"Kh! Hurry up Issei! I'm dying over here!" Saji groaned.
"Saji! If you have energy to complain, then you have the energy to maintain the barrier!" Tsubaki scolded.
"Y-yes ma'am!" Saji yelped.
Sona briefly broke her concentration away from pumping magical power to look at the other members of her Peerage. Aside from her and Tsubaki, everyone else looked extremely worn out and tired. Keeping a barrier of this size and strength was no easy task for even Middle-Class Devils. She and Tsubaki could hold out for a few more minutes without issue. But she couldn't say the same for the rest.
She could see more clouds of dust being kicked up followed by the occasional flash of sparks as the battle raged on. A spear of light even streaked by and clattered against the barrier. There was no hope for Ichigo to show up to help now after seeing Kokabiel's army. It would only be a matter of time before the barrier would give in.
"Rias...it's all up to you!" Sona whispered.
"Wait...what's that?" Saji absent-mindedly mumbled. "A shooting star?"
"Saji! What did I-" Tsubaki began, but she was cut off by Saji suddenly yelling.
"Waaaah! It's a black shooting star and it's heading right for us!" Saji wailed.
Sona looked up to the sky and indeed saw what appeared to be a streaking black object heading towards them. But even before whatever was flying got closer, she instantly felt the suffocating and deadly aura. She had felt it once before. The power that had taken Sirzechs' arm.
"Everyone! Get back!" Sona warned.
But by the time her warning reached her Peerage's ears, the black comet smashed through the barrier, shattering it into a million shards like it was made out of glass. The force from the impact threw her back along with everyone else. Everyone's wings opened up and they took to the skies.
"W-what was that!?" Momo exclaimed. "That didn't feel like magic at all!"
"That's because it isn't. It's Ichigo's power." Sona said.
"Wait, that was him!?" Saji exclaimed. "But he was so fast! And that aura was way too scary!"
"But that was the power that made Sirzechs kneel." As she spoke, Sona couldn't help but grin.
"President?" Tsubaki inquired. She had never seen Sona look this confident, much less smile. "Should we interfere?"
"There is no need. I have full faith in him to end this battle. It's weird. His presence feels suffocating and overwhelming. But I can't help but be relaxed now that he's entered the fray. Take a good look, my Peerage. How a real Devil fights."
"Let's go, Kokabiel. I'm going to end this in an instant." Ichigo said.
"Hahaha! In an instant? Such an arrogant statement from a half-Devil!" Kokabiel laughed. He jumped away from Ichigo and calmly spread his arms out. "Let's see you try, Queen of Leviathan!"
Xenovia couldn't believe it. Kokabiel's strength alone could tear apart mountains and raze entire countries to the ground. Yet this teen had blocked his strike with one arm! And was this form of his a Balance Breaker? His big cleaver was nowhere to be found and the black katana he held looked so...ordinary. There was no way this was a Balance Breaker. Such a small and fragile-looking thing couldn't be a Balance Breaker!
But if the sword she saw before him wasn't a Balance Breaker, then why was the air covered in a demonic presence? She didn't feel it when she was around the teen the first time they met. It felt so suffocating and potent it was as if a blade was being held at her neck. This wasn't the aura of a hero. It was an aura of a terrifying, merciless Devil.
Xenovia blinked and Ichigo was gone. She gasped when she realized that she had lost track of him. She looked around frantically until she saw him again. What she saw truly scared her like nothing else. Ichigo's blade was hovering over Kokabiel's neck, and the Fallen looked just as surprised and shocked as he stared at the teen. Ichigo's expression looked stoic and uncaring as he held his blade still. Time seemed to stand still as she waited for Ichigo to simply nudge forward and cut Kokabiel's throat.
"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" Ichigo taunted. "You gave me a chance, and I took it. What's there to be so surprised about?"
