AN: eh…I don't know…
Chapter 13
Ichigo watched the dark cloaked man fire spell after spell into the oncoming force and it took all of his willpower not to lop the asshole's head off where he stood. And it held too, that is until he saw a spell shot from his dark wand and head for Hermione.
Later he blamed his protective streak, or said his hollow was just tired of sitting around and doing nothing. He abandoned his perch and landed with Zangetsu shielding his back, between Hermione and Voldemort.
He could hear Toshiro screaming in his ear and the battle seemed to slow down drastically as Ichigo looked over his shoulder and saw the shocked expression on the ghastly face.
Amazingly, Harry took advantage of the lull and stood up from where he had been crouching beside Ron. Ichigo caught the look of determination on his face and ducked as the wand came up, clearing the path to Voldemort.
"Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort tried and failed to counter.
The entire battlefield came to a standstill as a bright flash of green blinded everyone. Ichigo squinted as the light went out and his eyes widened at what he saw.
The body of the dark lord had fallen to the ground but that was not what caught Ichigo, and every other person there's, eye. An emaciated form of a man stood before them, so thin Ichigo could count every rib if he had wanted to. The eyes were what had every soul holding their breaths. Wide, fearful eyes that stared into space. There was also a widening hole in the center of its chest.
Ichigo turned so that his back was no longer facing the creature and he backed slowly away, adding to the distance between them. A black tear ripped through the sky, causing everyone to crane their heads upwards.
"It's coming!" Toshiro warned needlessly as they could feel the immense spiritual pressure leaking from the gaping hole.
A pale, mostly humanoid figure exited the gap, glowing yellow eyes behind a mostly black, reptilian mask. It's mouth opened as it grinned, a dark tongue slipping out to run along his lower jawbone. In one large leap it jumped down and swallowed the emancipated soul whole. As the last of the soul disappeared into his gaping mouth, his already immense spiritual pressure doubled, causing many to hit the ground, some never to get up again.
Working on instincts Ichigo surrounded himself and those near enough to him in a Negacion box. He was breathing heavy as he looked around at the few he managed to protect.
"Your eyes are…" Harry said shakily but Ichigo cut him off.
"I know." Five people. Besides himself he only managed to shield five people. Besides Ron, Harry and Hermione, the brown shaggy haired man from the meeting and Snape somehow managed to be close enough to get inside his yellow box. He noticed four other bubble shields, all slightly larger than his own, protecting others.
Ichigo took a deep breath before saying. "Someone needs to create a shield, I have to get back out there…" He could feel his hollow thrumming near the surface, their consciousness' beginning to mix.
"You are going to fight that thing?" Harry asked incredulously.
Ichigo smirked. "Why'd ya think I came all the way out here? To watch Toshiro have all the fun?"
He pulled Zangetsu from his back and nodded to the group as a whole before dropping the Negacion. He felt the shield go up behind him but his eyes were on the hollow who was now staring at him with his head cocked to the side.
"That was a hollow technique…"
Ichigo raised his spiritual power and switched to bankai. "So it was…" He replied conversationally before kicking off from the ground and charging.
The hollow watched with a passive expression as the orange and black blur rushed at him. Without changing his expression of mild curiosity, he blocked Zangetsu with his forearm, before twisting his hand down to grab the blade and sling Ichigo several feet away and through a rather solid tree.
"Well that went well…" He muttered as he stood from the debris and glared at the hollow. 'Alright, Hitchi, time to play.' He felt the additional rush of power as the bone mask formed on his face.
This time, when he attacked, he used a long-range technique. "Getsuga Tensho!"
Ichigo felt a little smug as the hollow at least was pushed back several feet by the attack but lost it quickly when he heard Renji shout in his ear. "Ichigo, watch out!"
Ichigo ducked on instinct and he noticed a thin, bone white projectile fly right where his head had been, landing with a thud in the ground behind him. "Eh, that was a bit close…"
The air started to chill and Ichigo could feel Toshiro's spiritual pressure soar across the battlefield, the young captain's voice echoing slightly in the night air.
"Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyourinmaru!"
Ichigo watched the frozen dragon fly towards the hollow, it's mouth gaping open to reveal rows of sharp icicle-like teeth. The hollow smirked and held out both his hands, ceros forming in his palms.
The red ceros blasted away the ice dragon and continued on to engulf Toshiro. He blocked the attack with his ice wings and dodged. He landed only a few feet from Ichigo, his brow furrowed in annoyance.
"My turn again!" Ichigo called joyfully, his hollow voice overlapping with his own. Dodging the flying projectiles that were being thrown from the hollow's hands he managed to get close enough the flying spears were not practical. Instead the hollow lengthened one and used it as a makeshift sword.
Bone met steal in a resounding clash and the hollow leaned in to stare at Ichigo's mask. "What are you?" he asked as they separated,
"I'm complicated." He answered as they met in the middle again.
The hollow snorted. "Eh, you're getting in the way of my dinner. Why don't you join me? I'll share. You look like you could use a little fattening up…"
Ichigo growled. "Why wont you just die already?" He managed to leave a cut across the hollow's right arm.
The hollow hissed in anger and pain, his eyes narrowing to slits.
"Ichigo, move!" Renji's voice echoed again in his ear.
He ducked in time to see the giant snakehead crash into the distracted hollow, who landed with a crash on the ground, shaking it like an earthquake.
Ichigo whirled around and saw the small shield that sheltered the five he had originally saved vanished in the shake, the castor obviously losing control over the spell.
The very pissed off, and now very bloody hollow noticed this at the same time Ichigo did and he held out his uninjured hand out, spraying the area in front of him in white spears. Ichigo was just fast enough to land between them and the deadly missiles. Most were blocked with Zangetsu, but one managed to evade his defenses and skewer him through the left shoulder.
He grunted in pain and watched ice form around the hollow's legs, slowly creeping up his body. The hollow glared at Toshiro, who was hovering above and slightly to Ichigo's left. He broke through the ice, but was so intent on getting the flying captain that he failed to notice Shuuhei charge him, already in bankai.
Shuuhei's bankai transformed him into a canine like creature, complete with fangs and claws. He gripped his sword in one hand and swung it with full force against the hollow's unprotected right shoulder.
The hollow reacted a moment too late and the sword bit into his flesh. Shuuhei tore the ragged sword through, but the hollow was already on the offensive, a new bone sword in his hand.
Ichigo grasped the projectile that was embedded in his shoulder and yanked it out. A muffled grunt passed through clenched teeth, but he ignored the exclamations of concern from behind him.
"Recast the shield!" he grunted out before heading back into the battle.
AN: not sure why this chapter is giving me so much grief…review if ya wanna…