Blades of Resolve

Written by Scarredbyshallowness

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, Final Fantasy VII, or Devil May Cry.

Author Notes: I do realize I am moving rather slow plot wise. To put it simply; this isn't going to be a short story. I hate to rush and ruin quality.

Note: This story takes place after the Bounto Arc.

Chapter 4

Reflections

-Bleach World-

"It took this long to get your attention, Cloud? How - OOF!" Sephiroth proudly mocked … until getting slammed in the face by an insanely fast fist from the suddenly airborne Cloud. With a wincing CRACK, he sent Sephiroth painfully into the cement sidewalk below.

Taking a glimpse at Ichigo's quivering body, regret began to swell through Cloud's icy blue eyes. Despite the rain, the boy's condition could be seen clearly. He had been horribly infected.

Drawing his loosely bandaged blade, a shiver alleviated itself from his spine. Just hearing Sephiroth's voice was torturous enough. But that look he gave. The same terrifying grin from that day…

It was time to silence him forever.

"Hold on, kid. I'll help you out in just a moment." Cloud spoke in a distant tone. He acted as if nothing special was going on. He didn't even bother to LOOK while he talked! The only thing he paid any attention to was the rising Sephiroth.

"J-Jerk! I don't need you're help!" Ichigo yelled with a jagged breath between each word. His body was a complete wreck. Blurred vision, a shaky grip, and a creak in his bones summed it up pretty well. The rain completed the feeling as a cherry atop his sundae of pain.

Then, after an instant of silence, the two swordsmen leaped and clashed with a vivid explosion of tangible energy as they merged into the rainfall above. This was their destiny.

Taking advantage of the showdown of fate, Ichigo calmed himself enough to check his surroundings. A steady, yet faint, line of spirit energy emitted from Ishada as well as, albeit significantly less, from Chad. They're safe. But where was -

"Rukia!"

Tossing his pain aside, Ichigo forcefully dragged himself to Rukia's limp body. It was straight out embarrassing how he had to clutch the gravel, but his legs were torn up horribly. Though she was only several feet from him, the move their felt like a mile.

What the hell did the hollow do anyway?

Carefully picking up her still body, he hurried placed his fingers upon her visibly bruised neck. Relief breezed through his mind. A pulse. She was just unconscious. But absolutely bone dry of any spirit energy. What's worse, the foot long cut on Rukia's back had failed to coagulate. Her body began to shiver violently. Whether it be from the freezing rain or too much blood loss, it didn't matter.

There was no time to think.

Sheathing his sword with the sash around his waist, Ichigo ripped off his (bankai) black coat. Using the cloth as a makeshift tourniquet appreciation for having a doctor for a father repeated itself in his mind. Making sure to completely cover the wound, it pained him to see how frail she had become. And what's more pathetic, he had to strain his arms just to pick her up. A freakin' 110 pound girl...

"Like I'll let you die here…" Ichigo swore to himself; silently praying for the strength to do so. There was NO WAY he was going to lose another loved one in the God forsaken rain.

Cradling her in his arms, Ichigo attempted to stand. He hollered in agony, feeling the muscles in his thighs tear and bones grind. This was all that his drops of remaining spirit energy could afford him. Flash step now would be impossible…

So he ran.

He ran as fast as his wreck of a body could commit against the freezing cold rain. There was only one person who could save her right now.

In the Sky Directly Above

"My, my Cloud." Sephiroth seethed, heaving his sword against Cloud's with high-flying sparks of lethality. "Your strength has improved."

The rain dared not to touch either fighter. A nigh visible green aura surrounded them; deflecting everything that lacked the strength to pierce through.

"Shut up." the dirty blonde swordsman spat. There was no time to waste.

With blinding speed; Cloud slashed overhead, side to side, and horizontally to Sephiroth's torso. All countered with equally dizzying speed from the 6 foot katana the platinum haired murderer wielded. Not bad for six seconds.

The air bent with every point of their connection. The distinctive sound of screeching metal filled the polluted sky, being only slightly dulled by the steady beat of the rain.

"We seem to be equally matched." Sephiroth spoke with slight amazement, flying back slightly to plot his next move. Rather unusual for one that rarely gets impressed. Nor challenged.

"Don't flatter yourself." Cloud smiled with radiant confidence as he rose his monstrous blade toward the sickeningly gloomy sky. " Like I said before…" he added while closing his eyes. A violent increase in strength surged through him. With a piercing leer, Cloud roared "I DON'T HAVE TIME"!

