Chapter 6

The Dance of

Fire and Water

"The Water Monarch?" Ichigo questioned Harribel's title.

"Yes, and your about to see why…" She then inhaled a deep breath and exhaled water. And more then enough to turn the Valley in to a small lake.

Ichigo grabbed Neliel, and brought her up with the rest of the gang, that also jumped out of the way of the wave and on to the cliffs above the water.

When Ichigo was sure he was safe he looked around and Harribel was no where in sight. He then heard a watery voice.

"Looking for me Kurosaki-san?" Harribel spoke from behind him.

Ichigo turned just in time to slap her with his chain. Only for the Harribel before him to dissolve in to water.

"Like it…" Harribel spoke five feet away from Ichigo, standing on the water. "This very area is me and while you're here Kurosaki-san, you are at my mercy." She emphasized her point by raising her hand and two water-like Dragon flung themselves and attacked Ichigo.

Ichigo jumped away from the attack and landed on another rock. Only to see another water dragon heading for him. He called his bike and jumped on it avoiding the dragon and headed strait for Halibel.

Harribel saw this and raised her hand and sent more Dragons at her attacker. Which he unraveled his chain and swiped the dragon. He jumped off the bike and stabbed Halibel, who made no efforts to move. She just dissolved into water just like before.

Harribel resurfaced and said "As you can see Kurosaki-san, as my power originates from the very water we're standing on. As long as there's water, your victory will be quite a feature for you."

When she finished speaking water started to flow up to her and two swords were made. One was 5-6 feet long and bright blue blade, while the other one was 1-2 foot long, like a long dagger and was dark red in color.

Harribel took these weapons into her hand and said "If one of us is going to die Kurosaki-san, lets die with the very power we wield." and raised the weapons in a X-formation behind her.

Ichigo posed his own sword on his shoulder and said "Bring it." He then charged at her and brought his sword down on to her.

She followed his action and headed in for her own assault. Slamming her long blade on his own sword and attacking with the red dagger. Which Ichigo narrowly dodge.

He gained traction when he jumped out of the way of the Red blade and heard Harribel speak "So you've noticed?" She then stabbed the red dagger on the rock next to her and it dissolved instantly. "These sword are able to harness two of the many forms of water or liquid. This one is Espada del Hielo (Spanish:Ice Blade)…" she waved the long blue sword "…and this one is the Daga Acido (Spanish:The Acid Dagger)." She waved the red dagger.

Ichigo was more cautioning about this information about her power and wonder where he got them. None of the other Arrancar that he fought ever had an elemental ability. But here was one that controlled water with ease.

Harribel sent more dragons at Ichigo, the front and back. Ichigo jumped to the side and on to his bike. The dragons missed and collided with each other. Harribel then stabbed her Hielo Corte on the water and made a disc made of ice. She then started to use her energy to glide on the water as she started to catch up with her adversary.

Ichigo himself rode on the water towards her. His sword tip was slicing through the water gathering energy for another strike. He then collided with her and slammed the sword on the opposing sword. They just glided passed by one another. They looked fined except for a torn mark on Ichigo's coat and a scratch mark on Hailbel's side.

Ichigo then let out a Getsuga Tensho at Harribel, who, in response, sank underneath the water letting the attack miss her.

Ichigo glanced around for his target. Then out of the blue, she roused from the depth. Theirs eyes meant for a moment before they went on with the assault. They were continuing this for what seemed like hours. Finally they landed a few feet away from each other staring the other down.

"I must say Kurosaki-san, none have given me a fight this thrilling for a long time." Harribel complemented.

"Thanks…" Ichigo returning the complement. "But their something I'm curious about Harribel you powers aren't like they other Arrancars that I faced and you're the Certera Espada, like Nel, So how is it you have elemental powers?"

Harribel replied "My powers have manifested thanks to my power levels that resides in my Origins Kurosaki-san"

"Your Origins?" Ichigo questioned

Harribel then said with a grin hidden behind her mask "I'm saying Kurosaki-san that I'm a Vasto Lorde level Arrancar." Shocking everyone their. Figuring out this was a power of a Vasto Lorde (Spanish:Vast/Enormous King/Lord; Japanese:Great/Grand king of the Hollows)Arrancar.

"You're a Vasto Lorde!" Ichigo Exclaimed

"Yes I am. As you may not know Ichigo, when a Gillian (Spanish:Countless Creatures; Japanese:Lowest Great hollow) Meno (Spanish:Minus)evolves in to a Adjuchas (Spanish:Stone Demon; Japanese:Intermediate Great Hollow) Meno, They must keep Eating other hollows of the same level or greater power then they are, or risk devolution and never coming back. But when an Adjuchas has consumed enough hollows to the point their power level is greater then a captain-class Shinigami, They evolve into a more humanoid Hollow. And just so you know Kurosaki-san that the strength of a Vasto Lorde…" She then raised her armed and the whole lake started to rage "…is unstoppable."

The water started to recede and surround her. The water began to take the shape of a giant that looked like a fish. He also saw Harribel in the center of the beast her arms and legs spread out.

Harribel then moved her arms in front of her and the water giant moved his own to slam Ichigo, which he dodged.

Ichigo let loose another Getsuga Tensho and sliced off the arm. Only for it to grow back. Ichigo then jumped away from the gigantic figure as it shot its arm at Ichigo in a stream of water.

