Chapter 16
A/N: Enjoy
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Time halted for a moment.
"GO, GO, GO!!" someone shouted into the headset. Both Rukia and Ichigo darted forward, their hearts in their throats and their stomachs tingling with severe nervousness. They held their Zanpaktou and sprinted down the street full force. Thunder clapped above them. Moments later they heard the army behind them begin their dash. Ichigo heard the army behind him yell and shout various battle cries. The storming of the army sounded like an earthquake that is until a massive, and I mean MASSIVE, army of Demi appeared only a mile always. Ichigo quickly tapped the headset and shouted, "GO THROUGH. DON'T STOP! RAM THEM!"
He and Rukia continued to sprint, hellbent on getting through the wall of Demi. The thunder got louder and louder. Rain began to pour. Darkness had reached.
"DON'T FALTER! ICHIGO! FIGHT THROUGH THEM!" shouted Yoruichi from the ear piece. He turned to Rukia and said, "Cut through, don't waste any time on anything else."
She nodded.
The Demi were only yards away, storming towards them with their massive bodies. Ichigo could feel himself holding his breath for the impact. From the corner of his eyes he could see stray Shinigami hopping from rooftop to rooftop to attack from above.
"READY!!" he shouted.
"READY!!" called Rukia.
With a timed attack they both swung their Zanpaktou simultaneously.
Both Shinigami and Demi collided.
The force of the collision sent a vicious shock wave that shattered windows and cracked buildings. The ground shook and the sky began to pour tons of rain onto the battlefield. They swung fiercely both Rukia and Ichigo but they kept their momentum. They pushed on, fighting with everything they held. There were no many Demi they couldn't tell how close they were to the tower until a path opened up before them. From above both forces clashed sending Kidou spells in every directions. Buildings collapsed, debris flew everywhere. The sky roared. The thousands of Hollow roared beastly into the sky as they attacked.
Ichigo and Rukia sprinted full force not caring what came in their path. They had to make it. There was no room for mistakes. They had to get there.
They slashed through several more Demi and to their surprise they were at the front door to the tower. They peered in and to their dismay stood Demi wielding what seemed to be crossbow like weapons. Realizing what they were about to do Ichigo took Rukia by the hand and spun in a rapid fashion. As he did he let her go, sending her upward onto the face of the building.
"RUN!!" he shouted she began to fall back down to earth. She quickly back flipped onto a column that acted as the towers décor and jettisoned herself skyward using the momentum to run up the face of the building. Ichigo looked forward. The windows of the lobby blew as several projectiles came soaring towards him. All razor sharp.
"BAN-KAI!"
Rukia looked down and saw a cloud of dust under her. She peered back up holding her Zanpaktou. She couldn't be distracted. She had to reach the top. As she carried herself upward several more stories she spotted off in the distance of upper floors falling broken glass. She deflected them with one swing but what happened next she wasn't prepared for. What followed the falling glass was a stream of Demi launching themselves from upper floors to get her. Rain fell hard against her causing her to lose her footing. Her foot slipped sending her plummeting back to the ground. The Demi closing in the gap. Thunder continued to roar.
A surge of black electricity soared past her head and struck the oncoming stream of Demi sending them flying in all directions. Rukia looked around and as if time slowed saw Ichigo running up from behind, his black garments fluttering in the wind he was producing. His cold stare looking up at her terrified face. As he came close to passing her he took the blade of her Zanpaktou.
"HOLD ON!" he shouted at her. She nodded and gripped her katana. Ichigo flung the katana upward with Rukia still attached to it sending her farther into the sky and back on her sprint to the top. The two of them sprinted upward, the tower underneath their feet and rain beating against their bodies. As if weather had a vendetta against them as well. They could hear the clashing of metal and flesh from below. The cries of many and the roars of opposition. Lightning lit up the sky. Demi came flying down the building attempting to disrupt their race to the top. Tens of Demi came skidding down holding elongated shape pieces of metal as they were acting as weapons. Rukia could feel Ichigo approaching from behind her.
