Author's Note: Sorry for not having this chapter out within the last two weeks, my job with Coca-Cola keep me busy given the Thanksgiving rush and sales going on, so I didn't have much time to update or type up this chapter. Anyways, here it is, chapter 17; the one where Orihime awakens her powers. Be sure to read the author's note at the end because there is an idea for my next poll. Enjoy, now on with the chapter.
"Juha Bach"
"Shiro"
"Aka"
"Ao"
"P.O.V."
'Thought'
"Attacks"
Shikai/Bankai
Chapter 17: Flower and Hollow
{Opening Theme: "*~Asterisk~" by ORANGE RANGE}
Ichigo as running alongside the riverbank as he slices through two more Hollow's using Getsu no Ikari (Moon's Wrath) with flawless movements.
"And that makes twenty-seven." Ichigo says standing back up straight. "Damn they just keep coming." He says sensing more in another part of town.
"Ichigo!" A voice calls out making the Shinigami turn to see Kon running up to him, still in his Gigai.
"Kon. Did you find Karin and Yuzu?" Ichigo asks his Gikon.
"No. I didn't find them." Kon says but Ichigo grabs him by his shirt collar.
"Then what are you doing here?" Ichigo asks angrily.
"Calm down and let me finish explaining, Ichigo." Kon says removing Ichigo hand from his shirt. "I didn't find them but I did call Chad and told him the situation like you ask me to. I asked if he could be on the lookout for them and he agreed but said it might be awhile before he could look since a Hollow appeared in front of him at that moment. A while later Chad called back and told me he led the Hollow to the park where he found Karin and Yuzu but two more Hollows appeared. Luckily, they were about to take Shinigami form and the three of them dealt with the Hollows quickly." He explains.
"Then that means they received dad's order from Kisuke today." Ichigo says.
"Yup. After that, the Gikon were told to head to the Kurosaki Clinic with the girl's bodies and to stay there and I just saw them heading in that direction before I found you." Kon says finishing explaining the situation to Ichigo.
"That's good. I'm proud of those girls." Ichigo says smiling at the news. "And I sense that they along with Chad are taking care of Hollows while trying to find me." He says looking in the direction he sensed his sisters and best friend. "Alright, Kon, here's the new plan. I'm going to find Uryū and kick his Quincy ass for causing all of this. Meanwhile, you go and find Rukia, she'll need help in protecting humans and pluses since her powers still have yet to return to her." He tells the Gikon before running off again.
"Right. Good luck." Kon says as they split up once again.
Meanwhile, at Karakura High School, Chizuru and Tatsuki were still cleaning up the broken glass on the ground outside the gymnasium.
"Geez, if I knew they were gonna make us clean up, I never would have come to see what happened. Instead of lecturing us, why not make the ones responsible do the grunt work?" Chizuru asks in a complaining tone.
"It's because you made such a big deal out of it." Tatsuki informs her of why she got chosen.
"What about you?" Chizuru asks accusingly.
"What?" Tatsuki asks in an angry and annoyed voice.
"Yeah, what?" Chizuru repeats her question.
"Anyway, didn't it seem like every one of them was acting kind of strange?" Tatsuki asks thinking about the other students earlier.
"What the-What's up with Orihime?" Chizuru wonders noticing said girl was just standing silently and seemingly looking at something several feet away. "Orihime, you keep looking so cute and spacey, and I'll just have to kiss you." She says and puckers her lips getting ready to kiss the spaced out girl.
"Just what the hell kind of nonsense are you blabbering about?" Tatsuki asks angrily.
"Oh, yeah?" Chizuru asks glaring at Tatsuki with her arms raised in a fighting pose.
"Yeah, you heard me." Tatsuki replies glaring back at her.
"Oh, guess what? You guys, there's this TV show I watch. It's a new episode I don't wanna miss. So let's go home." Orihime suddenly says.
"Huh?" Both girls ask in confusion
"Let's hurry. I'll make us curried popcorn, Tatsuki." Orihime says pushing the confused Tatsuki and Chizuru away from the school grounds.
"Hey, what's the rush? Take it easy, Orihime." Tatsuki protests.
