Chapter 20 : Awakening

Sanosuke fell to the ground, the black glow fading from his Zanpaku-to. The Espada pointed a finger at Sanosuke, a red glow enveloping the finger. "Today, Squad 5 loses yet another one of its Captains." he said with a ruthless grin. "Goodbye, Sanosuke..." With a quick burst, the Cero fired from his finger. There was a loud crash as the blast made impact, dirt and debris filling the air. Goyo's triumphant grin slowly faded to a scowel.

"I don't know who the hell you think you are..." a voice sounded. "...but I think its about time you go back to wherever the hell it is you came from." Goyo turned and faced the two new figures at the base of the forest behind him. "Ichigo Kurosaki..." he spoke. "...and Captain Jonouchi Uchiki... I'm surprised you got here this fast. I could feel your Reiatsu getting closer, but I must have misjudged..."

Jonouchi set Noah down, and helped Ichigo sit Sanosuke up. Both were unconcious when they had arrived, but were still alive. Noah was barely going to make it if they didn't get him any help quickly. But Sanosuke would be fine. "I don't think it was a good idea for you to come here." Ichigo spoke, holding his Zanpaku-to out in front of him. "But, if you're not going to leave willingly, we're gonna have to send you off ourselves." As Ichigo finished speaking, there was a loud crack from behind him. The tree quickly snapped in two.

"Don't worry, Goyo! I'll squash'em!" Trinidad shouted as he raised his fist in the air. He brought his fist down, crashing into the group of Soul Reapers. Debris was once again scattered into the air, making it very hard to see. Trinidad began to laugh but was quickly cut off by a sharp pain in his chest. He looked down just in time to see a black blade withdraw from his iron skin. Blood began to pour rapidly as the Espada screamed in pain.

"Tensa Zangetsu." Ichigo announced, his serious look never fading from his face. With a quick swing through the air, Trinidad's blood was flung from the blade, splattering on the ground.

"Why you little!" Trinidad roared, bringing his fist down on Ichigo again. Ichigo evaded with ease, cutting into Trinidad's shoulder. The Arrancar was getting to be quickly frustrated.

Goyo watched from the distance, grinning. He pointed a finger in the air at the orange-haired Soul Reaper, and began to charge another Cero.

"I don't think so!" came a shout, as Jonouchi Flash Stepped in front of the blast. Surprised, Goyo stopped charging the Cero and frowned. He stabbed at Jonouchi with his finger, knocking him backwards. Jonouchi rolled as he hit the ground, and landed on his feet. "Bankai!" he shouted. As he did so, his Zanpaku-to quickly melted. Just as quick as it had melted, it re-froze and a large wolf was standing at Jonouchi's side. "O'kami Suishou." he said. The wolf growled menacingly at the Arrancar.

"That's a unique Bankai." Goyo grinned.

"I don't need your opinion." Jonouchi said, Flash Stepping to Goyo's side. He took a swing with his fist, but missed. Goyo had evaded the attack, and took a stab at Jonouchi. Before he could land the attack, the wolf had tackled Goyo, protecting Jonouchi. Again, Jonouchi charged, attempting to punch the Arrancar. Goyo caught his fist and threw him aside.

"You may have a unique Bankai..." he began. "...but without a blade, you're completely useless."

"Don't count on that." Jonouchi smirked. The wolf quickly Flash Stepped behind Goyo and pounced on him. Goyo was easily caught off guard and pinned to the ground. The wolf continuously bit and tore at Goyo's limbs. Goyo began to panic and squirm, trying to get the wolf off of him. The wolf jumped backwards, allowing him to get up.

"You rotten bastard..." Goyo growled, clutching his few wounds. Metal had formed over most of his body as the wolf tried to maul him. "I'll fucking kill you!" he shouted. He quickly turned as he remembered Jonouchi, but his attention was deverted for too long. Jonouchi had Flash Stepped in front of him, and slammed his fist into his face as he turned around. Goyo flew through the air, bouncing off the ground repeatedly before coming to a halt. Goyo laid there with his face in the dirt. He slowly got back to his feet and looked Jonouchi in the eyes. Jonouchi stared in amazement. His whole face had been covered in a sheet of metal. He didn't have a scratch on him.

Again, he was knocked over. The wolf had pinned him once more and began biting and scratching. "I'm done playing your game." Goyo spoke. He was on his back, the wolf wasn't giving up his attack. Goyo dug his fingers into the ground. Jonouchi charged, but stopped about halfway there. With one quick attack, O'kami Suishou shattered. Five metal spikes shot from the ground, impaling the wolf. Jonouchi rolled to the side as five more spikes shot up from underneath him. He charged at Goyo, but was shot backwards. A metal spike had extended from Goyo's finger, shooting him in the shoulder. Jonouchi winced in pain. The rest of Goyo's hand began to glow a deep red as he charged a Cero. Jonouchi tried to move, but couldn't. The spike prevented him from avoiding the attack. Goyo fired the Cero, and it was a direct hit.

As the Cero made contact, everything grew quiet. Sounds distorted, vision blurred. He no longer even felt any pain. A quiet darkness overtook him as he fell to the ground. Into nothingness. He knew he was dying. But he made no effort to fight it.

"How very disappointing." a voice sounded from the blackness. The voice had a menacing tone to it. It was familiar to him. "If you can't fight, then start letting ME handle it."

Everything was beginning to come back to him. His hearing, his vision, the pain. All of his sences rushed back to him all at once. When he opened his eyes, he realized he was already on his feet. He sensed two new Spiritual Pressures. Stronger than anything he had felt before. One of the pressures were fluctuation wildly. But the other was pretty stable. He took a step forward and he paniced.

He didn't tell his body to do that. "What's this?" Goyo spoke, smirking. "You can actually still move? What's with that grin? You actually think you still have anything left to fight me with?" Grin? He was grinning? It seemed as if his body had begun to act on its own. Jonouchi's foot stomped down hard on the end of his Zanpaku-to and it shot up, spinning wildly in the air in front of him. It quickly shined and the air grew cold. It was released... Without calling its name? Jonouchi's hand swung forward and grabbed his Zanpaku-to. He swung his hand behind his back and released it, shooting it forward, all in a split second. Goyo had no time to react. Ice formed around the sword in midair. It was a giant icicle. The icicle impaled Goyo in the chest, going all the way through. Goyo gasped. It happened so fast. He couldn't even breathe.

Goyo looked from his chest, back to the grinning Soul Reaper. In an instant, time seemed to stop for him. A bright red glow swallowed him whole, ripping through him.

Jonouchi stared in disbelief. He had fired a Cero. But it was much more powerful than the one Goyo had fired before. His body turned. It seemed to no longer care about the struggling Espada, Goyo. Jonouchi's eyes couldn't believe what he saw. Ichigo was laying on the ground, unconcious. Trinidad lay motionless, blood dripping from many fresh wounds. Trinidad stirred. He groaned, twitching a tiny bit. Jonouchi's hand shot up, pointing at Trinidad. In no time flat, a bright red flash was shot from his finger, swallowing the Arrancar and everything in its path. A thick layer of dirt and debris had been kicked into the air. When it had cleared, nothing was left. Everything in the Cero's path was destroyed.

No mercy. Whatever was occupying his body was ruthless. It turned once more, this time facing the edge of the forest. A figure stirred, getting to its feet. Jonouchi quickly recognized it as the figure ran toward his body, waving to get his attention.

He couldn't stop his body. His hand slowly rose, pointing to the figure. The tip of his finger began to glow as he let out a scoff. Sanosuke was in trouble.