Ch. 12
After leaving the hot spring, Dante and Ichigo put their clothes back on their bodies after drying off. The rips and tears which riddled their wear were stitched up by Nemu before she entered the pool (Ichigo compared her handy work to Uryu's sewing abilities). Now the two of them were lying on the ground and taking a well deserved sleep. They knew that the next session would require every ounce of energy they had.
Four hours passed since the two went to sleep. At this time, Nemu (who was not too far away) awoke from her light sleep. She turned to the two young men who were lying on the ground, covered under blankets given by Yoruichi earlier. The young lieutenant walked over to Dante and sat on her knees. She gazed at the black teen with a pondering frown. "Before I met you, my only purpose was to serve Master Mayuri and follow his every whim," she thought. "But now I find my self aiding in your cause. Perhaps I still feel indebted to you after you spared my father. Or maybe it is my curiosity of the unknown and your skill that has me impressed." Nemu then placed a hand on Dante's head, gently running her fingers along his forehead. Feeling a slight tingle, the black teen smiled as he turned to his side for added comfort. Seeing this, the lieutenant also gave a small smile. Looking up, Nemu turned to the entrance and saw Yoruichi leaving the area. She stood up, wondering what exactly the ex-corps commander was doing. Seeing both of the young men still asleep and safe, the attractive lieutenant decided to follow suit.
Sitting outside sitting above the entrance of the training area, Yoruichi stared off into the distance. The morning sun's light started to bask the Soul Society in its orange glow as it loomed over the horizon. On her perch, the young woman thought over the training regimen she was placing the two shinigami through as well as how much time they had. Was it possible to extend the duration? Would the two be able to survive in time to save Rukia? Such questions riddled her mind.
Even so, Yoruichi noticed that she was being watched from behind. She carefully slid her arm into her shirt and slowly pulled out a weapon from its spot. It was a small shuriken star. Quickly, the woman turned around and was ready to land a headshot at the supposed target. However, she froze when she realized that the person was Nemu. The lieutenant only stood stoically, unflinched by nearly being on the receiving end of a sharp projectile. "Nemu! Sorry about that!" Yoruichi said apologetically as she returned her weapon back in her shirt. "You shouldn't sneak up on people like that."
"I am sorry for coming unannounced," the 12th Division lieutenant said with a nod. "I was curious as to why you were coming out here."
"I see," Yoruichi said. "I was just thinking of whether or not I should give Ichigo and Dante more time."
"Really. What have you decided?"
Standing up, Yoruichi turned around to the lieutenant. "Well, seeing that we have a total of eight more days until Rukia's execution, I've decided to give the two another twenty-four hours to prepare."
"That's good to hear. I'm sure that the two will be able to fulfill their objective with least difficulty thanks to the added training."
"Exactly," the ex-captain affirmed. Studying the young lieutenant, Yoruichi noticed that there was something off about her. Even with her rather emotionless gaze, the ninja-like warrior knew she had something on her mind. "Nemu, is there something wrong? You seem troubled?"
"Troubled?" Nemu asked quixotically.
Yoruichi only smiled playfully. She knew that the young lady had something on her mind. Then it came to her after remembering her reactions in the past near a certain black teen. "Come on, you can tell me," she said. "Could it be guy problems?"
Nemu glanced with some skepticism. She quickly turned her head down, hoping to hide the red in her cheeks. "I do not know what you mean by 'guy problems.'"
"You know. Maybe you want some advice on men. Is there anyone your interested in? Ichigo? Perhaps it's Dante?" Upon mentioning the black teen's name, Nemu's face reddened even more. Noticing her reaction, Yoruichi chuckled lightly. "So it is Dante who's on your mind."
"I keep telling myself that my reason for joining Dante was for a subject to study. Yet, I feel that I may have a different reason." A small smile formed on her face as she remembered how Dante healed and helped her in the past. "He's one of only a few people to actually treat me with kindness. Even if he has ulterior motives for doing so, I feel a need to stand by his side."
"Really?" Yoruichi eyed her with a hand under her chin. Rubbing her chin, the dark-skinned woman chortled. "I think I know what's going on," she said to the lieutenant. Nemu turned to the woman with an interested glance. "I believe you like might have a crush on him."
"A crush?" questioned Nemu.
"A strong feeling of compassion and attraction for someone."
Nemu turned away, unsure if what Yoruichi said was true. After all, her father always told her that such signs of emotion only got in the way of work. Even so, it may explain why she has been acting the way she has. "I'm not sure," Nemu responded with uncertainty. "Still, even with his apparent flaws, it may be possible that I feel some affinity for Dante. But only as a comrade, of course," the lieutenant quickly corrected.
"Of course," Yoruichi repeated. "Here's my advice: you should give this some time. Think about whether or not to pursue this as a serious relationship."
Nemu nodded in agreement. Perhaps this was all just a small phase that will soon pass. Yet in her mind, she felt some joy in having her first crush. However, she also felt rather surprised that it was toward a well documented psychopath. Shaking her thoughts out of her head for the time being, she joined Yoruichi in watching the sun rise over the Soul Society. A new day was coming.
"Yoruichi! Hey Yoruichi, where are you!" Ichigo called.
"Could you pipe down," Dante said groggily as he stood against a rock, rubbing the temples of his forehead. "Some of us just woke up from a nice dream involving me getting freaky Freema Agyeman from the 2007-2008 episodes of Doctor Who in a sauna, making a sex tape with a high panda name Tim who's the cameraman using an old style camcorder. God that was a good dream." Thanks to Ichigo's yelling and screaming, the black swordsman woke up prematurely with a migraine. His spirit energy still has not fully recovered from the previous day's fight. Now at the mercy of a hard-hitting sensation in his head thanks to Ichigo's calls, the black teen scowled at the substitute soul reaper with deathly eyes.
At this time, Ichigo returned his glanced with one of confusion as two things popped into his mind. One being that he was surprised that this individual even watched such a show. The second being that even in his dreams as he slept, Dante was crazy. Still, the shinigami mentally pushed these observations aside. He was more interested in completing his bankai training. "Man, where the hell is she?" Ichigo continued. "It's been an hour and there's no sign of her."
"Maybe she couldn't sleep because of how loud your hair is," an irritable Dante muttered.
"What was that you said?" Ichigo asked as he whipped around to the black teen.
"Nothin'. I said I'm wondering where Nemu is," the black teen said innocently as he placed his hands in his pant pockets. "Maybe the two of them went somewhere."
"Really? And what exactly do you think they're doing?"
Dante paused as he thought it over. After a few seconds passed, an idea came into mind as he figured, what he believed, to be a logical answer to the question at hand. "They probably went to grab a bottle of milk and some catnip," he shared. A brief silence took place between the two as Ichigo regretted asking Dante for his input. "What? I think it makes sense," the black teen said defensively. "Hell, I'd do it."
Hearing this, a vein popped on the orange-haired teen's forehead. "Yoruichi! Get over here!" he shouted once more. "Don't leave me here alone with this nutjob!"
Dante only scoffed. "Pfft. I maybe a nutjob, but at least my hair doesn't give me away from a distance of two football fields," he quipped. "What next, you gonna put on an orange jumpsuit, too?"
