Track 21: Heavy Metal Heroes
The stage burst into flames as an unseen fireball collided with the barrier fence, spewing fire all over the area and creating a giant wall, barring any escape. Soul Reaper were trapped, doomed to die where they had lived, on stage.
Rukia began to weep and confided in Ichigo for support. She wept in his arms and they slowly rocked back and forth in an awkward and out of place dance. Ichigo stroked Rukia's cheek with the back of his hand and he whispered soothing words to her.
"Rukia, I promise...we will make it out of here alive. I will always protect you, to the very end and even if we die here today, you can be sure that I will die by your side!" Ichigo's words brought a weak smile to her face and she wiped her eyes before embracing him in a hug.
Most of the group watched them, but the remaining members of Soul Reaper set up the fireworks cannons and the pyrotechnic gear. Their jobs were rushed as the skeletal army was creeping ever closer, their blank, soulless eye sockets were like the pits of the abyss. Their unnatural life made things even more unnerving, especially to Grimmjow who was still in the dark about the afterlife.
Ichigo leaned in close and gently kissed Rukia's cheek. "We never had our dance...It's now or never."
Rukia closed her eyes and lost herself in the moment, imagining a better place, without raging fires and legions of skeletons thirsting for blood.
While they enjoyed themselves Renji and Grimmjow added the finishing touches to their weapons. They double checked everything over and then shared sadistic smirks. No matter how life threatening the moment, the prospect of going Rambo still brings a smile to anyone's face.
"Kenpachi! Let 'em go!" Renji commanded.
Zaraki, who was fighting on the front line twenty metres away, complied and began running backwards, luring the enemy closer.
"Three, two, one...FIRE!" Renji roared, before adding with a slight chuckle, "Works." He punched a switch and the black tube erupted, shooting a packed ball of gunpowder and other stuff.
The undead stared inquisitively at the little ball which exploded on the left flank spraying brightly coloured fire in all directions. The initial blast knocked down a large number and the resulting sparks finished them off, burning through their skulls and eroding whatever was keeping them alive.
"Yee-haw!" Renji raised his fist and cheered, sounding like a Texas Ranger.
"Again! Again!" Grimmjow clapped like a little kid watching a dare devil stunt.
Renji loaded the next ball of beautiful explosives. "Next up, we have the pretty dolphin blue." Renji cheered again as he fired off the next round. The burning blue rain took down more of the ghastly creatures.
"Zaraki, hold them off while I reload!" The red-head-Rambo commanded.
Kenpachi smashed his fists together and chuckled menacingly. "Alright! Time for the drum solo!" He charged into the fray and hurled furious punches that shattered the bones as if they were piñata's
Grimmjow flexed his fingers, eagerly awaiting his turn to deal some destruction to the ghoulish fiends. He was losing himself in thought when someone tapped him on the shoulder. Instinctively he lashed out but his fist was caught in a powerful grip. He was surprised to see it was the Ichigo's friend, Tatsuki.
"Hey, I've got an idea." She said excitedly, rubbing her hands together.
"I'm listening."
The girl pointed to one of the rolled up banners. "If we find some petrol or gasoline then we can drown that in it and then drop it from the stands up there." She pointed to the scaffolding on the side of the stage. "Then you can blast it and they'll go 'Boom!'"
Grimmjow went silent for a minute and then his face lit up. "Hell yes! That's pretty clever, I never would have thought of that!"
Tatsuki blushed and averted her gaze. "All we need is something flammable. There are a few trucks still around the back but we'd have to slip past those skeletons first..."
Grimmjow raised a finger like a cartoon character getting an idea. The only difference was the lack of a little light bulb above his head. "Take Kenpachi and that other girl with you. He can protect you while you find some of the good stuff!"
Tatsuki nodded and jogged over to Orihime to give her the battle plan.
Grimmjow approached Renji and gave his own instructions. "Hold back on the fire. We'll need a few blasts ready. One to distract them, then a few to hold the line while Kenpachi's gone."
Renji nodded. "Alright, let's get some ammo ready then." The two of them began mixing the gunpowder with magnesium and other things before rolling them up in thin material and then packing them into the numerous tubes of the cannon.
"Kenpachi! Fall back!"
The plan was retold and Kenpachi joined the two young girls and prepared for their mission. Tatsuki and Orihime both carried containers to hold the gasoline and Kenpachi cracked his knuckles.
Grimmjow started a countdown and then raised a fist in the air. "GO!"
Renji fired off a round and the sparkly, colourful explosion knocked the skeletons off guard. While they were still reeling Kenpachi and the recon team darted past their right flank and made their way out of sight, heading towards one of the large trucks that never left.
Ichigo and Rukia continued to dance, their eyes closed and their imaginations running wild. It was nice to escape from the harshness of reality.
From atop his spire, Urahara watched them with a sickening smile.
"Enjoy your time together, for this shall be your last moments on this earth! How sweet it is to see hopeless dreams shattered...Say, where has that brute Kenpachi gone?" Kisuke scanned the battle field and saw no traces of him. "Hmm. He must have already fallen. Wonderful!"
Another brightly coloured explosion caught his eye.
"A clever tactic, but there is not enough explosives there to destroy my army. They can't possibly believe there would only be one wave? But I shall let them believe they are winning for now...Let them lose themselves to overconfidence and then break them down like the weaklings that they are! Ha ha ha ha!"
Kenpachi kept guard while Orihime and Tatsuki drained the flammable blood from the large tour truck. When the two containers were full they covered the fuel tank up again and began their journey back to their friends.
The girls dragged the tanks while Kenpachi prowled the unwary opponent before them. They had not been noticed even when they were right behind the legion of ghouls. They were going well until...
