sword was mounted, covered in black cloth rather than white.

"Tell me partner, why did you call me out here?" the quarter demon's white double grunted out irritably.

Staring at his hollow for several moments before answering, the quarter demon at last spoke up, asking "Do you remember what you told me after I won our last fight?"

Rubbing his forehead, the white double finally shrugged. "Like I keep track of what we talk about."

"Fine, you defeated me. You have won the fight, for now. I guess I have no choice, I'll have to accept you as the king."

Pausing for a moment, the quarter demon calmly added "Those were your exact words. Back then, I believed that you would comply. It seemed as if you had accepted your plight and decided to become the so called horse. Looking back now, I realize you never intended to let me use your true power."

"You have a lot of gall to say I'm shirking off at my duty, King. After all, I'm the one that's been carrying your ass through all of your training and battles."

Remaining quiet for half a minute, the quarter demon at last answered with "It's true you gave me a portion of your power, but I know you're holding back. My last battle raised that issue, and after confronting you, I'm certain you are holding out."

"Do you even know what the responsibilities of a horse are to it's king?" the quarter demon questioned after a moment of silence. "A horse is to dutifully carry the king into battle, using it's full strength to move the king around the field of battle. If the king is knocked off, the horse must protect it's king and aid him until the king is able to get back on. The horse must listen to the king's commands, or else the king and his horse will both be killed during the battle."

Pointing a condemning finger at the hollow, Ichigo declared "You have failed at listening to the commands I have asked of you. Do you admit it?"

Cracking a smirk at the quarter demon, the white look-alike snidely retorted "I don't deny that I've paid little heed to your orders. When you defeated me last time, I gave you access to my power, but only a portion of it because I knew you couldn't handle it. For that matter, you still cannot."

Smirk fading, he threw his right arm out and then pointed at himself with his thumb and asked aloud "Why should I obey someone weak like you? You foolishly risk your life, claiming you want to protect everyone. What a joke! Why protect such weaklings when you could become so much more!"

Clenching his hands at his side as he hid his eyes beneath the shadows of his bangs, the quarter demon stood silent for what seemed like forever. Smirking triumphantly, the double was about to declare victory, only to be cut off by the quarter demon raising his head and revealing determined brown eyes.

"I do so because I once lost everyone important to me. I not only lost my parents because I was too weak to protect them, but I lost my best friend Renji too. The sheer fact that I didn't have the power to protect any of them has eaten away at my soul since the day they died, but what stands out in my head even more so was when I failed my mate. Rukia pinned her hopes to me to save her, yet I failed in the end. I failed because I lacked the power to defeat Kenshin Himura. That failure led to me having to kill her just so that bastard couldn't take her by force."

Fiercely, Ichigo yelled out "I won't fail the people around me like that again! I don't care what happens to me! So long as I can protect all of them, I will endure any kind of pain. I'd risk my very life, body and soul just to protect them! You could never understand the kind of pain that I've endured, nor that kind of dedication! That's why you will give me your full power, or else I'll force you to do so!"

Lightly chuckling at first, the hollow finally threw his head back and let loose a full burst of loud, maniacal laughter. Calming a bit and smirking at the quarter demon, he arrogantly said "I can see now just how much of an idiot you are. Here I thought before that I understood just how much of a moron you were, but now I understand the true depth of your stupidity."

Pointing a finger at the quarter demon, he added "The only thing that will happen here today is you will lose your body to me."

"I don't have time to argue with you." Ichigo countered as he reached up and took hold of the hilt of his large zanpakutō. Instantly, the white cloth wrapping attaching the sword to his back released itself and shrank back into the smaller hanging white cloth. Swinging the blade out to his right side, allowing the sunlight within the world to glint off of the blade, he brought the blade before himself and took hold of it with his left hand.

Raising an eyebrow, the hollow asked in a taunting tone "Oh, so you are ready to be serious now, eh?"

Drawing his own blade from his back and moving it in front of his own body in a mocking fashion, he asked "Are you sure you can beat me? Something tells me you are in for a surprise."

"On second thought, who cares? This is my chance to beat you into a bloody pulp and take what is rightfully mine."

