Well guys here it is, the battle with Ichigo and Byakuya. We hope that you enjoy this fight just as much as the cannon one, if not more so. Before we get right into the chapter however, here is a note from Greatkingrat.

Greakingrat88's Author's note: In preparation for writing this fight, I re-watched Byakuya vs Ichigo, that one final time, and I was struck by how staggeringly different it was compared to what I remembered of Bleach as a whole. The fight itself was comparatively short, some twenty minutes if you cut out the preamble. Being injured was a big deal; Ichigo is shot through the shoulder with a Byakurai and it paralyses him. Byakuya is cut once by the hollow, and nearly runs out of fighting ability at once. Contrast this with latter-day Bleach, where injuries seemingly mean nothing, are easily endured and recovered from, and fighters can go on basically forever. The dialogue was simple and to the point. Byakuya was absurdly stoic. I'm sure you've all seen this before- as a series evolves, as an author becomes more invested in his universe and comes up with more ideas, the themes and ideas that become commonplace later end up coming off as weird or even contradictory to the overall established status quo of the series.

Given how I repeatedly made a point of the ridiculous endurance of shinigami (something I do believe is well supported in canon), it'll be hard to pull off too close of an adaptation of this fight. I'll have done my best, however, to stay consistent with what I wrote while keeping the spirit of the original. I hope you enjoyed.

(Oh and: whenever Byakuya refers to Ichigo as a "bastard", it's in the original sense of the word- a child conceived out of wedlock, in this case out of the circle of nobility.)

Well there you have it folks! I hope this fight entertains all of you. We're less than 70 reviews away to getting 1000 reviews. ANY and all would be appreciated to help is reach this goal before the arc ends.

Thanks once again to Greatkingrat88 (for writing) and jcampbellohten (for being our Beta)

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shounen jump. Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and weekly shounen magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fun.

When it had happened, Byakuya had no idea. One moment, the insolent, bastard Shiba spawn had stood in one spot, ready to strike; the next, Byakuya could feel a long, black blade push against his throat, its tip poking the underside of the jaw. A single, quick thrust would send the blade up through his skull, and no amount of resilience would save him then. His eyes widened as he realized what had just happened. In an instant, the arrogant pup had moved quickly, too quickly for even Byakuya to follow, and had appeared as if carried by magic in front of him, well inside his guard. Was it some special ability granted by the boy's bankai?

No... As he went through it in his mind, tracing the movements- the parts of it he had seen, at least- he realized it had to be speed. By compressing its power into a smaller, more agile form, the bankai had somehow transformed its user's raw power into absurd speed, as powerful an ability as a warrior could ask for.

The thrust, Byakuya realized as the seconds went on, wasn't coming. Content to have him at his mercy, the ryoka stared him down. Out of all things that plagued Byakuya's mind, fear of death was not one of them, and he would not be toyed with.

"What are you waiting for, coward?" he demanded, his tone low and calm. If this was the way he died, then so be it.

But to Byakuya's surprise- and relief, oddly enough- the point of the blade retracted, and the bastard pup took a few steps back. Byakuya's eyes narrowed. What arrogance!

"I ain't gonna jump you," said the pup stubbornly, holding his blade out at the ready. "You cut down my mother before my eyes, and you'd see your own sister dead for no reason at all. I'm gonna beat you with my own two hands, and when you're down in the dirt, you're going to know who beat you, sister-killer."

Unjust and illegal.

Involuntarily, one of Byakuya's eyebrows twitched at the mention of Rukia, and he fought the urge to lash out at the insolent cur.

"You will regret not cutting my throat there and then, half-breed," he said coldly. At his will, the billion pink blades surged forward like a tidal wave of razors, aiming to cut down the boy who had dared defy the law of the Gotei.

But the moment the billion blades came close, the bastard child moved out of the way, and even anticipating his speed, Byakuya's eyes could not follow it. Just in case, he let a portion of his blades wander close to his body in a defensive pattern, but the ryoka seemed to have no interest in attacking just yet. With spiteful ease, he moved out of every strike Byakuya sent his way, the tide unable to follow. Byakuya frowned. Lesser men might have felt frustrated, but Byakuya only saw a reason to try harder. Holding an arm up, he guided the blades directly, increasing their reaction speed. Surging out in wave after wave, his bankai struck at the ryoka. Although pressed more harshly, there was still no progress. Each time Byakuya had an angle to strike, each time he could almost feel the blades sinking into the arrogant cur's body and cutting him to ribbons, the little bastard would simply move out of the way. Feeling his choler rise, Byakuya forced himself calm, focusing to the best of his ability. It had been a long time, he had to admit, since he was forced to go this far; the Gotei had few enemies that dared challenge the might of its captains directly.

"Is that all, Kuchiki Byakuya?" the ryoka exclaimed, an insufferable tone of self-assuredness in his voice.

Byakuya felt distaste as the bastard sped up, his very movements turning him into a blur of black, circling around the pink bankai, its petals at a loss to catch its foe. This was the behaviour of a child, drunk with power- showing off an ability just because he could, not because it served a purpose. It was as unworthy of nobility as could be expected from a half-breed from that failure of a clan, the Shiba.

"I can go faster, still!" the ryoka insisted, and his speed increased. Despite himself, Byakuya felt, if not impressed, then at least concerned with the sheer speed and power of his opponent. The boy was a black streak, circling around his enemy with contemptuous ease.

