Chapter 11 of Hell on Earth extended edition. Read and review.
11: Shrieker
Ichigo and Shrieker both stood their ground in perfect silence. Cold glares were their form of communication. The wind rustled Ichigo's kimono, making a loud flapping sound. It was almost deafening.
Rukia, Orihime, Chad and Uryu all observed with awe.
The two began to take up offensive stances. Ichigo's hands twitched and suddenly he pushed his blade out in front of him, laying it out flat, the sharp pointed aimed at Shrieker. Ichigo snarled through gritted teeth, uttering a single word.
"Ban-kai!"
Reddish black spirit energy exploded around him, quickly engulfing the young warrior. It blazed and surged over him for a moment until it dissipated all of a sudden revealing empty space.
Shrieker looked surprised for a moment, but his arrogant smirk returned soon after when he stepped to the left just before a pure black blade swung down from behind.
"Is that the fastest you can go shinigami?" Shrieker chuckled and back-handed his opponent right in the face. As Ichigo reeled from the hit, Shrieker spun around and extended his leg, lashing out with a snap spinning roundhouse kick. His leg connected with Ichigo's gut and hurled him backwards.
The orange haired boy gripped the air with one hand and steadied himself, but with that amount of time wasted, Shrieker had already flash stepped to his side and slashed across his arm. Ichigo brought his own sword up just in time, blocking the course of the strike by guarding the oncoming strike. Had he not blocked the hit his arm would be falling far down to the ground by now.
Ichigo grinned, his confidence returning. "You aren't very fast either!"
Shrieker's hideous maw twisted up into a smile. "Hmm, so you think." His reiatsu increased dramatically and before Ichigo could even comprehend his absence, Shrieker was standing twenty metres away.
Ichigo took up his sword and charged but Shrieker suddenly appeared behind him, slashing across his Achilles tendon. Ichigo groaned and swiped at his foe but Shrieker was gone before the hit could land.
He's so fast...I can't even see him in time let alone block his attacks.
Ichigo hooked his fingers over his face and dragged them roughly down his cheeks and across his face, leaving behind a hollow mask. Now in his hollowfied state, he stood a better chance against Shrieker. With renewed confidence he resumed his fighting stance, albeit struggling with his wounded leg.
This should even the score a bit!
Shrieker decided to cast the first stone, not wanting Ichigo to get the upper hand in his new hollow form. He lunged at him, charging head on. His speed was not enough anymore and Ichigo saw him clearly, blocking the attacks with ease.
Frustrated, Shrieker hacked madly at his foe. Ichigo's expressionless face betrayed no emotion. He glared into Shrieker's eyes without blinking, his sword automatically moving to block the oncoming strikes. He was outmatching him without even looking.
Shrieker cursed and doubled his efforts, hitting faster and stronger. Ichigo resumed blocking his hits but every so often one would get though, cutting into him, but not deeply. In order to regain the upper hand on Ichigo, he needed more power.
Shrieker slammed his blade down upon Ichigo's skull, but the shinigami boy laid his sword out and stopped the blade in its tracks. Shrieker pushed down, trying to break the block, but it was all in vain. Ichigo's strength was improved as well as his speed and reflexes now.
"You can't keep this up forever boy! I'll wear you down and- Argh!" Shrieker's taunt was interrupted. Several blue arrows made of reishi struck his back, biting in deep. Shrieker stopped his offensive and stared down at Uryu. "Who are you?"
"Uryu Ishida! The last Quincy!" He declared, lining up another shot. He let loose another volley of arrows but Shrieker easily manoeuvred around them. He swooped down towards Ishida but a large blast caught him off guard and threw him to the ground.
As he picked himself off the ground Chad rushed towards him. "El Directo!" He roared. Electricity crackled around his fingertips as he formed a fist with his tattooed white and red arm. The punch struck Shrieker's stomach and a large explosion swallowed the two combatants.
As the dust began to settle Chad peered through trying to witness the extent of the damage of his attack. The dust began to part with the breeze and Chad's eyes widened. A clean hole was now present, right in the middle of Shrieker's stomach. The hole was lined with broken stitches.