Holding their swords out in a mirrored stance of one another, both instantly started releasing their demonic auras. Both fighters' outfits began billowing out from the increased wind due to their aura's flaring about around them.

As one, the pair yelled "BANKAI!"

Each was engulfed within their own auras, with the quarter demon covered in black like flames that had red licking the tips. Across from him, his double was covered by white like flames that had red outlining it. All at once, the flame like auras dispersed, revealing both the fighters dressed in a trench coat each and a smaller blade in their hands with a foot of chain hanging from the hilt. The quarter demon's clothing remained black with red on the inside while his hollow maintained his white coloring and black inside.

Both suddenly vanished in a flash, reappearing moments later as their blades clashing against one another's. Drawing back, the quarter demon slashed out at his double in a one handed strike, only to be parried. Sparks shot out from the contact between the two blades and the sound of the two chains on each sword's hilts rattling filled the air.

Striking out again, Ichigo attempted to land a blow across his hollow's chest, only to have his blade blocked again. Not giving up, the quarter demon continued his assault with several one handed high speed slashes. Again and again, the double simply blocked each attack while smirking all the while.

Without warning, the look-alike vanished, leaving no trace of his position. Appearing behind the quarter demon, he attempted to skewer him, only to have his blade blocked by the broad side of his opponent's sword. Spinning around, the quarter demon's sword clashed again and again with the hollow's, each time sparks flying from the steel blades clashing against one another.

"I think it's time I turned this fight up a notch." the hollow stated as he separated himself from the quarter demon. Bringing his blade horizontally before himself and swinging wide, he yelled out "Getsuga Tenshō!"

Flying towards the quarter demon immediately was a crescent moon shaped blade of white demonic energy with red outlining it. Staring at the blade for a moment, the quarter demon's sword was suddenly engulfed in his black and red demonic flame like aura. Swinging out at the blade of energy, he cut straight through the white energy blade with the flaming sword, sending two halves of the destroyed blade crashing into the building he stood on. The flames around his blade soon extinguished as he rushed forward to meet his opponent head on again.

Sneering, the hollow launched forward and met the quarter demon's blade. The two blades sang out as the two clashed over and over. Each of their trench coats billowed out from the constant movement. Again and again, the two clashed with one another, making the battle seem more like a synchronized dance.

"Got ya!" the hollow cried as he plunged his blade through the quarter demon, only to frown when he saw that he had stabbed an after image. Glancing behind himself, he found the quarter demon staring down at him from mid-air. Launching himself skyward, the double's blade collided again with the quarter demon's.

Strike after strike, neither of the pair seemed to gain the upper hand. Without warning while their blades were grinding against one another's, the quarter demon landed a kick into the side of the hollow, sending him soaring downwards at breakneck speed towards the side of one of the skyscrapers.

Reacting quickly, the look-alike managed to stop himself from crashing into the side of the building and used it to push off and fly back towards the battle, but not before leaving a small dent in the building from the force he used to push off.

"Try this on for size!" the hollow screamed out as he drew back his blade behind himself before launching it forward in a series of thrusting motions that were almost unreadable due to the blurring of his movements.

Eyes focused on the incoming attacks, the quarter demon shifted his body expertly to avoid each and every thrust. This carried on for nearly two minutes until the hollow was brought to a stop by the quarter demon grabbing his wrist. Hardened brown eyes met shocked golden ones for merely an instant before the quarter demon slashed the hollow across the chest. The motion ripped open the double's shirt, revealing a faint cut with blood oozing up from the wound.

Staring for a few moments at his wound, the hollow suddenly looked up with a smirk, saying "It seems you're full of surprises. I'm kind of shocked you actually managed to hit me. You've gotten better, Ichigo."

"Quit pussyfooting around and unleash your full power already." Ichigo demanded. "I don't have all day to play with you."

Shrugging, the double quipped "I have no reason to do such a thing, Ichigo. I can beat you as I am since I have more than enough stamina to continue this battle until the end of time. I can just take my time and wear you down until you quit."

Taking a deep breath and bringing his sword before his body horizontally, the quarter demon smoothly replied "You tried that last time and I seem to recall you lost."

"A slip up on my part, I assure you."