"That's it!" Ichigo shouted as he tackled Dante. Now the two were rolling around on the dirt, spouting threats and insults. There was no real injury as the two only remained on the ground and their swords were far from their reach. Still, neither one of them wanted their opponent to gain the upper hand.
As their mudslinging, dirt-rolling shenanigans continued, they did not notice Nemu and Yoruichi standing a few feet away from their scuffle. Both women watched as the roughhousing males started kicking up dust as their fight continued, hands and heads poking out of the cloud periodically. Nemu turned to Yoruichi with a flat glance and monotonously asked, "Are they training in hand-to-hand combat?"
"No. They're just being boys," Yoruichi sighed as she rested her hands against her hips. The dark-skinned woman clapped her hands together, hoping to grab the two soul reaper's attention. "Alright you two, that's enough! Quit playing around down there!"
Upon hearing the woman's voice, both Dante and Ichigo froze in place with looks of embarrassment plastered on their faces. At the moment, Ichigo was just over Dante, holding one of his wrists while Dante, who was on his back, was also holding one of Ichigo's wrists and had a foot pressed against the substitute shinigami's stomach to keep him from overpowering him. "Um… Hey there, Yoruichi…" the orange-haired teen said. "Where were you two? I've been calling you for a while."
"We were just outside discussing matters about your training," Nemu answered. "So why are you two fighting one another? Is this some type of crude training style?"
"Well, that's a good question… You see…"
"He started it!" Dante quickly yelped. "I kept saying no, but he wouldn't stop!"
Ichigo turned his attention to the black teen. "Damn it! You bastard!" he hissed before the two continued their struggle.
Yoruichi only shook her head as she watched the two supposedly powerful shinigami going at it like a couple of Kindergartners. Nemu only watched stoically, feeling that there was no sense in getting involved with immature affairs. "I'll give them ten minutes to work this out," Yoruichi said with Nemu nodding in agreement.
Two hours passed and training had started to commence for Ichigo. Facing off against his zanpakuto's spirit Zangetsu, the orange-haired teen was starting to match strikes with the black coat wearing swordsman. As Yoruichi and Nemu observed the battle, Dante rested on top of a nearby boulder, slowly restoring his spirit energy. Even with the clashing of swords echoing in the air, the black teen seemed unnerved. He opened his eyes from time to time before returning to his short cat, or rather, raptor nap.
Suddenly, a loud explosion shook the training ground. The ceiling above was covered in a cloud of dust. Hearing this, Dante sat up in an instant as Yoruichi and Nemu turned with shock. There was no way anyone could have found their secret spot. Nemu watched with a mix of curiosity and caution. It wasn't possible that someone could have followed her or sensed anything through the thick walls of this mountain. "I was wondering what you might be up to. Holed in this place," a voice called. "I take it that's your zanpakuto's true form with you." Just then, an object descending from above crashed hard into the ground before the group. The spiritual pressure that both Ichigo and Dante felt was intense, but also familiar. "You're using this place to secretly train for your bankai, are you not? Sounds like fun." The smoke soon cleared and revealed a soul reaper that they had encountered a few days ago. "Allow me to train along with you." With red hair, a tattooed covered face, a wide smile, and his sword Zabimaru in its first release resting over the back of his shoulders, the group was once again in the presence of Squad 5's lieutenant, Renji Abarai.
"Renji…" Ichigo replied speechlessly, his eyes shrunk by his sudden entrance.
"Hey, it's Lieutenant No-Brows!" Dante quickly called out as he slid off his rock to join the group below. "Tight entrance back there, Red. A little lengthy, but still pretty cool."
"What did you just-!?" Before the lieutenant could continue, the shinigami calmed himself. There were more important things at hand. "You're lucky I have better things to do, kid," Renji said to the black teen. Dante stepped back, holding up submissive hands. The redhead then turned to the still stunned Ichigo. "Let me guess, you're thinking 'what the hell are you doing here?' To tell you the truth, it's not for any special reason. It's just that we're out of time and I wanted somewhere to hone my skills in peace."
"What do you mean we're out of time Lieutenant Abarai?" Nemu asked as she walked forward.
"So this is where you've been," Renji said. "Fancy seeing you here. I had a feeling there was no way you'd allow yourself to be abducted."
"Say what now?" Dante asked as he tilted his head. The black teen wondered what the shinigami meant by that statement.
"Answer the question!" Ichigo replied as he wanted to get to the point. "What are you talking about!?"
Renji's smile was replaced with a serious frown. There was no point in dancing around the subject. The news he was about to share would not be pleasant. "Fine, I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell you that much," he began. "It's about Rukia's execution. They rescheduled it."
"It's been rescheduled?"
"To noon. Tomorrow." Hearing this revelation, a wave of shock took the group by storm. "I hate to admit it, but the truth of the matter is that at my current level, I wouldn't be able to save Rukia. That's why I came here to train." Ichigo hissed as Dante stood silently. "Don't worry. I'm not here to get in the way of your bankai training. In fact, I'm almost close to achieving it. I've already learned how to manifest it. Like this." Using his spiritual energy and channeling it through his sword, Renji summoned his zanpakuto's spirit. The creature stood next to its master on all fours taking the appearance of a snow white baboon that had purple stripes and a pink face with a tail that ended in a snake's head. "So if it's all the same to you, how about I do my own thing here."
"Hey, nice trick," Dante said. "So what? Should I give it a banana or a rat?"
"You talk a lot of smack, kid," Renji said. "But I doubt you could even master bankai."
"Eh! Wrong!" Dante replied. "If you want to know, Browless Wonder, I already did!" With folded arms, Dante stood with a triumphant smile. Renji only looked at him with a mixture of disbelief and whimsy. "Haha! That's right. I, the top ranked soldier of the Wu-Tang Killa Beez, the master blaster who gots the maddest beats, has achieved the great B. Give it up to yo' boy! To tell you the truth, it ain't surprising 'cause whenever I walk I is money!" he said with a bow.
Clearly, Renji had no idea what the black teen had spouted from his mouth. He turned to Ichigo and pointed at Dante. "What the hell did he just say?" the redhead asked.
"Don't look at me," Ichigo replied as he scratched his head. "I usually ignore him until he shuts up or goes away."
The lieutenant only shook his head as he returned to the conversation. "If you did learn bankai, then showing me the manifestation of your spirit should be no hastle." Hearing this, Dante's expression became rather blank with widened eyes and a froze stance. Seeing his reaction, Renji only scoffed. "Just as I thought. You can't even do that."
"Hey, I could!" Dante replied defensively. "It's just that they have a habit of picking when they want to show…"
While the two swordsmen bickered back and forth about their power, Yoruichi was paralyzed in shock. There was so much that both Dante and Ichigo still needed to learn. However, since time was now running out, Yoruichi's plans were also sent spinning. Was it even possible to train these two on such a slimmer of borrowed time? "Noon, tomorrow… It's not possible…" she thought aloud. "There's no way Ichigo could reach bankai that quickly."
Yoruichi's thoughts were broken by the sound of Ichigo's shattered sword. "Hey, does that mean you're gonna give up on me?" he asked. "Don't tell you're gonna toss everything away. After all, you're the one who put me on this program to begin with."
"Don't do this, Ichigo!" she replied. "What if you still haven't mastered bankai before-!?"
