Disclaimer: I in no way, shape, or form own Bleach of Devil May Cry, both belong to their respective owners and I am in no way attempting to make profit from this work of fiction.

On with the next chapter of this story now!


"You disappoint me, Ichigo." the figure spoke." Is this really the limit of your ability to protect?"

'Is time frozen?' Ichigo thought even as he found himself able to move unheeded by his injuries.' How the hell can I move?'

"Time holds no meaning here, neither do your injuries." the figure answered both his question for him.

"So why am I here?" Ichigo asked after a moment, stepping off of Orihime's Santen Kesshum and towards the figure." More importantly, who are you?"

"You know who I am." the figure answered as one hands reached up an removed his black sunglasses showing their brown eyes flashing to black and yellow.

"Your part of Zangetsu." Ichigo answered his own question after a moment.

"Indeed, I thought it would take you longer." the now identified Zangetsu affirmed with a grin." I had created a test for you even, I guess I won't doubt your detective skills again."

"Did you just call me an idiot?" Ichigo asked in a deadpan and Zangetsu simply chuckled before turning serious.

"I believe you know why I am here." the spirit spoke as the two stood in front of each other, having walked closer during their conversation.

"Yeah, I'm dying right now." the teen answered, his hands balling into fists." Even with all that traini…"

A backhand from the figure threw Ichigo to the air, maybe it was the ground now?, and the teen looked up in shock at the glaring spirit.

"You have brought this on yourself because you lack conviction." the spirit told him as he turned towards the frozen Captains." Look at them, each of them hold a conviction when they enter any battle, the conviction to kill, to destroy, doing all of it to protect Soul Society."

"I have a conviction, to protect my fri…" another backhand to the slowly getting up Ichigo.

"What you have is not a conviction, it is not an everlasting fire that you may always draw strength from. What you have is nothing but a dream you have fooled yourself into believing to be real." Zangetsu spoke, his anger evident as he pulled Ichigo up by his shirt." What you have is ill-conceived confidence in your strength!"

"Don't tell me I'm not strong, I can beat them!" Ichigo roared back and the spirit responded to his shout with several slaps across his face.

"Then why am I able to slap you so many times?" Zangetsu asked with a grin before tossing Ichigo down and stepping backwards, avoiding the predictable punch from Ichigo." What do you expect to do to the Captains, for them to feel pity for a fool?"

"Why were the Captains able to wound you like this if you have this so-called 'strength'?" the spirit pressed and Ichigo let out a shout as he charged forward.

Zangetsu stopped him cold with a blow to the gut and Ichigo dropped to his knees.

'This is like when Dante hit me the first time, how the hell is Zangetsu so strong?'

"You won't accept the truth with logic so I will beat the lesson into your unwilling mind." Zangetsu announced as he grabbed Ichigo by the back of his shirt and threw him away." Now, fight me!"

"With pleasure!" Ichigo shot back as he raced forward, his entire body screaming the intent to kill.

"Yes, that is what should always fill and flow through your blade." Zangetsu spoke up as he blocked Ichigo's savage combos, borrowing from his techniques with his Devil Arms to help him attack the spirit." The conviction to destroy should fill your blade so you may protect what you hold close to you."

Ichigo ducked under Zangetsu's swiping blow and launched up with a knee to his stomach only for Zangetsu to block it with his hand and kick Ichigo's one leg out from under him before grabbing him by his shirt and tossing him behind him.

"You have power but you refuse to use it as you must, Soul Society is an enemy and you must bring down your entire power and strength against them if you wish to even hope to succeed." Zangetsu called out to Ichigo who growled as he moved slowly to his feet.

"I'm not going to tell those bastards anything about me if I can help it, the less they know about my power the happier I'll be." Ichigo shot back as he stepped into a new stance." The moment they know what I can do they'll either try to recruit me or kill me and I don't feel like destroying the afterlife because of some fearful and power hungry assholes."

"So you will allow them to destroy what you seek to protect out of fear of what they would do if you show them your power?" Zangetsu asked.

"Don't twist my words." Ichigo snapped as he stopped himself from charging forward." I'm doing it to protect them, Soul Society will do anything to ensure they stay on top, even if that means going after my family or my friends, that's the people they are."

"Or is that just a lie to assure yourself that holding all of your power back is alright?" Zangetsu pressed and Ichigo lost his self-control, his Reiatsu erupting around him and Zangetsu found himself dropping to a knee right before Ichigo was on him.

He nearly kicked his head off with a roundhouse if Zangetsu hadn't raised an arm to stop the blow and send Ichigo flying back once he grabbed his leg and used it to throw him away.

"So then Ichigo, tell me I'm wrong." Zangetsu spoke up." Tell me I am mistaken in my examination of you, tell me your own soul is wrong in its judgment of you!"

