Grudge match: Ichigo vs Renji


The lieutenant meeting, mostly silent, stared in shock and surprise at the revelations Iemura Yasochika had just given to those gathered, Kira Izuru, Matsumoto Rangiku, Hinamori Momo, Shūhei Hisaki and Abarai Renji all stood in total shock.

The first to speak being Kira.

"Squad eleven!?" following that was Momo crying "No!?" then Hisagi spoke

"How can these ryoka inflict this much damage so quickly?"

"That's not all" looking to the Yasochika as he read another report, he spoke with alarm.

"One of the Ryoka unleashed a beast of some sort into the Seireitei, it's currently making a straight path of destruction towards the Senzaikyū"

"We've confirmed four Ryoka so far, one of them taking one of my squad members hostage, and they are advancing towards this direction alongside the beast" following that was small talk as Abarai Renji's eyes hardened at finally recognising a certain Reiatsu. Looking to a window he narrowed his eyes before slipping away.

"Things are getting crazy, huh. Renji?" failing to hear Momo, Renji simply ran straight towards the reiatsu he locked onto.


The base of the white tower was silent with not a soul present, the silence however was cut short by the sound of creaking before a grate popped open to show Hanataro looking left to right before he exited the grate.

"Coast is clear, you can come out" reaching down into the grate, Ichigo reached up to grab the offered help as he pulled himself out, setting his cane down he stood up fully before picking it up, rolling his right shoulder while admiring the scenery, looking to the white tower, Hanataro spoke.

"Sorry we couldn't get closer since the canals weren't built as a, well, you know" watching Ichigo look around, he noticed the tower before them with Yamada pointing to it with a soft voice.

"That's where Rukia is being held" making a move to approach the steps, ichigo stopped with his body tensed up with Yamada stopping at a hand being raised towards him.

"What is it, Kurosaki-san?" turning to the medic with a hand to his mouth for a "Shh".

Ichigo looked forward again before waving Yamada away.

"Go, someone's approaching" standing calmly as Yamada did as requested, ichigo stood calmly as a cloud of smoke rose suddenly before a familiar red head stood at the base of the stairs.

"It's been a long time" watching Abarai Renji reach for his fancy shades, Ichigo held his Cane tightly in the middle as he stared at the man who gave him a grievance of wounds on there first meeting.

"Do you remember me?" staring at his opponent, Ichigo spoke.

"Abarai Renji, yeah, it has been a while" seeing the red head show a look of surprise, he hid it as he stepped towards him calmly.

"I see you do remember me, Excellent" smirking at seeing Ichigo supposedly weaponless, He spoke smugly.

"And it seems you're big knife is gone too, you're even using a walking stick to move I see" staring at ichigo's Cane, the red head narrowed his eyes at it's artistic design before looking to ichigo wih a serious expression.

"I'm surprised that Captain Kuchiki didn't kill you that night" stepping forward to Renji in kind, ichigo glared back at Renji who quickened his pace.

"My compliments, but I don't know how you survived, but…" unsheathing his Zanpakutō, Renji spoke with a fiercer edge to his words.

"It ends here!" rushing to one another, Renji spoke with anger evident in his words.

"Didn't I tell you. That I'd kill who took Rukia's Shinigami powers from her. As long as you live, they wont return to her!" rushing at the man who had the gall to call him the villain, ichigo's eyes glowed a deep purple as he swung his cane down onto Renji's Zanpakutō.

RISE (ft. The Glitch Mob, Mako, and The Word Alive)

Surprising Renji at the cane's undamaged state, he noticed movement to his right to stare at the maw of fangs.

Ducking and leaping away in alarm, he stared at Shadow who circled around him as Ichigo glared at him, showing his eyes a deep purple that surrounded Shadow, followed by Griffin who also glowed.

Staring at the sight, Renji spoke.

"SO that's what happened to you're Zanpakutō. It evolved" staring as Ichigo stood his ground, Renji was about to goad him into attacking until he heard crumbling.

Looking to a wall, it exploded outward with a guttural groan echoing, turning back to Ichigo who had a dark smirk, it was now that Renji noticed his snow white hair.

Looking behind him as a large lumbering beast approached Ichigo, it's lone eye stared at him with indifference.

"It did more than evolve, Abarai" staring at the beast of destruction a sit melted into the ground with the last of it's energy used up, Ichigo's orange hair returned with his smile turning to a serious frown.

"It allowed my true powers to manifest" moving to step forward, Ichigo vanished with Abarai bringing his own Zanpakuto up in time to block a Wakizashi.

