Chapter 38:
"Captain!"
The bustling Soul Reapers scrambled to the walls as Akon rushed by. He was in a full run and unwilling to stop. He even jumped over two coworkers carrying a heavy box who couldn't get out of the way in time. He looked like a seasoned athlete jumping over a hurdle. His foot slid slightly as he landed but Akon refused to fall. He put one foot in front of the other and continued his run.
"Captain Kurotsuchi!"
Akon grabbed onto the door frame and swung himself into the room, ending run. Victor was inside along with Mayuri. They both stopped what they were doing when he entered.
"Captain, sir... Captain..." Akon fought to catch his breath. "Captain... There was a meeting..."
"I know the Head Captain called a meeting but I couldn't leave here. I'm far too busy. If he expects anything done..."
"That's just it, Captain. He knows that you haven't managed to find a cure for Ichigo yet. He says..." Akon didn't want to say it because it meant confirming reality, but he had to. "Sir, he's ordered Ichigo's execution."
Victor's head spun, causing the rest of his body to turn as well upon hearing those words.
"He said we've run out of time. Ichigo is getting closer and closer to the Seireitei and the Quincy attack just a few minutes ago was the last straw. He says things have become too chaotic. We have no more options. He says that since you have not found a cure, he has no choice but to give the order to kill Ichigo. We've run out of time."
"What's this?" came Kisuke's voice. "Run out of time, he says? Did I hear him right?"
Mayuri snarled. "That son of a... He couldn't have a little more patience?"
"According to one of the Quincies who attacked us, Ichigo will not last the day. He's in a bad way and getting worse. The Head Captain feels that this would be a mercy killing." Akon looked at the ground. "I just heard the news and thought you should know..."
The room fell deathly silent.
They had run out of time.
"Unless you've found something that can cure him... the order will be carried out," said Akon.
"As if I haven't been trying to do that?" Mayuri snapped. "Dammit!"
Mayuri slammed his hands down on the keyboard and breathed a sigh through his clenched teeth.
Victor looked at the tools in his hands he was in the process of putting away when Akon came rushing in.
Ichigo was ordered to die? He would be killed? The boy Linnette cared for and called her friend? The boy Victor and his brother could also call by such a title?
Victor felt sadness for Linnette, but perhaps some of this sadness was his own. He would also mourn Ichigo's loss and not just for Linnette and her grief.
It wasn't empathy causing him sadness. He had come to care about Ichigo as well.
He never thought such a thing was possible. To care for anyone other than Linnette. Of course he cared about her more than he did Ichigo, but that didn't mean that he was heartless and would not care if something were to happen to him.
He wanted Ichigo to live. Not just for Linnette's sake but also for his.
"I've been searching and testing and testing and searching and everything else," Mayuri grumbled. "Every option, every test, every outcome the same. They all result in the same fashion. Either they will kill Ichigo faster, or not do anything at all. Everything we've done..."
Kisuke had grown silent. His face was still on the monitor but he wasn't moving, making him look like a paused film.
"Even that vial Kensei brought back turned out to be useless. I tested it anyway to be sure. It will not help Ichigo." Mayuri sat down in a desk chair and pressed his face into his hands. "Ugh..! If only Veneno hadn't destroyed that Quincy's laboratory in a fit of rage. I might have been able to gather up something useful. That damn Arrancar. Does he ever think? I thought he wanted to help save Ichigo. Instead he ends up sealing his fate. Of course, there was no promise that anything in that lab would have been helpful but still... At least we would have had possibilities."
Akon had just about given up and despaired when he heard Mayuri say those words. At first, they meant nothing to him. Then a few words started to stick out.
Or rather a name.
Akon slowly lifted his head. "Veneno..."
The Arrancar in the test tube. The one who could infect people with a Hollow virus.
Poison.
A body broken but a mind intact. A body in desperate need of revival. Regeneration too slow and needed a boost.
Slowly, it all started to come together. The pieces began to make sense and Akon had an idea.
"Captain, didn't you confirm that the drug injected into Ichigo was a type of poison?"
"Yes."
"And didn't you also say that it works by breaking down the body so it kills from the inside out?"
Mayuri lowered his hands and looked at Akon. "It does break it down, yes. I said that it was killing him slowly. And from what I've heard, the more Ichigo fights the transformation, the more strain he puts on his body which will only weaken him, thus kill him faster."
"I was thinking... perhaps we're looking at it wrong. Maybe we shouldn't be thinking of it as a poison in need of a cure. You're an expert on poisons, Captain. If you're not getting anywhere with a cure, then perhaps we shouldn't be looking at it as a poison at all. Or perhaps in another way."
Mayuri swiveled in his seat. "Are you thinking out loud or are you actually on to something?"
"Maybe both. I'm not sure how to cure Ichigo, but I do have a theory. Or rather a suggestion."
"Then spit it out. We haven't got all day."
"Remember when Veneno was in rough shape after the first encounter we had with him? He was so badly wounded and weakened that his healing ability was slowed to the point where he couldn't recover without help. We helped him recover. He's the same Veneno. Not a clone. We healed him. Brought him back from the brink of death."
Mayuri listened. Slowly, his eyes started to widen. Then a look of inspiration.
"Of course. Yes, I see what you mean... Yes!" Mayuri spun around in his seat and started typing as fast as his fingers would let him. "I see. Yes, of course. How could I not see that before? Perhaps this was the enemy tricking us all along. He knew we would try to treat it as a poison. We still can in order to cure it, but it wouldn't do much for Ichigo's recovery. By the time the vaccine takes effect, Ichigo's body will be beyond our aid. But with this... Oh, this will give us an edge!"
Kisuke started moving again on the screen. "Are you doing the same thing you did to revive Veneno a few years back?"
"Not exactly but it's the same principal." Mayuri continued to type. "I'm using that method as a base for what comes next. Then I'm combining the parts of the experiments that were promising and extract certain parts pertaining to what you see here."
Kisuke craned his neck to see the screen on which Mayuri was displaying information. "Oh, yes, I see. Ooh! That's brilliant. It's a combination of different things. Veneno's recovery might have been the missing piece we needed. Good thinking!"
