*IMPORTANT* This story contains spoliers from Bleach: The Hell Chapter and bit more from the Bleach Series! DO NOT READ if you don't like spoilers, ruiners, etc. I have given my warning! *IMPORTANT*

Title: Black Flames

Rating: M (language)

DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot only the idea of this fanfiction!

Mizuki Tsukiyomi Notes: And here is Chapter 21! Woohoo! This chapter...ugh it annoyed the heck out of me! I couldn't find the right way to write it and this is the best I could do it for it to work and make sense...ugh ...please be easy on me. I will admit this chapter kind of sucks but I am still proud I could finish it!
This chapter may seem like Inuyasha is not doing much but let's face it...compared to Ichigo...he can't do much. He will have a bigger part next chapter though!

Thank you all who reviewed and read this far and hope you enjoy this long awaited chapter!

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

marsreikosan16, omaomae, Jayne, starmienight, TsukiyoTenshi, erica . phoenix16, SilverMidnightKitten, xlove-kawaix, dark shadowed rose, Joker2113, and AKARY YAMI!

Thank you all!

Enjoy!

Chapter 21: Soulless

"Wait a minute!" shouted Rukia as she saw Ichigo's eyes going back to their determined spark. "Nii-sama said we must stay here! We can't go against Soul Society orders here!"

Inuyasha scoffed as he turned his head to look at them over his shoulder: "Keh! I don't care what kind of orders you got! I am getting Kagome back and since this bastard over here let her decide on her own...he is coming with me!" He turned his eyes to look at the orange head: "Now grab the shards and let's go!"

Without a second thought, knowing he was right, Ichigo pivoted over to grab the shards only for his wrist to be caught by Uryuu's fingers being wrapped around: "What the heck are you thinking, Kurosaki? You don't even know this guy!"

Slapping his hand away, Ichigo grabbed the three remaining shards from the coffee table and gave Uryuu one last glance: "I have met him before. He is a friend of Kagome's."

He spun back to run behind the hanyou, only to feel a petite hand catching his shirt gently. "K-Kurosaki-kun...?"

His eyes traveled down to stare at the strawberry haired colored girl. Her eyes relaxed at his gaze: "Y-You must...come back."

Ichigo nodded and faced the hanyou's back: "Yeah. It won't be long."

Inuyasha jumped out of their vision, leaving Ichigo turning into his Shinigami form. Renji glared at the Substitute Shinigami in front: "Oi! Going back there can make you turn back into-"

"I know," he cut him off. "But I will not let Kagome down. I am going to get her back no matter what."

Running out, everyone inside was left staring at the open door. No sounds or voices were made until Uryuu went back to sit on the couch: "What now? That idiot goes off and there is no doubt about it that Soul Society will try to stop him from going into Hell again."

"Are they still guarding the gates?" asked Orihime as she looked over at the petite Shinigami.

Rukia sighed, staring back at the window from before: "Yeah. Soul Society will try to stop him and now that he has a mysterious friend with him, they will do everything they can."

Renji scoffed out loud, leaning back on the wall behind: "Ichigo is being stupid! Kagome stayed behind...that Kokuto bastard probably already killed her. Even if he were to save her body and bring her back..."

"...he wouldn't be able to bring her back to life," finished Rukia, looking down at the floor. She quickly made eye contact with the Shinigami across the room. Her eyebrows furrowed: "We have to help him."

"What?" questioned Uryuu. "You said it yourself...Higurashi-san can't be saved any longer. She sacrificed her life in front of all of us!"

"We have to try!" she shouted back.

"And do what?" Uryuu stood from his spot, looking at the female Shinigami.

Rukia sighed: "At least to support Ichigo on this. He is risking his life now only on Kagome-chan's sake."

Catching up with the hanyou in front, he caught sight of Inuyasha staring at him from the corner of his eyes. Ichigo's eyes tightened: "Is something wrong?"

"Keh," replied the hanyou, looking back ahead: "What exactly happened to Kagome?"

Listening to his question, Ichigo's eyes dropped. How was he supposed to tell Kagome's dear friend about her death...her sacrifice for him.

"I asked you a question," growled Inuyasha. "What happened to her?"

"Kagome is...," his eyes finally glided back to connect with the golden pair, "dead."

"W-What...?" Inuyasha immediately stopped his tracks. "What do you mean she is dead?"

Without looking back, Ichigo frozen, his head hung down: "She is dead in Hell right now. She sacrificed her life for my sister...for all of us. Right now...the man that has her is waiting for her soul to come out so he can use it to free himself away from the flames."

