Author's Note 1: Hey, sorry for the long wait. Like I said, I've been rather busy lately. Plus it's my first time writing about the Vizards (those loveable exiled hybrids) and trying to write multiple characters and keep their personalities intact can be difficult. Then there's the exciting fight scene near the end which takes a while to create when you have to study the fighting styles of characters and relearn how to write that kind of stuff. But hey, what matters is it's finally done. I hope you guys love this chapter, which is the longest to date. It also introduces a fourth possible love interest who I'm sure many of you would enjoy.
Author's Note 2: In case you don't get the title, it's a reference off of the 1977 film "The Man in the Iron Mask". In case no one caught the titles of the past chapters, they've also been named after movies.
Ch. 4: The Man in the Hollow Mask
It was around 10:00 A.M. and the start of a new weekend for Ichigo. After eating his breakfast and surviving another attack from his father, the substitute shinigami returned to his room to get dressed. When he finished, the teen left his quarters wearing a pair of gray pants and a red t-shirt that read "Killer Berry" in bold scratchy font. Normally, this would be the day he would take a rest and hang out with his friends. Instead, this was the day that Ichigo had to go see the vizards, shinigami-hollow hybrids much like himself. With his hands in his pockets, Ichigo walked back downstairs and continued his way to the door. "I'll see you guys later," Ichigo announced to his family.
"Where are you going, Ichigo?" Yuzu asked.
The teen knew he couldn't tell them about his appointment. It wasn't just because they were a secret group who wanted as little attention as possible. It was simply because the eight individuals were among the oddest people he had ever met in one place at one time. So strange and dysfunctional, it made his family (or rather his father), look completely sane by comparison. Though of course, if he did mention them, then he might as well start explaining his entire history as a shinigami. That would be the last thing he needed to do. No matter how freaky his father was, the teen didn't want his sisters to get involved in spiritual matters or be concerned for his safety. "I'm going to study with some friends," Ichigo lied. "I'll be back by the end of the day."
"Alright then," Karin said while she watched television. She waved her brother off, paying more attention to the screen than her older sibling. "See you when you get back."
As Ichigo opened the front door, the strawberry-haired boy was caught by surprise as a large foot connected to his chest. "Haha! Caught you with my Hidden Master Lion's Kick! Looks like you still need some training, son!" the gloating father replied.
Ichigo glared at his parent, a large tick mark formed on his face. "Is that right?" he growled. Isshin cocked a brow and looked at his foot. He was shocked to see that his son managed to catch his strike as it connected with his body. "It's payback time, you crazy bastard!" he replied. Before Isshin could respond, Ichigo twisted his body around and mustered enough strength to hurl his father across the house.
Isshin screamed during his short flight until he crashed right next to the poster of his late wife, Masaki. "Oh Masaki!" Isshin cried as soon as he recovered. Tears flowed down his eyes as he clung to the wallpaper. "Our son is so strong, yet so mean at the same time! Why, oh why does he have to act like this!"
Ichigo sighed in embarrassment from the man's display. "I wonder how many times he was dropped on his head as a child?" he mentally asked. "I'll see you guys later," the teen said as he went out the door.
"Be sure to come back by dinner!" Yuzu called to her brother.
"Will do," Ichigo responded with a subtle wave before he closed the door. Now outside, the teen walked down the street for a few blocks until he reached the bus stop. Once there, the teen sat on the bench and waited for his ride to arrive.
True, the teen could have transformed into his shinigami self, carry his body, and arrive at the vizard's hideout in under five minutes by use of a quick shunpo sprint. However, Ichigo was in no real rush to train with these individuals. Between the constant annoyances by the members and the barely survivable beatings from Hiyori, he would rather procrastinate before uniting with his half-hollow colleagues. Of course, unlike certain people he knew, Ichigo felt he was above such standards. Though in all honesty, the temptation to shirk was there.
After an hour long bus ride, the strawberry-haired male arrived at the Komatsu district. Part of south-eastern region of Karakura Town, it is an industrialized area mostly covered with factories and warehouses. Aside from the few residential buildings and small homes, there were few signs of permanent habitation. Though with Hachigen's barriers, it wasn't surprising that the vizards managed to stay underground for over a century.
After a short hike from the bus stop, the teen arrived at the front of the vizard's home. He stood for a second and looked the building over. It was rather old and seemingly abandoned with its broken windows, worn out paint, and small holes. However, from the loud bickering, it was clear that the inside was full of activity. He didn't know what was going on, but he knew by the voices, it involved Shinji and Hiyori. "Looks like those idiots have already started," Ichigo sighed. "Let's get this over with." Wanting to finish his training for the day, he walked to the front of the warehouse and entered the building.
