Chapter 18: Living Nightmare part 1
"Ichigo just kiss me will you." Rukia said with a smile on her face.
Ichigo leaned closer to Rukia, his hands placed gently on her face and hers on his as Ichigo pressed his lips against hers softly for the first time.
Renji looked over through the crowd and saw the two standing there, close together kissing each other, and couldn't help but smile.
"There you go Ichigo…. Wait what am I saying, since when did Ichigo become this comfortable around women?" Renji said.
"Since when did Ichigo become what?" Captain Hitsugaya asked.
He looked over to where Renji was looking and saw Rukia and Ichigo in an embrace.
He went bug eyed at the sight, "Holy, since when?" Hitsugaya stammered.
Byakuya approached the two whose jaws were hitting the ground and looked as well sipping tea, he took one look and literally spat his tea clean out.
Ichigo continued to kiss Rukia for a moment more, he pulled away and put his forehead against hers.
Her lips taste like Strawberries… Ichigo thought.
Rukia kept her eyes closed and just smiled as she pressed herself against Ichigo.
Exactly how I pictured everything to be….. Rukia thought.
Everything up till now paled in comparison, I've never felt so alive in my life, never so warm, so happy…. I truly am In love with him….. everything about him, its just right.
Thank you Ichigo, you melted away all the ice in my heart…..
"Hey Ichigo!" Renji shouted rushing over to the two.
Ichigo and Rukia looked at Renji as he approached the two, Rukia smiled and buried her head into his Haori.
"Wow Rukia I have never seen you like this, what got into you?" Ichigo asked.
"You know, I don't know, but I don't really care, I'm absolutely in love with you Ichigo." Rukia said.
"Thank you Rukia, that means a lot to me, I love you so much Rukia." Ichigo said with a smile.
Renji finally got to them, "Hey guys, hows the party?"
Ichigo laughed as Rukia cocked an eyebrow, "Party?"
"Oh Right the party we need to get back to it Ichigo, everyone would probably look for us, they need to see how different you are." Rukia said to her orange haired boyfriend.
"Speaking of different…." Renji said touching Ichigo's sword, "How the hell did you do this?"
"Do what Renji?" Ichigo asked.
"I know this look, this is your Bankai, why are you here in your Bankai state, even though it looks a lot different from your normal Bankai from what I remember." Renji said.
"I'm stuck like this Renji." Ichigo said.
"Stuck like this?" Renji questioned.
"Yeah I am stuck in my Bankai, no way out no way back, you like it?" Ichigo said turning around arms spread out.
"Wow I'm impressed Ichigo, you love to defy the impossible do you?" Renji said. "If I remember from history, there have been a few in your case where they permanently achieved Bankai, but they all were killed by their own tremendous power let loose. I can see that now, I think that since your power is compressed and condensed into Tensa Zangetsu here, your power is completely stable, am I right." Renji explained.
"Rukia…." Ichigo said looking over to her.
"Yes Strawberry?" Rukia replied.
"When the fuck did Renji become so smart?" Ichigo said, dodging a punch Renji threw at him.
"I still see your still an Ass Ichigo!" Renji spat. "But I am still impressed by your speed."
"wanna really find out Renji?" Ichigo said as he drew out Tensa Zangetsu, Renji sat in awe as the chain wrapped up Ichigo's arm.
"Ok, that's really bad ass, any new tricks too Ichigo?" Renji said.
"I have one….." Ichigo smirked.
"Oh can you show it to me?" Renji said.
"Hell NO!" Ichigo shouted.
"Why not?" Renji asked.
"It would destroy half of the Soul Society if he used it here…. He told me it was too powerful to use normally, it's a last resort." Rukia sighed.
"That big of a bang eh?" Renji said.
"Oh yeah, its called Mugetsu." Ichigo said.
"Moonless sky huh, wicked name." Renji said.
"Yeah it was the same attack I used to defeat Aizen. And I believe Byakuya as well if I recall" Ichigo said with pride.
"Wow….." Renji said.
"Yeah, not too bad, but thinking on my new look, I need to figure out a way to wear this coat, it just doesn't look right as it is now ya know?" Ichigo said sheathing Tensa Zangetsu.
"Right, it wouldn't be very practical in a fight now would it?" Renji cocked off.
"Right…. Let me think." Ichigo said he looked around at the crowd.
He pondered as he looked on.
"Oh yes definitely!" Ichigo said with a chuckle as his eyes fell upon captain Kommamura.
"What about Kommamura?" Renji questioned.
"No not him, his shoulder pads!" Ichigo pointed out.
Rukia smirked and Renji cluckled to himself, Ichigo grinned widely.
Ichigo walked up to captain Kommamura, "Oi captain Kommamura."
