Yes, Ichigo was angry. He wanted to wipe that smug smile off of Gabriel's face. His mask suddenly felt significantly heavier. "Nelliel," he said. "Get ready."
Though slightly startled by his use of her full name, she readied herself to fight.
"Okay, let's go." Ichigo and Nel vanished instantly and only a moment later clashed swords with Gabriel. He had drawn two swords an instant earlier and had almost lazily raised them to block.
"You'll have to try harder than that if you want to even scratch me," Gabriel yawned. "It's comical how slowly you move." He seemed to be effortlessly blocking attacks that were too fast for the naked eye to see. "Enough with this play. Divine Creation: Holy Nova." Scorching white light exploded in a ring around him, knocking back both Ichigo and Nel instantly.
Hey partner, let me out. Arakiel needs to teach you some things and I wanna have some fun.
"Fine," Ichigo grumbled, and relinquished control of his body to retreat to his inner world.
The change was immediate. Ichigo's spiritual pressure was suddenly significantly more oppressive and his stance stiffened, then relaxed. His skin bleached and his hair grew long, white highlights becoming more prominent. The holes of his mask that normally revealed his eyes were shrouded in shadow. He let out a laugh. It was the laugh of the insane.
"What happened?" Gabriel asked in confusion. "You are not Ichigo. Who are you? What is your name?"
"Who am I?" Nashi repeated "What's my name? Let's see, what was it I told that noble? I have no name!"
Nashi sonidoed at a speed that would break any normal soul reaper or hollow's neck and appeared behind Gabriel, swinging Tensa Zangetsu down with a crushing force. Gabriel barely raised one of his own swords to block, but he was knocked off balanced and pushed back. A small fissure had opened up in line with Nashi's swing.
"Oops, maybe I should tone it down a little," Nashi said before seeing Nel looking upon the scene in awe. "Hey Nelliel, get your ass over here and help out."
She shook her head as if snapping out of a trance before leaping forward. "Danza de la Muerte Verde!" Nel became a blur as she slashed Gabriel over and over, each wound deeper and longer than the last.
"Divine Word: Cripple," Nashi spoke a new command, and with a crack, Gabriel's arms bent in ways no arm should bend. Even the sadistic Nashi winced as he laughed.
"Ah, so brother taught you that too, did he? Divine Word: Restore. Divine Word: Stasis." The first command Gabriel gave reverted his arms back to normal, and the second made them immovable, preventing them from breaking again. "Divine Word: Strength," Gabriel said, and the force of his attacks became much more powerful.
Swinging his left sword, he caught Nashi in the chest. Swinging his left sword, he caught Nel in the stomach. They both went flying with blood spraying. The wounds closed almost instantly of course due to their highspeed regeneration, but it still hurt. A lot.
"Piece of shit," Nashi groaned and returned to his assault alongside Nel. Steel clashed over and over again as the two smaller figures blurred together around one bigger one. It was clear that Nashi fought far more efficiently and effectively than Ichigo, which brought up the question: Did Ichigo really win in the fights with Nashi when they were fighting for control of his soul? Or did Nashi simply let him win?
No matter the case, even with their improved fighting skills they were gaining no ground in their fight with Gabriel. In fact, it seemed as if they were losing it.
Come on, partner. Hurry up in there.
Just as Nashi was praying for Ichigo's return, Ichigo was in the middle of a fierce battle himself. He was fighting all three of his Zanpakuto spirits and Arakiel all at once. He was bloody and tired, and on the last leg of his strength. In fact, it felt as if the wind could blow and he would fall over.
"Come on, Ichigo, I did not lend my power to a weakling. You can do better than this," Zangetsu said.
"Fight harder, Ichigo," Arakiel said. "You'll never be able to defeat Gabriel at this rate. Even Nashi is struggling just to keep even footing."
Ichigo swung his sword at his latest attacker, Murcielago, but it was simply deflected and he suffered another slash.
