Chapter 36: Hot Full Throttle! Muramasa's Power Drawing Near!
The zanpakuto, its unique shape and abilities are defined by its Soul Reaper. A Soul Reaper is able to harness the power of the zanpakuto by learning its name and forming a synergistic unit. The Zanpakuto is born with its Soul Reaper and dies with its Soul Reaper. That is the existence of the zanpakuto.
"What is this all about?!" Ichigo exclaimed as he and Rukia looked at the Gillians in front of them. "What the hell happened to Muramasa?!"
Behind the hollow was a dark crimson ball of spirit energy, Muramasa was screaming in pain inside of it. "My body…" he said. "It's burning up! I must withstand this pain! Koga…Koga…" He started to feel the pain intensify in his body as black streams of spirit energy came out of him. "KOGA!" Then hollows appear from the streams of spirit energy.
"Getsuga Tensho!" Ichigo fired a black wave of energy at the hollow, killing some of them. "Those hollows were trapped inside of him! How is that possible?!"
"The only thing that I can imagine is that he's been absorbing them." Rukia said. "And now, he's unable to suppress their spirit energy. He put his very existence at risk for the sake of his master. He's even exceeded his own limitations. Right now, he's only retaining this state through willpower." Then dark crimson ball began to intensify drawing in more hollows.
"What happening?!" Ichigo asked.
"Amazing. Ichigo, it looks like Muramasa is attracting all of the hollows in this area."
"Damn! We can't allow that allow that to happen. I'll have to put a stop to it!" Ichigo charged towards the oncoming hollows as spirit energy came out of his zanpakuto. "Getsuga Tensho!" Ichigo fired another wave of spirit energy, killing some of the hollows but more appeared to take their place. Ichigo prepared to attack again but the hollow were shot down by a barrage of arrow. Ichigo looked down and saw a certain Quincy with his bow. "Uryu?!"
"It's nothing personal, Ichigo." Uryu said. "But it seems to me in a situation like this, my bow and arrows are going to be more effective than your single sword."
"It's about as handy as a can of bug spray." Ichigo said.
"Take that back!" Uryu shouted at the substitute soul reaper.
"Ichigo! Rukia!" Orihime shouted as she and Chad ran towards Ichigo and Uryu. "We came to help!"
"Chad! Orihime!" Ichigo shouted as Rukia ran towards the group as well. One of the menos charged up a cero and fired it at them.
"Saten Kesshun!" Orihime created an orange shield in front of them, deflecting the menos' cero.
"Good job, Orihime." Rukia said.
Ichigo looked at the red orb surrounding Muramasa and said, "Damn! This doesn't look good for Muramasa." Muramasa screamed in pain as his body disappeared, leaving a black hole behind.
An explosion erupted as Byakuya and Koga stood a few feet from each other after hitting their strongest attacks. Byakuya staggered toward as Senbonzakura appeared and held him upright. Byakuya looked back at Koga as blood came out of the former Kuchiki clan member's shouted.
"How…It can't be…" Koga said as he jabbed his javelin into the ice. "I won't let them beat me." He stuck his hand out. "Come to me, Muramasa." He tried to summon his zanpakuto but nothing happened. "What's happening? Answer me, Muramasa." He lowered his hand, breathing heavily. "Why won't you respond? Your master's calling you. Mura…masa…" Koga fell into the lake as the last bit of life was taken from his body and he sank to the bottom.
"This is over." Byakuya said.
"I agree." Senbonzakura said. "If not for his extraordinary power, I doubt that he would delude himself into attacking the soul society."
"It was the fate of a weak-hearted man, who was consumed by his ambition. Instead of a blessing, his power became a destructive curse."
"He was the exact opposite of you, who willingly allowed himself to be branded a traitor in order to head off a treat that could've destroyed the soul society. Now, you reclaim a place of honor among your peers. You can hold your head up high again."
Byakuya looked at his zanpakuto and said, "Senbonzakura, you talk too much."
The hollows were sucked into the black hole where Muramasa's body used to be. "What's going on up there?!" Ichigo shouted as he and the others watched in shock as the hollow disappeared inside the hole.