Inuyasha's grip tightened around the Shikon no Tama: "That stupid girl! She's always been stubborn! Keh!"

Ichigo turned his head slightly, looking at the half-demon from his shoulder: "I promised I would save her and bring her back and I intend to keep that promise."

"And how exactly are you going to bring her back to life?" glared Inuyasha.

"Not sure...," his sight drifted off ahead.

Inuyasha took a small glance at the jewel in hand: 'Maybe...'

"Do you have the three shards with you?" asked Inuyasha as he walked forward.

"Uh, yeah...," he replied as he noticed Inuyasha walking past him. "What exactly are these? What do they do?"

"Just keep them close to you and when I tell you I need them...hand them over," Inuyasha jumped off, leaving a confused Shinigami looking at the three pink shards in his hand. Curling his fingers in, he followed suit and wondered what the hanyou was thinking. Did he know a way to not only have Kagome back but bring her life?

He only hoped.

Night had covered the area and Shinigami stood around the perimeter of the gates. Ukitake and Hitsugaya stood inside the barrier they had placed, looking up at the broken doors. Hearing foot steps, Hitsugaya looked behind his shoulder to see his lieutenant looking at the gates as well.

"How are going to fix this?" she whispered out loud.

"With time," answered Ukitake. "But it needs to be fast."

Their attention was soon brought down to a Shinigami dressed in all black and kneeling down before them: "I have a report. The Shinigami Proxy has broken out of the barrier around his house and he has an accomplice with him. They are both coming here this very moment."

"Ichigo-kun?" exclaimed Ukitake, surprised with the sudden news. "And...an accomplice? It can't be Rukia-chan or the others, right?"

"That asshole," growled Hitsugaya. He looked at the captain of the thirteen squad: "Ukitake?"

Ukitake nodded: "Repairing the Hell's Gate is our top priority right now."

"I understand," Hitsugaya nodded back. "I'll handle Kurosaki and whoever this other perso-"

They soon heard a sound nearby and looked above. All Shinigami eyes landed on Ichigo with his Zanpakuto laid around his shoulders.

Hitsugaya placed his hand on the hilt of his sword behind his back: "What do you think you're doing, Kurosaki? Looking for revenge?"

He remained silent, only the glare gave them the answer.

"If that's the case, all the more reason we should stop you," spoke Ukitake. "If you lose control again, this time..."

"Bankai..." whispered Ichigo. In a flash, his robes changes along with the shape of his sword. "I'm going back to save her and get her life back."

"Kurosaki...," whispered Hitsugaya, already unsheathing his sword.

"If you stop me," glared Ichigo. "There is another person you have to stop as well."

They all soon heard a rumbling and vibration coming from inside the gates. A red glow shined out, making everyone look towards the gates. "What's going on at this time?" exclaimed Hitsugaya.

Soon enough, a huge hand appeared, reaching for whatever he could grab. All Shinigami flash stepped out and away from the Hell's Will, seeing his glowing yellow eyes from inside the gates.

Both captains and lieutenant moved away as soon as the hand headed towards them. Appearing farther away, Ukitake looked at the Shinigami around: "Everyone, on the defense. Don't let the Hell's will into the Human World!"

"Wind Scar!"

A tornado of wind gushed out, attacking the hand away. Ukitake looked behind his shoulder: "W-What was that?" He noticed a mysterious man with red robes and silver hair jumping up with his huge sword giving him the answer that the attack had come from him. Their eyes drifted off to see Ichigo in fast haste coming down and towards the entrance to Hell.

"Ichigo!" shouted Rangiku. Her eyes caught a red blur following behind the Substitute Shinigami. "Is that his...accomplice?"

"Let him go," spoke Hitsugaya. His eyes targeted the Hell's Will. "We have no time for him right now."

Inuyasha soon caught up with him: "Is this the place Kagome is in?"

Ichigo merely nodded and noticed the huge hand once again reaching towards them.

"Keh! This thing won't stop!" Ready to release another of his attack, Inuyasha stopped seeing cherry blossom petals swirled around and soon clumping in to attack the beast. "Huh?"

"Let's keep moving forward," glared Ichigo, as he flashed stepped around the Hell's Will's body and soon dived inside along with Inuyasha following a second after.

Byakuya's hand rose up, directing his Zanpakuto to attack once again after giving Ichigo one last glance. His eyes soon noticed Renji's Zanpaktou sneaking in and wrapping around the Hell's Will arm along with a familiar call: "Sode no Shirayuki!"