"This was exactly what we needed. And the work's half done for us. I have all the data from that cure you made for the Hollow Reaper serum Victor came up with a while back. By combining it with this and a few tweaks here and there, plus what we gathered from the serum the Quincy made and injected into Ichigo... Yes, indeed this is promising. Now to find the right combination and run some tests. We don't have long. You better pray this works."
There was still hope. Ichigo wasn't dead yet. They could still save him.
However, time was still not on their side. In addition to worrying about Ichigo's deteriorating condition, they also had to worry about the Soul Reapers dispatched to eliminate him.
Now they had to move even faster.
Victor used his speed to rush around the laboratory, grabbing everything Mayuri told him to. They needed to move fast. There was no time to stall. They needed every precious second.
"Hang on just a little while longer, Ichigo," Victor whispered as he rushed to collect all the tools Mayuri needed. "We're going to save you. So don't give up just yet. We're coming."
The leaves were shaken loose by the tremor that spread from the ground up the tree roots and to their branches. The battle waging on between Ichigo and Yagi was still going strong. Neither side was giving up, but the younger of the two was at a disadvantage.
Yagi fired a round of arrows at Ichigo. He took shelter behind a tree trunk and waited for the pounding to stop. As soon as it grew quiet, Ichigo rushed out and took a swipe at Yagi's throat. Yagi bent backwards and grabbed Ichigo's wrist. He spun around and threw Ichigo into another tree.
Ichigo slumped to the ground, winded and aching.
He couldn't stop. Not yet. Not until Yagi was defeated.
Even if Ichigo didn't survive the battle, he didn't care. Ichigo wasn't fighting for himself. He was fighting for his friends. For everyone. He knew if he didn't defeat Yagi, he wouldn't stop. Yagi would keep going until every Soul Reaper was dead. Ichigo had to stay alive in order to stop him. Yagi didn't just want him dead, but everyone. That was why Ichigo was still fighting. Why he couldn't give up.
He would not let Yagi continue to hurt innocent people. He would not let him hurt his friends.
Yagi was mistaken when he said it was pointless for Ichigo to fight considering how he'll be dead either way. It wasn't for revenge. It was to protect everyone. As long as Yagi lived, he would not stop.
Ichigo used his sword as a crutch and hoisted himself up into a standing position. He fell back down with a yelp as Yagi fired another round of arrows at him. Ichigo braced himself on his sword again and quickly dashed behind another tree.
"Stop wasting my time!" Yagi bellowed.
Ichigo's condition wasn't the only thing deteriorating as the battle dragged on. Yagi was becoming more unhinged the longer the battle took. Ichigo had no idea what Yagi had to face during the time he spent unconscious or in another location, but it must have taken a toll on him. He wasn't as calm as he was before and his mood was certainly not improving.
Yagi's condition became even more apparent with his next move. He used an attack Ichigo could not see from his hiding place to topple the trees in one fell swoop. The trees to Ichigo's left were sliced at their base and toppled like dominoes. Yagi was eliminating Ichigo's hiding places. Soon there would be no trees left.
Ichigo had to run. Either that or stay where he was and risk being chopped in half by whatever weapon Yagi was using. Being sliced wasn't the only possibility either. He could have also been crushed by one of the falling trees.
Yagi spotting Ichigo making a run for it and followed him with a barrage of arrows.
Ichigo tucked his head and blocked any arrows coming at his neck with his sword. He ran as fast as he could through the woods, stumbling several times over tree roots and bushes.
He could see a part in the trees. He was nearing the edge. He was almost out of here.
Then he wondered if he should leave the woods. He could use the trees for cover, but Yagi was cutting them down knowing that was Ichigo's intention. What lay beyond the trees was a mystery. Either way, it wouldn't offer him much in ways of cover. For all he knew, he was heading for an open field where there would be nothing to hide behind.
Should he risk it?
An arrow struck the branch by his head, separating it from the tree. It bounced against Ichigo's shoulder before hitting the ground.
He didn't have time to debate this. Yagi was getting closer.
Using the woods for cover no longer mattered. Not if Yagi was going to destroy it. He could always hide behind the fallen trees, but Ichigo didn't want to go with that option. The trees could still be used against him. Yagi could roll one over on top of him. The fallen trees also didn't offer much protection. He would have to lay on the ground in order to hide himself which Ichigo didn't want to do. It was getting harder for him to get up each time he fell down. If he lay beside a fallen tree, he might not be able to get up in time to avoid Yagi's next attack.
His mind was made up. He had to leave the woods.
The tree in front of him was bombarded with arrows until it fell, cutting off Ichigo's path.
"There!"
"Ah!" Ichigo felt Yagi's hand on the back of his neck. He was slammed into the tree from behind. He was forcibly pulled away then slammed into it again, face-first.
"You have to make things difficult, don't you, Ichigo?"
Ichigo cried out as his face struck the trunk of the tree again.
"Why couldn't you have just given up and let the transformation take place? Why couldn't you just do your job and then die? Do you have any idea what you're putting me through? How tiresome this is for me?"
Ichigo yelped and tried to cushion his face with his hands but he wasn't able to lift them in time.
Finally, Yagi stopped pressing Ichigo's face into the wood. He pulled back and drew a new weapon.
Ichigo ducked and climbed over the tree. He heard Yagi's weapon clash against the tree, creating a strange sound. It wasn't a thunk, as he would have expected. It sounded like it had struck metal.
Ichigo looked down and saw that Yagi's weapon had struck the side of Ichigo's sword. Ichigo still had his weapon in his hand but he was holding it upside-down. Instead of the tip being pointed forward, it was pointed backwards; something that turned out to be very fortunate. Yagi's strike was heading for Ichigo's leg. The sword blocked Yagi's strike, saving Ichigo's limb from being sliced off.
Ichigo silently praised his sword and jumped over to the other side of the tree. He stumbled and landed on his backside and nearly rolled onto his back but put his arm out to steady himself. Yagi effortlessly jumped onto the fallen tree and saw Ichigo sitting on the ground.
