Quetzal- Fast updates this time hu? I'm sure your all delighted ^_^ As the title suggests the fun is just beginning finally ill probably montage the two weeks before they go to soul society so you don't have to suffer though 2 or 3 chapters of training I'm not quiet as evil as Kubo to make you suffer like that.
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Chapter 12 - Lets the Games Begin
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(Karakura)
Seras cursed and took off after Ichigo sending a look promising pain back at the apologetic shop keeper or rather exiled shinigami. Kisuke's only saving grace was that even Ichigo could tell the man had not intended any harm. Well, if you counted Rukia loosing her powers completely as a result of his medaling 'harm'. Had it been any other way the two of them would have left Kisuke dead on the floor after his explanation. He was unfortunately correct though that this was hardly a coincidence, he just happens to hide a weapon of untold power in a weakened shinigami's soul and helps her drop off the grid. Then that hollow bait just happens to attract a Gillian of all things putting Karakura under scrutiny that even Kisuke's untraceable gigai can't slip past?
Coincidence? Bullshit. However that didn't change Ichigo's anger right now and with him showing more and more Vampiric or rather Hollow traits she couldn't afford to let him run off in a rage. Luckily he had headed for the underground training area instead of into town, if he went into a real rage she could at least contain him until he calmed down. Seras ducked with a curse as she dropped into the training room only to nearly be decapitated by a black blade, she crouched watching Ichigo warily the whites of the teens eyes had bleed into black as the short fangs were very visible with his snarl.
Understanding that he needed to blow off steam without hurting anyone she drew her own still nameless zanpokotu and charged. They met with an explosion Seras letting the attack slide across her blade to the left and shooting past Ichigo slashing at his side with her claws. Ichigo snarled and twisted avoiding most of the hit and trying to hit her back as she went by. Seras smirked and let her form dissolve into shadows to dart away ichigo's zanpokotu biting into the dirt. Ichigo raced after her catching her by surprise as she reformed a few dozen feet away his zanpokotu clanging off of her own with astounding force. He pushed on the blade trying to force her back against the boulder behind them, but Seras dug her heals in and refused to budge, it was then she noticed the white bone like form beginning to manifest on the side of his face above his right eye. Seras frowned in concern and knocked him back with a massive shove studying him carefully, the bone was obviously a mask now that she got a good look at it. The section that had now formed covered the right side of his face now moving down his face and beginning to form the top section of razor edged fangs. She only had a moment to take this in though before she was forced to dodge another hit. The closest thing she could think of to this was her own rage induced blood lust when Hellsing manor had been attacked by those two idiots and their army of ghouls.
After a moment of thought she shot forward and locked up his blade with her own twisting her shadows to latch on the piece of mask and pulled. Ichigo screamed in pain as the mask was torn away Seras grimaced at his howl a flash of pain spiking through the seal on her shoulder, she jumped away still holding onto the fragment. Ichigo collapsed gasping in pain as the black bled out of his eyes. Seras watched him warily for a moment before walking over and sitting down next to him. "Better?" She asked he winced.
"I can't believe he did that!" He hissed irritated Seras frowned.
"Ok we've established that Urahara is an asshole and needs to learn to plan ahead, but we still have to figure out what to do about Rukia. We need to warn Byakuya or at least be ready to rescue Rukia when it hits the fan." Seras pointed out Ichigo scowled.
"You shouldn't have let him take her." He grumbled Seras sighed.
"Ichigo do not use Rukia as a reference for how powerful shinigami are Byakuya could have turned me into a bloody smear on the ground without breaking a sweat." She snapped Ichigo shot her a strange look.
"What? I'v seen you rip hollows apart without any effort before, and you can kick my ass with no trouble! They can't be that powerful." He argued Seras sighed.
"Idiot." She mutter trying to think of a way to drive this point home to ichigo.
"She is right Ichigo, she could not have beaten Byakuya, she did the only thing she could to insure Rukia's survival." Zangetsu said Ichigo frowned still irritated but willing to agree that maybe he didn't have all the facts.
"I suppose your right." He said with a sigh. "But if the shinigami are so much more powerful then even Seras how am I supposed to help save Rukia? I'd been dead before I got past the front gate!" Zangetsu snorted.
"What have I told you Ichigo? Do not falter! You may lack experience and power but there is no end to your potential. Do not let your doubts hold you back! Move forward and destroy anything that gets in your way!" The zanpokotu snapped Ichigo grinned faintly.