"Kh! Don't get so cocky!" Kokabiel roared. He formed a light sword in his right hand and swung at Ichigo, causing him to jump away to create some distance. "Your speed just briefly exceeded my expectations. But don't press your luck, filthy Devil!"
Kokabiel shot his arms up into the sky and formed a ball of light. Several light arrows shot out and rained down on Ichigo. The teen flashed away and ran along the courtyard to dodge the projectiles and flew up into the air to swat the remaining arrows away with his sword in a series of rapid slashes.
"C'mon. That all you got?" Ichigo snarked. He then began to spin his black katana around by the chain that protruded out from the bottom. "If you could give those guys a run for their money, I thought that you'd be somewhat stronger than the usual Devil that shows up here and there."
"Don't get so full of yourself, Devil!" Kokabiel spread out his arms once more and a large spear of light continued to grow and grow until it became the size of a small building. It was so bright that Xenovia had to cover her eyes to keep her eyes from burning. Even Rias and her Peerage looked as if they were in pain just from being in the same area as the massive light spear.
"It's so bright!" Issei shouted. "Did that guy summon another sun here or something!?"
"With this, it's all over! I will have my war and slaughter you all!" Kokabiel declared. He threw his arms forward to hurl the gargantuan spear at Ichigo.
As the spear cut through the air, Xenovia cracked her eyes open to see that Ichigo was still standing calmly in the air, simply catching his sword back into his hand after spinning it for a bit. He didn't even bother to put his sword up in any attempt to defend himself. It was already too late as the spear was traveling too fast for her.
"Run…" Xenovia whispered. Her body shook violently as she flustered the last of her strength to cry out for the teen before he died. "Run, Ichigo!"
A bright flash of light nearly blinded her once more as the spear finally made contact with Ichigo. A horrendous noise like a thousand nails scraping against a chalkboard assaulted everyone's ears. The spear of light held still in the air all the while Kokabiel continued his maniacal laughter.
"HAHAHAHA! WHAT A FOOL, TAKING ON AN ATTACK LIKE THAT! THE ARROGANCE THAT RUNS THROUGH YOUR VEINS HAD BEEN YOUR DOWNFALL IN THE FIRST GREAT WAR, AND IT STILL BECOMES YOUR UNDOING!" Kokabiel laughed. "WITH THIS, THE QUEEN OF LEVIATHAN FALLS AND THE GREAT WAR IS REIGNITED! OH HOW LONG HAVE I-"
"Shut up."
Xenovia suddenly saw something drop down from the sky and land right in front of her. Even Kokabiel's attention was turned away to see what landed on the ground. She first assumed that it was Ichigo who fell to the ground, but she realized that it was his sword that was thrown instead. Kokabiel's face twisted in shock and fear as Ichigo's voice echoed throughout the battlefield. His eyes widened and his body shook as he looked to the skies.
"B-but how!? No Devil, not even a Devil Lord, can block that amount of light and not get wounded!"
Kokabiel's spear was suddenly launched back at him. The Fallen desperately flew to the side with his wings before the spear impacted the ground and detonated. The explosion was so large that not only did it throw Rias' Peerage away, the main school building got caught up in the fire. By the time the dust settled, a massive crater was left smoking and half of the school building was gone too.
"He caught that spear…" Issei babbled.
"...With just his bare hands!" Rias gasped.
"I don't really care about your reasons for going through all this shit. But the moment you threatened this town along with Rias and Sona, it made me comfortable that I won't be having any regrets serving your head on a silver platter to Sera."
Sure enough, Ichigo was still standing in the exact spot as if he hadn't budged an inch against the spear. His left hand looked a bit burned, but looked relatively unharmed all things considered.
Ichigo then vanished and placed himself right behind Kokabiel. The Fallen gasped and turned around to face the teen, but Ichigo suddenly grabbed onto Kokabiel's arm to hold him in place. He had somehow also managed to grab Tensa Zangetsu from the ground in one swift motion.
