Mr. 96: Here it is! The bastard you've all been waiting for! Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo, and Soul Eater to Atsushi Okubo. I swear, if the two aren't related, I'll eat my sword… Oh, and the text goes like this. "Normal dialogue is like this", "This is Weapon Mode speech," "This is two characters speaking together" "This is Weapon Mode speech in Bankai."
(Cue Mirai Sentai Timeranger intro)
Go over time and space (as the background music plays, facial images of Kid, Maka, and BlackStar flash around)
Beyond the future, ride on the future (Lord Death takes off his mask to reveal Ichigo)
Live on my dream, live on my soul (Maka faces Tensa Zangetsu, then the scene changes to a wolf-like Hollow and a falcon-like Hollow fighting)
Taemanaku eien wo tokei ga kizamunara (BlackStar jumps up and kicks several Hollows, Kid shoots at several others. They back up side-by side)
Dore dake no shunkan wo kazoete yuku no darou (Ichigo and Maka destroy several hollows at once, saving Kid and BlackStar)
(Future!) Unmei nante (My dream!) kono te de kusamu (Maka fights Soul in the Black Room, and unleashes her Weapon form)
(My soul!) Arabu machi de mezameru kaze ga aru! (Maka transforms Soul into Bankai mode, then clashes with Ichigo)
It's just now! Soul Eater brightening hope! (Brightening hope!)
Mukidashi no sono daichi ni
Hotobashiru hikari wo hanatsu you ni
Ikusen no beyond the future
Toki wo koe ride on the future
"Ima" wo ikiru miraibito wa
Live on my dream, live on my soul
Hirakareta, ashita e to
(Wake up!)
Ichigo put the sword into the ground. "Here's the deal," he said, "If you can land a single hit on me, no time limit, you win."
"HYA-HA!" BlackStar laughed. "This is gonna be a piece of cake! In fact, I'll have you knocked out in ten seconds! Forget that time limit stuff!"
"Although he's being a bit obnoxious, sir, BlackStar does have a point," Maka said, "Shouldn't it be something a little more complicated than that?"
"Well, if I was in my normal form, I would say yes," Ichigo said, "But in this form…..well, let's just say that none of you are really on my level yet."
"Hah! We'll see about that!" BlackStar said.
"Oh, really, BlackStar?" Ichigo said, "Well, here's your chance." He dashed forward, and hit Maka square in the stomach. The blow sent her flying into the wall, and the impact of that left a crater there.
"MAKA!" BlackStar shouted. "Why you-!" He made a move to punch Ichigo, but Ichigo disappeared from view.
"Flash Step," Ichigo's voice called from behind BlackStar. "It's the ability to move at incredibly high speeds. One of the four basic moves of a Shinigami."
Kid looked at Ichigo, who appeared behind BlackStar. True, he was also a Shinigami, but he had no idea what that move was. Why didn't his father teach him that move….?
"You aren't ready to learn this technique yet, either of you," Ichigo said, Flash-Stepping towards Kid. He punched Kid in the face, then kicked him in the stomach, then knocked him out with a chop to the neck. "Hakuda." he said, "Hand-to-hand combat. The second of the four basic styles of Shinigami. But it's not Kid's strong point. Even though he's won against you, BlackStar….."
"You saying I'm weak?" BlackStar said, angered.
"Yes. That is exactly what I am saying, BlackStar," Ichigo said. He kicked Kid to the wall opposite of Maka, then gave BlackStar a series of punches to the gut. "Hado 31: Shakkaho." Ichigo put his palm to BlackStar's forehead, and a stream of flames erupted through BlackStar.
"Kido. The ability to cast spells. Only a Shinigami trained in the Soul Society can wield it properly," Ichigo explained. "But it's kind of a lost art, seeing as I'm not very good at it…"
Kid slowly broke himself out of the wall his father kicked him into. Judging from what his father said, Kido was a long-range attack. That meant that maybe he alone stood a chance against him, especially if Ichigo really wasn't so great at long-range attacks…..
