Chapter 20: Yuzu and a Vampire
"Yuzu." Ichigo said his sister's name as he, Moka and Kokuto followed that trail to the hill Kokuto pointed at. Once they got there, they saw a monument of a skelton with no arms and pillars behind. Ichigo and Moka's eyes widen they saw an unconscious Yuzu on that skeleton. "YUZU!" Ichigo yelled as he rushed to save his sister. Ichigo ran down the mountain as fast as he can then used his spiritual pressure to make his trip towards his sister much faster. As Ichigo was inching closer and coloser to Yuzu, a fire-like arrow was send towards him. Ichigo reacted fast and redirected the attack. Once Ichigo had gotten near the structure, more fire arrows were launched towards him to block his way. Ichigo looked at the arrows were coming and saw Shuren on top of the skeleton.
"Welcome, Ichigo Kurosaki." Shuren said with a smirk.
"Let my sister go!" Ichigo shouted in pure rage.
"MY name by the way is Shuren. Listen carefully. If you want to save your sister's life, you have no chance but to listen to what I say." Ichigo's eyes widen but he hasn't move from his stance. Shuren smirked again when he saw Moka and Kokuto catching up to Ichigo.
Kokuto drew his sword and said, "Stop giving orders. You think you can take all three of us on by yourself."
"Hmph, who said I was by myself. Sinners cannot die once they're in Hell. Kokuto, you should know that by now right?"
Kokuto's eyes widen, knowing that Shuren was correct. "We're too late."
"Gunjo, Taikon, Garogai." Shuren called out his three loyal subordinates as they began to reform out of lava below their master. "They were given the critical assignment of separating the three of you from your friends and they died willingly so they can return here."
"Impossible!" Kokuto shouted in shock. "And how did they get back here so fast."
"Not so smart, are you Kokuto?" Gunjo said as he was the first attack. "Now, you will pay for ignorance." Gunjo launched multiple tentacles at both Kokuto and Moka.
Ichigo turned to his friends and shouted, "Kokuto, Moka!"
"Go and rescue your sister!" Kokuto shouted. "Vampire, go and help him. Don't worry about me!" Kokuto swung his blade at Taikon to cut but a mouth on Taikon's body and stopped it.
"Now, why would a sinner like yourself by friendly with a human and a vampire?" Taikon asked. Kokuto tried to get his sword loose but to no avail. Then Garogai appeared from out of nowhere and landed on Kokuto.
"Damn it, I need to help him!" Moka said turning around so she could assist Kokuto but was stopped by Gunjo.
"If I would were you, I would more concern about myself than him." Gunjo said as he sends his tentacles at Moka and she narrowing avoids them.
"Kokuto, Moka!" Ichigo shouted as then Shuren appeared in front of him.
"Allow me to keep you company." Shuren said as he attacks Ichigo with his fire whips. Ichigo used his zanpakuto to block the attack and tried to strike the sinner and was overpowered and send toward the top of the pillars around the skeleton. Then Shuren changed his fire whips into arrows and fired them at Ichigo. Ichigo gotten out of the way and Shuren quickly started to follow him. "Are you ready to give in to my demands?"
"FORGET IT!" Ichigo yelled as he swung his zanpakuto at Shuren. Meanwhile, Garogai forcefully pushed Kokuto several feet. Gunjo lashed his tentacles at Kokuto. Kokuto quickly slashed the tentacles but saw still skidding uncontrollably crashed into one of the stone figure and fell to the ground. Gunjo send more tentacles towards Kokuto and Kokuto quickly dodged them only to block an energy blast from Taikon.
Ichigo still continues to dodge Shuren's attacks. Shuren threw a lance at Ichigo who in turn block with his zanpukto. Then Shuren appeared beside Ichigo and collided with Ichigo's zanpakuto. The two collided with their weapons again and ended with Shuren overpowering Ichigo, sending him through one of the stone fingers. Shuren follows up by firing some more fire arrows at Ichigo. Ichigo dodged the arrows with ease. Shuren smirked as he continues to fire at Ichigo, then he fired an arrow toward the skeleton. Ichigo, Kokuto, and Moka's eyes widen when they saw the arrow heading towards Yuzu.