"Maybe," he panted, "I wouldn't be having such a hard time if I was fighting one of you at a time." Another clash of steel and another wound suffered. Now Ichigo was down on one knee.
The three Zanpakuto and the fallen Soulsinger all charged forward with weapons extended. Gathering the remainder of his strength, he raised his sword. "Getsuga Tensho," he grated out. His sword arced through the air and a burst of red-black energy flew from his blade.
It flew outward and tore through all the spirits assaulting him before he collapsed, exhausted. For a moment, the Zanpakuto spirits were immobilized, but a few seconds later they reformed and walked forward. One by one they stabbed their blades through Ichigo's chest. Pain shot through his body in three separate places.
"Congratulations Ichigo," Arakiel spoke as he stood over him, blade just above his chest. "Now, at your most vulnerable, you can finally learn to commit Deicide." Arakiel's blade joined the others in his chest and the pain vanished. A few seconds later, he blacked out.
Sweat dripped down Nashi's pale face. Of course, no one could see it behind the mask, but it was there nonetheless. Despite his efficient combat style, he still became exhausted quickly. Nel wasn't in any better shape. Clash after clash of steel on steel had worn them down slowly but surely, and Gabriel hadn't seemed to lose any momentum.
Nashi, tag out.
"Thank God."
Once again, Ichigo's demeaner changed drastically. His skin regained color until once again, it appeared human. His mask dissolved off his face. "Hello again."
"Ah, the human returns," Gabriel said. "I suppose it is time to end this silly game. Divine Destruction: Flames of Perdition." Balls of fire began forming behind him, and just moments later, began to rain down upon Ichigo. Every single flame hit him. It only took a second for Ichigo's body to disintegrate to nothing.
Or at least, that's what was supposed to happen. Instead, Ichigo simply raised his hand and caught the flames. "Shit," Ichigo cursed as he shook his hand in pain. "But I agree, it is time to end this... and there is no way I can beat you out here. So be it... I didn't want to do this but you've left me no choice. All become none. Bankai: Nashi." And the world vanished.
When Gabriel came to, he saw only Ichigo standing in front of him, wearing only street clothes. Something felt off. He tried to move and found he couldn't; his body felt like it was made of lead and all his strength was sapped away. There was nothing around him; no ground, no sky, nothing.
"What is this?" Gabriel spoke and he realized what had seemed off. His voice had shattered the perfect silence that had hung in the air.
"Oh, this?" Ichigo waved his hand and reality rippled where it moved. "This is my Bankai... I truly am god of this space. With nothing to destroy, I can finally release my full Spiritual pressure." He closed his eyes and let out a sigh.
The change was immediate. Gabriel's body didn't feel like lead anymore. It felt like lead on the bottom of an ocean. Pressure so great he couldn't breathe. Pressure so great his skull creaked. Pressure so great the veins in his eyes burst and he shed tears of blood.
Ichigo stood looking at him, seemingly unaffected. "Any last words?"
"What... are... you?" He barely managed to wheeze.
"I have no idea. Anyway, I can't waste too much time chatting," Ichigo said and his one hollowfied eye seemed to glow. "Original Divine Art: Genisis..."
Nothing became something once more. Dust formed out of seemingly nowhere and coalesced into several giant boulders in a sphere around Gabriel. They grew to enormous size – larger than a city building – before smashing down on him. The coalition of boulders compacted into a spherical shape that soon took the appearance of the earth. Thus, Genesis.
Not a sound could be heard from the pseudo-earth.
Then Ichigo raised his arms like a referee signaling a touchdown. A moment after reality stilled once more, he said, "… to Judgment Day." A great white column of light pierced through the center of the pseudo-earth, and it was obliterated a moment later. The shards of rock floated away and revealed the broken body of Gabriel, which released an agonizing moan.
A small stream of blood dripped from Ichigo's nose. He was a true god in this space... and had to deal with everything that came with it. His mortal body couldn't handle the strain and was starting to cave.
