Chapter Forty:

The thickness of the wall was surprising, but Ichigo didn't let it deter him as he continued to hack and slash at the brickwork, occasionally firing off a Getsuga Tenshou to force progression forwards. His speed increased the deeper they got through the outer rim, and no one dared stop him through fear that he would turn that uncontrollable determination upon them.

With the amount of sound he had been making, there was little chance they were undetected and yet they hadn't be interrupted.

'Aizen's challenging us... Challenging me. I can smell it in the air, that self-righteous smugness. He probably thinks the more power I use the faster Shiro will surface. He's underestimating me.' Ichigo's thoughts were a whirlwind as he forced his way forwards, 'The Espada must know we're here... They've probably been watching since we first arrived... But they haven't attacked us, not properly. The Hollows... The Adjuchas... They were just a means of slowing us down... Monitoring our progress, our strength... This is all Aizen. He's the only one who could have stopped them attacking.'

He had hoped that once he'd left the Sands behind, the singing would stop. It had been a naïve hope. The voices in his head were louder than ever, drowning Shiro out, drowning Zangetsu out. It was a chorus and he was the audience. Male, female, he could barely tell them apart anymore. But it made him want to give in. It made him want to submit and surrender. Anything to stop the never ending circle of siren calls tiptoeing every deeper towards the core of his very being.

A low rasp escaped his tightly pursed lips and his eyes narrowed as his left hand lifted against his will, fingers taut around an invisible force as a blood red Cero charged within his palm, illuminating the cracked and decayed mess he'd made of their makeshift entrance. He heard several startled cries from behind him, but there was nothing he could do. He wasn't controlling it.

Scarlet light flooded over them as the Cero exploded on contact with the wall, it was blinding and deafening in equal measure. Ichigo staggered forwards, releasing a triumphant roar as they were blinded by a different light, white and crisp.

They were in.

Stalking forwards, Zangetsu slung over his shoulder Ichigo examined the huge corridor. Stretching left and right with no sign of an end, ceilings so high that darkness enshrouded the top most section and cast shadows partway down the walls. Everything was white, pure unadulterated white. Pristine.

The strawberry half expected to be swooped down upon by angry Arrancar, yet as he heard his friends clamber out of the devastated tunnel behind him and more time ticked past, he realised that wasn't happening. For some reason.

"We need to move." Ichigo murmured, wincing as pain speared down the right side of his head and face, leaving him with blurred vision and an unfamiliar numbness around his eye socket.

"Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime was at his side immediately, her sprites flying overhead as they checked him for injuries, "What's wrong, Kurosaki-kun?"

"I'm fine!" He barked, holding the side of his face as he yanked away from her touch, he felt guilty immediately, "I-I'll be fine... Just... Give me a minute..."

He shook his head, trying to dislodge the chorus of voices bouncing around the inside of his skull. He managed to regain enough concentration to stand straight, Ichigo faltered as he caught sight of the concerned expressions on his friend's faces and he offered an apologetic smile.

"Sorry." He lowered his hand from his face, revealing his Hollowfied right eye, "Sorry... I didn't mean to snap... I know you're just worried about me..."

"Keep fighting." Renji muttered, patting him on the shoulder.

"I will." He let out a small breath.

Whether it was because of Shiro's input or not he couldn't tell, but Ichigo knew exactly where he was going. Ichigo led them, making several left turns, right turns, going straight for what felt like an eternity as his instincts guided him like an open map etched into his skull. The perplexity of the sensation only grew the further they travelled, yanking at his gut in an uncomfortable rhythm before he froze as they entered an impossibly large round room with five different doors.

"You've gotta be shitting me." He slumped against the wall, running a hand down his face.

"This place is designed to split us up." Ishida nudged his glasses up his nose bitterly, "Worst luck."

"It's stupid to split up... These aren't regular Hollows we're going after, they're Espada." Ichigo clenched a fist, "We should check each tunnel together... It would be safer..."

"Don't insult us Ichigo." Rukia folded her arms, "We all came here knowing the odds. Checking the routes one by one will take too long, we are likely to be captured before we even reach the second tunnel. We must split up."

He knew she was right, but he didn't want to admit it. He was worried for their safety, and for his sanity. So far he had clung onto control only because he knew he could kill them if he didn't, but once he was alone there was no knowing if he could stop his Hollow rising.

"Allow me to heal our injuries fully before we continue." Orihime bit her lip, "If we truly have to go our separate ways, we should do it at full strength."

"Thank you 'Hime." The strawberry watched as she began healing the others, all the while trying to silence the abominable noise in his head.

He'd seen a little of her skills out on the Sands, but now as she really focused on healing everything perfectly he found himself amazed. She even went to the trouble of healing the ugly bruise Ulquiorra had left around his throat, it did little to settle the discord in his mind, but he felt better for no longer bearing the Espada's mark.

