Chapter 9 of the extended edition of Hell on Earth. Enjoy and remember to review, come one you've read this far.
9: Ritual
Ichigo and Rukia stared into each other's eyes. Ichigo shuddered and a crimson trail slid down the corner of his mouth and slid down his chin. His lips parted and more blood dribbled out.
"Rukia...I'm so sorry...Sorry I couldn't protect you."
Rukia smiled weakly and extended a hand. She gently stroked Ichigo's face, wiping away the bloody trail that seeped down his chin.
"Don't be sad. Every day I was with you was like a dream. I guess you already know this, but what the hell...I love you."
Even when he was expecting them, they still came as a shock when he heard it. He stroked her cheek and whispered her name soothingly, a simple attempt to comfort her after noticing the distress she was suffering.
Ichigo could feel Rukia's legs give way and he used his free hand to support her. His other hand was pinned to her back by the sword that ran straight through them. The pain was overshadowed by the joy Ichigo felt over this moment. Although he never expected to be run through with a sword, he had been dreaming of this day since the day he set eyes on the unusual shinigami girl.
He struggled to hold her up as the strain brought him to his knees. Together, they fell, both apologising feebly for their weaknesses. It brought a thin smile to their faces but the expressions were interrupted by sudden bursts of pain.
The bittersweet moment turned just plain bitter when a sickening rasp drifted over and assaulted their hearing.
"Wow, just like a movie! Ha! Thanks for the blood, that was the final ingredient."
Ichigo leaned to one side and gazed into the eyes of his tormentor, perplexed. Suddenly, nothing made sense to him anymore. He could barely remember what had just happened.
Shrieker licked his lips. "After the sufficient number of souls are harvested, virgin's blood must be spilled for the final stage of revival."
"Revival?" Ichigo repeated uncertainly but Shrieker was more engrossed in the trail of blood that ran from the two wounded lovers.
As the blood seeped down from them it ran in a thin trail over to Shrieker where it fanned out in a circle around him. As more blood drained form them a pentagram was formed by a mysterious unseen force.
"What's happening?" Ichigo demanded, his voice cracking.
Shrieker ignored him and commenced reciting something in a foreign tongue. Ichigo continued to ask questions but it fell on deaf ears. The ritual had begun and there was no way to stop it now.
Ichigo prepared to yell again but his words caught in his throat when an unbearable scream came from nowhere. The sound was so awful it gave Ichigo a headache and forced him to tears.
The sky turned from vibrant blue to dark crimson and black clouds swirled around in the bleeding heavens. The clouds began to converge in the shape of a pentagram.
Ichigo was so struck with awe he failed to notice Orihime approach him. When he glanced at her he saw the fear in her eyes and his urge to fight grew stronger, but he was incapable of fighting with the sword still impaling him.
Orihime forced a brave smile. "Don't worry; I'll heal you so you can stop him."
She reached out for the swords handle but a bolt of electricity struck her. She yelped and withdrew her hand. She waited a moment before trying again, only to achieve the same electric shock. She backed away and frowned.
"Orihime hurry!" Ichigo rasped, his life fading away with every wasted second.
Orihime stared at the sword, then to Ichigo and then to her hands. "I-I-I cant!"
Ichigo made no response. His eyes drifted half shut and his head swayed to one side. Time was running out. Not only was Ichigo about to die, but Shrieker's sinister ritual was still going unopposed.
There was no time to waste. Inoue struggled to compose herself under the pressure. Fear and doubt were sinking in but she refused to be defeated so easily. She had to try again. She had to rescue Ichigo. Even if he did not love her back, she could not stand by and watch him die.
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she cracked her fingers and studied the handle. She stared at it silently for a moment and then took a firm hold of it. The electric jolts ensued but she did not let go. She gritted her teeth and tried to pry the blade free, ignoring the bolts of energy which seared her flesh.
She tugged on the blade, drawing upon all of her strength to pull it free, but the sword was barely moving. The pain was excruciating and she lost control of herself when her muscle tissue began to melt under the heat. She let out a blood-curdling scream. Tears streamed from her eyes and landed on her hands, only to sizzle and become steam that rose above her melted flesh.
The skin had worn away and the decaying muscle tissue was in plain sight. Orihime groaned and focused her attention on the sword. It had only moved slightly when patches of white appeared on her burning knuckles.
"AAAAAAAGH!"
The intense heat incinerated the muscle fibres until only bone remained. Her bleached white knuckles were getting singed to a black crisp and the sword was only half out.
Unable to compose herself any longer Orihime shrieked as a sickening 'crack' caused her to look down at the mangled hands that still gripped the sword. Three fingers had snapped off and she had to re-apply her grip with her grey, skeletal, ash-coated hands. The blade was only a third of the way in now.
The ordeal was nearly over. Orihime tried to take a deep breath but her erratic heartbeat was causing her to pant heavily. She closed her eyes and drew upon the last of her strength for one final pull. With all of her might she wrenched the sword free and threw it to the ground where it made a loud clanking noise.
A red shadow fell across the region. Orihime instantly summoned Shuno and Ayame to work on Ichigo. While they worked she stared mournfully at the blackened stumps at the end of her arms. Smoke still rose from them as well as the pile of powdered bone and scraps of tattered flesh that lies near her feet.
Shrieker broke into a fit of hysterical laughter, his hands reaching for the sky. A murderous gleam is in his eyes and his manic smile is ever present on his bony face.
"IT'S TIME!"
CAPTAINS MEETING- SEREITEI
A withered old man stood at the head of the assembled group of warriors. Five on each side lined up either side of him. They eyed him with curiosity and anxiety. The old man's eyes were only thin slits but they still betrayed the fear that was rampant within his mind.
He slammed his cane down on the boarded floor to grab their attention, though he had it all along. As the leader of Soul Society he was in a position of high authority and none dared to anger him.
"The substitute shinigami Kurosaki Ichigo, Kuchiki Rukia, fourth squad captain Retsu Unohana and sixth squad assistant captain Abarai Renji have failed to stop the forces of hell. Their failure shall cause a battle we have never thought possible. We have no choice but to send a sufficient army to dispatch everything that enters the World of the Living."
His slits opened enough for his tired old eyes to be seen.
"I am sending all captain class officers to the real world to stop this menace before it can cause any considerable damage. As we already know, too many people have died so far and to maintain balance we must avoid any more severe casualties."
Once again, he slammed the cane down.
"The fate of both worlds is in your hands now. Do not fail me."
The warriors all bowed and prepared to leave but the old man gave them some more parting words.
"Good luck...You will need it."
The captains nodded and disappeared, leaving the ancient captain commander alone with his lieutenant. They stared at each other wordlessly and then turned to the setting sun that was visible from the balcony.
"For our sake as well as theirs I hope they survive..."
Ichigo was fully healed as well as Rukia. Both brave warriors stood their ground as the ground began to shake. The tremors did not affect them and they remained frozen in place, clenching their swords in shaking hands.
They knew they were in for a fight for their lives. They gazed at each other and whispered soothing speeches to each other but it meant nothing when the gates of hell appeared. The great gates stood taller than any building and were held shut by two skeletal guards. Their eyes glowed red and the gates creaked open...
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