"Liz! Patty! Soul Resonance!" Kid shouted.
"Right!" the girls said.
Kid's soul inflated. Black spikes formed on his arms, and Liz and Patty expanded into skull-themed cannons that covered Kid's arms completely.
"Execution mode, ready. Prepare to die," Kid said. Black energy began to gather around him.
"Resonance stable. Noise level at 0.3 percent," Liz said.
"Black Needle soul wavelength fully charged!" Patty said. Red rings formed around the cannons, meeting at the tip as balls of energy.
"Preparing to fire. Feedback in four seconds," Liz said. "3.…"
"2.…"
"1.…"
"Firing now!" Patty sang.
Kid brought the two cannons together. "Death Cannon," he said. Twin beams of energy fired at Ichigo, who sighed and put his hand to his sword. "Kid, give your old man a break!" he smiled, then immediately switched to a much more serious expression. "You automatically assume that since my weapon is a sword, I'm bad at long-range attacks?" He blocked the Death Cannon with his hand. "Plus I said you had to touch me, this doesn't count."
"You said I had to lay a single hit on you to win. That includes long-range attacks." Kid smiled. "And you won't be able to block the next one!"
"Maybe not. But I won't need to," Ichigo said, picking up his sword. He then opened up his coat, and Kid paused to look at the bandages that seemingly covered Ichigo's entire body. Ichigo tore the bandages off, and then he was engulfed in black flames.
Kid, afraid, fired immediately, but Ichigo emerged, clad in a black hooded long coat, and parried the blast with Zangetsu.
"GETSUGA TENSHO!" Ichigo shouted. A pitch-black Witch Hunter emerged from the blade, and the resulting shockwave broke through both blasts entirely and would have hit Kid square in the face had he not gotten out of the way in time.
Maka had a chance to look at Zangetsu now. It was now pitch black, and looked totally different-just like BlackStar's Enchanted Sword or the Yamato from Devil May Cry (Note: In the manga, Soul once referred to Maka as an otaku, so I'm just going with the assumption that she is, okay?).
"Zanjutsu," Ichigo said, "Sword-wielding capabilities. The most important part of a Shinigami's abilities." He turned to Maka. "The problem with scythes is that they're a bit unwieldy. They're big, and heavy….you have to be incredibly strong and graceful to handle one. Plus, the bladed end is pointed towards the user, and any weapons expert could tell you that that's a bad idea. Scythes are actually extremely impractical weapons, hard as hell to use. I only use them for ceremonial purposes. Which brings me to my next explanation: I called Getsuga Tensho a "sword variant" of Witch Hunter, but that's actually inaccurate. Getsuga Tensho is the original; Witch Hunter is the variant."
"Wait a minute…why did your sword spontaneously change shape?" Kid asked.
Ichigo turned to him. "Bankai," he said, "When a Zanpaku-To, like Zangetsu, is materialized in the real world by its Shinigami, it can assume a more powerful form. The fact is, you're fighting at a level comparable to "Shikai" right now, and nobody has ever beaten a Bankai with a Shikai. "
Maka became deathly afraid. "It's hopeless…." she said, "We can't hope to beat him. He's way too strong." She slumped to the ground.
"What are you saying, Maka? Pull yourself together!" Soul shouted, "Don't you want to go on the mission? We need to show this guy that we can help him!"
"S….shut up!" Maka shouted, starting to cry, "We can't win. He's stronger than us."
"But wait, Maka," Soul said, "A Zanpaku-To is basically a Weapon, right? Maybe I could unlock this Bankai or whatever thing!"
Maka stood up. That did make sense to her. If a Meister was no different than a Shinigami-which increasingly seemed like the truth to her-shouldn't she be able to create a Bankai?
"How did you get that power?" Maka asked.
"Well, all right, I guess it's only fair that you should know," Ichigo said, "I created Tensa Zangetsu by materializing Zangetsu's spirit into the real world, and then subjugating him."
"Wait. Can't Weapons do that already?" BlackStar asked.