Once inside, he saw Shinji screaming on the ground with Hiyori standing on top of him. The pig-tailed girl was pulling back on his arms, trying to break the poor man's limbs out of his sockets. As the so-called leader was being beaten, the rest of the vizards watched the spectacle from the three broken levels above. "You better take back what you said, dickhead!" Hiyori threatened. "Or you'll find it real hard to eat with no hands!"
"S-Screw you, ya damned snaggletooth!" Shinji managed to say before his face was stomped into the ground.
"What did I say, idiot! Stop calling me snaggletooth!"
"Only after you get your heavy ass off me!" exclaimed the downed Shinji. Though considering the fact his face was planted in the floor and his mouth was full of concrete, it was hard to understand what he said. However, that didn't stop Hiyori from delivering the added punishment to the back of his cranium.
As the fight was going on below and many of the members were watching the altercation, Lisa paid little to no attention. Instead, she was more interested in her josei manga. To her, seeing Shinji and Hiyori squabble was as ordinary as the sunrise. Sure the first few times were exciting, but after the twenty year mark, the brawls had lost their luster and became more of an annoyance (like professional wrestling to some people). The ponytail-wearing woman took a quick glance away from her reading and saw Ichigo standing near the doorway. Seeing his nonchalant expression as he watched the one-sided massacre, she knew that he had gotten used to seeing the abusive show by now. "Hey, you two. Our honorary guest is back," the ex-lieutenant said.
"Well about damn time," Hiyori said as she now had Shinji in a STS. The young vizard broke the painful hold, causing Shinji's head to crash into the floor once more. She walked over to Ichigo and glared daggers at the shinigami. "About time your ass finally showed up!" she hissed. "You're late again!"
"How am I late?" Ichigo asked. "You never told me when I'm supposed to get here!"
"Shut up, Strawberry! If I said you're late, then that means you're late! You got that!"
"Like hell I do!" Ichigo retorted. "I can't be late if I was never told when to get here!"
"Don't argue with me, ass hat! You should know by now to address me as Master Sarugaki! Learn some respect!"
"You've got to be kidding me! There's no way I'm calling you that!"
"You ungrateful little bastard…!" Hiyori hissed as she began to ball up her fists. The young vizard clearly wanted to start his "training regimen" right then and there.
Luckily for Ichigo, he was momentarily spared from meeting the same fate as Shinji when Hachigen appeared behind Hiyori. "I believe that is quite enough, Hiyori," the large Kido expert said as he held her in place. The girl squirmed and screamed as she tried to break out of the larger man's grip, but to no avail. "Now that Ichigo is here, why don't we all move to the training grounds."
Knowing that escape was impossible, Hiyori stopped resisting. "Fine, whatever," she complied. Seeing that the small girl had (somewhat) calmed down, Hachigen took his hands off of her shoulders. Hiyori then turned her attention back on Ichigo with a piercing stare. "We'll settle this downstairs. Hope you're little break didn't have you get softer than you already are," she insulted.
"Trust me, you'll see soon enough," Ichigo shot back.
Hiyori only scoffed before walking toward Shinji and grabbing his leg. The supposed leader groaned in agony as the small vizard dragged his bloodied, broken corpse down the stairs to their expanded attic as if he were a small wagon. As Hachigen and many of the others followed, Lisa jumped from her spot and walked toward Ichigo. "Looks like you actually came back," the fuku-wearing vizard said. "I figured you wouldn't simply ditch us as soon as you left this place."
"Like I said, I'm here because you're the only ones who can help me suppress my inner hollow," Ichigo explained. "It's not like I can really go anywhere else for my situation."
"Is that a fact?" Lisa asked in a wryly tone. "I would have figured it's because this is a place where you can find free porn books."
"Wh-What!" Ichigo instantly facefaulted from Lisa's comment. "Sh-Shut up! Stop pushing your junk on me, you perverted woman!"
"How many times do I have to tell you?" Lisa asked. "It's a healthy interest. God you're such a prude."
"And you're a pervert all the same."
Lisa growled under her breath as she glared at the young man before her. Before the young woman could retort, Love returned to the main level, standing near the staircase. "Hey, if you love birds are done kissing, why don't you get down here."
"Shut up!" Both Lisa and Ichigo shouted in unison.
A chill went down the man's spine from the teamed order. Hearing Lisa shout at him was scary enough, but having both her and Ichigo do it in stereo was just as horrifying. "Alright then…" he replied as he tried to hide his fear. "Just so you knew…" The star-headed vizard left the room and made his way back downstairs.
"Come on," Ichigo said as he took the lead. "I want to get this thing over and done with."
Lisa gave a light nod. "Of course you do," she said as she turned to the staircase. Walking to the training ground's entrance, the young woman stopped as she smelled something strong nearby. "What is that?" she thought as she took a few whiffs. "Hm… Not bad. I wonder where…" Lisa stopped in mid-thought as she slowly turned to face Ichigo. "Oh I get it now. It looks like the little boy is taking his first steps to manhood." Upon realizing that Ichigo was the source of the odor, a small smile grew on her face. "Hey Ichigo," she called.