"Huh? OH Ichigo Kurosaki, what a pleasure to see you once again young hero, please do call me Sajin." Kommamura said with gusto.
"Right, Sajin, I got a question." Ichigo asked.
"What would that be young warrior?" Kommamura asked.
Ichigo whispered his question into his ear.
"I see, well then follow me Ichigo." Kommamura said.
Kommamura and Ichigo flash stepped back to Sajin's barracks.
"In this cabinet lies a set of rare pieces, This might help with your wardrobe problem." Kommamura said as he opened the cabinet, there sat armor pieces, the chrome shining the light off of the pieces.
There was also one black shoulder pad that sat above them all. It was a rounded paudron that fit perfectly around any ones shoulder perfectly.
"The black one is quite rare, it fits to any person no matter how big or small, and its very flexible and very light weight, perfect for a speed based bankai like yours, it derives from hollow souls, it holds the power to control hollows…" Kommamura explained. "I never wear it because it works much better with the whole set, but it suits you more, im not the one for all black armor."
"I like it, you don't mind do you?" Ichigo asked.
"For you, Hero of the Soul Society, It would be an honor." Kommamura bowed.
Ichigo placed a hand on the shoulder piece, it felt like it was meant for him, it made his adrenaline rush.
Be wary of that piece Ichigo! A voice rang,
"Huh Zangetsu?" Ichigo said.
That piece might ignite your hollow soul, wearing it, may cause him to become more violent,
"Well ill just have to kill him then Zangetsu." Ichigo whispered to himself.
"What was that Ichigo?" Kommamura asked.
"Huh oh nothing just talking to my zanpakuto I guess?" Ichigo stammered.
"hmmm I see…." Kommamura said.
Ichigo took off the haori and wrapped it around his left shoulder, a long part of it hanging down his back, he then strapped the shoulder pad on and it moulded to his arm, covering his shoulder and down to his glove in a sleek shining black metal sleeve, with the haori hanging out of the top shoulder piece, hanging almost as low as the black coat itself.
The emblem adorned on it was perfectly visible.
Ichigo looked at his clad up left arm, the light shining off of the liquid like black metal sleeve.
"I like this, it fits just right." Ichigo said.
"Yes Just remember, Hollows can go nuts over that armor, it is a precious hollow artifact…." Kommamura said.
Just then a blade pierced the stomach of Kommamura. The weilder of that sword.
"Kommmura what the hell there's two of you." Ichigo questioned.
"ICHIGO! Get that armor off now, if you wear it longer, your hollow inside will go on a rampage and destroy you!" Kommamura said. He had a small gash over his eye and bled profusely.
The Kommamura that was stabbed morphed into a slender black being with long teeth.
"No wear it…." The hollow said. "You must prevent the king from getting that armor, if he gets that last piece…. We all die…"
the hollow died right then and there, but before Ichigo could say anything the cracks between the slender plates of his armored arm began to glow a dark red.
Ichigo threw his head back in pain, clutching his arm .
"Shit! Its begun, no way out now Ichigo, stop your inner hollow before he kills you!" Kommamura spoke.
Ichigo tried to concentrate, "Son of a bitch I can't, the pain! Its too much!"
Ill help! Tensa Zangetsu said in his ear.
Ichigo opened his eyes and saw skyscrapers being damaged. Tensa Zangetsu was clashing with a taller man with a white coat, he looked like Ichigo, but completely white with black and orange eyes.
"I…. WILL NOT….. BE CONTROLED…. LIKE A PUPPET!" the man screamed.
The man roared as he clashed with Tensa Zangetsu furiously, Zangetsu blocked and dodged but disappeared to reappear next to Ichigo.
"What the hell is his problem?" Ichigo said.
"Didn't you hear what the fake Kommamura said, that armor you're wearing can control hollows, bending their will to your command, I would hate that too if I was him!" Zangetsu yelled.
Hollow Ichigo looked down at them both snarling, he looked closer and noticed Ichigo's left arm wearing the black armor.
"YOU FUCKER!" Hollow Ichigo roared, slinging a Getsuga Tensho at them.
Both dodged the blast and appeared in front of him.
"Shit and I thought Zangetsu here was pissy when I was training with Rukia… this is a different level." Ichigo coyed.
"SHUT UP YOU BASTARD!" Hollow Ichigo yelled.
Ichigo grabbed Hollow Ichigo by his collar.
"I was wondering when you'd show your face. Question is how did you survive?" Ichigo questioned.
"Well let me put it to you simple as this your highness!" Hollow Ichigo scowled. "When you lost all of your powers, a tiny fragment of my power remained in you. Now since you finally got your powers back my power came back to, and now I'm pissed off!" Hollow Ichigo roared slashing down at Ichigo.
