Can this be? Is it possible? An update after not even three weeks? CAN IT BE TRUE?
WHY YES IT IS 8D I managed to get this chapter written and beta-read in just over two weeks. And right after I left you with such an evil cliffhanger. Aren't I nice?
...Okay, that's debatable, but in all seriousness, the chapter's here and the wait is over. Thanks to Crystal Dawn and Star-chan for beta-reading this for me. Much appreciated. And thank you shout-outs go to DAWN94, oceanabyss, morbidly-funny, Racholasj, anthem2521, LivingSilver, pretense, Napris, Iceflame55, Rachel, juti, Blueangel, MrsMoshae, shadowanime1, , Aline, nypsy, ombre nocturne, himelove22, p17oyDONju9n, war90 and narutofan1111. You people rock. And thanks to all the alerts and favorites I got, too.
All right guys. This chapter gets a serious legitimate blood and gore warning. I'm not kidding. This is probably gonna make you squick a bit. So don't yell at me because you've been warned. Though I'm sure I'm going to get some "EWWWW OMGWTF THAT WAS SO NASTY" comments anyway. So without further ado, I give you Chapter 15.
Chapter 15
The darkest part of the universe
That roar chilled Orihime to the bone. She winced as the feral sound vibrated through the air, causing her to cover her ears and the Vasto Lorde to take a step back in trepidation. She should have moved away from him right there, with his attention diverted elsewhere. She should've moved when he first noticed Ichigo's spiking reiatsu and had caught sight of his new form. This new form had surprised him so much that he stopped mid-swing and thus spared Orihime from a deathblow.
She should move, she knew, but she couldn't force her limbs to work. Fear had her routed in one spot, and no amount of rationalizing would make her frozen limbs cooperate. All she could do was curl her fingers in anticipation.
The Hollow behind her took a step towards her, assumedly recovered from his surprise, and Orihime's eyes widened. She looked up towards Ichigo, still standing on the rooftop in the distance, and murmured, "Kurosaki-kun…"
She didn't even see him move. He was literally on the roof one second, and in the next, he was practically on top of her as he struck the Vasto Lorde with his open palm, knocking him back several yards. Orihime watched as the Vasto Lorde tumbled and skidded, just like Ichigo had only minutes earlier when he was being knocked around.
Suddenly, his shadow was cast over her from his looming form. Wary, though not afraid of him, Orihime craned her head back so she could see him. She couldn't see his eyes behind his mask, but she could feel him staring back.
Though his reiatsu was ridiculously high and his appearance rather intimidating, his presence was soothing. Regaining strength in her limbs, Orihime got to her feet and stood in front of Ichigo. She opened her mouth to say something, but quickly shut it when she noticed the blades that were still protruding from him. He looked rather odd, with the needle blades sticking out at random angles. It was morbidly humorous, though Orihime certainly didn't feel like laughing.
"Are you okay?" she murmured, wondering how much pain he was in.
A sharp roar from behind diverted the couple's attention from Ichigo's wounds. They simultaneously snapped their gazes towards the Vasto Lorde. His jaw was clenched in anger as he pointed an accusatory finger at Ichigo. "I can't figure out what that form is or how you're standing, but I guarantee that you will not be so lucky a second time."
Orihime gasped as he began to charge a Cero. Instinctively, she raised her hands to her hairpins, ready to throw up her shield to block the attack.
However, Ichigo had other plans. Just as the Cero fired, he swooped down and grabbed Orihime before flash-stepping out of the way. The Cero rocketed at them, but thanks to Ichigo's speed, they were far out of the way by the time it reached where they had been standing.
Her hands gripped the strong arm around her waist, hanging on for dear life as Ichigo got away from the Vasto Lorde. The back of Orihime's head slammed into Ichigo's chest when he skidded to a halt a fair distance away. Wincing from the contact, Orihime opened her eyes to find the Vasto Lorde charging at them at an incredible speed.
She wasn't sure what made her think it, but her next thought was, Zangetsu. She didn't even have time to question why she had thought it. In the same moment she thought it, Ichigo's free arm crossed in front of her, and in the distance Orihime could see Tensa Zangetsu soaring towards them.
Orihime winced, waiting for the Vasto Lorde's attack to come. Fortunately, Tensa Zangetsu made it to them in time, and Ichigo swung the moment he had his sword in hand, deflecting the Vasto Lorde's attack. His swing had also been powerful enough to cut through the Hollow's arm, sending blood spraying as the Vasto Lorde was knocked back. Orihime felt a few droplets land on her cheeks, though she was too terrified from the botched attack to make a move to wipe them off.
"Oi, dumbass!"
Orihime's eyes widened as she heard Shinji's voice ring out from across the distance. It was the first time since Ichigo transformed that any of the others had spoken.
"Yer holding Orihime-chan like that and attacking the Vasto Lorde at the same damn time? Are ya mad?" Shinji looked down right irritated as he frowned at Ichigo, though his posture was still stiff from shock.
Ishida clamped a hand over Shinji's mouth. "Quiet!" he hissed, his voice shaking slightly. "You do not want to draw his attention to us."
Despite Ishida's attempt, Ichigo looked over towards where they were standing. Orihime stiffened, gripping Ichigo's arm tighter in warning. "Don't, please," she murmured as she heard him growl.
One of the Arrancar near Grimmjow cursed out loud, and waved his sword in anger. "Who the hell do you think you are, attacking Lord Ehru like that?" he demanded in a deep voice.
"Ehwu…" Nel glanced over at the Vasto Lorde, who was just getting back on his feet from the last attack. "That's his name?"
The taller Arrancar aimed his sword at Ichigo. "Stay back, my lord! We'll dispatch this boy quickly for you." With a wave of his hand, he signaled to the two Arrancar flanking him and a few others directly behind him to charge at Ichigo.