"Damn right you're wrong!" Ichigo snapped before his Reiatsu condensed around him." I fight to protect, if that means I've got to take a beating to keep everyone safe in the long run then so be it, I'll do anything for the people I love!"

The Zanpakuto spirit did the odd thing and grinned as he stepped back.

"You've finally learned." Zangetsu spoke up before throwing out one arm and his ragged brown cloak was thrown open, revealing a sword held in his hands.

"Remember these words Ichigo, for now they are my final lesson to you." Zangetsu told him as Ichigo's Reiatsu was absorbed by the sword." You failed your Bankai Training because you would not understand them, hear them now and embrace their meaning!"

"Abandon your fear. Look forward. Move forward and never hesitate. You'll age if you pull back. You'll die if you hesitate!" Zangetsu roared out, the words brimming with barely contained power." Know these words and unleash all of our power against those who will attempt to stop you, show no mercy and take no prisoners as you fight for you will receive none in return from your enemies!"

"Now Ichigo, take up my blade and destroy any who oppose you!" Zangetsu ordered as he threw his blade towards Ichigo.

The moment Ichigo caught the sword time returned and flowed once again.

"You Ryoka, cease your actions or be des…" Yamamoto began before a crushing pressure ripped through the air and brought the more recently appointed Captains to a crouch while the older and more veteran Captains brushed it off with some effort on their part.

Yamamoto was unfazed but rose an eyebrow at the display as the previously near death boy rose to his feet, his injuries sealing as his Reiatsu condensed around him.

"I made a mistake, I made such a stupid mistake." Ichigo told his friends as he looked at them.

Uryu and Chad were injured, having fought through the Shinigami patrolling the tower and only Orihime's quick healing kept them up and able to break open the tower.

Orihime was standing strong but Ichigo saw she was beginning to buckle under the continued assault of killing intent by the Captains and Ichigo noticed the fear hidden in her eyes, overshadowed by her conviction to save Rukia.

"What are we going to do?" Uryu asked as he formed his bow once again." We don't have much of a chance against all of them."

"I'm going to fight them like I should have." Ichigo announced as he walked forward." I should have fought them with the intent to kill, but I didn't."

Ichigo walked off of the Santen Kesshum with Zangetsu's sheathed form held in his hands.

"But I'm about to fix that." Ichigo told them as he stopped a few meters away from the floating Santen Kesshum and his free hand grabbed the hilt of Zangetsu as he stepped into a Dark Slayer stance.

Yamamoto's eyes widened as he felt the minuscule amounts of Demonic Energy surging through Ichigo's Reiatsu and he held up a hand to stop the Captains behind him from moving.

"I will handle this boy." Yamamoto announced as he cast off his haori and lowered the upper portion of his uniform, revealing an impressive muscular physique underneath the baggy uniform.

"Are you sure Yamamoto-soutaicho?" a thin white haired Captain asked, a veteran like Yamamoto and personally trained by him during his days in the Shinigami Academy." This boy doesn't need to suffer so much for this ill-conceived res…"

"Silence Jushiro!" Yamamoto roared as his cane withered apart as one hand grabbed the hilt of his Zanpakuto." I will teach this brat a lesson through a beating."

"Go ahead and try old man!" Ichigo shouted back as he teleported in front of the force of the Gotei 13 Captains.

Ichigo's eyes held an unnatural power in them and Yamamoto swiftly drew his Zanpakuto to block Zangetsu.

"Let's see what you've got old man." Ichigo taunted him before he leaped back and Zangetsu cut through the air before he sheathed it.

A multitude of cuts covered Yamamoto who simply grunted.

"This is pathetic, you should have aimed to kill me." Yamamoto called out to Ichigo." You lack the ability to kill as you must attempt when facing me!"

"Burn, Zangetsu!" Ichigo roared as the gauntlets of Ifrit covered his arms and he shot forward, Zangetsu's blade engulfed in hellfire.

"Foolish child, do you not know who I am!" Yamamot roared as his own Reiatsu flared out, flames consuming Ichigo's own and growing stronger and stronger." I am the master of all flames!"

"Freeze, Zangetsu!" Ichigo called out as the tripartite nunchaku Devil Arm known Cerberus appeared in his hands and Zangetsu's blade cleaved through the flames of Yamamoto's Reiatsu.

Yamamoto made no attempt to block the blade as Ichigo slashed down at him with the intent to cut him in half.

The super-cold blade simply bounced off of Yamamoto's super-heated skin.

"Are you finished yet brat?" Yamamoto asked, one eye opening partially before Ichigo grinned and rapidly teleported around Yamamoto.