"What is it now?" he asked in an annoyed tone.
"Nice to see you finally discovered cologne. I didn't think you were the kind to wear it," the young woman said. Ichigo's cheeks started to redden as he saw the vizard giving him a sultry glare. "Is it possible you're expecting something from somebody?" the vizard asked suggestively.
Ichigo took a step back in surprise by Lisa's sudden change in demeanor. Sweat dripped from his face and his cheeks grew red. He was both confused and embarrassed by both his and Lisa's behavior. "What is she talking about?" the teen thought as he tried to gather his thoughts. "I haven't put any of that stuff on since yesterday. It should've worn off by now. Wait… How does she know I'm wearing cologne? Even if I did put that stuff on, it doesn't have any smell. So how-"
Seeing Ichigo's nervousness to her advances, Lisa decided to end her flirting. Pushing her glasses against her face, the young woman reverted to her calm attitude. "What are you doing just standing there?" Lisa called, interrupting his train of thought. She now stood with her hands at her hips as if nothing occurred. "Are you coming or not?"
"Y-Yeah, yeah! Just... don't do that ever again!" the strawberry-haired teen said as he ejected his spirit from his body. Lisa only shrugged before continuing down the steps. Whatever was on Ichigo's mind wasn't her concern. "She's just messing with me, that's all," the substitute shinigami assured himself. Shaking the thoughts from his mind, the teen walked to the stairs and made his way underground where the other vizards awaited.
"Took your sweet time, dumbass!" Hiyori called as Ichigo finally came down. Behind her, Hachigen was focusing on healing Shinji. "Were ya scared of the beating you'll be taking?"
"You wish," Ichigo shot back. The teen leapt from the stairs and to the rough terrain below. Grabbing Zangetsu, the teen pulled the massive blade from its wrapped sheath and held it in front of him. "Bring it on, you fang-faced dwarf!" he goaded. The teen ripped his hand across his face, creating his skull-like hollow mask.
Hiyori snarled from the name. "You bastard!" she hollered as she grabbed her zanpakuto from the scabbard on her back. At the same time, her oni-like hollow mask began to form onto her face. As soon as it completely formed, the ex-lieutenant's reiatsu increased drastically.
"Uh oh," Rose said with a small smile across his face. "It looks like Hiyori's about to throw a fit again."
"Now I'm really feeling sorry for the kid," Love noted. He then turned to Shinji, who was still being healed by a focused Hachigen. The good news was that the ex-captain was still alive. Of course, he was far from being at one-hundred percent thanks to all the broken bones, massive internal bleeding, and small concussion received from his recent close call with Hiyori. "If Hiyori did that, then you can be sure Ichigo's gonna look a whole lot worse."
"Bring it on!" Ichigo replied as both he and Hiyori dashed forward. Once they met, the two combatants swords clashed with a loud clang. Both hybrids glared at one another with black and gold eyes, testing one another's power. Ichigo tried using his strength and size to push down on the smaller girl, but it was Hiyori who managed to shove the teen away and attack with a powerful kick.
The force of the attack was enough to toss him in the air, though he managed to recover quickly. He glanced down and saw Hiyori jump toward him. The strawberry-haired teen managed to block his rival's zanpakuto before the slash connected. "Is that all you got!" Hiyori barked before she flung him back to the ground like a rock in a sling. Ichigo crashed hard in a small hill, his body resting in a small crater as Hiyori landed on her feet. The girl pulled her mask up and scowled at her "apprentice". "I knew we shouldn't have let you leave. Freakin' weakling."
"Shut up…" Ichigo growled as he pushed himself back to his feet. With sword still surprisingly clutched in his hand, the strawberry-haired vizard held it closely in front. With a loud battle yell, the teen charged at Hiyori again and slashed. Hiyori side-stepped from the attack before jumping and kicking at her sparring partner's face. However, Ichigo managed to block her foot with his left arm. Hiyori gritted her teeth while Ichigo smirked under his mask. Hiyori continued to pummel at Ichigo multiple times, but her attack was still being blocked by the limb.
After a few minutes, Ichigo swung at Hiyori, causing her to distance herself from him. With his opponent hanging back, the teen decided to leap away as well to catch his breath. He grunted as he started feeling the stinging sensation in the arm he defended with. "What the hell are you doing!" Hiyori replied. "Don't back down from your opponent, dumbass!"
Ichigo only responded with a growl. For the moment, he was starting to grow curious over his performance. "What just happened?" Ichigo thought. "My mask hasn't shattered yet and I'm keeping up with Hiyori much more easily."
