VERY IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR NOTE!

What's up my fan readers. Hope that all of you are still alive and kicking. I just want to say a few things before you can move on and read the chapter. First of all I will start with the bad news: This is the second last chapter, which means chapter 36 will be the last and final chapter that concludes my story. I know it's sad that it's almost over. I enjoyed writing it so yea I am feeling down.

The good news is that I have a new story which is a bleach and fairy tail crossover. I will give further details in the last chapter but basically it's how Ichigo ends up in The Kingdom of Fiore and how he begins another life there. There is a twist and will be some mysteries to solve and maybe a joint assault in the war. (Still working out the kinks) Also romance between Ichigo and a certain woman of Fairy Tail.

I want everyone's opinion and thoughts about the new story. Would you say it sounds interesting and would read it or does it sound dumb? I already have the first chapter ready so I will be posting it somewhere this week depending on the feedback I get from you guys. Please tell me what you think about my new story idea.

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own bleach...yet (just joking. Will never own it)

The Demon Within

Chapter 34: Red blood lust

Orihime's POV

"Damn soul reaper. You'll pay for that!" Divo screamed at the top of his lungs and charged towards the menacing looking Ichigo.

Before I knew what happened Ichigo was standing a few meters behind Divo with his sword raised to his top right. I turned to look at Divo who just stood there. Suddenly his other arm fell off and again we heard his cry of pain. Ichigo turned around and walked towards him. He stood behind him and with his free hand took Divo by the head and turned him around so they could face each other. Ichigo lifted Divo off the ground and threw him a small bit into the air. With one sweep Ichigo slashed away the legs of Divo.

I was now crawling backwards at the site I am seeing. I felt my back push against the wall. My eyes were wide with horror and fear. Divo fell to the ground in pain and he could do nothing about it. A pool of blood was not the right description. More like a dam of blood. Ichigo stood over him like a giant and held his sword over his face. I thought to myself to scream out to him and tell him to stop with what he is doing, but I couldn't find my voice. I was too shocked to say anything.

Ichigo was now slowly pushing the tip of his blade in Divo's eye. Divo could do nothing but scream and curse at Ichigo. If I blinked then I would have missed it. Ichigo pulled out his sword and with one sweep, cut away at Divo's head. I few seconds went by and nothing happened. That's when I saw it. Divo's head was cut clean of and rolled a few meters away before stopping.

I could only stare at the scene I have just witnessed in front of me. Nel and Chad was also in shock as they stood there like statues, completely speechless. They had dealt with Divo's forces just before Ichigo had made his move. Never have I seen Ichigo like this. Never have I seen him kill another hollow with such bloodlust and anger before. Even against Grimmjow and Ulquiorra he never was so ruthless. Ichigo kept standing over Divo's body and soon his body begun to disappear. Ichigo then turned and started to walk in my direction. I could only watch as he makes his way towards me.

He stopped in front of me and knelt down before me. He looked at me with his brown eyes of sadness. I could see that the death of Uryu had hit him and it hit him hard. There were no tears, but I could see that he was hurting inside. He had just lost a friend though he will never really say that out loud. He and Uryu was more closer then they themselves even realize.

"Are you hurt?" Ichigo asked me with concern in his voice.

"I'm fine Ichigo. Are you alright?" I asked him. I knew what he would answer and it would be a lie.

"I'm alright Hime. So long that you are safe then I'm fine."

I nodded and gave a small smile. He reached out to me with his hand and I took it. He helped me to my feet and we then made our way to Uryu's lifeless body. Nel and Chad was already standing there, looking at our fallen comrade. We all stood a while in silence, thinking about what a good friend he was to each of us.

"Orihime. Can't you heal him? You have the power right?" Nel asked.

"I can heal his body yes, but the soul is not present so it won't help us." I replied.

"I didn't expect Uryu to die."

We all turned around to see Isshin walking towards us. Just behind him we could see Kisuke and Yoruichi walking behind him. I must admit that they looked like they got a beating. Except for Isshin, he only looks dirty and has some few minor bruses. Their opponents must have been strong or they must be getting out of shape.

"Sorry were late, if only we had gotten here sooner then we could have stopped this. Unfortunately we underestimated our opponents and dragged the fight out too long." Yoruichi added.

"There was nothing you could have done. This is my fault. I wasn't strong enough to protect him and because of that Uryu is dead." Ichigo said while clutching his fist and looking down to the ground with a sadden face.

We all felt a huge amount of spiritual pressure. We spun around and looked at the Sokuoku hill where the captain commander is battling Ichigo's hollow and Saya. We could feel the heat of the captain's sword and it scorched the air around is. My mouth started to dry up from the lack of moisture. I then started to wonder what is happening up there and who is winning.

"Ichigo you got to get up there and help the head captain. I will remain here and try to – "

"Try to what Kisuke? Bring my soul back?"

