Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach and RWBY. Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo. RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth and the late Monty Oum (rest in peace you saint of a man).

Chapter 13: Battles with Kenpachi!

Ruby and Yachiru were continuing their little skirmish. Yachiru climbed up to Ruby's head, either pulling or biting her hair. Ruby countered slamming down Yanchiru onto the ground. With her Semblance, Ruby dashed away to gain distance and use hit-and-run tactics. At least that's what she planned until the two locked in dust cloud throwing each other punches and names.

"Pink devil."

"Red meanie."

"Greedy toddler."

Ruby managed to get behind Yachiru and pull her pink cheeks. Yachiru cried in agony before butting back her head to hit Ruby's nose. She just recovered fast enough to hold Yachiru back by the collar bone. Despite her petite size, Yachiru proved just as strong as Ruby, a teenager in her early sixteenth year. The girl shinigami opened up her mouth to bite at Ruby's hand, but was a little late on the matter. Her right hand that reached for Ruby suddenly spiked in pain. Down the arm, her lips curled in a painful expression as Ruby beat her to the punch and bit on her hand hard.

"OWIEE!" yelled Yachiru, "I was-"

Yachiru didn't finish when Ruby kicked both legs into Yachiru's stomach. She gasped as wind left her lungs. Then, Ruby followed with a high, side kick across Yachiru's cheek, then Ruby finished with a clothesline with her arm, but also received a punch to the chin from Yachiru to make that final blow an exchange instead. The little Yachiru hit like a Bullhead on collision course, but this isn't the same Ruby from Remnant. Instead of peeling over from the pain and a shattered Aura, her power still shimmered strong around her and a smirk marked her face.

"Sorry," said Ruby, wiping her lip from a slight sting of pain, "but - there can only be one who eats the cookies."

Ruby went full-out, using a combination of her Semblance and shunpo to completely overwhelm, and punished with the hand-to-hand combat taught by (Yoruichi) Shihoin. She was amazed that woman managed to drill more combat into Ruby than even Ozpin could in a month.

Ruby blinked around Yachiru, throwing impressively hard kicks and punches from all angles. Not even the petite shinigami's instinctual reaction speed could keep up. Yachiru found her feet lifted off the air by an uppercut then further sent into the air by a strong kick. She jumped higher and faster than Yachiru ascended in a cloud of rose petals and came down like a crimson twister.

"Here's a beatdown for the win," cried Ruby, the twister crashing upon Yachiru with a thunderclap, "Red Flash style."

Ruby rammed Yachiru and the top of the tower crumbled in dust. Bits of rubble flew everywhere, and the top half nearly broke apart. The scythe-wielder's coughs could be heard through the dust as she tried to fan the settling dust away from her breath. At her feet was an unconscious Yachiru with a only bruising and her eyes a pair of squiggles.

"Serves you right, cookie hogger." said Ruby, then looked down sensing Ichigo's amazing spiritual pressure. Just sensing it made Ruby feel she was wrapped in a warm blanket and promised nothing but protection.

"Ichigo, I'm-"

She stopped dead when that warmth suddenly disappeared, leaving Ruby cold to the air and it felt like her own heart was stabbed. Her gaze automatically went to the dimming pressure, and her silver eyes widened. Right below her was Ichigo and Kenpachi, the latter with hardly any severe wounds. The captain stabbed his sword through Zangetsu and struck Ichigo in the lung almost impaling him. He collapsed on the ground in a pool of blood while Kenpachi walked away with a bored expression.

Ruby's heart drummed in her head. Tears swelled in her eyes and her knees buckled. She was too late to save someone yet again.

'Just like Pyrrha.' thought Ruby, 'I just want to protect people, but I can't save my closest friends even. Why? Why am I so weak? Why? Why?! WHY!?'

Summer became alarmed at Ruby's rising spiritual pressure and silver light flowed out of Ruby's eyes. Her sorrow turned into rage if one could pierce through the blinding light.

