A.N.: This is written in collaboration with BlueShard20.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Karakura Town; Ikumi's House

Ikumi could feel it in the air. Something terrible had happened to Bambietta.

She wished that this was just some trick of the mind but she remembered the last time she'd felt like this, Ryuken had almost murdered her daughter. She tried to console herself by telling her that Ichigo was always with her, that her boyfriend could protect her. But when Bambietta never made it home after going shopping, Ikumi knew that her precious daughter was in danger.

Walking out of her office she made her way quickly through the living room and headed for the door. Kaoru was busy playing a video game on the couch, unaware of the fear that was possessing his mother. "Kaoru, sweetie," Ikumi addressed with as much calm as she could muster. "I'm going to be right back. I need to check on something." She grabbed the keys to her van and bolted for the door.

Ding-Dong!

Ikumi froze. 'What now?! Don't tell me someone has a stupid job for me now of all times!' She grabbed the doorknob and opened the door. To her surprise, she found two people she'd never thought she'd see at her doorstep. "Isshin? Ryuken? What are you doing here?"

The two men looked at each other nervously before turning back to the distressed mother. "Ikumi," Ryuken spoke. "Can we speak in private?"

A minute later the three parents were in her office. Ikumi was leaning agasint her desk, her arms crossed while she scowled at the pair. "Boys, I'm going to ask this once: where's Bambi?"

Isshin gulped, not sure of how to explain the situation to the angry mother. After all, how does one tell a mother that her precious daughter has been taken to be tried and executed as a war criminal? Ryuken, on the other hand, had more nerve and decided to be blunt. "I'm afraid that Bambietta has been taken by the Soul Reapers."

Ikumi went pale. "What? Why?"

Isshin put his hands up. "Calm down, Ikumi. Ichigo has gone to get her back."

"Calm? How the hell can I keep calm?!" Ikumi roared into his face. "That's my Bambi!"

Ryuken put a hand on her shoulder. "Raging isn't going to help her."

"Then what, Ryuken? What?!" she shouted back. "You are NOT going to tell me to just sit here and hope for the best!"

"No," Isshin responded, taking hold of Ikumi's hand. "I'm telling you to have faith in Ichigo."

For a moment Ikumi took deep breaths and calmed down. "Isshin, can Ichigo really save my daughter? I already lost her once. I can't lose her again."

"Don't worry," Isshin gave her a reassuring smile. "If there's one person that could do the impossible. It's my son."

Both father and mother stared at each other, one's face filled with optimism and the other one dread. Ikumi finally relented. She breathed a sigh of defeat and leaned forward, her body exhausted from the stress. Isshin caught her and simply held her while looking over at Ryuken, the two men hoping that Isshin's faith in his son would be rewarded.

'Ichigo…' Isshin thought as Ikumi started crying. 'You better not make a damn liar out of me…'

Meanwhile…
Byakuya vs. Renji

The earth trembled and the thunder boomed. The pillars that lined the bridge had long been destroyed by the quarreling captain and lieutenants. Renji's blood was hot with battle fury as he battled his captain for the second time. Unlike before though, he was fighting with his full power. "Hihio!" he shouted. The large monkey arm expanded into a massive form, coming down on Byakuya's head.

Staying cool as ever, Byakuya dodged the monkey's paw and retaliated with Senbonzakura Kageyoshi. He frowned when Renji smashed the ground, the earth rising up and forming a shield to block the massive blades. The barrier shattered but it gave Renji enough time to flee. Standing atop one of the last few pillars, Byakuya pondered on his next move.

"Take this!" Whirling the snake-tail of his Bankai like a whip, Renji wrapped it around the pillar and crushed it. He didn't wait for Byakuya to be knocked off the pillar before leaping into the air, his sword transforming. "Orochi!" His serrated blade slashed at Byakuya, cutting him in half. "Do you really think that trick will work?" he barked, recognizing Byakuya's Utsusemi technique.

"To be fair, Renji," Byakuya said, back on the ground with his petal blades surrounding him. "You are easy to fool."

Renji bristled. If there was one thing he hated, it was Byakuya constantly insulting his intelligence. "This isn't going to be like last time! You aren't going to take me down with cheap tricks!" He used Hihio and swung his massive monkey arm at Byakuya.

The massive arm was shielded by Byakuya's blades. "As I recall," he said in his steely voice, "you weren't felled by Kidō or trickery. You lost because your strength was inferior to mine. You've grown stronger, but the results will still be the same."

Captain and lieutenant glared at each other. Despite the comradery between them and the respect they shared for each other, the battle was dredging up old animosities from the past. Renji hefted his new sword and prepared to strike again. He stopped when his captain held up his hand. "What is it now?" Renji asked, readying himself for another spell to emerge from his captain's hand.

