As promised, the second part.

There was some problems in the chapter of yersterday concerning the underlining words (I apologize)... I hope it'l work better this time!

And now just before the story start, I'm looking for a beta-reader. If you're interested, just send me a MP ;).

Speech convention:

"Normal"

"Thinking"

"(Tensa)Zangetsu" Sometime I underline some word in a phrase, it's not the zanpakuto, it's to emphasize this very word.

"Hollow"

"Hollowed Ichigo"

/Foreign language(Japanese in England, English in Japan) when speaking out loud/

R&R&Enjoy!

Confrontations (2)

-Flashback-

It wasn't raining, but the sky was hidden behind a thick layer of black clouds. However that didn't prevent the world to appear as clear as under the sunlight. And Ichigo was accustomed to this fact, no matter what happen, there always will be light in this world. Sideways buildings were still there, undamaged, unchanged. They used to be tall and bright, but now they just looked grey and grim.

Curious about his appearance, Ichigo took a look at himself. He didn't change a lot from the outside world, but there still was differences. His outfit being complete for example and the most welcomed was his right arm. It was back at its former state, unhurt, covered by a black sleeve with blood red fur at the wrist. His pale and black-clawed hand was still holding Tensa Zangetsu. He brought his free hand to his face and confirmed his suspicions. Covering his right eyes and forehead, his mask's fragment was still firmly in place. Sighing he looked around him. He didn't come here to learn what he already knew. And a part of what he was looking for made his presence known. His voice was double layered, cocky, and irritating.

"Yo, King, did ya miss me?"

Ichigo turned around an glared. On the building next to the one he was standing on, a reversed version of himself. White coat, completely white skin, white hair, white blade and a black mask. His Hollow. Ichigo's eyes were hard, but his face remained straight. And as his Hollow reached for his black mask, -surely to remove it,- the vizard leapt forwards using shunpo. He was fast, really fast, and judging by the lack of reaction from the hollow, faster than him too. Black mask's fragments flew in every directions, shattered by Ichigo's fist. The strength of the hit send the Hollow flying toward a nearby building, followed by a trail of blood.

Ichigo solidified the reishi under his feet, allowing him to sprint on the air. Normally these platforms should have been invisible but the amount of reiatsu Ichigo pushed in them made them take a blackish colour. As if he was leaving a trail of black footprints behind him. He had to make them resistant, because even without using shunpo, he soon was again right in front of the hollow, before he hit the side of the building.

This time the hollow saw the attack coming, and although he had been most likely smiling with all his teeth behind his mask, now that his face was visible to all, his mouth was distorted by a grimace, and his eyes wide. He brought the white Tensa Zangetsu in front of him in attempt to protect himself, only for Ichigo to batter the blade aside with the back of his hand.

A black crescent moon cleaved through the building, cutting it in half, but also forcefully made a inner Hollow crash though several hard walls and glass planes. But Ichigo knew that now matter how thick was the building, it won't be enough to really hurt the hollow. So he disappeared, using shunpo and flickered back into existence several meters behind his opponent. He noticed the hollow was already trying to slow his forced flight down, gathering reishi below his feet, and pressing the black Gesuga Tensho to the side. But he wouldn't have enough time, Ichigo wouldn't give him that time. Lifting his left hand, extending two fingers, black reiatsu began to gather at their tops, rapidly forming a pitch black orb.

When the Cero Oscurias and the Getsuga Tensho collided, the range and destructive power of the explosion forced Ichigo to shunpo away if he didn't want to also get caught in it. He landed on a building below, and watched. The black crescent moon warped itself around the black orb, forcing it to shrink. Unable to withstand the pressure, the Cero divided and two black ray of reiastu shot through the air, both in an opposite direction, and disappeared beyond the horizon. The Getsuga had been pushed back by the violent division of the Cero, forming a circle around a lone, tiny figure in the sky. But now that there was no obstacle anymore, the big and thin black circle collapsed on itself. The phenomenon was completely silent, and even when it was several hundreds of meters away, the raw destructive force surprised even the one who had cast it in the first place. The circular Getsuga Tensho closed itself pinpointing the hollow with nearly as much power that Ichigo had used on Aizen -destroying half a town in the process-, and the precision was such that if Ichigo had stood right next to the Hollow, he would have been unscathed. Finally what was left of the reiastu seemed to be sucked away by the clouds, and a Ichigo saw his Hollow fall.