"That's in this time. Back in my day, Zanpaku-To could only be in their weapon forms. Most of the time they were kept as just regular old katanas, but I was so powerful that mine stayed in Shikai all the time. Eventually, it got to the point where it stayed in Bankai constantly. That was the reason for the bandages, they held my power in. Even when in my true form, my power is far too high for me to use it. So I have to take precautions."
"But hold on. If they couldn't take human form, how could you communicate with your Zanpaku-To?" Kid asked.
"Back then, the only way to do that was to put yourself into their inner world. The whole idea of manifesting them in the real world was to do the opposite. It normally takes hundreds of years, but mine was kind of rushed because I used an artificial device created by Shinigami Kisuke Urahara to do it in under three hours."
Well, I think I know how to approach this, then, Maka thought, I've been in Soul's inner world before, so it shouldn't be too hard…..
"Kid, BlackStar, I need you to hold him off for a while," she said, "It's nothing personal, I just want to try something out."
"Okay, Maka. I hope you know what you're doing." Kid said.
"I'm not opposed to taking the spotlight all for myself, but what are you going to do?" BlackStar asked.
"There's no time to explain. Just keep him busy while I work on something." She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, she was in the Black Room, with Soul.
"So, all we gotta do is fight, is that it?" Soul asked, now in his black tuxedo.
"Ah-ah! If only it were really that simple!" the Little Demon said, coming out, "Like the Kurosaki said, you need to subjugate Soul. And that means you must tame his untapped potential!"
"What the hell are you saying, you little bastard?" Soul asked, walking over to the oni.
"That you need to unlock your madness for this task," the Little Demon said, shrugging. "Maka must tame you, and you're far too complacent for there to be an actual subjugation."
Maka turned to Soul. "I hate to admit it, but he's right," she said, "Lord Death was only able to achieve Bankai because he could beat his Weapon in a fight. And his Weapon must have been able to fight back at full power. It won't be strong enough unless we can do that, Soul."
Soul sighed. "All right, Maka, but I hope you know what you're doing here." He turned to the demon. "What do I need to do to unlock my madness?"
The Little Demon smiled. "It's very simple, it's all in your mind," he said, "All you have to do is slip into it willingly!"
Soul smiled. "A-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-haaaa…" he started laughing, "I don't even know what I'm laughing about, but it's so funny!"
He turned to Maka. "You! You're the one that's been holding me back!" he shouted. "All of my life, I could've become stronger if I just gave in to the madness! But you prevented me from doing that!"
He lunged at Maka, turning his hand into the scythe's blade. Maka's eyes widened, as his hand turned into the entire scythe.
"Hahahaha! This is great!" Soul said, swiping at Maka as she dodged. "I don't even need you anymore! I can just grow myself out of my arm!"
"Soul! Stop it! This is creeping me out!" Maka shouted, dodging Soul's erratic slashes.
"Ah-ah! No tricks now!" the ogre sang, "You have to beat Soul and subjugate him to get your Bankai!"
Maka grimaced. She ran away, trying to find an escape route.
"Hahahahahaha! This is my soul!" Soul shouted, chasing after her, "You can't escape me!"
Maka turned around. "Maybe not," she said, "But I can't win either."
"You're making a stand against me even though you freely admit you can't win?" Soul asked, "Man, and they call me crazy….."
Maka smiled. "It's not insanity, Soul. It's courage. Or have you forgotten that feeling already?"
Soul smirked. "You think 'courage' is what I need?" he asked, "You gotta be kidding me! I don't need courage! I don't have fear anymore!"
He slashed at Maka, who got out of the way. "Ha! What happened to standing your ground?" Soul asked, smiling.
Maka kicked him in the side of the head, knocking him across the room.
I could attack him, but he's stronger than me…..Maka thought, If only I could shoot my Soul Wavelength against Stein, then I could do some damage! But my soul…..wait!
She stood her ground. My father is a Weapon, she thought, If that's true, maybe I could turn into one too….