But Byakuya put his hand back down, signaling he only wanted to talk, a brief pause before their next bout. "I will not ask why you're helping Ichigo Kurosaki anymore. As I told you, I don't understand your reasoning and I do not care. But there is one question that I think I'm owed a straight answer."

"And that is?"

"Why is defeating me so important?"

"I have to stop you from getting to Ichig-"

"No," Byakuya interrupted, "Stop deflecting. This has nothing to do with Ichigo or Bambietta Unagiya. You yourself admitted that you were just using it as a pretense to fight me. Even back when we first fought over Rukia's execution, you mentioned how your goal was to surpass me before you even joined the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. Why?"

Silence was Renji's reply. He didn't know how to respond to Byakuya's intrusive question. He'd always strived to defeat Byakuya, to surpass what felt like an insurmountable obstacle, that he'd buried the reason why. "I guess…because…" He didn't know if he could say it. He remembered what he said to Ichigo on their way to fight Yhwach and felt his heart throb with emotion. His gaze faltered as he struggled for words.

"Because I took Rukia away. That's why you wanted to beat me, isn't it?"

Renji looked up and nodded. "Was it that obvious?"

"It isn't that hard to see. You and Rukia were friends since you were children. When I adopted her into the Kuchiki Clan as my sister you decided you would prove you were worthy of her by surpassing my strength. So tell me," he raised a hand and summoned the full force of his Bankai. "Are you worthy?"

"You're about to find out!" Renji threw himself into the fray again, this time with his true motivation on the line.

Chad vs. Kyoraku

Blood dripped down the side of Chad's right arm. The strong young man panted as he kept his fists up, keeping Kyoraku in sight.

Although the Head-Captain was unscathed, even he was starting to lose his breath. Chad was a quick leaner to the games that he used with Katen Kyokotsu and he was adapting quickly to the Soul Reaper's moves. "Well I'll be," Kyoraku chuckled as he held up his shortsword. "This is certainly taking a while. I'd hoped to subdue you quickly and then head off to inconvenience Ichigo. Hmm?" A black butterfly landed on his shoulder. The Hell Butterfly relayed its message to the commander. "I see. That's…unfortunate…"

Chad looked at the man confused. "Something wrong?" He could tell that something serious had happened from the expression on Kyoraku's face. And judging from everyone's clashing spiritual pressure it didn't seem like it was because of them.

"Everything is wrong, Chad. And I'm afraid that I cannot play with you anymore."

"What happened?"

"Sorry. But at the moment you're an enemy of the Soul Society. Giving information to an enemy is poor form. I apologize for this…" his face turned serious, "but I'm going to have you take a nap." He crossed his blades and lunged forward. "Busho-"

"El Directo!"

Chad cut him off with his signature blast. The fighter aimed the energy at the ground at Kyoraku's feet. When the captain jumped up into the air to avoid being knocked back, Chad was already in the air waiting, matching Kyoraku's Flashstep with his Bringer Light. "I agree. This fight is over."

The pair battled in midair, neither affording the other the advantage of getting higher lest the loser succumb to Kyoraku's Taka Oni game. Landing back on the ground, Kyoraku deflected Chad's shield and prepared to bring his longsword to stab Chad in the chest. Chad moved faster and grabbed his wrist, gripping it hard enough to make his bones start to crack, the sword slipping from his grasp.

"Sorry, Head-Captain Kyoraku," Chad said, his entire body crackling with power, particularly in his shield hand. After training hard with X-CUTION and Orihime in Hueco Mundo, Chad could now concentrate his powers into both hands, mastering offense and defense. "But I'm going to have you go to sleep for a while."

"La Muerte."

The ground exploded into the shape of a skull. The amount of power Chad hit Kyoraku with would have killed even an Espada or Sternritter. Chad would have held back but he was no fool. The scar on his chest showed just how lethal Shunsui Kyoraku could be and this was not an opponent he could hold back.

As the dust settled, Chad was shocked when he saw no sign of the captain anywhere. Seeing the long shadow in front of him, Chad realized that Kyoraku had escaped through his shadow. He immediately brought his arms back up, scanning the area for where Kyoraku would emerge. After several tense minutes, Chad came to the conclusion that he was alone. Kyoraku was long gone. "Where'd he go?"

Meanwhile…
Uryu vs. Soi-Fon

The lake beneath the pair swirled into a maelstrom, caught in the powerful winds that wrapped around Soi-Fon's body. Uryu braced himself as he stood on his platform, keeping a tight grip on his bow. "And do you really think that will work?" the boy taunted. He needed to keep the fight verbal, letting Ichigo have enough time to finish his fight with Kenpachi and resume rescuing Bambi. "That didn't work on BG9. And he didn't fight you seriously."