"Your right Zangetsu nothing is going to stop us from rescuing Rukia! I may not be strong enough now so ill just have to get stronger!" He agreed feeling Zangetsu's approval.
"Ichigo?" Asked Seras he blinked coming out the trance talking to Zangetsu had put him while they spoke.
"Ya?" He asked frowning Seras was looking speculatively off in the direction of the ladder to the surface.
"I was thinking Urahara said that he used to be a captain, so what if we had him train us for a week or two before we head out? He did say if they do decide to execute Rukia they will wait a month to carry out the sentence." Ichigo nodded.
"What have we got too loose?" He countered standing up Seras smirked.
"Quite a lot I would suspect." She answered dryly.
"Well then! I have to agree with Dracula-san we should begin immediately!" Cut in Urahara making Ichigo fall over with a yell of surprise and Seras hiss and dissolve into shadows. Ichigo stared at him incredulously as Seras pulled herself together looking pissed, how the hell had the bastard snuck on them? Urahara grinned to himself glade that after all these years he hadn't gotten too rusty. "Now I believe our best course of action would be for you both to train with my friend Yoruichi over there to begin with." He pointed off to the left Ichigo and Seras looked over and scowled seeing nothing but a black cat.
"Idiot! Theres no one over there!" Seras snapped annoyed that the crazy shinigami was bullshiting them again Urahara merely chuckled as the cat walked over.
"Dracula-san Yoruichi is right there!" He mocked pointing once more at the cat now sitting next to him on a small boulder.
"Urahara? Thats a cat." Ichigo pointed out dryly Urahara smirked behind his fan.
"Oh? Well then Dracula-san Kurosaki-san why don't you catch that cat then?" He asked the cat blinked and they could have sworn it snorted.
"Urahara its a CAT." Seras argued wondering what the hell was wrong with this guy.
"Well then you should have no problem catching her!" he pointed out happily Seras and Ichigo exchanged looks before Seras darted forward to grab the cat only to find the boulder empty an instant later and herself flat on her back with a small black cat on her chest, the cat stared at her for a long moment before disappearing again. Seras shot to her feet looking around for the demon cat spotting it on another boulder twenty feet away.
"The fuck?" She asked dumbfounded Urahara sniggered.
"Ah yes! Well you see Dracula-san my dear Yoruichi is no ordinary cat! And if you want me to train you both you will have to prove your not completely hopeless by catching her!" Ichigo and Seras exchanged wary looks at this before considering the cat this time both were fairly sure they were not imagining the smirk on its whiskered face. This was going to be a long day.
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Seras collapsed to the ground staring blankly off into space completely exhausted, they had been chasing that damn cat for almost 6 hours now. Ichigo sat next her gasping for breath and glaring at the amused looking cat parked on a nearby boulder who didn't look the least bit winded by the chase. The only good thing was that Ichigo had managed to copy what ever the hell the damn cat was doing about 3 hours ago, the cat had only gotten faster at that point though. "I need to hunt or I'm going to attack someone." Seras said suddenly Ichigo glanced at her and nodded tiredly.
"Kay...i'll...stay here...with..demon cat." He panted she sighed and nodded letting her form dissolve into shadows and creep up to the shop and into the early dawn light. Ichigo groaned and let himself fall back against the boulder he was sitting by eyed closed trying to get a five minute brake, he didn't doubt he wouldn't be allowed to sit there for long. Every other time they had tried to stop for a few minutes the cat would attack them until they went back to chasing it. After a moment he felt the weight of the cat appear on his kneel he kept his eyes closed though ignoring it. After a few moments a voice startled him out of his rest.
" Your doing well Ichigo." A male voice said Ichigo's eyes snapped open and he focused on the cat.
"You can TALK?" He squawked the cat raised an eye brow.
"Of course I can." It answered dismissively. " I can use flash step why wouldn't I be able to talk?" Ichigo blinked
"Um..."
"Exactly."
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An hour later Seras was back looking much better and found Ichigo fighting with Urahara, she paused frowning and watched them tare across the training grounds. Ichigo was moving almost as fast as herself. Occasionally blurring out of sight as he went to fast for her to track without concentrating. She smiled and moved to jump into the fight and double team Urahara only to be knocked to the ground with a thump. Seras growled and twisted the weight on her back vanishing in an instant, she shot to her feet and found the black cat sitting on a rock nearby staring at her. Seras glared the cat only smirked and vanished Seras taring after it in an instant.
