Ch. 5
After finding a hidden passage thanks to Hanataro, the group found themselves in an underground waterway just below the surface. Using the sidewalk, they strolled down the path, safe below the streets. "Man, I never thought to use these sewers as a way to get around," Ganju said.
"These aqueducts run throughout Seireitei," Hanataro said. "We can get to anywhere from here without worrying about any problems."
"That's pretty tight," Dante said. "But be real wit' me, kid. Wouldn't the Soul Reapers know about this place? Hell, the thing wasn't even that hidden."
"It's true that everyone knows about these tunnels, but no one would ever think of looking for us down here."
"And why is that?" Ichigo asked.
"Well the only people that actually know their way around these tunnels are a small number of Squad 4 personnel who use it for relief and supplies."
"I get it," Ganju said. "This place is also your delivery route. I guess that makes sense."
"Well not exactly," Hanataro said as he gave a light chuckle. "Actually, it's Squad 4's task to keep it clean down here. We're pretty much stuck with most of the chores since we're not much use for anything else..."
"Wow, cleaning up sewers," Ganju whispered. "I'm starting to feel sorry for the kid."
"True that," Dante replied. "Even illegal aliens get at least a quarter for all the shit they do. This fool's getting the royal rip-off."
"Hey, Dante," Ichigo called.
"Hm? What it do, Ich?" he asked.
"About what you said earlier. What do you mean by it's because of me you're here?"
"Ah ha!" Dante replied. "I knew that question was squirming in that brain of yours, carrot top. 'Course I thought it'd be asked later…"
"What the hell is he babbling on about?" Ganju asked. Ichigo only shrugged, paying no attention to the black teen's dialogue.
"Alright, let's start from the beginning. Remember when you first came here? You know, after your bubble popped and all y'all went in different directions like stray bullets from a uzi?" Dante asked. "Well, that little incident caused what I call 'a fuck up' in space-time. That little monkey wrench opened a rip in my crib that sucked me up like a techno-plunger straight to here."
"Wait, let me get this straight," Ganju said. "After we entered the Soul Society, we somehow opened a path to your world?"
"That's one way of saying it. And that's where you owe me big time."
"How the hell do we owe you?" Ichigo said.
"Man, you're deaf. Aside from getting tossed in this bitch, I was just about to get wit' a couple of fine-ass hunnays. One was a blonde from France and other was a busty goth from Chinatown. Put two and one together, and I was about to have an international Lupe Fiasco in Paris, Tokyo that be my pad! But thanks to you guys, I missed out on a once-in-a-lifetime sexual relation that would make the UN, John Morrison, the Miz, and Ricky Martin be jealous! What do you have to say about that?"
Needless to say, Ganju and Ichigo were somewhat awestruck by Dante's explanation. Their faces expressed confusion as they tried to wrap their heads around the black teen's words. They get the fact that he was from another world, still what he said afterwards was somewhat perplexing. Only Ichigo had a smidgen of what the swordsman was saying, but his comprehension was still limited. Still, the two tried somewhat to apologize. "We're… sorry…?" Ichigo said, still confused.
"Yeah… I guess…" Ganju said.
"Sorry!? Sorry don't make it rain on bitches, does it!?" hissed Dante with enraged eyes. However, his angry glare began to soften as his expression changed from being one of fury, to one of thought. "Then again… this place is loaded with its own chicks. That girl Orihime wasn't bad either…" With the thought swimming around his head for a while, a lecherous smile grew on his mouth. "Makes a brotha wonder what the ladies here are like? I mean, what they into 'cause I gots to stay on my game, ya feel me?"
"Well, I really don't know…" Hanataro said rather sheepishly. "I haven't really had much luck in that department."
"No kiddin'," Ganju said rather flatly.
The group continued their trek through the waterway. The sounds of flowing water was the only noise in the environment. Though they knew they were relatively safe, the team couldn't help but feel restless. Knowing that they were wanted above ground, there was always a chance that the enemy might discover a entry and find them. Ichigo was well aware of this fact. However, instead of his focus on the foe above ground, he was more uneasy about their guide. "Hey Hanataro," the substitute called. Hanataro stopped in his tracks. "Why are you assisting us? You say you're taking us to the white tower. But for all we know, you might be leading us to a trap."
"Cool it, Ichigo," Ganju interjected.
"How come you're helping us without even asking why?"