"G-get your hands off of me, you filthy Devil!" Kokabiel roared as he tried to break free. But even his mighty strength seemed to do nothing against the orange-haired teen's grip. He tried to decapitate Ichigo with a sword of light, but it was ultimately meaningless as Tensa Zangetsu blocked it before it could hit its mark.
"You should really look where you're aiming if you want to kill me!" Ichigo exclaimed. A sudden torrent of black spiritual pressure erupted from his sword's blade and seemed to wash over everyone present like a tidal wave.
"Ack! This pressure!" Kiba gasped.
"Rias, this is bad! We have to fall back!" Akeno warned. She ran over to the Gremory sister and grabbed onto her waist before flying up into the air.
"Ah! Wait for me!" Issei begged before using his own wings to take off.
All Xenovia could do was watch helplessly as Koneko wrapped her arms around her waist and carried her off. The continuous outflow of power only continued to grow and grow with each passing second.
"This power...this strength! Just who the hell are you!?" Kokabiel demanded.
"GETSUGA TENSHOU!"
An ocean of pitch blackness covered the world as Ichigo unleashed his attack. Everyone in the sky felt their bodies being thrown back as the Getsuga continued to travel into the sky. Xenovia thought that the onslaught would never end until the attack suddenly subsided as quickly as it was unleashed. Her eyes opened and the first thing that greeted her was the starry night sky. Not even a cloud was present.
"A-amazing…" Rias mouthed.
"He did all that...with one attack…" Issei mumbled.
"I think he might've overdid it though." Kiba nervously laughed as he studied the ruined school.
"I thought I would choke from that power. Jerk." Koneko pouted.
While everyone else was busy marveling over Ichigo's attack, Xenovia's attention was drawn to the heavens themselves. A beautiful full moon illuminated the area, and the stars around it only further added to the beauty. But what should've been a breathtaking scene only filled her chest with sorrow. The Lord that had made the sky above her was no longer here. Her entire reason for living was gone along with his love.
But the Devil that had split the heavens with just a swing of his sword stood tall and strong in the battlefield. He overwhelmed an opponent that had been a veteran of the First Great War and stopped further bloodshed in an instant. Just like how he had promised.
"Getsuga Tenshou...he just had to literally split the heavens just to look cool, huh?" Xenovia quietly laughed.
"Come, let's go back to the ground to check on Ichigo and tell Sona the good news." Rias ordered.
As they slowly descended, they managed to finally see what had happened to Kokabiel. The only thing left of Kokabiel was just a torso and a head burnt to a crip. Both of his arms and legs were gone, and his long black hair was now completely burned off with only a few strands on his head here and there. It was a miracle that he was even still alive.
"Im..possible...how could I, the Kokabiel, lose to-"
"Shut your trap! I'm getting tired of listening to you talk!" Ichigo growled as he angrily stomped on Kokabiel's head. "I hate people who have a bigger mouth than mine!"
"Ichigo!" Issei yelled. This drew Ichigo's attention away from Kokabiel to Issei and the rest of the Occult Club walking up to him.
"You alright?" Issei asked.
"I should be asking you guys that. You all look way more beaten up than me." Ichigo said with a sigh. "Sorry I didn't get here sooner. Those Fallen Angels were a real pain in the ass, and I busted through Sona's barrier without saying a word. Crap, she's gonna give me an earful, that's for sure."
"I don't think that's something you should worry about…" Kiba laughed.
"Heh. Glad to see you're finally back to normal. I couldn't stand watching you be all edgy like that." Ichigo snarked.
"Ichigo…" Rias began as she slowly walked up to the teen. "Words cannot express the gratitude I could give for not only saving my life, but my Peerage as well. Everyone would've been seriously hurt had it not been for your help. I-I was wrong to assume that my brother had asked you to babysit me, and I let my pride get the better of me. S-so…"
"Ara! Are you blushing, Rias?" Akeno teased. "You just can't be honest with yourself sometimes, can you?"