He slashed with Zangetsu several times at each spot he teleported to before teleporting behind Yamamoto, his back to the aged Captain Commander's.

"Now I am." Ichigo announced as he sheathed Zangetsu once again.

Countless new wounds opened up on Yamamoto only to be seared closed by the flames a surge of his Reiatsu brought forth.

"You are out of your league boy." Yamamoto told him and Ichigo only grinned as he reached up to his hat as he teleported back to the group.

"Hold this for me." Ichigo told them even as he placed the hat on Rukia's head and then teleported back to Yamamoto, this time in front of the Shinigami.

"Strike, Zangetsu!" Ichigo called out as the gaunetlets and greaves of Gilgamesh covered his arms and legs as the mask covered the lower half of his face." Whip It Out, Zangetsu!"

Lucifer soon joined him but Ichigo seemed not to be finished.

"Shock Them, Alastor!" Ichigo called out next as the black electrically charged blade appeared in one hand as the other still held Zangetsu before he sheathed it at his side and gripped Alastor in both hands.

"Do you think more weapons will save you?" Yamamoto asked as Ichigo teleported behind him and the drills of Gilgamesh pierced his back.

"No, this will." Ichigo answered as the drills began draining Yamamto of his blood.

Yamamoto knocked Ichigo away moments later and the wounds on his back were seared shut once again by his flaming Reiatsu.

"Draining the blood from my body will not save you." Yamamoto announced as he drew his Zanpakuto." I have not released my Zanpakuto against a brat like you in my many centuries of heading the Gotei 13 but I shall not allow you to access powers you do not even understand!"

"Funny, I'm pretty sure I understand them pretty damn well." Ichigo shot back before he rushed forward, the blades of Lucifer shooting out from the sword summoning apparatus and raining down on Yamamoto.

A surge of his Reiatsu crushed them within a few meters of the leader of the Gotei 13 as he began walking forward.

"I shall give you a few minutes before you will face your punishment for such an act." Yamamoto told Ichigo who only grinned.

"You'll be dead long before then!" Ichigo shouted as several electrically charged Overdrives slammed into Yamamoto who brushed them off as if they were flies.

"Is Kurosaki-san insane!" Uryu shouted to the other Ryoka as they watched him battle against the Captain Commander." He's going to be killed!"

"No, he's going to kill a clone." Ichigo answered and even as he said that Yamamoto punched through Ichigo only for a black mist to leak from the wound before it sealed before the orange haired teen decided to answer the unasked question." Doppelganger Style switch a few seconds ago."

"Then let's get out of here." Uryu spoke up and Orihime nodded before the Santen Kesshum shot towards the ground and began flying through the streets of the Seireitei.

Ichigo sealed away the rest of his Devil Arms beside Gilgamesh and with Chad the two helped fend off any Shinigami Uryu didn't deal with as Orihime focused entirely on escaping, knowing the three other Ryoka would deal with any threat.

They didn't expect several of the Captains to be blocking their path out of the Seireitei and Ichigo cursed.

"Zangetsu, Quicksilver time." Ichigo spoke up and time seemed to slow to a crawl as the Santen Kesshum seemed to speed up.

It was a good thing as Byakuya had attempted to kill them all with having released Senbonzakura and aiming to have the now slow motion petals skewer through each Ryoka.

They shot through the slow motion falling gates and Ichigo used the time to send countless of Lucifer's blades everywhere around the Captains attempting to stop them.

"Bondage." Ichigo muttered as one hand clenched into a fist and a multitude of blade surrounded each Captain, even the ones far off in the distance watching the battle between Yamamoto and the unkillable clone Ichigo had created with help from Dante during the fight.

"Did we just actually win?" Uryu asked and Ichigo only grinned as he took his hat off of a still silent and shocked Rukia.

"We aren't anywhere near done yet, we've still got to escape Soul Society but make sure they don't just come after us when we do leave." Ichigo answered as he tilted his hat down, mimicking Urahara's preference to shadow his eyes with his hat." So I'm off to be a badass, don't wait up."

Ichigo had worked his way to the edge of the Santen Kesshum and with a wave of his free hand he stepped off it and vanished before he even hit the ground.


AN: Well Ichigo finally met the other part of Zangetsu and got bitchslapped for a while before he got a boost in power from Zangetsu and who would have thought Ichigo failed his Bankai training, well I did. I'll explain it in a flashback later on but where's Ichigo going now, he seems to have gotten a bit more power and control over his Devil Arms and his Combat Styles but that's not enough to take down the Captain Commander and I hope the fight between Ichigo and Yamamoto was good, I had a feeling I made people think he was OP so I had him not stand a chance against someone like Yamamoto.

Anyway read and review on suggestions of where the story can go.

Peace.