Soi-Fon narrowed her eyes. She was no fool. Uryu's taunting was meant to get her to lose her cool, to trip her up and make it easier for him to defeat her. "I may have lost to him but I still destroyed him in the end. And I haven't stopped training to improve my Shunko."

Uryu continued with his taunts. "Do you honestly think that frightens me?" He pushed his glasses up and showed her his scorn. "You perfected your Shunko before the Vandenreich invaded. And it still meant nothing to BG9. And you only managed to save yourself from death when Kisuke Urahara, the man you despise most, got your Bankai back for you. And since we're on the subject of your failures, you were defeated by Gerard Valkyrie instantly. You can stand there and bluster at me all you want. You're still inferior to the Quincies."

Though her face showed calm, Soi-Fon bubbled with fury underneath. "I think I'll keep your tongue after I kill you, Quincy," she murmured, teeth clenched. "I'll nail it to the wall next to Bambietta's head."

The torrential whirlwind that surrounded Soi-Fon increased in intensity. The assassin concentrated all of her energy into her fists. There would be no Blut to save Uryu this time. "Die, brat," she seethed before dashing forward, a tempest in human form.

Uryu already had his bow long drawn. "Licht Regen!" He fired another volley of arrows at the woman. He put all of his power into them as he fired. Soi-Fon was showing him no mercy and he himself had no intentions to give any quarter. He fired with the intention of perforating the woman. To his shock and dismay, the white wind that surrounded Soi-Fon shielded her from his barrage.

"You always strike from afar. Always afraid of getting up close and personal." Soi-Fon zoomed past Uryu's guard and smirked. "Quincies are a cowardly lot. Now do us all a favor and go to hell."

Uryu reached back to grab one of his Seele Schnieder swords but was far too slow. At the last second before Soi-Fon unleashed the full force of her Mukyo Shunko he concentrated all of his energy into Blut Vein to protect himself. But while BG9 was able to withstand the hit due to the fact he was a robot, Uryu's flesh and blood caved to the strike. "GAHHH!" he screamed as he was hit, blasted straight into the water like a cannonball.

Soi-Fon watched as the ripples Uryu made upon impact fade away, waiting to see if Uryu would emerge like BG9 did. When the bubbles subsided, her smirk turned sadistic. "Game over, Quincy. I guess you were all talk."

Turning around, Soi-Fon saw that Ichigo was still fighting Kenpachi. The Substitute was locked in heavy combat with the bloodthirsty captain. The area around the two was nothing but rubble thanks to the unrestrained power of Kenpachi's zanpakuto. However, it was very clear to the seasoned assassin that Ichigo was holding his own against the crazed bloodhound. Soi-Fon couldn't tell who was going to win the bout but it didn't matter to her. She may fight head-on from time to time but she was first and foremost an assassin. And assassin's struck from behind.

Still wielding her Shikai, Soi-Fon muted her spiritual pressure and began to resume making her way back over to the battling pair. She didn't care if Kenpachi got mad for interfering in his fight. Ichigo would pay the price for his insolence.

But Soi-Fon's retribution would never come. Before she'd even step a foot in Ichigo's direction, pain coursed throughout her body. "Arghhhhh!" she screamed as her body felt like it was being torn open, wounds appearing all around her body. "What…is…happening?"

"How does it feel to feel what your attack does to a person?"

Turning her head, Soi-Fon was bewildered to see Uryu, perfectly fine. "You! But…how are you still alive?!" She watched Uryu take the hit head on, saw him fall into the lake like a ragdoll. But there wasn't a scratch on him!

"You forgot something quite simple. I wasn't just a Quincy. I was a member of the Sternritter, like BG9. And like him and the others I have a Schrift too."

"What?" Soi-Fon coughed up blood, struggling to keep herself upright. The pain she was feeling was immense.

"My Schrift is A, the Antithesis," Uryu explained. While he took no pleasure in his battles, even he felt a little cathartic to see the spiteful woman look so pained and disheveled. "I take the damage that has been inflicted on me and direct it onto another target. I took the full brunt of damage from your Mukyo Shunko and throw it back at you. Hurts, doesn't it?"

Gritting her teeth, Soi-Fon raised her hand to summon another whirlwind. But Uryu was faster on the draw and shot her in the shoulder and side with his arrows. "Don't bother. You've lost."

"You…brat…" Soi-Fon murmured. As strong as her will was, even she couldn't take so much damage at once and not succumb to them. "Damn…you…" The control she had over the air she was standing on vanished once her concentration broke.

Uryu watched the captain fall, landing with a splash into the lake. For a moment, he debated the ethical choice of whether or not to save Soi-Fon from drowning. But his conscience was spared when Soi-Fon appeared at the edge of the lake, crawling onto the shore before collapsing.