The four were silent. Dante, seeing another scene unfolding, sat and rested against the wall. His hands rested on the back of his head as he started listening. "It's because I've heard all about you from Rukia, Ichigo Kurosaki. Please, you must save Rukia." Ichigo glanced at the small Soul Reaper.
"Looks like he's not planning anything," Ganju said.
"Ah Rukia…" Dante mused. "She's one of those chicks that don't need a bust 'cause she's just so cute…"
"Alright, then," Ichigo said. "But how do you know about Rukia?"
Hanataro nodded as he and the rest sat on the ground. "After Rukia was arrested and convicted her in Soul Society and before she was sent to the Repentance Cell, the white tower you know it as, she was sent to a holding cell in Squad 6. At the time, I was assigned as a janitor. To tell you the truth, I was a little scared. After all, she is part of a royal family. However…"
"However?" Ganju repeated as the Squad 4 member seemingly stopped in his story.
"Well on the first day I spoke to her, Rukia allowed me to call her by her name instead of using formalities. I was rather surprised. Her voice was so kind and she was so gentle. It was something I never expected. Since then, I've always been looking forward to cleaning her cell. Instead of a chore that I needed to do, it became more of an enjoyable experience. And as time passed, Rukia would tell all sorts of things, especially about the world of the living. About the drinks, how mod souls can be inserted into non-living objects, but most of her stories revolved around a person she met. Unfortunately, there was an official execution order sent for her by her brother and Captain of Squad 6. He said that in 25 days, she would be sent to death. I asked Rukia if the person she gave her powers to the same person that she talked about in her stories. She said to me 'He and I only spent two months together. And yet, I feel that I can trust him with my very life. But because of me, Ichigo's destiny became twisted and he was hurt terribly. There's no forgiving what I've done to him.' Rukia sounded so sad when she said those words." The team was quiet after hearing Hanataro's story.
"Sounds like this Rukia's a pretty weird Soul Reaper," Ganju said.
"Yeah, she's something else," Ichigo said as he got back up to his feet. "Which is why we're here to rescue her." Determined by his resolve, Ichigo started going ahead.
Dante only looked up with a smile. "Man, just watching this guy, he's starting to remind me someone," he thought. "Oh wait, it's me. Maybe I should roll with Ich for a now. He seems cool. Besides, if I'm gonna get outta here, gain some heavy EXP., and get back to my little menage a trois, might as well follow carrot top." Quickly, Dante caught up with the substitute, passing Ganju and Hanataro along the way. "Looks like you got a fire in yo' eyes, man. Saving Rukia's getting you all fired up, huh?"
"That's one way of saying it, Dante," Ichigo said. "She's the one that gave me her power to help me defend my friends and family. I'm doing this to pay her back."
"'Ight, I get it. How 'bout this. Since I'm in a friendly mood, Imma lend you a hand. You holla at me and I got yo' back."
"Why would you want to help me? This doesn't concern you."
"Simple, Ich. See, I'm one of those people that's always itchin' to throw down and wreak havoc. Guess you can say it's in my damaged genes. Seriously." Ichigo glanced at Dante for a moment before shaking off the thought and continuing on his course. "And I also want to see if I can get wit' these Deadheads as captain 14. As for you, you're trying to get a member of yo' crew off of death row. Plus you also owe me for bringing me here in the first place. If you think about it, this is what some scientists call a mutaualistic relationship. You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours, and everyone else be KO'd. What you say, G?"
"What do you mean by your forms? You mean your zanpakuto?"
"Not quite. Here, let me give you a little demo." Pulling out one of his swords, Dante shouted, "Shred with the rage of the past, Kowa ro Shii Maru!" With his sword transformed into it's shiki state, the black teen used its special ability and morphed into his Deinonychus form. The raptor gave a loud roar that echoed through the tunnel. "Yeah, ain't this the baddest ass shit you've seen, G!?" Dante screeched. "I'm too gangsta down here wit' the swiftness, you feel me? Ninja turtles ain't got nothin' on me" Ichigo was in a state of shock by the sudden shapeshift (then again, he was power walking right next to a twelve foot long raptor that seemed to be keeping up with him in small steps). From behind, Ganju and Hanataro's jaws dropped to the ground at the pure shock of the sight. Seeing everyone's expressions, the black teen quickly reverted to his human form. "Trust me, when the feathers start shedding, preening's a real bitch. You can thank the damaged DNA those damn scientists gave me. But that's for another chapter."