The impact made the entire building shake, most probably create a small crater, and lifted enough smoke, dust and debris to block Ichigo's sight. He got in a defensive stance, awating his hollow to emerge from the dust cloud. He knew his resistance, the hollow should be heavily hurt but resistant, crazy and hateful enough to keep on fighting. Soon enough, a flare of reiatsu cleared the clould and, revealing the hollow. His mantle has been nearly entirely blown away, leaving only a small part of both of the sleeves, -the left one having already fell on the ground- his pant of shihakusho was torn but still there. Blood was flowing from his noise and mouth, making his psychopathic smile look even worse. And except from from a broken nose, cut tongue and maybe one or two loose teeth, he was unhurt.

"Not so happy to see me..." the hollow spat along with a small amount of blood.

He tore off the remaining of the sleeve and dusted his pants. Ichigo didn't understand. He broke the Hollow's nose with his bare fist, but wasn't able to even scratch him with a Getsuga Tensho? That doesn't make any sense!

"What, surprised? Just do something..."

The boum of sonido was heard as the Hollow disappeared. Ichigo shifted his sword parrying the sword aiming at his throat.

"...BRUTAL!"

Ichigo's foot dug itself in the building, cracking its surface even more, shattering the windows. But he stood his ground.

The hollow was faster and stronger than before, but Ichigo had no problem blocking the second blow and dodging a thrust, bending gracefully to the side. Using the obvious opening, Ichigo slashed back, in an upward motion, at the Hollow's arm expecting to cripple him. His blow would lack strength, but its speed would be too much for the Hollow to react. Or should have been. The black blade cut the air an hair breadth away from the white skin.

Taking full advantage of the upper hand he had, while his Hollow was unbalanced, Ichigo struck again. Lifting his sword above his head, and bringing it down at full force and speed. Like before, reacting faster than he should be able to, the Hollow blocked the blow with his own Tensa Zangetsu. However the white blade just slightly changed the way of the black one, sparing the Hollow's shoulder, before breaking in two.

Without giving him the time to retaliate, Ichigo strike again, and again, and again. Growing angrier each passing second. Every time, at the last moment, the Hollow dodged the blade. A big cocky grin was back plastered on his face and he was laughing like a madman when he finally took several steps back. Ichigo did not follow him, keeping his guard up, he was trying to figure out why his Hollow was able to keep on with him.

"HA! King, always with the straight face? But ya swing your sword with anger, HATE! Do ya think ya can beat ME with..."

The Hollow didn't finish his sentence as a black daito, flying straight toward his head, interrupted him. Ichigo wasn't surprised when his white doppelgänger lifted his white sword and deflected the black one. But the diversion worked. After a quick burst of shunpo, Ichigo was in front of his opponent, his fist mere inches from his face. The Hollow didn't dodge this time, nor did he dodge the foot in his stomach that drove him to the floor, keeping him pinned down.

Now that Ichigo got his opponent immobilized, he called Tensa Zangetsu back. He didn't know where he got that. He just stretched out his hand towards his sword, feeling a strange strand of reiatsu linking him to the weapon, and "pulled". The blade ripped himself from the ground, flew toward Ichigo and came to an abrupt halt in the palm of his out-strechted hand.

Ichigo's eyes were cold, but his lone golden iris was shining with anger. Above the Hollow's widened eyes, he spun his sword, pointing the tip down, towards the Hollow chest, holding with both hands.

The building shook again, cracks appeared on every wall and no window was left intact.

"Bastard..." coughed the Hollow along with a fair amount of blood.

His chest was covered by the pitch black reiatsu still oozing from Ichigo's blade. But it soon dissipated, leaving behind a somewhat burned skin and revealing the tip of a black blade, quietly resting on a white skin.

"God-dammit"

Enhencing the blade with a Getsuga Tensho had worked with Ulquiorra, actually cutting his hierro. So why? Why did the blade seem to refuse to pierce the Hollow's skin, where the sheer strength of the blow was enough to break several of his ribs and damage at least on of his lungs?

The Hollow took advantage of Ichigo's musing, mustering his strength and reiatsu, he swung his broken blade toward his king's throat. The attempt was desperate, they both knew it. Even despite having been taken off-guard, Ichigo had the time to lift his hand and grip the blade. He briefly flared his reiatsu through his hand to disperse the one around the sword.

Ichigo was feeling the cold metal in the palm of his hand, but no blood. The blade didn't cut him. And he understood. Tensa Zangetsu was actually refusing to cut neither him or his Hollow

"Is that so?"

Ichigo jumped back and before the Hollow could react, launched a Getsuga Tensho towards the building over his head. He used shunpo again to quickly get out of the way and watched, impassive as one building fell on the other, trapping the Hollow between them. Whatever the Hollow shouted at Ichigo was lost in a mighty crash.