"There is no what ifs," Ichigo interrupted. "It's do or die. Failure is not an option. They may have changed the deadline for tomorrow," the orange-haired teen said before he smashed the last of his blade, "but that just means we'll have to finish our training for today!" Ready to prove to Yoruichi his seriousness, Ichigo's spiritual pressure rose with to high levels. The blue aura that shrouded his body intensified. Everyone on field felt the immense amount of energy. Seeing his determination, Dante and Renji smiled. They were just as driven to succeed in their quest as the substitute shinigami. Even with a gloomy demeanor, Nemu was very surprised by the teen's sudden display of power. Never before has she felt such an amount of reiatsu all at once from just one individual.
"Count me in," Dante said as he stepped forward, earning a glance from a still unsure Yoruichi. "There's some shit that needs to be taken care of. If I was able to master bankai with one of my zanpakuto, then you know fo' sure that I can do it again."
"I advise that you should allow the training to continue," the female lieutenant said. "Their chances of success are higher than you may believe."
"Haha! Did you hear that? I think it's a unanimous decision."
Hearing this, Yoruichi was now put on the spot. She could quit the training for safety reason and amount of time. Perhaps it was possible to use Dante as their ace, seeing as he already achieved one of his bankai forms. However, the ex-captain knew that using Dante would be like playing with a ticking time bomb: he was an unpredictable maverick who had his own goals in mind. Also, as strong as he was, his spirit energy was unstable. Then there was the matter of Ichigo's willingness and obligation to fulfill his goal. There was no way the orange-haired teen would sit back as someone else fought his battle. A moment passed as the four waited for Yoruichi's next plan of action. Would she bow out due to precautionary measures, or would she continue the regimen. "I hope I'm doing the right thing, Kisuke…" she thought. "Alright, fine. I'll continue the training."
"Alright!" Ichigo replied as Dante held a triumphant fist in the air. Hearing this, Renji nodded and continued on to another part of the training ground to sharpen his skills. "Thank you, Yoruichi!"
"Just remember, this is only until the start of the execution," Yoruichi said. "You must achieve bankai before then, Ichigo. Otherwise all of your training will be for nothing and we will have to use what we have. Understood?"
"Like I said, there is no room for failure. You can count on me." With that said, Ichigo continued on with his training.
"And Dante," she said as she turned to the black teen. "If you choose to pursue this next lesson, you must be prepared to complete your second bankai release by the same time. If you don't, then I will be forced to terminate your training."
"I'm all set," Dante replied. "So how about we start it up. 'Sides, I promised my boy Akumu that I'd go another round. And what better time is there than right now?"
"I see. And I can sense that your reiatsu is fully charged." Yoruichi smirked. "I'll go get a spare Tenshintai."
"Sweet!" Dante said as he watched Yoruichi leave to the entrance. The black teen smiled as he thought about his upcoming battle with the dragonmare spirit. He remembered his last bout, how he had to use an old scythe to fight the genetic terror. It was one of the toughest matches he fought in. Still, that didn't stop him from smiling.
"Dante, are you sure you wish to go through with this?" Nemu asked. Dante turned to face her, watching her with a quizzical eye. "You do realize that you have less than a day to complete this task."
"I know. I know," Dante replied. "Still, I want to give this a shot. If it's a chance to get a little stronger, why not? Besides, I'm not just doing this to help Strawberry, but I have some ends I need to tie up."
Hearing this, Nemu rose a brow at the black teen. "I do not understand, Dante. Isn't saving Ms. Kuchiki your primary concern?"
Dante folded his arms and stood quietly for a minute. He pondered that the only way for Nemu to understand would be to share his past history with her. "Maybe I should tell her," the black teen thought. "It couldn't hurt." "Alright, let me explain. You might want to take a seat. This is gonna take a bit." Hearing this, Dante and Nemu sat on the ground as the black teen discussed his origins with the Squad 12 lieutenant. Listening to his story, Nemu couldn't help but feel some sympathy for him. Abducted and tested on at such a young age was an atrocity for anyone to bear. Knowing all the pain and torture he had endured, the lieutenant understood why the young man had such a colorful mentality. Hearing about his past, the soul reaper couldn't help but think back to the experiments her master put her through and all the suffering she experienced. Still, Nemu kept a flat and emotionless face through the duration. "…And that's my story," the mock soul reaper said. "I tried to find my fam soon after I escaped, but all traces turned empty. So I wandered around, going to school for a bit before being a hired sword. A few years later, my ass is thrown here."
"So you believe that someone here in the Seireitei is responsible for what happened to you." Nemu said.
"That's right. Your pops might have ditched the blades, but someone picked them up and tossed them in my world instead. Plus I remember that those geeks were being paid by the same guy."
"I am sorry for your loss," the lieutenant said with an apologetic nod.
"Please, don't," Dante said. "There's no sense in saying sorry if you ain't involved. 'Sides, whoever did this is gonna get served a large can of whoop ass with a cold cup of sweet revenge."
"So tell me what happened to the scientists? Did they survive?"
"The lab coats? Well, you know when I told you that after they stopped my heart, I went all berserk? I don't know about the details, but let's just say they became permanently unemployed," the black swordsman explained in a cold and malevolent tone. His red eyes produced a murderous glare as he remembered how his oppressors fell by his hands. Nemu could feel a slight change in Dante's spiritual pressure as the heat rose a few degrees. Of course, the lieutenant knew that his animosity was not directed at her. Still, she felt uneasy in his current mode. Noticing his temper, Dante took a deep breath and calmed himself down. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Nemu in any way. "My bad. Guess I freaked you out there, huh?"
"I understand what has befallen you to some extent. If anything, I almost envy you." Dante turned to the lieutenant with a risen brow. "Even though your methods were less than amicable, you were able to gain some freedom. Perhaps if life were any different, I would also have done the same."
"Nemu…" Dante looked at her sympathetically. Unlike him, Nemu's did not have a choice. The person she calls 'father' is also the same man who has experimented on her time and time again. Still, he is also the one who brought her into the world and gave her life. After a few minutes of silence, the black teen decided to change the subject. If there was anything he learned, it was that there was no point in drudging around in broken memories. "Well, how about we drop this little chat," Dante said as the two of them got back to their feet.
"Yes," Nemu agreed. "I hope I did not cause any unnecessary wound to be reopened."
"Naw, girl! I told you, it's all good! That's all the past. I'm about what's up in the here and now," Dante replied with a smile. "Besides, it's good to chat with someone else who gets where I'm coming from. Well, aside from my swords." The black teen placed a hand on the female lieutenant's shoulder, catching her off guard for a second. "Thanks for the ear, Nemu."
For a moment, Nemu was rather speechless. Her cheeks felt were red and warm and her heart made quick beats. Quickly, she turned her face away, hoping the black teen did not notice. "N-Not at all, Dante. I'm glad I could be of service."
From behind, Yoruichi approached the two. Held under her arm was a Tenshintai board. Dante turned around, a smirk decorating his face. "I have the device ready," the ex-captain said. "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"
"You know it!" the black teen responded with a hand on one of his swords. "Come on! I'm just itching for some action!"
"Alright, alright," Yoruichi replied as she stood the white board up. With the final adjustments made, the dark-skinned woman back away from the tool and stood next to Nemu. "Go on ahead. It's all yours."