Ichigo growled as Zangetsu cut through a boulder Urahara bouncing out of reach once more. "Calm down Ichigo!" Zangetsu snapped as Ichigo tore after the shop keeper. "Do not let him get you angry, you will only make mistakes!" Ichigo took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down focusing on Urahara as the shopkeeper landed a few dozen feet away. He focused intently trying to think of a way to get inside Urahara's guard and knock the smug bastard down.
"Any ideas?" He asked
"Unfortunately no, you shouldn't be expecting to beat him Ichigo, this is only training and he is far beyond you. Your not supposed to be winning your supposed to be learning." Ichigo blinked and wanted to pound his head against the wall Zangetsu was right. Winning was great and all but he was supposed to be learning not trying to pound Urahara into the ground like a tent peg. He backed off a bit and studied Urahara as the other came charging at him going over every move the man had made in the fights so far. With a deep frown he shifted Zangetsu slightly and moved his weight back a bit before sliding around Urahara's zanpokotu with what he now knew was called a flash step. A flash of surprise went unseen in Urahara's eyes as Zangetsu bit into his side drawing a line of blood before he was able to leap away.
Urahara landed studying Ichigo before darting forward again. Once more Ichigo dodged and countered rather then just trying to bash Urahara's head in the shopkeeper grinned. "I was wondering when he was going to actually start focusing." He thought amused changing tactics and watching as Ichigo adapted to the change in only a few attacks. This was the Ichigo he was looking for, the one who had figured out how to fight hollows without missing a beat, and could figure out an opposites style in moments.
Ichigo jumped aside again and flash stepped sloppily to the left at Zangetsu's direction avoiding the kido Urahara had thrown at his landing spot. "Ichigo I want you to try something different." Zangetsu cut in suddenly Ichigo frowned dodging around Urahara's attacks almost faster then he could really process.
"Ok what do I need to do?" He asked
"Focus some of your reiatsu into my blade and when I tell you too stop swing in Urahara's direction. Make sure your not to close to him though or you'll get hit in the backlash." Curious Ichigo focused pouring reiatsu into the blade feeling the power building and a noticeable black glow growing on the edge of the sword. "NOW!"Zangetsu barked Ichigo turned slashing the zanpokotu in the air the blade flashed and a crescent of red tinged black energy tore away from the edge, it closed in on Urahara who cursed and barely managed to flash step to the side the blast tearing through several boulders and a leaving a deep gouged in the ground. On the other side of the training grounds Seras, who had since discovered that the cat did in fact talk, paused and glanced worriedly in the direction of the explosion before darting off to see what had happened.
Ichigo panted as he studied his handy work through the settling dust. "Impressive Kurosaki-san! Do you know the name of that attack?" Asked Urahara appearing next to him Ichigo shot him a look vaguely annoyed at how fast the bastard was.
"Name?" He asked Urahara nodded
"When you know the name of an attack it can gain 10 or more times power."
"Zan?" Ichigo asked Zangetsu snorted.
"Master using it without blowing yourself up and I'll tell you the name." He answered amused Ichigo sighed and said as much to Urahara who nodded.
"What the hell was that?" Snapped Seras appearing at Ichigo's side and glaring at Urahara Ichigo sighed.
"Zangetsu taught me one oh his attacks we were just discussing it." He answered Seras raised and eye brow and pointed at the 20 foot deep gouge that now ran through part of the training ground.
"You did that?" She asked when he nodded she laughed.
"Not bad!"
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(Soul Society)
Kuchiki Byakuya made it all the way back to his office with the door carefully locked before letting any emotion show on his face, the glare that scorched the room at that point would have impressed even Integra. How dare they! Those fools knew as well as he did that with the information from Dracula-san that at the very least Rukia's crimes did not warrant execution! They had claimed the information was unreliable, he had offered to retrieve Dracula-san himself to give her testimony to the 46. They had refused to see reason however, stating that it didn't matter Rukia was to be executed in one month. After which both Dracula-san and the boy Rukia had given her powers too was to be hunted down and killed as a threat to Soul Society.
Dracula-san was correct something was very wrong here, he smirked faintly and called a hell butterfly. Dracula-san was also right about something else too. There was no law against informing others of a public execution. Hopefully she would be able to help somehow, he didn't doubt the fact that neither she, nor the boy, were powerful enough to break straight through soul society, but a quiet rescues would be do able. A few moments later a small black butterfly vanished from the office on its way to deliver a message.