'Ruby,' cried Summer, 'You must calm down. If you lose control, you'll lose too much strength.'

Ruby couldn't hear her mother as she cried her thoughts out in a screech. "WHY!? WHY!? WHY!? WHYYY!?"

A massive pillar of silver reiatsu ascended into the sky like a beacon across the Sereitei. Its pressure not only caught Kenpachi's attention, but also alarmed every shinigami of Soul Society to spare a long glance in the direction of the spiritual pressure. It was unlike anything they have ever felt, and it frightened them as though the wrath of god was upon them.

(Repentance Cell)

Rukia's sorrowful trance was broken into a look of shock. She stared out the small window in her cell. Even in the walls of the tower that were supposed to block out spiritual pressure, she could feel it so much that her knees shook.

"What is this incredible spiritual pressure?" Rukia voiced out her thoughts, "It isn't Ichigo or even Kenpachi's. Who is this?"

Then, her eyes widened at the pillar of light just to the left. Its light was so bright, it made the sun in the sky pale in comparison, and illuminated more of her cell.

(Division One Barracks)

A man with a cane with eyebrows as long as his white mustache opened his eyes the widest they've been for a few centuries as he sensed an immeasurable spiritual pressure. It was neither a hollow or even a Quincy, but it was a mix of two unknowns with the reiatsu of a shinigami. That much he knew, and unknowns did not go well with the old man.

(Central 46)

In a pile of bodies and dried blood on the floor, former Captains Ichimaru and Aizen suddenly turned their attention to a source of unknown reiatsu that was so massive it must've caught the attention of the whole Sereitei. In the wake of it, Aizen made a smile.

"So that's the anomaly you mentioned, isn't it Gin?" said Aizen, "How interestingly - exciting."

(Back at the fight)

"I'll..." Ruby snarled through the bright light that surrounded her, "I'll kill you!"

With the released Mazazoru in hand, Ruby went in a berserk charge after Kenpachi. All she could see was white, but it brought her relief to feel her scythe cut cleanly into Kenpachi's flesh. A splash of blood rained out of Kenpahi's side where Ruby slashed, and her blade soaked in blood. She was sure she had cut to the bone of the ribs and hoped the bastard was dead.

'At least I can ave-'

Ruby's thoughts were cut off when Ruby's reflexes saved her from a powerful swing from the mighty Kenpachi Zaraki who smiled like a devil. The sharp teeth in the back of his mouth could mistake him for a Faunas.

"That wasn't bad at all." said Kenpachi, "Very good. I'm all ready for round two, and you seem much stronger than that disappointment over there."

"Don't you dare talk about him like that!" snarled Ruby.

Ruby bit her lip in fury that would make Yang shake head-to-toe. With a cry, she swung scythe so fast and heavy, it caused a clap akin to thunder on Kenpachi's blade. Each swing became stronger and slower than the previous. Ruby's vision became red, and her only thought was to put this man in the ground with her own hands.

One swing was so strong Kenpachi's blade shook. The next one made his sword arm shake, making his eyes widen. He knew the next ones would completely break his guard. As predicted, a heavy swing of Mazazoru forced Kenpachi's blade from a defensive position. Smiling, Kenpachi used his free hand to punch Ruby in the face and send her flying into a wall. Her Aura was completely gone to provide her the raw offensive power. When Ruby came flying out of the dust, a trickle of blood dripped from a corner of her mouth and a nostril.

Ruby returned similar punishment with a knee to Kenpachi's chest. Once a foot made contact with the ground, Ruby balanced herself and punched Kenpachi in the gut with all she had. It felt like she punched solid iron, but she didn't care, and followed up with a sniper shot of reishi from Mazazoru.

Whatever Kenpachi was apparently made of, it only left a flesh wound on Kenpachi's stomach. That smile of his somewhat faltered when he looked back at Ruby with a look of disappointment.

"Why the heck are you crying in the middle of a fight?" Kenpachi growled.

Ruby didn't realize the river of tears almost evaporating from the heat of her activated silver eyes before dripping to the ground.