"Burst with the fury of the future! Akumu hi Ryuujin!" Dante shouted as his zanpakuto assumed its scythe form. He ran toward the tenshintai, his scythe spinning in his right hand. Once he was a few feet away, the black teen leapt forward and slammed his blade straight into the center of the board's chest. Feeling the sudden build up of spiritual energy, Dante leapt back as a pillar of fire consumed the tenshintai. Dante, Nemu, and Yoruichi watched as a pair of hand-like wings spread open on either side of the fire. Then a shrill roar echoed through the training grounds, breaking through the tower and sending small embers around the immediate area.
Now the three were in the presence of the red dragonmare itself, Akumu hi Ryuujin. The beast roared as it took a couple small steps toward Dante, its jaws inches away from his form. "Dante, we meet once more," the creature's voice echoed. "You have grown stronger since our last encounter."
"Fo' real, man," the black teen replied. "I've been busy doin' my thang. You know, pimpin' up this bitch and takin' names."
"Indeed. Now why have you summoned me?"
"Why else, homeboy? So I could get my bankai. See, as strong as I am, I need a little more punch. And besides, our last battle was a blast. So why not play again?"
Akumu chortled at Dante's remark, its jaws moving slowly. "Is that a fact? Very well. Then I shall acquiesce to your proposal." Akumu rose its head and screeched loudly. The below shook violently, causing Dante, Nemu, and Yoruichi to try and hold steady footing. A couple of minutes passed before a large portal opened above Akumu and the quake began to subside.
Looking up at the distortion, all Dante saw was a red sky and a crescent moon peaking through the rocky ceiling. He looked with narrowed eyes as he thought about where he saw such an image. Then he remembered. "I know that place. That's your turf isn't it?"
"Correct. Our battle shall take place in this space. Separated from your comrades to ensure more room and little distraction." Dante gazed in awe at the world above. This was similar to the rip Kowa opened which brought forth that Deltadromeus. "As part of your initiation, I shall allow you to use my weapon in battle. Using it's hooked tail, the dragonmare pried the scythe from its back and tossed it to Dante. The pole weapon spun in the air before its long blade stabbed into the tan earth before him. "Enter the portal if you wish. Once there, I will give you more information on your challenge. Know this: you will need all of your skill and power for this test. Failure will mean almost certain death." The message was buried into Dante's mind as Akumu flapped its massive wings, hovering to the rip above. The dragon's tail lingered below its body as it made its way back to its territory.
Dante whistled, knowing full well that this would be tougher than his previous battle with the bio-engineered terror. "This may be the last time we meet," Nemu said. Dante turned toward the lieutenant. "You're sure you want to go through with this?"
"Like I said, I'm all set," the black teen answered confidently. "In fact, I'm a bit psyched over this. Trust me, I'll be back and even more powerful than ever."
Nemu nodded as a small smile decorated her face. "I know you will. Just be sure to return alive," the lieutenant said with a faithful tone.
Dante's smile grew from ear to ear, brimming with confidence. "You got it. See you soon!" Quickly, Dante turned and ran forward. Bouncing between one rock to another, the black teen managed to grab the end of the dragonmare's tail. With his grip held tight on the handle-like end, the young swordsman leisurely entered the rift, which closed upon his entry.
Back on the ground, Nemu stood still as she looked up at where Dante was last seen. All she hoped for was that the black teen return to her in one piece. "I hope your training becomes a success, Dante…"
Standing under the familiar red sky, Dante was back in the world of the dragonmare; in Akumu's territory. The difference now being that lightning broke through the sky, ripping through the landscape. His scythe was cared on his shoulders with his arms wrapping over the weapon to keep it in place. He scanned his surroundings, inspecting the landscape before him. The same sandstorm still brew just as it did before. Suddenly, the sound of thunder boomed through the heavens. Dante quickly turned a one-eighty, his scythe now held in front of him as he stood face to face with the spirit Akumu hi Ryuujin. "Here we are once more, ready to face each other in the heat of battle," the large dragon's voice echoed. "This is the column where you and I first had our duel. A duel that tested your will to live. Now the battlefield beckons our return to see whether or not you are truly ready for bankai."
Dante gave a light nod. "So what are the rules, man?"
"The rules are quite simple, Dante. I want to see how strong you have become over your journey. As a warrior, one must be able to use their abilities to fullest extent. Which means in this battle, you are allowed to use your berserks and morphing abilities. The only rule is that you do not use Kowa ro Shii Maru unless it is sealed."
"Let me guess," Dante began. "You were feeling a little left out in that part of the training, were you? Does someone need a hug?"
Hearing the question, the dragonmare shook its head. "Don't toy with me," the creature replied in an irritated voice. "As I was saying, that is the only stipulation. Now! Show me the power that lies within!" Akumu spread its wings and shrieked loudly, poised and ready to attack.
Dante charged and jumped forward, spinning toward the dragon at high speed. However, the enemy used its long tail to swat the black teen back. It then charged head-on, ready to ram Dante off the platform. However, Dante managed to roll out of the beast's path and return to his feet. He then swiped his scythe, firing a few strong particle beams, hitting the target's side and the foe's control core. The dragonmare slid from the impact, feeling the flanking attack's effects. Turning its head to Dante's location, the creature launched a round of laser bullets. All Dante could do was use his agility to dodge the green blasts. He then dashed forward and struck at the enemy's head with powerful slashes from his scythe. The dragonmare felt the strong string of blows hitting its mouth and neck, its wounds opening from the chainsaw-like roof sheering into its armor. Quickly, the dragon lunged forward and snapped its jaws at Dante. The black teen was tossed back from the blow and fell to the ground. Still, he managed to return to his feet and was about to use another berserk. However, Akumu, who was now hovering, spewed five burning hot balls of mucus. The five searing objects came down quickly, barely giving Dante enough time to avoid their landing. Though he was out of the direct path, their impact still sent him in the air before crashing hard to the ground. "What? Don't tell me that was all you can muster?" Akumu replied.
Dante willed himself to his feet, a couple of bruises decorating his face. Looking up at the dragon, Dante wiped off the small trace of blood on the corner of his mouth. "I'm not done yet, son!" he replied. "There's still some fight in me!"
"In all honesty, I am not surprised." The dragonmare swooped down, its clawed feet stretched to grab Dante. The black teen fired lasers at the foe, but was ultimately snagged in the clutches of the dragon.
Now in the air, Dante tried desperately to free himself from the beast. Of course, that was impossible considering that its strong grip was enough to crush steel. The higher the flew, the more violent the lightning bolts struck, Dante tried his best to shield himself from the electricity. "Damn it!" he replied. "I might be insane, but even I think this is overboard!"
"Time to see if you have earned your wings, Dante," screeched Akumu as he looked down on his prey. "This is not just a battle for advancement. It's a battle of power and survival. Let's see you resolve!"
Dante snapped his neck to the dragon as the creature eased its grip. Before the black teen could even respond, the enemy opened its claws and watched his descent. The form of the dragon became smaller and smaller as the black teen plummeted to his demise. "Even if this world was a work of fiction," Dante thought, "my black ass is gonna end up the mayor of Splatsville in a few seconds." Dante turned to his right hand and realized that he still had Akumu hi Ryuujin firmly in his grip. The black teen stared at the scythe for a moment before inspiration struck his mind. "Hold on! I ain't no pancake yet!" Just as time returned to normal, the black teen turned over and spread out his limbs like a parachutist.