But Byakuya knew what to expect. Simply running around forever would just be a drain on his strength, and only an utter fool would be so wasteful, with a power so new and untested. Simply chasing around like so to show off wouldn't last- no, he'd use it to attack. And when he did...

Byakuya caught the movement, a flicker in his eyes, and reacted on instinct within the blink of an eye, well before his mind had the opportunity to catch up. The young ryoka charged in from the side, blade held out for a hard sideways swing, and Byakuya brought his right arm up just in time, a million blades following his command, forming a barrier. The blade crashed into the wall of pink, and although its swing was strong, the pink razor blades acted like a cushion rather than a shield, each one slowing the strike down little by little. The swing took not a second to execute, and not a second to stop entirely.

Seizing the opportunity, Byakuya made a swift forward movement with his left arm, and a tide of pink surged forward. The ryoka reacted in time, and although the petals came close, he moved out of their strike, just barely. But this was not all. From above, where Byakuya had positioned thousands of blades in reserve, a second wave came down. There was a panicked expression on the ryoka's face as they came down, and Byakuya felt with satisfaction how many of the petals cut into his coat, reaching for his skin, his insides...

But at the last second, the half-breed went into an undignified roll, thrown to the ground but managing to get to his feet within a second, the brunt of Byakuya's blades evaded. Frustratedly, Byakuya pointed his arm again, feeling his millions and millions of blades almost close in around the bold and foolish ryoka. With impossible speed, the bastard raced away from the strike, and went into the same speed as before.

Byakuya resisted the urge to sigh, as he continued a chase he knew would be futile, the ryoka forced back to circling him again. Rather than begrudge himself this failure, he decided to analyse his opponent's skill set. He was faster, much faster, it seemed, when he had a wider arc of movement. Up close, without having gained momentum, his movements slowed. Whether that was due to the workings of his bankai's armoury of tricks, or whether it was for experience, Byakuya could not tell. It did not matter either. He was trying the pup's limits, testing him, something that had always been Byakuya's forte in combat. The bastard was quick, but less so in direct combat. Venturing into Byakuya's range to strike put him at risk; he literally had less than a second to strike, or the petals would come down on him. Although Byakuya could not catch him, the boy could not strike back without exposing himself. That was valuable information.

Tentatively, Byakuya withdrew his petals. There was no sense in wasting energy fighting him, knowing this. The one who had instigated this was the ryoka, after all, and he was bound to want to take the initiative. Chasing after him was to play his game.

"What's the matter, Kuchiki Byakuya?" the ryoka cried, halting at last. "Afraid?"

Byakuya did not dignify so simple a taunt with anything more than a dispassionate glance. Let him cry out. A true warrior knew the value of both defense and offense, and Byakuya had both plentifully. The ryoka would have to charge, and when he did... well, he had been surprised the last time. Inexperienced as he was, he might well be again. With these thoughts, Byakuya began rearranging Senbonzakura Kageyoshi, large portions of it moving behind him, rising up, whereas much of it still flittered around in the air in front of him.

The ryoka gave him an irritated glance. He was getting impatient, just as Byakuya could have hoped. Anticipating his movements, Byakuya began shifting the petals to the front of him into attack patterns, long tendrils of razor ready to cut his opponent to ribbon. He could not be allowed to come close too easily, or he might suspect a trap.

Just as Byakuya had expected, the ryoka finally charged, his speed taking him over and under the first two attack tendrils with ease. Splitting the rest up into a mass of pink, aimed at slowing him down, Byakuya directed his bankai to attack, while at the same time guiding more and more of the petals behind him further up into the air.

Come close. Try to kill me. Don't look up.

The ryoka charged, ably dodging and dashing through the storm of pink, at the cost of only a few scratches. Byakuya was ready, a lump of petals poised by his left arm. As the bastard closed in, Byakuya brought his arm up, catching a vicious vertical strike aimed at his head. Immediately, as the strike was blocked, the ryoka slipped into his super-powered shunpo, appearing behind Byakuya. Although the nobleman could not sense him quickly enough, in the split second it took, he had anticipated him to come in from behind. Byakuya spun around, the mass of pink once again forming to block the strike. It was close this time, a stab that raked against his side, only partly diverted by his defenses. At the same time, with his right hand, Byakuya had been organizing more petals to attack, and forty-thousand blades surged at the insolent half-breed. With the same tremendous speed, he evaded once more, but Byakuya was ready, his defense impenetrable. Wherever his foe appeared, Byakuya spun round to face him, defending and counter-attacking at the same time. His senses were at their peak, his blood racing and his heart pounding, displaying the natural talent that had made him the first scion of the Kuchiki, their brightest star. Pushed to his limits, in battle, Byakuya never broke.

He could sense his enemy's movements slowing but a little, and knew it would only be a matter of time. He would either have to retreat to collect himself, or eventually leave himself open to attack. Whether he did it sooner or later, those would be his only options.

Choosing retreat, the ryoka dashed back, relentlessly pursued. Inwardly, Byakuya felt a sense of triumph. This was the moment he had waited for. Above the hapless ryoka, a massive cloud of pink had gathered, ready to come down on him from every angle, like the sole of a boot coming down on an insect.

Too late the bastard saw it, and Byakuya guided his entire bankai to surround and strike. The boy's speed would not avail him now, not when there was no escape, not when he was completely surrounded, when the world itself was going a dark pink, blotting out the very sun.

