Multiple comets of light crashed into the ground outside the West Rukon district, kicking up a massive cloud of dust. As the dust cleared, the forms within it became clear. Dante, Lady and Chad had landed gracefully, like cats; Yoruichi, being an actual one, landed smoothly as well. The rest of the group wasn't quite so elegant: Uryu had landed flat on his face, Orihime had landed on her knees, and Ichigo had landed in a crumpled ball. Nero had landed on his back at first, but shot his legs upward, rolling back onto his feet. He wiped the dust off his trench coat, grumbling to himself.

Orihime got up and walked over to Ichigo, beaming. "Wow! The way you landed showed tremendous artistic flair!"

Ichigo snorted. "Gee, thanks."

Dante looked around as the group got to their feet. "Hmm. Well, it's definitely not Hell. I guess this must be the Soul Society. Looks poor."

Yoruichi gave Dante a cold look. "That's because it is."

Lady shook her head. "You know, you have a real way with words, Dante…"

"The specific area we're in now is called the Rukon district. This is where souls first arrive after passing on."

Nero looked around. "It seems pretty empty. I don't know about you guys, but the thought of this being the afterlife is kinda depressing."

Yoruichi continued on, seemingly oblivious to Nero's comment. "The Rukon district is right on the perimeter of where the Soul Reapers live. Being outside of the seireitei means that while it's the poorest section, it's also the one with the most freedom."

Dante raised an eyebrow at the cat. "Seireitei…'Court of Pure Souls', huh? So that must be Heaven." He glanced over toward a group of pristine buildings that stood in stark contrast to the ramshackle structures of the Rukon district. "So what are those?"

"Never mind those."

That alone would have given Dante an urge to run up to them, but his next thought cemented it. "Wait a minute…that must be the seireitei! Well, what are we standing around here for?! Let's start the party!" He took off at blinding speed toward the structures.

"Wait, you idiot, you can't just run up to the gate and knock! You'll be killed!"

He laughed. "Nobody in this world or the next can beat me! Bring 'em on!"

"Dante, wait up, you dumbass!" Lady yelled. "It's not a good idea to-"

Unfortunately, Lady's warning was cut off as several hundred large pieces of rock dropped down in what seemed to be a horizontal wall around the dwellings of the Soul Reapers. Dante kicked his legs into reverse, preventing himself from smashing up against the newly-formed barrier. Dust rose as the huge blocks crashed down, causing the rest of the group to cover their eyes.

"Well, well," a deep voice rang out. "It has been a while since someone tried to pass through my gate without a permit. And I don't seem to get many guests any more, so…" The dust cleared, revealing a gigantic, ape-like figure. "How can I help you, little man?

Dante smirked as he eyed the large figure. "Wow. Someone's been eating his Wheaties. Nice hat, by the way." He barely blinked as an enormous axe smashed into the ground near where he was standing. "Nice axe, too. Don't suppose I could borrow it by any chance, could I?"

"No."

Dante snapped his fingers. "Damn. Worth a shot, though."

Uryu glanced at the large being. "What a leviathan…just what is he? He doesn't look human."

"He is known as Jidanbo," Yoruichi answered. "He was selected from the strongest warriors in all of the Soul Society to guard the gate into the Seireitei."

Dante grinned. "The cream of the crop, huh? Well, it'd be a waste to kill you off just because you're in the way. Could I just say 'open sesame' and get through?"

"You must fight and defeat me if you wish to enter this city." He pulled his axe out from the ground, holding it up in a ready position again.

Dante grinned. "If you say so, big boy. But how about we play by my rules?"

Jidanbo eyed him curiously. "What do you mean?"

"Instead of one of us killing the other, I say we make it more interesting. Whoever takes his opponent's weapon or weapons first wins. How's that sound?"

"Interesting indeed. I accept!"

The others raced up towards Dante. "Hold up!" Ichigo yelled. "We can do this together!"

"Yeah!" Uryu agreed. "We need to think about this rationally, instead of rushing in blindly!"

Dante held up his hand as they neared. "Hold it right there! Any one of you takes another step and I'll fight you first!"

Orihime gasped as they stopped. "Huh? But why?"

Lady shook her head. She'd gotten used to this sort of thing while hunting with Dante. "Don't bother, Orihime. It's beyond reasoning."

Nero nodded. "For those with a demon's blood, fighting is instinctive to them." He looked at his arm. "Trust me. I know firsthand. They don't like sharing their kills."

Orihime gulped. "K-kills?"

"Not necessarily killing someone; it's more about winning. Kind of like how wild dogs don't like to share their territory."

Dante shrugged. Never heard it quite like that, but more or less right. "Besides, I don't want any of you getting hurt. I got into this, and I need to get out of it."

Uryu frowned at the Devil Hunter. "Can you really defeat him?"

"No doubt. The only part I'm worried about is how quickly I wanna do it. Too quick and I won't get as much of a rush, but too long and it'll get boring."

"WHAT?!"

Lady rolled her eyes. Dante, you arrogant bastard. "Like I said, it's beyond reasoning."