Byakuya made eye contact with Rukia, a small smile glued on her face. He turned away, returning to his task.

Both the Shinigami and hanyou continued to head south, dodging every Hell's Will's grip with ease without even attacking once or looking back. Ichigo's eyes tightened as he saw the familiar scenery of water where Kokuto once lead them through.

'That bastard will pay!'

'I'm coming Kagome!' Inuyasha shouted in his head.

Both soon gave out a scream of anger as they dived down into the water. In a matter of minutes, both were out and coming down from smokey clouds. Both with the same goal and had no intentions of stopping or slowing down. Time was ticking and the faster they got Kagome the better they had the chance of saving her.

Sitting on the huge's skull's head with his sword stabbed into it, he collected his thoughts. He thought about how far he had walked and lived, ironically, ever since his mother had passed away. He had vowed to kill every miko that crossed his path and that he was sure of. As much as it pained him that he had killed the once person he truly loved...his vow was more powerful. He looked to his left, seeing Kagome curled into a little ball, breathing heavily for that life she so desired back but wouldn't admit to it.

Kokuto's eyes narrowed down. She was different from the other mikos he had encountered. She was pure at soul and heart. She held no darkness...no sins. She was an odd one. He didn't think she would go to the extreme of sacrificing her own life to save that little girl's. Growling under his breath, he walked towards her and soon grabbed her by the collar of her clothing: "You make me sick."

Kagome coughed lightly and gave him a smirk: "You have what you always wanted...so how come you seem so lost and depressed. You can finally be set free right? Once my soul is in your hands to do whatever you want with it."

Growling once again, he brought her closer to his face: "You should be dead as soon as the chain is gone."

Looking down the best she could, she glanced at the chain that started to slowly disintegrate. If anything, it really wasn't going slowly. An hour to this chain were seconds. Once the chain fully disappeared from her chest...she was gone. Her soul plucked out of her like nothing and she...had finished her life with nothing accomplished.

"Even with my soul in your hands," glared Kagome, bringing her eyes back up to connect with Kokuto's, "someone will stop you."

His glare matched hers only tighter with anger. He soon threw her down harshly, making her grunt in pain at the contact with the floor.

His eyes quickly glanced up at the sky and saw smoke appearing like something had fallen down from them. A smirk appeared on his face: "He came?"

At his words, Kagome's head turned to face the same smoke: 'W-Who came?'

Both of them soon noticed Ichigo landing on the ground, looking up at them with his anger already painted on his face.

"Ichigo, I was just about to pay you a visit!" smirked Kokuto. His words stopped as he noticed another person landing a few inches behind the Shinigami: "What...?" He noticed the red haori on him and the weird ears that popped out his silver hair: "Who are you?"

"Where's Kagome?" the person growled out to him, ready to release his attack immediately on him.

Kagome's eyes widened, recognizing the impatient voice. Crawling as fast as she could to the edge of the skull, she soon called out: "I-Inuyasha?! What are you...doing here?"

Inuyasha caught her eyes: "K-Kagome...?"

Both men looked up at her pale face. They easily noticed the lack of air she was getting. Kokuto scoffed in his head: "Well, I wasn't expecting you to come here, Ichigo, let alone...," his eyes locked on the hanyou, "without someone else. Are you two here to take revenge?"

"Yuzu is safe," spoke Ichigo.

"That was a surprise," smirked Kokuto.

Kagome's eyes expanded more, her eyes watching the Shinigami: "I-Is she okay?" she exclaimed.

Ichigo connected eyes with her, already sensing her worry: "Yeah. Thanks to your purification. The black flames are out from her body."

"Thank goodness," sighed Kagome out of relief.

"Why are you two here then?" questioned Kokuto although he already knew the answer in his head.

They both remained silent before answering the same thing at the same time: "I came to get Kagome back."

Kagome blinked at their declaration, not really expecting those words or even expecting Inuyasha to be there. 'W-What is he doing here? Did something happen back at home or...with Naraku?'

"Kagome?" repeated Kokuto. "You two don't seem to know this place, huh? She is bounded to the Hell's chain. Look." He walked closer to Kagome's body and soon grabbed her by the chain, making her scream in pain. "The chain is ready to take her soul away."

"Kagome!" both guys below screamed out.

The chain was soon tugged upwards by Kokuto's stronger arm, bringing her feet off the floor, making the miko grunt: "The rule is simple in Hell," spoke Kokuto. "Those that are bounded to the chains can be revived countlessly but as a miko...she is done. Like us, if you don't break the chain, you'll never be able to get out of this place."