Turning away, Uryu pushed his glasses up again and merely scoffed at how the arrogant woman had been laid low. "You Soul Reapers may have the right to be angry. But you don't mess with my friends…"

Watching Ichigo continue to clash with Kenpachi, Uryu decided to stay out of the fight. Tactically, it was advantageous for Ichigo and Uryu to work together to defeat the captain but Uryu knew Ichigo well enough to know that he would not allow him to interfere in their battle. Instead, Uryu decided that he needed to resume his quest in Ichigo's stead.

"Now, to find Bambietta…"

Meanwhile…
Nel vs. Vizards & Ikkaku

"Mashiro…SUPER PUNCH!" The green-haired lieutenant threw a fierce punch at Nel, who met it with her own fist.

Rose attacked behind Mashiro with his Kinshara, the tip of the deadly weapon meaning to impale both women. Mashiro Flashstepped out of the way and left Nel as its sole target. Nel blocked the strike with her lance but when the whip wrapped around her green weapon it became clear that was Rose's intent."

"Kinshara Sonata #11: Izayoi Bara." Rose tapped his whip and unleashed his full attack. The tip of the whip released an explosive shockwave. Smoke from the blast obscured Nel, making it unable to tell for the Vizards to see if the Arrancar was wounded or not.

Sensing her rising spiritual pressure, Rose knew that this fight was still getting started. "Oh dear. It seems I didn't use the right instrument for this orchestra. I suppose another act is necessary." Rose could only sigh, knowing that using his most simple tricks weren't going to be enough to bring down the beautiful woman.

Back on his feet already, Kensei walked up next to Rose and kept his senses sharp, his eyes locked on the cloud of smoke. "Will you stop acting like you're in a musical already?!" he snapped at his friend. "We already have to deal with Shinji's terrible taste in jazz when he decides to visit my squad."

Mashiro, enjoying the playful banter, saw a silhouette in the smoke and pointed. "Kensei, you dummy! Here she comes!"

Out of the smoke charged Nel, her hooves carving prints into the stone. She was getting tired of the Vizard captain's talking. While it benefited her in her mission to stall for time, it was irritating to see her enemies casually jabber during the middle of a serious fight. Nel might be playful herself but she was still a warrior and she'd be taken seriously.

"I can see that, Mashiro!" Kensei yelled. Still Hollowfied, he raised his arms in a defensive posed and readied himself. He only had a few seconds of Hollowfication left but he could use it to keep himself from being seriously hurt. He braced himself when Nel reared up and prepared to stomp him flat with her hooves.

The speedy lieutenant appeared once again to save her captain. She rushed forward and delivered another Mashiro Punch, this time hitting the lower side of Nel's Centaur body and causing her to hit the ground next to Kensei and leaving him unscathed.

The mask around Kensei's face disappeared and revealed his angry expression. It was time he did something he should have done at the start of the fight. "Bankai: Tekken Tachikaze!" Kensei's Bankai released a fury of strong winds around him while his metal gauntlets formed around his fists.

Nel tried to bring her lance down on Kensei but the wind from his release threw off her aim and gave the captain his moment to strike.

Kensei had never fought a horse before but he aimed at what he considered to be Nel's most vulnerable weak spot: her Centaur underbelly. The blades on his fists turning into brass knuckles, Kensei delivered a powerful blow with all the force he could muster.

"Ahhhh!" Nel cried out in pain, sent flying backwards by the blow. Even with her Hierro, Kensei's punch was still painful. Despite the pain she saw two shadows coming at her. It was Mashiro and Ikkaku.

Ikkaku pierced her Centaur side with his Hozukimaru blade right where Mashiro had previously punched her, drawing blood. "Mashiro…Kick!" The greenette came at Nel and aimed for her face. Despite the pain from Kensei and Ikkaku's strikes, Nel was able to bring her lance up to block. Still, the power behind the kick was bone-crunching and it still knocked Nel into a building where it crashed down on top of her.

While the three recovered their second wind, Rose approached them and took off his mask. "I assume that's the end? I doubt she's dead but she seems smart enough to figure out that she's no match for the four of us by now, even in Resurección state. The three of us Hollowfied and Ikkaku are too much for her. I hope Ichigo can forgive us for hurting his friend." He looked back towards the ruined building and wondered if they should dig Nel out.

Kensei waited for a tense minute, waiting for Nel to emerge. Finally he relaxed and sealed his zanpakuto away. "We had to go fight to hurt her, Rose. With her killer intent, we had to hit her hard."

Mashiro struck a victory pose. "We did it! We kicked her butt and it was my kick that did it all!" Like her captain and Rose she undid her Hollowfication.

Ikakku hefted Hozukimaru over his shoulder and scoffed, not liking how things turned out. "Don't know what you're so damn proud about. This whole team fight makes me sick. Battles should always be fought one-on-one. And taking out one of Ichigo's friends will make him fight harder. In case you haven't noticed," he pointed his spear in the direction of the clashing spiritual pressures, "Ichigo is fighting my captain and if he finds out that one of his friends might be dead, he could go berserk."