"That's it!" Hiyori shouted. The impatient girl came at Ichigo with a strong punch. At the last second, Ichigo pull his head back just far enough to feel a slight breeze from the glancing blow. He then countered with an upper slash from below. Hiyori was caught off guard, but managed to leap away from the swing before Zangetsu's edge could touch her. "Well, well," Hiyori said in a bemused tone. "Looks like you've done more than just sit on your ass for two weeks."
"You're damn right!" Ichigo said. It was true Ichigo hadn't been twiddling his thumbs since he left the vizard's hideout. Whenever he had the chance, he would train in Kisuke's basement as well as commune with Zangetsu. Yet he never figured that after such a short time, he would grow this strong. "I've been wanting to kick your ass for some time now! And I think today might be that day!"
"Don't get cocky, strawberry!" Hiyori said before sliding the mask back on her face. "Just because you managed to hang on for this long, doesn't mean you've mastered a thing. You're still a talentless dickwad!"
"Is that so?" Ichigo responded. "Let's see how talentless I am after I beat your ass, fangface." With that said, both Ichigo and Hiyori resumed their training session.
As the two shinigami fought, the other vizards watched over the battle with piqued interest. The two combatants were unaware of the fact that Ichigo had kept his mask on for the past couple minutes. Quite a feat considering that the most their training gave him last time was a measly ten seconds. "Well would you look at that," Love replied. "It looks like Ichigo's been improving since a couple weeks ago."
"I gotta say, I had my doubts about Strawberry," Mashiro said. "But it looks like he's not as much of a loser as we thought."
"That maybe so," Kensei said. "While the boy's got a lot of potential, he's still a punk. It's clear that the kid's obviously stubborn and headstrong. He needs to learn some restraint and trust more in his instincts if he really wants to improve."
"So in other words, he kinda reminds you of yourself, huh?" Mashiro quipped.
"Shut up, you little pest!" Kensei shot back. Mashiro only giggled. As usual, she had the white-haired man strung around her finger.
As the group critiqued Ichigo's apparent progress, Lisa kept to herself and read her book. Still, that didn't mean she was unaware of the strawberry-haired teen's growth. In between pages, the fuku-wearing vizard would peek over her manga to observe the spar every now and then. As usual, her curiosity got the better of her and it wasn't long until she put her book down and actually watched (which was rare considering her reputation for never letting go of her readings). "Looks like Ichigo has gotten better at keeping his mask on," she thought as she watched the teen hold his own against the experienced ex-lieutenant.
The pony-tailed woman watched as Ichigo continued to counter Hiyori's movements and block most of her attacks. It was only after a strong kick to his jaw that the teen's mask actually shattered. With his mask gone, the teen was sent halfway across the field before colliding with another structure. "So what was that about kicking my ass?" Hiyori mocked.
"It's not over yet!" Ichigo replied as he ripped the mask across his face once more. With a loud battle yell, the substitute shinigami entered the battle. It didn't matter what it took, he was driven to beat Hiyori sometime today.
"That was about three minutes," Lisa observed. "Not bad. And he recovered pretty quickly between the break." She couldn't help but marvel over Ichigo's progress. Like many of the others in the group, she also thought of him as a weakling who had little affinity over controlling his inner hollow. Yet here he was, giving Hiyori a run for her money. Then again, it didn't come as much of a surprise to her. During one of her eavesdropping sessions, the young woman heard about his impressive growth rate (vicariously through Shinji when he last met with Urahara). However, being the curious woman she was, there was something on her mind over Ichigo's stunning progress as she watched his match carefully. "I wonder, have his powers and control really improved this much since his last visit? Or has he simply gotten use to Hiyori's attacks? Either way, he is proving to be a match to Hiyori and a very promising vizard in training."
"So you're seeing it too," a male voice said from beside her. Lisa glanced to her left and saw Shinji sitting next to her. The blonde-haired man was watching over the battle as well. Like her, he was mentally taking notes over Ichigo's growth rate. "The boy's been improving. Not bad for a guy who was so close to becoming a rampaging hollow."
"Looks like you healed pretty quickly," Lisa said as she returned to her manga. "I would've figured you'd be out for another hour or so."
"What can I say, I heal quick," Shinji said nonchalantly with a shrug. "Would you like to see if everything works, my first love?" he said with a lecherous tone. Before he could close the distance, Lisa slammed her book into the blonde's face and peeled it off. "Ow that stings!" Shinji yelled in pain and held his face that was now decorated with a red square.
"Do it again, and we'll see whether Hachigen's healing powers can reconstruct your face."
"Alright, alright! I get it! You don't have to be so cruel," Shinji said as he waved submissively. "Anyway, what do you think we should do about Ichigo? It's clear that he's understands the basics of this endurance training."
"That's true," Lisa agreed. "What do you have in mind now that Ichigo's reached this level?"