She tried making a scythe's blade. How does Soul do it? she thought. She didn't have time to ask him, as he was coming toward her with ten scythe-blades sticking out of his body. Just as he was about to skewer her, she ducked and slided between Soul's legs. She then made a scythe-blade with her hand and blocked Soul's swipe.
"So you were a weapon after all, then, eh, Maka?" Soul smiled, "That's another thing! You are always getting stronger! Stronger than me, your weapon! Sooner or later, you won't need me anymore!"
Maka dodged an attack by Soul. "That's not true, Soul," she said, "I do need you. I need you because…I love you."
"Eh…you what?" Soul asked, the madness subsiding. Maka saw her chance, and impaled him with scythes.
Soul smiled. "I always wanted to hear you say that, Maka," he said, "Now let's go….and give that guy the beating of his life!"
"Okay!" Maka said, "I'm waking up….now!"
Maka stood up. "It's all right now, guys," she said to Kid and BlackStar. "We were foolish to fight at a level lower than him. But I've found a way to counter his weapon!"
Ichigo looked at her for a minute, and scoffed. "Watch what you're saying there, Maka," he said, "You make it sound like you've actually found something as strong as my Bankai!"
Maka laughed. "That is what I'm saying, Ichigo Kurosaki," she said, finally using "Lord Death's" real name, "I have found something as strong as Tensa Zangetsu. I've found my own Bankai!"
Ichigo's eyes widened. "There's no way! You can't have gotten Bankai! You can't!" He threw his arm behind himself. "You aren't a Shinigami! And your weapon's not a Zanpaku-To!"
"You just said that Meisters and Weapons were made to serve as Shinigami and Zanpaku-To," Maka said, "If that's true, shouldn't I be able to do anything that a Shinigami can?"
She's got me there, Kid thought, from what I've seen of Maka, she's been able to do anything that it took me years to master. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if one day she became stronger than I am.
"Yeah, and besides," Soul said, speaking up, "I'm basically a Zanpaku-To, right? Since I can already turn human, I'm practically primed for Bankai!"
"But….there's no way! There's no way!" Ichigo shouted, "A human cannot turn an independent weapon into a Bankai! It breaks all the rules of reason!"
"Heh, now that's something you don't seem to understand," Soul said, "The rules of reason are simply there and made to be broken."
Ichigo grimaced. True, that was how he lived his life a long time ago. In fact, he could now see exactly why people compared his voice to Soul's. But when was it exactly that he stopped believing in miracles….? It didn't matter now. There was no way she could achieve Bankai.
"Come on, Ichigo Kurosaki!" Maka said, raising Soul high above her head, "I'm going to show you the results of me breaking the rules of reason! This is it…my….AAAAAGH!" Her soul increased exponentially in size, and Ichigo was in shock. It was even larger than Stein's now!
"BANKAI!" Maka shouted. Before everyone's eyes, black tornadoes wrapped and spun around Maka, and flames shot up from beneath. When it all cleared, Maka stood in a different outfit. It was a black dress, similar to the one she would take when her Black Blood was controlled, but with a white jacket over it. The most noticeable change to Maka's appearance, however, was the fact that she now had boobs. They weren't nearly as big as Orihime's, but they were still large enough that nobody could call her "flat-chested" anymore, plus they were larger than Tsubaki's. Also, it was interesting to note that for once a Bankai had an effect on the wielder's body, which was something new.
"Soul Eraser!" Maka said, holding up Soul. He was no longer a scythe, now instead a perfectly white sword with a blade designed like an eagle's wing and his previously red eye changed into blue.
"What the hell, Maka?"Soul asked, "If you're going to make me into a Bankai, make me something cool! Like that gigantic sword in that videogame you're always playing!"
"You mean the Rebellion? It's not my fault!" Maka protested, "I wanted to make it like a Keyblade, but it came out like this!"
"Sigh…..the only thing that makes it worth being in such a lame form is the fact that it gives you boobs for once, Miss Tiny Tits!" Soul shouted.
"Shut up!" Maka shouted, punching Soul in the eye.