"Okay... time to go." With one more rippling wave of his hand, the world returned. Ichigo's spiritual pressure was back to the normal oppressive levels, not his reality-tearing ones. "Okay Nel, you know what to do."
They looked upon Gabriel's broken body. It was ever so slowly healing. "Let's hurry, love."
They spoke in unison. "Draconic Art: Godslayer." The world went deaf for only a moment. Then, a cacophony of sound erupted from the god and goddess. It was the sound of hundreds of dragons roaring. Spectral scales began forming around Ichigo and Nel; Ichigo, who was standing on the left, had orange scales forming, while Nel's were a deep jade.
The scales finished forming and there stood a single, solid dragon. Half orange and half jade, its scales shimmered like a mirage. There had never been a being so beautiful and terrible to exist on the earth. It stood before the broken soulsinger and opened its mouth. Before it even spoke, anyone within a mile radius could feel the hunger it radiated. With a timeless voice that sounded nothing like Ichigo's or Nel's, it spoke. "You look surprised, little angel! Surely you must have known it would be a dragon to kill you in the end... No? You didn't? Ah, what a shame. Despair, little angel. Know that none will cherish your memory after all the destruction you have caused. Now perish." With the final word, the dragon's eyes glowed a yellow-green. It once again opened its mouth and a spout of fire shot from it, engulfing Gabriel's body. His flesh was visibly disintegrating in the hellfire devouring it, and its distorted screams could only barely be heard over the crackling sound of burning flesh.
The scales of the dragon became translucent once more before dissolving like a hollow mask. Ichigo and Nel collapsed, and their friends ran straight to them. Yoruichi, being the fastest of the group, arrived first. She shook Ichigo lightly, and then harder when he didn't respond. Kenpachi, who got there second, gave Nel a little nudge with his foot. She groaned a moment later and sat up. She looked over to Ichigo and her eyes widened.
"Ichi? Ichi! Wake up!" She shouted, tears beginning to trickle down her face. Blood began trickling out of his ears and nose. "Oh no," she whispered.
"What? What's happening?" Yoruichi asked frantically.
"Ichigo's bankai makes him a god of his own personal space. He gains the power of omnipotence temporarily. Temporary or not, however, no mortal is supposed to wield that power. He knew too much. He controlled too much. His body and mind are starting to deteriorate. It's like using Mugetsu... except if we don't do something, he may very well... die." Nel choked on the last word.
"Well? What can we do?"
"Just being near our massive spiritual pressure should sustain his soul. His body and mind, however... he needs medical Kido... or better yet Orihime, to mend his dying body. His mind, however... that we can do nothing about. It will throw out all the knowledge it deems unnecessary until it is no longer over capacity. If it didn't, he'd go insane. The only problem is, we don't know what information his mind will throw out. It might throw out his name... his common sense... us—" Nel's voice caught on the last word and she sobbed.
Kenpachi went to fetch Unohana from the Seireitei while the others stayed by Ichigo. They had defeated a god, but Ichigo's battle was far from over. A few minutes later Unohana arrived and began healing him with a strained face.
Some time later, when Ichigo was stable, they went back to the Soul Society to lay him in the Squad 4 barracks. For almost twelve hours they waited for Ichigo to open his eyes, Yoruichi and Nel sitting next to his bed the entire time.
When he finally opened his eyes, a cheer went up from everyone there, even Kenpachi. Ichigo sat up looking startled. His eyes passed over every one of his friends before looking around. With no signs of recognition on his face he mumbled, "Where am I? And who are you guys?"
The room went silent. Then two sobbing women rushed from the room, and it was silent once more. It would stay that way for several minutes before Ichigo would ask where his mother was, as he wanted to be with her while she walked home in the rain.
And there you have it. The stunning and evil conclusion of 'A God in the Makings.' There may be a sequel in the future, but first I want to focus on a Tokyo Ghoul story that I have some ideas for. Anyway, I am terribly sorry for the wait – but college is a thing – and I would love to hear if you think I'm evil, did something – or everything – wrong, or did something right. Till next time, have a good day.