He had become so weak, Ichigo felt like a child running from a stranger. He easily stumbled and tripped and was reduced to running and hiding. At the same time, Yagi still had plenty of strength and was able to move without stumbling. The odds were against Ichigo. The only thing Ichigo had in his favor was the fact that Yagi wasn't calm and collected. He was agitated. Hopefully Ichigo could benefit from Yagi being more emotional. With any luck, it would make him irrational. If he wasn't thinking clearly, he might not be able to fight as well.
Ichigo knew he was weaker, but he wasn't panicked. This was good. He still had his wits about him.
Another arrow sailed past Ichigo's head as he got up to run. He stumbled and fell against a tree. He braced himself against the trunk and tried to find his footing. An arrow sank into the wood between his fingers. Ichigo quickly moved his hand and started running again.
His legs felt heavy. It was as if he had weights tied to his ankles.
The only thought on his mind was to escape. He had to get away.
With a burst of energy, Ichigo broke through the woods and into the open air.
As his eyes adjusted to the light, he realized he was in an open field. Just as he feared, there was nothing to hide behind. He was vulnerable.
"No place left to run, Ichigo."
He spun around and saw Yagi behind him with an arrow at the ready.
"You're in no condition to run anyway."
He was right. Ichigo knew he was getting weaker by the second. Instead of running, he should be fighting.
Ichigo lifted his sword. "Getsuga Tensho!"
Ichigo's attack was unleashed and Yagi's image flickered. The next thing he knew, Yagi was right in front of him. Ichigo jumped back, but Yagi's response time was quicker. He grabbed the front of Ichigo's kimono and held him. Lifting his right hand, Yagi punched Ichigo in the face. Ichigo lost his footing but, thanks to Yagi holding him up, he did not fall. Yagi punched him a second time and threw Ichigo onto the ground.
"So weak."
Ichigo lifted himself onto his elbow and coughed. It was getting hard to breathe.
"Why are you Soul Reapers so proud of this power you have? What do you have to be proud of? That you are strong enough to make the rules? That you can pick and chose who to save and when? That everyone else has to come to you, begging for aid? Is that why you have the nerve?"
Ichigo turned his head slightly to look at Yagi.
"You are a Soul Reaper," Yagi went on. "I understand that you weren't always a Soul Reaper. You were a simple human before. You gained this power and it was taken from you when you defeated Aizen."
Yagi stepped closer and stood over Ichigo's body.
"So why?" he demanded. "Why would you want to gain the power back? Why not just continue to live as you did before? Did having such power mean that much to you? Did you miss being in charge?"
Yagi bent down and forcibly turned Ichigo over onto his back with one hand.
"Or was it that they granted you the power again because they had need of you? You're just a tool to them."
Ichigo shook his head. "You're wrong."
"Am I? You never went looking for them. You never searched for the power once it was taken from you. You accepted it. You never begged. You were willing to give up this power in order to win the battle. Therefore, it must have not meant that much to you to give it up so easily."
Ichigo grit his teeth. "You're wrong!"
Bending his knees, Ichigo kicked Yagi with both legs. As Yagi staggered back, Ichigo crawled backwards then stood up.
"No, you're wrong. It wasn't like that. It's not like that!" Ichigo forced himself to stand despite his shaking legs. "It wasn't that I didn't care about the power I was giving up. I did care. But I cared about my friends more. That's why I was willing to sacrifice something important to me."
The power allowed him to protect others. It wasn't the power itself that mattered to him. It was what it allowed him to do. It was a way in which he could protect others. If he had no one to protect, the power was meaningless to him. He had this power to protect others. That was why he gave it up. He gave it up for them.
"Don't you understand the meaning of sacrifice? True sacrifice?"
Yagi used and sacrificed others but never himself. His parents sacrificed themselves for him. One of his allies sacrificed himself to save him. Despite all this, Yagi was still ignorant of its meaning. The significance was lost to him.
"And I did care. I did." Ichigo finally spoke what was hidden in his heart for so long. Something he never wanted to confess aloud to anyone. Not even to himself. "I admit... losing my Soul Reaper powers was devastating."
It truly was devastating and one of the hardest things Ichigo ever had to do. It mattered to him but wouldn't admit it to himself because that would confirm that it was really over. Since there was no changing what had been put in to motion, why bother dwelling on it? It would only make the pain worse.
The people he had lost in the past when he was too weak to do anything about it still left him feeling guilty. He still felt he could have done something to save them, but another part knew that there was nothing he could have done. If he had more power, then he could have done something. That was why he became a Soul Reaper. Not to do a certain job and abide by their rules, not to serve the Soul Society, not for the power itself, not even for glory. He did it to protect.
Once it was gone...
Being in a weakened state and having people come rescue him brought back those feelings of helplessness. He didn't want his friends to get hurt while trying to protect him. He wanted to be the protector, not the one who needed protection. The protector was the one who normally sacrificed themselves in order to save someone else. If that was no longer his role, then that meant one of them would be sacrificing themselves for him. He didn't want to lose anyone else. He had already lost his mother while she tried to protect him. He didn't want to be the blame of someone's demise. Not again. He wouldn't forgive himself.
It was for this reason he did not want to be weak. He didn't want to lose anyone else.
"Don't you get it, Yagi? The reason I gave up my powers was to save my friends and countless others. That's how much I care about other people. That I'm willing to sacrifice something that means so much to me for their sake. So I don't have to lose anyone else. So no one has to lose someone they love."
In his mind, Ichigo heard his friends' voices.
"I told you not to come. I didn't ask for you to save me."
"Don't die, Ichigo! Please. I couldn't bear it."
"I don't want anyone to leave me. I'd hate to be alone."
"We love her more than anything. She is our reason to exist."
"I would do anything for her. Bringing tears to her eyes was never my intention, and it pains me to know I was the cause. I love her so much. I would never want to cause her pain."
"I want to live. Why aren't I allowed that?"
"It's my fault."
"What can I do for her now?"
Then he felt his mother's warm embrace and heard her gentle voice speak his name.
Ichigo stared into Yagi's eyes and pointed his sword at his chest.
"Yagi... You wouldn't understand any of that because you never self-sacrifice. You sacrifice others instead. You wouldn't begin to understand where I'm coming from."
Yagi looked irritated. "Then why do you waste your breath?"
Ichigo sighed. "I guess I just hoped I could get through to you. But I guess there's no point. You can't be reasoned with. You will never understand."