Mashiro hopped up onto a rooftop and examined the fight from a distance. "Wow! Ichi-Berry is really giving it his all!" she marveled.

Rose reeled his whip in. "Then we at least know where he is. Captain Zaraki should be able to at least keep him at bay."

The tall, gray-haired man nodded in agreement. "Alright. We should go help the others. It sounds like that Orihime girl is giving my lieutenant trouble. Let's head out and-"

"None of you are going anywhere."

The four Soul Reapers heard the cold voice and turned around just in time to see the wreckage explode. The group braced themselves as they were hit with debris, Mashiro hiding behind Kensei while he shrugged it off. In the middle of what used to be a building stood Nel, still in her released state only in a foul mood. Ikkaku felt his spine tingle when he saw the wounds they'd inflicted heal from her High-Speed Regeneration, including the massive bruise on her underbelly and the stab wound he gave her.

Like an angry bull, Nel's hooves tore up the ground. "I might have recovered from those attacks," she started, her eyes focused squarely on Kensei with such intensity that even he felt a bead of sweat drip down the side of his face despite his stoic expression. "But hitting me there was the last straw." Pink Reishi leaked from her horse-like form. "I hesitated to use this since you were Ichigo's friends but now I'm mad. If you're going to play rough, then I'll respond in kind."

The four could only look on as they witnessed something that only Ichigo had ever witnessed before. Nel's spiritual pressure turned pink with hints of black as it swirled around her body, her body changing in response.

Ikkaku started to sweat, not liking where this was going. "I think she's pissed."

Meanwhile…
Rukia vs. Toshiro

Captain Hitsugaya could not react fast enough before Rukia came down on him, slicing off one of his frozen wings. The boy grimaced from the strike, his body not moving like it should. 'This isn't good. I've barely recovered and using my Bankai is already exhausting me.'

Seeing the captain lose his balance and start to fall, Rukia found her opening at last to break out the Kidō. "Bakudo #61: Riku Jokoro!"

Six beams of light ensnared Toshiro, restricting his movements and preventing him from maintaining his balance. The short captain started to fall to the ground, unable to remain in the air with just one wing. "Dammit!"

Rukia hopped onto one of her fallen ice pillars next to them and unleashed another spell. "Hado #33: Sokatsui!" A blue ball of flame shot out of her hand and hit the captain's remaining ice wing, blasting it off. The raven-haired lieutenant slid down the ice and hoped to use another spell to catch the captain before he smashed into the ground but Toshiro was already ahead of her.

With so much moisture in the air from their ice attacks, reforming his ice wings was child's play. With a massive burst of spirit energy Toshiro broke free from her restraining spell and rushed to meet Rukia head-on. The icy Soul Reapers clashed once again, resulting in another blade-lock between them. The impasse lasted only a few seconds this time before they took a step back and began to slash at each other furiously, sparks flying and the sound of ringing steel filling the chilly air. As they both continued to attack each other it became clear that neither was giving an inch. While they were busy fighting each other, everything around them became covered in snow and ice, the surrounding area becoming a veritable winter wonderland.

The pair took a step back from each other, breathing hard. It was very clear for the two of them that they were reaching their limits. Even with her training Rukia was hardly a match for a captain, trying to fight a Bankai with a Shikai. Toshiro's whole body throbbed with pain, in particular the wounds in his chest. Breaking free from her Kidō and sustained use of his Bankai was also draining. "Lieutenant Kuchiki, this must end," Toshiro said, taking a deep breath.

Rukia struggled for a second wind but nodded regardless. "I agree. We both look like we're at the ends of our ropes. But be that as it may, I still will not let you pass me."

"I'm afraid you will." Toshiro's face suddenly turned into a mask of confidence, as if he'd already won the fight, making Rukia confused. The confidence in Toshiro's face faded away into sadness as he readied himself. "I truly have nothing against you, Lieutenant Kuchiki. But I cannot allow this insubordination to continue. Since everyone has evacuated the area thanks to our battle and since I'm almost out of strength, I have no choice but to use this."

The boy's words confused Rukia before she noticed that it was starting to snow. "What? But I didn't-" Before she could finish, a snowflake landed on her hand and an ice flower suddenly burst out. "What the?!" Ice flowers suddenly started to bloom around her, beginning to cover her in ice.

"Hyoten Hyakkaso," Toshiro explained calmly. "I didn't want to use this on you. It's meant as a weapon of last resort. But with your strong resistance to cold it shouldn't kill you. It will, however, keep you trapped inside and prevent you from doing anything else. I'll let you out when your brother and Head-Captain Kyoraku decide on your punishment for this." He gave Rukia a sympathetic look as she started to struggle against the ice in vain. "I'm sorry. I promise I'll ask them for leniency."