"A-Akeno!" Rias shouted in a flustered manner.
"Damn you! Even though you saved us, stealing the President away from me is unforgivable!" Issei exclaimed. He ran forward and tried to lunge at Ichigo, but Ichigo simply stepped to the side and tripped Issei to send him tumbling down the dirt field. This elicited a couple of laughs from the Occult Club.
"This guy just can't keep himself in line…" Ichigo sighed. "And you shouldn't be thanking me for saving you. It's only natural for me to protect those that are backed into a corner. That's what my power is for. To protect others."
"That's very noble of you. Even for a Devil." Xenovia complimented with a nod. "I must give my thanks to you as well. We were at the mercy of Kokabiel and he very nearly succeeded in his plan."
"You guys are giving me too much credit…" Ichigo sheepishly replied. It was hard to give a straight reply when she said something like that with complete honesty.
"So, what about him?" Koneko asked, pointing to what was left of Kokabiel.
"Dunno. Probably haul him away to the Underworld and have those old guys sort things out. I'm sure Sera will do something about him." Ichigo said casually.
"Hoh? And to think that she considered such meager power a threat. I can't help but see nothing special in that boy."
The unknown voice shook Ichigo and he stared up into the skies where he heard the voice.
"The hell are you!?" Ichigo demanded.
A bright orb of white light slowly descended onto the school grounds. Whoever was inside the orb revealed himself to everyone present. The interloper wore white armor that covered every inch of his body, and a pair of translucent blue wings sprouted from his back.
"My body...it's trembling so much!" Issei fearfully mumbled as his body shook. "Who is that guy?"
Ichigo scowled as he stared at the armored man above him. "The Vanishing Dragon!"
"Then, he's-" Issei said.
Issei was suddenly blown back by a sudden gust of wind. He saw Ichigo getting pushed back as the man in white armor drove his fist against Tensa Zangetsu.
"W-what happened?" Issei asked out loud. He couldn't even see the white knight move to fight Ichigo. He was even more amazed that Ichigo reacted in time to block the attack.
"Even I couldn't tell…" Kiba replied.
"Shit! Did the Red Dragon over there bring you here!?" Ichigo demanded as he held off the Vanishing Dragon's fist.
"That is none of your concern, Queen of Leviathan. I was sent here to bring Kokabiel back to Azazel, but you have already taken all the fun." the man lamented.
"Stop fucking around!" Ichigo swung back and pushed the man away with a single swing to break the stalemate. "I don't care if you're the Vanishing Dragon or not. This city is under my protection, and you don't belong here asshole!"
Ichigo reared his arm back and the same torrent of black energy that he used against Kokabiel roared out from his blade.
"Getsuga Tenshou!"
Ichigo swung down and unleashed the attack straight at the man. Instead of flying away to avoid the attack, he simply held his right arm out.
"Divide!"
Ichigo watched in shock as he watched his Getsuga get cut in half with the man's bare hands. The split attack veered off harmlessly to the side and pulverized the school even more.
"What the...he broke Getsuga with one hand!?" Ichigo gasped.
"My name is Albion. My Sacred Gear is Divine Dividing. Every ten seconds, I halve the power of anything I touch and transfer that power back to me."
"Tch! It's the exact opposite of the Welsh Dragon!" Ichigo growled.
"You look tired, Queen of Leviathan. Do you seriously think you can take me on in your condition?" Albion questioned. "Your battles against Kokabiel's army and Kokabiel himself have surely drained much of your power. Sooner or later, you will only have the strength of a regular human."
"We'll see about that, asshole!" Ichigo yelled.
"My job is to simply bring Kokabiel back to Azazel. I have no intention of fighting any more than I have to. But if you truly want to defeat me, then bring that out."
Ichigo blinked in confusion. "The hell're you talking about?"
"You know what I mean. That mask. The power that took Sirzechs' arm and made him kneel." Albion explained.
