Chapter 22: Miracle and a Vampire
Ichigo saw enough and charged in to attack Kokuto with so much anger and rage he has towards him. Every time Ichigo hit Kokuto, the black chains appeared to block the attack. "That's it Ichigo, unleash the power of your hatred. Let the force of your inner hollow come out and break these chains!" Ichigo continues to swing at Kokuto with all of his force without using his inner hollow but he could hit Kokuto. "It's still not enough. Unless you can unleash that monster, you can't win." Ichigo continued to strike but still cannot hit Kokuto. Kokuto vanished before Ichigo could strike again and reappeared on top of the skeleton in front of him with Yuzu in his hand. "What a shame. It looks like your poor innocent sister couldn't withstand the atmosphere here. See, a chain has started forming." Ichigo widen his eyes when he saw a chain anchored on Yuzu's chest. Then a large amount spirit energy began to erupt from him in a rapid rate. "Yes, get angry. In this place, passion is unnecessary. Bury your heart in darkness!"
Renji started to stir when he felt all of Ichigo's anger is poured into his spiritual pressure. "I…Ichigo."
Kokuto smirked and said, "Yes, welcome to Hell." Kokuto dropped Ichigo's sister and let her fall down into the lava pit. Ichigo quickly moved and grabbed her in time. But it was no use; Yuzu still had a chain on her. Enraged, Ichigo immediately transformed into his full hollow, the same hollow form he use to defeat Ulquiorra, and started to form a cero. "Yes, USE THAT POWER AND BREAK THESE CHAINS!" The cero continues to grow and become more powerful. Kokuto looked on with pleasure as his plan was about to succeed. Ichigo fired his cero towards Kokuto, destroying the area that Kokuto was in. Kokuto jumped out of the way as sparks started to fly out of the chains. "Perfect, keep it up!"
Renji looked in awe at the power of Ichigo's cero and the chains falling from Kokuto. Kokuto landed on of the pillars that wasn't destroyed and laughed at Ichigo's progress. "Shuren and the others believed if they trick into destroying the gates, they would be released from Hell and I knew they were wrong." Kokuto grabbed some of his chains that started to appear on his body. "The truth is these chains are what bind us sinners. And now they're being destroyed! Break them! Break off the limbs that bind me!" Ichigo charged up another cero and fired it at Kokuto. Kokuto didn't move from his spot, he take the cero head on. He laughed manically as he chains continue to break because of the cero. The cero didn't just destroy Kokuto's chains it destroyed some of the area behind him. The shockwave and power coming from the cero reached the upper levels of Hell, reaching the gates and destroying them.
Kokuto landed on the pit full of lava with his last chain on his body. "Just one more chain to go." He said, catching Ichigo's attention. Ichigo turned to Kokuto and charged up a third cero.
Renji got up and ran towards Ichigo. "Don't let him provoke you like this." He said. "You're giving him what he wants." Renji flashed stepped behind Ichigo and cut off one of the horns on his hollow mask, causing to be discharged. Kokuto saw what was happening and sonidoed to Ichigo. "You have to return to the world of the living." A symbol appeared on Renji's hand as the symbol was on the back of Ichigo and a force of energy started to lift Ichigo and take him to Karakura.
Kokuto's eyes widen when he see Ichigo was leaving the realm. "No!" He shouted as his ticket out of Hell was about to leave him.
Renji smirked and said, "Serves you right, have fun in Hell." Then he fell to the ground unconscious as Ichigo was taken to the world of the living.
The next day…
Multiple soul reapers gathered around the gates of Hell. "The pall of material leaving from the destroyed gates of Hell is gradually brought under control by kido corp." Jushiro said to the head captain.
"So has it affected Karakura Town?" Head Captain Yamamoto asked.
"At the moment, it hasn't."
"Keep me updated on the matter. Meanwhile continue to mobilize all of our available resources to complete its containment."
"Yes sir."
"Of course, none of this begins to answer the question of what could've happened to them in the first place." Toshiro said. "How could those gates collapse one day after a crack appeared?"
"The only thing we know is that lieutenants Kuchiki and Abarai ans Substitute Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki were dispatched to investigate the creak and enter Hell."
"There has to be a connection."
Then a soul reaper appeared outside and said, "Reporting in sir, Kurosaki just emerged from Hell. We've send guards to apprehend him. We're bringing him in."
On the roof of one of the buildings near the gates, Ichigo was laid out unconscious with his Yuzu. Several soul reapers appeared at his location as he began to stir. When he opened his eyes, he quickly to his feet with Yuzu in his arms and yelled, "OUT OF MY WAY!"
"Calm down." One of the soul reapers said to him.
"No! I got to get Yuzu to a hospital."
"Let us help her." another soul reaper said.
"A med crew is on its way." A third soul reaper said. Ichigo refuse to listen and continue to try and walk.