Turning around, Ichigo saw several meters away a slender hooded figure holding in his hand a long, thin, black sword identical to Ichigo's. Except from the hood, his outfit was identical to Zangetsu's, a coat, black outside and white inside with torn edges floating in the wind.

"Zangetsu?"Ichigo wasn't sure, after all the man was a little smaller than his sword's spirit and he couldn't see his face.

However this little problem was rapidly resolved as the man lifted his hand to draw back his hood, revealing his face. Gone was the sunglasses, and gone was the beard. His black hair nearly reached his shoulders. Overall, he strangely looked like Zangetsu, several years younger. His fierce blue eyes were glaring at Ichigo as he shook his head and hefted his sword horizontally in front of him.

"What's the name of this sword?"

"Tensa Zangetsu? Great deal... same sword, but different form... so different personality too?"

Whatever, Ichigo shook off these interrogations for now. He had other things to think about, other things to ask. He would concentrate on his sword transformation later.

"Why is he back?" Ichigo simply motioned toward the remains of the two building.

Tensa Zangetsu didn't say a word. He let his arm drop and simply stood there casually, the other hand in his pocket. If his Hollow was to be believed, him and Zangetsu were in fact the same entity. So why were they both there in the same time as two definitely different person. And why was his sword not allowing Ichigo to cut the Hollow.

Always, since the time Ichigo had learned about his inner Hollow, he had thought that Zangetsu would be siding with him against That. And that the Hollow would continue to try to take over his body. He couldn't believe his bankai blade's spirit was that different from Zangetsu-ossan.

As seconds passed, Ichigo's stare was becoming colder under the eyes of Tensa Zangetsu.

"I defeated him. I stabbed him with my sword, with the sword you have in your hand! So why is he BACK?"

Ichigo's patience was rapidly growing very thin, and the fact that the one he was hoping getting support from remained silent. For all reaction, Tensa Zangetsu's stare gained a sliver of what looked like compassion, or pity, before closing his eyes and turning his head.

"Back? Who's the bastard who said I was gone?"

The hollow was back. Covered in small cuts and bruises, he was slowly walking on air and came to an halt beside Tensa Zangetsu. The aggressiveness was completely gone and the only thing remaining on the white clone's face was an uncharacteristic seriousness. The hollow breathing was ragged, and he seemed to avoid looking directly at either Ichigo or Tensa Zangetsu. Instead he was tried to appear nonchalant, picking glass shards and other scraps out of his long white hair, using his broken sword to cut the strand that were too entangled.

If anyone had told Ichigo that the white bloodthirsty psychopathic berserker would one day look as close as a pretty girl doing her hair as he was now... well... he didn't know. He already consider his father a lost cause, but even the old man was too sane to think about something like that.

"What do mean?" Ichigo tried to remain concentrated on the things at hand

"Huh? I simply meant what I said. Is that that difficult to unders..."

"Oh shut up already!" Ichigo took a menacing step.

The Hollow flinched at the shout and jumped back hastily. The state of his hair had became the last of his concern and was staring at Ichigo with a frown on his face. But the thing that gave away the Hollow's panicked state was the way he was holding his broken sword. Feet wide apart, knees slightly bent and both hands on the sword's handle. It was the first time Ichigo saw him take something that look like an theoretically correct combat stance.

Ichigo couldn't prevent himself to let his lips curve up in a smug grin. He had been afraid of his Hollow, so afraid he had refused to use his shinigami's power for days. But now, the table was inverted. With his new found strength, Ichigo was not only able to beat his Hollow into the ground, but to scare the shit out of him. The sensation was intoxicating.

And suddenly Ichigo realized. From a third point of view things must look a great deal different. A grinning Ichigo, with a carefree stance, his sword resting in his right hand, mindlessly drawing circles in he air with its tip. And in front of him, a scowling Hollow, panting, clothes torn, in a careful low stance, and whose mouth was deformed by a grimace of anger.

Their situations were reversed.

"Stop messing with my head!" Ichigo eyes hardened and he used his free hand to cover his growing grin.

In an other situation in front of someone else, Ichigo would have laughed. His Hollow seemed ready to make a good retort. Already with his finger pointed toward Ichigo, a furious scowl and a cocky smile on his face. But he froze instead of speaking. A look of misunderstanding took place in his eyes, and shortly after his smile fall off his face.

"Huh... what?"

It was enough ! If his sword couldn't cut the Hollow, at least it could hurt him, breaking bones and squashing organs. Without any sort of warning, Ichigo jumped. He spun on himself, to give his sword more momentum and aimed for the Hollow neck, intended to break it. Even if it didn't work, at least the Hollow would feel it and maybe it will become a bit more compliant.