"Without a doubt, you lost our last battle. Do you honestly think you will get the chance to take it easy against me like you are? After all, I'm untouched, but you've already got a wound. How long do you think you'll last if I cut loose and go at you at you with my full power?" Ichigo questioned.

Sneering, the double answered "Longer than you can, I assure you."

Letting out a heavy sigh, Ichigo slid his eyes shut for a moment. Opening them gradually to reveal calm brown eyes, he quietly said "Then how about I give you a proposition."

Darkly giggling, the white look-alike smugly replied "Sounds like you're trying to bribe me."

"I think what I'm proposing will interest you, seeing how it involves you getting what you've always wanted."

Inhaling deeply, the quarter demon continued on, saying "Here's the deal, fight me at full power and if you can make me submit, you get the one thing you've always wanted: to be king of this world. Win and I'll not only give you my body and control of my soul, but I give you my word that I will never challenge for the crown of this world ever again."

Raising an eyebrow, the double asked "You're willing to go this far, eh?"

Nodding mutely, the quarter demon answered "I am. However, when I win, you have to give me access to your full power and can no longer hold out on me. I want your word that you'll do this."

Digging his blade into the ground and crossing his arms, the hollow closed his eyes and bowed his head. A few minutes passed before he raised his head, revealing a smirk on his face. "You want this bad, don't you?"

"Yes."

Grinning madly, the double replied "Fine then, if that's what you want, then I see no point in holding back any longer. It'll give me a chance to show you just how much of an idiot you really are for challenging me into revealing my true power."

"First however, I have a question for you. Tell me, do you know about the two types of zanpakutōs?"

"There are more than two types." Ichigo answered stonily.

Chuckling darkly, the hollow shook his head, saying "Not quite. I'm not talking about like how there are elemental types, melee types, etc. No, I'm talking about the base types."

Raising a single finger in front of his body, he continued on and said "The first type you're very familiar with. It is the type that has two releases: the Shikai and Bankai. Within the zanpakutō, a spirit connected to that person's soul resides. Communication between the owner of the zanpakutō and the spirit within the sword is essential for the two to grow and for the wielder to learn how to acquire the two releases. This type of zanpakutō is easy to obtain and is not limited to anyone. Demons, half breeds, humans, and anyone in between can have a zanpakutō made for them, though the question is if they can learn to control the power given to them. This type can even be handed down to the next generation with little worry, so long as they're the same blood equivalent of their parents."

Adding a second finger, the hollow smirked, adding "However, the second type of zanpakutō is quite different from the first. The second type has a single release called Resurrección. Unlike the other type of zanpakutō, this type of sword does not rely on the power of a spirit within the blade. No, it's power comes directly from the demon that wields it."

"Only a demon can wield this type of zanpakutō. To create this sword, a demon must seal away a portion of their power and their true form within it. By doing this, a demon will assume a more human like form and their power will be limited. Whenever they release their zanpakutō, they return to the form they once had and the power they sealed away is released back into their bodies. Only truly powerful demons tend to lean more towards this type of zanpakutō, those that wish not to reveal their true power or constantly reveal their true strength."

Sneering, the look-alike smoothly said "Originally, when Zangetsu was created, he was created as the first type of zanpakutō I mentioned. There was a catch though: he was created for a full demon, not some weakling that has hardly any demon blood within him."

Earning a glare from the quarter demon, the hollow persisted, saying "Over the years, your family's clan attempted to gain control over Zangetsu, with few managing to release his Shikai form, but none could release his Bankai. Zangetsu was passed down through the years until it reached your grandfather, who had a hanyou child. Your mother I believe. He offered Zangetsu to her, but she refused it. In return, your grandfather gave Zangetsu to Kisuke with instructions to pass down the blade to his grandson."

"Eventually Ichigo, you were given Zangetsu, however that was a mistake. Because Zangetsu was meant to be wielded by a full demon, I was born. When I was first created, Zangetsu had dominance over me, but over time, I gained dominance over him. Before our little battle last time, I made preparations for our fight. I was confident I could defeat you without using my entire strength, so I decided to make a change in Zangetsu and hide my true power within him, thus allowing you half a chance to fight with me."