Shrieker glanced down at the hole and frowned. "Fuck! That was starting to heal and you just had to ruin it! Dammit! Let's see how you like it!" He jabbed his hand into Chad's chest, impaling him on his arm as if it were a spear. His bloodied hand sprouted from the giants back and quickly retracted, leaving a gaping hole in Chad's stomach.
"Chad!" Orihime cried.
"Ha! Now we're twins!" He swung a bunched fist at his wounded foe and knocked him off of his feet. Chad landed in a heap, spitting bloody fluid. He coughed violently and more blood splattered the ground beneath him. He tried to get back up but just collapsed uselessly.
Orihime ran to his aid but Shrieker blocked the path. "Not so fast missy!" He raised his sword, ready to attack.
Ichigo charged, desperate to stop Shrieker before he harmed Orihime. He drew his weapon back and prepared to strike his opponent from behind but Shrieker rocked his head back, impaling Ichigo on his horns.
"Gotcha!" Shrieker hissed, shaking his head vigorously like a wet dog. The movement flung Ichigo several metres away where he crashed roughly to the ground.
Orihime covered her mouth with her hands and stared at her wounded friend. "Ichigo!"
While she was distracted Shrieker strolled right up to her face. When she finally noticed him a wicked smile crept across his face. "You're next!" He snarled.
Inoue created a shield just as the blade crashed down. The shield splintered upon impact and with a little extra push the weak shield shattered under the pressure of the blade. No longer able to stop the path of the sword Orihime was defenceless. The blade buried itself in her shoulder and created a deep gash running diagonally down her chest.
Shrieker yanked his sword free and howled insanely as blood erupted from the giant wound. Orihime whimpered softly as she slowly rocked back and forth, her knees wobbly. Shrieker kicked her and she fell on her back.
Ishida retaliated with a rain of arrows, providing cover fire while Rukia released her Shikai, Sode No Shirayuki. Her whole sword was pure white, like snow. A long ribbon danced in the wind, flowing out from the bottom of the handle. She performed a short graceful dance before stabbing the ground several times in a line. She then aimed the tip of her blade at Shrieker. Her lips parted to whisper something. It was barely audible, yet her words carried on the wind towards the foe that turned sharply to stare at her.
"Tsugi nomai, Hakuren!" A blast of ice shot forth from the blade, enveloping Shrieker and encasing him in an icy prison.
While the enemy was incapacitated, Ishida proceeded his own strategy. He placed five long silver objects in the ground forming a circle with Shrieker as its centre. The objects lit up and formed sword-like weapons made of reishi. These were Selee Schneider, the only bladed weapon in a Quincy's arsenal.
Ishida reached inside his uniform and pulled out a small tube filled with powder. When this powder touches the Selee Schneider it explodes, destroying everything within the circle. If the plan worked then Shrieker would be no more. With the wretched beast trapped within a thick icy tomb there was no chance of escape for him, but even so, once the seal had been created, nothing can escape the circle.
Ishida walked up to Rukia and handed her the tube. "It's your vendetta. You can have the pleasure of ending this."
"Thanks Uryu." Rukia stepped up to the edge of the circle and glared at the frozen enemy. "I hope you feel this one Shrieker! I'm going to make you pay for what you have done! What you did was inexcusable!"
The frozen Shrieker stared at her with a look of shock.
"There's a reason you were sent to Hell Shrieker. It's because we don't want to see your hideous face ever again! Go back to Hell..."
Rukia threw the tube at one of the Selee Schneider. Blue fire erupted from the posts and ran in lines across the ground, forming the symbol of the Quincy cross. The circle was engulfed in hungry blue flames and a great explosion occurred within the confines of the circle.
Rukia relaxed when she saw a wing, arm and fragments of a white mask fly out form the fire. The arm landed before Rukia and she used kido to incinerate it, ensuring it couldn't be healed.
"Go back to Hell and stay there!" Rukia snarled.
The flames grew higher and higher and the smell of searing flesh became more noticeable. After a while of watching the beautiful, sky blue inferno Rukia smiled.
"He's finally dead!"
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