Kisuke was interrupted by a voice from behind us. We turned our heads and saw that Uryu had his eyes open and had his grin on his face. I could not believe my eyes. Uryu was well and alive, ok not well but at least he was alive. We all gathered around him with smiles on our faces. He was still laying down on the ground. He was still injured and his spiritual power is depleted.

"How did you come back or how did your soul come back?" Ichigo asked him.

"I guess that Divo's power doesn't stay permanent if he is dead so my soul must have been released and went back to where it belongs." Uryu replied.

"That's one way too put it, well it doesn't help to worry about something that doesn't matter anymore. Ichigo, you need to get going. Maybe you could talk some sense into Saya and your hollow." Kisuke informed Ichigo.

"Alright. I'll see what I can do."

"Were counting on you son." Isshin said while giving Ichigo a small smile.

"Good luck Ichigo. We'll join you as soon as I have healed everyone." I said to the man who has my heart.

I didn't really want him to go, but there will be no stopping him now. All I can do know is heal everyone and then head towards the battlefield where Ichigo will be fighting. Ichigo then turned to face me and walked closer and closer, until he was standing almost against me. He gave me a smile and placed a kiss on my lips. I could feel my body start to shiver from his touch. It felt like I was going to melt in his hands.

"Thank you Hime and don't worry, I'll be back before you know it." He said while placing his hand on my cheek. I nodded and with a last smile he turned around and made his way towards sokyoku hill. He ran and then disappeared with a flash step.

I stood a while and stared in the direction Ichigo was heading. I could not help but worry. I turned around and started to heal Uryu who was in the worst shape of everyone. While kneeling down on my knees, I summoned my dome and begun to heal him. I didn't focus a lot on the healing. I kept staring into space wondering and worrying about Ichigo. I then felt someone standing behind me so I turned my head to see Kisuke looking at me.

"I know why you are worried Orihime. Ichigo's hollow and Saya are working together. Without his hollification Ichigo is going to have a fairly hard battle. If his hollow transforms then we have almost no chance of winning and the soul society is doomed as well as the world of the living. Everything that exists is on the line as this battle will decide the worlds fate. So I know why, but you need to focus on healing everyone so that we can get to the frontlines as soon as possible."

"Kisuke is right Orihime. We all know that Ichigo's hollow was suppressed by him and could never really fight at full strength because of Ichigo. Now that it is free from any suppression it could use the full extent of its powers. If we don't stop it as soon as possible then we are doomed." Uryu added.

I nodded and started to heal everyone and focus on what I was doing. I still followed Ichigo's spiritual pressure to make sure he is alright. Even with their speech I still could not focus on the healing. I knew they were right so I tried my best and blocked as much distractions out as I much as I am able.

A while past and I had finished healing Uryu. Next up was Yoruichi and Kisuke who had some moderate injuries. At least they weren't serious wounds, otherwise I would have had my hands full. The healing proses went quicker with Kisuke and Yoruichi which didn't take me very long. Since after Aizen, I had improved a great deal with my spirit energy. Don't get me wrong, it still isn't at Ichigo's level but I am making progress.

Almost everyone was healed and my spirit energy was almost depleted. My body felt weak and I found it very hard to breath. If I couldn't heal Rukia and the others quicker then we could lose any hope of winning. Ichigo has been fighting for a while now and I am worried to death. I want to heal everyone so that they could help the man I love with everything they have. The goal seemed like an endless dream that stretched out far beyond the horizon, just escaping my reach.

"Miss Rukia! Lieutenant Abarai !" we all heard a voice from far behind. We turned our heads and saw that it was Hanataro Yamada who came running towards us.

"Hanataro, why are you here?" Rukia asked him.

"I was sent here to aid you by Captain Unohana. She told you that you may need some assistance after your battles with the espadas."

"Your timing could not have been better Hanataro. Do you have any of those super nutritional tablet with you by any chance?" Kisuke asked the squad four healer.

"Yes, I have one left. I used one earlier and gave the others to those who were in need of it. Why do you ask?"

"Orihime is the only one who can heal everyone in the fastest way we know. Unfortunately, she has exhausted her spirit energy and we need to replenish it so she can finish healing the wounded." Kisuke explained.

"I see. Then by all means, take mine."

Hanataro took of the bag he carried on his back and opened it. He took out a small box and opened it. Inside was the tablet Kisuke had spoke of. It was a white yellow color with a red skull on it. I didn't know about eating it now. The picture of the skull just sent out a weird vibe through my body. He handed me the pill and I took it in my hand. I stared at it for a few seconds, threw the tablet in my mouth and swallowed hard.

The tablet was now in my stomach and I felt nothing. No change in my spirit energy. I still felt tired and exhausted. The next moment I felt a warm tingle in my stomach and soon enough, energy exploded throughout my body which filled me with energy once again. My body didn't feel weak anymore and my breathing was normal.

"So, how do you feel miss Inoue?" Kisuke asked me behind his fan.

"I feel great, that is one super duper pill you got there. Is there any more Hanataro?" I asked with the most excitement in my eyes.