"The hollows are being drawn into him!" Rukia said. Then a huge shadow looms over them as the menos were being sucked into the black hole as well. After all of the menos disappeared, the hole expanded and created an explosion of spiritual pressure. The smoke cleared and revealed a hollow-like creature with blade-like extension coming from its arm and the bottom half of Muramasa's outfit on the lower half of its body.
Ichigo and the others looked at the creature with widen eyes. "Wait a minute, is that Muramasa?!" Ichigo asked.
"He seems to become some kind of arrancar." Uryu said.
"The zanpakuto is of one mind and one body of its soul reaper master." Rukia explained. "It attaches itself with its master and co-exists with him."
"Are you saying that Muramasa need a source of energy to replace his soul reaper master if he wanted to maintain his physical form?!"
"Yes, he had to take in all of those hollows if he had any chance to hold onto his body."
"You mean that's what deflected my barrier before?" Orihime questioned.
(Flashback)
Muramasa looked at widen eyes. "You foolish girl!" he shouted as Orihime's Shun-Shun Rikka disappeared. Orihime looked down at Muramasa and saw the zanpakuto sit up as dark aura surrounds him.
(Fast-Forward)
The locks and chains broke away as cracks began to appear on the coffin. The coffin was destroyed and the bladed weapons were scattered. Muramasa pushed Rukia away as the light faded and revealed a man with black hair, a red scarf, a piece of metal across his nose and his forearms, and holding a broken sword.
(End of Flashback)
"That show how deep his obsession and devotion to Koga was." Rukia said. "That's exactly what you would expect from a zanpakuto to its master. It be hard to find it to end with such anger and betrayal.
(Flashback)
"Mura…masa…" Koga said. Then he stabbed the zanpakuto in the stomach with his sword.
"Why…Koga…" Muramasa said as his eyes widen in pain. Koga broke what's left of his blade with his bare hands. Muramasa widen his eyes as he fell to his knees.
"But why…"
"You've become nothing but a hindrance to me." Koga said. "I don't need to use a pathetic, unstable sword like you. My power alone is enough. A zanpakuto is merely a tool. There are countless replacements." Muramasa's eyes widen even more as his spiritual pressure started to ooze out of his body and cover the small island.
(End of Flashback)
"Damn!" Ichigo cursed as purple aura surrounded Muramasa and his spiritual pressure started to increase.
"If we don't do something, Karakura Town is going enveloped by his spirit energy." Rukia said. "We have to stop him." The purple aura disappeared Muramasa looked at them through his mask. "Get ready!" Muramasa charged towards them at a very high speed. "He's too fast!"
He swung his blade-like arm at Ichigo, pushing the substitute soul reaper back. As he rushed towards him again, Uryu fired a barrage of arrows at the hollowified zanpakuto. Muramasa dodged Uryu's attack and headed straight for the Quincy. Uryu fired another round of arrows at Muramasa, who easily dodged them. Uryu widen his eyes as an explosion erupted where he stood. Muramasa came out of the smoke and charged towards Orihime and Rukia. Chad appeared in front of the two girls and blocked the zanpakuto's attack with his Brazo Derecha de Gigante. Ichigo came down from the sky and swung his sword at Muramasa, creating another explosion. Inside the smoke, Muramasa blocked the attack with his blade arms and he pushed Ichigo back.
"He's in such pain." Orihime said, looked at the hollowified zanpakuto. "I can feel his loneliness. He so desperately reached out to his master only to be abandoned. It broke his heart." Muramasa stuck his hand towards Rukia and Orihime and charged up a cero, firing it at them.
"Gum-Gum…" A familiar voice shouted as a barrage of punches coated with Senbonzakura's pedals was fired at the cero. "…Sakura Gatling!" The two attacks collided creating a huge explosion. Rukia looked behind her shoulder and saw Luffy and Byakuya standing behind them.
"Byakuya! Luffy!" Rukia shouted as she and Orihime ran towards them. "I'm so glad that you're ok."
"Byakuya!" Ichigo shouted, rushing towards the Squad 6 captain. "Did you defeat Koga?"
