Scott yelled as he jumped through the shattered window after the Grand Fisher ignoring the devastation and the guilt that was already beginning to gnaw at him over that.
The Hollow was fast, though, and soon it was all Scott could do to run from it, turning and slashing at the ever-present tendrils every time they reached for him. He skirted a car but the Hollow picked it up and threw it across the square and Scott with it, and he landed on his back on top of another car.
There was no time to get his breath back and he rolled off the roof, narrowly missing being squashed as the car smashed down on where he'd landed moments ago. Scott didn't have time to get up before a scaled claw was grasping for him, and he raised Zangetsu just in time.
The Grand Fisher's face came closer, growling in effort, until it was almost within touching distance. It stood there on all fours, pushing down with the one raised leg and grinned as Scott began to weaken. It could feel victory.
It was this scene Kayo saw when she ran around the corner. She ran as she saw the Grand Fisher raise one claw off the sword and stab it into Scott's shoulder. She screamed his name as she ran.
'Scott!'
Seeing Kayo running towards him gave him extra strength. He needed to win this fight no matter what – Kayo's life depended on him. With a deep breath in Scott pushed up with Zangetsu, moving the Hollow's claw up and out of his shoulder.
But he couldn't seem to move it any more than that and he stayed kneeling as the Hollow began to bear its weight down again.
Suddenly a bright blue flash tore through the air, tearing through the Grand Fisher's outstretched arm. It reared back and screamed in pain, taking a step away from Scott.
Scott lowered his sword and clutched at his injured shoulder, looking for the Quincy that could only be the source of the blue arrow. Kayo too stood and searched.
Conrad stood on a car roof, his bow still in his hands.
'That was close, Scott.'
'You're telling me!'
Now that The Grand Fisher had another target it moved. A Quincy – the mortal enemy of all Hollows – here, and challenging it? It charged as Conrad leapt from the car and ran, firing arrow after arrow as he did.
But the Hollow didn't leave Scott alone either. It stood in the middle of the square, shooting its tendrils at both of them. Conrad's arrows never missed, and Scott's Zangetsu sliced every time, and the Hollow roared.
Scott saw his chance. The Grand Fisher was half-turned to face Conrad and he ran at it, sliding underneath first its tendrils and then the Hollow itself, slashing out and slicing its underbelly as he skidded out behind it to run and stand with Conrad.
'Damn you!' roared the Hollow, turning to face them.
'Thanks, Conrad. I've got this covered now.
'I need you alive for the day I challenge you.'
Scott smirked at the Quincy and Conrad smirked back. They were ready for anything the Hollow would throw at them.
Which was lucky, because it threw a car at them, separating them as they jumped out of the way.
The two fighters stood and watched. The Grand Fisher was drawing in the wind, it was swirling around him. And the Hollow was getting bigger. It stood upright on its legs and it was huge, bigger than all the buildings in the town square.
The Hollow swung its tendrils around him, creating more and more wind, and roared before suddenly shooting tendrils out at each of them.
Conrad was batted away and Scott barely managed to avoid getting hit too, leaping through the windscreen of a bus. He stood slowly, sword at the ready, and the Hollow's voice carried over the wind.
'Your time has come, Scott Tracy.'