Ichigo gently set Orihime down on her feet. For a brief moment, when he glanced down at her, Orihime felt a swell of emotions: pain, anger, confusion, and even guilt. As Ichigo turned towards the oncoming Arrancar, Orihime tried to make sense of what she had just felt. She had no reason to be angry. The confusion and even to some extent the guilt was understandable, but not the anger. And what pain? She hadn't even been injured.
No answer seemed plausible, not until she watched Ichigo pull one of the needle blades stuck in him and use it to strike down the tall Arrancar. It wasn't until then, when she felt a dim jolt of pain that it hit her what was happening. Orihime's eyes widened, though not because of the grisly manner in which Ichigo severed the Arrancar's throat, or how he had let him fall without so much as a glance back, but because of the realization that dawned on her.
Those emotions aren't mine. She clutched her hand to her chest as she tried to come to grips with this idea. She didn't understand how or why, but she had felt someone else's emotions. Most likely, Ichigo's.
A sharp yell pulled her from her thoughts. Her gaze came back into focus as she watched Ichigo dispatch the last of the Arrancar that had attacked him. Tensa Zangetsu tore through the Hollow's chest like it was butter. Ichigo turned towards the Vasto Lorde as the fifth Arrancar he had struck down fell to the streets below.
She understood the expressions of shock and horror her friends wore. Certainly she felt the same things, though she had already seen what Ichigo could do in this form, and had been more prepared for it than the others.
As she looked across the distance between her and her friends, her eyes met Ishida's gaze. She saw the same thing in him she felt herself: worry and a grim familiarity with what was taking place before them.
More of the Arrancar sped towards Ichigo, swords drawn in retribution for the attack against their respected superior. Something inside Orihime hinted that her friends were in danger, and before she could analyze this brief spark of intuition, she shouted, "Ishida-kun! Everyone, get out of the way!"
Ishida wasted no time in complying with her. He flash-stepped out of the way, and he signaled for the others around him to follow him. Seconds after they did, Ichigo fired a Cero in the direction of the fresh wave of Arrancar running towards him. The Cero wiped them out instantly, and had Ishida and the others still been standing where they were, they would have died as well.
Orihime heaved a sigh in relief, though she was left wondering just how she had known to warn them. Perhaps whatever it was that had made her privy to Ichigo's thoughts and feelings earlier. She knew she should be trying to figure out whatever "it" was, but her attention was constantly diverted to the battle every time she tried to think on it.
With ten Arrancar dead and Ichigo looking no worse for wear, the Vasto Lorde, Ehru, drew out another needle blade. "Very well," he said in disgust, "I'll have to handle you myself."
"Lord Ehru!" the female Arrancar that had blocked Urahara shouted, "The girl! She's his weakness! Did you not see how he protected her?" Before Ehru could respond, she flash-stepped towards Orihime. She grabbed her wrist and held her sword at Orihime's neck. "Not so tough now, are ya you jackass?" she snapped at Ichigo. "Make another move and her throat's slit!"
Ishida winced. "Bad idea."
The Quincy couldn't have been more correct. With astonishing speed, Ichigo pulled out the second blade that the Vasto Lorde had left lodged inside him and hurled it at the female Arrancar holding Orihime hostage. She didn't have time to react as the blade seared straight through her eye and into her brain.
Orihime grimaced as more blood splattered on her, dotting her arms and leaving specks in her hair.
"He's doing a good enough of a job keeping her safe," Riza commented, "but in terms of keeping her clean he's terrible." Despite her attempt at joking, her grip on Haguro Tonbo tightened.
"I don't think he's too concerned about hygiene at the moment," Love commented, his eyes never leaving Ichigo.
Speaking for the first time since Ichigo made his comeback, Hitsugaya quietly asked, "Anyone care to tell me what exactly is going on?" Though his voice was level, Hitsugaya was otherwise outwardly nervous. His free hand kept clenching and unclenching, and he kept staring at Ichigo alongside Love and most everyone else on his side of the battlefield.
Shinji turned towards the small captain, and glanced apologetically at him. "Can we explain later?" he asked with a sigh. "All ya need to know right now is that it's best to stay the hell out of his way or risk injury, according to Ishida."
"You mean to tell me he might attack us?" Hitsugaya asked, not able to hide the surprise in his voice.
"As long as we don't get in his way, he shouldn't," Ishida explained calmly. "I've seen him like this before."
Momo quietly walked up next to Hitsugaya. Her grip on Tobiume was tight, though her hand was trembling. "What…is…that? It's like he's a…"
Rangiku shook her head, cutting Momo off. "Worry about that later. What about Orihime?" she asked Ishida. "Will she be okay?"
"She'll be all right. To be honest, Inoue-san is the only one here who's safe." Ishida pushed his glasses back against his face, perhaps in some attempt to appear calm and collected. "He won't hurt her."
Rangiku nodded, her worries placated for now as she watched the Vasto Lorde walk over towards Ichigo, needle blade drawn. "He really does love her, doesn't he?" she murmured.
"That's one way of explainin' it," Shinji said. His eyes narrowed as Ehru got into a defensive stance just yards away from Ichigo. It was obvious his intent was to do battle. "Idiot. He struck down eleven Arrancar in just minutes and he thinks he can win?"
Tousen seemed to be of the same opinion as Shinji, for he said, "Ehru! Let us retreat! There's no telling what else Kurosaki Ichigo can do in this state."
"No!" Ehru made a dismissive gesture with his hand towards Tousen. "I defeated him and he rose back up. I will not allow it!" Finished arguing with Tousen, he lifted his other arm, and another needle blade was produced from it, identical to the one he had on his opposite arm. "I will come at you, Kurosaki, with everything I have. I expect no less from you!"
Seemingly impassive to Ehru's demands, Ichigo ignored him and instead turned towards Orihime. His voice was low at first, but eventually Orihime could hear what he was trying to say: "Shield…"
"My shield?" she asked, pointing to her hairpins.
"Shield… put your shield up." Ichigo raised his palm. Orihime's right hairpin flashed, and her Santen Kesshun was up in front of her.