Above, Akumu watched as its wielder suddenly turned himself over. Curiosity set in for only a short time as the beast watched Dante's body being engulfed by the thick sandstorm below. Akumu growled while it waited patiently for some sign as to whether or not Dante survive. Bared fangs and flexing toes signaled its anxiety. The camera near the dragon's control core turned side to side and zoomed in and out. However, all the sand and other metal particles made it almost impossible to catch anything.
Just then, a power stream of bright red light shot out from the dust storm, hitting Akumu square in its underbelly. The beast screeched and shook violently during the lengthy attack until its end. The dragonmare turned down and noticed a large portion of dust cleared to the side, revealing a large sized figure in the center. It was the slender-built powerhouse: Heavy Wing, a surefire sign that Dante was still alive. After using its signature berserk, Manual Laser, the dragon was rather winded. "Check yo' self, fool!" the dragon screeched before taking another breath. "…I'm too badass to fall flat! …Ya heard!?"
"As I expected. A guerilla tactic," Akumu thought. "Dante used the cover of the sandstorm to morph and then glided down safely. Then he used a surprise attack in the form of an exclusive berserk only known to that form." The dragonmare displayed its teeth, slowly opening its maw as if it were smiling. "Not a bad play, Dante," the creature chortled. "Your use of cover is impressive. However, you must remember that this is my world."
"Maybe. But you're my zanpakuto," Dante replied. "I not gonna throw in the towel! Hate to break this to you, but I'm going through you and getting' my bankai." With that said, Dante spread his net-covered wings and screeched toward the hovering enemy as his I-Pod started to play "Scythe of Petals" from Kingdom Hearts RE:Chain of Memories. "It's time for some straight up dragon shit, nigga! Heavy Wing's ready to bust a motherfucka!"
"Come on!" Dante immediately took to the air with a flap of his wings. His mouth glowed a bright red color as he charged his bioluminary oscillator while locking on his opponent. "Burn to ash, neophyte!" Akumu shouted before it fired a round of deadly burning mucus at the oncoming dragon. Quickly, Dante fired his lasers at the foe before shooting lesser laser blasts to destroy the burning projectiles. The dragonmare used its speed to evade the streams, save for one that hit its thigh, causing it to flinch. Dante, on the other hand, managed to shoot down all the flaming objects and continued his course toward the foe. Akumu noticed the Heavy Wing's approach and dived forward.
The two dragons soon collided and spun in the air upon their meeting. They wrestled with one another, clawing their bodies with hook-like claws while playing Russian Roulette in a lightning filled sky. Though their exoskeletons were thick, they still had the scratches decorating their bodies. During the dogfight, Akumu tried desperately to clamp its razor filled mouth onto Dante's neck, but its target kept on moving its neck out of the jaw's way. Dante then used his form's long legs to kick the enemy away before quickly using a new berserk. "Time to get biblical! Judgement Day!" he replied. Not long after Akumu regained its balance, two searing hot spheres of fire engulfed the dragonmare. The creature was being dealt serious damage from the strong spell. "Now who's burning, bitch!"
"Well done. However, I'm not done with you!" the nightmare dragon retaliated with its own berserk: Wraith Slashers. Ten deadly energy blades spun toward Dante at high speeds. All Dante could do was dodge the enemy's whirlwinds. However, his size made that impossible to evade the whirlwinds and he was hit by a few of the energy blades. The Heavy Wing form then countered with his lasers, landing a few good hits on his target. Akumu countered with lasers of its own, adding to the damage dealt to Dante. Now the two dragons were staring eachother down (even though one of the opponents had no natural form of vision). "You've managed to survive my attacks. Very nice," Akumu replied. "But like I told you, this is my world and I will not be defeated so easily." Akumu raised its head and roared loudly. The creature's call echoed throughout the landscape, almost muting the thunder's own roar. Upon hearing the call, four mare embryos shot out from the sandstorm and surrounded Dante. Sizing them up to Akumu, the white, immature enemies were half the red foe's size. They screeched and howled, ready to fight Dante.
The tactic surprised the dragon. "Shit! I remember these guys!" the morph teen replied. "It's me times four!" Knowing he was surrounded, Dante knew it was a matter of time before one of them would make the first move. "The hell is this bullshit! I didn't know you hooked up and was rollin' with a crew!"
"A warrior must always expect the unexpected," Akumu replied calmly. "But come now. You've fought numerous enemies at one time before. This will surely be no more than a mere obstacle."
"Damn these are some unfriendly skies up in this motherfucker," the black teen thought. "Best make my move!"
"Time to strike him down!" Akumu ordered as it and the rest of the pack dove in. The five dragonmares' cameras were locked onto Dante as if it were a big white bulls eye as they approached the wielder with killer intent. Their screeches echoed through the landscape like primordial yells. Dante lowered his wings as he gathered large amounts of power for his next attack. Once the dragons came close, the black teen stretched his wings and released the energy in the form of three powerful green shockwaves. The force of the attack tossed the enemies back in all directions. The mare embryos were paralyzed in the air, dazed by the berserk. However, Akumu quickly recovered and roared. "That berserk… It was Cleansing Wave!"
"Hell yeah! All I needed to do was store some power and then set it off like a bomb. Not bad, huh?" Dante gloated. "And now, time for you guys to take a shower!" The Heavy Wing fired numerous rounds at the enemies in all directions, spreading its massive power at the dazed foes. Akumu used its versatility and speed to avoid the beams the best it could before retaliating with its own laser fire. "I'm too swift!" Dante sung as he dove down, missing the energy blasts.
"You won't escape!" Akumu growled as it dove after the dragon. The mare embryos, who were now in critical condition, also followed suit. Dante looked behind to see five nightmare dragons on his tail before splashing into the sandstorm. Now in the blinding cloud, the six dragons flew through the sands at high speeds while fighting against the strong winds. One of the mare embryos managed to catch up with Dante, its neck glowing white as the beast charged its bioluminary oscillator. It moved next to the Heavy Wing with the intent on slamming its head like a club. Quickly, Dante lowered in altitude for the dragon to pass over him before shooting one of his lasers, hitting the enemy in the core, killing it instantly. Then another hovered over Dante and came down fast, but the black teen reacted by decreasing its speed, narrowly avoiding the dive bomb, and firing a lock-on laser which also retired it. Now the remaining two small henchmen flew ahead of their target and produced a thin, rainbow-like ribbon of energy. Unable to dodge, Dante crashed into the trap, causing him to fly awkwardly. Seeing the opportunity, Akumu rammed headlong into the wounded dragon. "Oh shit!" Dante yelled as he spun out, lowering in altitude in the process. "Going down!"
"The endgame draws nigh. This fight will be finished soon enough." Acknowledging its impending victory, Akumu and the remaining dragonmare entourage flew to the ground. Upon landing, the dragonmares scanned their surroundings. However, Dante was nowhere in sight. All the red enemy could see was a sand covered ground and a dust-filled sky. "What sort of trickery is this?" the beast replied. "This is where he should have crashed." Akumu opened its jaws and used its sense of smell in an attempt to find some trace of Dante. Though the large dragon did catch his scent, it was all over the place due to the strong winds. "This is useless." Akumu turned to its cohorts and caught their attention with a short screech. The Mare Embryos turned to their superior and called back. "I want you two to scout around for our guest. Make sure he is expired." With that said, the three dragons flew back into the skies and searched.