Byakuya made a fist and brought his hand down, feeling a strong sense of satisfaction as almost all of his bankai closed in, the thick mass of blades creating an inescapable prison of death. It was no longer a fight. His trap sprung; this was now an execution. Within the second...

Byakuya's fists tightened with anger as it happened. Surrounded from every angle, but a second from being enveloped and physically destroyed, the bastard swung his blade with impossible speed. Byakuya could not see it with his eyes too well, but sensed it all the better. It was impossible to block millions and millions of blades, of course, but the boy had simply swung his blade hard and fast, a hundred times in a second, in arcs covering himself entirely, to create a massive shock wave. As his petals were blown away, Byakuya felt a mixture of anger and awe. It was brilliant thinking, if it had been thinking at all- although powerful, his petals were quite light, and a powerful enough shockwave could certainly disrupt them. The ryoka skipped back to safety, and Byakuya took a deep breath. The half-breed's death had been ensured. A feint had been set up, careful and perfectly executed, and his enemy still had the audacity to survive.

Suppressing his anger, Byakuya realized that this strategy wasn't going to work. His defences were too strong to be pierced, certainly, but his enemy was too powerful to be beaten by this form. Only if the battle went on for hours could he expect the difference in experience to really matter. All while Rukia was being carried further and further from the law...

Unjust and illegal.

The words struck him the moment his thoughts strayed to Rukia, Renji's accusatory words still ringing through his minds mercilessly. He could hear it still, the impassioned young officer chewing him out like he, Byakuya, were a child lectured by his grandfather. It wouldn't leave.

Unjust and illegal.

"Be quiet," he hissed under his breath. His eyes narrowing, he focused his gaze at his enemy. Drawing on a reservoir of hate, he pushed his thoughts of guilt aside. He had an enemy to destroy, after all. Destroy. Run his blade through that despicable half-breed bastard, feel his life's flame flicker and go out, his heart's blood pouring out on the ground as he rued the day he had dared to challenge Kuchiki Byakuya...

The fantasy was gratuitous, base and beneath him, but Byakuya didn't care. Whatever it took to let him go on, to forget about that voice.

"What's the matter, nobleman?" the ryoka said, taunting him. "I thought I was supposed to be dead by now."

"You are strong, indeed," said Byakuya, and only very few people could have noticed the small tremble in his voice. "So be it, then."

At his will, the petals rose into the air, two of them raking over his hand, drawing blood. The blood dripped to the ground, and the petals came aglow, their shape transforming before his eyes. Changed from the graceful mass of pink blades, they took the shape of a thousand swords, extending around himself and the half-breed in a massive dome, the swords slowly rotating around the both of them.

"What the hell?" the ryoka muttered, staring around, and Byakuya knew its subtlety and grace was lost on the simpleton.

"Senkei," Byakuya said simply, one blade speeding down, landing smoothly in his hand. "Witness a bankai mastered, Shiba. This is an ability I use only on those I am sworn to utterly destroy. Fear not; they do not all come down at once."

The ryoka's eyes narrowed, and stubbornly, he assumed a stance, making ready. Byakuya welcomed his defiance. Here, at the slaughterscape, he would give this vermin the comeuppance he deserved. Through his anger, through his hate, he felt like it would be... cathartic.

Wasting not another moment, Byakuya sped forward, a single shunpo closing the distance between himself and his opponent. His blade came down, and the ryoka, shocked by the speed of it, only barely managed to block. Within a second, Byakuya had struck a dozen times, pressing his enemy to the limit. Soon, the half-breed had come within a hair's breadth of dying dozens of times.

Here, Byakuya was in his element. In the art of swordplay, assiduously practiced from his early childhood, tempered and tried on the field of battle and mastered at the price of blood and pain, he was second only to the likes of Yamamoto or Kyoraku, and no upstart pup could hope to match him. Purging his mind, focusing entirely on the battle, the blade became like unto a sculptor's tool or an artist's brush. If only he knew! If only the half-breed fool knew what he had done, challenging a master!

Ichigo's mind was a thing of fervent focus, desperately working his body to its fullest. He was only barely keeping up with the captain now. As soon as the dome of blades had come down, he had... not gone berserk- calling the carefully ordered ballet of murder he was entangled with such a thing would be to do it a disservice- but he had... stepped up his game. He was faster, more controlled, and Ichigo felt deeply grateful for the harsh, sometimes cruel lessons of his aunt. There was no question here who was setting the pace, whose skill was greater. It was a miracle that Ichigo's defense hadn't broken yet, that some opening hadn't allowed the arrogant son of a bitch to slide his blade through Ichigo's gut.

The two dashed back and forth, distancing and closing at the blink of an eye, and although Ichigo knew this should favour him, somehow it wasn't. Somehow, the captain had matched his speed. No matter how hard Ichigo tried, he couldn't get the drop on him, couldn't flank him, couldn't come in from behind. Each time, the captain was ready, his guard up.

In a fight like this, Ichigo knew it wouldn't go his way, not in the long term. His reiatsu control was worse, for one, and although he was at least as powerful as the captain, a longer struggle would exhaust him. Even now, he could feel his muscles protesting the harsh, fast movements occupying their every second of use.

More importantly, in a struggle against a much, much more experienced sword user, the beginner was bound to lose, sooner or later. Eventually he'd make a mistake, and pay for it. If it wasn't over when that happened, then it would just add to his enemy's advantage.

Don't let your enemy control the pace of the battle. If he does, you're bound to lose. Play to your strengths. Mitigate your weaknesses.