"Wait, what did you say?" Ichigo asked in confusion.
"Whatever," Dante said as he fanned his hand. "Now what do you say? Truce?"
The orange-haired substitute scanned the maverick with a suspicious eye. His ability to transform could be useful and he seems like a rather competent fighter. Ichigo also sensed a strong presence from him (which had raised a bit as he transformed). Though he was still skeptical about Dante's intentions, judging from the current circumstances, he had no choice but to allow for his accompaniment. "Fine, it's a deal, Dante," the orange-haired teen nodded. "But don't do anything to get in the way."
"Word." With a smile on his face, Dante followed Ichigo down the tunnel with Ganju and Hanataro tailing them not far behind.
After traveling through the underground for a few minutes, the team came across a ladder that led to another tile. "I think this is it," Hanataro said. The small shinigami climbed up, followed by Ichigo, Dante and Ganju. Opening the panel, he peeked through the opening, scanning the area. It was a large, empty area covered in a thick fog. "The coast is clear," he said. "I think it's safe." Hanataro climbed off the ladder and moved the tile.
"Finally," Ganju said as Ichigo and Dante climbed out. "That sewer was rank. I hope that stuff didn't stick to my clothes."
"You think that's bad?" Dante asked. "Try chasing one of Uma Thurman's stalkers through a manure factory after he rubbed himself with day-old cheese that got more mold on it than Lisa Lampinelli's jokes."
"Wait… What did you say!?" Ganju replied in disbelief.
"Nothin'."
"Look! There's the White Tower!" Hanataro said as he pointed to the building in the distance. A large one indeed with a stairway that cut the center of it until it reached the top. Sitting on top of the structure was a cluster of white walls surrounding a smaller building of said color and the aforementioned tower. This was none other than the Soul Reaper HQ: Central 46. The group awed at the sight, but were still rather unnerved at how far it was.
"We may be at the closest exit," Ganju began, "but it looks like we still have a long way to go."
"Best stay on our toes, peeps," Dante said. "This is the higher-ups' turf."
"The fog's starting to lift," Ichigo said. The group watched as the blanket of moist air started to dissipate. "Let's move." With Ichigo in the lead, the group headed toward the stairway, entering the light cover. Halfway through their route, Ichigo stopped in his tracks.
"Hey, is something-" Ganju began before placing his hand in front of the large man. "What's wrong?"
"Someone's on those stairs."
"A perfect place to get the drop," Dante said as he braced himself.
Acknowledging the warning, the team focused on the stairs. With the fog continuing to lift, the team were able to spot a figure walking down the steps. Wearing a lieutenant's black gi, his face was adorned with thick black glasses with an orange stripe across the center. His hair was red and ponytailed. "It's been a long time," he said before pulling off his glasses. "Do you remember my face?"
"Believe me, you'll be forgotten soon enough," Ichigo said. "But before that, I'll be delivering some payback, Renji Abarai."
The two stared each other down, piercing through the thick cloud as if it weren't there. "I'm impressed," Renji began as he walked down the steps. "Not only have you remembered my face, you also remember my name."
"Man, who is he?" Ganju asked with disbelief. "His spiritual pressure is on a different scale than the guys we've faced in the past."
Hanataro only stared in fear, awestruck by the Death God's power. "Th-That's… That's Renji Abarai! He's the Lieutenant of Squad 6!"
"A Lieutenant!?"
"I can't tell. Does he have eyebrows?" Dante asked.
"I'm surprised to you're still standing. I thought you would have died from the attack my Captain delivered," Renji said. Ichigo said nothing as the two approached one another.
"Hold on a minute, Ichigo!" Ganju replied cautiously.
"I don't know how you managed to survive, but I'm impressed. You have my compliments." The gap continued to close. With each step the level of anticipation increased. As soon as they saw one another, Renji quickly drew his blade. "But like I said before, I'll kill the bastard who stole Rukia's power. And so long as you draw breath, she remain powerless."
With his hand wrapped tight on his sword, Ichigo's cloth was starting to come of his giant cleaver. "What the hell 're you saying? You brought her back to kill her!" Pulling his large blade to his side, the orange-haired substitute rushed at the lieutenant. "You'll let me through."
"Just try it! If you think you can beat me first!" Meeting the enemy's dare, Ichigo and Renji clashed swords. Pushing against one another's swords, the two's blades created sparks that flew in all directions.