A wide smile grew on Shinji's face. "Well I have one idea which I'm sure you'll love." Lisa turned slightly toward the blonde and arched her eyebrow. "Don't think I haven't seen the way you've been watching the kid out of the corner of your eye. Something tells me your interested in more than his training," he said wily tone. Lisa literally assaulted his claim with yet another whack from her graphic novel. Again Shinji screamed in agony as he rubbed his face. Added with the last hit from the book, the ex-leader was in twice as much pain as before.
Though Lisa denied the man's statement, there was some truth to his words. For Lisa, Ichigo was like a breath of fresh air. A welcome edition to their merry crew. It had been so long since she had contact with another person. Especially someone she could relate to due to their similar attitudes and condition. Whenever he wasn't training, the two would either partake in small talk (though Lisa would usually annoy him by poking at his shyness and his lack of skill compared to herself) or simply sit back and enjoy one another's company.
"So what's this big idea you're talking about?" Lisa asked.
Shinji hissed in pain as he held his bleeding nose. "Well I figured you could give him some pointers," the man answered. "Hiyori's been good and all, but her roughhousing style can only get him so far. Maybe you can start helping Ichigo out in other areas."
"So you want me to take over? Why won't you take the reins?"
"I would if I could, but I'm thinking you can unlock Ichigo's potential better than I can. You can see it, can't you? The kid's fighting style and his knack for speed are similar to yours. He's a natural at what he does, but I'm sure you're just itching to see how much stronger the boy can become."
Lisa mentally nodded over Shinji's council. She could see the similarities in the fighting styles. Indeed the teen was fast and his bankai was said to surpass even shunpo standards. Thinking over the possibilities, the ex-lieutenant couldn't help but crack a smirk behind her book. "I guess I can teach the kid a thing or two. At least, if it's not wasting too much of my time."
Shinji smiled at the glasses-wearing woman. "Great. I'm glad to hear it, Lisa." As Lisa continued on her reading, Shinji resumed observing the final session between Ichigo and Hiyori. "I hope you're ready, Ichigo," he thought. "Lisa has a lot of faith in your abilities. Try not to disappoint her."
A couple of hours had passed since the beginning of the sparring session. With their practice at an end, Hiyori, Ichigo, and the rest of the vizards decided to take the time to have lunch. Today's dish was yakitori with tempora covered shrimp and a side of rice. As usual, Ichigo wondered why there was such a sudden break, though kept his queries to himself. After receiving his plate, the strawberry-haired shinigami sat in a secluded spot a short distance away from the other vizard.
As he peacefully enjoyed his dish, the teen was unaware of Lisa sitting on the rock next him. "Not bad," she said. Ichigo turned to the woman's direction as she saw her with a fork in one hand and her manga in the other. "You actually managed to give Hiyori a descent workout."
"To be honest, I was a bit surprised," Ichigo replied. "Not only was I able to keep my mask on longer, but it was easier to read Hiyori's moves. I guess those extra lessons from Urahara and Yoruichi helped a bit. Still, I didn't think I had become this strong in that amount of time."
Lisa chortled as she heard the information. "I shouldn't be surprised," she thought. "Those two were the same ones who helped us control our powers all those years ago. Nice to see they haven't lost their touch."
"Hey. What are you thinking about up there?" Ichigo asked as he watched her from the corner of his eye.
"Nothing," the young woman answered. "Just the four thousand yen that I won."
"What are you talking about?" Ichigo asked in confusion.
"Oh. I guess I haven't told you," she said with a mischievous smirk on her face. "You see, Rose bet me two thousand yen that you wouldn't come today. Of course, since you did, I won that little wager. Then Kensei ran another bet for two thousand more yen saying that you wouldn't last one minute with Hiyori. And since you proved him wrong, he owes me a couple grand."
"So wait! You were betting on me! What the hell, Lisa!" Ichigo screamed from hearing the explanation. It was clear that he did not like being the topic of a gamble. Though what was worse was knowing that those two vizards would even underestimate against him in the first place. "God, I'm gonna kick their asses!" he mentally snarled before ripping off a piece of chicken from his yakitori stick.
"What the big deal?" Lisa said as she took a bite of her shrimp. "If you didn't hear, I was rooting for you the entire time. And what better way to show my support than by placing money where my mouth is?"
"That's no excuse," he said.
"Alright, fine," the glasses-wearing woman said. "Since you helped me win and I'm such a nice person, I'll give you, oh… a thousand yen. How does that sound?"
"What! Hell no! I should get the whole damn pot!" Ichigo argued.
"In your dreams," Lisa said in a light tone.
The teen glared daggers at the vizard senior. However, she paid no attention to his deathly stare. With her eyes closed, the woman continued eating in peace, enjoying both her meal and the torment she was giving Ichigo. The substitute averted his gaze and continued eating his meal. "Damn that perverted woman," he thought before deciding to change the subject. "So now that I have the concentration down, what's next on the list?"
"You'll find out," Lisa simply stated. "Finish your plate and you'll see."