"I wanted to save people." said Ruby, "That's always been my calling, but everyone around me just dies no matter how hard I try. I-I'm done with it." Ruby's right eye lost the white of its eyes, replaced by a dark night with a deep red replacing the pupil. "That's why I'll take yours instead!"

Ruby put all her strength into her feet to rush down Kenpachi and cleave him in two. She would've launched off if a familiar over-sized meat cleaver didn't stop Mazazoru. The darkness in Ruby's right eye disappeared as she stared speechless at Zangetsu, following up to a familiar arm then finally to a head of orange hair. Stern yet also sad eyes stared back at Ruby's where tears stopped finding Ichigo, alive and well.

"Don't be like that, Ruby." said Ichigo, almost in a pleading manner, "Where's that sparkle in your eyes?"

Ruby couldn't help herself, even if it was in the middle of a fight. She dug her face in Ichigo's shihaksho to dry her tears from her sobbing.

"Hey!" exclaimed Ichigo, half-trying to get Ruby off, "Seriously, Ruby!? I-"

"Don't die on me, okay!" demanded Ruby with a sobbing tone, "I simply can't bare it if it was my fault again that someone died because I wasn't fast enough."

Ichigo understood the plight Ruby was in. His tense stance eased down, and he put a hand on her head.

"No way in hell I'm dying." said Ichigo with an assuring look, "Neither of us are as long as I have something to say about it."

Ruby pulled back with more control of her emotions now finally letting all of that tension out. Her right eye returned to its silver glory, and the tears stopped flowing. Her game face was brought back.

"You two done yet?" said Kenpachi, still keeping that wide smile, "Fine then, I'll take you both on! Come on!"

(Que "Get Ready to Die")

Ichigo and Ruby raised their Zanpakuto in opposition to the captain. Without a word, they blurred in speed. Ichigo made the spearhead and brought the first slash across Kenpachi's shoulder. Ichigo followed-up with a heavy upper-swing and Kenpachi just had enough strength to deflect it away. But it made him wide open for Ruby to slash back and forth in less than a second, crimson flowing from his sides. Finally, Ichigo put in a heavy swing that sliced into Kenpachi's shoulder again and the force was enough to knock him back. He anchored his Zanpakuto into the the wall of a tower to steady himself. But what still unnerved the two Rioka was that constant smile on Kenpachi's face.

"Oh yes." snarled Kenpachi, "This is good. I want more of this."

"You're enjoying this more than I'm comfortable with." said Ruby.

"You gotta shut up and get lost in the rush of the fight!" roared Kenpachi, his spiritual pressure rising so high it screeched through the air. He dove at the two Rioka head on, laughing as he did. Ichigo took the opening and slashed at his face, but the madman only grinned more at the wound and left Ichigo open to get it a cut at his cheek. Ruby was so distracted by Kenpachi's insanity as he took a giant Zangetsu to the face that she barely dodged out of the way from getting her head cut off. The price she paid was getting a deep cut that hit her collar bone, but nothing too deep.

"Ruby!" cried Ichigo in worry. Despite the pain, Ruby gave Ichigo a reassuring nod. Zangetsu and the captain's Zanpakuto clashed, and Ichigo slashed at Kenpachi's torso. He ignored it and used that as a way to get at Ichigo with a downward slash, which Ichigo was more prepared to dodge. Kenpachi then turned to Ruby and smiled seeing her charge her scythe ready.

To her utter shock, Kenpachi allowed the girl to cut into his body. The rush of pain brought him so much joy. With Ruby too stunned to stop her motion, Kenpachi took the opportunity to grip his Zanpakuto with two hands and slash it down Ruby's back. A wave of crimson washed out of the wound, paling her cloak in comparison.

Ichigo was so shocked he couldn't get the words out right. He gripped Zangetsu ready to attack with a vengeance until he saw Ruby stop her fall with Mazazoru and shoot a ballistic bullet of reishi that pushed Kenpachi away.