"I don't wanna be late. It's gonna start any minute." Orihime says continuing to push them despite Tatsuki's protests. 'The first thing I thought was, I wish I didn't notice. Then I thought, we have to get away from here.' She thought looking back over her shoulder to see a large Hollow whose body is composed of twelve large, lavender tentacles of sufficient length, its mask resembles a jellyfish, with six appendages at the bottom and three circles of protrusions at the top, and has heart-shaped openings around its eyes as well as long teeth with no lips or gums with its Hollow hole is above its mask at the meeting point of her tentacles. 'I'm certain of it now. If we stay here, we're in danger. Somehow, every cell in my body is tingling, warning me. We've got to get away before the situation gets worse. But I have to appear calm. I don't want the others to know something bad is about to happen.' She thought turning to face with a smile on her face as they got closer to the school door but then looked over she shoulder once more only to see that the Hollow was gone making her gasp. 'It disappeared?' She questioned.
"Orihime, look, I'm sorry. You two can go ahead. I've gotta go change. I'll catch up with you later." Tatsuki apologizes before running off to change out of her karate gi.
"Tatsuki, no! Wait! Come back!" Orihime calls out in worry.
"Don't worry! I'll be there in no time!" Tatsuki promises as she continues running off.
'But what if it's still here?' Orihime thought trying to think of an excuse to call her friend back. "Tatsuki, don't go!" She pleads before gulping nervously as she sensed something behind her making slowly turn to see the Hollow from earlier now suspended in the air above her.
"You can see me, can't you? Interesting. I'm am Numb Chandelier and you look delicious." The Hollow says in a female voice introducing herself, making Orihime gasp in shock.
Elsewhere in Karakura Town, Ichigo decapitates a Hollow with his Zanpakutō and cuts another in half before continuing to cut through the horde in front of him.
"Thirty, thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three, thirty-four." Ichigo counts continuing to cut down the Hollows. "Damn it! There's no end to them." He curses as he tightens his grip on his Zanpakutō. "Uryū!" He screams in anger.
Meanwhile, Uryū was standing on a bridge as another Hollow comes at him only to destroy it with a Heilig Pfeil (Holy Arrow) through the head.
"Twenty." Uryū says killing his twentieth Hollow before drawing back his Kojaku. 'Sensei, this is for you.' He thought remembering his time with an elderly man, who had gray hair, a gray mustache and glasses wearing white Quincy clothes underneath a brown tunic, teaching him to form a Heilig Bogen as a child. "I will win!" He declares before firing another Heilig Pfeil (Holy Arrow).
Back Karakura High School, Orihime gasps as she continues to look up at Numb Chandelier suspended in the air.
"What's wrong now?" Chizuru asks. "Wh-What are you looking at?" She asks again looking up at where Orihime was looking.
"Run." Orihime suddenly says.
"Hmm?" Chizuru asks in confusion.
"You have got to run, Chizuru. Now! Get going!" Orihime tells her loudly.
"I won't let you get away. Bulb Scatter." Numb Chandelier says as protrusions appear all over her mask as seeds rain all over the school and the ground below making Orihime cry out as she shields herself with her arms.
"What? Not again!" Chizuru says watching as the windows shatter again but doesn't know why. "So are you-" She begins to say before being hit with a seed in the back of her left shoulder, causing her to fall over.
"What just happened?" Orihime wonders. "Chizuru!" She says rushing over to her fallen friend and notices the green splotch on Chizuru's shoulder spreads and grows darker. "I don't know what to do. Chizuru." She says with tears in her eyes.
"What's this? Tears? How cute." Chizuru claims as she caressing Orihime's chin before getting up. "Wow, I don't know what it was that just hit me, but I'm bleeding. Still, it doesn't really hurt that much." She assures Orihime.
"But, uh-" Orihime begins to say.
"No, really, I'm fine. Look, everyone knows you're adorable when you're crying. But I like it much better when you're laughing." Chizuru says as her left hand suddenly grips Orihime's right arm by the wrist and lifts it into the air.
"Stop. You're hurting me." Orihime cries in pain.
"What? My hand- I don't have control of it. No! What's going on? Why is this happening?" Chizuru wonders unaware of Numb Chandelier suspended above them.