What Ichigo didn't expect, was for an other black sword to block his. The sound of the two swords clashing made the hollow flinch -realizing how near from being seriously hurt he had been- an take two stop back and one to the side, hiding the best he could behind Tensa Zangestu. Ichigo glared at his bankai's spirit to have defended the Hollow. And when he realized it was useless to try to push Tensa Zangestu aside, he let out an irritated grunt and take a few steps back, unlocking their swords.

"You made me HESITATE!"

"Well,... of course! What the fuck are you talking about?

"In front of Aizen..."

Flashback (flashbackception,... I know)

(It's not an actual flashback, but you'll understand fast enough)

In front of Ichigo, Aizen. The traitor was seriously hurt, but still standing. And between them, Wanderweiss was standing, motionless slowly strangling Yuzu Kurosaki and shielding Aizen from Ichigo.

The younger Kurosaki was rapidly weakening. Deprived of oxygen, her movements were becoming slow and scarce. And even through the massive reiatsu of Aizen and the substantial one of the arrancar, Ichigo could clearly feel his sister's. The feeble reiatsu was trying to fight back the two massive and aggressive ones but in the same time, it looked like his sister was reaching for him with her reiatsu. Having never been taught what reiatsu was, and even less how to control it, Ichigo deduced it was some kind of instinctual desperate call now that she couldn't even voice the name of her brother anymore.

"Sorry Yuzu." was the last Ichigo said before he lifted his hand towards the three person in front of him, a black orb of destructive reiatsu already formed at the tip on his finger.

When the Cero was released, the recoil made the ground beneath Ichigo's feet crack and break. He didn't lose any time, taking off with flash step. His departure finishing to destroy the ground where he was standing. He was slightly faster than his Cero, so when he came to a brief halt at some distance next to Wanderweiss and his sister, the attack was still three or four feet away from them.

The arrancar had his eyes wide, and both of his arm before his face. Instead of calling his sword directly to him, he poured more reiatsu through his connection to the zanpakuto and sent him to some place behind Aizen.

But before he used Flash step for the second time, Ichigo saw his little sister. Wanderweiss had just let go of her but she was already on the ground. Yuzu was looking directly in her brother's black eyes with her own, big, brawn and tear filled eyes. She had a small smile on her face as she was reaching a stretched hand to Ichigo. Sadly, the look of hope she had on her face disappeared, replaced by a look of hurt betrayal and pain as the Cero neared her.

The air pressure in front of the cero was enough to throw her back into Wanderweiss. She opened her mouth to scream but no sound came out of her. The time slowed down. Far less than a second should have flowed between the time Ichigo bended his knees, and the time he went off with Shunpo. Instead, he saw his sister's clothes being torn away by the terrifying blast. She didn't have anything like Hierro and her spiritual pressure was nowhere near enough to shield her from anything like a Cero Oscurias. A normal hollow or a shinigami wouldn't have been hurt before the Cero actually hit them. But Yuzu was human, and her skin soft and weak. To Ichigo's horror, her skin was slowly being torn and reaped away. She bled a lot, covering Wanderweiss in red.

Ichigo was gone right before the black mass of destructive reiatsu hit her. His mind was solely focused on killing Aizen. He didn't want to think about his sister fate. He didn't want to wonder if it was already over for her before the cero reached her. He didn't want to explain why he chose to attack Aizen instead of saving his sister.

He arrived behind Aizen at the same time his blade did. Catching it and turning around, he brought Tensa Zangetsu down.

"Getsuga Tensho"

The cero was already right before Aizen, and the bodies of the arrancar and his sister nowhere to be seen. The Getsuga hit the traitor's back, and the cero Kyoka Suigetsu, in the same time, mimiking the attack Ichigo used on his Hollow.

The destruction was tremendous. The man wasn't protected by Tensa Zangetsu's will. Even if he survived, he won't be able to stand. The war would be over.

What Ichigo would have noticed afterward, was that a part of the town was no longer under the pillars protection...

End of Flashback

"The choice should have been simple. I would never hurt my sister no matter the situation. But I hesitated..."

Ichigo tuned around. The Hollow was staring back at him with a blank face, and Tensa Zangetsu was looking away, eyes lost in the distance, with a pained expression.

"Why is he back?" Ichigo's tone was even, his voice calm, but his word contain a dangerous edge. An edge obviously felt by his Hollow.

"Listen King, you should first calm down, and..."

"I brought him back."

They both turned toward the sword's spirit.

"That... won't calm him down..."