His sensei's words echoed through his head as he dashed back yet another time, once more a hair's breadth from being gutted like a fish by a rapid thrust from Byakuya's blade. Where once the words had been soothing to remember, now they filled him with frustration. No matter how he tried, he found no chinks in his enemy's armour. No matter how he tried, he could only keep up, not go ahead. No matter how he tried to run, his enemy was always fast enough. He was doing his utmost, or he'd already be dead, and it wasn't enough. Like Sisyphus on his hill, Ichigo pushed and pushed to no avail.

Byakuya was just that good.

That was no cause to give up. No matter what, he could not back down, could not flee. Not just for pride, for what he believed in, but for the fact that if he did, he would die and that was that. At least he was giving the jackass a hell of a run for his money.

Byakuya feinted low, moving his sword as if to cut Ichigo's ankle, but Ichigo saw through the ruse and brought his blade up just in time to counter a sideways slash, aimed for his kidney. The captain stubbornly pushed, Ichigo taking a step back and pushing back. Their blades were locked, and just momentarily, there was a second to think.

"I thought you got faster, you asshole," he hissed, his breath ragged, "but that's not the truth, is it? It's me that got slower."

"How perceptive of you," the nobleman said indifferently. "My movements have become more precise, more accurate here in this dome, whereas yours have slowed. Your form is sloppy, careless, and wasteful. It is no wonder, and it is why you will die."

"I wouldn't count my chickens yet, jackass," Ichigo said stubbornly, shoving the nobleman back. He recovered flawlessly, immediately launching into another set of rapid attacks. Ichigo could feel the burn of his muscles groaning in protest, and knew that although he could keep going for some time, this pace wasn't something he could keep up indefinitely.

Byakuya felt a sense of irritation. Despite his gaining the upper hand, the bastard was so far too fast, too good with a blade to easily dispatch. He had found some openings, but none he'd had time to exploit. The mere fact that a pup like this was able to keep up, here in the slaughterscape, Byakuya's own killing ground- keep up with him, captain and elite of the Gotei, master with a blade, was extraordinary.

But, rather than focus on his frustration that an inferior would give him so much trouble, Byakuya thought of another approach. He had expected to overwhelm his enemy by now; the cur's reiatsu usage was poor and he wasted too much energy with each swing, but he had enough of it to keep going, and his swordplay was... decent, decent enough to not be easily pierced. To do the same thing over and over and expect a different outcome was insanity, and Byakuya was not insane.

Unjust and illegal.

"Shut up," Byakuya muttered under his breath.

Putting some distance between himself and his opponent, he loosened his left hand from the hilt of his blade, and quickly began muttering an incantation under his breath.

Ichigo was surprised to see Byakuya speed back, but there was no time to think about it. He was tiring, himself, and perhaps his enemy was, too. Perhaps he was looking for a new avenue of attack. Either way, Ichigo was not keen to let him be. Clutching Tensa Zangetsu firmly in both hands, he charged forward, covering the distance between them in the blink of an eye, bringing his longsword down on the captain with furious might. Byakuya parried, and Ichigo was surprised to see his blade pushing down, overpowering the captain. Senbonzakura was being pushed down, Ichigo's blade cutting through the fabric of the captain's shihakusho, coming dangerously close to cutting into his shoulder.

Then he heard the crackle of energy, and realized that Byakuya was holding on to his blade with only one hand. Ichigo looked down, and saw Byakuya's other hand, blue with kido energy, surging around his fingers.

"Hado eleven: Tsuzuri Raiden," Byakuya said. He thrust his hand up, and Ichigo gaped. Surely, he wouldn't fire it point blank? The spell would do almost as much damage to himself as to Ichigo-

Then Byakuya put his hand onto the back of his own blade, and the energy pulsated down the length of the sword, carrying over straight into Ichigo's. The discharge of electricity struck him in full force, running through his body in a microsecond. It hurt; it was like every square inch of his body was on fire. It took only a second to pass, but the pain didn't. Quite literally stunned, Ichigo stumbled back, his body jerking and spasming out of control. As Ichigo stumbled, somehow managing to remain on his feet, he saw Byakuya hold his blade down and to the right, calmly making ready for a strike. Within a second, he would hit, and Ichigo could barely even stand.

Move! Move, damn it!

As if in slow motion, he saw Byakuya strike, a smooth, horizontal cut aimed for Ichigo's neck. He could see it before him, the blade shearing through his vertebrae, severing his head from his shoulders...

MOVE!

Still reeling, still out of control, Ichigo managed to put a foot down and push back, thrusting his stunned body back just enough, just in time. He felt the sting as Byakuya's blade raked across his chest, cutting across the very top of his arms, leaving a bleeding mark of red in its wake. Still stumbling, nearly losing his balance, Ichigo felt his body returning to control. Grasping his blade firmly, staggering back another step, he made ready to recover. But, Byakuya would offer him no respite. Just as soon as his strike had missed, he raised the palm of his off-hand and urgently said,

"Hado one: Shou!"

Almost point blank, the spell couldn't miss. Ichigo was hit by the spell's full force, the kido striking him in the chest like the kick of a stallion, and he was lifted off his feet. He wasn't thrown far, landing on his back just a feet back, but he knew that only meant his enemy was all that much closer. As he focused his gaze, he saw what he had expected. Byakuya, sword held in both hands, making ready to strike again. Desperately, Ichigo lashed out with one hand, somehow managing to bat the nobleman's strike aside, earning a sharp gash across his right forearm for his troubles. Without even thinking, knowing that he was at the very edge of death, Ichigo parried as best he could. It was hard, unsustainable even. Not only was he on the ground, unable to move around or dodge, but this close, the length of Tensa Zangetsu's blade was awkward and hard to handle, whereas Byakuya had all the freedom in the world.