Dante cracked his knuckles and stretched his legs a bit. After all, what's the fun in having cramps? Gotta give 'em a good show. He looked up at the large Jidanbo. "Ready, big guy?" The giant nodded, swinging downward again. Dante grinned. "I take that as a yes!"

The axe smashed into the ground, sending up huge amounts of dust and leaving a gigantic crack that crawled outward from the impact like a spider web. As the dust cleared, Dante was standing on top of the axe, his arms folded across his chest. "Guess that was your warm-up. How about we fight seriously now?" He backflipped off of the axe, landing right behind where he had first been standing.

Jidanbo growled. "Very few have dodged my strike…" He said as he pulled his axe back up. "…but even less have blocked it!" He swung downward again.

Dante grinned. "Another challenge! If you insist!" The axe descended, but as it came within an inch of Dante's head, it seemed to stop.

Lady's eyes widened. He's tough…but did he actually stop that without using his sword?!

Sure enough, Rebellion remained on Dante's back. He held the wide axe blade between his fingers and thumb, and was smiling. "Not bad, big fella. Try again." He brought his hand up, sending the axe away from him.

Jidanbo looked stunned. "I-impossible! Only two have ever blocked my axe before, and they had weapons when they did!" He smiled. "But no one has ever been able to stop this…my Ten-Strike Festival!" He swung the axe downward again, but Dante flipped out of the way. He swung a second time, but Dante jumped carelessly over the axe as it sailed past him. Again and again Jidanbo swung, and each time Dante dodged the attack with ease.

After seven swings, Jidanbo began to lose count. "Uh…seven…twelve…eleven…eight…nine…four…I…I've never had to count this high before. But I must be near ten by now. Ten!" He swung horizontally at Dante with all his might, but Dante jumped on the side of the axe and stood on it as it swung. As the axe completed its arc, Dante jumped back to where he had stood first. He smirked. "Actually, that was about twenty. Nice try, big boy, but I win." And it seemed to be so, as Jidanbo had let go of the axe, and now Dante had his hand on it.

Jidanbo let out a loud laugh. "Not quite, you irritating little fly. You said the opponent's weapon or weapons. And I have another axe!" He pulled it out from the inside of his robes.

Dante chuckled, kicking the other axe back to him. Yoruichi gaped. "What the hell are you doing? He only had one to start with, and now you're letting him have two?!"

Dante shrugged. "Why not? Using only one, he wasn't even a challenge. This should make it more interesting!"

Jidanbo smiled. "If you say so, little red man." He hefted his axes up. "You'll never withstand this! Bonzai Strike Festival!" He swiped this way and that, but Dante leaped all over the axes like a master gymnast. Using the axes as both landing platforms and push-off points, Dante went higher and higher, forcing Jidanbo to swing higher as well.

"Not bad, red man! But dodge all you want, you'll never take both my…" Much to his surprise, Jidanbo's hands were empty, and Dante was nowhere to be seen.

"…Axes?" a voice rang out behind him. He turned around, and his mouth dropped open at the sight he saw. Dante was juggling the massive axes as if they were mere toys. He caught both of them and performed a quick combo, slashing away at mid-air. He finished with a double strike, posing with his "borrowed" weapons. He smirked, holding his pose. "Well, looks like I win." He stood up straight, tossing the axes back to Jidanbo. "Those axes are pretty cool. If we weren't in a hurry, I'd see how many of those hollow things I could wipe out with 'em."

"You…you beat…me?"

Dante nodded. "Don't get me wrong, you're pretty good yourself. But with all the power you have, you've let your speed go. If you built that up more, not many people would be able to put up a fight against you."

Everyone except Lady, Nero, and Ichigo gaped at Dante. "Wow!" Orihime exclaimed. "Did you see that?"

Ichigo snorted. "I could've done that, too. Well, maybe not the axe-juggling, but you know what I mean."

Yoruichi stared. "No one's beat Jidanbo in the three hundred years that he's guarded this gate. I must say, I'm impressed."

Uryu nodded. "I'll say. How in the world did he handle those axes so effortlessly?"

Jidanbo looked at Dante oddly. "You're…helping me out? But you're my enemy. Why are you giving me advice?"

Dante shrugged. "You're not a bad guy. Just doing your job, that's all. No sense in getting mad at you for that."

Jidanbo bowed his head. "Well, I am defeated. Because you have beaten me, I, Jidanbo, grant you and your group passage into the seireitei."

Dante pumped his fist up in the air. "Score! Well, let's get moving, then!"

Uryu adjusted his glasses. "Wait, you're letting all of us in? Why?"

Jidanbo looked over at him. "Your leader has defeated me in battle. Therefore, I have no right to stop anyone in your group."

"WHAT?! Who made him leader?"

Ichigo clamped a hand over Uryu's mouth. "Just shut up!" he whispered. "Do you really want to start another fight all over again?!"

Jidanbo looked at Dante. "Tell me, little red man. What is your name?"

He looked up at the gatekeeper. "Dante, Son of Sparda. How are ya?"

"Hmm. Sparda…I've never heard of him before."

