SailorStar9: After getting Chapter 16 out, this is Chapter 17 of this fic. For everyone who put this fic on your favorited and followed lists and/or story alerts, thank you, but remember everyone, a lot of authors (myself included) sustain on readers' reviews.

Pairings: Ishida/Hasu, minor pairing Hitsugaya/Karin

Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny. Heck, even the pairings aren't mine.

Chapter 17: The Swung-Down Edge! The Moment of Ruin

"Being pushed rather hard, huh?" Ichigo snorted. "Ishida, are you okay?"

"Nothing you should worry yourself about." Ishida assured.

"Ran'Tao, how about about?" Ichigo asked.

"I'm okay." Ran'Tao replied.

"Ishida, get Hasu and Ran'Tao away from here." Ichigo instructed. "Sorry, but I'm going to be the one fighting Kariya."

"That seems to be our only option." Ishida relented.

"Bankai!" Ichigo activated Bankai. "Let's go!" he charged at the floating Kariya. "Wait!" he took off after the Bount leader across the rooftops, Kariya blocking off his sword strike with a wind-powered fist. Letting loose another tornado, he sent Ichigo crashing through several buildings.

"Getsuga Tenshō!" Ichigo fired off his attack, Kariya moving aside to avoid getting hit back the energy blast.

Elsewhere...

"Ishida!" Inoue met up with the trio around the corner. "Hasu!" she spotted the girl behind Ishida and Ran'Tao. "Thank goodness, you're both alright."

"Your battle accessory is..." Ririn gasped on Sado's shoulder.

"It broke earlier." Ishida answered.

"It broke?" Ririn echoed, jumping off. "Wasn't it supposed to make a huge explosion when it breaks?" she joined the other two Mod Souls.

"Yeah," Ishida agreed. "I noticed it when I was at the limit. If I used it to amplify Reishi, then it would explode., since none were retained in the battle accessory. Doing so would prevent it from exploding since there wouldn't be anything left inside of it to explode."

"I see." Kurōdo noted.

"Did you understand that?" Noba asked.

"Not at all." Kurōdo replied.

"It doesn't matter one way or the other since it's okay." Ririn reminded. "But you listen up." she chided the archer. "Quit taking off like that. Everyone was worried about you."

"Yeah," Ishida admitted. "I'm sorry."

"Did you find him?" Hitsugaya and Matsumoto arrived.

"He's okay." Inoue confirmed.

"And Kurosaki Ichigo?" Hitsugaya pressed.

"He's fighting with Kariya." Ishida supplied.

"Captain." Matsumoto looked at her commander.

"I know." Hitsugaya agreed. "We can't place the entire burden on Kurosaki Ichigo. Let's go."

"Wait." Ran'Tao stopped the two ranking officers.

"And you are?" Hitsugaya blinked.

"This person is Ran'Tao." Ishida piped in.

"Ran'Tao?" Hitsugaya echoed. "The technique researcher that was banished?"

"You're..." Ran'Tao started. "A Captain of the Gotei 13, aren't you? I have a request. At this rate, Seireitei is finished. You know that Kariya has placed the Jōkaishō's power within himself, right?"

"If that's what you're referring to, then we've already researched it." Hitsugaya explained. "Jōkaishō's power is indeed great, but it takes time to completely pull forth that power. In other words, he's probably just trying to buy time right now."

"But the Jōkaishō that's inside Kariya's body isn't that impressive on its own." Ran'Tao revealed. "Our problem is with an even greater power. Jōkaishō was a great device we were experimenting on to control the generation of Reishi. There were dozens of them spread throughout Seireitei. On the day a Jōkaishō went out of control, roughly a tenth of Seireitei was obliterated instantly in the resulting explosion. The leaders looked down heavily on this; in the end, they sealed away all the Jōkaishō that were in Seireitei."

"There isn't just one of them?" Hitsugaya was stunned.

"And if Kariya lets the Jōkaishō inside of himself blow up, all of the other Jōkaishō will probably go off as well. That is Kariya's true goal. If all the Jōkaishō explode, then the destructive capacity is incalculable."

"What should I do?" Hitsugaya asked.

"You should use your Kido to reseal all of the Jōkaishō." Ran'Tao advised. "The current seals have become weak over time, which is why they will go off if Kariya's explodes."

"I understand." Hitsugaya nodded. "We'll make arrangements for them to be resealed right away. Do you know where the Jōkaishō are hidden?"

"In here." Ran'Tao handed a book over. "Sorry, but I'm leaving the rest to you." she collapsed into Ishida's arms.

"Matsumoto, escort Tula-sama to the Captain-Commander's quarters." Hitsugaya instructed.

"Understood." Matsumoto nodded. "Tula-sama, please."

On the Sōkyoku Hill...

"I'll congratulate you on being able to keep with me for so long." Kariya noted, shielding himself with a wind barrier.

"I've already told you." Ichigo repeated. "I'm going to finish this."

"Brat, do you know what this place is?" Kariya snorted.

"I know." Ichigo answered. "Far better than you do."