"Yo, Ich! Let me in on the action, man!" an anxious Dante replied. "I want a I fought with one and came out on top. And seeing how strong he is, a joint strike would give the edge, man."
"No, Dante," Ichigo said as he turned around. "I know we had an agreement, but this is my fight. This is something I need to do on my own."
"So you have a sense of honor," Renji said as he pulled back his sword and struck. Ichigo was quick to react and blocked the strike. "Quite admirable."
"But Ichigo, he's-" Ganju replied before his arm was tapped by Dante.
"He's right," Dante said. "Homeboy here's got something he needs to prove. The only way to do that is to go one on one against the guy that nearly took him out. You gotta give Ich his props." A moment passed before a shiver went down Dante's back. Turning around, the black teen saw a couple of figures passing nearby. "Hey guys. I think we've got some company."
"What do you mean?" Hanataro said.
"We ain't alone. Imma go check out the snoops."
"I'm coming too," Ganju said.
"It's all good. It will only take a second." Turning around, the swordsman hustled to the nearby building. "Tell me how good the show was when I get back!" With that said, Dante turned a left and ran down the path.
After running down the road and reaching a fork, the teen turned a right. As soon as he did and went down the street, he found himself a victim of an ambush. Shinigami on both sides of his path blocked the exits. Looking closely at the foes, Dante noticed their uniforms were somewhat different. "Something tells me you're not from the 11th."
"Hahahaha!" A haughty laugh erupted from nearby his location. The black teen scanned both ends of the street before turning to a nearby rooftop. There, he saw a large, bulky man with a receding hairline whose gi had a large purple frill with a gold chain worn under it and on each of his wrists. As he stood on his perch, the foe was gorging himself on a bag of cookies. "Looks like you fell for my trap, ryouka! Don't think that because you wear a Squad 10 uniform, we wouldn't believe you as an imposter," the large man said. "I knew no one could be able to avoid my genius."
Knowing his cover was blown, Dante pulled off his confiscated gi and tossed it in the air, revealing his red and black attire. "Let me take a stab at who you are..." Dante said as he examined the foe. "Big-ass gut, purple frill, minor bling? You're Marechiyo Omaeda."
"So you've heard about me?"
"Sure I have! You're the guy who stuffs his face wit' as many cookies in a dessert shack as John Goodman when he scarfs down on chimichangas at an El Poyo Loco. Heh heh. Chimichangas. Now I'm getting why he likes that word…"
"You dare insult my built? For your information, Ryouka, I am merely plump. This is all muscle!"
"Plump? Hate to tell you this, but you've past that line a long time ago. You're so big you make the Taj Mahal look like a dollhouse, know what I'm sayin'? I'd suggest some Jenny Craig or Slim Fast, but I doubt it will help. The only person who can get away with that is my boy Mark Henry."
Marechiyo was now irked. This upstart was insulting him in front of his men. "How dare you speak to me like that! If you know my name, then you should know I am the lieutenant of Squad 2 who hails from the noble house of Omaeda! I am the strongest of all the second seats in the 13 Court Squads!"
"You can keep frontin' all you want, B. We all know that your fam bought you your high chair," Dante said as he leisurely scratched the back of his ear before brushing his hand against his shirt. "And the strongest lieutenant? Hate to break the news, but I'd be puttin' the Benjamins on the number 1 or 3."
Hearing Dante speak with such disrespect, Marechiyo was fuming. The strikes to his position was creating a couple of snickers in a few of his men. "Perhaps we don't need to capture all the Ryouka alive…" the lieutenant thought. "Enough of this! Alright men, beat this Ryouka to the ground!"