Orihime blinked rapidly, her finger gently touching the hairpin her Rikka had emerged from. Her eyes darted to Ichigo, then to her shield, and then back at Ichigo. I didn't summon them. I was about to, but…
If there was one key difference between this battle and the one on the dome in Hueco Mundo weeks earlier, it was that this battle was turning out to be a lot weirder. Orihime's expression was absolutely baffled as she yet again glanced at her shield. "Um, did you-"
"That won't protect her from me."
Ichigo craned his head around, and growled menacingly at the Vasto Lorde. Orihime stood on her toes and cautiously peered over Ichigo's shoulder, waiting to see what Ehru would do next.
"I shattered her shield the last time," the Hollow said matter-of-factly. "I doubt I would have any difficulty destroying it a second time."
The air shook for a moment as Ichigo spiked his reiatsu. At first, Orihime had thought it was merely as a warning to the Vasto Lorde. Then, as she started tensing in anticipation, she suddenly felt overwhelmingly relaxed. It was a rather paradoxical feeling, perhaps because she knew she shouldn't feel relaxed. Her eyes unfocused as a familiar warmth began to spread through her.
Reihei. She remembered Ichigo had inadvertently used it on her back in the training grounds the day after Aizen fell. Her mind struggled to make sense of it, but she felt too relaxed and happy to really bother. What she did know was that this time around, he was using reihei knowingly.
She couldn't fathom why until she looked up and saw the surprise etched onto the Vasto Lorde's face. With his guard lowered for just a second, he was wide open. Ichigo must have known this and counted on it, because the moment the Hollow's eyes had widened, Ichigo had flash-stepped towards him and attacked.
Orihime gasped as the warmth vanished and she saw blood fly. Ichigo had managed to land a clean slice through Ehru's torso before the Vasto Lorde realized his mistake and got out of the way.
"Very clever," he spat as blood dripped from his wound. "Sending me a clear warning and distracting me all at once. You are a far cry from the boy I battled just earlier."
Ichigo's only response was another strike with his sword. Ehru parried it with one of his blades. Ichigo swung again, and the two went back and forth, exchanging blows and meeting each other's strikes.
Orihime watched with wide eyes as metal clanged and sparks flew. She nervously clasped her hands together as Ichigo narrowly dodged a blow that would have dislocated, if not dismembered his arm. "Kurosaki-kun," she murmured.
At one point, Ehru leapt back and quickly charged a Cero before firing it. Naturally, Ichigo prepared one of his own, lowering his head like a battering ram until Ehru let off his Cero. Then he fired his, unflinching as the Ceros collided and the shockwave fell over him.
His friends and the Arrancar they had been battling cursed in protest from the resulting explosion and the shockwave that followed. The remaining Arrancar got back as far as they could, while Hachi quickly put up a barrier in front of everyone, shielding them from the worst of the shockwave.
Orihime lifted her hands in front of her face, even though her Santen Kesshun provided ample enough protection. She glanced over to her right, and saw Grimmjow bent over slightly, trying to shield Nel and himself from the blast.
"Grimmjow! Nel-chan!" Orihime beckoned at them to come over.
In one swift sonido, Grimmjow was behind her. Nel sighed gratefully as she kept her head level with the Santen Kesshun, relieved to be out of the shockwave's path. "Thanks, Owahime."
"Are you two okay?" she asked.
Nel nodded. "Yeah! We're okay! Though, Itsygo…" Her eyes lifted and watched as Ichigo and Ehru resumed fighting, both of them unaffected by the blast. Her chubby fingers clutched Grimmjow's shirt tightly. "What's happening to him?"
"This must be what that damn clog-wearing creep told me about," Grimmjow muttered as he watched the battle as well. "The form that took down Ulquiorra."
"Don't even think about it!" Nel scolded. "There's no way yoo could win a fight against him! Look at him!" She pointed to Ichigo, just as he effortlessly stepped around Ehru's swing and slashed him from behind before Ehru even knew what had happened. "He's on par with a Vasto Worde! Yoo're still an Adjuchas! An Awancar, but an Adjuchas one!"
Surprised at the exchange, Orihime briefly glanced away from the fight to look at Grimmjow. "You were going to fight Kurosaki-kun like this?"
"Without even knowing what he was getting into!" Nel answered, waving her arms in anger. "Uwahawa promised him a fight with Itsygo at his best in exchange for information about what was going on in Hweco Mundo."
So, Grimmjow must have been the informant Urahara-san was referring to, the reason he found out about the Vasto Lorde in the first place. She imagined Grimmjow wanted a fight in order to redeem himself, and while she understood his desire, she also knew that desire would wind up getting him killed. "Please don't, Grimmjow. Not while he's like this."
There was a sharp roar of pain. Orihime's head spun around to find Ichigo sliding back from the Vasto Lorde, a fresh wound in his shoulder. It bled profusely, enough to worry Orihime. "Kurosaki-kun!"
Ehru was preparing to attack again when Ichigo rolled his injured shoulder, and grunted slightly when it began to heal on its own. In seconds, the wound was gone and the lost tissue regenerated.
"Instant regeneration?" Grimmjow said in disbelief. "You're shitting me."
"Yoo are not fighting him!" Nel smacked Grimmjow upside the head when he turned to argue with her. "No! Yoo'll die, yoo idiot! I know it was Uwahawa's pwomise, but just tell him yoo changed your mind and did the thpying pwo bono."
"I do not do shit pro bono!" he snarled back at her.
"YOO DO NOW!"
Orihime scratched the side of her head as the two butted their heads together. They snarled at each other (well, the one was snarling, the other one was trying to) and neither seemed willing to back down.
Their attention was diverted when another Cero was fired, this time aimed at them. Nel shrieked and ducked her head as Grimmjow made a grab for Pantera, ready to dispel the blast if he could.
The Cero was dissipated as Ichigo flash-stepped in front of them and destroyed the enormous blast with one swing of his sword. His eyes glowed and he emitted a dangerous sounding snarl from the back of his throat, not at all pleased with Ehru's choice of target.