"YUZU!" Ichigo shouted as the arrow is getting closer to his younger sister and got by an arrow himself. Garogai appeared in front Kokuto to finish him off but Kokuto avoided the attack cut Garogai in half. Then Kokuto appeared in front of Yuzu and took himself. Gunjo lashed his tentacles and pierced Kokuto. Kokuto tried to fight back but he keeps getting stabbed by Gunjo.
Ichigo and Moka's eyes widen, seeing this happening to their ally. "Give there's no you can win." Taikon said as he was about to attack Moka but Moka responded kicking Taikon in the face, slamming him to the ground.
"How about you keep your mouth shut and learn your place." Moka said to the sinner.
"You damn vampire." Taikon launched an energy blast at the vampire and she quickly dodged it. Moka tried to kick Taikon again but he grabbed her foot and slammed her to the ground.
Kokuto raised his sword and said, "You know what! If I can't win, then neither can you!" He threw his sword to Taikon and he caught with the mouth on his stomach. Little did Taikon know, there was a wire on the hilt of his sword. Kokuto grabbed of the wire and threw Taikon into the lava pit behind him.
"Taikon." Gunjo said seeing him his comrade defeated.
"SAY GOODBYE!" Kokuto yelled as he dragged himself and Gunjo into the lavapit, sacrificing himself.
"KOKUTO!" Ichigo shouted as it was no use, Kokuto was gone. "Damn!" Ichigo struggled to get back to his feet and started to avoid getting hit by Shuren's arrows.
"Where are you going?" Shuren asked. "If it's a fight you want, I'm your opponent." Then a burst of spiritual pressure began to erupt from Ichigo's location.
"I don't care if you're my opponent. I don't have time to play with you. GETSUGA TENSHO!" Ichigo launched his most powerful Getsuga Tensho at Shuren but Shuren dodged it. The blast was powerful it reached all the way up to the entrance of Hell.
Shuren laughed and said, "That's the powerful we've been looking for. Now use that power to destroy the gates."
"Shut up!" Ichigo said as he prepares to strike again.
"Ha, Ha, Ha, a wise decision. Your hesitancy indicated you still have enough control to realize what would've happened if you continued that attack." Shuren fired another arrow through Ichigo and it exploded behind him. "I won't hit a fatal blow. Not yet."
Then Moka appeared beside Shuren and kicked him towards one of the pillars. "You know what, I'm sick of hearing you talk."
Shuren gotten back to his feet and smirked at Moka saying, "Oh that's right, I forgot you were still here. Allow me to change that, unlike Ichigo I can eliminate you right now." Shuren fired some fire blasts at the vampire and Moka quickly avoided them. Moka then tried to kick Shuren but he used his fire whips to block the kicks. Moka was about to kick Shuren again but Shuren managed to hit Moka with his fire blast, sending into the rubble close to Ichigo. Shuren appeared into of the captive Yuzu and fired multiple at Ichigo. Ichigo walked into the barrage of arrows and got surrounded by smoke and dust. Once it cleared, Ichigo was unharmed and he was hollowified.
"Excellent, now go and destroy those gates." Shuren fired an arrow at Ichigo and he dodged it with no problems. Ichigo then charged in towards Shuren and he fired more arrows at the substitute soul reaper. Ichigo jumped at Shuren and swung his zanpakuto at him. Shuren used his flames to block the blade as best as he could. Then Ichigo disappeared and was found running the pillars towards Shuren. Shuren fired his arrows at Ichigo but none of them connected. Ichigo then flashed step in front of Shuren and fired his Getsuga Tensho at him in close range, defeating him.
Ichigo landed on the ground, breathing heavily from the battle. Moka slowly returned to her feet from a distance. She was in awe of the power Ichigo displayed. "He did it." She said. "Now let's get…" She cut off when she something hit her neck. She fell to the ground unconscious.
Ichigo deactivated his hollowification and turned toward his sister. "Yuzu, time to get you home." Then Ichigo got stabbed in the chest by a sword, a sword that looks familiar.
To be continued…
Three chapters of Part 2 left.