Rukia's sub-zero body temperature couldn't break apart Toshiro's blooming ice flowers fast enough for her to get away. She continued to fight it off but they covered her from head to toe in blue icy flowers, encasing her in a tower of frozen flowers, trapping Rukia with Toshiro's full power.

Silence filled the frozen area. Still in his Bankai form, Toshiro walked over to the frozen Rukia. "I'm truly sorry it came to this but you forced my hand." He turned his head and scanned the surrounding areas, sensing both Byakuya and Rangiku still fighting. "I'll go help the others. Once Renji and Orihime have been dealt with, I'll bring Byakuya back here to you." Turning around, he quietly walked away.

Just as he was about to seal his Bankai back into his sword, a strange glow caught his attention, lighting up the mists around him. The small captain didn't even need to guess where its origin was, whirling around back to the ice flower tower. Inside, he saw Rukia glowing pure white. He couldn't understand what was happening but when a familiar energy began to flow from the tower he knew what was about to happen.

Still trapped in the ice, Rukia used every ounce of willpower inside her to escape. No matter what she did she couldn't move a muscle though. With her zanpakuto's enhanced cryo-powers, she could have lowered her body temperature to further levels but the risk was too high. She still didn't have proper control over moving at absolute zero and with her injuries from fighting it was just too risky. With no other way to break free, Rukia gathered what strength she had left and used her last resort.

"BANKAI!"

The tower of ice flowers lit up like a Christmas tree with pure white energy. Toshiro's eyes widened as it started to crumble to pieces. The shockwave from within broke the tower apart. As the pieces fell to earth, the ice broke apart and turned into white snow.

Two glowing eyes stared at Toshiro through the mist. Then, a strong wind whipped around them and blew the icy mist away to reveal his opponent at her strongest. Rukia's hair had become white and her outfit had changed to something that resembled that of a priestess's robe, a ribbon wrapped around her. The lieutenant looked like a goddess of snow. The change in appearance shook Toshiro's perception. Were it not for her familiar spiritual pressure, he would have mistaken Rukia for somebody else.

'So that's what her Bankai looks like? I've only heard of it from Rangiku but how could she be this powerful from only learning it in such a short time?' the captain thought to himself. He gripped his sword and tried to strategize. He needed another counterattack but he was already drained. He was still recovering and the fact that he lasted this long fighting this hard was nothing short of a miracle. It was because of this that he could not unleash his Bankai's true form. He saw the lieutenant in white make a move and prepared to block.

Slowly, almost methodically, Rukia raised her sword. She had to be as careful as she could be. Even moving in this form required a lot of work. Her Bankai's spiritual pressure was heavy, weighing her down and she only had the strength to move her arms nice and steady. She was lucky that Toshiro was on the defensive or she would have lost before she could use her Bankai properly.

"Saigo no Mai: Kōtta Suimin." With one swift motion the woman in white brought down her sword.

And then Toshiro's world turned into an avalanche. A barrage of never-ending snow descended upon Toshiro, covering him completely. By the time Rukia finished, there was no part of the icy battlefield that wasn't covered in snow, leaving Toshiro buried in the pile and stuck inside.

Rukia kept a calm face as she let her icy form melt back to normal, remembering her brother's words about maintain a steady control. As her hair turned back to its normal dark color she sighed in relief. "If he'd attacked me as soon as I escaped his icy flowers or while I was raising my arms, it'd be the end for me." As soon as her body was back to its normal temperature and her clothes returned to normal she dropped to one knee, stabbing her zanpakuto into the ground to steady herself. "I didn't think I'd last that long in my Bankai state. I guess I still have lots of work to do," she chuckled before looking to the massive mound of snow Toshiro was buried under. "My new technique freezes my opponent into a state of hypothermic slumber. It's not a move that'll kill you since you still possess your Bankai's resistance to cold, but you won't be able to free yourself. You'll stay there until I decide to melt the snow." Then the irony hit her. "Huh, I guess it's like his Hyoten Hyakkaso, I suppose."

Picking herself back up, Rukia felt Ichigo's spiritual pressure and sensed it starting to…fade? She didn't understand what was happening to her friend but she couldn't stay here any longer. Sheathing her sword, Rukia took a deep breath and headed to help her friends.

Meanwhile…
Ichigo vs. Kenpachi

Kenpachi was having the time of his life. He was finally having a serious fight with Ichigo. Dodging a slash from his shortsword, Kenpachi licked the blood running down the side of his mouth and chuckled. "This. This is what I want. Give me all you've got, Ichigo!" He charged at Ichigo like a madman, raising his Nozarashi over his head with the intention of cleaving Ichigo in two.