"That was cwose," Nel murmured, still clutching Grimmjow's sleeve tightly as her body shook from residual fear.
To her surprise, Ichigo turned his head towards her and Grimmjow. Nel waved shakily back at him, while Grimmjow answered his stare with a scowl. "The hell you staring at you-"
The rest of his words were muffled as Nel clamped her tiny hands over his mouth. She laughed nervously. "Don't mind him, Itsygo. He was just wondering if he had something on his face."
Her fingers gripped his lips tighter as he struggled to speak, his brows furrowing further and further the harder she pulled. "Quiet!" she snapped at him.
A needle blade hurtled towards them, slicing through the air like a smooth sailing ship on water. It was aimed right at Orihime. Although her shield was up, Ichigo took no chances and immediately put himself in front of the blade. It soared straight into his arm, searing through muscle and bone and traveled about five inches out of his arm before stopping.
Orihime gasped, her eyes brimming with tears. She gulped, trying to force them back as she spoke with a shaky voice, "Kurosaki-kun… are you…"
Saying nothing, Ichigo grabbed the blade and yanked it out of his arm. Though the blade was burning the palm of his hand, this time he didn't seem to mind as he flipped the blade until the pointed end was facing away from him and hurled it like a javelin at Ehru.
The Vasto Lorde deflected it with his other blade. "Did you think that would work?"
In an instant, Ichigo's hand, already healed thanks to his regenerative powers, was in Ehru's face. He grabbed his mask, his nails digging into the bone as he picked Ehru up and hurled him at a building.
Ehru stumbled and crashed through the abandoned building, unable to gain his footing as he kept tripping into stray objects and furniture. He tumbled over a dusty couch and through a window. The glass shards nicked him, though he hardly paid mind as he struggled to control his reiatsu and regain his foothold in the air.
Just as he did, Ichigo appeared behind him. Ehru turned and swung his arm, but Ichigo caught him by his wrist. With the same heartless demeanor Ehru had shown him earlier, Ichigo snapped back his wrist until it cracked and broke.
Ehru growled in pain, and jabbed at Ichigo with his other arm. Ichigo simply shifted his head to the side, and the needle blade narrowly missed the side of his face. With Ehru's guard open, Ichigo lifted his foot and, after pulling Ehru towards him, planted his foot into Ehru's back and pushed down as hard as he could. He dug his heel into the small of Ehru's back while pulling back on his arm.
With a sickening snap, Ehru's arm was ripped out of its socket. Ignoring the Hollow's roar, Ichigo tossed the arm aside. He bent down and grabbed the Vasto Lorde by the back of his neck, making sure to dig his nails into the exposed skin.
In a last ditch attempt, Ehru brought his remaining arm around and sliced at Ichigo's midriff. Ichigo grabbed the blade, and with a hard jerk broke it in half, letting the piece he held join Ehru's detached arm.
He flung the Vasto Lorde into the air. When Ehru went airborne, Ichigo took Tensa Zangetsu and swung at Ehru's flailing legs. He cut them both off at the knees, unperturbed at the amount of blood that gushed out and spilled onto his tattered shinigami robes.
The force of the swing had been enough to knock Ehru further into the air, and taking advantage of the opportunity, Ichigo lowered his head once more and charged another Cero. Just as the Vasto Lorde began his descent back to the ground, the Cero was fired. It slammed straight into Ehru, sending him hurtling back and over the rooftop of the building he had gone through earlier.
Taking a moment to take a breather, Ichigo shook some of the blood off his arm before turning towards where the others were. In his current state, he didn't care about their well-being; he was only concerned with one other person's safety. He sensed Orihime's reiatsu, and when he felt that it was as high and stable as it should be, snorted in satisfaction. Traveling this far with her out of sight had made him uneasy.
Deciding break time was over, Ichigo jumped and soared over the top of the building. As he cleared the roof, his eyes scanned the area until he spotted the Vasto Lorde lying on top of a neighbor building. He seemed to be struggling to stand, although it was an exercise in futility, seeing as he had no legs.
Ichigo's patience, what little he ever had to begin with, had run out. His opponent had been stupid enough to not only try to kill him, but harm Orihime as well. That was unacceptable. It was one thing to do battle with him, but to pull the only other person he cared about in this state into the fray could only be answered with a painful and drawn out death.
Ichigo landed near where Ehru was. His steps were even as he walked over towards the bleeding, mangled mess that was the Vasto Lorde. He stamped his foot on the base of Ehru's neck, and held Tensa Zangetsu above him, the pointed end in line directly with Ehru's jugular.
Ehru clenched his fist. "You bastard… you were supposed to be an easy victory."
If Ichigo was his normal, slightly chattier self, he might have said, "Think again." Instead, he merely snorted before jabbing Zangetsu into his jugular. Ehru's throat gurgled as blood spurted out and spilled onto the rooftop. Ichigo slashed Zangetsu back and forth across his throat, making sure it was thoroughly severed. He waited until Ehru stopped moving and his reiatsu disappeared, unwilling to make his next move until he was thoroughly and undoubtedly dead.
When the Vasto Lorde didn't move for a full thirty seconds, Ichigo bent down and reached his hand into Ehru's severed throat. He moved his hand around until he felt Ehru's spine. Getting a good grip on it, he held onto it as he lifted Ehru's body up and turned his gaze towards Ichimaru and Tousen. He took a step towards the edge of the roof and flung Ehru at them.
Rukia nearly screamed as Renji pushed her out of the way, just before the flying carcass could hit them. Hiyori and a few of the other Vizards, along with Chad and Rangiku also had to leap back before they were met with a face full of dead Hollow.
Ichimaru and Tousen were barely able to step out of the way in time to avoid being hit. The surviving Arrancar watched in horror as their esteemed Vasto Lorde, who was supposed to have been the coup de grace to this entire invasion crashed lifelessly to the ground.
"He got him," Kensei murmured in disbelief.