"Right," Ichigo sheathed Zangetsu restlessly when they were ready, glancing at each tunnel in turn, he had a feeling that no matter which he took he would eventually end up in front of Aizen, "I fear that the moment we split up we'll start encountering the enemy. Where possible, avoid conflict, try to avoid being found, but do your best to keep moving forwards."

"And if fighting becomes unavoidable?" Rukia raised an eyebrow.

Ichigo smirked at her, "If they shove you, shove back twice as hard."

"Sounds good." She matched his grin.

"Ishida, take Orihime with you, you know best how to keep her safe." He told the Quincy, seeing a momentary flash of gratitude from the man.

"I know it's old fashioned," Renji cleared his throat, "But there used to be a ceremony in the Goeti Thirteen, performed on the eve of battle. Put your hands over mine."

Ichigo was reluctant at first, but a glare from Rukia forced him to place his hand on top of his friend's, his eyebrows furrowed as he watched his redheaded friend.

"We at this moment head into the decisive battle. Have faith that our blades will not shatter. Have faith that our hearts will not waver," the Fukutaichou spoke loudly, and Ichigo could help but notice how each of them shared a long look, a silent wish of good luck, "And even if our paths should diverge, we all share a heart of iron. Swear that even if the ground beneath us should be rent asunder, we will live and return to this place again."

They broke away as he finished talking and darted down different paths, Ichigo was sure that if they'd lingered for even a moment longer they would never have been able to make the break.

Ichigo wove his way down the hallway he had chosen, narrowed eyes focusing only on what was ahead, blotting out everything else to the very best of his ability, ignoring the sweat rolling down the nape his his neck, ignoring the burning sensation in his chest, ignoring the sensation of being watched. He was sure the corridor was going to continue indefinitely, the echo of his sandals hitting the stone floor was disturbingly loud in his ears, face setting itself in his renown scowl.

A gasp of surprise left him as he saw a light at the end of the corridor, speeding up as he rushed towards it, eager to be anywhere else than in the same monotonous surroundings. Eyes widening as he stepped into the room beyond, only for the floor to crumble beneath his feet and send him plummeting downwards towards what looked like a huge training room with several floor to ceiling pillars.

He tried to right himself as he fell, certain he could roll to avoid damaging anything too much, but he was saved the trouble when something sharp and hard struck him in the back, hurling him into one of the pillars he'd seen.

Blood splattered the stone as he made contact, body arching under the force of what had hit him, shuddering, he turned his head, eyebrows raising and his throat constricting as he found himself looking at a well built man, with black hair and blue eyes and the remnants of a Hollow mask taking the appearance of a small horned plate over his forehead.

"It seems you were in something of a hurry, niño, to ignore your footing so completely until it was too late." The man's voice was deep, his smile wide.

Prising himself off the pillar and sliding to the ground, Ichigo coughed hard, holding his ribs and wincing as he appraised the man, "I am in a hurry, so I'd appreciate it if you'd let me pass."

"Let you pass?" The Arrancar repeated, "I'm afraid that is quite impossible."

"Of course it is." He spat a globule of blood and saliva to the side as he picked himself up, wavering faintly as he lifted Zangetsu, feeling the bindings come loose, "I don't have time to play around."

"Who's playing, niño?" That smile grew as he lifted his Zanpakutō halfway out of its sheath, "Whirl, Giralda!"

Ichigo gasped under the force of the reiatsu, sheiling his eyes as the wind around him picked up in response, swirling around the Arrancar's body like a tornado, revealing large bone horns on his shoulders and armour that start at his feet, curled around his calves and jutted out at his waist into two more spikes. The two enormous cyclones now spewing from the exhaust spouts on the Arrancar's legs were like birds, large bone beaks chattering threateningly as they faced his direction.

"Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio, Privaron Espada, Números one hundred and three."

"One hundred and three, huh?" The strawberry frowned, "I didn't realise you guys could count that high."

"Glibness will get you nowhere."

"True enough." Ichigo agreed.

Letting out a roar, the Shinigami shot forwards, ducking and darting and side stepping the vast cyclones that threatened to impale him, swinging with apt determination and cleaving through anything that got in his path, the voices in his head grew louder, he felt like his ear drums would burst from the pressure building inside him.

"Too slow!" The Arrancar barked, appearing suddenly and striking Ichigo hard in the ribs.

The strawberry spat in response to the pain, but instead of being tossed aside as intended, he dug his feet into the ground, twisting sharply on his heels and dragging Zangetsu up sharply, snarls and gnashing teeth spilling out in response as he felt his blade cleave through something. Blood splashed his face and he saw the deep groove he'd carved into the Privaron Espada's chest, shock evident in Dordoni's eyes.

"What raw power, niño." Dordoni mused, sliding backwards to put some space between them as he hurled his cyclones out again, "But I sense greater power within you, why not show me that delicious Hollowfication you're bottling up inside."