Ichigo only spun his eyes knowing that this was how Lisa works. Holding back what may be crucial information from him was just another game. "God she annoys me to no end," the strawberry-haired teen figured.
After about an hour passed, Ichigo and the vizards gathered at the center of the training area. The substitute shinigami stood with folded shoulders as he scowled at Shinji. The blonde man stood lackadaisically with a toothy grin as the rest of the group sat around them on surrounding rocks. The air was full of tension as the audience awaited for their leader to speak. "I guess congratulations are in order, Ichigo," Shinji said with a slick tone. "You managed to keep your hollow mask on for more than a few minutes and you survived Hiyori's training. Not half bad for a guy with barely any self-control."
"So what's next, Shinji?" Ichigo asked, ignoring his last statement.
"Well, you've got the basics down. That much is certain. Now the real fun is about to begin." Shinji turned to Lisa, whose sheathed sword was hung from her right side. "Lisa, would you be so kind as to come over here?" the ex-captain asked politely.
With a shrug, Lisa jumped off her seat and stood next to the smiling man. "I'm sure you're acquainted with Lisa Yadomaru by now, Ichigo."
"We've met," the teen replied as he averted his gaze, still agitated from her past wagers.
"Anyway, Lisa will be taking over your training for now."
"What!" Ichigo replied in shock. At first, the teen thought he was hearing things. "No way! She's in charge now!" Turning to Lisa, the teen received confirmation as he saw a corner of the female vizard's mouth turn up in a small smirk. Ichigo narrowed his glare, realizing why Lisa said nothing to him before. He also realized how troubling the woman was going to be on the battlefield.
"Hold on!" Hiyori called. "Why ain't I continuing with Ichigo's training! The dumbass can barely function on his own!"
"Shut up, idiot!" Ichigo replied.
"Make me, strawberry shortcake!" Hiyori shot back.
"Enough, enough! Geez," an irritated Shinji said. "The reason is because you're style was to help him with his endurance as well as gauge his power. Ichigo had learn how to maintain his mask while under pressure in a head-on battle."
With a short growl, Hiyori returned to her seat and glared at Shinji. She wouldn't admit it, but Ichigo was the best (and only) student she ever had. Even though she didn't give him the time of day, the pig-tailed girl knew that the teen was powerful and had the makings of a good vizard. "Shinji, you better be sleeping with one eye open tonight," she thought.
"That was step one of the training. Step two is an expansion on that. Now that you've learned how to keep your mask on for extended periods, it's time to train you in other areas."
"Alright, I get it. So what's Lisa supposed to be doing then?" Ichigo asked.
"I'll take it from here," Lisa said to Shinji. Deciding to let her explain, Shinji moved off to the side as Lisa stood in his position. "While you fought in a more conventional scenario before, this time you will be fighting with less restrictions. The point here is to see how much control you have when you're using both your mask and your other skills. I want you to show me what you're really capable of."
"So do you understand, Ichigo?" Shinji asked. "You're real training begins here. Think you can handle it?"
"You know I can!" Ichigo replied. "I came here to better learn how to use my powers. And I won't stop until I learn everything I need to know."
Shinji's smile widened. "Alright then," he said. "Best of luck to you. With Lisa, you're really going to need it." With that said, Shinji and the others distanced themselves from the two vizards.
With his sword in hand, Ichigo readied himself for the ex-lieutenant. While he knew that she was strong, the teen didn't know exactly how strong she was. The only time they fought was when he transformed into a hollow state. However, since he was occupied with his inner hollow and unaware of the battle outside his subconscious, the shinigami didn't know what to expect from her. Ichigo watched Lisa with a studious eye waiting for her to make a move.
Lisa, on the other hand, was excited. She thought back to the battle they had when Ichigo transformed and the rush it gave her. The young woman had never seen someone so strong and fast. Indeed that version of Ichigo was quite the dangerous opponent, a blood-thirsty beast who quickly adapted to strategy and ran on instinct. The ex-lieutenant was anxious to see if the teen, now aware of the world around him, could match or supercede the power he displayed from his hollow-driven state. Still, she made sure to hide her emotions under a stoic, calm gaze that came so natural to her.
After a few moments of staring one another down, the two charged. Lisa pulled her out her zanpakuto with her left hand as Ichigo brought his large cleaver down upon her. The fuku-wearing woman quickly blocked the overhead strike with her scabbard as they met. The teen tried pushing his blade down against the woman's sheath, but to no avail. Even with one arm, Lisa held the teen off with ease. She then counterattacked with a swing of her zanpakuto, but Ichigo managed to distance himself from the strike.