"Then don't waste your words." Yagi raised his bow.
Ichigo ducked as Yagi fired a single arrow past his head.
"If I cannot use you, then you are worthless to me. I see no point in keeping you alive. Not that it matters. You're going to die anyway."
Ichigo dove to the side and somersaulted into a crouching position as Yagi's arrows flew. Yagi turned his body without pausing the barrage, chasing Ichigo across the field. Ichigo ran backwards as the arrows struck the ground near his feet. He stumbled during his retreat. As he fell, he blocked the arrows with his sword. He looked from left to right for an escape route but there was nothing in this open field. No rocks to hide behind and nothing he could use for a weapon other than what he had in his hand.
Ichigo swung wide, eliminating the arrows and sending a gust of wind towards Yagi at the same time. Yagi vanished and reappeared to Ichigo's right. Ichigo swung again but this time the weight of his sword felt to be too much for him to handle and his body tipped sideways.
He could always lift his sword with relative ease but now it was too heavy for him to swing one-handed.
He really was getting weaker.
"Don't bother," said Yagi. "It's a miracle you've lasted this long. But if you want to rush to your grave, that's fine."
Ichigo spun his body in a full circle, sword in hand. The tip of his sword never reached Yagi but the danger was enough to make the Quincy flee.
Feeling dizzy, Ichigo stopped spinning and stood still to get his barrings. He wanted to lie down but knew if he did he would never get up again.
"Ahh!" Ichigo fell forward as Yagi punched him from behind.
On his hands and knees, Ichigo turned back to see Yagi aiming another arrow at his head.
"Do not test me."
Ichigo knew he would fire no matter what he did, so Ichigo chose to attack. He sprang to his feet and swung his sword like a baseball bat. Yagi blocked with the handle of his Seele Schneider and pushed Ichigo back. Ichigo stumbled and swung again. This time when Yagi pushed him away, Ichigo grabbed the front of Yagi's jacket to take Yagi with him. Yagi fell on top of Ichigo and they both rolled through the field.
Ichigo sat on top of Yagi and punched him in the face. Yagi rolled so he was on top and returned the attack. Ichigo tried to roll but he couldn't get Yagi off him. He was stuck.
Yagi punched him a second time and Ichigo spat blood. When Yagi prepared to punch a third time, Ichigo's arm shot up, still clutching the sword, and cut into Yagi's left arm.
"Augh!" Yagi fled, covering the wound with his right hand. There wasn't enough strength behind the attack to sever his arm but it was enough to make him retreat.
Ichigo lay on his back and wondered what happened. He never chose to do that.
"Your move, King," said a familiar voice in his head.
Taking control of Ichigo's arm and nothing else, he chose to defend the young Soul Reaper.
Even more impressive, for once, Ichigo didn't complain.
"Thanks for the help." Ichigo struggled to his feet and prepared to finish what his Hollow started and cut off Yagi's arm completely.
Running with his sword parallel to the ground, Ichigo took a wide swing at Yagi's left arm.
Yagi took his hand away from his arm to reach inside his jacket. He pulled out a small bottle and threw it in Ichigo's path. The bottle shattered on the ground and an explosion sent Ichigo into the air.
The blast carried Ichigo far from Yagi and into the dirt. He landed on his back and the sword flew from his hand. His whole body ached. Each time he attempted to get up, the pain would cause him to stop and lay back down.
Yagi approached. Ichigo had to move. Despite the pain, Ichigo managed to get up. He found his sword and picked it up to block Yagi's arrows. He started to run. Yagi was too close and he was in too much pain for an attack. His legs ordered him to run for it.
"You cannot hide from me!" Yagi shouted. "Even if you do manage to get away, you'll become a Hollow again once you've been successfully tired out! You'll change and there will be nothing you can do about it!"
Was that his plan? Was Yagi only fighting him so he would change into a Hollow? It was never about killing him. Yagi wanted him to change. That's what all this was about.
Ichigo stopped running and turned around for an attack. "Getsuga-"
His legs wobbled and threatened to collapse under him. Ichigo feared using the attack when he was so unsteady. He had already used it twice, knowing it would weaken him. Using it a third time might drain even more of his energy with no guarantee of hitting his target.
He had to save it for another time.
Ichigo ran again. Yagi chased him. Their speed was perfectly matched. As long as Ichigo kept moving, Yagi would be out of range.
Something on the horizon made Ichigo stop in his tracks.
A town.
To anyone in this situation, a town would be a most fortuitous sight, but for Ichigo it was terrifying.
A town offered protection in many ways. There were plenty of buildings to hide behind or inside of and there were lots of people so he could easily hide in a crowd. There was also strength in numbers. The people of this town may offer to help shelter him from his attacker or even invest in the fight themselves.
However, people was exactly the problem. Ichigo wanted to avoid people. Getting near a populated area was very dangerous in his state. If he became a Hollow again, they would all be in danger. Even if that wasn't an issue, bringing any sort of fight into a crowded town was dangerous to the people. Ichigo didn't want to risk anyone getting hurt. Either by a stray shot or a deliberate attack.
A powerful blow landed in the middle of Ichigo's spine and sent him forward. Yagi had delivered a flying kick to Ichigo's back while he was distracted. Ichigo fell forward and Yagi got on top of him. He grabbed Ichigo by the hair and proceeded to punch him over and over in the face.
"Filthy... Disgusting... Soul Reaper!"
"Aurgh!" It hurt so much. Of only he could get up. Yagi was too heavy. Ichigo didn't have the strength.
"Think you can run from me? You think I won't win? I have been planning this for a long time. You have no idea what you're getting into. What you've been involved in from the beginning. Ever since we first met in that disgusting little hovel you Soul Reapers call home."
The punches finally stopped and Yagi threw Ichigo's face into the dirt.
Ichigo lay wheezing on the ground.
Yagi got off him. "Fighting will only kill you faster. Either by tiring you out or-"
Ichigo jumped to his feet and started running again. He was heading right for the town but he planned to turn away once he got some distance between himself and Yagi. He was not going to involve the innocent.
Yagi drew his bow and fired arrows in Ichigo's path, guiding him towards the town. Now that he saw the place Ichigo was trying to avoid, Yagi wanted him to go there.