However, after Ichigo had parried four strikes, it seemed the captain was not yet satisfied. He brought his blade down, locking it against Ichigo's, and for a moment Ichigo feared he would strike him with another kido. But instead, Byakuya extended his off-hand, and another blade from the dome flew toward it, smoothly landing in its master's grip. Ichigo had no time to react as Byakuya thrust forward, his second blade sliding through Ichigo's guard with ease, just beneath his solar plexus. He gasped as the sharp length of steel ran through him more than halfway through, pinning him to the ground like an insect on a needle. Ichigo let out a loud groan, somewhere in between a cry and a gurgle, and spat blood. Byakuya let go of the second blade, took his sword in both hands, and took a step back. He raised his blade, assuming a stance, and Ichigo felt like a death row inmate facing his executioner.

"Well fought, bastard," Byakuya said simply, as he raised the sword over his head, the tip reaching its apex.

No!

No, not like this! He couldn't die like this! Not after all this, not with everything hinging on this, not with all the people depending on him!

Among human beings, the will to live is one of the strongest, most powerful instincts, a biological prime directive surpassed only by the will to protect one's own. Brought to the brink of death, as a shinigami, Ichigo was no different. Lashing out one last time, drawing on power he didn't know he had, he gathered his strength in but a second, the reiatsu building up in his blade. Lashing out with panicked ferocity, he swung Tensa Zangetsu, unleashing a Getsuga Tenshou almost point-blank.

The sheer, raw power behind the strike was tremendous, and it was only Byakuya's sharp reflexes and experience that saved him from being bisected. Jumping back at the last second, the shockwave of the blast tore his scarf and broke the kenseikan on his head. The Getsuga soared into the air, breaking through the dome, and as it passed, they both fleetingly noticed it.

The crescent moon was black...

A bit shocked, Byakuya took a step back, and Ichigo took the opportunity to grab the blade still pinning him to the ground. It hurt to touch, and he cut his fingers doing it, but Ichigo was beyond pain, his only focus being to stay alive, and he grabbed the sword with his off-hand. Under the pressure, the blade cracked and dissolved, and a thick mass of blood welled up. Light-headed and astonished to still be alive, Ichigo forced himself to his feet, breathing heavily. His arms moving slowly, sluggishly, he took hold of his blade, and assumed a stance.

Byakuya's eyes narrowed, and he thrust his palm forward. Knowing what was to come, Ichigo raised his blade, and as the cry of 'Shou' came, he struck the spell before it could impact, batting it aside. Byakuya was unperturbed, charging forward once more.

Somewhere in Ichigo's mind, it registered that he wasn't going to win. He was hurt, badly, and although the captain had tired, he was not wounded and Ichigo was. The bleak reality was staring him in the face.

Well, screw reality. You gave it all you got and then some before you called it quits, and that was that. Weary and weak, he brought his blade up, but he was slow. He managed to parry one, two, three, four strikes, but the moment he attempted an attack of his own, the nobleman easily side-stepped, held up his blade, and took one simple step forward while thrusting his blade directly ahead. Like it had pierced water, the full length of his blade ran into Ichigo's chest.

His eyes widened, and he gasped. This... it couldn't be...

"Tenacious, I will grant you that," Byakuya said impassively, "and perniciously determined. But this is the end, Shiba half-breed."

He pulled his blade out in one swift motion, and the shock of it nearly knocked Ichigo off his feet. He could barely stand. He staggered back, his arms feeling too heavy to lift, and he felt like he would drop his sword any moment now. Byakuya stood ready, assuming a stance. All that was left was the coup de grâce.

Is that really all you got, Ichigo?

What?

You're pathetic. You don't deserve this body.

Just as he was ready to raise his blade one final time, to be done with this once and for all, something gave Byakuya pause. Something about the beaten, half-dead half-breed... changed. There was a surge of power, quite unlike his normal energy, and he stood upright, where a second ago he had been slumped over, barely standing. The proud nobleman in Byakuya wanted to charge in and end him right away, but the soldier in him cautioned him not to. He had fought enough battles to know that recklessness had been the death of many good men, and could well be the death of him, too.

It was the energy. The half-breed had felt every bit like a shinigami, rough, untrained and inefficient, but a shinigami nonetheless. But this... his signature was something foul now, something different altogether.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

"Who knows?"

The voice was shrill and twisted, sounding like several voices added over each other, echoing across the slaughterscape in a manner that sent chills down Byakuya's spine. Before his eyes, a mass of white began to take shape at the right side of the boy's forehead. Byakuya took a deep breath as it took form, growing larger. It was growing at a slow, lackadaisical pace, but as it covered a quarter of the half-breed's face, there was no mistaking it. One eye glowing yellow, two lines of red over chalk-white bone...

Byakuya knew no fear. But even so, the sight of it chilled him. A hollow. A hollow, in the form of a shinigami. Unbidden, a memory from long ago came, of shinigami turned into something vile and wrong in blasphemous experiments...

"Heresy!" he hissed, taking a step back, holding his sword at the ready. "This is a cancer on the world itself. You befoul the very ground you walk on, monster!"