After a while, Tensa Zangestu let out a small sigh, closed his eyes for a bit longer than a blink, and turned his face, looking at Ichigo. The latest was speechless. His sword had consciously brought back the Hollow, but why? The Hollow had done nothing else but try to gain the control of Ichigo's body. Was that the wish of Tensa?

Moreover, hadn't the Hollow confessed him that he was one with the sword's spirit? The strongest deciding which form they will wear. And now they are both in front of him, two different individuals.

So Ichigo remained silent, waiting for Tensa Zangetsu to explain himself, which he did.

"I needed his Hierro and high speed regeneration"

"And I wanted his sword, so we made a deal"

Ichigo cast his eyes down, and looked at his right hand. White Hierro, deadly looking claw, and the hilt of a black daito. Was his appearance and power the result of this "deal"? In other circumstances, the change would have been welcomed,... more or less, but now...

After the small while when he had lost control and from when he didn't have any memories, he still had something to sort out.

"You think I'll thank you? You nearly KILLED Ishida!" Bellowed Ichigo, pointing an accusating finger toward his Hollow.

"Okay,... that's it... I don't want to look like a little whining girl, but why does it have to always be my fault when something bad happen?"

"Are you fucking kidding me? As soon as you gain control over my body you try to kill someone! First Byakuya, then the vizards, now my friend! What next, my family?"

"Oh shut up will you? The one in control back then wasn't ME, so cut me some slack!

Ichigo blinked, the statement hitting him like a slap. His eyes lost focus and he nearly let go of his sword. He nearly missed the look Tenza Zangetsu gave to the Hollow. A look of disapprobation. An angry look. Ichigo turned around and prepared himself to leave. There was something happening between his Hollow and Zanpakuto. Something they knew and he didn't. And that drove him mad.

"Listen Ichigo..."

"No, I'm tired of listening... to both of you. Now the one who will listen is you."

Ichigo pointed his sword toward Tenza Zangetsu. The bankai's spirit didn't move, but his eyes hardened. They both knew neither of them was going to attack the other but they were both battle ready.

"I got you, your "Asaushi" to protect my family ! I got you back to be allowed to save a friend. I basically obtain your shikai AND bankai in less than a month -while it takes years and years for other to achieve them- to save a friend! And...

Ichigo turn his burning gaze toward his Hollow.

...I get your power, along with zangestu's, and finally controlled it to SAVE ONE OF MY FRIENDS, AND PROTECT MY FAMILY!

To calm himself Ichigo brought up his left hand to massage his temple. He was already feeling his "Hollow instincts" telling him to tear the two persons in front of him in pieces until they give him adequate answers. And he would continue even after that. The sound of his own distorted voice, echoing in his head didn't help easing this urge.

"King..."

"Shut up!"

"Ichigo...

"I said, SHUT UP!"

Trying to massage both of his temple ended up being a bad idea. With his daito still in his hand, instead of skin, he felt his bone-like, steel hard, mask fragment.

"Why would my own power... make me... do... that."

Finally calming himself, Ichigo found the strength not to jump on the personification of his power. Instead, he turned around and declared in a calm, decided tone.

"That's not the way I wanted to fight, that's not the way I wanted to win.

"Well, unfortunately, you're stuck with us right now, so you'll deal with it and..."

"No!"

"No?"

Ichigo closed his eyes, concentrated and for the first time exited his inner world on his own free will. The process was strange, it was like focusing his reiatsu back in his body. A sort of reverse Jinzen. And the sensation was like slowly entering back in his body from his soul form.

When he opened his eyes, Ichigo was back in a forest, still leaning against the tree he had been leaning against when he performed Jinzen. The sun was slowly rising and the air was still cold, making Ichigo painfully aware of his state. Here, in this world, he only had a part of his torn shihakusho left and his right arm was still burnt to the bone.

He got up, and rapidly scanned the zone. No one, like before. That didn't surprised him. He was far away from any kind of civilization. But that also didn't bother him. In fact it was even better that way.

"I don't want a power I can't trust!"

Without hesitating, he threw Tenza Zangetsu away. The black daito dissolved nearly instantaneously into black reishi. The mass of spiritual particles hitting harmlessly a nearby tree.

"And I have no use of a power who only thinks of massacre!"

Without wondering about how he was still able to use his right arm in the state it was, Ichigo grabbed the horn protruding from the side of his mask and pulled. It felt like he was splitting his head in two and tearing away his own skin in the same time. And the more Ichigo pulled, the more painful his right arm became. Finally the mask fragment came out of his face, an Ichigo fell to the ground.

-End of Flashback-

I hoped you liked, see you tomorrow for the final part.