However, what the three enemies did not know was that Dante was hiding just beneath their feet. Thanks to all the dust and sand, he managed to cover his body over to escape detection. Picking his head up to make sure the coast was clear, the black teen stood back up and dusted himself off. "Damn, talk about getting dirty," he said to himself, mentally patting himself on the back in the process. "Bet that chump didn't think I'd actually go deep cover to pull off some incognito shit." Just then, Dante flinched from the pain in his left shoulder. Akumu's last attack did some damage. It was clear that if he were to fly again in the shape he was in, the battle would be over before it begun. "First thing's first." Picking up his scythe, the black teen charged his soul power for use of a healing technique. "Heal-Maxis!" Dante exclaimed as he used his power to heal most of his wounds. The berserk, though physically beneficial, did cost Dante a lot of strength. Now he was squatting on the ground and panting heavily. "Damn, I'm getting too old for this. Let's see. Harry, Larry, and Moe are probably snooping around for my black ass as we speak. They can't be too far." Dante looked around attempting to find the foes. However, the thick dust and sand made it nearly impossible to find anything clearly. "Damn, I can't see anything through this stuff. Hell, I can barely make out my hand in front of my face." Observing his predicament, Dante then came up with another clever tactic. "Hold on. I think I got an idea." Dante smiled wickedly as he used his scythe's power to morph into Heavy Wing again and took off into a choked sky.
Soaring through the storm, Dante knew that both he and the enemy had a common dilemma: the sandstorm obscured their line of sight. However, unlike the dragonmares (who use artificial means to scope a target which were useless due to all the grains in the air), Dante had the natural ability to switch his visual perception in this form. Focusing, the black teen began seeing everything as if he were looking through a pair of inferred binoculars. "Whoa! This is pretty freaky…" he said to himself as he looked around. It didn't take long for him to spot a large form off in the distance. To him, it was glowing like a roman candle. "I see one of them busters over there! Shit, I'm like a friggin' cobra motherfucker! I'm seeing all heat and shit!" Acknowledging his new found talent, Dante raced forward toward the foe.
The mare embryo was too busy in its search to notice that Dante was coming in from behind. Before it knew, the Heavy Wing screeched loudly, surprising it. "Duck!" Dante replied as his feet slammed into the immature beast before retreating back into the sandstorm. Now on notice, the white dragon fired its lasers in full circle as well as producing a few minor shockwaves in the process. However, Dante was hovering above it, baring his teeth in an attempt at a smile. "Duck," Dante repeated again. He then reverted into his human form and landed on the foe's back. The dragonmare realized this, but could not react before the black teen slammed his scythe's blade into the control core. "Goose!" he replied before pulling out his weapon and leaping off the creature. Shaking out of control, the mare embryo exploded and its lifeless remains fell to the ground below. "One down, two to go," Dante thought nonchalantly as he used his heat vision. Suddenly, he noticed another object sailing toward him at high speeds. Quickly, the black teen took evasive maneuvers to dodge the threat. "Damn that was close!" he exclaimed as his vision returned to normal. Hovering in front of him was the remaining mare embryo which was ready to fire its lasers. Dante circled around the enemy to avoid the attack. Even though some of the laser fire managed to hit parts of his wings, he was still able to maintain flight. In retaliation, the black teen fired his next berserk. "Energy Prism!" Dante shouted as he fired an unstable rainbow laser. The beam twisted and turned, but still managed to finish off the mare embryo. The exhausted Heavy Wing watched as his opponent's body fell to the ground. "Maybe it's not the way I planned, but I still got the job done," Dante said with content. "Now, time to move." The black teen began his ascent through the clouds as he battling the harsh winds and sands. The holes in his wings made flying a bit of a challenge, but he continued nonetheless.
Now out of the sandstorm, the dragon sensed a presence nearby. He turned around and found Akumu hovering lackadaisically in the air. The creature seemed rather relaxed, seeing as the opponent before it had been dealt some good damage. "So, you managed to defeat my underlings. Very impressive," the dragonmare said with a congratulatory tone. "However, you are running out of time."
"What do you mean?" Dante asked. "You and I have been going at this for a few hours."
"That is where you are mistaken," Akumu corrected. "You see in this realm, time runs at a slower pace. Already, a day has passed in the outside world since your coming here. If I'm not mistaken, you're friend's woman has until noon to draw breath."
"Just great," Dante replied. "Which means I have a couple hours at best to knock you off before Yoruichi pulls the switch."
"You're only half right," Akumu replied. Dante turned to the dragonmare with a crooked eye. "True you might have such amount of time, but there's no way that shinigami can stop this. We're in my spirit realm which is a separate space from the Soul Society. She will not be able to save you before time runs out, meaning your soul will be shattered by the unstable levels of your reiatsu. So it's a race against time with three alternatives. Either you defeat me and live on back in the real world, I defeat you and you die here in this one, or you succumb to your instabilities and perish. Forfeiting is not an option."
"So you planned this from the get-go," Dante replied with a low growl. "If I were someone else, I would think you didn't like me too much."
"Oh it is not about favoritism, my mentally disturbed friend. I just wish to see if you are the warrior I wish to serve. You may have proven yourself capable before, but this is a different matter. And what better way to prove me once and for all than by trapping you here."
"I have to say, you've gotta be the biggest, reddest, and craziest bastard I have ever met in my life," Dante said. "Then again, I can't help but like your style. Reminds me of them cage matches from the WWE, but with a little more swag." Dante smiled as he thought about his predicament. Even though he was trapped, the black teen couldn't help but enjoy this match. "Hell, to be honest, I've been waiting for something like this my whole life. Something to help prepare me before I face the son of a bitch who fucked me up all them years ago."
"I see. Then demonstrate to me your will and your resolve!" Akumu screeched before it charged at Dante. The black teen managed to get out of the foe's path and began firing his lasers. The dragonmare continued to use its speed in order to dodge the beams. Seeing that his regular attacks were doing little good, the Heavy Wing boosted his defense by using the berserk Defense Wing before flying forward. Akumu fired its barrage of green lasers, though Dante managed to avoid most of the strikes and returned fire, hitting the dragon in the side. Out of retaliation, Akumu used its speed to seemingly warp behind Dante just as he launched his own lasers. Before Dante could take in the situation, the enemy managed to hit one of his damaged wings. Unable to stabilize himself, the Heavy Wing made a crash landing on a nearby rock pillar. After his giant body slid for a few meters upon impact, Dante's reverted human form due to the damage he sustained and his low levels of his spirit energy. "What's wrong?" Akumu said as he landed on the platform. "Has that silver tongue of yours rusted up?" Dante began struggling to his feet as he used the scythe to help prop himself up. Before he could even place his feet firmly on the ground, he found himself flying backward from an explosion courtesy of Akumu's laser shot. "Perhaps you now realize the position you are in. As I told you, this is my space. I reign supreme."
