Author's note: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters, if I did; well…I'm not even going to say what would happen. I also wanted to point out that some captains and or lieutenants will be changed around to fit accordingly to my story. There is going to be yaoi in this so if you don't like don't read, as for everyone else, enjoy the story ^^

Chapter 14…

The Hour of Darkness

Their blades clashed for the first time within the battle, the sky was no longer the blue color it had been. Instead it was pitch black, not with clouds, just a large black void. Purple lightning streaked across the sky as the rain came down upon the darkened world below. Soul reapers, hollows, and the two remaining members of a group of four rogue soul reapers were all in an all out war. One side to stop the end that was coming upon them, the other side bringing forth the end only to start up a world of their own, to show everyone who the new gods were. No one seemed to want to let that happen, the only people going for that were the four that had started this entire problem.

Ichigo and Sanryu were going head to head at the moment. Each time their blades struck sparks flew off of them like little tears of light coming off of their zanpakuto's. Running through the grass of the field Ichigo moved forward swinging Tensa Zangetsu towards Sanryu who was swinging his Saishi no Gingitsune towards Ichigo. The blades clashed once more creating that same clashing sound, Sanryu taking the second blade and swinging it directly towards Ichigo who had seen this coming and pushed back away from Sanryu in time to only get grazed upon his upper arm. It didn't seem to faze him one bit though.

Back over towards the rest of the group, Kazuhiko had gone onto fighting the fire wielder that had been causing him nothing but trouble, the wielder of Suzaku as he would say. Kazuhiko had tears streaming down his face he was so upset that his best friend had become their enemy, but the rain was obscuring that fact. His zanpakuto only in shikai at the moment considering that's all he was capable of clashed with the large sword that Hirokai wielded. They clashed together creating a mixture of fire and ice. One wanting to melt the other, only for the opposite effect to happen as the other only wanted to put the other out.

Kazuhiko attacked pushing forward and getting up close towards Hirokai.

"Why…what's your reason for doing this? What's the point in creating a world when there's going to be no one there to enjoy it?" Kazuhiko had asked yelling over the thunder that crashed through the atmosphere at that time.

Hirokai just laughed a little and said, "You don't have the right to know." He stated as he pushed Kazuhiko back only to bump into someone. He glanced back only to see Toshiro landing behind him after having attacked one of the many hollows that were there. The group that had followed them there had left the fighting of the two final members up to him and Ichigo; the others were off fighting the hollows. By everyone's perspective the battle seemed like it was just a waste of time and that nothing good would come out of it.

"Watch your footing Kazu, and keep your eye on your opponent. We'll watch your back and take care of the hollows." Toshiro said as he pushed off the ground and went to attack another hollow that was just causing a little too much trouble for its own good.

Kazuhiko just nodded and turned his gaze just in time to see the attack of Hirokai coming at him and he blocked it with his zanpakuto, sliding back just a bit as he stared back towards Hirokai.

Ichigo and Sanryu's battle commenced, their zanpakuto's continuing to clash against one another. Ichigo had managed as he attacked Sanryu to get a few strikes upon his upper body. Crimson colored the white coloring of his outfit, contrasting dearly with it. Ichigo had a few extra gashes in him as well, though you couldn't really see it upon the black of his outfit. The two took their battle to the sky after Sanryu decided that it was getting into too close of quarters down there.

Once up in the sky the two looked like nothing more than the flashes of lightning that graced the sky above. Ichigo had given a glance down towards Kazuhiko for a moment, just to make sure he was alright through all of this. His gaze was brought back though as Sanryu came at him.

"You're opponent is me, so pay attention!" he yelled as he came flying towards him with a swing of the blades, these balls of silver flames came out homing in on Ichigo at that moment.

Ichigo turned his gaze back to Sanryu before he dodged a couple of the fire balls, his back and side getting singed by the flames. He stood there slightly hunched over after the attack and than he raised his head.

"So that's how you play." He chuckled a bit and than said, "Alright, we'll do it your way." He smirked a bit before he swung his blade and than yelled out, "Getsuga Tensho!" A black crescent shaped blast with a red outline around it was sent straight towards Sanryu at that moment. Sanryu looked at it and than held up his two blades like he was going to block the attack.

Managing to block it only to a point, he was sent flying back. Having to press down his feet he skid to a halt and looked up and smirked, "now that's what I'm talking about. If I'm going to have someone try and stop me from bringing this world to its end, than I want them at full strength!" he said as he than rushed forwards towards Ichigo swinging both blades as more flames came spurting out from it.

Back on the ground though, Kazuhiko had blocked a few extremely hot attacks from Hirokai. The two of them were at it just about as hard as Ichigo and Sanryu were going at it at the moment. It wasn't till the two rushed at one another their blades clashing did Hirokai get up close to Kazu and speak.

"You think you're going to save this pathetic land, well guess what…you're wrong." He hissed out as he pushed Kazuhiko back and than using a good amount of energy he swung his blade in more of a circle. Kazuhiko had blocked the attack, though it was becoming harder and harder to, he could feel his arm straining against holding the attack from hitting him. When he thought he could hold it back he felt some sort of impact upon his arm and it had knocked him backwards. Everything happened so fast as Hirokai swung his blade once more and sliced it right across Kazu's side.

Kazuhiko stood there shocked before he glanced down at the now gushing wound on his side. Crimson spilling from it and soaking the clothes he wore. He stumbled back before hitting a tree and sliding down it. His gaze shifting up towards Hirokai as he looked on in horror, he was going to die there. He couldn't use his arm at the moment. His heart raced, though he had one last trick up his sleeve.

"Seeping crest of turbidity. Arrogant vessel of lunacy! Boil forth and deny! Grow numb and flicker! Disrupt sleep! Crawling queen of iron! Eternally self-destructing doll of mud! Unite! Repulse! Fill with soil and know your own powerlessness! Hado number Ninety, Kurohitsugi!" he yelled as he watched Hirokai become enveloped in a black box, only to soon be pierced by the protrusions from it. There were no screams, nothing; when the box disappeared Hirokai was nothing more. Kazuhiko just sat there, his good hand resting over the wound on his side, holding it to stop the bleeding.

Ichigo on the other hand was furious with Sanryu and continued the battle as to where it was now. Beaten pretty well, he was going to finish this fight with him as the victor, even if he lost his life in the process. That's exactly what he was going to do. The other's down below which included Rangiku, Toshiro, Uryuu, Orihime, Chad, and many other's from the soul society, they were working on defeating the over abundance of Hollow's at that moment. Some of them having been knocked unconscious or too injured to fight anymore, it was up to those left who were able to fight onwards.

Kazuhiko's gaze rested upon the sky, his tears still streaming down his face in which the rain was helping shield them. Now it was only a matter of watching the love of his life and his best friend fights it out until the end. Who would win no one really knew, though most were hoping it was Ichigo. Nothing had ever looked so grim in any of their lives at this moment, and it was only a matter of time before the entire world just collapsed.

Ichigo's blade clashed once more with both of Sanryu's as their battle continued onward with no end in sight, though both of them wearing low on energy knew that the end was near for one of them.