"Of course, were you worried that I was going to lose?" Byakuya answered.
"Well that was always a possibility. I mean you do look pretty beat up."
"He's right." Rukia said. "We need to treat your injuries."
"Never mind that." Byakuya said to his sister. "Muramasa should be our main concern. I've never expected him to release a cero. He has completely transformed into a hollow."
Muramasa let out a cry of pain as purple aura surrounds his body again. "I won't give in!" He shouted. "Not to the power of the hollows! I won't give in!"
"What's happening?" Luffy asked.
"I'm not completely sure." Rukia said. "But it looks like he's fighting the hollows he absorbed."
"This is wrong…" Orihime said as she ran towards Muramasa. "Listen to me! Stop this right now! You didn't have to fight anymore! I'm sorry but the master that you're looking for no longer exists!"
Rukia ran up to her friend and said, "It's no use, Orihime. He can't listen to reason in this state."
"That's not true. I can feel it. He's fighting. He hasn't been completely possessed by the hollows yet." Rukia looked at Orihime with a shocked look on her face. "He's in a state of despair but he's fighting desperately to maintain his zanpakuto identity."
"Are you sure?"
"I won't give in." Muramasa said. "No matter what, I can't give in. Koga…"
"I can't believe that he's still searching for Koga even after transforming into a hollow."
"This guy is determined." Ichigo said.
"Muramasa, you have to stop this." Orihime pleaded. "It's useless. You're only going to cause yourself more suffering. Let it go! Please end this before it's too late!"
"I won't give in." Muramasa said. "I won't give in." Orihime walked up to the zanpakuto with a concerned look on her face, wondering if her reached Muramasa. Then Muramasa's body started to move on its own.
"Move Orihime!" Rukia shouted. Muramasa charged towards Orihime, who quickly activated her Shun-Shun Rikka. Muramasa shattered Orihime's shield and pushed her back. Muramasa charged the healer again but was stopped by Luffy.
"You bastard!" Luffy shouted, using his power to push Muramasa back. Luffy charged towards the zanpakuto and started attacking him.
"That was very brave." Rukia said to Orihime. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine." Orihime said. "Thank you." Orihime looked over at the fight between Luffy and Muramasa. "Can't we save him from his pain? He's just so sad." Rukia looked at friend, then looked at the fight going on in front of them.
"Gum-Gum…" Luffy charged towards Muramasa again. "…Pistol!" Muramasa jumped into the sky, avoiding Luffy's attack. He fired a barrage of balas at the straw hat captain. Luffy looked up but it was too late to react and he was hit by the attack. "Second Gear!" The smoke cleared and revealed Luffy with steam coming out of his body.
"Gum-Gum…" Luffy lifted his hand as if he was aiming at the zanpakuto. "…Jet Pistol!" Muramasa quickly dodged the attack and charged towards the pirate, swinging the blade extension down on him. Luffy moved out of the way but Muramasa rushed towards him still. "Gum-Gum Jet Whip!" Luffy fired a sound-speed kick at the zanpakuto. Muramasa tried to block the kick but was pushed back for his efforts. Luffy charged towards Muramasa again, stretching his arm and twisting it. "…Jet Rifle!" He hit the zanpakuto in the stomach, pushing him back further.
Muramasa rebound and charged up a cero, firing it at Luffy. "Gum-Gum…" Luffy shouted, firing his sound-speed punches at the cero. "…Jet Gatling!" Luffy's punches caused the cero to disperse as they hit the zanpakuto, creating an explosion. Luffy breathed heavily as his second gear wore off. The smoke started to clear and revealed Muramasa, showing the damage from Luffy's attack.
Dark crimson aura surrounds Muramasa's hollowified body as he let out furious roar. Muramasa's spiritual pressure reached to the sky and created cracks in the cloud, causing and the others to widen their eyes.
"Muramasa!" Ichigo shouted, charged towards the zanpakuto. Hollows appeared in front of the substitute soul reaper. Ichigo narrowed his eyes and started to cut them down one by one. More hollows began to appeared and headed towards Muramasa.