Elsewhere in Karakura Town, Rukia runs along a road and looks at her Denreishinki, which is displaying multiple Hollow signatures.
"What's going on here? All hell is breaking loose. Damn." Rukia says as she continues running.
Back at Karakura High School, Chizuru continues to hold Orihime's arm in the air unsure of who or what was making her do this.
"What's going on?" Chizuru wonders.
"What have you done to Chizuru?" Orihime asks demanding an answer.
"Orihime." Chizuru says.
"I just used a bit of my powers." Numb Chandelier says with a chuckle.
"Powers?" Orihime asks in confusion.
"I don't like violence. That's why I use these seeds from my forehead to take control of others to make you humans fight amongst yourselves." Numb Chandelier explains chuckling.
"But why?" Orihime asks.
"Now, everyone, it's time to get started." Numb Chandelier says.
"What?" Orihime asks before looking behind her. "What's going on? What's happening? What have you done to them?" She asks in fright as dozens of possessed students swarm her and Chizuru making her scream.
"What the hell are you people doing?" Tatsuki demands to know before rapidly defeating several of the possessed students with a single blow each.
"Tatsuki." Orihime says seeing her friend.
"Hey, Orihime, about that thing over there. I should've noticed it sooner." Tatsuki says.
"So you can see that creature as well?" Orihime asks with a little shock.
"No, I don't see it. But I can sense its presence. I know exactly where that thing is that made you cry." Tatsuki says turning to the faint shimmer she sees. "Hey! Yeah, you, you big blob! You picked a fight with the wrong person this time! See, we have this long-standing arrangement. Anyone who makes Orihime cry gets the snot beat out of 'em." She declares.
"You don't say?" Numb Chandelier asks in amusement making several more possessed students surround her.
"Move back." Tatsuki orders as she rapidly defeats them all with a single blow each as well. "Ha. Isn't there even one of you who can give me a fight?" She asks until she felt a hand grab her shoulder. "Let go." She shouts preparing to continue her assault. "Huh?" She asks pausing in shock at seeing that it was Chizuru who grabbed her.
"Run, Tatsuki." Chizuru tearfully begs.
"Chizuru?" Tatsuki asks in confusion.
"Look. What's happening to my arm?" Chizuru say as the reach of the seed in her shoulder reaches her head, prompting her to grip Tatsuki's shoulder with increased force causing her to crying out in pain.
"Can't you stop?" Orihime asks only to be restrained by two possessed students as Numb Chandelier fires a seed into Tatsuki's shoulder, sending her and Chizuru flying back.
"So how do you feel now?" Numb Chandelier asks as panting Tatsuki as she lies on the ground. "The seed I shot into you has begun to take root in your body. And in just a little bit, it'll take control of you. Soon your body will be mine to manipulate at will. Now, how shall I make you suffer?" She asks.
"Shut up." Tatsuki merely says shocking the Hollow.
"What?" Numb Chandelier ask in surprise.
"I said, shut up. Let go of her now." Tatsuki demands.
"Don't you realize the position you're in right now? Soon, you'll have almost no control of your body. Here, I'll show you. See?" Numb Chandelier asks as she rubs a tentacle on her face, only for Tatsuki to suddenly bite hard on her tentacle making her shriek in pain. "What do you think you're doing? Let go! Let go! Do you hear me? I said let go!" She yells and repeatedly whips Tatsuki with a larger tentacle, but Tatsuki keeps biting it as Orihime tries to call out to her. "You're not worth controlling. Now die!" She yells generating more seeds on her forehead, firing all of them at Tatsuki, who is hit in multiple parts of her body and lets go of the Hollow's tentacle as she falls backward.
"Tatsuki!" Orihime shouts as she manages to free herself and rushes to her falling friend.
"O-Orihime. Please, don't cry. Ori-" Tatsuki tries to tell her while her vision fades.
Suddenly, Tatsuki kicks Orihime hard in the abdomen, causing her to fall to her knees and cough up liquid as Tatsuki stands up in a flailing manner, revealing that Numb Chandelier's seeds have taken complete control of her body.
[Flashback]
"Orihime, you have such beautiful hair. It's so long and shiny." Sora says rubbing his little sisters head.
