Chapter 19, the one that preludes into a new saga, wait till you see Chapter 20!

Chapter 19- Let's Fight as One! The Unxpected Allies Arrive!

Meanwhile Miho stepped outside and immediately sensed the presence of several hollows.

"Rukia-chan," She whispered, "What should we do?"

"We fight till none remain," She replied calmly taking out the piece of soul candy Urahara had given toe ach of them and swallowed it.

She peeled away from her gigai and emerged garbed in her shinigami attire.

Miho and Cho followed her example and in seconds all three were battle-ready.

"Hang on," Ichigo called out to the three shinigami as Orihime and Chad ran up to him, "You guys ready?"

"Yes," Orihime and Chad replied.

Ichigo pulled out his small tag and transformed himself into a shinigami while his soulless body collapsed.

"Let's go!" Ichigo snarled.

As if on cue a swarm of hollows poured out from the rooftop and other hiding spots and flew towards the group of anti-hollow fighters.

"Sing Sakuhana!" Miho cried transforming her sword into its extending metal blade form, "Let's do your best Sakuhana!"

"Zangetsu!" Ichigo cried drawing out his massive cleaver from his back.

The two ran forward to meet the swarm of hollows.

"Can't let them spoil the fun," Cho giggled as he preformed a series of motions with his hands, "Burn away the flesh, Mahado 8th!"

He unleashed a hail of small energy balls that crashed into the swarm destroying several arrogant beasts that proved an easy target.

Rukia stepped forward with both hands glowing and fired a series of rapid bursts that sent panic amongst the hollows.

"Tsubaki!" Orihime cried as she summoned her offensive spirit, "Go!"

The small arrogant fighter shot forward and exploded the insides of two hollows before she recalled him.

"Hraaaw!" Chad cried as he reared back with his metal arm and struck one hollow through the jaw.

"Moonfang shock!" Ichigo cried unleashing his wave of soul pressure.

Miho reared back and flung out her extending blade which ripped through three hollow's faces.

"Disappear!" She cried and her sword ignited in pink flames which burnt the bodies away.

Despite there massive assault more hollows swept in and replaced them.

"We've got our work cut out for us," Ichigo muttered as he raised his blade and readied himself for the next wave.

Soul Society…

"Hollows have appeared everywhere," Ukitake murmured.

"I know," Renji replied, "Several Section officers on patrol are already dead,"

"What about the stranded ones?" Rei asked, "My team?"

"And my second in command?" Zanza added calmly.

"I've already sent what little backup I can," Renji replied, "Captain Yamamoto has asked that I send only the absolute necessary amount of people also the gateway is somehow clogged, I was only able to get a small group in before it as completely sealed.,"

"So what, we're thinking ten, twenty?" Rei asked.

"Three," Renji replied, "But they're one hell of a trio,"

Meanwhile Nanu and MuscleCrunch were locked in deep combat.

Three copies raced in and sliced into the hollow's left leg while another three came in and sliced his right leg. The last one came in and slashed into his skull mask.

"Done and done!" Nanu cried landing into a roll and coming up surrounded by her copies.

Suddenly the hollow's wounds closed up and he turned around to face Nanu with a wild grin plastered across his face.

"I told you, I'm strong now!" He shouted as he lashed out and knocked Nanu away.

"Tch, you really think so?" Nanu replied as five of her copies came in and plunged their twin blades into the hollow's neck.

The hollow merely smirked and scattered them with a twist of his neck.

"Do you wish to see just how much stronger I am?" MuscleCrunch sneered, "This is my full power!"

Suddenly the ground began to quake and the trees shook.

"T-this power…" Shinn murmured, "I-I can't believe it!"

MuscleCrunch stepped forward then lashed out with his sword sending a wave of black energy rolling down towards Nanu.

"W-what!" Nanu cried as she tried to parry the blast with her sword.

The sheer energy formed cracks in the blade and it she was barely able to turn it aside but the hollow had expected that. In a flash he stepped forward and caught Nanu in the chest with a vicious uppercut sending her crashing into the ground.

"Annoying little bastard," MuscleCrunch snarled, "I think I'll eat you right now!"

A wave of energy shot out and slashed into the monster's arm but it did little damage.

"I'm not letting you hurt her," Shinn whispered as he gathered his soul pressure, "This is between you and me so stop running away!"

"Running away!" The hollow cackled, "You've got some balls to say that!"

"Prove me wrong!" Shinn shot back as he leveled his gunblade, "Show me what you've got!"

"I'll crush you like a bug!" The hollow screamed.

The two took off towards each other with their weapons raised.

Meanwhile the other hollow fighters were having not much luck stopping the flood of hollows pouring in.