"Oh you want some of me!?" Dante shouted as he turned his iPod to "Arabian Dream" from Kingdom Hearts II. "Don't you know I'm the only fool to beat Rodan with just my dick, became the first pimp to grace Time magazine, and was a bodyguard for Patrick Stewart and Morgan Freeman!?" With the order given, the shinigami rushed Dante from both sides, closing in on the enemy. As soon as they were a few feet, the black teen quickly spun in a circle, slashing down the foes. Not long after, a shinigami on his left tried to strike, but Dante dodged the first slash and countered with one of his own. Another from behind tried to slash him in the head, but Dante ducked under the stroke. "Shoryuken!" he shouted as he used an uppercut that connected under his attacker's jaw which sent him flying backward. Turning around, Dante headed toward the approaching enemies, using his swords to clear a path. By the time he reached the end of the route, Dante ran back, his blades crossed in front of him. By the time he was ten feet away, the swordsman jumped on the wall and ran across for a few strides before leaping off. "This is really gonna hurt!" he yelled before he spun sideways, his swords cutting through the foes. After landing on his feet, Dante then gloated, saying "Oh yeah! You bitches just got struck down by the Pinwheel Special!" Before he could continue his taunt, Dante heard a yell coming from a man coming in front of him. "Bitch, you best turn that down!" Quickly, Dante ran forward and jumped on top of him. Turning his katanas backward, he struck both sides of his head with their pummels. He looked ahead and saw three more enemies coming straight toward him. Quickly, Dante pushed his body and rolled before kicking the unconscious soul reaper. Before the three enemies could react, they were knocked to the ground by their comrade and knocked out. Seeing the lack of any more foes, Dante stood back up and spun his blades. "Yeah! I smacked you bitches up! Grandpa would be so proud that I busted that move! At least, I think he would," Dante said before he scratched his head. "Wonder if he's alive…"
"Impossible!" Marechiyo replied in disbelief. He scanned the route before him and saw it was covered in the bodies of his defeated men. "How could they all have fell so quickly?"
"Hey, Chow-Yum-Fatty!" Dante called. "If I were your ass, I'd be jettin'. Else I'd take your lunch money and cookies." Hearing this, Marechiyo snarled, his fist tightly clutching the top of his bag and a vein forming on the top of his head. "Damn, dawg. You really do need to lay off that stuff. It can give you stress. And look at that vein? Talk about high blood pressure. You need more than a chill pill. I think I can hook you up with Dr. Chiba."
"That's it! It's bad enough you beaten my men! But to threaten me about taking my snacks and calling me fat!? I'll kill you right where you stand!"
"Bitch, please! You don't know who I is, mother-" Before Dante finished, Marechiyo seemingly disappeared. That was before he felt a strong pain in his back and was sent cartwheeling down the street and into a building. "Oh shit…" Dante muttered as he sluggishly pushed the debris off his person. The good news was one of his blades was still in his hand. The bad news was its brother was standing outside.
"What's wrong, you little bastard?" the lieutenant asked. "At a lost for words? Guess you didn't think I was that fast. I'm one of the best shunpo users in Soul Society, brat!"
Dante used one of his swords to prop himself up, also trying to brush off the dust as he stood. "Okay. Maybe I didn't read that volume yet…" The black teen was inhaling heavily, trying to catch his breath. "Alright, I give you points for that one. But that don't mean I'm throwin' in the towel. In fact, I'm just getting started."
"Is that so? You're really as dumb as you look."
"Maybe. But you're still fat and ugly." Dante returned his sword in hand to his scabbard and walked toward his other blade. Marechiyo watched as the teen plucked the sword from its spot and stood. "And Imma make sure your fat ass goes down cold faster than a drunk rhino after watching a chick flick." With his sword's blade stretched out to the side, Dante shouted "Burst with the fury of the future, Akumu hi Ryuujin!" With a bright flash, his sword transformed into a scythe. The two stood silently for a moment, sizing one another up. Omaeda placed his hand on his zanpakuto's hilt, ready to make a move. Dante turned his music player to "Smoking Roll" from God Hand before both opponents bolted toward one another. As soon as they were at a five foot distance, the lieutenant pulled out his sword. With his weapon drawn, he slashed at Dante, who managed to block the hit with his pole. Soon after, the two began parrying one another's strikes, slashing and blocking attacks. Dante, being the smaller individual in close range, was using his speed and agility while the larger Marechiyo struck with powerful blows. Minutes passed until they both locked zanpakutos. Using his size and sheer strength, Marechiyo push against Dante to overpower him. "Damn it… I knew you would lay it down heavy, but not Liza Minelli heavy! Are you two distant cousins or something?"
"Don't you ever shut up?"
"Am I being annoying?" Looking down the ground, Dante noticed that the foe's legs were spread open. "Here, let me just apologize." Taking advantage of the shinigami's stance, the black teen pushed the sword forward and slid under the enemy's torso. As soon as he made it under, Dante pulled on each end of his scythe, causing Marechiyo to fall forward. "Oops! Did the big baby fall down?" he taunted.