Dante shook his head. "Didn't expect you to. We're not really from around here…"

"I'm not sure why you are so determined to get through here, but you should know that the ones you meet on the other side will all be very strong."

Dante held his hands out in challenge. "The stronger, the better. Bring 'em all on!"

"Very well. Then stand back, and I shall open the gate for you." As they obeyed, the large gatekeeper reached under the gate, and with a large amount of strength, forced it up near the top. But then he seemed to freeze.

Dante looked at the massive gatekeeper. "Hey, what is it, big guy? See a ghost or something? Hellooo!!" He turned in the direction that Jidanbo was looking.

A man was approaching. He wore an outfit similar to Ichigo's, but wore another white robe on top of it. He also had a sheathed zanpakuto tied into a white cloth belt.

Dante stared at the man. "Hey. Who's the guy in the bathrobe?"

Jidanbo answered, trembling. "Th-that is the captain of Squad Three, Gin Ichimaru!"

Dante frowned. "Itchy-what? What's so special about him? The only thing weird I can see is that he's squinting at me."

Ichimaru looked at Jidanbo. "Hmm…how unacceptable." In the blink of an eye, a large gash appeared on Jidanbo's left arm.

His grip on the gate loosened, but did not fail. "I was defeated in battle…so I must let them pass."

"Being a gatekeeper doesn't mean that when you lose, you let people in. It means when you lose…you die."

Before he could attack Jidanbo again, Ichigo dashed at him, blocking his second strike. "Who the hell do you think you are?" Ichigo growled. "What's the big idea butting in here, you friggin' ass clown? Anyone who comes to kill an unarmed man deserves to die!"

Ichimaru snorted. "You're sure a funny kid. You're not scared of me at all?"

"Hell no. I've seen Dante do things that would turn your hair white." He glanced at Ichimaru's hair. "Well, maybe not that, but the point remains."

"Hmm…Dante?" He looked over by the rest of the group. "Ah, the 'man in red' we've heard so much about. How predictable." He began walking away from Ichigo. "And very unfortunate; that's all the more reason why I can't let you pass."

"Hey, pal, if you're gonna attack me, why are you so far away? Gonna toss that dagger at me?"

Dante snorted. "It's not a dagger, dumbass. It's a zanpakuto."

"Precisely," Ichimaru said. He mumbled a command, but Ichigo didn't have time to register what it was as the blade lengthened and shot at him and Jidanbo. He brought up Zangetsu to block it, but the force of the impact sent him flying into Jidanbo, and then sent both of them tumbling backward.

The gate began to plummet back down. Ichimaru waved to them. "Bye-bye now!"

Yoruichi looked at him. "No! The gate!"

Dante grinned. Only got one shot at this… He snapped his fingers, saying "Stand still…" softly.

Faster than Lady or Nero could register, a hand had grabbed each of them and pulled them through the gate. Before they knew what had happened, they were hiding behind a building with a hand over each of their mouths. Lady traced the hand back to…Dante? How the hell did he do that?!

As the gate crashed down, Ichimaru looked around in confusion. "Hmm…I could have sworn I heard something…" He shook his head, walking back to headquarters. "No matter. It was probably that 'gatekeeper' falling."

Dante waited until the Soul Reaper Captain was out of sight, and then let out a sigh, dropping his hands. "Whew…that was a close one."

Nero looked at Dante, confused. "How the hell did you do that?"

He shrugged. "Little demonic power I picked up in Temen-Ni-Gru. I call it Quicksilver. Slows everything but me down incredibly." He smiled. "I could have gone even faster if I'd Devil Triggered, but I didn't want to rip off your arms."

Lady nodded. "Neither did we. So what now, genius?"

Dante frowned. "Now we get to exercise the least-developed of my awesome talents…stealth."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ichigo looked up from the ground, confused. "What just happened?"

Uryu chuckled. "Well, you got embarrassed by another Soul Reaper. He sure wiped the floor with you."

"Considering who he fought, though, he's lucky just to be alive, let alone uninjured," Yoruichi piped up.

Ichigo paused, thinking. Something's not right. It's too quiet in our group all of a sudden…wait… He looked around. "Hey, where's the Devil Hunters?"

Orihime looked around, nervous. "What? But…they were just here!"

Chad frowned. "I heard that Dante guy say something, and then he disappeared. But I thought he was going to catch Ichigo, or maybe stop the gate."

Yoruichi frowned. This is unexpected. "There's only one other place they could be."

Ichigo's eyes widened. "You don't think…"

Yoruichi nodded. "They're definitely in the Soul Society."

Ichigo prepared to mumble about their lack of cooperation, but stopped short as he looked around. It seemed the people had finally come out of their homes.


Well, in posting another chapter this month, I've created yet another cliffhanger. And while I'm still sore from all those tomatoes (and that one fish), I'll keep the chapters coming as much as possible. Consider these two chapters in one month my Christmas gift to all of you. Happy holidays!

Oh, and, um...if you wanted to give me a review as a form of Christmas present...you know, I wouldn't mind that at all. *makes sad puppy eyes* Please?