From across the way, Orihime sighed in relief. Her eyes shifted to her right and grazed over Grimmjow's side. Suddenly, she caught sight of some blood specks along the edge of his jacket. Fearing he might have been injured, she instinctively reached her fingers out towards the blood. "You were hurt?"
Grimmjow carelessly swiped at her hand. "It's not mine," he said.
He hadn't meant it maliciously, or even to harm her. He had only batted her hand away in annoyance. Unfortunately, Ichigo happened to turn his head around right as Grimmjow smacked her hand away. For whatever reason, he took it not as a gesture of annoyance, but as an attack.
The former Espada lifted his eyes, and when they met Ichigo's gaze he realized his error. He only had time to grab Nel and shove her into Orihime's chest before Ichigo crossed the distance separating them and attacked him.
Nel screamed as she and Orihime were knocked back. As Orihime struggled to keep her balance, Nel watched in horror as blood was spilled from Grimmjow, who had failed to dodge a swipe to his chest. "Gwimmjow!" she screeched.
"Kurosaki-kun, no!" Orihime yelled, but Ichigo wasn't listening.
Grimmjow cursed vehemently as he drew out Pantera. His eyes narrowed as he closely watched Ichigo, anticipating his next move. In a flash, Ichigo was behind him, and Grimmjow only barely managed to parry his strike. He met his next couple of swings, waiting for an opening to emerge.
Suddenly, Ichigo disappeared before him, and just as Grimmjow even registered he was gone, he felt a searing pain in his back. He flash-stepped away from Ichigo until there was a fair distance between them. His hand reached around, and he growled when he felt blood.
If he fought Ichigo like this, he would be defeated quickly. Left with little choice, Grimmjow ran his fingers along his blade and said, "Grind, Pantera!"
He transformed into his Resurreccion form and as soon as it was complete, charged at Ichigo, claws swiping. Ichigo deftly stepped around most of his attacks, although one of his blows connected with his mask, sending a small piece flying off.
Unfortunately, it was the most Grimmjow would be able to do to him. Ichigo managed to grab hold of his tail and started yanking back on it. Grimmjow lifted his feet and kicked off of Ichigo's chest. The blow had been enough to knock Ichigo back and force him to release Grimmjow's tail.
The Arrancar gracefully landed on his feet. He twitched his tail once or twice, making sure it was okay before he made his next move. Knowing his options were limited, Grimmjow pulled back his hands, and began charging a Gran Rey Cero. He knew a regular Cero wouldn't cut it.
Just as the energy was finished forming in his hands, Ichigo crossed the space between them in one sonido. He shot his free hand out and with it grabbed the charging Cero. He pushed against it, the force of his hand dissipating the energy.
Oh fuck no. Grimmjow's eyes widened as his Cero was destroyed in Ichigo's hand. In an instant, Ichigo swung Zangetsu and the blade tore through Grimmjow, sending him to his knees.
Orihime clamped a hand over her mouth, dreading what was to come next as Nel began to cry. "Gwimmjow! Itsygo, NO!" she screamed, reaching a tiny hand out towards the two.
Ichigo drew his sword back, and as Grimmjow fell and stumbled back, swung it to deliver the final blow.
To his surprise, his sword was met with another's. Shinji stepped in between him and Grimmjow, and deflected the death blow just before it could be delivered. Taking advantage of Ichigo's open guard, he knocked the flat of his palm against Ichigo's chest and pushed him back.
"Orihime-chan!" he called out to her, his voice slightly Hollowified as he spoke with his mask on. "Heal him up! We'll handle Ichigo."
She shook her head. "B – But, he's-"
"We'll be all right." Shinji spun Sakanade in his hand as the other Vizards formed a loose circle around Ichigo, all of them donning their masks. "We might not be in training, but this might be the only chance we'll get."
Though she wanted to protest, Orihime knew that Shinji would refuse to pass up this opportunity. Despite her better judgment, she nodded and ran over towards where Grimmjow was with Nel in tow.
As she hurried over to heal him, Shinji carefully regarded Ichigo. Slowly he began walking towards Ichigo, his grip on Sakanade tight. Suddenly he paused, and threw a glance over towards Ishida. "Ya might wanna get everyone back."
Ishida's brow was furrowed at Shinji, obviously disapproving of his actions. However, like Orihime, he decided not to argue with him and nodded. "Right. Everyone," He looked at his friends, and then at the shinigami. "It's not safe here. Let's move back."
Hitsugaya turned around, and then his body stiffened. "Where are…" His icy blue eyes scanned the area, and when he saw Tousen and Ichimaru escaping through a Garganta, cursed. "Don't you dare run away!" he hollered at them, and reached for his sword.
"There's nothing we can do!" Rangiku stepped in front of him, blocking any charge he would initiate against the traitors. "They'll be gone by the time you get there. Besides, taichou, we have a bigger problem." She nodded towards Ichigo, who was growing increasingly agitated by the minute.
Clenching his fist, Hitsugaya nodded hesitantly as Tousen and Ichimaru, along with the rest of the Arrancar, disappeared into the Garganta. He turned to Ishida and asked, "Are you sure there's nothing we can do?"
"No, trust me. It's best if we all just stand back and stay out of the way." Ishida recalled when he had tried to stop Ichigo, and the price he paid for it. Shaking his head to dispel the memory, he herded everyone with his arms back away from the Vizards and Ichigo.
Once they were a safe distance away, Shinji turned his attention back to Ichigo. Though seemingly unperturbed by his threatening demeanor, Shinji was obviously playing it safe: he stayed far away from Ichigo, unwilling to get too close to him.
"Well well, what do we have here?" He tilted his head to the side and lifted up his mask. His gold and black eyes narrowed curiously at Ichigo. "Of course, that's the big question, isn't it? Yer a Hollow, obviously." With his mask still up, he began circling around Ichigo. "Or something like one. Yer strong, too. But what are ya?"
To Shinji's annoyance, Ichigo didn't answer him, though the Vizard knew he was capable of speech. Instead, the teenager merely stared back at him, possibly GLARING back at him. With his eyes hidden beneath his mask, it was impossible to tell.