Shoving Ichigo back, he was forced to avoid a lightning strike from griffin, sooner followed by Shadow whose entire body morphed into a Venus flytrap that lunged towards him, forcing him back against a wall as Ichigo approached, seeing Griffin go for a Dive towards him Renji deflected him back towards ichigo who leaped up to grab Griffin's feet, leaving them spinning from the blow before Ichigo was sent flying towards Renji who widened his eyes as he blocked the Cane's end directed towards his chest.

Leaving the two at a stalemate as Shadow awaited his chance to attack alongside Griffin.

"Tell me… how do you expect to save Rukia?" staring at Ichigo's focused gaze, the teen spoke.

"What do you mean how?"

"Even if you defeat me, there are eleven more assistant captains… And thirteen captains to deal with." Staring calmly towards Ichigo who stared at him with narrowed eyes of conviction.

"if you truly want to save her, you'll have to defeat us all. Do you really believe you have a chance!?" giving a sneer as he pushed Abarai further back, he spoke.

"I owe her my life, without her my family would be dead if not for her" letting his mind flash to a smiling Yuzu and Karin, Ichigo's body glowed with purple reiatsu.

"Even if more of you come, they will fall like them all. This Debt I will pay with my own life if I have to. SHE GAVE ME HOPE WHEN ALL SEEMED LOST!" moving closer to renji's widened eyes, Ichigo spoke with determination set in stone.

"If I die here, then I'll get back up like last time" staring at Ichigo with a stern glance, Renji spoke.

"Where does this Bravado come from, such resolve to pay a debt you don't even need to worry about, Hope? You may have escaped death several times, but don't delude yourself" watching the purple reiatsu rise off of Ichigo's being.

"You're Zanpakutō may have changed but, don't let that make you think, that makes you stronger!" with that, Ichigo was sent flying to Shadow and Griffin, allowing Renji to unleash his Zanpakutō.

"Howl, Zabimaru!" seeing the segmented blades stretch towards him, Ichigo brought his Cane up to block it, only to be sent back into a wall. And through it.

Allowing Renji to recall his weapon as Shadow and Griffin tensed up.

"So, you thought you knew me because we fought before, eh?" reuniting the swords segments together, Renji continued.

"But I'll let you in on a little secret. Those of Assistant captain or higher ranks, whenever they go into the land of the living, have their power suppressed to avoid influencing those living" stopping to stare at the two animals as they stood on the defense.

"Which means, here, I am five times stronger than our first encounter. No matter how stronger you've gotten, you're still no match for me" smirking at the crumbling wall before him, turning to end the animals, he stopped at Ichigo's voice calling out to him.

"That didn't even faze me" turning to see Ichigo stepping out of the wall, he sported a bleeding gash on the right side of his head.

Standing calmly while motioning for Shadow and Griffin to his side, Renji stared at the trio with a frown.

"enough with you're ego, you look more hurt then you say you do," rushing to ichigo with Zabimaru elongating with it's segments, ichigo's eyes widened at seeing the blade fly towards him.

"SO I'M FINISHING THIS!" swinging his weapon down, Ichigo leaped to the right with griffin lifting him up to the roof as the building behind him collapsed, dropping Ichigo the trio moved away with Renji jumping after them, directing Shadow, the jaguar's head stretched to Renji like a whip, startling him into action, the two were sent into a match of strikes with Shadow affectively deflecting the blades from ichigo who stood focused.

Seeing Shadow jump to avoid a low sweep, Renji was given an opening towards Ichigo who brought his weapon up to block with his cane only to watch in alarm as it struck Griffin, turning him into twitching Reiatsu that returned to his tattoo's.

Ducking under a swing from the blades, Shadow joined his side with a roar as he once more swung it's head at Renji.

"You're one pet DOWN!" swinging his weapon at Ichigo, Shadow morphed his right arm into an array of claws to block the strike, sending them both through a wall.

Moving to get up, Shadow gave a pained growl as it limped on it's right paw.

Turning to see Renji panting, he spoke.

"You really do want to save Rukia!?"

"I don't want to save her, I'm going to save her!" seeing Renii scowl, he swung Zabimaru down onto Ichigo's shoulder, causing him to lose focus on keeping Shadow out to fight.

"Silence!"

"You condemned Rukia, because you took her powers!" feeling himself sent into the wall once more, blood was flowing from his shoulders from the strikes he sustained.

"Don't you realise that!. Rukia is going to die because of you!. You have the audacity to show you're face here and say you're here to save her. IT'S ALL YOUR FUALT!" feeling another strike to his being, Ichigo stood there with pain raking his entirety, the blood flowing from him now.

Clenching his hands tightly, he spoke.

"I know. I know that Rukia was sentenced to death because of me." Glaring at Renji who glared back, Ichigo gave a roar.