"You bastard! I'll finish you off!" Marechiyo quickly rolled to the side as Dante stabbed the pavement his body was. Able to get on his feet, Dante was picked up by the head before being spun around and tossed into the air. Using his shunpo, Marechiyo leaped in the air and slashed down. Though Dante blocked the zanpakuto, the teen still crashed hard on the ground, his body breaking a few tiles on impact. "Now to end this!" With the end of his blade aimed downward, the lieutenant was ready to land right on top of the black teen.
"This ain't good," Dante thought before he rolled backward. However, though the initial attack missed, Marechiyo's landing sent a wave that shattered the pavement and tossed his prey into a nearby wall, his body embedded in the surface. "I've heard of being stuck… between a rock and a hard place… but this is just wrong!" he groaned before peeling away and landing on the ground.
"Was that all you had? I guess I was expecting too much from someone who was all talk but no bite." Ready to deal the killing blow, Marechiyo raised his sword high above Dante. "This will finish you off." With a smile on his face, the soul reaper slammed his sword into the ground, creating a cloud of dust on impact. Not long after the dust settled, Marechiyo was shocked at what he found. Nothing. Dante's body was gone. Only the blood that was left from him remained. "What the hell…? Where did he go!?" The lieutenant thought with a dumbstruck face.
"Hey, big boy! Over here!" A familiar voice called out to his left. Marechiyo slowly turned his head to the source of the call, his face covered in sweat. What he saw was Dante standing with his scythe to help prop himself up. "What's that about no bite?" he said. "Bitch, I'm a raptor! It's in my job description!"
The large man quickly stood back up on his feet. "How did you survive! You were laying right there! I killed you!"
"Yeah, about that… See Akumu hi Ryuujin has a special ability. I was fast before I went shiki. But my boy gives me a little speed boost. It may not be as fast as my other zanpakuto, but it's still enough for a few good flash steps." With his explanation finished, Dante then pulled his scythe back charging power to the blade. "Also, it has another skill I've been wanting to use since it evolved…" Biding his time, Dante's weapon was starting to glow. Seeing this, Marechiyo hurried to his foe, hoping to stop him. However, the black teen already had him in his sights. "Is that fear I see in your eyes? Homing Laser!" With a swipe of his blade, Dante fired a volley of consecutive laser blasts aimed directly at the lieutenant. The Death God did his best to avoid some of the energy balls, but the attack still did enough damage for him to fall on one knee.
"That attack…?"
"Homing Laser gives me the power to bust a laser cap on a poor sucka. In other words, Dylan ain't the only brotha spittin' hot fire, knawmean?"
"Damn it!" Suddenly, Marechiyo started gathering Spirit Energy. Dante felt the foe's power starting to increase and cautiously stepped away, his scythe was held up in defense. "Fine, I'll admit that you are pretty crafty. But simple tricks can only get you so far."
"Really? Worked for you, Jell-O Man."
"Grrr… That's it you lowly fool." With his power at its peak, the lieutenant of Squad 2 shouted, "Crush, Gegetsuburi!" A flash of light came from his zanpakuto. Once it receded, his blade had transformed into a large spiked mace attached to a chain. "I'll smash you into the ground!"
"Bring it on!" Using his flash steps, Marechiyo headed toward Dante and swung his weapon. However, his attack was evaded by the target and Dante himself struck him back before using his own shunpo and appearing behind Marechiyo a few feet away. Reacting quickly, the lieutenant threw his mace at Dante, who blocked the strike. However, the ball-and-chain managed to hook his scythe by the pole and pull it out of his hand, tossing it behind Marechiyo. The foe threw his weapon again, but Dante managed to side jump the spiked sphere. Pulling out Kowa ro Shii Maru, Dante ran alongside the chain's trail, his sword held to the side. Marechiyo stared in horror as he was unable to react to the foe's katana's slash. Once he passed the lieutenant and picked up his scythe, Dante slid around watching blood drip from the enemy's right side. Returning his sealed sword to its scabbard, the black teen charged his scythe once more.
Marechiyo turned around, his chain left on the ground. "Please, don't do it!" he begged. "I'll give you anything you want! Just spare me!?"
"Sorry," Dante said. "Mercy in battle, right next to stock brokering, ain't how I do business." With that said, Dante unleashed his Homing Laser attack straight at the weakened man.