Dante sat in a kneeling position as he stood his scythe up. He coughed up blood from the internal injuries he received before gritting his teeth. He then realized what Akumu said was true about his being outmatched. "My soul power's almost at rock bottom," he thought. "I gotta bust a move! Fast!" He listened to the approaching footsteps of Akumu, sensing a deathly air growing stronger by the second. "At least I had a good run." Dante closed his eyes as the end came near. Suddenly, images from parts of his past appeared to him. Memories of a burning home and a young version of himself being forced into a truck flashed into his mind's eye. The memories of all the experiments and his retaliation then followed as well as a shadowy figure who was on a television screen, his evil grin being the only thing visible. Dante quickly opened his eyes, realizing the vow of vengeance he made to himself. "I've never given in before. No way in hell am I gonna start now!"
"It seems you have reached the end of your journey, Dante," Akumu said as it towered over Dante as its neck flashed green. "You held so much promise and potential. Still I am compelled to ask whether you still wish to proceed?"
Even though he was at near death, something caused Dante to crack a smile. He honestly did not know why he was smirking. Perhaps he had lost it, or maybe even still, he was enjoying this battle. "I'm not done," Dante replied in a low voice. "I swore that I'd get back at that asshole for what he did to me. I don't intend on giving up on that."
"You swore to this?" the nightmare dragon asked as it was ready to unleash its attack. "To whom did you swear this to?"
"No one," Dante said as he tightened his grip on the weapon's pole to help himself pull to his feet. "I just swore it… to myself!" Dante shouted as his spiritual pressure suddenly increased. Akumu, though surprised, was ready to bring its head down and fire its laser to deliver the death blow. Dante quickly jumped up and slashed the enemy under its jaw. The dragonmare's laser flew skyward and exploded. After returning to the ground, Dante lept up again and spun backward, slicing the dragon multiple times under its jaw like a buzz saw before it staggered back. He then raced toward the beast, armed with not just his scythe, but his katana as well. Akumu fired numerous lasers, but Dante managed to avoid the energy blasts before appearing near the red giant. The dragonmare lunged forward, but Dante blocked with his scythe and the two began testing one another's power. At first, it seemed that Akumu, with its superior size, had the upper hand. However, Dante quickly managed to shove the dragonmare's eyeless head back and stab its jaw with the katana. The beast shrieked in pain before Dante jumped onto its back and stabbed the control core. As expected, even though he damaged the enemy's weak point, it would take more than just one strike to bring it down. Dante then found himself tossed to the side as the dragon spun its body with enough force to knock him off. Still, he managed to land on his feet as he slid back.
Akumu managed to finally take out the zanpakuto by using one of its long toes to pry the weapon out of its mouth "You will pay dearly for that!" Akumu roared before lashing at Dante with its whip-like tail. The black teen rolled to the side to avoid the strike before bringing his scythe up to block the foe's next strike. The dragonmare roared as it took to the skies. Dante watched it go airborne before turning his gaze to the zanpakuto it discarded. The black teen hurried to the blade but came short of reaching his weapon as Akumu swooped down, causing the black teen to drop to the ground to avoid the foe's jaws. Curving around, Akumu screeched again and bombarded the ground with laser bursts. Now the black teen was lying on the surface which was littered with small green fires. Small smudges of ash and dust dotted his body as he returned to his feet. Looking forward again, he found himself only five feet from the sword. However, he looked back and saw the dragonmare coming in fast. With its tail hanging down, the foe raked the hooked end along the ground as it flew forward. Dante ran ahead toward his sword, racing to beat the enemy's appendage from slashing him in two. Now a foot away, he reached his hand down to the side as the nightmare dragon was hovering just over him with its tail not far behind. Dante then managed to grab the sword and jump to the left, missing the tail. As the dragonmare flew off, Dante noticed the platform was beginning to shake violently before breaking in half. Both sides of the platform began parting separately from the slash. Returning his sword into its sheath, Dante ran up to the break and slide down the inside with his scythe. "Perish, neophyte!" Akumu hissed as it flew passed, the sharp ends of its wings tearing the rocks the black teen was scaling down on. Reacting quickly, the black teen shot the bottom end of his scythe in the dragonmare's direction, wrapping around the foe's bottom leg. He then shot forward and latched on to the foe. "You survived!?" the beast replied as it turned its head around to its head.
"Straight up, nyu-kuh!" Dante replied. "I ain't takin' no fall!" Akumu shook its leg violently, hoping to rid itself of the stow away. It nipped at Dante with its sharp teeth, but the mock shinigami managed to swing to the back of its leg and climb up the limb until it reached its back. Now the beast was struggling even more, bucking in the hair like an out of control stallion. The only thing Dante could do was slowly climb its back until he reached the control core. Now that he was where he wanted to be, Dante lifted the scythe's long blade over the core and stabbed and stabbed it down with all his might. Akumu screeched loudly as its body bent uncontrollably while it descended toward another nearby pillar. Before Akumu crashed, Dante jumped off the beast's back and landed on his feet. Standing back up, the warrior turned around to the dragonmare, whose body was producing smoke and made was making weak hissing sounds. Realizing the battle was over, Dante sealed his scythe and returned it to the sheath. "I told you I wasn't gonna take no fall," he said. The black teen then walked over to the dragonmare and knelt near its head. The creature turned to Dante with a slightly opened mouth.
"Well, Dante, you've done it," the creature said. "By defeating me in combat, you have proven to me that you have earned the power to use bankai."
"Thanks, Akumu," Dante said. "You weren't too bad yourself. Hell, I thought you had me a couple times. I mean, especially at the end there."
"Indeed," the dragonmare nodded. "You are filled with such resiliency and strength that is fitting for a champion. I am proud to be serving by your side, Dante." Dante smirked at the beast, thankful for its comment. Behind the teen, a portal opened which revealed the training ground. "This warp will take you back to the Seireitei."
"But what about you, big A?" Dante asked.
"Don't worry about me. I'll be back to full health in no time. Now go! Time is of the essence." Hearing this, Dante nodded in agreement. He ran toward the portal and jumped through it, leaving the satisfied dragonmare behind.
It's been a day since Dante's disappearance from the training ground. Back on the ground, Nemu stood diligently awaiting for the black teen's return. The Squad 12 lieutenant has not moved from her perch since her comrade's leave. Of course Nemu did take a rest, but she has since remained in that spot. The young woman stood watch over the ceiling like a small child for Christmas. Logically speaking, she knew this was all a futile effort. Sure Dante had a significant chance of returning, but she questioned herself on why she was so keen on standing like this until his return. Perhaps it was this crush that Yoruichi mentioned to her the previous morning.
Not too far away, Yoruichi and Ichigo were also waiting for the ally to come back. For Ichigo, his training had ended at least two hours ago. He managed to find the sword and then used the blade to defeat his sword's spirit Zangetsu. His body was wrapped in bandages, though a nice trip to the hot spring helped seal most of his wounds. Ichigo then turned to notice Nemu still standing vigilantly. He was amazed at how someone could be so still and tranquil. Usually, a normal person would at least sneeze or yawn. However, he has not seen Nemu even budge. "I wonder what's taking him so long," Ichigo asked in an impatient tone. "I swear, I bet he's doing this on purpose." Yoruichi didn't answer as she pondered over the black teen's delay. It was possible that Dante may have been defeated by the spirit or that his soul had been destroyed due to his unstable reiatsu. Still, there was always the possibility that Dante would return alive with his bankai learned.
