SAVIOR IN THE DARK

BLEACH x GARO crossover

The sight of Inoue Orihime's broken body overlays itself with his mother's. He staggers back, faintly hearing her spirit form's chipper greeting. Ichigo's gaze focuses on the chain still connected to her body, confirming for himself that he isn't too late. That he hadn't failed a loved one, not again.

MADNESS BEATEN HOLLOW

Something seem to snap within Ichigo during that moment as bloodlust surges through his veins. His spiritual power flares up with its sun like radiance, the pressure engulfing the room's occupants and making it hard to breath. Vivid green flames licked his feet as it travels to engulf his whole body, searing into injured flesh to heal the damage caused by the acid burns.

"I'm going to enjoy slicing you to bits." White substance drips into his hand after the fire baptism, forming a gauntlet made of bone. The wax like substance forming pauldrons on his shoulder and a neck brace as it traveled to reach the other side. "But first, I'll rip off that mask of yours." The chilling statement is accompanied by an enraged shriek of pain.

Regaining her bearings, Rukia sees her student already have Acidwire on a chokehold. His oversized Zanpakuto impaled the unmasked lizard through its Hollow hole, preventing escape.

'Something's wrong. That destructive power similar to a raging beast...that terrifying speed and those flames, even if I dismiss it as the Shinigami power he acquired from me, he still shouldn't be capable of such feats.

So what exactly is going on?!'

A frightened whimper interrupts her, shaking Rukia from the burning questions in her mind about the real identity of the human boy that absorbed her powers like a blackhole and into the present situation currently unfolding.

Biting her lips, she throws a worried glance on the Plus form of their classmate. "Fool! Reign in your spiritual pressure or Inoue would die!"

The answering growl didn't assuage her fear but the punishing weight the furious boy emitted in waves did lessens, much to her relief. Rukia is thankful the ditzy girl seem no worse for wear despite the fierce show of power, only shocked at seeing her older brother's face on the monster that assaulted her.

Gesturing at the unusually meek girl to sit beside her prone body, Rukia performs a quick check up while the foolish boy corrals Acidwire out of their range with a vicious kick.

She doesn't need anymore complications regarding Inoue Orihime's condition that precariously edges between life and death. The combination of the trauma in having her soul forcefully teared from her mortal body and Ichigo's spiritual pressure would have tipped the scales to an unfavorable direction and make Rukia's efforts in salvaging the situation fruitless.

Rukia wishes she has a competent healer on board, as is the norm in Hollow population control teams, she really isn't cut out for this role. Sweat dripped from her brow as she proceeds to concentrate on her task, trying to set aside her worries and ill at ease suspicions on the boy that bares such a striking resemblance to her mentor.

'Who are you really, Ichigo?'

Ichigo kicks the skewered lizard through the window and into the deserted streets, recreating the same scene of his body being batted away like an insignificant buzzing fly. Using his newly gained speed, he reappears beside the Hollow to kick it up high in the sky and let loose a barrage of punches. Chopping off the offending tail, he then grabs Acidwire's face and slams the lizard's body face first to the ground.

Dust and broken bits of concrete explode from the powerful force of impact before something fans the smoke out.

The grin on his face is wild and free as he spins his Zanpakuto by its tassels, having retrieved it during his little warm-up.

'Payback's a bitch.'

"Now then, where were we?"

The arrogant boy in the Shinigami garb cocks his head to the side, idly spinning the sword with ease as he heaves a put upon sigh. The defeated form of his prey lays prone to the ground, its labored breathing the only indication the feeble creature is still alive.

Stabbing his blade through the overgrown lizard's Hollow hole once again, he ignores the pathetic creature's grunt of pain. The sound decidedly more human than before, unmasked and vulnerable. Like the fight is already drained out of its system.

He scoffs, kicking the lizard hard on the chest. Human or animal, he doesn't care one bit for this dead bastard's feelings of remorse. The gnawing emptiness Sora felt doesn't excuse his actions, though he doubts turning into a Hollow was of the man's own volition.

"You shouldn't wage such a petty vendetta towards a defenseless girl. It's a dick move and just proves you're an asshole undeserving of her devoted affections. There's a thing called respecting her sense of agency y'know free will and shit? Please keep up. And the most important one-" He gives a dramatic pause, leveling a contemptuous finger to Acidwire's face. "You shouldn't dare lay a hand on what's mine."

A dark red ball of negative energy emerges on the tip of his ringed middle finger, the gothic skull's empty eye sockets flashing with an eerie light.

Sora closes his eyes, submitting to the boy's judgement.

"Bang!"

"People imagine an object, and then create it. But don't allow the form it takes to deceive you. What matters above all else are the feelings that shaped it."
– GARO: Lament of the Dark Dragon

A/N: Ichigo unlocks his Fullbring abilities by manifesting Mado Flames, special flames that has potent purifying capabilities.

Chapter title is taken from the lyrics of "Dark Hero", a song from the game Astral Chain. I personally prefer Beverly's version since I'm huge fan of the Filipina singer since she was featured to sing the theme song of Kamen Rider Build.

Been working on this fic on and off since Raiga's movie The Moonbow Traveler was announced, which I haven't found the time to watch yet despite the unholy pterodactyl shriek I unleashed when the trailers dropped. The Saejima family is the whole reason this fanfiction existed so I'm glad Keita Amemiya finally put some closure to their tale.

On the other side, I'm very excited for the upcoming BURN THE WITCH anime and BLEACH's Thousand Year Blood War arc. Reading the TYBW limited time run chapters on MangaPlus gave me a lot of inspiration and drive. Also started playing BLEACH Brave Souls after the Asia Region was announced, having fun building my team of Orihimes hahaha.

And last but not the least, Happy Birthday Ichigo! *throws confetti*