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Deja vu. Karin woke up again in a hospital bed, only there was no pain...actally, there was no feeling at all in her arm. It felt like it wasn't even there. Karin gazed down and suddenly noticed something...Her arm really wasn't there!
Karin screamed at the bandaged shoulder. "My arm!! What happened?!"
"Karin?" A gentle voice whispered to her.
Karin felt relaxed at the soothing tone. She rolled over and saw Unohana lying in another bed next to her. "You're alive?! You fell off that bridge!"
Unohana laughed warmly. "I'm tougher than I look. What happened to you?"
"Zaraki amputated her arm." A quiet voice answered from the other room. A tall woman with grey hair, despite her youthful appearance slowly entered. She crossed her arms behind herself and looked at the floor.
"This is my liuetenant, Isane. She is a bit shy, I must warn you. But she is still very loyal and an experienced healer. Judging from your wounds, she would have healed the both of us, am I right Isane?" Her praising manner of speech made the woman blush.
Isane nodded while still looking at the floor. "I couldn't do it alone though, I'm not that good." She tried to make herself insignificant.
"Honestly Isane, you should be more confident in yourself!" Unohana spoke in a motherly way.
Isane nodded and then left.
Karin scratched her head. "Yeah, she is shy. I wonder what happened to Zaraki? Last thing I remember was my brother destroying that tower and then he...he...changed!"
"He failed to kill me!" A sheet was drawn across by it's occupant who grinned wickedly.
Karin could barely believe the man was alive.
He looked like a zombie from a horror movie. His face was bruised and his right cheek was ripped open, exposing his teeth. His right arm was gone, Karin remembered cutting it off herself. His torso was blanketed in thick layers of bandages which were sticky with blood. Some of it had dried forming a large crust.
"I haven't forgotten about you! I can still breathe, so I can still kill you!"
"Zaraki Kenpachi, you overestimate yourself! You can barely move and I can tell from looking at you that you are struggling to breathe alone." Unohana scolded the man.
"I don't need to move, just my reiatsu could wipe you guys out!"Zaraki went into a fit of coughing. Blood flecked his hand and his bed.
Medics rushed in and lay him down. Kenpachi attempted to swipe at a nurse, but they were still shinigami. The nurse dodged and gripped the arm tightly.
"He won't bother us anymore. But if he does, he will be weaker than a kitten." Unohana laughed at the thought of a small kitten scratching the giant man making him bawl like a baby.
Isane strolled in, a worried look on her face. "Ichigo...they have caught him!"
Karin bolted upright, breaking the wounds and making them bleed again.
Isane set her down and crusted the wounds over. "He is cornered, although apparently he has some followers...The ryoka have shown themselves. Also, Ukitake and Shunsui are helping him."
"Why?"
"Well, Ukitake has slain a shapeshifting hollow, which he believes framed Ichigo. Well at least that is what he said."
"You mean he sent a hell butterfly?" Unohana rose painfully to her feet.
"He thinks that most of the captains will help if he tells them this. He knew you supported him anyway."
"Very well...Prepare for battle, and fetch a spare sword. The girl is coming with us!" Unohana pointed at Karin.
*****
Ichigo clutched Rukia close to him. He only held her with one arm though, the other was completely transformed now. Red markings seared into his flesh which was now a ghostly white. Even his legs were now gone to the dark side.
Rukia struggled in Ichigo's half hug. She couldn't help feeling that Ichigo would go insane and kill her...she had seen him do it before.
"Rukia, please do not fear me. I will never hurt you...I love you with all my heart..." Ichigo doubled over and roared in agony.
"Ichigo?!" The others asked. Ishida and Chad had found them and now joined the band of helpless warriors.
Ichigo clutched his chest which was bleeding from an invisible wound. The blood trickled in a circular shape on his chest. It dribbled at first but it kept increasing until it was gushing.
"He won't stop bleeding! I don't know what's happening!?" Ukitake scratched his grey hair.
In a last bestail roar, Ichigo's chest erupted like a sickening fountain. The skin burst and all organs and bone in the circle was shot out into the air. The hollow hole was now complete. His skin was now deathly pale from head to toe. His hair was growing rapidly.
Rukia held him. It may be their last moment together. "I love you Ichigo."
They were alerted by the sudden appearance of multiple captains. Yammamoto, Toshiro and Mayuri all stared down at them.
Yammamoto stared at the group of rebels. "I already have officers taking care of the others. This fight is pointless, hand over Ichigo so he can be destroyed!" A harsh wind caused his haori to dance fiecely.
"He is innocent! It was the-" Ukitake began.