The hanyou and Shinigami growled, not sure on what they should do. Inuyasha swung his sword to the side: "I'll break the chains then!"

"How dependable...," smirked Kokuto. "But only Ichigo's power can do it."

"What?" exclaimed Inuyasha.

Kokuto's eyes looked over at the Shinigami: "You are going to break her chains right? So you can free her and take her away? In that case, you'll break my chains too, right?" He tugged the chain higher, making Kagome choke.

"That won't do," glared Ichigo. He pointed the edge of his sword on the enemy: "I want to defeat you!"

In a flash step, he disappeared and reappeared in front of Kokuto. Kokuto merely smirked and dropped Kagome once again on the floor, blocking Ichigo's blade with his. They both moved away, fighting back and forth with their swords blocking each attack.

Inuyasha looked up to see Ichigo falling back and the enemy soon grabbing him by his throat as they went down: "What an idiot," grinned Kokuto. "You think you can defeat me without the mask?" He threw him down onto the skull, making him fall all the way down to the ground.

"Ichigo!" called out Kagome. She noticed Inuyasha coming behind the Togabito: "Ah! Wind Scar!"

Releasing his attack, Kokuto easily dodged out of it: "How naïve!"

Kokuto returned his swings on the Shinigami: "No matter how resolute you are, you can never beat me like this! Not even with help!" He blocked Inuyasha's blade with his, leaving Ichigo coming behind. With a smirk, Kokuto pushed the hanyou off and swung his sword down with gravity making Ichigo's body being pushed back by force.

Kagome's eyes widened as she saw Ichigo falling back off a cliff that lead to a pool of lave: "No! Stop!" Her eyes closed off as she felt the chain getting closer to the end of her death. 'T-The chain...'

"Getsuga Tensho!" Ichigo immediately called out. A huge black wave of his power went through the cliff, leaving Kokuto in the middle of the attack, enjoying the power against the chains that bounded him to this Hell: "That's right...," smiled Kokuto. With one swing of his sword, Ichigo's attack was taken back to the tree above the skull's head, crashing branches down to the ground.

Kokuto looked back to see the hanyou and Shinigami standing a few feet away from each other, their eyes set on him. Ichigo soon went down as a piece of his mask slowly began to appear on his face. Inuyasha looked at the weird object that Ichigo tried to stop from forming: "W-What the heck is that?"

"No...," whispered Kagome. She shook her head: "No! Ichigo! Stop this right now! Leave!"

Ichigo pulled the white substance off with difficulty, leaving him breathless: "I'm...not...leaving you here!"

"I said leave!" she screamed back. "You too Inuyasha! Both of you will get hurt!"

"What's wrong?" questioned Kokuto. In a blink of an eye, he appeared next to Ichigo: "What are you afraid of?"

Ichigo swung his sword down, missing as he aimed at air. His eyes widened as he felt a hand land on his right shoulder. Looking back he saw the Togabito smirking at him: "The other you that will destroy the world?" questioned Kokuto.

Kokuto grabbed him the shoulder and threw him away: "Then don't ever come here again!" He met with him half way, both blocking swords: "Your sister is saved because you turned into that monster, right? Without that, you can do nothing! You can't save Kagome unless you use that monster of yours!"

He was once again pushed away, his body crashing into a boulder. Ichigo coughed away the smoke as he laid and soon feeling a heavy weight on his chest.

"I told you," glared Kokuto as his foot harshly put pressure on Ichigo's body: "In a world that is void of hopes, resentments, and memories are what kept a person sane." His foot soon made contact with Ichigo's face: "Revenge is what drives me." Kokuto looked up to see seeping lava streaming down the boulder and soon making contact with Ichigo's naked wrist.

Ichigo screamed in pain, receiving a laugh from the sinner. A huge blast came afterwards, pushing Ichigo back and having his body roll to the edge once again. His clothing burned away, leaving his chest open for any attack to come.

"I-Ichigo...," whispered Kagome. "Ugh..."

Inuyasha looked up at Kagome coughing while clutching her chest: "Kagome!" Jumping up to meet her, he noticed the weird chain disppearing: "W-What the-? Kagome! Hang in there!"

Ichigo breathed heavily as he glared at Kokuto on all fours. Kokuto stood a few feet away, enjoying the view: "Hate me more!" he screamed. "That will make you even more powerful!" With a quick flick of his wrist, Kagome was brought to him, yanking the chain in front of Ichigo's eyes: "Look at her! She is suffering! Soon enough she will be dead!"

"Ugh!"