Noting the widening eyes of the quarter demon, the white look-alike smugly stated "Zangetsu has since hidden my true power. I doubt even he knows this fact. Regardless, I used him as a container, much like how other zanpakutō are used to hide a demon's true power."

"You bastard..." Ichigo growled with anger rising within his brown eyes.

Clucking his tongue, the hollow remarked "Don't be angry with me. It was my own foolishness that allowed you to win last time. Had I known you would put up a fight, I'd have ground you down into nothing. This time, however, I'll make certain to beat you with a power that you will be terrified of. I will make sure that the last thing you know before I take over is the fact that you are nothing without me and that I am king of this world."

Drawing the white blade out of the ground and bringing it up in front of himself at a diagonal angle so that the blade was pointed at the ground, the double crassly said "It's time to show you just how weak you really are."

Tightening his grip on the blade, the hollow sneered as he said "Hack away, Zangetsu!"

Immediately, the inner world of the quarter demon trembled from the release of a thick, heavy demonic aura that swallowed up the hollow. The white aura with red outlining it flared throughout the inner world, causing the weather to drastically change. Normal clear blue skies with white clouds floating along changed into darkness and lightning flashing within black clouds. Rain began pouring down within the world, covering everything in water.

Staring in disbelief, the quarter demon took a few hesitant steps backwards, his mouth agape at what he saw. Behind him, his trench coat billowed in the strong winds, sending it fluttering every which way.

"His aura, damn, it's completely different from before. It's like a difference of night and day. Was he truly hiding this much power from me? This is bad! I don't know if I can beat him…"

Flashing up in his mind instantly was the image of his fallen mate laying in his lap as he held her close to his body.

Hardening his eyes, Ichigo gripped his sword with both hands, whispering in his mind "I can't give up. No matter what, I can't back down. I'll find a way to beat him and attain his power."

000

000

Slamming into the ground from a fierce kick, the transformed quarter demon was quickly back on his feet. The black kimono top that usually billowed out behind him was missing, shredded from the numerous attacks on him and the release of his sickly black demonic aura. His entire body was colored white now, with exception to some flame like maroon tattoos that covered his body in places. Down his back, a long orange mane stretched to his lower back. His usual mask that spanned his face was visible, but seemed to meld into his body and not be separate. In his clawed right hand, his black katana glinted in the sunlight. Letting out a gurgling sound, he reached up near his chest with his right hand, fingers brushing close to where a hole that went straight through his chest was. His black pants, tattered and torn, seemed ready to fall apart at any moment. Whipping behind him, his long sinewy white tail with maroon running up from the tip smacked the ground.

"Stay down, dumbass!" Hiyori yelled with a look of irritation on her face. Resting her sword on her right shoulder, she grunted out "Haven't you figured it out yet that you aren't going to beat any of us as you are?"

Hearing a gurgled reply, Lisa let out a soft sigh, saying "He doesn't understand."

"Do not take him lightly." Neliel warned as she stepped forward to the front of the group with her sword before her. "He may seem mindless, but that thing in control of Ichigo's body is still strong and can come up with a plan. Stay on guard."

The seven Vizards each nodded their heads in response to their master's reminder. Charging forward, they resumed the battle with the transformed quarter demon's body, each striking out and attempting to distract him.

000

000

Watching from a short distance away, Orihime attempted to suppress her urge to run into battle and protect the man she loved. Seeing the numerous injuries he kept receiving from the eight in the battle was nearly too much for her to stand, but the fact that each injury inflicted upon her beloved was automatically healing put her worry aside a bit.

"He is transforming much faster this time." Hachi commented, breaking the silence that had reigned over the pair since they had moved away from the group.

Throwing a glance over her shoulder at the pink haired hanyou, the mage stared at him, waiting for an explanation. Weakly smiling, he slowly said "When Ichigo performed this ritual last time, he took nearly the entire ninety minutes to transform into that state. To be more accurate, it took him nearly seventy minutes to reach the form you see."

"This time, he has reached that state in less than twenty minutes. His battle with his hollow must be quite fierce for him to reach this stage already."