Unable to do anything but try and shield his face, the shinigami was struck by the volley and fell to the ground. Marechiyo Omaeda, lieutenant of Squad 2, laid defeated but still alive. "This cannot be…" the Death God said weakly. "Who… What are you?"
"I'm Dante Blaine, foo'" he answered. "Better recognize and get it memorized. 'Cause that's Imma be a captain up in here, son! Peace." Hearing those last words, Marechiyo slipped into unconsciousness. The battle was finally over and Dante doubled over. Holding his stomach and breathing hard, it was clear his fight took a lot of energy. "Whoa…" he panted. "Talk about a workout." Suddenly, his scythe started to change shape. Now his weapon had a longer, black blade with a smaller, more curved blade on the back. Its pole was striped with red and grey. Aside from his scythe, his clothes also changed. They were now black, with a thick, hooded cloak hanging over his shoulders. His pants were light, thin bell bottoms while his shirt was thin and long sleeved with thin red streaks and a large red eye in the center. "Okay, that's freaky…" Turning his attention back to Marechiyo, Dante noticed a small object next to his unconscious form. Using his scythe for support, he walked to its location and saw it was a bag of cookies that the noble was consuming earlier. "Mmm… Cookies…" Dante said with his mouth watering. It's been a while since he had anything to eat. It would be foolish to waste an opportunity for food. "So hungry." He picked up the bag and took out one of the cookies. Hey nibbled and found its taste irresistible. "Damn this shit is good!" he replied. After eating his snack, the black teen noticed his wounds were starting to heal. "Whoa, talk about soul food. Looks like this sweet-ass treat's givin' me some recovery. I think I'll keep 'em." With his reasons given, Dante started to leave the site, sealing Akumu hi Ryuujin in order to preserve energy. He looked up and noticed the orange glow of the setting sun. It's bright orange glow casting tall shadows on everything before it. "It's late afternoon already? Wonder how Ichigo's battle went?"
As the black teen continued on his merry way, he did not notice a pair of yellow eyes watching him nearby. Walking from a nearby alleyway, it inspected the chaos Dante caused. It sat calmly in the section, somewhat intrigued by the event which occurred. "How interesting," it said in a smooth, male sounding voice.
By the time he returned to the area, Dante was surprised at what he saw. Standing on a nearby rooftop, he was able to access the damage before him. Buildings were destroyed and the ground was ripped. Rubble and debris was scattered all over. "Who knew two shinigami could do this much shit…" he thought. However, Dante made sure to keep a low profile. Below him, right next to a gravely injured Renji, were four Soul Reapers. Among them was the blonde-haired lieutenant hailing from Squad 3, Izuru Kira. "Better stay on the down-low," Dante thought. "That guy's attacks are nasty…" Leaping behind the building, Dante released Kowa ro Shii Maru and transformed into his Deinonychus form. "Time to snoop." Quickly running down the street and leaping on a building that was right next to the one he was on, Dante used his ability and followed a trail of leftover spirit particles which trailed eastward.
A couple hours had passed since the end of the battle with Renji. Though victorious in his battle, Ichigo was badly injured at the end of the fight. Broken bones, massive lacerations, and some internal bleeding, the substitute was lucky to have survived. With the help of Hanataro healing techniques (as well as his determination to live), his body was gradually healing. However, being bandaged and weakened, Ichigo was not in any condition to fight. Standing against a nearby wall, Ganju was on lookout. Though they were in the sewers, he knew there was always a chance they would get caught.
And with the sound of approaching footsteps clacking near, his theory may prove true. Quickly, the man hurried over to his comrades and saw the figure responsible. It was a figure wearing a black cloak which concealed his face. Carried at his side was a large, menacing scythe. Ganju, with some sweat on his face, placed his hand on the hilt of his broken sword as Hanataro sat in fear. Ichigo merely glared at the individual sternly. "Ichigo Kurosaki…" it called in a deep voice.
"Who the hell are you and how do you know my name!?" Ichigo said, baring his teeth.
"I am the personification of Death. The master of demise. The emissary of doom. I am, the Grim Reaper."
"I never heard of something like this," Hanataro said. Ichigo, on the other hand, has heard of this being. Of course, the legend of the Grim Reaper is a Western tale and thought it was just some superstitious here-say. Then again, here he is in a world of souls and shinigami. Knowing this, it may be a possibility.