"Kagome!" called out Inuyasha. Jumping behind Kokuto, Inuyasha growled: "Wind Scar!"

Kokuto looked behind his shoulder and slashed his attack away and slashing the hanyou on his shoulder: "Nothing but weaklings." His attention drew back to Kagome's decreased chain: "Will you look at that...the chain is already disappearing. The black flames must be working their magic to end her life."

"N-No...," growled Inuyasha. "Bastard."

Dropping Kagome down on the ground, Kokuto slashed Ichigo away barely being able to dodge his blade, Ichigo was pushed back and soon felt Kokuto's chains wrapped around his ankle and pulled back towards him. Kokuto laughed out loud as his blade pierced into Ichigo's abdomen, leaving him wide eyed.

Kokuto looked down at this pained face, smirking at the scene: "Do you want me to get your sisters here again?" Their attention was brought back to Kagome already gasping for air as she clutched on her chest.

Kokuto took out his sword and looked at the miko's chain already reaching her chest...the last inch was left before her death: "Seems like the wait is over."

Ichigo shook his head: "N-No...No!"

"Kagome!" shouted Inuyasha.

Kagome's eyes slowly widened as her face slowly paled away along with the color in her eyes diminishing little by little. She felt her life already fading away. She made eye contact with the hanyou...a small smile appearing on her face: 'I-Inuyasha...I'm sorry...' Her eyes drifted off to a shocked Shinigami: 'Ichigo...please...leave. I'm terribly sorry for everything I have caused...'

Slowly, her body was taken down, her eyes slowly shutting off her last vision of Hell. Her body soon met the ground, leaving a shell with nothing inside. Her skin pale like an Espadas. Inuyasha couldn't hear her heartbeat any longer.

"N-No!" shouted Inuyasha as he ran towards her and placed her body in his arms: "No! Kagome! Wake up! Wake up!"

Ichigo's eyes widened and soon felt a surge of reiatsu erupting out of him, having Kokuto and Inuyasha look at a sudden eruption of red and black spiritual energy.

Jumping out of the way, Kokuto watched as Ichigo came out growling like a monster...his eyes gold with the darkness surrounding the orbs. His eyebrows were furrowed down with anger, seeing him with an intention of killing.

Ichigo's eyes soon widened as a white substance came out from his chest and mouth, wrapping him around like a cocoon. Kokuto smirked: "Yes, that is how I want it. Once the body is broken down, it's easy for a relapse."

He watched as Ichigo continued to break off from the white substance that tried to control him: "Kagome's soul will soon come out and it will be mine for the taking! Since you can't escape from the monster, you might as well relent!" laughed Kokuto.

Inuyasha watched the desperate actions Ichigo was taking in order for whatever was trying to take control to stop. Ichigo's heart had weakened the moment he saw Kagome's eyes drift off to their death. It pained them both.

They soon heard rumbling around the area. Smirking once again, Kokuto looked around, already knowing what was coming as he saw Ichigo's form fully being taken. "Hear that, Ichigo? The Hell's Will has detected the change in your reiatsu. They'll be here in no time to devour the person who might destroy Hell. Hurry and transform, Ichigo! Or they will come to kill you...but fret now, you would be revived again! If you don't destroy Hell, you'll just have to keep reliving this! Now," he flash stepped in front of Inuyasha carrying Kagome, "for her soul."

He slashed his sword onto the hanyou, pushing him with force into a boulder. He heard the Hell's Will breaking into the area and heading to their spot as Ichigo continued to fight off his 'monster'. He knelt down near Kagome, ready for that pure orb of her soul to come out: "It's mine."

As he heard and felt the heavy steps the Hell's Will took towards them, his eyes glared at Kagome's corpse: "W-What? Where is her soul? Where is her soul!" His hands were ready to bring her body up eye level to him only be stopped by a sudden arrow in between them.

"Huh?" looking to his side, his eyes widened to see someone who had the same features as Kagome: "W-Who are you?"

Gray eyes narrowed down as she saw the hanyou coming out from the boulder. Inuyasha caught the scent and looked towards the person Kokuto was currently staring. His golden eyes widened: "K-Kikyou...?"

Kokuto's eyes narrowed down: "Another miko?"

"My reincarnation's soul is not complete. Now let her go."

MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: That wraps up this chapter! Might have been a tad disappointing, huh? But I tried my best on this! I promise!

Does this leave a clue for you all? If you can guess right...the next chapter will be the last one and I think the longest one! So please look forward to it! Thank you all who read and please tell me what you think!

Well, see you on the last chapter!

Ja~ne!