Ichigo refused to be corralled. Even with the arrows flying around his body, he refused to go in that direction. He knew what Yagi was trying to do.
"Enough is enough, boy."
Yagi grabbed the back of Ichigo's clothes and threw him towards the town. Ichigo tried to run the opposite way but Yagi dragged Ichigo closer. Ichigo dug his fingers into the dirt. Yagi pulled. Ichigo used his heels to help him remain in one place, but it was no use. Yagi was just too strong.
Before long, Ichigo got fed up with this method and took a swing at Yagi with his sword. Yagi ducked and Ichigo grabbed his legs, tripping him. Yagi went down and Ichigo tried to decapitate him. Yagi kicked the sword from Ichigo's hands and sent it flying.
"I told you to give up!" Yagi punched him.
Ichigo punched him back and climbed on top of Yagi's chest, pinning him down. The two exchanged blows until Yagi grabbed Ichigo's wrist and threw him off.
Yagi reached into his jacket and took out another weapon. "Whether I drag you there or throw you there... Either way, you're going where I say."
Ichigo looked around for his sword. He found it laying in the direction of the town but as long as he picked it up quickly, he could take it and run the other way.
Ichigo wrapped his fingers around the sword, turning in time to see another bottle shatter against his blade.
This blast took Ichigo high into the air and into the side of a building.
He was at the town.
"No." Ichigo started to run. He felt a hand on the back of his neck. "No!"
He was thrown into the town by Yagi who refused to let him escape. Ichigo got up and tried to run out of the town but Yagi forced him back into the street with a single kick.
"Enough running, boy. You won't get anywhere."
"I hate to say it, but he's right, King. No matter how many times you get back up, as long as he's around, he can stop you."
Ichigo picked himself up and knelt on the ground. "You're right. If I don't stop him, there's no way I can get out of here. Every time I run, he's just going to follow me and do something about it. If I stop him, then he won't be able to come after me."
He had no choice. He had to fight.
Ichigo grabbed his sword and swung. Yagi blocked with his Seele Schneider. Ichigo was on his feet and rushed at Yagi, sword clutched in both hands. Their weapons clashed. Ichigo pulled away and aimed for Yagi's left arm. Yagi turned his body to the side and kicked Ichigo further down the street.
He rolled into a food cart and bruised fruit rained down on his head. Before the owner of the stand could yell at him, he ran from the Quincy's arrows. Ichigo crawled under the cart and pushed it over, using it for cover. Then he kicked it towards Yagi and jumped up.
Yagi stopped the wooden stand with his foot and blocked Ichigo's attack from above. Throwing his arm to the side, he redirected Ichigo's attack, forcing Ichigo's whole body to the side. Ichigo's back slammed into another building. As Yagi closed in, Ichigo kicked Yagi in the stomach to keep him at a distance and picked up his sword.
Their attacks collided like before. No matter how he swung, Ichigo's blade could not cut Yagi. However, Yagi's weapon did not reach Ichigo either. They were at a stalemate.
They each tried numerous times to land a blow on the other but they were too equally matched at this point.
Then Yagi broke through and kicked Ichigo away from him. Ichigo's heels dug into the earth, gouging two deep skids in the dry soil.
Ichigo raised his head but felt dizzy. He wasn't able to block Yagi's next attack. Ichigo was sent further back and he fell to one knee.
"What's going on? Am I really that worn already? I've only been fighting a couple minutes."
That's when he realized his white doppelganger had grown silent.
"Hey... Can you hear me? Say something."
His white clone did not answer.
"Damn!" Ichigo looked up and saw Yagi rushing at him in a frontal attack.
Summoning up as much energy as he could, Ichigo flashed away to the other side of the street. Yagi turned his body and fired a barrage of arrows at him. Ichigo attempted to flash-step again but it didn't go as smoothly as the first time. Ichigo found himself in the air high above the buildings rather than on a nearby rooftop as he wished.
Unable to keep himself in the air, Ichigo dropped straight down. He landed on a rooftop and tumbled end over end down the hard shingles. He tried to stop himself but he was rolling too fast and went over the edge. Ichigo reached out desperately and grabbed onto the gutter with his left hand, his right still clutching his sword.
Dangling, Ichigo looked down to see if he could land safely from here. It was a three story drop but Ichigo thought he could make it with minimal injury. He relaxed his grip and dropped straight down onto a pile of trash propped against the side of the building. The garbage managed to soften his landing a little but his body was aching just the same. Ichigo pushed himself out of the pile and staggered into the street.
"Ah..."
His vision started to grow blurry. The buildings began to tip sideways.
Ichigo put out an arm to catch himself. He was weaker than he thought. He had almost passed out in the middle of the street. Ichigo struggled to focus his energy and stay conscious.
"Looking tired, Ichigo."
He pushing himself onto his feet and faced Yagi.
"I mean it. You look exhausted."
Ichigo hated to admit it but Yagi was right. It was so obvious, there was no point in trying to hide it. His limbs were shaking and Yagi's image kept sliding in and out of focus.
Yagi seemed a lot calmer compared to a few minutes ago. Even he could see that he was at a distinct advantage. Ichigo had managed to do this well so far only because he was taking advantage of Yagi's emotional state. Now the odds were no longer in his favor.
He had to finish this fight quickly. The longer the battle stretched, the greater Yagi's edge became.
Crying out, Ichigo swung his sword, unleashing a powerful gust. Yagi jumped aside and fired a single arrow. Ichigo blocked with his sword and stepped sideways. As Yagi readied his bow, Ichigo swung a second time. This swing didn't have as much energy behind it as the last one but it was enough to stop Yagi's attack.
Ichigo's eyes fell on Yagi's Seele Schneider. Yagi was using it as a sword to block Ichigo's Zanpakuto but it wasn't a sword at all. Quincies typically didn't use swords, therefore Yagi should have been a novice at sword-fighting. With that in mind, Ichigo formed an idea. He decided to treat the Quincy weapon as a sword which would force Yagi to use it as one. As long as Ichigo remained close to Yagi, he would not be able to use his arrows.