"You expect me to believe it was a hollow? Of course I know it was a hollow! And that holllow is right in front of me! Now if you don't give him to me...I will just take him!" Yammamoto cast aside his haori and then opened his scabbard.
An army of executioners from the covert ops appeared followed by a group of liuetenants.
"Give up." Yammamoto showed no emotion on his wrinkled face. His small, cold eyes gave no hint of mercy. "You will all die where you stand unless you back down."
"You will have to kill me then!" Ukitake dropped his sword and raised his arms. "Go ahead! Kill your best pupil. Remember how you said I was like a son...well come kill your son!" His gaze burned with passion. He was ready to die for his cause.
Yammamoto dissapeared.
All looked on shocked as the old man reappeared in front of Ukitake. In one slash, Ukitake was defeated.
"CAPTAIN UKITAKE!!!" Rukia ran over to her captain and nursed him
Fortunately he was still alive. "R-u-kia...I...am sorry. I hope...Ichigo can...make you smile...because your frown...turns my world upside down..." He half coughed, half laughed at his small rhyme.
Rukia scowled. "You bastard!! I'll kill you!!!" Rukia rushed forward with her sword drawn.
Yammamoto flicked his wrist prepared to fight.
Rukia's sword melted in the heat. She stared at the gooey mess that was her sword. She sobbed and ran bare-handed at the man.
"Poor child. You are so blind with rage you run at me unarmed. What a pity. I thought you had a lovely face, but it will never look the same when the skin melts away!" He raised the sword but stopped. A strange noise was coming from behind him. He turned around.
Ichigo was ripping the assasin army to pieces. They fought desperately, all at once, but none were strong enough. His glowing eyes turned to the old man. His face was lost behind razor sharp fangs and a white skull mask, curved horns pointed towards the old man who stared wide eyed in shock.
"Rukia...cry...you...I...KILL!!!" His voice was distorted and croaky, but everyone knew what he meant. Ichigo spread his arms and stared at the sky as he let loose a mournful howl. All eyes fell on his chest, where inside the vacant hollow hole...a heart beat! It was perfeclty fine, working normally, but it was in plain sight!
"A hollow with a heart? What a fairytale piece of garbage! You think you can comprehend emotion?" Yammamoto spat on the ground and then darted forward.
*****
Urahara sent a roundhouse kick into Soi Fon. She flew into a wall but counter-attacked before the dust could even settle.
"Soi Fon, I know you despise me and want my head, but right now I must go! If I don't, then your captain commander will die!"
Soi Fon's eyes widened. She rested her arms at her side and turned away.
Urahara assumed it meant he could leave and ran off...but it was a trick. Soi Fon drilled suzemabachi into his spine and he crumpled into a heap.
"You are too gulible Kisuke! I can't believe Yoruichi placed you higher than me!"
Before Urahara could respond, a powerful kick knocked him unconscious.
*****
The ground split apart as the two huge reiatsu clashed as well as their blades. Zanagetsu versus Ryujin Jakka!
The two exchanged thunderous blows and the world broke apart with each hit.
Rukia had to back away as well as the others. Although the liuetenants were supposed to fight, all were lost in fascination at the battle that raged on.
Lightning cracked and shot down to the ground. It struck Yammamoto's sword and elecrtocuted him. He reached out a hand and grabbed Ichigo, transfering the current into him. He then buried the sword into his foe, electricity still surging through it.
Ichigo shrieked, and that alone was enough to displace the dirt beneath them. He swung his blade across his side and the force threw the old man across the battlefield.
Lucky I blocked. Had that shot hit me, that youngster would have torn me apart!
His eyes opened considerably now, his surprise exceeding anything he had experienced before...well except for once, when he faced the original 'complete vizard!' But compared to the first one, Yammamoto thought Ichigo was far more powerful.
Ichigo clasped his hands together and a huge cero blast formed. As he released his hands, the mighty red blast raced forward.
Yammamoto extended a hand and recited two words. "Severing void!" A transparent wall formed, but the cero tore through it like a butcher knife through butter. He then sent a wall of flames forth as a shield, but it too, only slowed it down. The blast slammed into the old man and his skin blackened upon impact. Yammamoto roared in pain. The first time such a sound had escaped the man's cracked lips.
Ichigo growled and mist rose from his fanged jaws.
*****
Isshin was covered in ornately crafted armour and weilded a gleaming straight sword. "Ichigo... 'Lone Guardian!' This is my ban-kai,"
"You named your son after your bankai?!" Kommamura lowered his weapon.