Returning her vision to the battle still raging on, the bobcat demoness couldn't help but close her hands into tight fists. "I want to help, but I don't know what to do. I've never known what to do when it comes to Ichigo's hollow powers. That form, it's terrifying in itself, but I won't leave or turn away. Ichigo chose to push forward, so the least I can do is watch."

000

000

Retracting her sword from the last slash she performed, leaving a large gash on the shoulder of the transformed quarter demon, Neliel emotionlessly shook the blood from her blade, sending it spattering to the ground. Her eyes ran over the transformed creature's wound, which instantly closed itself up and regenerated the damage.

"Give up. As you are, you cannot win." the teal haired demoness stated.

Narrowing his glowing yellow eyes on the demoness, the transformed quarter demon let out a gurgled sound before suddenly his eyes widened. A smirk formed as he let out loud, gurgling laughter.

Raising an eyebrow as he stepped forward, Shinji curiously asked "What's up with him?"

About to answer, Neliel was cut off when she noted the motions of the quarter demon. Raising his blade so that it was diagonally pointing down at the ground before himself, he cried out in a gurgled voice "Hack away, Zangetsu!"

Immediately, the very air around the group seemed to grow heavier as the sickly black demonic aura of the quarter demon engulfed his body. A fell wind blew across the area, sending all of the group's clothing and hair rustling. The aura grew even larger and began ripping up the ground around the quarter demon, prompting the group to retreat a short distance.

Eyes widened with worry, the teal haired demon glanced back at the group, yelling "All of you, back! Prepare yourselves, for the real battle begins from hence forth. I want all of you to either unleash your zanpakutōs or put on your masks, or even better, do both. From here on, he will be serious and the power he will wield will be greater."

Each nodded mutely, with Hiyori speaking up, asking "What about you, Lady Neliel?"

"I'm going to release my zanpakutō." Neliel answered as she returned her vision ahead.

Instantly, the group of seven retreated to where Orihime and Hachi stood. Feeling her group was safely behind herself and out of danger from her release, the demoness drew her blade up before herself so that it she held it one handed horizontally in front of her and used her other hand's palm to stabilize it from the back of the blade. Slowly, the sword within her hands started glowing with a dull pink aura, causing a hazy pink smoke to rise from the tip of the blade.

Fixing her hardened eyes on the black demonic aura that still hid the quarter demon, the demoness coldly said "Declare Gamuza."

Shooting out a blinding pink light, the blade within the demoness's hands released a massive pink demonic aura that ripped up the ground and formed a massive sphere around her body, hiding her from view. The demonic energy destroyed and ripped the ground asunder, sending debris and dust flying throughout the area.

Settling without warning, the pink aura vanished and revealed the demoness, whose form had drastically changed. The demoness's body had changed dramatically, with her lower half the most visible. No longer from her hips down were legs, but the bottom half of a tan colored horse, making her look more like a centaur. A black tail with a metal clamp near her rear swished through the air while four sharp hooves struck the ground. Covering her large chest now was a light green top that reached just below the curve of her breasts and revealed her toned flat stomach. Her arms were now covered in black glove like material that stretched from her hands to her shoulders. Covering her hands was thick white metallic armor. The same armor covered her elbow joints and formed shoulder pads and a collar to protect her shoulders. The horns on her mask changed as well, with them no longer pointed inwards, but pushed out so that the horns flowed out away from her body. In her right hand, a long, large twin sided lance rested. The lance itself had two sharp pointed ends, each looking menacing.

Staring at the mass of black demonic aura with calm hazel eyes, the demoness whispered "It's been some time since I've had to use this form, but to combat you, I have no choice."

000

000

"This doesn't bode well for us." Shinji commented with a sigh.

Frowning, Orihime softly asked "Why is that?"

"Lady Neliel has not released her Resurrección but once since I have been here." Hachi answered. "She has not felt nor had need of it in all of these years. The one time I did see it all those years ago was to test the eight of us at one time. She overpowered all of us then. That was two hundred years ago, and in all that time, she has continued to train. I expect she may be able to handle Ichigo now."

"You're speculating, Hachi." Rose interjected. "She would not have released her Resurrección if she wasn't certain she'd need it, and by the feel of that demonic aura, she'll need it and then some."

"Quit your yapping guys and prepare for the battle." Lisa chimed in.