Ichigo caught his arm. "You're a dead fucker now Hollow!"
"Bring it on monkey!" Hollow Ichigo roared.
The two separated and began to slash at each other with everything they got, the clashes rang everywhere, Tensa Zangetsu sighed.
"Ichigo use IT!" he yelled.
Ichigo nodded as he roared, "GETSUGA TENSHO!"
A blast of black and red energy blazed toward his inner hollow.
Hollow Ichigo blocked it effortlessly and began charging a massive cero.
"CERO GIGANTE!" he roared, the blast released into a dense red beam that raged forward in Ichigo's direction.
Ichigo gasped slightly and used his flash step to dodge the massive attack.
He isn't playing around…..
Ichigo took his sword turned his wrist over and touched the blade with his left hand, black energy engulfed the blade.
Cmon…. Cmon!
"CERO GIGANTE!" Hollow Ichigo roared again as he fired another shot at Ichigo, who dodged again.
CMON ALL MOST THERE!
Ichigo had to keep raising his energy, while dodging cero's left and right.
"NOW ICHIGO RELEASE IT NOOOOOWWWWW!" Zangetsu roared.
Ichigo looked forward, his eyes glowing as the black energy spiraled around his blade.
"Let darkness rain through the night!" Ichigo said as he flash stepped in front of his Hollow.
He brought his blade up over his head and slashed down yelling, "MUGETSU!"
When Ichigo's blade slashed down, an explosion of black energy roared and surged from the ground and raged forward, catching Hollow Ichigo in the blast at point blank.
When the attack subsided, Hollow Ichigo stood with almost half his body gone.
"Grrrr…. D-d-damn you!" Hollow Ichigo sputtered.
Ichigo sheathed his sword and took Hollow Ichigo by the collar using his left arm.
"Now you listen up you piece of shit…. I told you this once, I will not tell you again, no matter how hard you try, you will not, ever take over my body! Understand." Ichigo yelled into his face.
"You know Ichigo, as much as it would please you to hear me say it, never say never, because one way or another I will find a way to devour you." Hollow Ichigo laughed.
"bite me." Ichigo smirked, "Because you are going to help me out you hollow son of a bitch, whether you like it or not…. got it!"
Hollow Ichigo just laughed as he began to fade away, "You know I like that attitude! It makes things more interesting! Don't worry, Ill be back!"
Hollow Ichigo finally disappeared into nothing and Ichigo narrowed his eyes.
"Fucker I'll make sure you die one day…" Ichigo swore under his breath.
"Ichigo…. Im impressed, that was well done." Zangetsu applauded.
"Yeah I don't expect to use that one often." Ichigo mentioned.
"What about Nightmare?" Zangetsu asked.
Ichigo walked passed Tensa Zangetsu, "Yeah what about him?"
"you might need the technique if things do turn for the worst." Zangetsu said.
"Yeah and that's why I had you teach me the technique in the first place, I know you want to protect me and all, but what's the point of protecting me if the world is in ruins ya know." Ichigo questioned.
"I know Ichigo, it goes around in a circle, I protect you from harm while you protect everyone else, something has to give some time Ichigo, you cant just go saving everyone twenty four seven." Zangetsu warned.
"Don't worry, I got you Zangetsu, your pretty much the most powerful Zanpakuto out there right? So lets make sure everyone knows it." Ichigo said.
"Don't flatter me Ichigo, its something I already know." Zangetsu rolled his eyes.
"You always do know everything don't ya hah." Ichigo laughed as he left his inner world.
"Yes and im damn proud of it Ichigo!" Tensa Zangetsu yelled.
Ichigo opened his eyes and got up from the floor, noticing his new hollow armor piece has stopped glowing dark red.
"Kurosaki are you ok!" Kommamura worried.
"Yeah im fine, thanks, but what the hell was that!" Ichigo looked over at the dead hollow.
"A Necromime… A hollow that has the ability to take the form of anyone whom it touches, he merely blind sighted me and knocked me out…." Kommamura explained.
"He said something about if the king gets this armor, we all die, what the hell is he talking about?" Ichigo questioned.
"I know for a fact there are two other existing pieces of this armor, when combined, the wearer has unprecedented control over a hollows soul, even multiple ones, if this so called king gets the last piece, he can gain control over…"
"Every Fucking hollow in Hueco Mundo!" Ichigo interrupted.
"pretty much…" Kommamura nodded.
"dammit, how didn't I see it, Nightmare is going to invade Karakura town until he kills us all!" Ichigo gritted his teeth.
Kommamura put a hand on his shoulder. "Young warrior, lets just worry about that later, in the mean time our friends must be worried…"
"Right lets go." Ichigo said as he flash stepped so fast it was as if he diappeared completely from Kommamura's senses.