Ichigo was in awe. For a minute, he actually believed that she had done it…..but was awakened by the common sense in the back of his mind. "Come on! That doesn't prove anything!" he shouted, "You just changed Soul's form to match your characteristics and called it a 'Bankai'!"
"Maybe that's true. Want to find out for sure?" Maka said, raising her sword. She lunged at Ichigo, who defended with his own sword. Ichigo pushed her back.
"Even if it was a Bankai, you don't have the proper control over it yet! GETSUGA TENSHO!" Ichigo shot a black Witch Hunter, which Maka parried with her sword.
Darn it! Maka thought, Even now that I'm using Bankai, his powers are too much for me!
"Then I guess it's my turn!" Soul shouted.
Ichigo swung his sword against Maka's. As they clashed, a musical note sounded throughout the room.
Ichigo paused for a minute. "That's the sound of a piano…." he said. He knew that Soul had the power to mess with people's Soul Wavelength, but he had to make sure… "Is your sword making that sound?"
"You got it!" Soul said, his voice now sounding exactly like Ichigo's. "Being in Bankai means my piano playing affects everyone around me! I don't even need to use Arachne's webbing anymore!"
Ichigo jumped back. "Are you telling me you can take control of my Soul Wavelength?"
"Wanna find out?" Soul asked Ichigo, "Soul Wavelength Jacker!"
Ichigo felt his body move against him. First he punched himself, then he felt an intense wavelength in his body, tearing his soul apart. "On second thought, I don't think I wanted to do this to you. I'll just make you surrender!" Soul said.
Ichigo stood up. "I…..Ichigo…Kurosak…." he said, looking as though he was being forced to say it, "hereby allow…..Maka, Kid, and…..BlackStar to…. NO!" He hit himself in the head. "I will not let you make me say that! I will fight!" He lunged towards Soul and Maka.
"Increase tempo." Soul and Maka said. Maka moved forward at an increased speed. Her strikes became quicker, more frequent, and more offensive. Ichigo felt hard-pressed to fight it off.
"Choriki Getsuga Tensho!" he shouted, swinging his sword in the same manner as Stein's Witch Hunter. Maka was flung back at a speed which was only accelerated by Soul's playing.
"Tempo primo." Maka slowed down.
"Wait…..you can control her speed even when it's not her muscles that are doing it?" Ichigo asked.
"That's right," Soul said, "But that's not all. Watch this: First song, Grand Forte."
Maka's sword changed back into a scythe, but this time it was a lot more stylized-it looked as though it were made of pure black energy, and the handle was quite thick.
"Gospel Witch Hunter," Maka and Soul called out together, and brought the new weapon down upon Ichigo, who parried it as best as he could. After a few minutes, the wave dissipated, and Maka looked at Ichigo, helpless.
"It's no good," she slumped to the ground, "We can't win. But it wasn't a complete loss, Soul….at least we know the existence of….Bankai…" she passed out, and Soul changed back to catch her.
Ichigo put down his sword, and clapped slowly. "Very good! You pass!" he said, "That was a most excellent win!"
"What the hell are you talking about?" BlackStar said, "We didn't knock you out or anything?"
"If you were listening to the rules, BlackStar, you would have known that we only needed to attack him once," Kid said, "But Maka didn't do that, he only blocked her."
"Oh, yes she did attack," Ichigo said, walking towards Maka, "That attack wasn't 'solid' like the normal Witch Hunter. It was 'fluid'. That means that the attack sort of spilled over when I blocked it, and it did hit me in the face! But nobody noticed because it looked like I was undamaged afterwards!"
"Anyway, as promised," he continued, waking Maka up, "I'll let you go on the mission with me!"
"You mean…..we won?" Maka asked. She couldn't hold the excitement in any longer. "YES!" she shouted, and mimicked the exact motions she did in that dream she had right before taking that super written exam, which unfortunately put her back to sleep
"Hah. Don't tell her, but it was totally worth going mad to hear her say she loved me," Soul said, carrying her away.