Chapter 3: War is Declared!
Ikkaku Madarame was once again sent with Yumichika and the members of the 10th Division to patrol Karakura Town for the countless hollow sightings, and maybe once again something worse. They had split up so that they could get the job done quicker. Little did they know that was one of their worst AND their best choices.
Ikkaku looked up and stared at the strange black rain. This was something he had never seen before in his life, and at first, had passed it up as the strange weather of The World of the Living. It wasn't until the creatures started to form from the ground that he quickly passed the thought away.
The creatures didn't even utter a word, they just instinctively lunged at him like natural-born killers.
"Heh, so it's a fight you want? Bring your best!" Ikkaku hadn't had a good fight in a long time and these where just what he needed.
He took out his Zanpakuto and wielded it in his left hand with his sheath in the right, a very common fighting style of his.
One of the creatures lunged at him, which he had blocked with the sheath and twisted around with a counter attack with his blade. During this, three more jumped into the air to attack him, while the one he was attacking had blocked the sword with their blade-arms. Ikkaku had knocked back the three in the air with his sheath but the other one slashed a blade through his arm just as Ikkaku tried to dodge.
"What do ya know, you ain't that stupid, are you?" A wide grin appeared on his face as he faced his new opponents, "Let me show you how how to really fight!" He slammed his sheath to the hilt of his sword. "Extend, Hozukimaru!"
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So, he's released his "Shikai" form... Orochi was observing the progress of this Shinigami, who apparently had some skill. If this gets too out of hand I might have to get involved... and that wouldn't be good.
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"Hah! You're a bunch of weaklings!" Ikkaku yelled while laughing his ass off, "You guys are just a bunch of posers who think they can fight! Split apart!" He swung the three sections of Hozukimaru towards a group of creatures, the blade at the end slashing through them as they melted to oozing goo on the ground. Just as he was doing this, another one leaped from behind him. The poor creature was delivered with a blade through the face due to Ikkaku spinning around and forcing Hozukimaru to pierce through it's face. More started to swarm in. He forced Hozukimaru into the ground and used it to jump up above it's peak. Then he grabbed it, lifted it from the ground, and spun it around him as he landed, defeating countless numbers of them.
"C'mon, that all ya got? Who's next, huh? No one?"
That's when a figure appeared in front of him. He was like a human, but he was hovering above the ground and a large aura surrounded him. He had pale violet-blue skin, and had white hair that spiked to the back. He wore baggy white pants but nothing else. And upon his rippling chest was an oddly shaped symbol of a circle with uniquely designed lines forming out of it.
"Who're you?" Ikkaku said with a bored expression on his face.
"You may call me... Orochi..." His voice was cold and cruel. It sounded dangerously close to Gin Ichimaru's voice. "Things have been getting out of hand. I'm here to put a stop to it."
"Heh, so you're looking for a fight, huh?"
"If that is how you want to interpret it, then yes."
"Heh, you came to the right place!" Ikkaku swung Hozukimaru at him with full force. Orochi had caught the blade in his hand, not a single note of damage on him. He yanked Ikkaku toward him, but Ikkaku regained control by doing a front-flip to loosen the grasp Orochi had on the Zanpakuto, then sliding it from his hands and faced it downward as he dropped from above him. Orochi lifted his arm to brace the impact, in which Hozukimaru slammed against it. Once again, not even a single nick had appeared on his arm. He used his free hand to shoot a small violet blast of energy that hit Ikkaku in the chest as he flew backwards into the wall.
"Honestly, I expected more from you. You're hiding something, aren't you?"
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The 12th Division were monitoring the battle through their many screens, which could track down any of the members by sensing reiatsu and then transmit images of everything in the area. "Hmm..." Captain Kurotsuchi Mayuri spoke, "This 'Orochi'... I haven't seen anything like him before..."
"Wait a minute Captain, something's happening..."
(On Screen)
"Boy, am I lucky no one's here. I guess I can't beat you at my current state, can I?"
"So? Are you going to show me what you've been hiding?"
"Shaddup..." Ikkaku pushed his arms strait forward, Hozukimaru in his hands horizontally in front of him. The next words that were yelled surprised those watching in the Division 12. "BANKAI!"
(Off Screen)
"Hmm? Is he bluffing or is he serious?" Kurotsuchi was staring intently as the others stared with awe. The sight of seeing a 3rd seat using Bankai was new to them. And the Bankai... was so massive!
(On Screen)
"Ryumon Hozukimaru!"
"So... this is your... Bankai?" Orochi had an expression of the unimpressed on his face.
Ikkaku used the handle of the center blade to spin it around above his head... faster... faster... faster... "See the Gauge of the Dragon rise? When it is full, it will be one of the last things you see! Aha, whaddya know, it's done!" Ikkaku grabbed the Chinese Monk's spade and the Guan dao, the other two parts of his Bankai, and lunged after Orochi, the centerpiece floating behind his back.
"Pathetic... I've seen everything I needed to see..." Orochi vanished, and reappeared behind him with his arm outstretched to the right. The next thing the 12th Division knew, Ikkaku's Bankai was breaking into small pieces and there was a large gash throughout his right side spilling out blood. A sudden beam of purple energy erupted from him then...
Blank... Static...
"Captain Kurotsuchi! We lost all communications with 11th Division's 3rd Seat, Ikkaku Madarame!"
"Hmm... How... unfortunate..." Kurotsuchi said, unaffected by this.
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After the beam had dissipated and the dust and smoke cleared, Ikkaku was standing there, Orochi behind him, and with no sign of his injuries. His eyes burned with intensity... a light-violet intensity. "Fall to the Orochi!" He yelled into the night.
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"Taicho! Ikkaku's reiatsu levels! They are transmitting in an extremely unusual pattern!"
"Hmm?" Kurotsuchi examined Ikkaku's reiatsu chart closely. "Well, this is indeed strange... This "Orochi" figure may turn out to be a good specimen... All of you! Make sure the other squads don't get a hold onto this information! We will capture him ourselves!"
"SILENCE! No you will not, Mayuri Kurotsuchi!" These words came with the old gravely voice of Yamamoto. He stepped down from the doorway and into the laboratory claimed by Squad 12 to be "The Most Successful Library Known to the Universe." Off from his finger a Hell Butterfly flew into the sky.
"Review the last two minutes of Toshiro Hitsugaya's video communications."
As they did so they noticed Toshiro giving a report to a Hell Butterfly of black creatures with blades for hands. There was Rangiku Matsumoto by his side and a large puddle of oozing black goo beneath them.
"I came here after the report to have you research on the subject. Then I happened to 'overhear' what you were saying, and that you've figured it out. I've known the history of Orochi since I was as young as Hitsugaya... and our entire fate is at risk." He then summoned a Hell Butterfly to them. "Relaying message to all Captains of the Gotei 13: Send whoever you can to the World of the Living and take down all signs of The Orochi Corruption. Come yourselves if you must. This battle is a war that will determine the fate of our entire universe's existence!"
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The Senkai gate had opened, and the ones chosen to go to the World of the Living were there, ready for the most important fight of their lives. Renji Abarai, Rukia Kuchiki, Kira Izuru, Momo Hinamori, Jushiro Ukitake, Shunsui Kyoraku, Tetsuzaemon Iba, and Shuhei Hisagi stood their in front of the gate, preparing at their best. "Let's do this!" They chorused as they charged into the gate, the white light devouring their image from the rest of Soul Society.
(Yay, finally long enough for you all? Find out what happens next time on Bleach: CoW!)