Ichigo ran forward and swung his sword down on Yagi. Yagi blocked the overhead swing with his weapon. Ichigo stepped closer and pressed down with both hands. Yagi's knees began to bend. His plan was working. Yagi wasn't a gifted sword-fighter at all. It was all he could do to block Ichigo's swing.
Yagi's image began to blur.
"Not again..!" Ichigo shut his eyes for a brief moment, which was a terrible mistake.
Yagi pushed Ichigo's sword aside and kicked Ichigo in the stomach.
"Closing your eyes during a fight is suicide, boy. Are you that ready to die?"
Ichigo swung and the power of his swing sent Yagi flying. He didn't sail far but it was enough. Ichigo looked around and ran into a narrow alleyway. He crouched in the shadows and waited.
He knew he didn't have enough strength to fight Yagi as he was, but he refused to run away, knowing he had to beat him. Rather than using a frontal attack, Ichigo's only hope was to be sneaky and strike when Yagi couldn't see him. Ichigo would much rather have his enemy see an attack coming, but he was desperate. He wasn't going to attack when Yagi couldn't strike back, but hiding in the shadows with a surprise attack was something he was willing to do. It wasn't as cowardly.
Not that it mattered against an opponent like him. Yagi stooped to all kinds of cowardly measures when he fought. To most people, using the same methods against him was every bit fair, but Ichigo didn't want to resort to that. The didn't want to stoop to his level by adopting one of his methods. He had his pride.
"Don't make me demolish these buildings so I can find you, Ichigo."
Ichigo lay hidden in the alley, waiting.
"Where are you?"
Ichigo raised his weapon and waited, eyes front.
He saw Yagi's shadow. He was coming closer.
Yagi stepped into view, his head turned the other way. He looked forward. Then he looked into the alley.
That's when he swung.
"Ahh!" Yagi was thrown backwards by the strength of his swing.
Ichigo Jumped from the alley and swung again. Yagi ducked and Ichigo's blade cut into the side of the building. He pulled his sword free and spun, swinging the sword with him. Yagi ducked again and kicked Ichigo's legs out from under him. As Ichigo lay on his back, Yagi readied an arrow. He pointed it at Ichigo's skull. Ichigo rolled towards Yagi rather than away and tried to throw him off balance by slamming into his legs.
It worked. Yagi's arrow went into the ground and his body landed on top of Ichigo's. Ichigo wrapped his arms and legs around Yagi's body and held him. Yagi tried to force Ichigo off but his grip was too strong. Holding tight to Yagi, Ichigo raised his left arm and started punching him in the neck and shoulder. Yagi grunted with every blow. Ichigo wouldn't stop. He let his anger fuel his attack and kept punching.
"Knock it off!"
Yagi rolled to the side and slammed Ichigo into the side of the building. Yagi slammed Ichigo repeatedly until his grip went slack. Yagi pushed Ichigo off his body and stood up. As he turned to fire an arrow, Ichigo threw himself into Yagi's stomach, tackling him.
"Do you ever give up?" Yagi backhanded Ichigo across the face. Ichigo retaliated by headbutting him. As yagi staggered back, Ichigo picked up his sword and swung.
His swing was too wide. He missed Yagi by several inches and the power of his swing sent Ichigo staggering to the side.
"Pathetic." Yagi picked up a barrel and threw it at Ichigo.
He tried blocking it with his arm but the barrel forced him down. Ichigo scrambled to his feet and charged at Yagi as he reached for another barrel. He threw his body into Yagi's and threw him over the barrel. Yagi rolled and stood up, ready to fire an arrow. Ichigo slammed into him again and the arrow vanished before it could be released.
Yagi grabbed Ichigo by the hair and tried to pull him off. Ichigo punched Yagi in the gut.
A scream rang out and Yagi clubbed Ichigo over the head with his fist. Ichigo had unwittingly hit Yagi in the wound Veneno inflected during their battle. The pain was enough to bring a scream from Yagi's throat and power to his punches.
Forced apart, Ichigo and Yagi backed away from each other. Yagi pressed a hand to his side which had started bleeding again. Ichigo had reopened the wound.
"He's injured..." Ichigo had no idea what had caused the wound but it meant that Yagi wasn't at his best. Any injury weakened an opponent, but that wasn't the only bit of good news. It also meant that Yagi wasn't as untouchable as he made himself out to be. He could be wounded. It was possible.
Ichigo knew Yagi wasn't invincible. Of course he wasn't, but he was very difficult to injure. Seeing an open wound near a vital area gave Ichigo hope. Yagi's arm was also injured. That wound along with the wound in his gut would weaken him a great deal. With Ichigo in an already weakened state, this would bring Yagi down a notch to where it was more likely for Ichigo to be able to fight him. If Yagi was not injured, there would have been no hope. Ichigo would be too weak to do anything. Yagi at his full strength against Ichigo as he was now wasn't a fight. It was a massacre. With Yagi being injured- Now it was a fight.
"I have a chance..." Ichigo raised his sword. "We're almost on equal ground now. He's hurt, I'm hurt. Now it's a fair fight."
Overhearing Ichigo's muttering, Yagi turned. "Between the two of us, who's in a weaker state here, hm?"
Ichigo was still on the losing side, but that didn't matter to him. As long as Yagi wasn't at full strength, he still called this a fair fight by comparison.
Ichigo swung and Yagi fled.
"Get back here!"
He was running away. Yagi must have known he stood a chance at losing this fight so he was running away. He feared losing. If he lost, he would die.
The fact that Yagi was running from him told Ichigo that he actually stood a chance at winning this battle.
Ichigo pursued him. He couldn't let Yagi get away when he was this close.
Yagi looked over his shoulder and saw Ichigo right behind him. Yagi made a sharp turn into another street and Ichigo followed.
The street they turned into was packed with people. Venders and families alike were crowded in this street.
Yagi's plan was to lose Ichigo in the crowd. To make matters worse, Ichigo was reluctant to attack out of fear of hitting an innocent bystander.
The only thing he could do was chase him.
Yagi shoved people out of his way, knocking down women and children who were too slow to respond. Yagi tipped over one of the carts to block Ichigo's path but it wasn't enough to slow him down. Ichigo jumped over the cart and kept running.