"Now there are a couple theories, if you wanna call 'em that. Love over there thinks yer some kind of Jedi..."
"IT WAS A JOKE!" Love said, throwing his arms up in the air in exasperation. "Come on! You didn't see how he summoned his sword and think 'Just like a Jedi'?"
Shinji rolled his eyes, and blatantly refused to answer his question. "Whatever. Jedi or Hollow, I'm not sure what ya are, exactly. But..." As he began walking behind Ichigo's back, he stopped in his tracks, and smirked widely. "What I do know is yer pissed off."
When Ichigo snarled at him, Shinji couldn't help but chuckle. "At least I'm right about one thing. Now..." He twirled Sakanade and pointed the blade at Ichigo. "I wish this was happenin' in our warehouse instead of outside, but while we're here, might as well see what yer made of. Eh, Ichigo?"
Just as he grinned, Ichigo flash-stepped towards him. Shinji grunted as Sakanade met Zangetsu. He pushed back against Ichigo's blade, but Ichigo in this form proved to be a lot stronger. Despite Shinji's attempts, he found himself being pushed back.
Kensei charged at Ichigo from his left, jabbing the small zanpakutou at Ichigo's side in an attempt to get him to back off of Shinji. Ichigo swung at him, but Kensei easily dodged and aimed a kick at his backside. Surrounded, Ichigo quickly used sonido and got away from the two Vizards.
He reappeared behind Shinji, and began charging a Cero. Hiyori and Riza immediately came at him from behind as the smaller Vizard jumped on his back and grabbed his right horn. She yanked back as the Cero fired, and it harmlessly shot into the sky above them.
Now in a tight corner, Ichigo roared in rage as he flung Hiyori off of his back. He used another sonido to put even more distance between him and his opponents. He began lowering his head, seemingly ready to try to fire another Cero.
Taking the bait, Love ran at him, drawing his sword back as he began to call out its shikai. However, Ichigo brought his sword and aimed a Getsuga Tenshou at him. Love wasn't able to get out of the way in time; he was forced to bring his sword in front of him and bear the blow. As the Tenshou hit, he was sent flying back, pieces of his mask breaking off as he went.
"Love!" Riza called out to him. Instinctively, she began running over towards him when he didn't answer her. Ichigo appeared in front of her, swinging Zangetsu down vertically. Riza held Haguro Tonbo above her. Though it blocked the sword strike, the force behind it was enough to bring her to one knee.
Shinji fired a Cero from the side, breaking the two of them apart. Not waiting until Ichigo had recovered from the blast, Shinji sped towards him and clashed his sword against Ichigo's. "Damn it, Ichigo," he said through gritted teeth. "What the hell are ya? What's goin' on?"
He was only answered with a palm to his chest. Shinji let out an "oof!" as he tumbled back. He quickly regained his footing, knowing better than to let himself keep tumbling around while battling Ichigo like this. He pulled his mask back down, ready to go all out. "Tch, fine. I'll force the damn answer outta ya!"
"Fall!" He pointed his sword's tip to the ground as he held it in the air at his side. "Sakanade!"
Meanwhile, Orihime had finally made it over to where Grimmjow had unceremoniously landed. She jumped down from her perch in the air and winced as her feet slammed onto the rooftop. The moment she landed, Nel leapt out of her arms and raced over towards Grimmjow. Orihime ran after her, calling out the Soten Kisshun. The healing shield formed over Grimmjow and covered him in its golden glow.
"Gwimmjow!" Nel skidded to a halt beside the shield. She pressed her hands against it as she peered at her fallen comrade. "Gwimmjow!"
He stirred, opening one eye slowly as he reverted back to his regular form. "Nel..."
"Oh thank goodness!" Though she knew Grimmjow hated it, tears began to well up in the corner of her eyes. "I was tho worried..."
"Stop crying," Grimmjow muttered. He didn't have the energy to yell at her. "You cry over every damn thing."
"Becauth yoo got hurt!" Nel sniffled, trying to fight back her tears. She didn't look up as Orihime knelt next to her, though she was grateful to the healer. "Yoo always get hurt and Nel always worries!"
Grimmjow remained quiet for a few minutes, his brow furrowed quizzically at the little Arrancar as Orihime continued to heal him. Nel saw him clench his fist once or twice: a sign that he was struggling with something. It wasn't often Grimmjow was at a loss for words, but he seemed to be right now.
"Why?" he finally asked.
Nel blinked rapidly. What did he mean "why?" She wiped away a few stray tears with her hand. "Huh?"
"Dumbass, I asked you why. Why do you always worry?"
Taken aback by his question, Nel scratched the side of her head. "Why wouldn't I? Yoo're my fwiend. Yoo pwotected us, even though yoo didn't have to." She sighed sadly, leaning her head against the side of Soten Kisshun. "What would Dondochakka, Pesshe and I do without yoo?"
Grimmjow's eyes darted away from her. His usual frown was in place, though it was a little softer than normal. "Were you injured?" he asked.
She shook her head.
He nodded before closing his eyes and allowing himself to rest.
Nel gave him a smile, knowing he wouldn't see it. He was always like that, she mused quietly, unwilling to show or be shown affection. He seemed to detest it, and yet he still had this side of him that cared.
She heard Orihime exhale loudly, and turned around to look up at her. Nel's heart squeezed when she saw Orihime's pained expression. In some attempt to comfort her, Nel reached over and placed a hand on her arm. "Owahime..."
"I don't know what to do," Orihime whispered.
"Do?" Nel asked.
"About Kurosaki-kun. I should stop him, but Shinji-kun..." The battle behind them was still raging on, with Ichigo becoming angrier as the Vizards continued to strike at him repeatedly from all sides. Orihime clutched her pants tightly in her hands. "I'm so afraid something bad will happen. He's getting more out of control. I can feel it."
"Yoo should do what yoor gut tells you." Nel didn't understand what was happening or why, but she did believe in Orihime. At the very least, she knew that intuition was there for a reason, and was not meant to be ignored. "It's scary, but yoo need to do what's right."