"Shit!" Ichigo swore as he cut one hollow in half, "This is nearly twice as much as when Ishida let loose that damn hollow bait!"

"Because they're all focused here," Miho murmured as she parried a claw slash then cut the arrogant hollow in half.

"Less talking more cutting!" Rukia snapped as she fired another bolt of ki.

"Hraaaagh!" Chad cried tearing off a piece of pavement and whipping it out at a flock of airborne hollows sending them crashing down onto their landwalking cousins.

Orihime saw three hollows about to attack CHo from behind and she immediately conjured a shield to protect him.

"Thank you my sweet butter cup!" Cho called out.

"Some hollows are getting into the school!" Ichigo cried.

"What're they after?" Rukia asked angrily.

"We have to stop them!" Ichgio cried, "I'm going in!"

Back at the second hollow battle Shinn gathered his soul pressure into his sword.

"Take this!" Shinn cried, "Grand Cutter!"

He slashed forward unleashing a massive column of spirit energy but did little damage against the hollow.

"Nice try!" MsucleCrunch cackled "But you must be much stronger than that!"

Shinn jumped behind him and unleashed a spray of razor sharp needles made of pure light. The swarm would have completely dismembered any normal hollow. The needles failed to even penetrate this one.

"Annoying brat!" MuscleCrunch snarled grabbing Shinn by the neck and throwing him to the ground, "At least make me interested!"

"Damn…I…can't…win!" Shinn thought as he struggled to stand.

MuscleCrunch lashed out with his foot catching Shinn in the ribs sending him crashing into the ground five meters away.

"And here I was thinking you'd at least be a challenge!" The hollow scoffed.

"You…want…a challenge?" Shinn hissed with a voice deeper and more feral than his on.

Shinn slowly lifted his head revealing a row of pointed teeth and wide, animal like eyes. His hair paled until it was death white, much like the white that the skin of a hollow's was. Not a pure white rather a white that indicated the absence of colour.

"Wow, last time I saw you, you weren't nearly as ugly!" Yami remarked as he stood up and regarded the massive hollow.

"Tch, so you've changed your hair," MuscleCrunch sneered, "I fail to see the difference!"

"So ignorant," Yami sighed as his sword darkened to obsidian, "I think I'll kill you slowly to teach you a lesson,"

The outraged hollow raced forward and slashed out and Yami met it halfway.

"Tch, stronger than I thought," Yami snarled.

"You think so?" MuscleCrunch snarled back, "Watch this!"

His spirit power began to increase and Yami was forced back.

"So this might be a little more annoying than I thought," Yami muttered.

"Die!" MuscleCrunch screamed letting loose a bolt of energy from his mouth.

"Ergh!" Yami grunted as he turned the blast aside.

Yami stepped forward and unleashed two waves of black energy but MuscleCrunch easily swiped them away.

"You might be a bit stronger," The hollow sneered, "But not by much!"

He punched out and caught Yami in the chest but to his shock Yami didn't budge.

"I…I'm not…losing…to some trash!" Yami sneered as blood ran down his mouth.

"So you take it full force and try to look tough!" The hollow laughed, "Fine by me!"

He lashed out again but this time Yami avoided it and sliced the hand completely off.

"Now who's overconfident?" Yami snarled dashing in.

"You think one hand will win you this match?" MuscleCrunch remarked, "No possible chance!"

He suddenly swung his sword with one hand as though it were as a rolled up newspaper.

Yami was able to block the attack but fell back.

"Yami," Shinn called out mentally, "Listen to me!"

"Get out of my head!" Yami snarled.

"We have to combine our powers; alone we don't stand a chance but together…"

"Shut up!" Yami screamed as he ran towards MuscleCrunch.

Shinn struggled to bring Yami under to control. Using every bit of his will power he forced Yami to stop and kneel to the ground.

"What the hell are you doing!" The hollow asked angrily.

"I'm going to…get out damn it!" Yami screamed clutching his head.

"We have to!" Shinn mentally screamed.

"Damn…never…will I…let you!" Yami swore.

"We have to!" Shinn shouted, "Now, do it for Miho!"

It was a gamble Shin knew but in all the times he had controlled his body it was Miho who changed him and he never intentionally hurt.

Yami could feel his power weakening the more he fought.

"Fine..." He whispered, "Just this once,"

"I swear," Shinn replied, "On the pendant that hangs around our neck,"

Yami briefly grasped Shin's pendant before leveling his zanpaku-to.

"So what now?" Yami muttered.

"Gather your Reiraku ribbons together…then look for mine," Shinn explained, "Bind them together and let's hope for the best,"

"You think this'll work?" Yami muttered.