BACK AT THE PARTY….
Rukia was looking through her phone at some pictures when Byakuya and Renji approached her.
"Hey Rukia, wheres Ichigo?" Renji asked.
"He hasn't got back from Kommamura's place?" Rukia gasped.
"Yeah he hasn't,, seriously Rukia whats going on between you and Ichigo, what we saw before, what is with you two…. Kissing." Renji spat the last word out.
"Well Ichigo is my boyfriend…." Rukia shrugged.
"Boyfriend? What the hell is that." Renji asked.
Byakuya sipped his tea and Rukia continued. "Me and Ichigo are dating, understand that?"
Byakuya turned his head and spat his tea in the side of Renji's face.
"Really captain Kuchiki! My brand new haori!" Renji fumed.
"Rukia you're dating that man." Byakuya asked.
"Yes Brother, he has made me happier than I could ever imagine, I really truly love him!" Rukia exclaimed.
People overheard, especially Rangiku.
"Oh your in love miss Kuchiki! With who?" Rangiku asked.
"Ichigo." Rukia sighed. " do I have to scream it to the world more, Im in love with Ichigo Kurosaki!"
Just then Ichigo appeared right next to her flexing his arm that was concealed by the black armor, the wind whipped around them, Ichigo's tied up haori hanging off his shoulder and down his back flared in the wind.
"If anyone has a problem with it, talk to me." Ichigo smirked.
Ichigo stood straight up and took his petite raven haired girlfriend in his arms.
Rukia felt the metal of his new armor it radiated his body heat.
"Ichigo whats with the arm?" Rukia asked snugging herself into his chest.
"Its just a new look Rukia what do you think of it?" Ichigo whispered in her ear.
Rukia leaned into his ear, "It looks sexy."
Ichigo went slightly bug eyed over the comment. "Where did you learn that word?"
"Internet…." Rukia giggled.
"Go figure." Ichigo sighed.
"So Kurosaki….. I must warn you, if you break her heart, I will kill you, understand me…" Byakuya looked very stern.
"I would never do that to her…. Never…." Ichigo hugged her closer.
"KUROSAKIIII!" Kenpachi roared swinging his sword.
"Oh you've got to be kidding me…" Ichigo rolled his eyes.
"Fight me one on one Ichigo Kurosaki!" Kenpachi stared him down.
"ICHY!" Yachiru yelled. "HI ICHY!"
"Um hi, Yachiru…." Ichigo sighed.
"So Kurosaki, are you gonna run away again this time!" Kenpachi roared with a sadistic smirk.
"Kenpachi, you really need to let me be you know that, you really creep me the fuck out." Ichigo smirked.
"If you don't back off Kenpachi, Ill end it in an instant." Ichigo said as he touched his blade and black energy spiraled up and down its sleek black blade.
"Ichigo stop!" Rukia interveined. "Don't you dare use that attack here! You could destroy half of the Sereitei with that!"
Ichigo sighed, Commander Yammamoto stepped in, "CAPTAIN ZARAKI RESTRAIN YOURSELF! I will not allow such childish talk take place in my academy!"
"Fine, ruin the fun!" Kenpachi sighed.
The party passed and everyone went home, Ichigo and Rukia sat atop the old execution hill.
"Rukia, thanks, I almost got too hot headed there." Ichigo hugged his girlfriend.
"Any time, someone has to cool you off some how!" Rukia giggled.
"I cant wait for tonight now…." Ichigo said.
"Me either Ichigo… Me either." Rukia said softly as she snuggled up to him.
In HUECO MUNDO…..
"We are bound to a single desire, to consume!" Nightmare roared.
He stood atop Las Noches looking down to the endless rows of Menos Grande, he grinned widely.
"We will take the living world by storm, and they shall know their masters, WE WILL DEVOUR THEM ALL!" Nightmare roared as he turned around, his chest and right arm covered by sleek black armor that reflected the moon light off of it.
"What a beautiful sight my friends, so long I have yearned for it." Night mare looked upon two figures wearing all white armor and hoods, one was really tall and muscular, the other smaller and more woman like, they dropped their hoods, Nightmare addressed the tall one, who had a large broken jawbone along his chin "What do you think….. Yammy Llargo?"
"A great plan indeed sire…." Yammy replied smirking, his eyes tinted red.
The smaller one dropped their hood, it was a woman with green hair and red marks adorning her face, a broken skull on her head "And of you? Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck?"
"It is a step towards the ultimate goal… master Nightmare…." Nelliel replied,
Nightmare smirked as he turned again and looked back down at the Menos, "Yes, its perfect…. HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAAAAAHHH!"