Lisa quickly dashed after him and began striking at the novice vizard with both sword and sheath. Each swipe she made became faster and harder than the last. Ichigo was now stuck in defense, using his blade to shield himself from the onslaught of the ex-lieutenant. Before his defenses broke, Ichigo sidestepped with a shunpo and came at Lisa on her left side. Quickly, Lisa blocked the strike and swung her sheath with enough force to push the teen back. Ichigo slid across the terrain for a few meters, but managed to recover just in time to see Lisa seemingly materialize from above. With her zanpakuto raised in the air, Lisa was close to slicing the young man in two. Luckily, Ichigo dodged the strike just as his opponent's sword slammed on the ground.
A cloud of dust erupted from the impact zone with a sound akin to the blast of a bomb. Ichigo was surprised by the hard of an impact her attack made. "Are you trying to kill me!" Ichigo called. "I thought we were supposed to be training!"
Little did Ichigo know that Lisa had already shunpoed behind him. "It's the same thing," Lisa's whispered softly in his ear. Realizing the woman's position, Ichigo rolled forward, his head narrowly missing Lisa's passing swing of her long sword. "Stop holding back, Ichigo," she said as she rested her blade on top of her shoulder. "I want to see you go all out against me. I want to see the power that brought down a couple of the captains in the Gotei 13."
"How do you know about that!" Ichigo replied.
"We have our ways," Lisa said. By that, she meant how Yoruichi and Kisuke gloated about what their little substitute shinigami student achieved. It was like hearing a parental pair talk about the accolades of their honor student from school. "Now come on!" Lisa said as she pointed her sword directly at Ichigo.
With a cold gaze, Ichigo ripped his hand across his face to create his hollow mask. Ichigo then charged at Lisa at full force with his blade held at the side and a loud battle yell. Lisa only stood with a cold, calculating gaze as she readied herself for the teen's attack. Once in range, Ichigo swung Zangetsu's massive cleaver-shaped blade. Lisa blocked the stroke with her scabbard and swung her sword. However, Ichigo adjusted his weapon's angle to block her strike. A look of surprise briefly appeared on her face before the teen pushed Lisa back with all his strength.
Ichigo quickly darted after Lisa and began swiping at his sparing partner. Using her superior speed and extra weapon, Lisa began to parry against the younger shinigami's attacks. The two blocked and slashed at one another in an attempt to get the upper hand. Soon, Ichigo used a shunpo to try to get behind Lisa. However, the vizard saw the attack and quickly pushed him away with her scabbard. She tried to swat at him again, but Ichigo backed away with a shunpo. Now out of her range, Ichigo pulled his sword behind him, ready to unleash his signature attack. "Get ready for this! Getsuga Tensho!" the strawberry-haired shingiami yelled as he fired his blast at the woman.
Lisa watched as the wave of raw energy tore across the landscape like a shark's fin through water. Before the special attack connected, Lisa leapt over the attack with incredible ease. "You're gonna have to do better than that!" Lisa chided. Ichigo shunpoed to another position and fired a second Getsuga Tensho, but his strike missed again as the fuku-wearing warrior moved to the right. Wanting to finish the battle quickly, Lisa dove toward her target with her sword held in front diagonally. Seeing her coming close Ichigo started storing energy into Zangetsu's blade. "What's he doing now?" Lisa thought as she was closing in. "Does he really think I'll let him fire another Getsuga Tensho?" Lisa increased her speed and went in for the slash. Seeing her closing the distance, Ichigo swung his large cleaver forward. Before he could complete his swing, Lisa blocked his action with her sword. "It's over Ichigo," Lisa said with a deathly glare. "You loose."
"Don't count on that," Ichigo said with a wicked smile forming on his face. Before Lisa could react, the substitute shouted once more, "Getsuga Tensho!" The condensed spirit energy was released from his blade. However, since Ichigo was unable to continue his swing thanks to Lisa's block, both he and Lisa were engulfed in a dome of bright blue energy.
The vizards watched in both shock and awe as the mass explosion grew in size. High-speed winds raged in all directions and everything within the range of the massive burst of energy was instantly leveled. Many of the vizards stood at disbelief from what Ichigo had done.
"Hachi, I think you might want to put up a barrier around there," Love suggested.
"Right. Here it goes." Hachigen sat down and began murmuring an incantation. It wasn't long until golden walls of spiritual energy formed to contain the explosion. However, due to the density of the spiritual pressure inside the cube, the large man tried his best to concentrate on keeping the power inside. To be safe, the kido-master created a second layer to better control the energy.
After a few moments, the bright light from the blast subsided, creating a large cloud of thick dust. Hachigen put down his barrier after seeing the explosion die down. "Such spiritual pressure…" Hachigen thought. "I never knew so much could be released all at once..."
"Do you think those two are okay," Mashiro asked with concern in her voice. However, everyone was too speechless to actually respond. Even Hiyori, the resident loudmouth, was speechless.
However, no one noticed the smile that Shinji still had. Ever since the beginning of the training to now, the young man was grinning from ear to ear. "Crazy move, Ichigo," he thought. "I knew I should have brought my camera down here today."