"That made me so happy. But when school started…" Orihime narrates.
"What's with that ridiculous hair? We'll teach you to be such a show off!" A male says as he and a group older students forcefully cut her hair from long to shoulder length.
"I couldn't tell Sora the truth." Orihime continues to narrate.
"What happened? Why did you cut your hair?" Sora asks in confusion at seeing his younger sister with her now short hair.
"I just felt like a change, that's all." A young Orihime says.
"He died soon after that, and I just got lonelier and lonelier." Orihime says.
"Hello? Earth to Orihime, anybody home in there?" A young Tatsuki asks as she grabs Orihime's hand. "Hey, so what do you say? Let's go home. Hmm?" She asks with a giggle.
"Uh-huh." A young Orihime replies happily.
[End Flashback]
'You know, it's because of you that I was able to grow my hair long again. And I'll never cut my hair again. That's because my long hair proves something. It proves my trust in you, Tatsuki. Thank you for doing everything you could to protect me until now. So please…' Orihime thought as she reached out to her friend, who was shedding tears at having hurt her. "don't cry!" She begs getting back to her feet and hugs her friend.
"Orihi-Orihime." Tatsuki struggles to say.
"Tatsuki, this time, I'll protect you." Orihime says shedding tears and suddenly, her hairpins glow brightly and separate into individual pieces which shoot outward from her head, creating a powerful spike in Reiryoku.
"Impossible!" Numb Chandelier exclaims in shock.
Elsewhere, Ichigo senses a large spike in Reiryoku as he turns his head in its direction.
"This Reiryoku…it's coming from the school's direction." Ichigo says wide eyed before cutting another Hollow in half.
At Chad, Karin, and Yuzu's location, the three just finished dealing with another group of Hollows when the sensed the spike in Reiryoku as well.
"What is this power?" Chad asks. "It does feel anything like mine." He notes.
"Nor does it feel like that of a Quincy." Yuzu adds.
"Or a Shinigami's for that matter." Karin says as they look in the direction of the Reiryoku.
At Rukia's location, she halts her run as she turns her head in the Reiryoku spike's location.
"Just who's power does this belong too?" Rukia wonders.
Meanwhile, Uryū paused his onslaught of the Hollow after sensing the Reiryoku for a moment before returning to the task at hand.
Back at Karakura High School, a powerful whirlwind now surrounded Orihime and Tatsuki as it blew away the possessed students, leaving Numb Chandelier alone in the courtyard of the school grounds.
"Tatsuki said to you, you picked a fight with the wrong person. That's not quite right. What she should have said was, you picked the wrong person to hurt. Anyone who tries to hurt Tatsuki will have to answer to me!" Orihime declares as six strange creatures whirled around her.
"Just what exactly are you? Using those strange powers. But how?" Numb Chandelier demands to know.
"Huh? Who are you?" A confused Orihime asks looking at the creatures whirling around her.
"Come on! Don't tell me you didn't notice us until just now." A male voice says as the wind died down.
"Sure, she noticed us. I'm certain she knew that we existed." A female voice says.
"Hmm?" Orihime asks turning her head in the direction of the voices.
"After all, once you think about it, haven't we always been the ones closest to you?" The female voice says as it lands on Orihime's shoulder making her gasp in shock as creature stands up to reveal a small female fairy-like creature wearing a Chinese style outfit with blonde hair tied in a topnot. "Hello, Orihime." The female greets her as the other creature fly around the confused girl. "We are the Shun Shun Rikka, your six princess-shielding flowers. And we've come here to protect you." The female says as four of the five fairy-like creatures appear in front of her.
"Now, wait a second. Why are there a bunch of little fairies flying around, talking to me?" Orihime asks in confusion.
"Geez, that was some reaction. But to be accurate, we're not fairies." The blonde female creature says.
"Huh?" Orihime responds still confused.
"You see, we are the powers from inside your soul. And each one of us is a part of you. And only you are able to see us." The blonde female says before realizing something. "Uh, well, maybe people like Ichigo Kurosaki can see us too." She corrects.
"Ichigo? Why him?" Orihime wonders.
"Well, it's because of him that we were born." The blonde says.
