SailorStar9: This is Chapter 6 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?
Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny. Heck, even the pairings aren't mine.
Uryū: (Looking at paper) Hey, Kurosaki. (Shows Ichigo a Hollow picture) What's his name?
Ichigo: Dunno. Seems he doesn't have one.
Uryū: That so?
Unnamed Hollow: (Pops up onscreen) Is that true? (Tears)
Chapter 6: Release the Death Blow!
"This time, you're gonna be the one unable to hold your weapon." Ichigo swore.
"Well, ain't you talking big." Ikkaku chuckled. Where the hell does that confidence come from?
Ichigo blocked off Houzukimaru with Zangetsu when Ikkaku vanished.
"Too slow!" Ikkaku ran at him again, from a different direction this time.
Ichigo just barely blocks the end of Houzukimaru with Zangetsu, but the impact caused him to lose his balance and almost fall. He attacked Ikkaku this time, catching Houzukimaru at the chain, but Ikkaku re-joined those two sections of Houzukimaru, and used the remaining section to swing at Ichigo, who evaded by leaning back.
"I won't be able to hold my weapon?" Ikkaku scoffed, now that Houzukimaru is a full spear, as continued to come at Ichigo at different angles. "Don't make me laugh. You're the one who won't be able to hold yours again." Houzukimaru's chain coiled itself around Zangetsu twice, allowing Ikkaku the opportunity to pull Zangetsu down and kick Ichigo in the face. As Houzukimaru came smashing down on Ichigo once more, Zangetsu knocked it back, stunning Ikkaku.
"Wasn't I 'too slow'?" Ichigo joked.
"You are slow." Ikkaku chuckled. "That was luck."
"Then, I'll show y6u something that ain't luck." Ichigo remarked.
"I told you, you're too slow!" Ikkaku dodged the strike by jumping onto the roof.
Ichigo struck his sword into the wall on whose roof Ikkaku stood, drawing a line across it to make the ground under Ikkaku's feet fall away. Ichigo continued his attack on Ikkaku but the latter jumped away and Ichigo was greeted with an unavoidable Houzukimaru in his face, which he blocked with his bare hand.
"What's wrong?" Ikkaku snorted at the sprawled Ichigo on the floor. "Is your mouth the only part of you that can run? Attacks by Houzukimaru can change in an instant. An amateur like you can't keep up."
"Not exactly true." Ichigo corrected. "My eyes are finally used to your attacks." opening his fist, scraps of red cloth fell before him – the end of Houzukimaru had been cracked by Ichigo's block as Ikkaku stared at his adversary in shock.
Meanwhile...
"Ken, that way." Yachiru directed her Captain on his back. "That way! "It's that way."
"I've been running for awhile." Zaraki remarked. "But we haven't seen anyone."
"Don't worry." Yachiru assured. "My instincts are really sharp."
"Can I really trust those instincts of yours?" Zaraki deathpanned, Yachiru having led them to a dead end.
Elsewhere...
"Inoue, hide." Ishida pulled Orihime back, just as a group of Shinigami converged nearby. "It looks like this has gotten serious after all. At this rate, even before we start looking for Kuchiki, it'll be hard enough just to meet up with Kurosaki and the others. If a fight would just break out somewhere, we'd know one of us is there. Maybe we should go ahead and make one. Or maybe... what do you think, Inoue?" he looked at his companion. "What?" he blinked, finding Orihime had vanished. "Where did she go?"
"Ishida!" Orihime called, running back.
"What?" Ishida exclaimed, fleeing from the two groups of Shinigami.
"I'm sorry!" Orihime cried. "I went to scout around and they found me."
"Now that we've been found, there's no choice." Ishida decided.
"I'll fight too." Orihime declared.
"No, leave this to me." Ishida objected. "I'll be okay. You stay back, Inoue."
"There're so many." Orihime gaped, the pair finding themselves surrounded.
"Let's run!" Ishida suggested and the two fled.
On a tree...
"That's..." Sado blinked, seeing the churning smoke in the distance.
"Nii-san?" Hasu wondered, as the duo jumped down and headed towards the smoke. "Or..."
Meanwhile...
"What's wrong, Ikkaku?" Ichigo taunted. "Ain't you a bit too surprised? Don't tell me you lost the will to fight? If you're not coming, then, I'll go. I'll say it one more time, Ikkaku! The next one who won't be able to hold a weapon is you!" he jumped to attack. He swung Zangetsu down, destroying the chain between two of the sections of Houzukimaru and spilling Ikkaku's blood.
"What's wrong?" Ikkaku breathed, tossing away the useless section of Houzukimaru. "Is that all you got? Too bad, I can still hold a weapon. If you don't want me to hold my weapon, there ain't no way but to drop this arm."