It didn't surprise Ichigo to see Kenpachi practically unscathed by his attack. The man was a demon in human skin and it'd take a lot more to bring the beast down. Ichigo brought his two blades together and slashed the air. "You asked for it!" His black blades glowed, filling with spirit energy. "Getsuga Jujisho!"

The Substitute unleashed a powerful crossbeam attack, the light almost blinding Kenpachi. The crazed captain brought his axe down and blocked the strike. "Grrrr!" he grunted as he was pushed back. As strong as he was, even he was having trouble trying to power through the blast. Gripping the axe with both hands and drawing upon his abnormal strength Kenpachi managed to cut the blast in half. However, even cut in half, the blast didn't stop advancing and blasted him.

Laughter boomed out of the cloud of smoke. Out of the destruction emerged Kenpachi, a gash running across his chest. "Now that's what I'm talking about!" he laughed as he noticed Ichigo walking towards him. "And there's still more to come! Do it, Ichigo!" he grinned. "I remember what I felt while you were fighting Yhwach. Show me the power you used to slug the bastard! Bring out your Inner Hollow!" he demanded.

Calmly walking towards Kenpachi, Ichigo focused his power into his zanpakuto. Slowly, the blade started to turn white. After training hard with Bambietta and Uryu, Ichigo had finally managed to learn how to transform at will. A blast of red and black Reishi poured out of Ichigo and covered his being. When the dust cleared, Ichigo revealed his new form. "If you want to see my Hollow's power, then here it is." One of Ichigo's eyes was now black and yellow, a dark streak running down the side of his face. The most discernable new feature was the horn that had sprouted on the side of Ichigo's head. He motioned with his shortsword for Kenpachi to come at him.

The bloodthirsty captain felt giddy, like a kid at Christmas. His lips twisted into the biggest grin of excitement he'd ever had. "Now you look like a monster that crawled out of hell! You better show me a good time with that power of yours Ichigo!" he roared, raising his axe high over his head and swung it at Ichigo." Kenpachi's spirits were never higher than this. Seeing his rival at his most powerful gave him goosebumps. Gerard Valkyrie was strong but Ichigo was in another level. This was better than any of the fights during the war and he wasn't going to let anything stop him from enjoying the battle to the fullest.

The instant before Kenpachi could bring his axe down to cleave Ichigo in half he was stopped in his tracks. For a split second he couldn't understand what happened until he saw Ichigo holding his massive axe with his bare hands. His longsword was stabbed into the ground while the shortsword was sheathed. Gritting his teeth, Kenpachi put all of his strength into the hilt to cut Ichigo. In the span of a second Ichigo let the axe fall past him and slammed his fist into the man's stomach. Kenpachi started to lift his axe only for Ichigo to land another blow to his gut.

"Something that you guys might not know," Ichigo said as he raised another fist, his black/yellow eyes gleaming. "I was a brawler long before I was a swordsman." Not giving Kenpachi a chance to use his Nozarashi, Ichigo started to pummel the man. Because Kenpachi was trying so hard to keep a grip on his axe he could do nothing but take the barrage of punches.

Putting all his strength into his fist, Ichigo punched Kenpachi one final time. This time the axe that kept Kenpachi grounded came loose. No longer anchored by the heavy axe, Kenpachi was sent flying, the force of Ichigo's punch launching him into the air like a rocket. Ichigo watched the man fly off until he crashed into what was left of the Sokyoku Hill. Even he couldn't believe how stronger he became. "Damn. I just wanted to test out my power against Kenpachi. I think it worked a little too well…" He walked over to his longsword and pulled it out of the ground. "Time to finish this then find Bambietta."

In his merged state, he moved with increased speed, moving quickly to his destination. It felt ironic that he'd settle things with Kenpachi at the place where he rescued Rukia. Reaching the top of the battered hill, Ichigo saw Kenpachi start to rise out of the crater, his axe still in his bloody hand.

Wiping the blood from his face, Kenpachi leered with glee. "Those were some nice punches you threw there, Ichigo," he laughed, coughing up blood. "Think you might have left some bruises there."

As much as Ichigo wanted to tell Kenpachi to stop fighting him, the hybrid knew Kenpachi well enough to know that was never going to happen and it'd be a waste of breath.

Kenpachi wiped the blood off his face. He took a step forward before stopping for a second, cocking his head to the side. Ichigo was confused by the man's body language. It looked like Kenpachi was listening to someone who wasn't there.

"Heh, you're right," Kenpachi mumbled before turning back to Ichigo. "Well Ichigo, guess I have no choice," he grinned, cracking his neck.

Ichigo was more confused then ever. Use what? He'd already taken his eyepatch off and released his Shikai. What else was there?

Then he forgot a certain fact. Kenpachi was a captain. And the power that made all captains feared was…

"Bankai!"