"STRIKE THEIR LEGS!" she heard Ichigo shout. One by one the Demi came. Swinging like ravage beasts at the Shinigami. Rukia summoned up strength and her momentum to skid upward on her knees using the rain as the slippery surface to cut at the Demi's feet sending them back on a course towards Earth. She continued forward while pieces of Demi limbs flew past her. Her silhouette gleaming in the light of the lightning. Her wet hair now falling past her shoulders. Ichigo swung in rapid succession hitting anything that still had two legs.
Yoruichi peered up and she could make out two figures traveling with immense speed. She dodged an attack from an incoming Demi before tapping her headset.
"Ichigo!" she called. The sound of rain and thunder came from her ear piece.
"I'M A LITTLE BUSY!" he shouted.
"I can tell. Ishida told me you won't be able to use the radio system once your up there. You're on your own! Good luck!" she said.
Ichigo tore the headset from his ear and threw it away.
"Rukia!" he called. She looked back. He pointed at his ear where the headset had been and made a cutting motion towards his neck. She nodded and disposed of her own headset.
As they sprinted farther upward Ichigo could see she was growing tired. She was stumbling to keep her pace and the rain was causing her to lose footing. He went up to push her up but as he tried to reach her a massive brute Demi crashed through the upcoming window sideswiping Rukia into the open air.
"ICHIGO!" she called out. Her small body was sent flying outward falling through the clouds.
"RUKIA!" he shouted. He jumped off the face of the building and plummeted down at an incredible speed. Wind whipped at his face and he could see suspended rain drops falling at the same rate as he was. He fell through the clouds. As the city under him came into view he could see the massive battle. He couldn't tell who was winning but that didn't concern as much as it was to find her.
But something else caught his attention. He spun in the air and realized a concentration of clouds began to follow him. He brandished his Zanpaktou. It must have been a Demi. He was about to take a swing until an elegant looking beast emerged from the clouds. It glowed brightly and held features that of a mystic dragon with wings. It was pure white... white? The beast flew under him and lifted him from the air and there sitting on the dragon's head was Rukia wearing her bankai regalia.
"Rukia?"
"Yes?" she asked coyly.
"How the hell did you do this?"
"Did you really think all I could do was make snow fall?" she asked. The beast was incredibly long and it circled the tower several more times before reaching the top. Ichigo surveyed and spotted the heliport that sat at the top. It was empty but it was large enough to fit at least five helicopters at once. He looked around. Clouds swirled dangerously sparking lightning and massive rain. The clouds swirled over the heliport as if it was the center of the conflict despite no one being there. The two shinigami looked at one another before hopping onto the port allowing the beast to return to being her Zanpaktou. They stood not knowing what to do next, that is, until, someone appeared from the shadows. Ichigo immediately knew it to be Orihime but something was much different. He could make out her long hair and physique but her eyes told another story entirely. They were full of fury, maniacal fury at that. She clutched a katana similar to that of a Zanpaktou but once lightning flashed he could tell it was the real deal. Another flash of lightning erupted and he could make out a sinister smile on her face. He noticed she twitched every second or so but that action in on itself disturbed him.
"Inoue, what's the meaning of this? Why are you helping them?" he said drawing his sword in front of him. She didn't answer at first. The sky grew even darker, rain fell in waterfall like intervals.
"Oh, asking me that question is a little redundant." she hissed, her smile turning into a fierce frown.
"What are you talking about?" he asked. Rukia hovered behind him. For the first time, she was scared of her.
"You never once noticed me..." she said. Ichigo felt his brows furrow. He didn't understand.
"What the hell do you mean I never noticed you? Of course I did, you're my friend." he said.
"AND THAT'S THE FUCKIN' PROBLEM!" she shouted slamming her katana blade first into the concrete. He suddenly understood. He glanced at Rukia who pulled her hood over her eyes. Inoue lifted her hand and pointed at her.
"It's HER! Ever since she came I've been on the back burner! You never noticed me after that! You spend all your time with her! Never me!" she shouted.
"It wasn't like that at first!" he shouted back. Inoue's eyes widened with anger.
"What the hell do you mean 'at first'?" she questioned. Ichigo could feel Rukia retreating behind him.