"Damn!" Uryu cursed. "The hollow are swarming again! Chad, let's split up! We need to attack them from two fronts!" Chad nodded and the two charged towards the hollows. Uryu fired a volley of arrowed, shooting down a large number of hollows.
"El Directo!" Chad fired a huge blast from his arm, destroying more of the hollows.
"Hado #33: Sokatsui!" Rukia fired his kido at the oncoming hollow, shooting them down one at a time.
"Scatter, Senbonzakura!" Byakuya's blade dispersed into thousands of sakura pedals as they surround and destroy the hollows.
Luffy charged towards Muramasa, punching them in their masks. Then the hollows started to surround Luffy. "Gum-Gum…Gatling!" Luffy fired a barrage of punches at the hollows and continued his charge. More hollows appeared in front of Luffy but he jumped on each one of their masks until he reached Muramasa. Ichigo appeared beside him with black waves of spirit energy from his sword.
"Gum-Gum…" Luffy shouted, stretching both of his arms back.
"Getsuga…" Ichigo shouted, raising his sword over his head.
"…Bazooka!" The two attacks collided as they hit the zanpakuto in the gut, rushing the air out of him. Muramasa fell backwards and crashed to the ground below. Luffy landed on the ground with Ichigo next toas the smoke started to clear. It showed Muramasa still standing, with even more damage to his hollow-like body.
"I won't…give in…" Muramasa said as his body to change again. It charged into a crimson colored blob of spiritual pressure and it engulfed Luffy and Ichigo.
"Unbelievable!" Orihime shouted in shock.
"Ichigo! Luffy!" Rukia shouted. The blob continued to grow and started to morph into a shape.
"That awful thing just swallowed them up."
"Impossible…" Then the cracks in the clouds started to grow even bigger.
"What happened?!" Uryu exclaimed.
"The spike in spirit energy from all of the hollows has caused the sky to break." Byakuya said.
Orihime stood up to her feet, getting Rukia's attention. "Orihime?" Rukia questioned.
"I have to save them." Orihime said. "I have to go in and save Ichigo, Luffy, and Muramasa."
Before Orihime could start running towards them, Rukia grabbed her wrist and ran the other way. "Don't be ridiculous! It's dangerous!"
"Let me go!"
Then menos began to appear from the blob that engulfed Luffy and Ichigo. Rukia and Orihime widen their eyes at the number of menos behind them. A garganta began to open up from the cracks in the sky.
"This really isn't good." Uryu said. "A garganta is opening. And we're trapped! We're going have to do something fast!" The menos opened their mouth and started firing ceros at Uryu, Chad, and Byakuya.
"Scatter, Senbonzakura!" Byakuya said, activating his shikai again and cutting the giant hollows.
Rukia and Orihime continued to run from the Gillian chasing them. The hollow opened its mouth and charged up a cero. "Tsugi no Mai…" A familiar voice said as the owner pointed her sword at the Gillian. It was Sode no Shirayuki. "…Hakuren!" A powerful blast of snow and ice was fired at the hollow, freezing it and destroying it.
Rukia looked at where the attack came from and saw her zanpakuto. "Sode no…" she said in disbelief. "…Shirayuki."
"I'm sorry that it took so long to find you." Shirayuki said.
"Sode no Shirayuki, how are you here?!" Rukia asked in shock.
"More importantly, you should know that I didn't come alone." Rukia looked at her zanpakuto confused.
"Hey!" Another familiar voice shouted. Rukia looked up and saw Ikkaku with Hozukimaru. "You didn't think that we'll let you have all of the fun, did you?" She looked over and saw the other soul reapers with their zanpakuto by their side. Rukia looked behind Sode no Shirayuki and saw the other members of the Straw Hat Pirates. They were a little banged from their fights with the then rebelling zanpakuto but they're still in one piece.
To be continued…
Next Chapter: Enter the Hot Blooded Zanpakuto! Battle in the World of the Living!
Two chapters left. There going one in my profile. It is to see which crossover should I do to start 2016. Check my profile for the options and the poll closes on New Year's Eve. Thanks for reading.