As he ran passed a vender, Ichigo picked up a ceramic bowl and threw it at the back of Yagi's head. It smashed into pieces, slowing him down, but only for a moment.
Yagi weaved through the crowd. By this time, the people were vacating the street, backing against buildings to give Yagi room. Yagi grabbed a woman by the hair and threw her at Ichigo. Ichigo turned his sword around and caught the woman in the chest. When he looked up, Yagi had escaped further down the street.
After making sure the woman was unharmed, he chased after Yagi. He grabbed the lid off a barrel and threw it like a Frisbee, nailing Yagi in the back. Yagi spun around and swung his Seele Schneider at him. Ichigo jumped back to avoid it, then swung his sword. Yagi slashed and so did Ichigo. Yagi wielded his weapon with one hand while Ichigo used two. Yagi backed away as he swung. Ichigo stepped forward, making sure there was no gap between them.
"Ahh!" Yagi pulled back, blood running down his hand. Ichigo's sword finally landed a hit.
Ichigo swung again, but Yagi blocked. He backed up and Ichigo stepped forward. He wouldn't give him an inch.
Ichigo raised his sword high, taking a large step forward.
Thinking fast, Yagi reached into the crowd and ripped a small child from his mother. He held the child in front of his chest, using him as a shield.
Ichigo's sword hung in the air.
Yagi smirked.
"My boy!" the mother was screaming for her child's life. "Please, no!"
"Swing your blade!" Yagi ordered.
Ichigo remained as he was.
"You have a chance to kill me, so swing!"
Ichigo grit his teeth. If he swung, it would all be over.
But at the cost of an innocent life? It wasn't worth it.
"I knew you were weak," Yagi snarled and threw the child at Ichigo.
Ichigo dropped his sword and caught the boy with both hands at the same time Yagi turned and ran.
"Coward!" Ichigo called after him.
He handed the crying child back to his mother and picked up his sword. He chased after Yagi who had a new plan in mind. Yagi was going to exploit Ichigo's kind heart and use it to his full advantage.
Ichigo huffed, trying to catch his breath. He was already winded. He begged his body to hold out just a little longer.
Yagi stopped in the middle of the street and grabbed someone else. Another woman. He held her to his chest and turned to face Ichigo. There was no way Ichigo could attack without endangering the woman.
Yagi was smirking again. "You have your chance, but you won't, will you?"
Ichigo stood frozen.
"Mom!"
His attention went to a little girl. She was trying to reach the woman Yagi had captive but was held back by an adult.
The sight pained Ichigo but was of no concern to Yagi. He didn't seem to notice the child's cries.
"Go on." Yagi was goading him. "Do it."
He would not orphan a child. He would not take any someone's mother. He knew that pain all too well.
"Listen to me, Yagi." Ichigo had to use other methods. "Don't you see what you're doing? If you kill that woman, you'll be doing what those Hollows did to your mother. She's not involved in this so let her go. Endangering someone's mother in beneath you. Let her go."
Yagi chuckled. "You will be the one to kill her, not me. It will be your fault."
"I'm not going to swing."
"I know."
"Hiding behind her is cowardly."
He chuckled again. "As long as I'm alive, I don't care. That's the problem with all those people you've defeated in the past. They all have their pride. That was their downfall. Even Aizen. Once you cast that aside, you have a decent chance at winning. Pride gets in the way. I have pride, too, but I chose not to let it call the shots."
As Yagi spoke, his grip on the woman started to weaken slightly. It wasn't enough for her to escape, but if he kept talking, it was possible in the near future.
"Pride makes them attack the enemy themselves. Their pride stops them from running away and doing the sensible thing. To not use certain methods, even though it will give them an edge. I may be a proud Quincy, but I am not above using others to get my way. Even using their methods. As long as I win, I don't care."
"So that's why you're using me?" asked Ichigo. "You don't want to be in danger, so you're using other people in your place. That way, you won't be a casualty. Then you'll swoop in and bask in the glory. Especially if you deliver the final blow. It doesn't matter who did what. You just don't want to be in danger and you want to win. You just don't care how."
"I don't believe in playing fair," said Yagi. "To me, anything is fair. Even using others. I use people in a number of ways. Whether it be telling them what they want to hear so they come over to my side, or appealing to their good nature in order to lure them into a trap. It does not matter to me."
"I can tell." Ichigo looked at the woman. She had stopped struggling so Yagi wasn't holding her as tight as he had been. Now was his chance. "Run!"
The woman pushed Yagi's arm down and tried to run. He grabbed her wrist and tried to pull her back but Ichigo was too quick this time. Before he could use her as a shield, Ichigo swung his blade downward. Yagi released the woman and flashed away.
"Dammit, not again." Ichigo looked around and found Yagi on the roof. He jumped down, firing arrows as he fell. Ichigo could block the arrows but not Yagi's body. Yagi slammed into Ichigo from above with both feet and plowed him into the ground. Ichigo pushed him off and swung a leg out to trip him. Yagi jumped and stepped on Ichigo's ankle. "Ahh!"
"Anything to win, boy. You want to save them and are willing to do anything to achieve that, but you don't really mean it. If you did, you would have cut through that woman and into me."
"A Quincy should have honor, right? So you should understand why I wouldn't."
"Who cares as long as I win-"
Ichigo swung his sword as he lay on his back. The tip of his Zanpakuto cut the hem of Yagi's pant leg but missed his flesh. Ichigo spun until he was in a crouching position and swung again. This time, Yagi fled. Ichigo stood shakily and tried to run after him.
He stumbled and leaned against a table for balance. It was getting harder to get up each time he went down. He had to make sure Yagi couldn't escape this time.
Yagi looked over his shoulder as he ran. Ichigo was gaining on him. He looked around but the people in the area had gotten smart. They had vacated the area and hid in their homes and establishments so he wouldn't use them as hostages.
Without stopping his run, Yagi turned and a volley of arrows greeted Ichigo. He weaved between arrows and swung his sword. The gust blew Yagi off his feet and into the ground.
He lifted himself up with both hands. He spotted someone trying to run inside a building and attempted to use them as a hostage.