"Like I said, that was the last one."

"Well thanks for the help Hanataro. Nou miss Inoue, would you please heal the rest of our injuries so we can assist Ichigo and the head captain?" Kisuke asked me.

"Yes, I will do my best to heal you all as fast as I can." I replied

The remaining people I had to heal was Chad, Nel, Rukia and Renji. After what seemed forever I finished healing them to the best of my abilities. With the few energy that I had left I used to restore Isshin, Kisuke and Yoruichi's spirit energy. I can heal injuries quickly but restoring ones spirit energy takes a while longer for me. I figured that the best chance we have of helping Ichigo is by getting Kisuke, Isshin and Yoruichi to one hundred percent.

Once I healed everyone, I could feel my body growing weak again. It isn't like before but the after effect was still there from exhausting too much of your spirit energy. I fell to my knees and took a deep breath. I wiped the sweat from my forehead and closed my eyes. I was proud of myself. I felt like I did something to help everyone. I know I am not suited for battle but at least I can support everyone by healing their injuries.

I then felt my power slowly returning to me. I opened my eyes and saw Hanataro kneeling beside me. I saw him restoring my energy as that is what the soul reapers do when they heal someone. Then restore that person's spirit energy and then the wielder who received treatment can use his own energy to heal his wounds. The tired and exhausted felling was lighter as each second pass by. In no time most of my energy was restored and I felt better then before.

"Thank you so much Hanataro." I thanked him.

"Don't mention it, it's the least I could do after you helped everyone." He said in his soft and gentle voice.

"Now that we are all ready for the battle, let's head to the battlefield. I am sure Ichigo is in need of your help." Kiskue told us.

We all nodded and followed Kisuke as we ran towards the hill where the battle took place. The entire time I felt Ichigo's power increase and decrease, when he releases a lot of power. Basically all the time. My focus was now entirely on the man of my dreams. I could sense that Ichigo and the head captain are both having a hard time fighting. Ichigo can still fight as not much of his power has been used, but the head captain's spirit energy wasn't that strong. He must have been worn out by Ichigo when he transformed and to fight the hollow again so soon after receiving multiple injuries.

I hoped that we could get there in time. If the head captain was out of the game and Ichigo fighting his hollow and Saya then we can heal the head captain so that he can rejoin the fight and help Ichigo. Even Kisuke and Yoruichi was there to help Ichigo.

The thought gave me hope and a smile crept on my face as I thought about how Ichigo had always found a way to defeat his opponents no matter who they are or how powerful they were. He was like the knight in shiny armor, the hero of a superhero movie that always saves everyone in the end. What could possibly go wrong when Ichigo is there fighting to protect us.

As it felt like hours that we ran towards Ichigo, I suddenly felt a burst of spirit energy that belonged to Ichigo. The pressure was enough to kill a normal human in less than a instant. We were pushed to the ground but our legs kept us up. The pressure was lighter and we moved up the stairs that led to the hill.

"Did you feel that Kiskue?" Yoruichi asked.

"Yes, it was Ichigo. It's the first time I felt that sort of pressure from him."

"Do you think he is in trouble?" I asked concerned.

"I don't know. This must be a new ability he developed that is even stronger then his Getsuga Tensho attack." Kisuke replied.

"Kisuke." Isshin said out of the blue.

"What is it?"

"This spiritual pressure. Doesn't it feel too familiar to you?"

"It does."

"Do you think he is going to use it?"

There was silence. We all watched Isshin and Kisuke as we ran up the stairs, waiting for them to tell each other what Ichigo will be doing.

"Possibly."

"I see."

Everyone including myself looked at each other in confusion. What were they talking about? What will Ichigo be using? Is it dangerous? Those are some of the questions that ran faster than me through my mind.

"If he is going to use it then we better hurry to stop him before he does something stupid." Kisuke said.

We ran a few more flight of stairs before reaching the top. It was covered with trees but we could see Ichigo's black and red raishi in the distance. Kisuke made a motion to tell us to follow him and quickly. We ran full speed in Ichigo's direction, dodging and avoiding trees as we go along. We finally reached the end of the tree line and the scene unfolded before us. There stood Ichigo, blood dripping and oozing from his body. He stood in bankai with his sword held out in front of him. He turned his face and gave us a small smile.

In that moment, I could have sworn my heart stopped. Something about the way Ichigo looked at us, his face, nose, mouth and lifeless eyes. Something wasn't right and my stomach made knots everywhere. Ichigo then coughed up blood before falling to his knees, still holding his sword pointed towards his enemies.

"I will protect you all, Take care my friends. I love you Hime." Was all that we heard before a bright white light blinded us from Ichigo.

"Ichigo!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

What did you guys think? The next chapter will be the battle Ichigo went through and what do you guys think will happen to Ichigo? I left that cliffhanger there to let you guys think a bit about the next chapter and well because I want to tease you guys a bit. So what is your thoughts?