"But what if what's right and what my gut tells me are different? I just want to help Kurosaki-kun, but at the same time-"
A splash of dark crimson caught her eye. She and Nel turned around in time to see Ichigo run his sword through Rose's shoulder.
Sakanade's ability hadn't fooled Ichigo for very long. In a darkly comedic way, this form of Ichigo's was smarter than regular Ichigo, Shinji noted. He might have laughed at the realization, had he not also been trying to dodge Ichigo's lightning quick strikes all the while.
Just as Shinji had found an opening, Ichigo darted away from him before he could seize the chance. Not having even seen him move right away, Shinji blinked in surprise as Sakanade tore through empty air.
Rose sensed Ichigo coming at him from his side. He lashed Kinshara in the opposite direction of Ichigo as quickly as he could. The whip managed to land a blow to his collarbone before Ichigo could dodge. In retaliation, Ichigo jabbed Zangetsu behind him, and in turn struck Rose in the shoulder. Before Rose could even react, Ichigo charged towards him and swung again, cutting his back due to Sakanade's ability.
As Ichigo prepared another strike which Shinji suspected would be a death blow, he quickly dispelled Sakanade's ability. He lunged at Ichigo when the young Vizard swung backward, having expected to tear into Rose's back again. Shinji took advantage of Ichigo's momentary confusion and fired a Cero at him.
Ichigo destroyed the blast with Zangetsu, though the force had knocked him back. Shinji gestured for Mashiro to take Rose away from the fighting before going after Ichigo. From the corner of his eye, he saw Hiyori hurry around Ichigo's back, ready to strike from the back if necessary.
"Sorry about throwing ya off back there, but I couldn't have ya killin' Rose." Shinji purposely pointed his sword at Ichigo, hoping it would antagonize him into attacking him instead of going after one of the others. Love and Rose were already out for the count, with Mashiro and Riza attending to them; Shinji wasn't going to risk having more fighters injured. Ichigo was faring well with so many people against him, which came as no surprise to Shinji though he had hoped it would give them a greater advantage.
"I know you can talk." Shinji aimed a frown at Ichigo. "I can't help ya if ya don't tell me what's goin' on. What's happenin' inside yer head?"
Just like before, Ichigo refused to answer (or maybe couldn't, which was something Shinji failed to consider). He widened his battle stance, and simply waited for Shinji to strike.
"Tell me."
More silence. Ichigo rotated Zangetsu in his hand, seemingly growing impatient with Shinji.
"DAMN IT, ICHIGO, WHAT'S GOING ON?" Shinji hollered at the top of his lungs. He didn't know what else to do or say. It seemed impossible to reason with Ichigo like this, but what else could he do? How could he get answers for them when the one who had them wasn't talking?
Ichigo's reiatsu spiked as he unleashed an ear-splitting roar. Shinji covered his ears, ignoring the chills that were going down his spine. He refused to be afraid, even though his instinct told him that he should be.
The very air vibrated as Ichigo's reiatsu climbed. All around him, Shinji could see his friends struggle to stand and not buckle under the pressure. He was struggling as well. He gritted his teeth, and with shaky legs straightened his back. "That's not gonna work!" he yelled at Ichigo. "Throw a temper tantrum all ya want! I ain't givin' up! Hell, if I didn't give a shit I woulda stopped ages ago. I ain't givin' up on ya, whether you goddamn like it or not!"
Even though he had been staring straight at Ichigo, Shinji didn't even see the attack coming. Ichigo had moved so fast, it was a wonder he even had time to register that he had moved at all. All Shinji knew was that one second Ichigo was yards away from him and the next he had Zangetsu shoved into his gut.
Dropping Sakanade, Shinji coughed up blood as Zangetsu was rammed deeper into him. Shinji grabbed the sword, and with all the strength he could summon from his cracking mask pushed back. Surprisingly, he was able to shove Ichigo far back enough to pull Zangetsu out of him.
"Shinji!" Kensei yelled.
Panting heavily, Shinji waved a hand at Kensei dismissively. "Stay back!"
As the last vestiges of his mask disappeared, Shinji quickly scanned the area around him, looking for Sakanade. He kept backing away from Ichigo, though he knew it would do little good. He didn't even have the energy to shunpo. Between the blood loss, the injuries he had sustained during the whole invasion and the enormous pressure of Ichigo's reiatsu weighing on him, he barely had the strength to walk.
Ichigo must have been aware of this, for instead of launching a barrage of sword strikes or the like, he lowered his head and prepared to fire a Cero.
Hiyori leapt an incredible distance, powered by her Hollow powers and desperation. She lifted Kubikiri Orochi above her, and with as much force she could muster, brought it down on Ichigo. As planned, Ichigo was forced to abandon his Cero and instead bring his sword above him to block the blow. As Kubikiri Orochi rammed against Zangetsu, Hiyori flipped over Ichigo and landed in front of him. She quickly spun around and backpedaled, keeping her eyes trained on Ichigo.
"Hiyori..." Shinji coughed up more blood as he murmured her name.
"You idiot," she snapped at him. "I can't believe you took a blow like that." Her words were harsh, but her tone was softer than normal as she pulled up her Hollow mask. She inhaled sharply. "Listen baldy," she said to Ichigo. "You wanna finish him? You gotta get by me first. And I'm a hell of a lot meaner than Shinji."
"Who the hell are ya callin' nice?" Shinji snapped.
"Oh shut the hell up. You're in no position to be talking." Hiyori pulled her mask back down, and gestured at Ichigo. "You wanna keep rampaging, then fine. But you're taking it out on me. Got it?"
Although he was fast, Hiyori was able to see him flying at her. She got into a defensive stance and brought Kubikiri Orochi up to block his swings.