"You shinigami are all the same," the voice said, and it was clear to Byakuya this was not the bastard Shiba speaking; even without the chilling echo the voice carried with it, he spoke like a whole other person. His sword arm had grown pale white, as white as the mask itself, and the mask was ever growing, now slowly forming a jaw. The eye that wasn't covered by the half-shaped mask was pitch black, and leered at him with twisted glee.

"You're all too busy admiring the smell of your own shit to see how weak you really are."

"Monster-" Byakuya began, but the abomination didn't let him finish.

"Lemme show ya how it's done!" it shrieked, and charged forward with blinding speed. Byakuya parried, but the sheer force of it sent him flying, and only his veteran's reflexes saved him from toppling onto his back. Landing on his feet, he found the creature having closed the distance already, striking at him with furious abandon. The creature lacked the half-breed's skill, seeming not to care about whatever openings it left, but it struck with a raw power that left Byakuya reeling with each strike. It was like fighting the Kenpachi- except for all his faults, Zaraki Kenpachi was at least a shinigami. Byakuya could feel the pain in his arms with each blow parried, and knew this could not go on. Such strength could potentially end him in just the one blow. He was Kuchiki Byakuya, master swordsman and captain, and to slay the abominable in the name of the Gotei was his charge. Dodging under a much-too-wide swing, he surged forward, thrusting his blade forward with all his strength. There was resistance, heavy resistance, as if the skin itself was armour, but Byakuya grunted and put his back into it, sliding his blade into the monster's midsection almost to the hilt. For good measure, he twisted the blade outward, ripping it free, leaving a gaping wound running through almost half of the creature's torso.

Such a monstrous injury would have given all but the most powerful of enemies pause, but the creature barely seemed to register it. Lashing out with one arm, it seized Byakuya's sword arm by the wrist, and let out a short cackle. Byakuya's eyes widened.

"Ya call that little love-tap a hit, punk?" it said gleefully, and to Byakuya's horror, the wound- bleeding black- began to close up. "I told ya... you shinigami are weak!"

It jerked Byakuya's arm to the side, and Byakuya's off-hand lost its grip on the weapon, leaving him wide open. In one powerful swing, the creature cut him from shoulder to hip, tearing through fabric, skin, and muscle, cutting down to the very bone. Shocked with pain, Byakuya staggered back, the creature letting go of his arm. Byakuya lost hold of his blade, barely standing up on his feet. The creature cocked its head, the mask still growing, now covering more than half of the half-breed's face, and looked at him with amusement, like a cat staring down a mouse.

"Good blade, this," it said, giving Tensa Zangetsu a whack through the air, "but even that considered, just the one hit, and you're all but done? All that big talk, and you're nothing but a spoiled brat, aren't you?"

Byakuya's eyes narrowed, the insult to his pride lending him some focus. Pointing his finger, he cried, "Bakudo sixty-one: Rikujokoro!"

Instantly, six rods of light closed around the monster. The spell was weak, Byakuya's focus being all but broken, but nevertheless held it in place.

"Pssht," it said, and to Byakuya's horror, moved its arm, albeit slowly, and closed one hand around one of the bars of light. It squeezed, and the bar broke. "Ya think that'll hold me?"

Ignoring the pain as he moved, Byakuya took one step of shunpo back, putting distance between himself and the creature. He extended his hand, willing another blade into his hand, and made ready. The monster had already crushed another bar, its hand reaching for a third. He had only seconds to act.

He breathed in heavily. His shihakusho was becoming slick with blood, and he knew the injury he had taken would, on top of the exhaustion of fighting like he had for so long, soon take its toll. But, a creature like this... whatever it was, he could not allow it to roam freely. Where once his mind had been set on a single-minded determination to punish the insolence of a half-breed, it now changed. This was a monster, and it could not be allowed to exist. Forget the half-breed, forget his own life- this could not stand, no matter the cost.

It came to him. There was one thing, just one thing he could do, despite his injuries...

First things first. He had to gain time. With only half of the bars to go, the monster would soon charge again; in fact, Byakuya wondered if it wasn't taking longer than it had to out of confidence of its supremacy. Focusing his mind through the pain and confusion, he began muttering an incantation under his breath. This would require focus and perfect timing, or he would have no chance to execute this.

The last bar finally snapped, and with a triumphant shriek, the abomination charged. At the last second, incantation finally completed, Byakuya pointed his off-hand, and cried, "Bakudo sixty-three: Sajou Sabaku!"

From his fingers extended a set of glowing, golden chains, made especially to restrain the powerful, executed to perfection. His heart skipped a beat, as he wondered if it would be too late, if the beast would simply charge through them and cut his heart out-

But the chains hit home, wrapping around the chest and legs of the monster, who tripped and fell.

"Ya think this'll do it?" it cried defiantly, sounding more amused than angered. "This just slows me down. Yer getting desperate, shinigami. Shitting your breeches yet?!"

Byakuya took a deep breath. It would take the creature longer to break out of this. Normally, he would have considered simply striking it when it was down, but injured as he was, tired and weakened, he couldn't be sure it would even work, especially given how resilient the thing was.

"Foul are our foes and long is the night. Dawn looms far off, but hope lingers," he began.