"You talk too much!" The male voice from before shouts as a black fairy-like creature with red lines and a tan scarf-like cape covering his mouth dropkicks the blonde, knocking her away from Orihime. "All right. Listen up. You don't need to know who we are or where we came from. All you need to know is that we're a part of your powers." He tells her.
"You're pretty bossy for somebody so tiny." Orihime comments.
"Real funny! Just shut up and learn how to use us right now." The male says in irritation.
"Learn how to use you?" Orihime asks.
"That's right." The male says.
"You can use our power to construct a shield to reject any spirit attacks." An energetic, skinny fairy-like creature wearing a purple stripped outfit with a large eye patch that end in a horn says to her.
"In order to activate this shield, you must use your heart and our kotodama, a spirit chant." A bold male fairy-like creature wearing a brown outfit with a mask covering his face says.
"K-Kotodama?" Orihime asks bewildered as her eyes swirl with the information see just received.
"Wait a second. It's coming." The black haired male spirit informs them seeing Numb Chandelier land on the ground.
"So what are you doing mumbling to yourself? Tell me, young girl." Numb Chandelier says as more seeds begin to protrude from her forehead.
"It's time, Orihime. Now, call out our names! I am Hinagiku!" The eye patch spirit, now known as Hinagiku, says.
"I am Baigon!" The spirit introduces himself.
"My name's Lily!" A female spirit bright pink hair, transparent yellow goggles, and a blue bathing suit with a tattoo on her backside says.
"Stay calm. You must summon them with your kotodama. Now repeat after me. Hinagiku, Baigon, Lily, hurry!" The blonde female says as Numb Chandelier fires her seeds at Orihime.
"Hinagiku, Baigon, Lily!" Orihime repeats quickly.
"Santen Kesshun (Three Sacred Links Shield)! I reject!" Hinagiku, Baigon, and Lily say together.
"Santen Kesshun. Santen Kesshun! I reject!" Orihime repeats loudly which creates a triangular yellow energy shield between Hinagiku, Baigon, and Lily that intercepts and blocks the seeds.
"What?" Numb Chandelier asks in surprise as well as Orihime.
"Their powers let them create a shield between you and your enemy and then reject what's outside that shield so they're able to protect you from any outside attack." The blonde explains before turning to the injured Tatsuki. "You see, we have the ability to reject what is within a shield. We are able to make a defined space with our shield. And then we can reverse any damage that has been inflicted inside that space." She explains as she and the last female spirit wearing a dress larger than her body hover over Tatsuki. "Now, say our names. I am Shun'ō." The blonde, now known as Shun'ō, says.
"And I'm Ayame." Ayame introduces herself.
"Shun'ō, Ayame." Orihime says calling out their names.
"Now recite our kotodama." Shun'ō says.
"Sōten Kisshun (Twin Sacred Return Shield)!" Orihime shouts.
"Sōten Kisshun! I reject!" Orihime, Shun'o, and Ayame shout together as the two spirits create a half-oval barrier around Tatsuki that begins healing the damage to her body.
"Tatsuki…" Orihime says tearfully.
"Quit it!" The black haired spirit says flying over to her. "This is no time for tears. I'm up next, missy. I'm able to reject on both sides by blowing a hole in the enemy and creating a shield inside, which cuts the enemy in half. Now you must say my name. It is Tsubaki. Then recite my kotodama." Tsubaki says as two more wings grow out of his tights.
"Tsubaki. Koten Zanshun (Solitary Sacred Cutting Shield)! I reject!" Orihime shouts as Tsubaki flies directly at the Hollow and vertically bifurcates Numb Chandelier with a shield generated from within her body.
"Impossible." Numb Chandelier says before releasing a scream as she disintegrates.
"I did it." Orihime says panting before collapsing to the ground.
"Orihime." Hinagiku calls out in worry.
"Orihime." Lily says in concern.
"Orihime." Baigon says as well as he and the rest of the Shun Shun Rika spirits gather around her.
"Oh, well. I guess using all of our powers at once was too much for her." Shun'o says with her arms crossed.
"On the other hand, Orihime did really well, didn't she?" Lily asks before she and the others fly up into the sky and transform back into their hairpin forms, landing beside the unconscious girl.