"That doesn't matter now! What matters it that I have to stop you. I need to get to this so called 'Mother' and destroy it." he said. Inoue let out a shrilling laugh that sent chills down his spine. She glared at him and said, "I am Mother."
He tried not to show his surprise but he felt himself clutch the hilt of his Zanpaktou. Would it come to the point he would have to kill her? A fallen friend. A fallen angel.
"I loved you, Kurosaki... Ichigo..." said Inoue. Rukia tightened her fist. She bit her lip. Inoue continued on to say in her familiar voice, "I just tried to make you... see that.."
"Alright, I'm killing this bitch." said Rukia as she stepped in front of Ichigo. She then lifted her blade to attack but nothing could prepare her for the sudden blow she would sustain. Inoue disappeared and reappeared only inches away from her, her hair hanging before her face. All Rukia could do was stand in disbelief of the sheer speed she possessed. The next thing she knew, Inoue dug her knee into her stomach with such force it cracked her spine. The wind was knocked out of her and she doubled over in excruciating pain. Ichigo reacted immediately but black chains appeared from below him and binded his body to the ground.
"RUKIA!" he shouted. He watched her return back to her original state but once she rolled over to expose her face he could see painful tears from her eyes. She let out a cry of agony that made his stomach churn. He watched as she clutched her stomach preciously.
"NO!!" she cried hysterically clutching herself. He couldn't understand. Was the blow that hard? She lied on her back and he caught a glimpse of a large red spot appearing from under her. The spot grew until it seeped down to her thighs. He couldn't figure out what was wrong.
"Rukia, what's wrong?" he called. But she didn't answer, she held her stomach with one hand and a closed fist supporting her. He had never seen her cry so much before. She continued to yell out in pure sorrow as blood oozed out from under her. Inoue stood over and watched with an expressionless emotion. He looked over to Inoue and screamed, "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO HER?!"
Inoue ignored him as he clutched Rukia's throat and pulled her up. Her grip was so strong her fingernails dug into her neck causing several streams of blood to fall slowly.
"You fucked him, didn't you?" she whispered. She lifted Rukia higher and wound her fist behind her back and launched another uppercut into her stomach. Blood dripped down Rukia's legs.
"LET HER GO!" bellowed Ichigo as he pulled at the chains that bound him. He tried to unfasten them but they only restrained him more forcing his body to buckle. There was nothing he could do. Inoue finally released her. Letting her fall to the floor. She looked at Ichigo who was still struggling and said, "Now, I am going to deal with you."
She withdrew her katana and walked casually over to him wreaking a smile. She lifted her sword and held the blade near his neck.
"It's too bad. If you hadn't have gotten her pregnant I would have spared your life." she said. The rain had not stopped. Both were drenched, their hair clinging to their skin.
"What the hell are you talking about? I didn't get anyone pregnant." he said. She tilted her head.
"Oh really? I guess time will tell."
She lifted her katana above her head.
"Too bad you won't be here to realize it."
His eyes widened as he saw the blade coming down, water droplets spiraling off the blade. Then someone appeared behind her and a millisecond later a white blade erupted from Inoue's shoulder spraying blood onto Ichigo's face. Inoue staggered and dropped her katana before turning around.
"You don't stay down... do you... bitch?" she panted. Rukia stood, her legs trembling and despite the rain tears could be felt.
"I don't need my bankai to kill you." responded Rukia. Her voice saturated with poison. Inoue smiled as reached behind her back and pried Rukia's Zanpaktou from her back. She then tossed it to the floor. Blood leaked from her wound. She snapped her fingers suddenly making the rain stop.
"What did you do?" asked Ichigo.
"I placed a reiastu orb around us. Everything inside here is in a different dimension. Nothing can penetrate it and disturb our fight. I mean, there's also a change it could also take us years into the future or past. Who knows? This orb is very unpredictable." she said.
"Fine.. with... me." Rukia hissed retrieving her Zanpaktou. "You and me. I'll be sure to kill you quick."
"Alright, when I'm done with you I'll take care of your husband here. Maybe have a little fun with him after I slice you up."
"I'm gonna send you to hell."
"Pardon me, but I believe you're already in it..."