Chaos. That was the only wo5rd that could describe the 5th division of soul society at the moment. The enormous hollow terrorizing that area was none other than the much wanted Heerosaki Achikawa. Somehow he had enhanced his power, even with the disease that threatened his life. Ichigo ran out from the captains quarters in the 1st division, the many captains joined him as they watched in terror.
"We need to act now!" Toshiro shouted as he looked back at the Captain-Commander Shigekuni. The bearded old man nodded his head, his gaze turning to Ichigo.
"Son, I place this matter in your hands. Everyone else, give him back up." Finally, Achikawa's end was here. With all of them, this battle couldn't be all that difficult, right? Ichigo felt sweat appear on his face as they all shunpo'd off towards the 5th division. It wasn't Achikawa that had him on edge, however. Yoruichi had been missing since early morning, and Ichigo had no idea where she had run off to. At first, she thought Soifon's, but Soifon was at the meeting when he got there. She denied seeing Yoruichi since the day they were in the hospital. Next to ask was Urahara, who had been with Isshin, and neither had seen his goddess either. All he knew was that if Achikawa got a hold of her and if she was hurt, he was going to cause a slow and painful death to the beast.
"I'm going to attack him from the back using my bankai." Toshiro announced before disappearing. Nodding his head, Ichigo came to a skidding hault in front of Achikawa. The vizard glanced down at him in his full hollow form. The beast screeched as he went to attack Ichigo. With his mind clouded, Ichigo hadn't time to react. The other captains and lieutenants shouted at him, but he stood there, thoughts of his dark skinned goddess going through his mind. If only he knew if she were ok or not!
"Ichigo!" That voice.. Ichigo blinked, the hand that was once coming for him fell to the ground, severed. The Goddess of Flash stood with a zanpackuto unsheathed. The blade was red and black, seeming to be a combination of his and Renji's. "Why didn't you dodge?" Yoruichi asked, appearing beside him. Ichigo looked at her. She looked different; sickly. Her eyes were drawn, skin pale from its normal dark skinned complexion. She looked weak and vulnerable, not like herself.
"Are you alright?" He asked, voice full of concern. The other captains had already began their assault on Achikawa, their bankai's drawn. But everytime they attacked the beast, he seemed to become stronger and stronger.
"We could really use your help out here!" Renji shouted before he went flying into a building, rendered unconscious. Ichigo glanced back to his lady love, the concern in his eyes never fading. Yoruichi merely smiled sadly before holding her hand near her face. A purple seering mist of energy began whirling in her hand, and as she brought it over her face, her hollow mask appeared. Ichigo narrowed his eyes as she took off towards Achikawa. What was wrong with her? She hadn't contracted the disease...had she? His attention was drawn when a bright blast lit up the area, Yoruichi's form appeared in front of him, her new zanpackuto steaming and glowing. Gripping his own blade, he held his hand near his face, then charged, a hollows mask shielding his face. One word left his mouth, and his zanpackuto took on its bankai form. He slashed several times at Achikawa, causing the hollow to shreek in pain. A long limb caught him off guard as he went flying into the air, then another surprised blow to his back caused him to crash down into the earth. Yoruichi's heart dropped as she shunpo'd off into the crater that Ichigo laid in. Blood pooled around him as he stood.
"Ichigo! Are you ok?" His goddess asked, voice frantic. The orange haired reaper merely nodded his head as he held his bankai out in front of him once more. He was fine, but she..
"Move!" Ichigo shouted, grabbing her as he threw her to the ground. Yoruichi looked back, seeing that he had caught Achikawa's sword with his hand. Blood ran down his arm and dripped on the ground, but Ichigo did not faulter. With a yell, Ichigo forced Achikawa back, bringing up his own sword to slash out again and again at him. She took this as her chance to use flash cry. Standing, Yoruichi began gathering her power in her hand, body glowing. But, something was wrong. Pain suddenly racked her body as she coughed up blood. What was happening? She could feel her power rising, but her body felt as though it couldn;t handle to pressure. That was highly unusual. She was a vizard now! If she could control her power for over a hundred years, it shouldn't be a problem, none at all. Though it was, a big problem. She couldn't speak, couldn't hear. The only thing she could do was watch as Ichigo faught. Thoughts of him ran through her head as she fell to her knees, her hollows mask shattering as flash cry bursted from her control. Ichigo felt her enormous power, and turned to see his love face down on the ground. His heart dropped, eyes widening as the light from her body pierced by him, a whole appearing in Achikawa's chest. The beast screamed, stepping back as Achikawa became human once more. "YORUICHI!" Ichigo shouted as he dropped his zanpackuto and ran over to his love. He dropped ot his knees, turning her over as he brought her into his lap. Blood lined her pale lips, her breathing shallow and labored. Achikawa began to disappear, and Ichigo felt himself torn. He needed to kill him once and for all, yet..
"Yoruichi!" He shook her gently, eyes reverting from the escaping vizard to her once more. Achikawa will die another time, for now, Yoruichi needed his attention.
"You fool.." Achikawa laughed as he faded away. "The girl won't survive unless you obtain the orb that is lodged within my heart." Ichigo gripped Yoruichi to him. Was that true? Did he have to retrieve some sort of orb to save her? Or was Achikawa lying? He hadn't the time to interrogate as Achikawa threatened to escape. Setting Yoruichi down, Ichigo shunpo'd behind Achikawa. He quickly stabbed his bankai through him, making sure the beast fell to the ground. With the black hole that Achikawa had escaped through last time gone, Ichigo gathered more of his hollow power.
"Tell me.. Are you lying?" His voice was gruff, filled with anger and pain. Achikawa grimaced, transforming into his full hollow once more. Ichigo's zanpackuto falling to the ground. "Fine. I'll just carve out your heart and see for myself!" A bright, blinding black light encased Ichigo. He yelled; pain reeking his body as it changed form. A long, white tail now sprouted from his back, while his talons replaced his nails. The hardened white and red skin now covering his gave him unimaginable power. Without wasting time, Ichigo shunpo'd behind Achikawa, leaving the much larger hollow shocked. A red blast came hurling through Achikawa's shoulder, caushing him to screech out in pain.
"Curse you.." Turning, Achikawa went to attack, but found Ichigo wasn't there. Another blast ripped through his other shoulder, and he fell back. Damn, Ichigo was fast! Air born, Ichigo came crashing down at Achikawa, his bankai gripped in one hand, a red blast in the other. This was going to hurt like hell with the spikes on Achikawa's chest, but he hadn't the time. Yoruichi was slowly slipping away, he had to kill him now! Achikawa went to get up, however, he was stopped as Toshiro's ice dragon wrapped around one leg, pinning it to the ground. Byakuya's razor sharp zanpackuto release severed his other limb, while the Renji had zabimaru encase his neck to the ground. The other captains either cut off his other eight limbs, or pinned them. Ichigo silently thanked them, though his eyes widened as he came crashing down, a black hole appearing beneath Achikawa.
A/N: Mwahaha, Cliff hanger. Oh yeah. Betcha hate me now aye? Chill! Its obvious what the black hole means, if you have read the litium chapter that is. If you haven't, theres a clue in this chaper as to what mysteriously appearing black holes mean. This chapter aint that long, aint that short, aint that good, aint that bad. I'd say its inbetween anything and everything. R&R Pwease:3 Happy Holidays.