The spell was forbidden. It had been developed by the kido corps over a century ago, specifically to destroy hollows too powerful to easily contain, but it had been placed under specific restriction never to be used, because its discharge was so powerful that it destroyed energy, rather than purifying it, opposite to the shinigami mission of redeeming hollows through the purification of a zanpakutou. It was cumbersome, it was difficult to execute, and few bothered to learn it, finding the natural abilities of their blade more efficient, but here and now, Byakuya could not care less about its status. He was well past choices, well past caring about rules, his mind filled only with the determination to destroy the evil before him.

"Vast is the sea of darkness, and the world trembles. The serpent swallows the world, the wolf howls, and the last candle flickers in the wind. We the few stand like a bulwark against the impossible, facing our deaths. The shadows close and the end is nigh, but the warrior does not flinch; he raises his blade in defiance."

The monster flexed its muscles, and one chain burst. Wobbling a little, it stood up. Its arms and chest was bulging; it was putting every ounce of its unnatural strength into breaking free now. It wouldn't be long before it was too late. But, the incantation had to finish. He had to say every last word, stressed just right, until the spell was complete. He either launched this spell, or died. Byakuya staked his very life on this.

"Dawn closes, and as the sun rises, darkness must flee. Heroes stand victorious, wounded but unbroken, mourning the loss of their comrades but rejoicing in the victory their sacrifice hath bought."

The monster ripped an arm free, the chains creaking and groaning under its strength. Feeling a great sense of urgency, Byakuya forced himself to remain calm, mouthing the words as quickly as he could.

"The ray of light illuminates the battlefield, bathing the carnage in its splendour,"

The beast broke free at last, shattering the last chain, and with a gleeful cry, it surged forward, holding Tensa Zangetsu like a club, ready to strike one last time.

"Victory left the valorous dead, but life carries on. Hado eighty-nine: Ten Jouka Suru!"

Around Byakuya's left arm, a bright light had begun to shine, and it took shape into a luminescent orb before him. For a second, he thought it would be too late, that the hollow had gotten too close, that the spell was imperfect... but then, as the blade came down, the creature slowed. Tendrils of light extended from the orb, which wrapped around the monster like vines, rooting themselves in the ground and paralysing the monster where it stood.

"Another spell?" the creature sneered. "You think this will hold me, weakling?"

"It will not," Byakuya said calmly, inwardly breathing a sigh of relief. "Heavenly Cleanse: release."

The spell discharged, and although its energies were harmless to Byakuya, it struck the abomination with the force of a thunderbolt. There was no sound, but the explosion was visible all the same. The dome of the slaughterscape was bathed in radiant light, and the monster screamed, a long, inhuman cry of panic and pain. The light retracted, the vines along with it, and it shrunk down to an orb no larger than Byakuya's eye. It glowed faintly, then exploded, sending a final shower of light across the ground. The skin on the half-breed began to return to its normal colour, and the hollow mask began to fade away, blown aside like dust in the wind.

It was by no means perfect. Byakuya was surprised he had even remembered the incantation. Wounded, tired, and worn, it had been sloppy and imperfect, but it had done enough. The creature staggered back, writhing and twisting with intense pain. Byakuya felt like falling over, finally passing out and embracing oblivion, but his duty was not yet done. Slowly, he took hold of his blade with both hands. He surged forward.

To his shock, the creature blocked his strike. Although still reeling from the shock of the purifying spell, there was something instinctual and raw in it, keeping it alive. Its mask was not gone, still covering almost a quarter of the half-breed's face.

"Ya thought it would be that easy?" it hissed, and pushed back, launching into a set of wild strikes, even more careless than before. Byakuya was hard pressed to do more than defend; the spell had consumed more than a little of his own energy, and he was on his last legs now. Just maintaining bankai was straining him to the very edge of his capacity.

Ragged, in pain but persistent, the monster kept on going. Ignoring a cut to its shoulder, it slammed into Byakuya's chest, sending the nobleman staggering back. With a vicious cut to follow up, it stabbed into his shoulder, before its off-hand struck Byakuya in the face. He took another step back, well aware that his guard was down. One more strike would take his head off. This... would be it. Kuchiki Byakuya, slain in battle against the enemies of the Gotei, may he rest in peace...

It wasn't an unattractive thought.

But then, as Byakuya looked up, determined to at least face the thing that would slay him, suddenly the creature's left hand surged up. The hand seized the mask, what little remained of it, and tugged.

"No!" the creature cried. "No, stop! We're winning, damn it! Don't- don't do this!"

"You're interfering. He's mine."

It had spoken again, but the voice... the voice belonged to the half-breed.

"No! NO!" cried the monster. It let out a final shriek as the hand tugged and tugged, inexorably pulling the mask loose. As it came off the bastard's face, it shattered into nothingness. Standing before him, as wobbly on his feet as Byakuya, looking just as exhausted, was the bastard Shiba once again. Byakuya would have tried to wrap his mind around the situation if he hadn't been so weary, but by the energy emanating off of him, it was clear he was shinigami once more. The entity, whatever it had been, was gone.

"Son of a bitch..." the boy muttered, and took his sword by both hands. "You ready to settle this, Kuchiki Byakuya?"

Byakuya nodded. Around him the bankai came aglow once more, the thousand blades dissipating, turning into raw energy, and taking shape around him.

"I have little left in me," he said neutrally. "The next blow will decide everything."

The boy nodded. "Works for me. I'm not doing so well either."

Around Byakuya, the last form of his bankai came to be. From his back, the shape of two majestic, white wings took shape, a white halo standing up from behind his shoulders, framing his head. He held one sword, one final blade, glowing white.