As he reached for the potential hostage, Yagi felt a sharp pain in his back. Ichigo had thrown a knife he grabbed from a nearby stand into Yagi's back. Before Yagi could pull it out, Ichigo took a flying leap at him and pressed his foot against the knife's handle. The momentum drove it in deeper.
Yagi shrieked.
Ichigo crouched over Yagi's body and wrapped his left hand around the handle of the blade. At the same time, Yagi rolled. This action caused the handle to snap from the blade, leaving it in Yagi's back and the handle in Ichigo's hand.
Yagi fired a single arrow past Ichigo's head. The arrow took several strands of orange hair with it, coming dangerously close this time.
Yagi grabbed Ichigo's arm and pulled him down. Yagi then rolled on top of Ichigo's back and pressed him into the dirt. Ichigo could hardly breath under Yagi's weight. His chest already felt like it was being crushed.
"You miserable piece of filth." Yagi pressed Ichigo's face into the ground. "How long do you plan to keep this up?"
Ichigo's fingers dug into the dirt as he tried to crawl away but his body couldn't move. Yagi was holding him in place. There was no escape. Instead, he clawed at the dirt, hoping to throw the dry soil into Yagi's eyes.
The more Ichigo wriggled, the harder it was for Yagi to hold him down. At last, Ichigo rolled onto his back and kicked Yagi in the face. Yagi forced Ichigo's leg down with both hands. Ichigo leaned forward and punched him. Yagi was knocked backwards by the blow. Ichigo turned and crawled on his hands and knees, reaching for a rock he found on the ground. His arms gave out under his weight and he slumped onto his chest, panting.
Then his body was picked up and slammed against the side of a building. Yagi pulled Ichigo back and slammed him again. On the third, Yagi smashed Ichigo's face through the window. The people inside the building shrieked and backed away from the shattered glass. He pulled Ichigo back and held him by his hair.
Blood oozed from Ichigo's forehead and nose.
"Why the hell would you put yourself through this?" Yagi grabbed Ichigo's throat with his other hand and forcibly directed his head. "For them?"
Ichigo's wavering vision beheld the frightened people inside the building. They trembled, holding each other. Parents shushed their crying children and husbands comforted their wives.
"They're so weak. Why bother? Behavior like that..." Yagi scoffed. "They are pathetic."
Ichigo responded with wheezes.
"With all your power, you're no better." Yagi threw Ichigo to the ground. "You have no business protecting such creatures. You do not know them anyway. You think I would lift a finger to protect a complete stranger? Why would I risk my life for someone I don't know? I wouldn't waste my time."
Ichigo picked himself up slowly. "The boy..."
"Hm?"
"The boy you picked up before. You heard his mother crying out for him. He was important to her. She knew him. While that boy meant nothing to you, he meant something to her. That's why it's important. Same thing with that woman and the girl who cried out for her. They loved each other. So it's important."
"So what's your point?" asked Yagi. "They still mean nothing to me. Maybe you would help them but I wouldn't."
Ichigo lifted his head, blood dripping from his mouth and nose. "What if it was you? What if there was someone able to help you out that day but they refused because they didn't know you? How would you feel? Wouldn't you have wanted someone to save your family?"
Ichigo was making a comparison between the Hollows and Yagi. Yagi's parents to those he took hostage.
Yagi scoffed. "I still don't care. Don't you get it? Of course I'm bitter about what happened to my parents, but I realize that they were stupid to risk themselves for someone else. If they made such a decision, maybe they got what they deserved. You wouldn't catch me doing that. Even if they did, I wouldn't. It's still the Soul Reapers' fault anyway. I thought I made it clear that you would not sway me. Why are you still trying?"
"Just thought maybe I could make you see..." Ichigo spat blood. "Guess I was wrong."
"Now you're finally getting-"
Ichigo cut him off with a swing of his sword. Yagi flashed away and appeared behind Ichigo. Before he could open his mouth, Ichigo attacked. He swung, cutting the sleeve of Yagi's jacket. He swung again and blood began to flow from Yagi's chest. It wasn't a lot but it was something.
Yagi threw something at Ichigo. Ichigo ducked and tackled Yagi with all his strength. They both flew down the street and into a wagon. They tumbled over each other and back to their feet. Ichigo grabbed the hem of Yagi's jacket to keep him from getting away, but Yagi cut the fabric with a broken piece of pottery. As he ran, Ichigo slammed into him from behind and the two rolled over each other.
Yagi flashed away with Ichigo still attached to his waist.
Their bodied hit the ground and they were rolling again. Ichigo picked up his sword and cut into Yagi's wounded arm, just below the first gash. They forced themselves apart and stood to face each other.
They were both battered and bruised and bleeding. They were both out of breath but unwilling to lose.
Ichigo's vision became blurry and his limbs felt heavy. As he lifted his sword to strike, he found that he could no longer lift it above his head. He felt sluggish.
Yagi observed Ichigo's deteriorating state and smirked. "You don't have long."
Ichigo ran forward and swung at Yagi's neck. Yagi vanished and Ichigo's sword cut into a tree trunk instead.
He looked around. They were no longer in the town. The town was to to the left of where Ichigo stood. When Yagi flashed away, he must have overshot it and took Ichigo further out than he intended.
To Ichigo, this was good news. It meant Yagi could no longer hide behind others. However, they weren't far enough from it in case Ichigo became a Hollow again. The town was still in sight.
Feeling dizzy, Ichigo leaned against his sword. His vision blurred again.
He could rest later. He had to fight now. These were all signs that he didn't have long. He had to fight.
Ichigo wrenched his sword out of the tree and swung it at Yagi. The tip hit the ground inches from where Yagi stood. He missed.
Ichigo stepped forward to brace himself as he pulled his sword back up. As soon as he planted his foot on the ground and moved to lift his sword, he heard a cracking sound. Ignoring it, Ichigo hoisted his sword high and ran to Yagi. On his second step, he heard a loud snap and fell to his knees.
He looked back at his legs and discovered the problem. His left ankle had snapped. His body was so brittle, it was starting to break under him.
Yagi took in a deep breath and let out a satisfied sigh. "I knew it was only a matter of time."
Ichigo knew what he was going to say before he said it.
"You're out of time, Ichigo Kurosaki."
Please review! ^-^