Not a clue," Shinn replied, "Let's just hope for the best,"

"Idiot," Yami muttered as he conjured the images of the Reiraku ribbons around him.

He reached out and noticed his black ribbons. He reached out and tied them to Shinn's.

"Die!" MuscleCrunch snarled running towards Yami.

"Let's hope this works!" Yami thought.

Suddenly the ground began quaking and MuscleCrunch stopped in confusion.

"What's going on!" The confused hollw shouted as a column of spirit energy shot out next to him.

"It's working!" the shinigami cried in a combination of Shinn's and Yami's voice.

His hair darkened to a dark grey and his hair shortened. One eye reverted to a kinder and gentler one while the other remained feral.

"I can feel the immense spirit pressure!" Shinn/ Yami cried, "And now we have our chance!"

The shinigami held out the gunblade parallel to the ground and focused the raw spirit energy into the sword. The sword began twisting and warping as it tried to harness the raw power. In the end it reverted back into its original katana form.

"Unleash Yamikaze 2! Ascend Shikai!" Shinn/ Yami cried.

He immediately twirled the sword and sheathed the blade.

"You think sheathing you sword will stop me!" The hollow laughed, "You're even worse than I thought!"

He charged forward raising his zanpaku-to intending to chop the shinigami in half with one swing.

"You think I'm weaker now?" The shinigami muttered, "Dead wrong,"

He stepped forward then leaped over the charging hollow.

"Wha…" MuscleCrunch began as he started to turn around.

Shinn/ Yami spun around in mid-air and set his hand to the handle of his blade and crouched forward.

"Yamikenpo," The shinigami murmured, "Black Lightning Strike!"

The blade shot out from his sheathe as he drew it out. A wave of black lightning shot out from the drawn swing.

"W-what…" MuscleCrunch began.

The blast struck him and a flash of black light blanketed the area. When the light had settled MuscleCrunch stood missing his entire left arm and a fair sized gouge in his ribs.

"D-damn you," The hollow gasped, "If I didn't dodge it…"

Behind him was a massive fissure in the ground that easily seemed to hold no bottom.

Shinn/ Yami fell to the ground on his back.

"Dammit!" Yami swore mentally, "That took almost all our power to use!"

Indeed his sword reverted back into a standard katana.

"Tch, looks like you used everything in that attack," MuscleCrunch sneered, "Too bad it wasn't good enough!"

"This is it!" Shinn thought, "We're dead!"

"Die you useless shinigami trash!" the hollow screamed slashing his blade down onto a helpless Shinn but the blow never came.

"W-what…" MuscleCrunch gasped as he regarded his zanpaku-to now missing a blade.

"Idiots," A voice sighed, "You guys always think way too much of yourselves,"

Hitsugaya Toushiro, 10th div, Captain stood holding up the top broken half of the hollow's blade with his hand.

"You guys are a bunch of idiots," He sighed.

Meanwhile back at the school…

"Damn!" Ichigo swore, "I can't risk using my bankai! Not with this many people around!"

A hollow swooped in and raked its claws against Miho's back.

"Agh!" She cried falling to her knees.

The hollow swooped back down for the kill.

"Rukia-san!" Miho cried but she was suddenly engaged by three more hollows that knocked her to the ground and kicked her sword out of her hand.

"Damn!" Cho muttered, "This wasn't the plan!"

Chad and Orihime had both exhausted their power and only fought when absolutely necessary as they saved their energy for late but even they couldn't reach there friends in time to save them.

"Get off of them, ladies should be treated with respect!" A voice called out cheerfully.

Kyouraku Shunsui, 8th Division Captain landed on one hollow's head and kicked the other one a way.

"Hello Rukia-san," He greeted cheerfully.

Morimoto Rangiku, 10th Division Vice-captain landed next to him and cut one hollow in half.

"Hey, hollows!" A familiar voice cried out, "No one hurts my friend and lives after!"

A figure landed next to Miho and sliced the two hollows on top of her friend in half.

"Tch, you couldn't even hold out till we got here Miho-chan?" The figure asked.

"S-sorry," Miho replied smiling weakly, "I know you were always much better,"

"Stuff it," She replied, "Let's clean off the last of this trash,"

The hollows swarmed towards her.

"I'm actually looking forward to this," Hana Sango, the newly elected vice-captain under 13th division Ukitake Juushiro remarked.

"Don't forget us!" Urahara called out as he walked in the middle of the mob with Yoruichi in cat form as well as Tessai, Jinta, and Ururu armed to the teeth in an assortment of anti-hollow weapons.

"Let's go!" Hana cried raising her sword.

See Ciara? Hana's back and better than ever! Wait till Chapter 20, then we'll see her shikai in action!