"Your time has come, Ichigo Kurosaki!" the Grim Reaper's voice bellowed. "I am here to claim your soul!" Soon after saying that, Death tapped the blunt end of his scythe to the ground.
Hanataro gave a small yelp while Ganju moved forward. "If you're going to get to him, you'll have to get through me first!"
"Before I do, Ichigo Kurosaki, I have but one question," the figure replied as he pointed a finger to the orange-haired teen.
"Oh yeah? What's that?" Ichigo asked in a serious tone.
Putting his hand in his cloak, the teen pulled out a small bag of cookies. Seeing this, the three couldn't help but give their visitor odd looks. "Would you like a cookie?" it asked in a drastically different, yet familiar voice. Pulling down the hood, the imposter revealed himself to be none other than Dante. Seeing satisfaction in his prank, the black teen started laughing loudly. "Man, you all should have seen yo' faces!" he replied as he sealed his weapon.
It was at that moment, Ganju walked up to Dante and pounded the top of his head. "What the hell's your problem pulling shit like that!?" he shouted.
"Damn it, what did I do?" Dante shouted. "It was a joke?"
"You call that a joke? I'm over here with wounds that could be fatal!" Ichigo shouted. "Do you do stuff like that in old folks homes, too?"
"What!?" Dante gasped, seemingly offended by the accusation. "Ichigo. I can't believe you think I'm that heartless. That hurts, man… I do it in asylums and cemetaries. I have my morals, you know." Hearing this, Ganju once more pounded the top of his head. "Ow!" Dante shouted before rubbing his cranium. "Why you hitting me?"
"Because you're nuts!" the tall man answered.
"Hmm… Okay, that might be. But still…"
"So, Dante," Hanataro said in an attempt to change the subject. "Why did you run off like that?"
"Remember? I told you there were some shinigami sneaking around when Ichigo and Renji were going at it."
"Oh yeah, that's right." Ganju said with folded arms. "So what happened?"
"Well, it was a trap made by the Second Division. Thought they had numbers on their side. But you know your boy here can never be subtract, if you know what I mean."
"What's Squad 2?" Ichigo said.
"They're a moderate branch that are in charge of flanking maneuvers. They're also in charge of the Special Forces, the forces in charge of stealth tactics."
"That's not all," Dante said. "I also met up and fought with the lieutenant of that squad, too."
"Yeah, right," Ganju said, not believing anything he was saying. "There's no way you did that."
"You wish I was frontin'," Dante said defensively. "Does the name Marechiyo Omaeda ring a bell?"
"Seriously?" Hanataro asked in disbelief. "He's one of the biggest of the second seats."
"You can say that again."
"So how did you find us, Dante?" Ichigo asked. "It's been a while since you left. And by now, the area is filled with Death Gods."
Dante smiled. "The nose know, bro," he said as he tapped his nose. "When I'm in my raptor form, I can track any scent. Plus, I can also track left behind spirit particles. Which is weird 'cause I couldn't do it before. Guess the author's been playin' to much Zelda." Hearing Dante say this, Ichigo gave a cock-eyed glance to the black teen. This isn't the first time he said something strange like that. "Um… Disregard that last sentence. Anyway, here." Dante tossed his bag of cookies to Ichigo, who caught it with one hand by the top.
"Where did you get these anyway?"
"From Omaeda. Eat up, Ich. That shit gets your strength back."
Ichigo was skeptical, but took a bite just because he was hungry. Finished with his cookie, the teen could feel his body slowly healing. "You're right. I'm starting to feel better already."
"No wonder Marechiyo likes to eat them," Hanataro said as he saw the minor cuts that were on Ichigo starting to close.
"Well, I'm done for today," Dante said as he stretched his body. "I'm gettin' some shuteye."
"See you in the morning." Walking to the corner of the path, Dante laid down and closed his eyes. He knew tomorrow, he was going to have a busy day.
Author's Note 1: In the next chapter of The Rise of Madness, the gang meet up with the bloodthirsty Captain of Squad 11: Kenpachi Zaraki. Will Dante be able to survive his encounter with the one man who loves fighting and has a questionable psyche that matches his own? Stick around.
Author's Note 2: As I write this story, I have the urge to do something rather controversial. Watching the Boondocks, the idea has come to me that I should use a certain 'n' word. Of course, I'll change its pronunciation and use the form made famous (or infamous) by Colonel H. Stinkmeaner… "Nyu-kuh!!!" What do you think? And please, don't flame.