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(Hellsing Manor)
Walter looked around the Hellsing manor intently for anything out of place after his little 4 day vacation. Nothing jumped out at him, not even Alucard. He nodded to himself pleased and left his bags in his room before heading to his workshop down in the basement. A few minutes later he flipped on the light switch and walked over to the far side of the room and a long crate sitting under a table the words 'Property of Hellsing' stamped on the side. After a moment of thought he pulled it out from under the table and opened it checking over the contents with an experienced eyes.
"Hello again Walter, back so soon?" Asked Alucard Walter straightened and looked at the grinning vampire speculatively for a moment before speaking.
"Alucard what are you current orders relating to Seras?" He asked Alucard's eyes narrowed a flash of anger crossing his eyes behind his sun glasses.
"Oh? Why would you want to know something like that Walter?" He asked mockingly Walter smirked.
"Answer the question if you want to know Alucard." He shot back Alucard studied him inquisitively for a moment before speaking.
"I'm am not to seek her out though if I see her I am to kill her without hesitation. Why?" He asked irritation evident in his voice though most would never have noticed.
"Oh no reason." Walter answered turning back to his work table he refrained from smirking at the near inaudible growl that sounded behind him.
"Walter..." Alucard all but hissed. "What do you know?" Walter chuckled looking back at him in amusement.
"When is the last time you have known me to take a vacation Alucard?" He asked seemingly completely changing the topic. Alucard blinked looking mystified for a moment before a terrifying grin split his face.
"You found her!" He hissed Walter chuckled and nodded.
"Oh yes a rather unusual occurrence I doubt she'll let it happen again but yes I did. I won't tell you where she is but it's safe enough." Alucard frowned.
"Obviously not if you found her by chance Walter." He answered but Walter just shook his head.
"Oh I don't think so. Given her current company I wouldn't rule out it having been a set up so I would find her." Alucards eyes narrowed.
"What kind of company would that be Walter?"
"I would appear Seras has the ability to make unique friends. Her current company is a shopkeeper I'm fairly sure isn't human and a pair of angels." Alucard stared at him completely incredulous before his expression darkened.
"I do not appreciate being mocked Walter." He growled Walter snorted.
"I'm not mocking you Alucard. Seras's cousin is an angel and his teacher I suppose you could call her is there as well. They all seemed to get along quite well."
"That is...unexpected." Alucard finally said.
"Oh indeed and I'm sure you'll be happy to know she has finally gotten over feeding properly, and that apparently the local demon problem Is suffering massive losses as a result."
"Demons?"
"Apparently they taste better then humans, on another note Alucard do you think you could return Seras's Harkconnon from wherever you've hidden it? She wanted to see if she can kill demons up with it." Alucard chuckled amused.
"Of course Walter!" He agreed glade his little fledgling seemed to be doing well on her own.
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(Karakura)
Ichigo jumped cursing when the butterfly appeared fluttering in front of him and Seras out of nowhere. "Uh oh." Muttered Urahara frowning in concern at the butterfly. Ichigo and Seras looked at him uncertainly.
"Whats with the butterfly?" Seras asked as Ichigo studied the bug with a frown recognizing it as the same kind of butterfly that Rukia had, only a bit bigger with more red on the wings.
"Thats a Hell Butterfly. They are used as messengers by the shinigami." He answered Seras cursed softly.
"Byakuya." She muttered Urahara nodded gravely
"Most likely yes, to retrieve the message its carrying let it land on your hand and feed it a threat of you reiatsu, the messages is a voice recording that will pay in your mind. Seras nodded letting the black butterfly land on her finger she went still for a moment before scowling.
"Well?" Asked Ichigo "How bad is it?" She grimaced
"They completely disregard all the new information. Rukia will be executed in 30 days."
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Quetzal- Well how was it? Not too terrible? Tell me what you think! Did everyone love getting to see Alucard again? I know he OC (somewhat) but I have trouble writing truly insane people and Alucard's more nuts when he feels like it then all the time, he has proven he can be serious when he feels like it.
And I love the version of Byakuya I'm building here, I think of him as still being that short tempered teenager Yoruichi loved to tease at heart, but he has since learned to act the part of the noble. He's not going to suddenly start breaking the rules though his sense of honor is still there, but he's not so uptight as to not go by the word of the law rather then the spirit of it if he feels the situation requires it. Every smart person knows that there is a time to bend the rules.
One more thing i have a question for you (two actually)
1- should Seras's Zanpokotu's name be in spanish rather then japanesse as a vampire is a kind of hollow?
2- who should Ichigo be paired with? (note - must be slash pairing)
So thats all for today REVIEW!