"Shukei: Hakuteiken," he said. To the ryoka, it would look rather a lot like a bird, noble and proud. How long had it been since he had last used this? Would he ever have imagined using it against what he had thought to be plebeian rabble? The world was a strange place, stranger than even he could have imagined, and amidst the pain and weariness, Byakuya felt humbled.

The half-breed's blade thrummed with power as he charged it with energy, forming an attack of his own. Darker than Byakuya's own, his energy stood ready to clash with Byakuya's. After all this, it would come down to just one strike, to who was stronger...

Raising his blade, Byakuya let out a quiet cry, and charged forward. The bastard Shiba was not slow to do the same, and they ran toward each other, blades raised. The world seemed to slow down as they closed. To fight, to strike, to win; nothing else was in either of their minds.

The clash could be felt for miles as they struck each other, an explosion of brightness flashing against an aura of darkness, black and white intermingling and struggling against one another. It felt like an eternity to either one of them, but before they knew it, they had passed each other, both standing upright.

Then, Byakuya stumbled, sinking to one knee, then down to both. Blood flowed from a fresh wound in his side. Somehow... somehow, without him realizing how, he had lost.

Behind him, Ichigo stumbled, blood flowing from a fresh cut in his shoulder, but through sheer force of will he remained upright. Slowly, each motion shooting a spike of pain through his body, he turned to face Byakuya, slowly walking toward his beaten opponent.

Byakuya had lost his sword. It was on the ground, broken in half. The bankai was gone, its power lost to his weariness and weakness. He wanted to reach out and take it, to feel the reassuring, comforting sense of its hilt in his hand, but found he could not move his hand, could not move his arm, could not move at all. Simply standing on his knees was all he could manage. As his enemy came into view, he realized that this was how he would die. In battle... in battle, not to his own blade to atone for his failures. It was as good a gift as he could have asked for.

"You... fought well," he said, his voice weak and raspy from the pain and blood loss.

"You, too," Ichigo said. He stumbled, just barely keeping himself upright by using his blade like a cane.

"I hurt your mother," Byakuya said slowly, "and although I did not do so out of spite, but as a soldier, please accept my apologies. You are... quite a warrior, young Shiba."

"I, uh... thanks," Ichigo muttered, sounding a bit surprised.

"I understand your position, Shiba," he said quietly, "and your loyalty to Rukia reflects well on your character."

"Then why are you trying to kill her?" Ichigo snapped.

"Because... we are the Kuchiki," Byakuya said, wincing a little at the thought of his sister, "the foremost of all. If we do not obey the law... who should?"

Ichigo shook his head.

"Do as you must," Byakuya said, and mustering the last of his energy, he raised his head to look Ichigo in the eyes.

"Uh..." Ichigo muttered. "You mean..."

"I do not fear death, not do I expect mercy. Do then as you see fit," Byakuya insisted.

"I..." Ichigo said, and took hold of his blade, raising it up a little. Byakuya took a deep breath. This was it, then. This was his doom at last. Ichigo raised his blade a little, and Byakuya looked at him sharply. Let it be, then. He had his regrets, but he was at peace. This was his end.

"LIKE HELL!" Ichigo snapped, and Byakuya blinked out of surprise.

"Like hell I'll kill somebody on his knees and beaten," Ichigo snarled. "Can you imagine how awkward that would be to explain to Rukia? 'Hey, I saved your life. Also, I killed your brother'? No. Hell no."

"Do you mock me-" Byakuya started, but Ichigo grabbed him by the collar of his shirt with his free hand, and pulled him up closer.

"Like hell you get the easy way out, you idiot," he said angrily. "You're going to live and you're going to make this right with Rukia. It's not your time yet, not by my hands, do you hear me? You're going to get well and then you're going to get on your knees, just like now, and you're going to beg her forgiveness. Do you hear me?!"

"I..." Byakuya said.

However, any response he would have had was cut short. Roaring across the sky was a voice, magically enhanced, booming out to be heard by each and all.

"Everyone, listen! Urgent message going out, priority one! This is Vice-Captain Kotetsu Isane, acting under the authority and instruction of Captain Unohana Retsu. The following is unbelievable, yet true. Aizen Sousuke, Captain of Fifth, is alive, and has murdered every member of the Central Forty-Six in secret, and has controlled every directive they have given for at least two weeks. He is a traitor and a murderer. Why or to what end is unknown. Let it be known that we have all been played for fools!"

Byakuya gaped. Ichigo sighed, and said, "Well, I guess the cat's finally out of the bag, then."

Somewhere, Aizen Sousuke smiled.

Well, that was quite the fight wasn't it? Going about it in a way that kept all of the great moments but still giving it a unique edge was not an easy task. I had a lot of idea's that we didn't use, and that's probably for the best. No need to overcomplicate what's already amazing after all.

Simply adding more kido, as well as Byakuya's internal struggle seem like more than enough to me. You can all thank Greatkingrat88 for the fight coming off as well as it did.

Next time comes a chapter ive waited for ever since this story was beginning. Aizen's betrayal. It's going to be not only be a blast, but its also going to be the chapter where from now on things start to get more different than cannon.

Regardless, I hope yo were all entertained. Please let me know how much you enjoyed our interpretation of the fight in a review, or if you felt like if we could have done better. ANY feedback is welcome and wanted. It helps us grow as writers.

Hopefully, with this chapter, and the following, we can finally reach our goal of 1000 reviews.

Thanks for reading.