"I don't need to show you shit! Getsuga Tenshou!"
"Hmph. You Devils just don't learn."
The teen unleashed his signature attack at Albion. The White Dragon caught the attack with his bare hands once again, but Ichigo flash-stepped away to Albion's right and charged up his attack.
"This speed!" Albion gasped.
"You're wide open! Getsuga Tenshou!"
The second Getsuga enveloped Albion completely this time. A massive explosion ripped through the school yard and covered the entire area in dust.
"Ichigo!" Issei shouted in worry. He tried to swat away the dust with his arms but found his actions ultimately useless.
When he could finally see, he could see Ichigo and Albion at a stalemate. The armor that surrounded Albion's right arm was completely gone, exposing bare skin that was charred by the previous Getsuga. Tensa Zangetsu was stopped by Albion's other arm, though the armor was broken by the blade.
"I see now. Your raw power wasn't what she was afraid of. It's your speed that's the issue. Even with less than half of your full power, I still have trouble perceiving your movements in this state. If I hadn't used my left arm to stop your sword, my head would've surely been rolling on the floor by now." Albion calmly noted.
"Bastard…" Ichigo growled. "Who the hell is 'she'!?"
"Divide!"
"Kh!" The teen stumbled forward as he felt his strength being forcefully taken away. Albion took the brief opening to dislodge Tensa Zangetsu from his arm and punch Ichigo in his stomach. Blood came out of Ichigo's mouth and he flew back until he slammed through the main school building.
"My mission was to bring Kokabiel back to Azazel, but I have some questions for that rogue exorcist as well." Albion said as he picked up what was left of Kokabiel's body and Freed's unconscious body.
"Are you ignoring me, White One?" Ddraig spoke out.
"Hm?" Albion grunted as he glanced back at Issei.
"The gauntlet spoke!" Rias said in awe.
"So you were alive, Red One." a different voice responded.
"This wasn't exactly the best time to meet." Ddraig admitted.
"It's fine. We're destined to face each other someday. Coincidences do happen. I'll see you later, Ddraig."
"See you, Albion." Ddraig replied.
The armored man turned away from Issei and flew up before Issei could say anything. As he floated in the air, he noticed some movement in the ruined school building.
"I ain't done yet…" Ichigo growled as he stood up from the rubble.
"Heal your wounds, Ichigo Kurosaki. Get stronger. I live to only fight strong opponents, and I know you won't disappoint me. Next time, let's have a proper fight to the death."
"Wait!" Ichigo shouted, but the White Dragon was already gone in a flash of light. He tried to run forward, but stumbled and had to stab Tensa Zangetsu into the ground to keep himself standing.
"Ichigo! Please don't move!" Asia shouted in a panicked manner. She quickly activated her Sacred Gear and began to heal Ichigo. He could already feel some of his fatigue and pain fade away as the former nun did her work.
"Thanks," Ichigo said. He looked to the side to see not only Rias' Peerage running over to him, but also Sona's as well. "You guys…"
"It seems that the battle is over. Though I never expected the White Dragon Emperor to show up here of all places." Sona admitted.
"Sorry. I let my guard down and he got away." Ichigo apologized.
"There's nothing to apologize for. You defeated Kokabiel and saved the city." Sona said. "On behalf of the Kuon Student Council, thank you."
And with that, the battle against Kokabiel came to a conclusion. The Student Council repeatedly assured Ichigo that all the damage done to the school was going to be taken care of by them, though Sona did end up giving Ichigo an earful for 'going too far', though he ended up covering his ears which further annoyed her.
But as everyone else continued to celebrate the victory, Ichigo couldn't help but think back to his duel with the Vanishing Dragon. When he had taunted him to bring out his mask, Ichigo nearly did so. But something inside of him stopped him from doing so. Something deep within his soul begged him not to bring out that power even though it would've assured his victory.
It wasn't the innate fear of the hollow taking over that prevented him from doing so.