"Lower your weapon." Ichigo advised.
"Kiss my ass." Ikkaku retorted.
"I said lower it." Ichigo barked. "The match is over. Don't you get it? You lost."
"What're you sleep-babbling about?" Ikkaku remarked. "This is a battle. The only thing that decides victory is life or death." with that, he charged at Ichigo, seeming to change his angle every few seconds. However, it was not the first time Ichigo had seen this technique – what he saw before him now was Urahara and Benihime, not Ikkaku and Houzukimaru.
"Too slow!" Ichigo spat, giving one powerful swing of Zangetsu. A line of blood was drawn all the way up Ikkaku's arm.
"Damn..." Ikkaku muttered. "You're strong. I've got bad luck." and crumpled to the ground.
"We both got bad luck, dammit." Ichigo corrected.
After a while, Ikkaku peered open his eyes. "Ichigo..." his eyes widened. "Why're you still here?"
"Man, I never knew that." Ichigo picked up Houzukimaru. "So, a liberated Zanpakutō returns to normal when it's owner loses consciousness."
"Damn you..." Ikkaku cursed. "Give it back!"
"I ain't gonna take it." Ichigo assured. "I just borrowed some of the styptic in it. Well, after I used it on me and you, there was none left though. But man, this medicine works hella good."
"You bastard, what the hell've you done?" Ikkaku muttered.
"What?" Ichigo chided. "Don't get all pissed just 'cause I used it without permission."
"That's not it!" Ikkaku snapped. "Damn, I thought it was weird that I didn't die from bleeding. Surviving by being saved by you, what a freaking disgrace."
"What's up with that?" Ichigo sighed. "If I knew you were gonna say that, I wouldn't have helped you. Well, I don't care if you're thankful or not," he got up. "I just want to ask you some questions."
"I figured it'd be something like that." Ikkaku snorted. "I got no luck. What do you wanna know?"
"Kuchiki Rukia's location." Ichigo replied.
Elsewhere...
After exploding his 'Chili Pepper Smoke Bomb' on Yumichika, both Ganju and Yumichika accidentally stepped off the ledge, falling into the pit. Ganju caught the ledge and Yumichika grabbed on to Ganju's bomb barrel.
Finally losing his grip, Ganju fell into the pit, bringing Yumichika with him.
Both emerged from the pile of trash bags, with Yumichika threatening that he would never forgive Ganju and punctuating said threat with a swing of Fujikujaku, which Ganju dodged.
Ganju climbed up the ladder and took off, with Yumichika, as usual, close behind him.
"Kuchiki?" Ikkaku echoed. "Oh, that death row inmate. Whadda you people have to do with that trash?"
"We came to save her." Ichigo replied.
"WHAT?" Ikkaku exclaimed. "To save her... how many of you came? Seven or eight at most, I'd bet."
"Nope." Ichigo replied. "Seven and a half."
"What's that mean, 'and a half'?" Ikkaku gaped. "Anyways, you really think you'll save her with just that many?"
"That's right." Ichigo smirked.
"There's no way!" Ikkaku burst out laughing. "You must be retarded!"
"It's not impossible." Ichigo corrected. "Because we have Tula with us."
Ikkaku's eyes widened at the sight of Tula's image, complete with the Balmug Sword in her right hand and the Svalinn Shield in her left hand, behind Ichigo. Could it be...? "Well, whatever. If you go straight south from here, you'll find the offices of each of the 13 Gotei. At the west end of the offices, there stands a pure white tower. She should be in there. If you wanna save her, go ahead."
"Alright, I own you one, Ikkaku." Ichigo stood up.
"Wait a second." Ikkaku voiced before Ichigo went his way. "Can I ask you one thing? Who's the strongest in your group?"
"Probably me." Ichigo replied.
"That so," Ikkaku remarked. "In that case, be careful of my Squad Captain. "The Captain ain't interested in weaklings. If what you said is true, make no mistake, the one he'll be after is you."
"Is he strong?" Ichigo frowned.
"When you meet him, you'll see." Ikkaku replied. "That's if you can live long enough for your brain to comprehend his strength."
"What's his name?" Ichigo was intrigued.
"11th Squad Captain, Zaraki Kenpachi." Ikkaku answered.
SailorStar9: In the next chapter, Ganju manages to defeat Yumichika by exploding fireworks on his face. Uryū and Orihime are confronted by Jirōbō Ikkanzaka, the fourth seat of the seventh division. Uryū is easily able to destroy the projectiles he sends at them, and destroys his ability to be a Shinigami when he threatens Orihime. Meanwhile, the 12th division captain, Kurotsuchi Mayuri, dispatches squads to locate the intruders. Now that's done, read and review.