Throwing a glare at the neko hanyou, Shinji grunted out "Who died and made you boss?"

Earning himself a sandal to the face from the battle hanyou, the lion hanyou was about to attack her but stopped himself. Earning a victorious smirk from Hiyori, he grunted out "Idiot."

"You obviously weren't going to follow orders, dumbass, so you deserved it!"

Glaring at the blonde haired battle hanyou, Shinji muttered "Whatever. Let's get going."

Receiving a nod from the entire group, the lion hanyou led them to raise their left hands up over their faces and quickly rip them downwards. Each let out a primal roar as a white mask covered each of their faces.

"Those of you who want your Shikai for this fight, you better get it out quick." Shinji called out in a voice that sounded like it was laced over with another's from beneath his mask. The mask he wore seemed to resemble a pharaoh's mask with a flowing white hood hanging from the back of it.

Drawing his knife up and flicking it before himself, Kensei, wearing a flat mask with six slots for eye holes in two columns and three straps on each side that reached around his head, grunted out in a laced over voice "I suppose I should go all out in that case. Bankai!"

Forming around the wolf hanyou instantly was a cloud of light blue smoke. The smoke soon faded away, revealing that he now had a set of dull purple segmented bands that covered his hands and stretched all the way up his shoulders, where a thicker purple band stretched out behind him in an arch like shape and the ends stretching out from his shoulders. In his hands were a pair of knuckle blades with silver on the blades' edges that tapered back to an outward point, at which they turned black.

"Tekken Tachikaze!" the half wolf demon proudly declared in his mixed voice. Glancing over at the lime green haired woman by him, he asked "Aren't you going to release your sword?"

Waving him off like it was nothing, Mashiro put her hands on her hips and spared him barely a glance. Her face was now covered by a heart shaped mask with two large goggle like eye holes and four smaller holes where her mouth should be. A pair of antenna streaked back a few inches over her hair.

Visibly irritated, she replied "I have no reason to Kensei. You know I'm much better hand to hand than with my sword."

"Whatever." Kensei remarked.

Not far away, Hiyori swung her blade out to the side and turned it upwards so that the blade's edge was pointed at the ground. She now sported a white mask that had a single horn sticking out from the forehead, red diamond shaped markings above her eyebrows, and brown eyes.

"Butcher her, Kubikiri Orochi!"

Transforming instantly, the blade in Hiyori's hand grew in width. Sharp serrated teeth formed on the edge of the blade, making the sword look more like a massive sharp toothed cleaver blade than anything else. Black covered half the blade while the teeth were all silver.

"It's show time! Slam Tengumaru!"

Holding up his sword, Love watched through the eyeholes of his ogre like mask with two horns on it's forehead, was encircled by a flames. Immediately, the blade morphed into a massive metallic kanabō, covered in several bladed protrusions. The kanabō itself was more than twice the height of the brown haired hanyou wielding it, along with the hilt wrapped in white cloth being nearly taller than the said hanyou also.

Standing next to his partner, Rose smoothly said in an echoed voice through his bird beak like mask "Play Kinshara."

Glowing with a golden aura, the blade within the blonde haired hanyou's hand changed into a golden colored whip. On the tip of the whip, a single golden flower containing a spike sticking out the end of the bud formed.

Holding her sheath and sword up and pressing the hilt of her sword into the sheath, the neko hanyou suddenly began spinning her combined blade and sheath wildly around her body. From behind her diamond shaped mask with a cross like split eyeholes, she calmly called out "Smash Haguro Tonbo."

Still spinning the combined pair, she picked up the speed, seemingly causing the two to meld into one and formed a long dark green spear that was at least twice or more the height of the half demon. On one end, a large spade with silver on the blade and black on the back had formed, and the other end had a simple golden knob.

"No Shikai for you, Shinji?" Hiyori asked irritably.

Shaking his head, the lion hanyou answered "Not yet, at least. I don't want to use Sakanade unless I have to."

Returning their vision towards the still flaming black demonic aura, the battle hanyou piped up, saying "You may have to from the look of things."

Thanks everyone for reading the chapter. Now, if you could do me a kind favor and review to let me know what you think of the chapter, I'd appreciate it. Till next time!