No, he could feel the hollow itself stopping itself from drawing it out in the first place. Ever since becoming a Devil and using the mask against Sirzechs, Ichigo could feel himself becoming more unstable. Every time he had the urge to use his hollow's power, it was like it constantly tried to yank that power back instead of using it to take control over his body. Like it was stopping him from going into a place of no return.
Dammit...what the hell is this feeling of uneasiness?
"...You what?"
I stared at the blue-haired girl that stood over me in an imposing manner. Her face looked deadly serious, and that only further added to the feeling of uncertainty that I had.
"Allow me to repeat myself, Ichigo Kurosaki. I would like you to train me." Xenovia repeated.
"W-why!?" I blurted out.
When I first heard that Xenovia had defected from The Church and joined Rias' Peerage, I tried not to think much of it. Sure, it was ironic that someone who was part of the faction that opposed Devils would become one. As long as she didn't try to interfere with my life, I didn't care if she was a Devil or not. But that wish for peace after a major battle was swiftly shattered when she had marched up to my desk and slammed her palm onto it.
"The battle against Kokabiel has humbled me. I thought that by having Durandal choose me as its wielder, that nothing could stand in my way. But Kokabiel was just too fast and strong for me to handle. If you had not shown up when you did, things would not have ended up as well as it did."
"You're plenty strong enough already. And I have enough things to worry about. Now scram!" I yelled.
"I cannot! I wish to learn much from the Queen of Leviathan! If I cannot even protect what is right before me, then I have already failed as a Knight of Rias' Peerage!" Xenovia begged. As she shouted, she dropped down onto her knees and placed her head on the ground to complete the dogeza.
"Alright, fine! Just stand up already! People are looking at us weird!" I yelled in frustration. I grabbed onto the back of Xenovia's uniform and hoisted her up onto her feet.
"Hoh? So you're into that kinda play, Kurosaki." a girl whispered behind me.
"And you shut the hell up!" I roared. Aika Kiryuu, the girl that had pointed out that Sera had kissed me on the first day I came to this school, simply giggled and gave me a creepy grin.
"Oh, so scary~" Aika giggled.
"Actually…" a male voice spoke up behind me. I turned around to see Issei of all people along with Kiba standing before me. "If it's not too much to ask, can you train us too?"
"Your swordsmanship greatly impressed me. I would learn much from someone like you as well." Kiba added with a smile.
"M-me too!" Asia cried out.
My patience was now reaching its limit. I jumped up from my seat and flipped my desk so hard it flew into the air and spun rapidly before crashing down onto the ground. It had somehow landed back on its legs like nothing had happened to it. "Look, I ain't a part of Rias' Peerage and I ain't some damn coach. So stop bothering me and piss off!"
A soft tap on my shoulder made me spin around to unleash my full wrath and fury against whoever it was. But I faltered when I realized that Koneko was the one who tapped my shoulder.
"...Please?" she whispered.
My body completely deflated and I slumped over my desk. It was like I was looking at a cat eagerly looking for someone to adopt it. There was no way I could say 'no' after that.
"...Fine. Do whatever you guys want."
"Thank you!" everyone collectively shouted in unison.
As the school day came to an end, I wasted no time getting out of school and getting to my apartment. Fighting Kokabiel and the Vanishing Dragon in one day was more than tiring enough for me. I unlocked my door and flopped onto my bed without even bothering to change out of my uniform.
"Finally, I can get some sleep..." I groaned. Filling out pages and pages of reports documenting what happened with Kokabiel and the Vanishing Dragon and sending them to Sera was probably even more tiring than physically fighting them.
But before I could finally drift off into sleep, my phone began to ring. I very nearly threw it into a wall just to shut it up until I saw just who was calling me. I sat up and swiped my screen to answer the call.
"Sera-"
"Ichigooooo!" Sera yelled so loud that I could feel her voice go into my ear and come straight out the other end of my head. "I'm so happy to hear your voice again!"