"Yes, because I knew that my time would one day come and he would be left alone to protect the others. I thought the name fit quite well. Anyway, how about we end this quickly, my son must be stopped, and if needed...I will slay my son!"
"Very well...I wil end this in one hit! Ban-Kai!"
"Wait!!"
Kommamura stopped.
"Screw it! We can fight later! Let's go!" Isshin extended a hand.
Reluctantly, Sajin grasped it in his giant hand and shook.
*****
Karin, Isane and Unohana all ran across soul society to get to Ichigo. They passed a body lying in the street.
The girl had chestnut hair that was torn into scraps across her once pretty face. Now it was bloodied and contained...toothmarks?
"Orihime?! No!" Karin dropped to her knees. She barely knew the girl, but remembering her smiling face now reduced to this was awful.
Unohana said something and a giant manta ray descended from the sky. It swallowed the girl and then flew away.
"What was-" Karin started. But she never finished the sentence. The sky ahead was pure black. No sky was visible beneath the abyss in the sky.
"Your friend should be okay for now, I will try my best to help her. But now, we must hurry!"
The trio set off.
*****
Yammamoto struggled to fight against his increasingly powerful opponent.
His strength is just increasing! He hasn't even reached his limit yet! I will definitely fall now!
Admiting defeat, the man drove his blade into the ground. He would use his final attacks to try and slow him down. "BAN-KAI!!"
The ground burst and towering flames reached upfrom below. The flames started to take shape and soon they formed a gigantic warrior made of fire.
"Prepare yourself Kurosaki, this is no ordinary ban-kai." Yammamoto extended a hand and the towering warrior took a slow step forward. The ground underneath was blackened, much like the old man's skin.
The fire skinned man neared Ichigo and then fell apart into a sea of flames. The red ocean swallowed Ichigo and burned him severely...but not enough. Ichigo swiped at the flames and they parted, giving him a free shot at the old man.
Ichigo darted through the gap and cut down the captain commander of Soul Society.
Yammamoto dropped to his knees as blood gushed from his chest. "How? This is impossible! You should be dead!" The flames around them grew and encircled the two warriors. Yammamoto's face hardened. "If I am to die...Then I will take you down with me!" The flames collapsed inwards and then exploded.
The shockwave blew the others away. The sky parted and a large crack broke through the black clouds.
Karin stared at the mushroom cloud in front of her. Her brother was in that explosion...he couldn't have possibly survived...could he?
A blood curdling howl made her think otherwise.
He lived?!
The smoke settled and all stared at the invincible creature that was Ichigo...or at least used to.
"Ichigo?! Rukia screamed. Her legs failed to support her anymore and she fell. She almost fainted when Ichigo looked at her.
He was covered in blood and his body was burned so badly that scaps of flesh were missing. His white skin had melted and stuck to his bones. He looked like a skeleton now, only with black eyes and a hollow mask. He raised a foot slowly and then placed it in front of himself. He then repeated the movement with the other foot. He was slowly, painfully walking.
Rukia shivered. This was no longer Ichigo! It was just skin and bone. It was a monster.
"Ru...kia..." He rasped.
She backed away from him when he was only ten steps away.
"Do...not...fear...me."
Rukia froze. She could no longer move. Not even when Ichigo opened his jaws and bared his fangs. Not even when he ran towards her. Not even when he regenerated.
"RUKIA!!" The others yelled.
Rukia noticed a sword next to her.
No...No...I can't kill him as well! No! Not like Kaien! I can't...I WILL!!
Rukia grasped the blade and held it out in front of herself. The crazed monster ran straight onto it, implaing himself.
Rukia gazed into the hole where the heart still beat. It dissapeared as skin grew over it.
Ichigo was going back to normal!
"I'm sorry Rukia...You shouldn't have had to do that." Ichigo whispered in his normal tone.
Rukia should have been happy that he was normal again...But she had just killed him! "NO!! Don't think it was your fault! It was mine! I should have let you-"
Ichigo rubbed her cheek. "Ssshh. Calm down...It wasn't your fault...'BLUERGH" He threw up blood and fell over.
The fourth squad captain and liuetenant both raced over to him and carried him away. Isane carried Ukitake who looked very close to death. The large manta ray appeared and swallowed the two wounded men.
Rukia kept seeing Ichigo's face. His hair would continually switch between black and orange and he would stare with accusing eyes. Rukia wept.
Chad and Ishida approached her but she swatted them away.
Rukia ran off into the forest. No-one followed.
This isn't the last chapter, the story still continues. What will happen to Soul Society now that the captain commander is dead? What fate will befall Ichigo and the others. Find out in the final chapter! Please Review.