Once the smoke cleared, the group stood witness to a newly created crater. Due to the power of the blast, the impression was at least one hundred feet wide and dipped at least ten feet below ground level. Both Ichigo and Lisa laid on opposite sides of the bowl, both having the wind knocked out of them. The competitors were bruised and covered in scratches. After a few minutes, Lisa slowly rose to her feet with Ichigo settling for a knelt position. Both competitors tried to catch their breaths, but still kept one another in their sight. "You… You idiot!" Lisa called. "What… the hell were you thinking!"
Ichigo chuckled, his robes being nothing more than threads draped over his built. His mask was destroyed and the shattered pieces littered the ground around him. "I figured… since I couldn't catch you… why not let you… catch me?" he explained. "I knew that you were pretty fast… and that it would take a lot more… than speed… to beat you… So now that we're on even terms… I figured I'd have more.. more of a chance…"
Lisa had to give Ichigo credit. While it did critically wound both her and himself, the attack was pretty crafty. Lisa thought that disrupting Ichigo's technique would either cancel it out or lower its power. However, she didn't count on the teen still being able to unleash such a torrent of energy at full force. "I admit you got me there…" Lisa said. "But that doesn't mean you'll win… "
"So you say," Ichigo replied.
"So I do." The two shinigami began their advance toward one another. They ignored the pain that riddled their bodies, only focusing on winning the match.
Just as they were about to clash their swords, Shinji shunpoed between them, blocking their swings with his own zanpakuto. "I think it's safe to say that's enough today," he replied.
"No way, Shinji," Lisa replied. "This fight isn't over yet."
"That's right!" Ichigo agreed. "I still have some strength to spare!"
"Sure you do," Shinji replied. "But how's that supposed help when you use it to the point of exhausting yourself to death?" Ichigo didn't respond, only turning away from Shinji. The blonde-haired man then turned his attention to Lisa. "And look at you. I actually expected better. Tsk tsk tsk, Lisa. But hey, I can't argue with the choice of underwear."
"Just shut up, Shinji," Lisa replied as she kicked the ex-captain in the gut.
Shinji doubled over from the painful blow. "Ah! Why is everyone trying to kill me?"
Ichigo only watched as the leader writhed on the ground. He then watched Lisa walk away. Knowing that her sparring partner had her in his sights, she turned her head and smirked. "Enjoying the view, Ichigo?" she asked. "I guess that was your real reason for making that little explosion, huh?"
"Sh-Shut up, you pervert!" Ichigo replied with a beat red face. Lisa only chortled before continuing to the steps. She didn't want to stay here looking like she currently was. It was best that she changed into a fresh batch of clothing before doing anything else. Ichigo decided to go see Hachigen in order to heal his wounds. The last thing he wanted was to drop all of a sudden due to the lack of energy.
After getting healed and having his clothes repaired by Hachigen's kido spells, Ichigo and the remaining vizards returned to the first floor of their home. The substitute shinigami returned to his body and stood at the entrance. "Well, I better get back home," Ichigo replied.
"To be honest, I think you should stay here," Shinji replied. "There's still some work you have to do. But I guess it wouldn't be right to leave you're little sisters hanging."
"Who cares?" Kensei replied. "All that matters is that you get stronger. I don't care how you do it, as long as you get things done."
"Why do you have to be such a mean ol' jerk all the time, Kensei?" Mashiro asked.
"Would you shut up?"
"Well, it's a shame to see you leave," Rose said. "How about you come back next week?"
"I guess that can work," Ichigo said.
"Just don't be late next time, dumbass," Hiyori said with folded arms.
"God, would you just drop it, overbite?"
"Watch it, strawberry," Hiyori warned.
Ichigo rolled his eyes, not paying attention to the small girl's threat. He then noticed that there was someone missing from the group. "Hey, where's Lisa at?" he asked.
"Still getting dressed, I suppose," Hachigen replied. "It will take some time before she comes back down here."
"Right. Well, tell her that I said good bye and next time, I'm gonna beat her later on."
"We'll do that, Ichigo," Love said. "You just be sure to keep up with whatever training you're doing."
"Yeah, I know. I'll see you guys later." After saying his farewells, Ichigo openned the door and left the building. He continued to walk a few meters before glancing back at the hideout. "Lisa, I won't stop until I beat you. That's a promise." With a new goal in mind, Ichigo continued on his way back home. He was going to train harder from now on and defeat his strong rival.
Little did he know that Lisa was also outside standing on the roof of the warehouse. Wearing a new school uniform, she wiped her glasses with a small cloth before putting them back on her face. She watched the teen leave her home with a smile on her face. "Strong, determined, and talented," the vizard thought. "I can't wait to face you next time." Lisa then caught the smell of Ichigo's cologne. Even at a long distance, she could still smell the scent lingering on the young man. "Hm… Maybe next time, you and I will do more than just spar."