"I can't wait that long!" Ichigo refuted.
"Take it easy." The third soul reaper said.
"We have to restrain him." The first one said.
"Damn you guys." Ichigo cursed. "I can't wait. Yuzu. If I don't hurry she'll die."
"Ichigo Kurosaki." A voice said called him. The soul reapers kneeled as Ichigo turned around and saw the head captain.
"Head Capatain, you're here." Then Toshiro, Jushiro and Byakuya appeared soon after beside the head captain soon after.
Rangiku appeared with Orihime. "Ichigo!" Orhime shouted as she ran Ichigo.
"Orihime, Yuzu's hurt." Ichigo laid Yuzu down on the ground. "You have to try and heal her."
"That's why I'm here." Orhime quickly activated her Shun Shun Rikka to heal Yuzu. "Hang on Yuzu!"
"Hey Ichigo!" Tsukune shouted as he, Kurumu, Ruby, Gin, Yukari, Mizore, and Kokoa came from the stairs. Tsukune around and saw the soul reapers gathered around in one spot. "What the…What's going on here?"
"Wait a minute." Yukari said. "What happened to Moka? Why isn't she back
Orihime tries to heal Yuzu but she felt something interrupting the healing process. "What is this?" Then the orange field around Yuzu was destroyed.
"Yuzu!" Ichigo shouted.
"It should've worked." Orihime turned Yuzu on her back and saw a chain anchored on Yuzu's chest.
"What's with that chain?" Gin asked. "What happened to her?"
Orihime grabbed the chain, trying to removed it Yuzu's body but her efforts were for not. "Orhime, what are you doing?" Ichigo asked surprised. "You have to help her." He grabbed her shoulders. "Do something. Please, please."
"It's no use." The head captain said, walking toward Ichigo. "The chains of Hell have pierced her soul and she has become one of them. We are too late to save her. At this point, our powers cannot help her."
"You're wrong." Ichigo said. "I refuse to accept that."
"This was your responsibility and you failed." Those words hit Ichigo like a ton of bricks. The head captain was right; Ichigo did fail to save her in time. Ichigo failed to save Yuzu and his friends from Hell. Ichigo yelled in anger at himself, knowing he made a grave mistake.
In the park of Karakura, soul reapers were stationed around the tent keeping guard in case of an attack. Ichigo with Tsukune and Kokoa was in the tent next the head captain's tent, keeping an eye on his little sister as he remembers the words that head Captain Yamamoto said.
(Flashback)
"What have been able to learn through an investigation, you went into Hell on your own without authorization and made the problem worse." Yamamoto said. "The demon inside of you broke the chains of Hell were considered absolutely unbreakable. That action then caused the gates of Hell to collapse. As a result of what you've done, the world of the living is affected by Hell's presentence. Your reckless attempt to retrieve your sister has now exposed all human to potential catastrophe at an unthinkable scale."
(End of Flashback)
Ichigo gripped the sheets of Yuzu's bed in regret of the problem he caused. "I'm coming in." Byakuya said as he entered the tent. Ichigo looked at the captain and looked back at the ground in disappointment. "Why do are you turn away? Why will you not me in the eyes?"
"I've done something terrible." Ichigo said sadly to Byakuya, Tsukune, and Kokoa. "I've left Rukia and Renji and Uryu and Moka as well. I've left them all behind and came back here, just so I can rescue my sister. And what for, it's too late!"
"And is that your fault?" Byakuya questioned, getting Ichigo's attention as well Tsukune and Kokoa's.
"Byakuya." Ichigo got up and grabbed Byakuya's collar. "Rukia, your sister, my friend is trapped in Hell. In Hell, damn it! She sacrificed herself so that I could escape."
Byakuya closed his eyes and said, "Rukia is a proud soul reaper. She's prepared for his consequences of her actions. If she and you friends helped you to escape, then you should give thought to the meaning of that." Those words surprised Ichigo. "I must go."
The sheets of Yuzu's bed fell to the ground and a pink light lit up in Yuzu's chest. "Hey Ichigo, something's happening to your sister." Tsukune said as Ichigo and Byakuya turned and saw what Tsukune was talking about.
"Yuzu." Ichigo called his sister as he quickly walked to her bed. "Yuzu." The chain anchored to her chest was slowly wasted away from her body. Byakuya's eyes widen seeing what is transpiring. After the chain completely disappeared, Yuzu began coughing and grasping of air. "Yuzu."
"Hey, get a doctor in here!" Kokoa said as Byakuya exited the tent.
After Byakuya got outside, a soul reaper ran up to him and said, "What happened sir?"
Byakuya didn't answer the question. He looked at Orihime and said, "Go help her."
"Yes sir." Orihime said as she ran inside to help Yuzu. A miracle happened inside that tent, Yuzu was saved.
To be continued...