"No." He said bluntly, leaping into the air to avoid the lashing whips of wind threatening his space, vaulting his body forwards and bringing his blade down in a powerful arc, "Getsuga Tenshou!"

He wasn't sure if the surge of energy made contact, he wasn't really bothered, his eyes were growing wide, savage, his teeth in a constant state of grinding as he felt the flares of Hollow reiatsu lashing against his own, tangling and battling, trying to draw out everything he kept inside.

"I. Said. NO!" He shouted suddenly, rage flowing out of him in a torrent as in unison another Getsuga Tenshou was released and a large Cero shot from the tip of his outstretched blade.

Panting heavily Ichigo staggered, digging the tip of his sword into the stone floor and using it to support himself. He hadn't intended for either of those attacks. He hadn't made them happen. The room was spinning in front of him, his body growing heavy, his arms getting limp, his knees shaking under his weight. He felt pathetic. Where was his training? His calmness, his control? Everything Aizen had taught him, everything Byakuya had taught him. Why couldn't he grasp it now when he needed it?

Closing his eyes for a moment, he tilted his head back, allowing his breath to escape in short sharp gasps as sweat continued to roll over his skin, the collar of his shihakusho damp.

'Calm down. I have to calm down. Getting angry is making it harder to hold back.'

He gave some serious thought to ripping Shiro to shreds when they got out of this mess, but despite his discomfort he found himself missing the overly cocky voice of his Hollow. It was too quiet without him. And yet too loud with that inane singing.

Where had he gone? Why had he stopped talking? It wasn't good... In fact it couldn't be much worse. He cursed.

Ichigo's eyes snapped open as he felt Hollow reiatsu flaming around him, its tone threatening and dark, he scowled and directed his ire towards the clearing smoke across the room, seeing his opponent stumbling towards him, blood running down his face and chest, sporting deep burns across his skin.

"Are you..." Ichigo laughed suddenly, "Are you trying to intimidate me with your reiatsu?"

"For someone looking as rough as you do, niño, you certainly are arrogant." Dordoni's voice was even despite the damage he had taken.

Taking a moment to wipe his face with his sleeve, Ichigo lifted Zangetsu again, "I prefer to think of it as confidence."

He stilled as he sensed Renji's reiatsu in the distance, it was fluctuating enough to suggest that he had also entered combat, he clenched his teeth as he battled the desire to go and help him. He managed to shake it off and looked directly at the Arrancar in front of him.

"I really don't have time to play around with you anymore." He frowned faintly, remembering in an instant the reason he was in Hueco Mundo to begin with, "The Espada took someone from me, someone important. I'm here to take him back."

"If you're referring to the Shinigami that Ulquiorra and Nnoitra brought here, you'll find him in the Espada palace belonging to Szayelapporo Granz. But there are many, many Arrancar and Espada between here and there. Are you sure you'll be able to contain your Hollow for that many encounters?" There was a smirk on his face now, elegant moustache quirking.

Ichigo felt his mouth go dry at his question, fingers gripping Zangetsu until his knuckles turned white, "Who knows?"

Lifting his blade high above him, he felt his entire body relax, his muscles unwinding and loosening as his reiatsu began to pulse through him, trails of bright blue swirling at his feet, raising higher until they encapsulated his entire body and sword, his eyes began to glimmer with resolve, with determination.

He shot forwards with a burst of Shunpo, weaving his way through the air, Ichigo released a yell as his Zanpakutō clashed against Dordoni's lifted leg, the bone armour bending beneath the force of his attack, slowly beginning to splinter.

Watching surprise etch its way onto the former Espada's face, he released a truly feral smile that Shiro would have been proud of, "Getsuga Tenshou!"

At point blank range there was no where for Dordoni to run, the blast of energy cleaved its way through him like he was nothing. Ichigo touched down behind him, glaring at the passage way ahead, his path now clear. He took a moment to glance over his shoulder as his opponent collapsed to the floor, he was still breathing but it was shallow.

Ichigo glowered at the man, barely flinching as black ink beginning to creep across his left eye. For the first time since before the events of Sôkyoku Hill, his face was devoid of all emotion. The strawberry stared down at the former Espada, watching those grey-blue eyes turn upwards towards him, fear growing across the Arrancar's face at what he saw.

"Sorry, Dordoni Alessandro Del Socaccio, Privaron Espada, Números one hundred and three... If you'd fought me on a good day, I'd probably let you live." His head tilted slightly as he brought Zangetsu up, aiming the blade downwards towards the man's head, "But you didn't fight me on a good day."

Two fully gold and black eyes turned towards the exit, disappearing in a snap of Shunpo as he returned his blade to his back, the subtle tang of blood tickled his nose and the metallic taste lingered on his tongue, but it didn't matter. None of it mattered. Not the clacking of his sandals against the floor, not the sting of his injuries healing at a rapid speed, not the bubbling desire to laugh that rose in his chest. The only thing that mattered was the next fight, the next battle, the next victory. Finding Byakuya.