"Then DIE!" Sephiroth vocally sentenced, launching forward with a deadly resonance humming through his masamune. It was time to end this futile fight.

"OMNISLASH V.2: 50 SLASH!" Cloud cried in an encompassing golden aura. Bolting forward like a bullet, he viciously attacked against the reappearing barrier that protected Sephiroth with a vicious string of continuous slashes.

The power behind the strikes proved to be valiant, cracking and completely shattering the sea colored barrier with the 32nd strike. Leaving the last 18 cuts free to utterly demolish Sephiroth's body. His arms, legs, chest, and everything in between was sliced and diced to ribbons. The icy rain dethroned Sephiroth from his aerial dominance, further aiding his fall to the gravel with a bloody SQUISH!

"..B..ut…h.o..w?" Sephiroth desperately questioned through his gasping breaths. The skies began to brighten, but the ever persistent rainfall continued. It was the first time he had felt the drops since he arrived to this world. It was icy. " Where did… you acquire …THIS STRENGTH?"

"Simple." Cloud spoke with a hint of a smile, stabbing his blade into the concrete with ease. "I'm not strong. You're weak."

"That…so." Sephiroth spat with a grin. Obviously his mind was elsewhere. Staring at the lightening airways, his mind displayed the only thing that truly mattered. "I..'m..sorry…, mother…" he spoke lightly, succumbing to his final breath. His body converted into thousands of bit of dissipating particles of bright green light, curing the gorgeous blue sky as it happily filled it's rightful place.

He was gone.

"-sigh- That's the 11th Sephiroth I've fought today." Cloud tallied quietly to himself, taking in a deep breath of clean air. A blissful rainbow even formed through the rain in the returning sunlight. "However, this one was by FAR the weakest. Could it of been…"

His mind completely froze.

"The KID!"

Charred Part of Town

"Darn IT! ORIHIME! WHERE ARE YOU!" Ichigo screamed amongst the easing fall of the rain. At least something was going right. Running was becoming harder. He needed to find her soon.

Slowly stirring herself awake, Rukia looked into what seemed liked a dream. She couldn't speak. She couldn't move. And yet, it felt comfortable. Safe. All the little soul reaper could do was watch a sun kissed Ichigo protect her… yet again. Pressed up against his chest, she could feel the rhythm of his heart. Her little burst of energy was spent. But not without reason.

The real Ichigo was alive. That alone was enough to lull her back to sleep.

"KUROSAKI-KUN!" Orihime lively called to the struggling teen from ten feet behind. She'd been hiding during the whole fight in an abandoned clothing store shelter. Mainly because it's really easy to hide unconscious bodies in the fitting rooms. "Oh my GOD! What happened to you - !"

"I'll explain later! C…can you heal her?" Ichigo desperately cut her off. Consciousness was beginning to slip.

"Um, I think so. But Ichigo…" Orihime tried to reason with the arrogant bleach head. Completely futile. Inoue watched with sore eyes as he struggled to place Rukia on the carpet with the utmost care. The fret of worry on his face was so unbearably agonizing to watch. "I promise I'll save her, Kurosaki-kun."

"Thank you…Ori..hi..me." Ichigo grinned with drained eyes the moment before passing out on her shoulder. Even Zangetsu was effected; falling to the floor as it converted back into it's massive shikai form.

Tears swelled in Inoue's eyes. Placing Ichigo's body on the ground, the extent of his injuries were showing themselves. His abdomen and right arm were bleeding profusely. The muscle tissues in legs had ripped. Even his skin tone had a slight green appearance. And yet … his only concern was about Rukia.

Orihime felt nauseated. As she brought a healing barrier over Rukia's feverish body, she couldn't help but ask herself: why? It wasn't jealousy. Nor was it the fact that Ichigo's collapsing on her was the most contact she's ever had with him. Ever.

It was about her own strength. She had used up nearly all of her it last night. Because of her own stupid inability and weakness…she could only heal one person. She didn't even have the power to save the one she cared about most. In a word: failure.

"Ah! Don't look so gloomy, Miss Inoue! It is most unfitting of you." A very familiar voice sang from the ringing doorway.

"Urahara…" Orihime said as calmly as possible, wiping away the tears formed in her eyes.

"Just leave everything to me."

I honestly didn't want to stop writing for this chapter. But you guys deserve an update. Writing for Cloud is hard. I liked his personality from FFVII WAYY better than the one from Advent Children. But, for the sake of the story, I have to go with the latter. You'll understand why later. Please remember to review!