"Shinji-kun," Orihime quickly got to her feet as she saw Shinji fall and Hiyori come to his defense. "Hiyori-chan…"
Enough was enough. Orihime's hands balled into determined fists. I have to do something. I can't let this go on anymore. But what should I do? He wouldn't even listen to me earlier, and now Kurosaki-kun is so enraged…
Suddenly, her hairpins glowed. Her eyes widened as her Shun Shun Rikka came out and flew in front of her. She saw Tsubaki gesture at the Soten Kisshun. With Grimmjow almost completely healed, Shun-o and Ayame seemed fine with dissipating the shield and joining their comrades.
"Wh – What are you doing?" Orihime asked them.
Lily glanced over her shoulder at the heated battle between Ichigo and the Vizards. "We're here to help," she said, "both you and Ichigo."
"Something's gone wrong inside of him," Shun-o explained as she frowned in consternation. "You felt it earlier, that he was getting out of control. There seems to be a balance within him that governs this form. It's been thrown off."
Orihime could only think of one reason that his balance would be off. "Is it Shirosaki-kun?"
"Bingo." Tsubaki jerked a thumb at Ichigo, who was relentlessly striking at Hiyori. "That's more his Hollow acting now. Therefore, we need to act quickly. If this keeps up, everyone's gonna find themselves at the bad end of Zangetsu."
"What do I do?" Orihime asked.
"With his balance off, the method you used last time won't work." Hinagiku rubbed the Hollow mask brand on his chest. "He somehow managed to call up the Santen Kesshun. It felt like it had been your will, but it wasn't until we materialized the shield that we realized it hadn't been you."
"We're sorry about that," Lily said with an apologetic smile. "But then we also realized that if he can use your powers a bit, then maybe we can do the same to him."
"We can?" Orihime blinked. "H – How? And why?"
"We don't know the why," Shun-o said with a sigh. "And the how isn't all that clear either. It has something to do with willpower. So we're thinking if you throw all of your willpower into us and into wanting to stop this form, Ichigo will revert back."
"It's all we have," Baigon added with a shrug.
It was definitely a gamble, but Orihime knew it wasn't a matter of choice. After all, if you gambled big, you won big. Setting aside her doubts, Orihime nodded. "All right. How should I go about it?"
"Similar as to how you call us out. Focus your willpower into us. But instead of willing us to reject, will us into reverting Ichigo back to normal." Shun-o gently lowered herself until she was eye to eye with Orihime. "Send us to break his mask. If he can affect us, your power, then you should be able to affect his. It would partially explain why you were able to stop him on the dome simply by asking."
"Woman, listen to me." Tsubaki shoved Shun-o out of the way, ignoring her protests as he shoved his little face into Orihime's. "You need to will this more than when I rejected the Hougyoku. As far as you're concerned, the damn universe depends on us stopping him. Got it?"
Orihime nodded vigorously. "Y – Yes sir!"
"Good." Tsubaki flew back and motioned to the others. "Let's do this." He tilted his head up, and narrowed his eyes at Ichigo. "All right you bastard. Two can play this game."
Taking a calming breath, Orihime closed her eyes. She held her hands out in front of her. "Shun-o, Ayame, Tsubaki, Hinagiku, Baigon, Lily…" She figured that saying their names out loud would help her concentrate her energy, just like she needed to back when she first got her powers.
She cleared her mind of all other lingering thoughts and insecurities until there was no other thought but to stop Ichigo. "Everyone…" I want this more than anything. I want this more than anything. Everyone's counting on me to stop him. Everyone will die if I don't stop him. I want this more than anything.
She willed herself to want it more than she wanted to hang out with her friends and get good grades. More than becoming a robot with a max speed of 380km/h with destructo-beam eyes and flames of up to 20,000 Celsius spewing from her mouth (as unlikely as that was ever to happen). More than graduating high school. More than becoming an astronaut or a baker or a teacher. More than-
No. Not more than, but just as much as she loved Ichigo. She was willing for this to happen as much as she loved him because she loved him.
"Everyone, go!"
The fairies took off: six round, golden bright lights that sped at Ichigo. Orihime kept repeating her mantra of I want this more than anything over and over in her head to keep her will, and thus the Shun Shun Rikka strong.
Ichigo had brought Hiyori to her knees, though she wasn't nearly as injured as Shinji. She was struggling to get back on her feet in time for the next blow when the Rikka blew past her and grabbed Ichigo's mask.
He howled in protest as they pulled him back. Tsubaki gritted his teeth, the brand on his face glowing as he tugged on hard as he could on Ichigo's mask. "Woman! More power!"
Unsure of how else she could muster up more will, Orihime reached deep down inside of her, looking for any hidden reserve of strength she might have left. Stop, Kurosaki-kun. Please just stop. No more.
As she reached down deeper, shifting through her thoughts and emotions to find the strength she needed, she suddenly felt something that was… off. Not quite right. Out of place. It took her a moment to sift through her own emotions to get to it, but when she reached it, she realized that it was foreign.
It was like before, when she felt the guilt and anguish that didn't belong to her. Kurosaki-kun?
The emotions fluctuated and shifted to surprise. It is you… I think.
Not sure what to make of it, but sure that it would help, she reached into those emotions and screamed as loudly as she could, "STOP, KUROSAKI-KUN!"
Tensa Zangetsu fell from Ichigo's hand as the Shun Shun Rikka finally broke apart his mask. Ichigo's black and gold eyes widened briefly before they rolled into the back of his head. The wind gently lifted up his long hair as Ichigo fell forward.
Orihime sprinted towards him, calling on Hinagiku, Baigon and Lily to form Santen Kesshun. The three fairies swooped past Ichigo and constructed the shield below him, just in time to catch him. Orihime skidded to a halt next to him, lifting up his head as she shook him gently. "Kurosaki-kun!"
His Hollow hole closed up, and his appearance dissolved, leaving behind his regular human form. Orihime's fingers tightly clutched Ichigo as she suddenly felt empty inside, like something had left her. With the battle over and the adrenaline dying down, Orihime let out a sob, the only sound to fill the otherwise still and silent air.
A/N: Now excuse me while I run away from the angry Grimmjow and Shinji fans *flees*