"THAT'S WHY I CAME HERE TO SAVE HER!" backhanding the coming strike from Zabimaru, time slowed as he watched the segments realign on Renji's hilt, scowling as it finished, he sent it towards Ichigo once more.

'You fool… you let me study you too much' smiling slightly at figuring out Abarai Renji's attack pattern he rushed forward, thanking Yoruichi's teachings.

'One'

Watching as the attack approached, he sidestepped to the left as a flash of him and Yoruichi sparring came forth, with her replacing the blades for a second before he rushed towards Renji who swung for his second attack.

'Two' pivoting the connections between the blades up, another flash of Yoruichi appeared with her smiling down at him.

Watching the segments moving to return to Renji, he hooked his Cane's handle on a segment, bringing him closer to Renji who stared in alarm as Ichigo's Cane was aimed at his chest.

"Three strikes!" jabbing his Cane forward, his eyes widened as Renji moved aside, completely avoiding his attack with an angered look of boredom.

"I'll say it this time, you have no hope of defeating me" swinging down with Ichigo collapsing to his knee's as the blade tore into his body, he coughed up blood as Renji ripped Zabimaru free, leaving him standing over Ichigo.

"You're probably wondering how you missed?" moving aside to heft Zabmaru onto his shoulder, he spoke calmly.

"You did good in moving between strikes, dodging them even after better understanding the pattern, You're timing was perfect, but you still are wondering, why did you miss?" staring down at Ichigo who held his bleeding wounds, he turned to Renji with despair.

"it's quite simple of an answer, you're too slow"

"I'm far too out of you're league, very simple, Brutally so" raising his Zabimaru above his head, not noticing Ichigo's left arm gain a darker hue.

"Understand, you can't save Rukia… Because you're already dead!"


"To first understand you're Zanpakutō. You must first understand yourself" sitting beside Yoruichi as his Zanpakutō. Kuro wa tamashī stood before them with his Cane.

"Each of us, is a coin with two sides, some may be exact mirrors to ourselves, and others may take the form of our opposites" gesturing to Ichigo, Kuro spoke further.

"You and I, are at the moment, opposites. I have perfect control of my Reiatsu outlet, while you have none whatsoever, but Yoruichi and I, are going to rectify that" approaching them as a pure white Griffin appeared on his left shoulder, Kuro looked to his Griffin with an eye of focus as the bird glowed.

"They are not merely simple summons, Ichigo, Griffin and Shadow are an extension of yourself. This is a skill I will teach you when all else fails" watching in shock and awe as Kuro's Griffin sunk into his arm, the entire appendage changed to resemble the birds leg, sporting five clawed fingers with glowed with purple reiatsu, the shoulder part of his ability sporting snow white feathers.

"This, Ichigo, is Griffin's Gurifon no tsume, this now, is one of you're abilities"


Snapping back into focus with his left arm shooting upward to grab the blade.

Renji froze in shock at the appendage.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Abarai" seeing Ichigo look up with purple eyes, purple lightning scattered over the new arm as it slowly pushed the blade away.

"I forgot I had this skill" smiling as lightning s sparked around them, Renji leaped away with Ichigo standing calmly.

"How did you?" moving to swing once more, Renji jerked violently as purple flash's spread before his eyes, showing his Zanpakutō shattered with ichigo holding the blade segment between them.

Leaving Renji wounded with his clothes shredded, his hair a mess and his body weakly standing.

Staring as Abarai mumbled to himself in what he could guess was deliria from the pain, Ichigo watched as the man stumbled towards him.

When he held his collar in a vice like grip, the man stared up at him with a bloodied scowl.

"I've… never been good enough… to beat my captain!" seeing the scowl, Ichigo began to notice it wasn't a scowl of hatred, but of anguish and desperation as Renji continued on.

"Since, Rukia left the academy, I trained myself for days, but to no avail… Captain Kuchiki is too strong for me. I was weak, to weak to save her!" seeing the man's eyes watering in anguish openly, his eyes spoke volumes of pain and anger.

"Kurosaki, I'm asking you, knowing I've shamed myself… Save her… SAVE RUKIA!" staring down at Renji as his fears were open to him, ichigo reached down to the man to set him down gently, allowing him to rest on his back, staring at Ichigo in shock at his care.

"I will, Abarai… you have my word" with that he went to move… only to fall to one knee with a grimace.

Scowling at his own wounds, he took notice to the approaching crowd of Shinigami.

"Crap, gotta move!" failing to stand up, Ichigo was about to fall until he felt soft hands hold him up. Looking up he stared into the worriedly frantic face of Hanataro

"Ichigo it's ok, just hold still" feeling him lift him onto his shoulder's he began to feel his mind waver between consciousness and unconsciousness, though his final thoughts were simple.

'how the fuck is he carrying me by himself!?'