Ichigo landed on the ground, only to get snatch by the water claw. He struggled to break out, but the water hand held him tight as it brought him to Harribel.

"Don't you see Ichigo, water is a formless, and an element that your fire cannot breach." Harribel spoke to her prisoner.

Suddenly her arms was blasted off. She and Ichigo saw Chad punching another at her. Only for her to shield made of ice and deflect the attack. Chad, Byakuya, Kenpachi, and Rukia all ran at the Arrancar. Harribel then released a stream of deep blue water. When the came into contact with them and the other bystanders the water instantly froze their feet in place.

"Since we're getting no where with are battle Ichigo, lets spice thing up…" The ice around started to creep up Ichigo's friend's legs. "…If you fail to defeat me before the ice incases your friends completely Kurosaki-san, I'll order the ice to pierce them. Effectively killing them. But if you beat me before that happens, they will be released. So you better hurry up Kurosaki-san."

"They got nothing to do with this Halibel! Let them go!" Ichigo Shouted at Harribel.

Harribel glared at her opponent and said "Make me Kurosaki-san." And sent another stream of red water at him. Which he dodged and the ground melted.

'Dammit she practically untouchable surrounded by all that water. How can I bring her out.' He thought desperately. Then it hit him. He then jumped strait at Harribel. In the center of the chest. He swam in to her and grabbed her.

Harribel was shocked at his action. But still put up a struggle not to be released from the beast she controlled.

Ichigo saw that she wouldn't move and let a flare of fire out. It started to boil the water. The beast let out a painful roar from being boiled from the inside. Harribel knew she couldn't keep the form stable, so she dispersed it.

Both her and Ichigo landed on the ground, trying to catch their breath.

Harribel raised her head toward Ichigo and said "It seems I'm going to get serious if I'm going to beat you Ichigo." She then grinned "After all your friend don't have that much time."

True to her word. The ice around the other had reach their waist. And was moving an inch or two every minute.

Harribel stood up "Now we're going to finish this Ichigo. And this time you won't survive this blow." she said in a threaten tone. She then commanded all the water in the are to come to her and then she said ""Lluvia de los Dragones de un Thousend! (Spanish:Rain of a Thousand Dragon)""Then she launched all the water in to the air.

Harribel's fracción watched their mistress release her final move and knew without a doubt that the Shinigami wouldn't survive this.

Then hundreds of red and blue dragons fired at Ichigo, aiming to destroy him. Ichigo dodge the first blue dragon, that hit the ground and turned in to a pillar of ice. He then got scratched by a red dragon, which burned him. More dragons rained down. Ichigo kept getting hit more and more.

Finally he stated to hit the floor. His sight failing. He thought this was it.

Then he saw Orihime and the other. The ice incasing them to their head panicking, but Orihime was still looking at Ichigo. More worried about his life then her own. He then thought of the others. Chad Uryu, Renji, Rukia, everyone who came to help save Orihime from Aizen.

He knew then that if he died now, all their work, all their sacrifice would be in vain. And he wasn't about to let that happen.

He then gathered more energy into Zangetsu, but not for the Getsuga Tensho. No something that seem to flash into his mind, telling him to use this instead.

He raised himself from the ground, ignoring the dragons hitting him and released the energy from both his sword and body, screaming "Shinkirou Kien! (Japanese:Mirage Inferno)" and black flames exploded as from the sword as it swung in a full circle on the ground in a maelstrom of flames.

The dragon surrounding him instantly evaporated. And the flames headed towards Harribel, who shield herself with her arms. She was incased by the fire.

Harribel's Servants watched in horror the blaze incasing their mistress.

"Harribel-sama!"

At first Harribel felt nothing. Then the flames died down. Ichigo looked unharmed by the flames, while Harribel was panting from the attack. She felt nothing from the blaze, but extreme heat that took her breath away.

"An attack isn't worth using if it doesn't do damage Ichigo." she stated to the shinigami. But when the last words left her she felt her skin being burned from the inside.

"Wait… What!" She screamed as the heat intensified and flames started to breach her skin.

"The Shinkirou Kien is a fire move that doesn't burn its victim from the outside but from the inside Harribel. Even you can't stop the flames from with in." Ichigo explain his move.

Harribel then said in a pain "When did you learn to do this?!"

Ichigo shrugged and said "A part of me always knew this move. I just never brought it out."

Ichigo then notice the ice on the other melt off. They began to move freely.

Harribel's servants then gathered around her trying to put of the fire that incased their mistress, but failed. Ichigo then snapped his fingers and the flames died out. Harribel, who looked up, her servants, and The other were confused by this.

Ichigo then said "Leave and take her with you, she done nothing wrong so their no need to kill her."

Apache, Mila and Sun-sun armed themselves not trusting him, but Harribel spoke "No, he right. I've lost and their no way to fight now. We have to go." The Arrancar girls were shocked that she admitted defeat, but Apache and Mila picked her up and threw an arm around their neck and they all used the Sonido to disappear from the area.

Ichigo saw this and his ghost rider form receded back to his human form and his chain returned to his sword.

"Are you sure that was wise Ichigo, their only return to avenge their defeat." Byakuya said to

"Don't worry if they do return, I'll stop them" Ichigo said reassuring him about the Arrancars.