Seeing this, a smiling Kisuke steps forward with Isshin and Tessai behind him.
"She did incredible with for a first time spirit user." Tessai comments.
"Yes indeed. Although I never would have guessed that spike in Reiryoku came from sweet Orihime of all people." Isshin adds.
"Things are getting more and more interesting." Kisuke says still smiling.
Elsewhere, Chad, Karin, and Yuzu continue to fight off the Hollows while searching for Ichigo and Rukia.
"This is ridiculous!" Karin says slashing through another Hollow. "Why are their so many Hollows appearing?" She asks angrily.
"I don't know. If what Kon said is true and this Uryū only used a small portion of Hollow Bait, only a few should be coming, not an entire hoard of them." Yuzu says cutting through another Hollow's mask. "Hadō #31. Shakkahō (Red Flame Cannon)!" She shouts generating a high-temperature flame in the form of a small sphere in her left hand and fires it at the incoming Hollow heading for her.
"Hmm." Chad says effortlessly destroying another Hollow using Tesshō (Iron Palm), before looking in the direction of the school.
"What is it Chad?" Karin asks noticing her brother's best friend looking distracted.
"Have you two noticed that the Reiryoku from the school earlier has died down significantly and the Hollow signature is gone?" Chad asks.
"Huh?" Karin asks looking in Karakura High School's direction. "You're right. Plus I sense my dad, Mr. Hat 'n Clogs, as well as Mr. Tessai are their too." She says.
"So either the person who unleashed that spike in Reiryoku won against the Hollow or they were save by those three." Yuzu theorizes.
"Well, whatever the case, we need to continue dealing with these Hollows and find Ichigo so we can back him up." Chad says readying his transformed arm.
"Right." Karin and Yuzu say together gripping their Zanpakutōs' with both hands as they see more Hollows coming their way.
Soon afterwards, Orihime begins waking up and is unaware of where she is, not knowing that she is in the Urahara Shop. Looking to her left, she sees Isshin standing a few feet away from her with a smile on his face.
"Mr. Kurosaki?" Orihime asks sitting up on her knees.
"Ah, you're awake. Good morning, Ms. Inoue." Isshin says greeting the girl politely.
"Hi. Good morning." Orihime says returning the greeting. "Um, Mr. Kurosaki? So where are we?" She asks.
"Don't worry, my dear. Everything with be explained but not by me. I'll leave that to him." Isshin says gesturing to Kisuke, who was standing behind her.
"I see you're finally awake." Kisuke says.
"Him? Are you the one who saved me?" Orihime asks.
"Well, I suppose that's one way to look at it. Now then, where should I begin?" Kisuke wonders.
Elsewhere in Karakura Town, Ichigo purifies a Hollow with a single slash.
"Damn it. Damn that Uryū. I'll make him pay for doing this." Ichigo curses angrily.
Meanwhile, Uryū kills another Hollow, only this one took three Heilig Pfeil to the chest and one to the mask before it vanished, leaving a panting Uryū with bleeding fingers behind.
"I can't kill them with just one shot anymore." Uryū comments. 'Something's wrong. I'm losing my strength, and there are far too many Hollows coming for that small amount of bait. It's as if they were lured here by an even greater force yet to reveal itself or its purpose. But none of that matters.' He thought as an image of his sensei appeared in his mind. "Sensei, I swear to you I will avenge your death." He says as he draws back another Heilig Pfeil.
Meanwhile, Rukia was trying to fight off a Hollow that appeared in front of her.
"Hadō #4. Byakurai (Pale Lightning)!" Rukia shouts firing a Kidō spell at the Hollow, who merely deflects it back at her with one of its tentacles, making her jump out of the way. "Damn it." She curses her inability to deal damage. 'These Hollows are small fry, practically harmless, yet I can't beat them. After two months in this Gigai, I still don't have my strength back.' She thought but then hears the sound of someone running towards her location. "Huh?" She asks looking in the direction of the sound and sees someone leap into the air and kicks away the Hollow. "Is that Ichigo?" She wonders but then realizes who it really is when the person turns around and pushes his head into her chest.
"I've wanted to do this for so long!" Kon says happily.