"I can," said Ruby, coughing blood, "I...will...keep... fighting."

Ichigo could tell that her own Zanpakuto was providing power as he saw the bleeding stop. That also meant they didn't have the time to keep fighting this maniac for long with both of their shinigami spirits already putting in all the effort to seal their wound.

"This guy hits like an Atlas craft crashing down filled with nothing but Fire Dust." said Ruby. They nodded in silent agreement and charged forth.

"If that's the case," roared Ichigo, the two slashing so fast at Kenpachi they painted the walls crimson, "we're just gonna have to cut him over-"

"-and over-" cried Ruby.

"-and over until this guy drops dead!" added Ichigo. They made a cross-slash appear on Kenpachi's chest, and they knew they must've cut to the bone. In apprehension, they jumped back and their fears were correct as Kenpahi bursted with laughter.

"HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!" laughed Kenpachi for all of Sereitei to hear, "HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!"

"Please stop laughing." pleaded Ruby, "I'm on the verge of being terrified."

"Let us end this, my equals." muttered Kenpachi. He tore his eye-patch off and his spiritual pressure was suddenly a mountain compared to an ant before. Ruby and Ichigo could barely stand under it. Kenpachi reached for his blade and with one swift motion cut a whole tower down.

Ruby gasped with a hanging jaw. "He-He just cut a whole tower down in one stroke. I've never seen anything as terrifying as it was cool."

"Get ready to die, kids." said Kenpachi, an eerie golden glow in his eyes, "The kid gloves are off."

"Do not worry." spoke the voices of Zangetsu and Mazazoru as they put a hand on their respective shinigami's shoulder. Their spiritual pressures rose creating two geysers of reiatsu brimming around Ichigo and Ruby. "We are here to fight by your side. Kenpachi only fights alone while making his blade submit under his power, making him rely only on raw power."

"We're gonna put all our power into one attack and hope to take him down before we collapse." planned Ichigo, getting a nod from Ruby.

"How is it," Kenpachi asked, "that you two have amassed such power in such little time?"

"Because we don't fight alone." answered Ichigo, "Our Zapakuto are always fighting by our sides."

"And there are also our friends," said Ruby, "who put their faith in us. We cannot fail."

"How disappointing." replied Kenpachi as he gripped his sword in both hands, "Come then, Ichigo, Ruby, let's put an end to this. HA-HA-HA-HA!"

Kenpachi unleashed his energy to the max, and it revealed itself taking the shape of a skull with glowing eyes. Ruby and Ichigo's eyes glowed as they too raised their powers and took the form of two faces with one side expressing a mask with a red eye. Ruby and Ichigo placed their Zanpakuto together. With a war cry, they both charged together, putting all the power they had in their arms. At point of impact, a bright light engulfed the two and several towers flattened into dust instantly. The clash of such high spiritual pressures could be felt across the Sereitei, catching the attention of a certain black cat.

The dust settled, and there was now a crater in an area of rubble. Ichigo and Ruby impaled Kenpachi, almost all the way through. However, Kenpachi's Zanpakuto was stuck in Ichigo's left side.

"Probably should've," groaned Ichigo, "ducked... or something."

He collapsed from the pain, and blood gushed out of the wound. Ruby's wound on her back reopened and she fell into unconsciousness from the blood loss.

"Sorry... guys." groaned Ruby before everything went dark.

Kenpachi hummed to himself and rested his blade (Nozarashi, spoilers) on his shoulder. His haori was soaking red with his own blood.

"What are you talking about? You won." At those words from the hulking shinigami captain, her sword snapped and he fell in defeat.

A black cat arrived at the scene, a bit surprised to find Captain Zaraki himself lying down in defeat. He approached the unconscious Ruby and Ichigo, who were currently losing a lot of blood.

"You appear to be losing blood." said Yoruichi, "What happened? Cat got your tongue. Ha-ha-ha. Oh, I'm terrible." If Ruby was alive, she would've died just to save herself from a joke that was somehow worse than Yang's. In a flash of light, the three disappeared from the scene, right before some shinigami arrive with the shocking sight of a defeated and (not surprisingly) bloody Captain Zaraki.