Suddenly, a small portal began to open near the ceiling, revealing Akuma's space. Yoruichi and Ichigo turned to the rip as Nemu watched with stoic eyes. It was then that something came darting from the rift and landed in front of the Squad 12 lieutenant. Not knowing what it was, Ichigo drew his sword in order to fight whatever hostile threat it was. The figure then stood up and revealed itself to be none other than Dante. The only difference being that his clothing changed. Now he was wearing boots, pants (with thin black stripes), gloves, and a shirt with a tall pop collar (all of which was dark red) with wide black cuffs on his ankles and wrists. He also had a black belt around his waist which housed numerous pockets as well as a small red circle with two black separate halves and small white circles on the front to form a masked design. He also wore a short vest of said color that had no sleeves and a large red eye on the back. Noticing his new look, the black teen couldn't help but to whistle over his attire. "A little AOA, a bit of the Ultimate, and a hint of good ol' 616 style," he said appreciatively as he moved the designed buckle. "These threads ain't half bad."
"Welcome back, Dante," Nemu said with a bow. Mentally, she was excited that the black teen returned safely. She also took notice of the clothing he had acquired. Course, there was more red than she was accustomed to seeing, but it wasn't too bad. "I take it that your venture was a success?"
"Straight up," the black teen replied with a smile. "Sure Akumu had me by the ropes, but in the end, I came out on top. Hell, where I'm from, people call me Docta Lagi! There's no way I can loose!"
"So you've finally returned, Dante," Yoruichi said as she and Ichigo approached. "I take it that you managed to defeat your spirit into submission."
"That's right. You're looking at the man who just achieved a new bankai. What about you, Ichigo? Did you manage to beat that Vincent Volaju-lookin' S.O.B."
"Vincent Vola- what!?" Ichigo asked confused and also somewhat offended by Dante's description of his zanpakuto spirit. It was clear that he did not see Cowboy Bebop: The Movie. "If you mean Old Man Zangetsu, yeah I won," he answered. "But I gotta admit, he was pretty strong. And I'm hoping to use that strength in battle if I meet Byakuya. I know for a fact that I'll win."
"I hear you man and I'm thinking the same thing. Well, maybe not the Byakuya part for now. I mean, I'd love to beat that tight ass and shake the foundation of his little fanbase, but that's your battle." It was at that moment Dante smiled and pressed a thumb to his chest. "So how about you let me deal with the small fry that get in the way while you sit back and chill."
"And leave you with all the work? Not a chance," Ichigo replied.
"Hey, Dante. I'm just curious about something," Yoruichi began.
"Yep?" Dante replied.
"What ever happened to the tenshintai that you borrowed?"
At that moment, Dante became silent. The last thing he remembered was that an Akumu was still maintaining its form. "Um… I can explain," Dante began. Before he could reply, another object had fallen from the portal above before it closed. The black teen looked up to see what was going on, only to be hit in the face by the tenshintai before it bounced off his head and landed on the floor. Upon impact, Nemu placed a hand in front of her mouth. Though concerned, she was not all that surprised. Ichigo, on the other hand, was trying hard not to laugh at the black teen's misfortune. "Ow… That was just uncool!" the black teen replied as he rubbed his face.
Paying no attention to the young warrior's distress, Yoruichi knelt down and grabbed the device from the ground. "Thanks for returning it," she said before leaving the three behind.
"Yeah, no problem," Dante answered sarcastically as Nemu inspected the injury. "Glad I can help."
"It's a minor bump, Dante," Nemu reported. "There is no serious injury to your cranial region."
"You mean aside from what's already there," Ichigo said under his breath.
"Right, thanks." The black teen said to the lieutenant. He then turned to Ichigo. "So Ich, what's the plan?" he asked.
"Plan? What else is there?" Ichigo asked. "I say we go out there, stop the execution, and save Rukia."
"Sounds good to me. What about you, Nemu?"
"I believe there may be other ideas that can be implemented," Nemu replied. "However, due to time constraints, we cannot plot any other courses of action."
"She's right," Yoruichi said as she returned to the group with large pieces of cloth in her possession. "We don't have the time to formulate any ideas. So we have no choice but to interrupt the execution head-on." Nemu, Ichigo, and Dante nodded with Yoruichi's proposal. "Here, I want you two to have these. You might need them." The master speed demon held out the pieces. They were large tan cloaks with a small emblem at the front.
"What are these things?" Ichigo asked as he and Dante draped them over the shoulders.
"They're tentoken. These mantles are heirlooms from my family. Thanks to the special fabric, it can allow the user to stay in the air for longer periods of time as well as increase speed."
"Plus it feels like alpaca wool," Dante added as he rubbed it over his cheeks. "So soft and warm. And it brings out the red in my eyes." Ichigo and Nemu stared at the black teen with much confusion. Replaying what he said in his mind, Dante chuckled sheepishly. "Um… So when do we go topside and bust some ass!" the black teen replied excitedly, but with shifted his eyes in hopes his comment was forgotten.
"We should leave now. Ichigo and Dante, you two will leave first and save Rukia. Nemu and I will join you soon after."
"Right," Ichigo said. "Let's go."
"Fine. But if they already have the big bad Sucky-yo-crew out…"
"…Sokyoku, you idiot." Ichigo corrected as the two left the training ground.
"Screw you… Fine. 'Sokyoku,'" replied Dante with quoting fingers. "Then I'm the one taking that bad boy out. 'Sides, we don't want you to get all tired before a big fight, right?" Dante patted Ichigo on the shoulder.
"If that's the case, then why would you be wanting to get rid of it?" Ichigo asked.
"Duh! For the added EXP and skill points, son!" Dante replied. "You know, cause the ladies dig a pimp that's maxed out his stamina and pimpin' stats."
Ichigo stared with him silently with a raised eyebrow from his obscure reference to the growth system in some RPGs. "I'm starting to think you've became even more insane after your training completed."
"Maybe," Dante said nonchalantly. "It could be the new digs," he said as he stretched the bottom of his new shirt. "Guess it's bringing out the inner Wade Wilson in me."
"The who?" Ichigo asked.
The black teen was rather surprised at hearing his orange-haired comrade's skepticism of the Merc With a Mouth. Though he would gladly chew out Ichigo due to his ignorance of who he personally calls 'the common man's insane anti-hero,' Dante only sighed and continued on. He would have time to go at the substitute shinigami after this was all over.
Now on the cliff, Dante released Akumu hi Ryuujun (which now had laser blades but still retained the chainsaw teeth from its previous stage) and used its ability to morph into his Heavy Wing form. With Ichigo standing on his back, the black teen flew off. Now stronger than previously before and with their confidence high, the two made their way to the execution site to save Rukia.
Author's Note 1: This chapter is dedicated to my mom who died last month from complications of MS and pneumonia. Mom, wherever you are, I hope your afterlife is a paradise.
Author's Note 2: With their training completed, our favorite shinigami heroes take on Sokyoku Hill in an attempt to save Rukia. However, will our strawberry-haired substitute and psychotic swordsman be able to face off against the odds that stand in their way? Read and review to find out!