"L-likewise..." I mumbled.
"Ah! You're being sarcastic again! That's no way to treat your lover!" Sera berated.
"S-since when were we ever lovers!?" I blurted out. "You have to stop saying weird shit like that!"
"Well? Did I make your heart skip a beat?" Sera asked in a teasing voice.
"I'm hanging up."
"Waaaaait! Please don't hang up!" Sera wailed.
"...Fine. But you better have a good reason for calling me." I answered in an exasperated tone.
"You know what's coming up in a few days, right?" Sera asked in a sing-song voice.
"Parents' Day?" I asked. I could already feel a headache begin to form as I realized the implications of what Sera was getting at.
"Yup! I can't wait to see Sona-tan during school and tease her! I already know which outfit I'm going to wear!"
"It better not be another damn magical girl outfit."
"Aw! You're no fun, Ichigo! Although…" Sera giggled and the tone of her voice suddenly took a drastic change to a more haughty yet seductive tone. "If it's for you, I'll gladly wear any outfit. No matter how lewd it is~"
"Do it, and I'll throw your ass back to the Underworld." I immediately threatened.
"Aw, you're no fun." Sera pouted.
"Anyways, is this the only reason why you called me? To tell me about Parents' Day?" I asked. Knowing Sera, she had to have more than one reason for calling me.
"Nope! I also wanted to tell you that Sirzechs is hosting a peace conference with the Fallen and regular Angels at your school after Parents' Day!" Sera finished.
I barely managed to catch myself from outright falling out of my bed out of sheer shock. "Hold on, that's really important! He's doing what now!?"
"Azazel and Michael are gonna be there. And yours truly!" Sera added. "Try not to fall asleep during the meeting, okay?"
"Why didn't you lead with that when you called me!?" I exclaimed.
"Oh, and one more thing!" Sera quickly blurted out.
"What is it now?" I asked, resisting the urge to just slam my head through the wall in pure desperation.
"You tried using it again, didn't you? That mask." Sera asked in a serious tone.
I leaned forward and held the phone much closer to my face. "How did you-"
"I could tell the moment I heard your voice and after hearing about what happened to you," Sera explained. "If you had used your mask against Kokabiel or the White Dragon Emperor, you wouldn't have gotten as beaten up as you did during that fight. No, you would've wiped the floor with both of them even without it."
"What're you getting at?"
"Something's conflicting inside of you. Those two spirits within you are holding you back somehow. So let me ask you this: When was the last time you conversed with them?"
"I…" Sera did have a point. The last time I spoke with Zangetsu and the hollow was during the training in the Dangai. Several months had passed since then, and Sera did make a good point about Albion and Kokabiel. I normally wouldn't have had any trouble with either of them, but the fact that the battle ended the way it did made no sense to me at the time. "Are you saying something's wrong with me?"
"I can't say for sure. But what I do know is that they're trying to get your attention by suppressing your power during your fights. How else could that explain how you were able to chop off Sirzechs-chan's arm before but lose against Albion now?"
Several seconds of silence passed between the two of us. I didn't know what to say to her. Why would they be holding me back when so much was at stake? Why give me that massive boost in power when I fought against Sirzechs in an orchestrated fight?
"So what should I do?" I asked.
"Tomorrow. After school. Meet me by the entrance of the school," Sera instructed. "We're gonna head down to the Underworld to get your spirit sorted out so you can become even stronger!"
Hey ya'll. So I'm back. For now at least. Now that the Bleach anime has come back, it didn't feel right to not update this story at least once. I can't say definitively how frequently I'll be updating this, or any of my stories going forward. School has been kicking my ass.
Regardless, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. I'm also planning on rewriting and expanding on the first chapter to this story, so it should be up in a couple of days. Thanks to a lot of the reviews, I'm really going to try and make the first chapter something that I can be somewhat satisfied with.
Until next time.