(The Hideout)

Ruby awoke with a gasp and lurched up from her previous lying position. As she got her bearings, she took a slow survey of her new surroundings. There were in some sort of cave with a tarp over the entrance. She was in a makeshift bed, and her top and hood was removed and placed in a corner to apply bandages to her wounds. Speaking of, Ruby could feel a numb feeling on her back, indicating her Aura failed to heal her and now there was another scar to add to the history books. She could only hope it wasn't noticeable.

Ruby was glad to find not only Ichigo, but also Ren in makeshift beds at both sides of her. They both sustained wounds of their own. With Ren, Ruby saw a gauze wrapped in bandages on his right side, and Ichigo's entire torso was made into a white present. Their eyes twitched awake, and Ichigo also bolted upright.

"We're alright." said Ruby, "Don't you want to get up Ren?"

"Considering what we've been through," replied Ren, "I think it's best that we stay in recover. Besides-" Ren winced when he tried to get up "- my wound may need some more time."

"You fought a captain too?" Ichigo asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I did." said Ren, "But I lost."

Ruby sighed. "At least we're alive. But how did we get here?"

"You're welcome."

The familiar deep voice turned all three heads to Yoruichi. Somehow, in less than a second Ruby dashed with her Semblance forth and back to the bed where she cradled the cat in a hug with comforting caresses.

"Yoruichi," squeaked Ruby, "You're the most awesome cat. You saved our butts out there. Gah, you and Zwei would make the most awesome duo in history."

"I'm flattered." Yoruichi replied reluctantly.

Ichigo and Ren sweat dropped. Yoruichi almost forced his (her) way out of Ruby's grasp before she fell victim to her expert petting. They didn't know how, but the cat was giving off a serious mood.

"Right now," said Yoruichi, "Ganju and Hanataro are headed to Rukia's cell, but I can sense Captain Kuchiki will be on his way there and the two will most likely be dead."

"Then it's obvious we've got to get up and save them." said Ichigo.

"No!" shouted the cat, "You three are too important to go out fighting with those wounds. I'll go, but it'll require my true form to get there fast enough."

"You're true form?" wondered Ruby with a raised brow.

Those golden eyes intensified, and for some reason Ruby saw those eyes before. In a flash of light and a cloud of smoke, the cat's figure changed into more of a human. Instead of the masculine physique, Ruby could make out a feminine figure that was all too familiar. When the smoke cleared, Ruby was wide-eyed to see her teacher, Shihoin, as much as Ichigo was shocked that the talking cat was in fact a woman. It also didn't help the two that the woman was completely naked, and it make the two Rioka as red as Ruby's namesake.

"Shi-Shihoin!?" exclaimed Ruby.

"Hi there, Red Flash." said Shihoin, "Actually, my real name is Yoruichi Shihoin, so just call me Yoruichi from now on." Yoruichi pulled out some sort of short stick with the skull and spine of a bird. She went on a long explanation of how it allowed her to transform, but Ichigo and Ruby were too distracted that Yoruichi was still naked before them and didn't bother to change at all. It got so uncomfortable that it was Ren of all people who snapped; the entire time he forced his head away from Yoruichi.

"I DEMAND YOU PUT ON SOME CLOTHES!" shouted Ren.

"Party-pooper." whined Yoruichi, already putting on enough clothes to hide away her *cough* things.

Done and done. Next Chapter 14: The Final Release. By chapter 16 maybe we may be back in Remnant.

Stay in touch. Please, please leave a review.

I don't know what I had to do with Ruby in this time of the story, so I made the decision to make her fight alongside Ichigo against the monster of the man. That way, they both can grow more powerful from this. And the fact that he was using both hands on his blade technically makes him twice as strong since he usually fights with one hand. Besides, there's no way I'm making Ruby and Ren become like Renji.