"AAAAGGHH!" Orihime tripped and knocked her tank over, spilling half of the contents on the ground in a wide spreading puddle that sank under their feet.
The skeletons spun on their bleached bone heels and glared at their new enemy. Inoue screamed more and began to panic.
"Grr! Enough of this! Let's go!" Kenpachi lifted the container onto his shoulder and carried it while bashing away at the enemy with his other hand. The container bounced on his shoulder, occasionally spilling down onto him. Inoue and Tatsuki worked together to carry the other container.
One of Renji's fireworks blew a hole in the side flank, giving them room to move back towards the camp. As they began to get surrounded Kenpachi handed back the container and returned to using his full force to decimate his undead foes.
Inoue and Tatsuki heaved the heavy objects back but Grimmjow and Isshin arrived as back-up to help them get back faster.
Despite the slip-up they still managed to succeed without casualties. It was a victory even if they lost half a tank of gasoline in the process.
Grimmjow and Isshin carried the tanks the rest of the way while Inoue and Tatsuki unfurled the banner. They worked together drenching the large banner in the flammable liquid. When it was ready to go Grimmjow returned to the stage flamethrower which he had broken and made to face the enemy rather than straight upwards.
Meanwhile Inoue and Tatsuki climbed the scaffold with the banner in hand. They made it to the top and awaited the signal.
Grimmjow flexed his itchy trigger finger and waited for the enemy to gain ground. When they were close enough he issued an order. "Kenpachi! Clear out!"
The bloodthirsty maniac dragged two skeletons with him and when he was at a safe distance he began to pummel them.
Grimmjow gave a thumbs up to the girls and the banner was thrown down onto the enemy. The flammable blanket covered a large portion of their army and they began shuffling about uncertainly.
Grimmjow smirked and his eyes flickered like little flames within his skull. "Nighty night fuckers!" He pulled the trigger and what would usually be a towering pillar of flames turned into a propelled blast of hells wrath. The flames hit the banner and it exploded almost instantly. The raging flames spread everywhere, consuming an even larger portion of the army, destroying over half of their forces. The inferno became out of control however and began to spread along a path of footsteps...Leading to one Zaraki Kenpachi.
As the vengeful flames engulfed his body, the shinigami turned drummer turned warrior howled in agony. He fell to his knees and slapped the flames in an attempt to quench them. When that failed he dropped to the ground and rolled about, though that also did nothing.
"Kenpachi!" Ichigo snapped out of his blissful ignorance and was thrown back into the brutal reality of the present. He stared with wide, terrified eyes as his friend and band-mate was consumed by hungry, flesh eating tongues of blazing malevolence.
Kenpachi realised his life was destined to end this day. He would soon die, but the least he could do was take as many of them down with him. He charged right into the middle of the remaining ranks of skeletons and fought with renewed vigour. His broken, bloodied and beaten body refused to falter and he avenged himself with his undying rage. As his flesh melted like something out of a Cannibal Corpse song he knew his fight was over. His body no longer did his bidding and he collapsed, waiting for either the flames to consume him...Or the undead fiends.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Ichigo cried. He watched the ghouls swarm over Kenpachi's corpse and tear him apart. All the while the faint sound of manic laughter assaulted his ears.
Ichigo glared up at the stone spire that towered over them. Although he could not see him, Ichigo could sense Urahara was up there. The rage boiled over within him and he unleashed the greatest roar the word had ever heard. It was a sound so mighty even Satan would tremble to it.
"URAHARA! I'LL KILL YOU!"
Rukia tried to stop her lover, but Ichigo charged past her and snatched up a guitar. He set the volume up full and then turned up the remaining stack of amps. He turned everything up to eleven and then blasted out a deafening chord. The shockwave from the amps made a temporary gap in the wall of flames blocking the spire and in that moment Ichigo charged through. When he was only halfway through the ocean of orange death it began to seal the gap.
Ichigo assumed the worst but a shield enveloped him and he glanced over his shoulder at Orihime who was showing visible signs of stress.
"Hurry Kurosaki-kun! I can't hold it!"
Ichigo nodded and ran full tilt through the flames, like a heavy metal Moses through a literally red sea. When he passed the flames the shield shattered and all sight of the stage was blocked by the roaring inferno.
With no other way but up, Ichigo began to ascend the rocky spire.
Meanwhile, back on-stage Orihime passed out, exhausted from holding up the barrier for Ichigo's crossing. Tatsuki and the Kurosaki girls watched over her while the others fought on bravely.
Isshin held up the front line, using a microphone stand as a makeshift spear to defeat his foes.
Renji blasted off the final few rounds of fireworks and wiped out the majority of the enemy forces. The rest were wiped out by another blast from Grimmjow's custom made flamethrower. The last few stragglers were beaten down by Rukia. When they were all gone they regrouped and let out a small cheer. All eyes fell on the towering spire and the orange haired boy only halfway to the top.
"It's in Ichigo's hands now...We're counting on you Kurosaki..." Renji muttered.
"Don't screw up." Grimmjow added.
Rukia watched with clouded eyes. She clasped her hands together and pleaded to her unaware husband. "Please Ichigo...Don't die!"
Urahara glared at the irritating orange haired boy. "So, you made it this far...Impressive. But be warned Kurosaki, I won't go easy on you. When we finally face each other, it shall be for the last time...I'll be waiting, Kurosaki..."
The action is really heating up (Get it? Because of the fire and everything? Oh well screw you then!) The final battle between Ichigo and Urahara is about to begin and yes, there may be a guitar or too in there. Don't miss the grand finale!
Also, don't forget to check out my exclusive artwork for this story at my deviant art account! (Link in my profile)
Please review!