"It's the perfect place for finishing a battle." Kariya noted.

"I guess." Ichigo agreed.

Just then, Ichinose stumbled out of the forest. "Shine Brightly, Nijigasumi." he activated his Shikai.

Ichigo turned just as the wave of light blanketed over him. Parrying off Ichinose's two strikes, he fended himself against the renegade Shinigami.

In the Seireitei Library...

"What did you say?" Ukitake echoed in shock.

"I got this from Ran'Tao." Hitsugaya showed the older Shinigami the book. "It's a copy of a map that shows where the Jōkaishō have been sealed away."

"To think something like that still existed." Kyoraku sighed. "Looks like our all-nighter was a total waste, wasn't it?"

"Captain!" Ise chided. "This isn't the time to be talking like that."

"And the Captain-Commander?" Ukitake asked.

"Matsumoto is escorting Tula-sama to him right now." Hitsugaya responded. "We should be getting new orders anytime now."

"Whatever the case may be, it's going to take all of the remaining Captains, Lieutenants and people in high seating ranks in order to seal away this many Jōkaishō."

"What are we going to do about Kariya?" Kyoraku wondered.

"Kurosaki Ichigo is going after him." Hitsugaya replied.

Not a moment too soon, a Hell Monarch Butterfly fluttered in.

"Captains and Lieutenants of Gotei 13 and all Squad members," Ise translated. "This is an urgent message. We have located several of the ancient machines called Jōkaishō that the ryoka is after. We have determined that these Jōkaishō need to be sealed away immediately. Priority on standing guard has been dropped. Head out with a group of the Kido Corps and seal the Jōkaishō. We will lead you to the various locations via the Hell Monarch Butterflies."

In the Captain-Commander's office...

"Lieutenant Matsumoto, please go and help seal the Jōkaishō." Komamura instructed.

"Such is the situation." Yamamoto declared. "I will issue orders for all the Squads. Captain Komamura, please assist her."

On the Sōkyoku Hill...

"You were still alive?" Ichigo was shocked.

"Kariya," Ichinose stated. "There is something I would like to ask you. Where are Koga and the others?"

"They're dead." Kariya replied. "They all died."

Activating his Zanpakutō, Ichinose Shunpo-ed behind Kariya, the shining blade resting against the Bount leader's neck. "If you insist on destroying Seireitei, then so be it." he stated. "After all, I left this place behind. I would not be sad to see it disappear. That's what I thought. I saw my beloved Captain in you. That's why I followed you and did as you asked. But... my fight with Zaraki made me remember something that I had forgotten: I wanted to improve the Gotei 13 and Seireitei. That was my desire. But the ideal changed into the desire for revenge the moment my Captain died; it had been the immeasurable Reiatsu that the Winter Goddess exhibited for the entire of yesterday that cleansed me of my thoughts of vengeance, her Reiatsu that radiated benevolence and her immense love for Seireitei. That is why... I cannot allow you to trample on that love! Revenge cannot create anything new. Now that Koga and the other Bount are dead, I am the only one who can stop you."

"Ichinose, I'm not going to follow your advice." Kariya powered up a tornado-charged fist.

"I'll stop you." Ichinose swore as Kariya conjured up a shell of wind.

"Your power cannot stop me." Kariya held Ichinose steadfast with one hand. "You've helped me out a lot." he lifted the Shinigami up. "Thanks to you, I am able to buy enough time for the Jōkaishō's power to flow throughout my entire body." forcing Ichigo back with a wall of wind, he stabbed Ichinose with a hand knife and sending the former 12th Squad member into the air via a tornado.

"Kariya!" Ichigo growled. "Do you realize what you just did? You just killed one of your comrades. He's followed you for so long."

"So what?" Kariya shrugged. "I never thought of him as a comrade. He was just a pawn to help me reach my goals. Zeige Dich, Messer!" he summoned his Doll, a pata sword with an attached wind blade. "This is my Doll, Messer. You can't even get close to me now."

Omake: Kon-sama's Ultimate Shinigami Illustrated Guide

In front of the Squad 10 barracks...

Kon: This it?

Hisagi: Kurosaki and the others are supposed to be here resting up.

Kon: (Visualizes Matsumoto and Inoue) Everyone has it rough, don't they? Okay. I'll use my healing powers to...

Squad 2 messenger: Reporting in. The Shinigami Daiko has begun battle with the Bount. Please return to base.

Hisagi and Kira: (Shunpo off)

Kon: (Enters the Squad 10 barracks) Hey, everyone. (Finds it empty) Again!?

SailorStar9: In the next chapter, Now that's done, Kariya uses the wind Messer to produce electricity, and attacks Ichigo with it. Ichigo's inner hollow momentarily takes over his body, but Ichigo regains control of his body, surprising Kariya. Ichigo informs Kariya that he cannot absorb Reishi to heal himself because Ran'Tao sealed his absorption ability. Kariya kills himself. Ichigo concludes that Kariya intended to travel to the Soul Society in order to end his eternal life. Read and review.