"You're Kon, right?" Rukia asks as she pushes her foot against his chin and pulls back his arms.
"It even feels good to get kicked like this." Kon says through the pain.
"Kon, this is no time to be acting like an idiot." Rukia growls at him before realizing something. "Wait. If you're back in Ichigo's Gigai again, then Ichigo must've gotten transformed into a Shinigami." She deduces.
"Check it out, sis. Look behind you." Kon tells her spotting something.
"What?" Rukia asks turning her head to see Uryū standing behind her.
"That's a good sign. Apparently, this area's safe. Rukia Kuchiki. So this is actually the first time I've spoken to you face to face." Uryū says looking down at her.
'Is he ignoring me?' Kon wonders before receiving a kick to the face by Rukia. "Ow!" He cries out in pain as Rukia gets up to her feet.
"I get it. So this is all your doing." Rukia says.
"Yes, I started this contest between me and the Shinigami." Uryū confirms.
"Now what?" Rukia asks.
{Play "Number One" by Shirō Sagisu}
"No need to worry. I have no intention of letting any innocent bystanders die. Ichigo may run out of
strength during the battle. But even if he does, I will protect the citizens of this town. Then, while the Shinigami stands by and watches, I alone will kill the Hollows." Uryū declares.
"Huh?" Rukia says noticing Uryū's left hand still bleeding.
"If I can't accomplish that, then this whole battle is meaningless." Uryū says.
"You're full of yourself if you think Ichigo will tire out before you can kill all the Hollows." Rukia says with a smirk when the large Hollow reappears behind her and Kon, which prompts Uryū to summon Kojaku once more.
Back at the Urahara Shop, Kisuke just finished explaining everything to Orihime, leaving her with a confused look on her face.
"Now, just what are you saying here?" Orihime asks. "I don't mean to be rude, but all this stuff about Shinigamis and Hollows is just so sudden." She says.
"Then tell me, do you deny the fact that you were attacked just now?
"Well-Um-" Orihime stutters.
"Ichigo Kurosaki, a Shinigami, is fighting Hollows even as we speak. Along with his younger sisters, also Shinigamis, and his best friend Chad, a human with a similar power to yours. And the strong Reiryoku he has released when he was younger has had an influence on you. So now you know. However, it's all up to you whether or not you choose to open the gate that has appeared before you." Kisuke tells her.
"Oh." Orihime says in awe at the information she received as the door behind Kisuke opens.
"Excuse me, boss." Tessai says kneeling at the open door.
"Hmm?" Kisuke asks looking behind him.
"The Kūmon (Sky Ridge) is beginning to open." Tessai tells him.
"And the preparations?" Kisuke asks.
"All set." Tessai replies.
"Well, then, let's go." Kisuke says as he and Isshin begin to walk away before Kisuke halts and looks back at Orihime. "You did want proof?" He asks. "Then come see for yourself what lies beyond the gate." He says and walks out of his shop.
Meanwhile, the large Hollow prepares to attack Rukia, Kon, and Uryū.
"Shinka: Shiranui (God Fire: Unknown Fire)!" A voice behind the Hollow shouts as it is pierced in it's mask by two long lances made of fire and dissipates.
"Huh?" Uryū asks in confusion.
"Huh?" Rukia and Kon ask as well as they look behind them to see Ichigo was the one who defeated the Hollow with one of Getsu no Ikari's (Moon's Wrath) blades resting on his shoulder while the other was held in a reverse grip.
"So I found you, Uryū." Ichigo says glaring at the young Quincy.
"Kurosaki." Uryū replies with a smirk.
"That's Kurosaki-Shiba to you." Ichigo snapped at him.
"Ichigo." Rukia says in surprise seeing her partner.
"Heh." Ichigo smirks at her while still glaring at Uryū.
{Ending Theme: "Life is Like a Boat" by Rie Fu}
Author's Note: Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I know it wasn't much different from the original but that's just the way it is. Now then, my new poll question is should Chad get a girlfriend further down the line of this story? If so, I was thinking my pair him with Isane Kotetsu. What do you all think, yes, no? Vote on the poll for if Chad should have a girlfriend. Then in a review, tell me who you think he should be paired with.