The wrecked hill shook with the release of Kenpachi's Bankai. As the smoke faded Kenpachi appeared, his skin a crimson red. In his hands was his axe, albeit smaller and chipped. As Kenpachi lifted his head and looked at Ichigo, even the powerful hybrid felt a twinge of fear. Kenpachi's features had gone demonic. His eyes were completely white and he had horns sprouting from atop his head. Ichigo could practically taste the bloodlust in the air. It was almost enough to make him sweat.

With all the fury of a wild beast Kenpachi leaped at Ichigo with another swing of his axe. Though Ichigo blocked it with both swords, the impact was tremendous. As powerful as he was, even he felt his bones shake from the strike.

Withstanding the impact, Ichigo used his speed to overwhelm Kenpachi with multiple afterimages of himself. Acting on pure instinct, Kenpachi struck at the real Ichigo and knocked him back, the force cutting off part of the hill. Recovering from the strike, both monsters charged at each other and attacked with full force. Ichigo's arms were covered with the grid-like pattern of Blut Vene in order for him to block Kenpachi's slashes.

Kenpachi made a wide swing and knocked Ichigo away, roaring in fury all the while. Airborne, Ichigo decided now was the time to end this fight. The hybrid took a deep breath and prepared his strongest attack. He knew it could kill Kenpachi but there was no other way. Saving Bambietta was too important. His sword glowed blue as he readied another Getsuga Tensho. Mixing it with his blood, he brought the sword to the horn on his head.

"Getsuga Gran Rey Cero!"

Seeing Ichigo rev up his spirit energy, Kenpachi jumped into the air to meet him head on and swung his axe with all the power in his body. Ichigo unleashed his strongest attack and watched Kenpachi try to fend it off. For a second it looked like Kenpachi would actually prevail against the boy's attack. But then Ichigo saw gashes suddenly open up in his arms before Kenpachi was overwhelmed. The demonic captains screamed as he was overcome, engulfed in an explosion so intense it seemed to set the sky on fire. The very force of it shook the Seireitei like a small earthquake.

Standing in the air, Ichigo watched as Kenpachi fell out of the cloud of smoke and plummeted to the ground. As quickly as he could, Ichigo sheathed his swords and caught the man before he could crash. Landing in the middle of the woods near the execution grounds, Ichigo laid the man down gently. Considering the damage the attack did to Yhwach, Kenpachi was very fortunate to still be alive, albeit barely. He was in a state similar to when Ichigo came back from the Soul King's Palace and saved him from Bambi's comrades.

Relaxing his tired body, Ichigo undid the Blut Vene in his arms and looked up at the smoke-filled sky. "Wow…if they weren't pissed at me before…" he turned back to Kenpachi. "They certainly are now." He took a deep breath and felt tired. "Guess I can only use that attack one or two more times before my Hollowfication drops." Even as he spoke, he felt aggravated. His senses were in peak form while he was in his Hollowfied state. So why couldn't he locate Bambietta?

A vibration in his pocket caught his attention. Reaching into it, he pulled out a cellphone Kisuke had given him. He flipped it open and was greeted by a familiar voice. "Hello! Mr. Kurosaki! I assume your fight with Captain Zaraki went well?"

Ichigo would have facepalmed but new better than to risk accidentally piercing his hand on the horn. "Kisuke! Any reason you didn't tell me Kenpachi possessed both Shikai AND Bankai? That's kind of something I need to know before you throw me to the wolves!" He shook his head and decided it was an argument for another item. "On second thought, forget it. I can't find Bambietta anywhere! Please tell me you've found her!"

"As a matter of fact I have!" Kisuke chirped into his ear. Ichigo straigtened up, ready to bolt as soon as he knew where his girlfriend was. "She's outside the Seireitei, all the way over at the crater where you and Aizen had your final battle. She's not alone but…I think she's got it covered. I already let Yoruichi know where she is too. She'll meet up with you and we'll regroup with the others once Bambietta's safe and sound. Kyoraku will have to call off her execution at that point, especially with all the damage this has caused. Tootles, Ichigo!" Kisuke hung up the phone, leaving Ichigo staring at the device strangely.

"Who the hell says 'Tootles'? Shaking his head, Ichigo pocketed the phone and started for the direction of the crater. But no sooner did he take a few feet, a new voice made itself present.

"Wow, you sure gave Captain Zaraki a run for his money," Head-Captain Kyoraku noted, stepping out of the shadow of a tree.

Ichigo's eyes widened when he saw the man. "What the hell?!"

Katen Kyokotsu in both hands, Kyoraku calmly walked past the defeated Kenpachi. Ichigo felt a shiver run down his spine from the look in Kyoraku's eye. This wasn't the happy-go-lucky man from before. The look Kyoraku was giving him was downright sinister.

"I asked you nicely to stand down, Ichigo," Kyoraku said. "Now we do things the hard way."

To be continued