TTGLX: Brothers to the End.

Chapter 14: Hollow vs. Hollow.

"Kamina! How could you give into the power? I thought that you were better than that!" roared Ichigo across the devastated land where once the mighty mountain that had been home to the Spirit King had stood. Now only chaos and destruction separated the captain from Kamina.

The hollow that controlled Kamina remained still, snarling threateningly from across the gap. Its eyes blazed with the fires of Hell and its spiral aura scorched the earth around him.

"You have torn out the pin that holds the fabric of existence together. Damn it Kamina!" seethed Ichigo angrily. With an effort, he calmed himself. "It is a waste of time talking to you now. I know better than anybody that a hollow won't listen. The only thing that you will respond to is defeat."

The hollow Kamina cackled savagely then bounded forward with the speed of lightning. It slammed it's clawed fist into Ichigo face, knocking him through a nearby rock. Ichigo shot from the rubble, his bankai now active and his hollow mask covering his face. The two dove straight at each other, crashing together at full speed.

A sonic boom plumed around them as they darted, slashed and countered. Kamina's attacks were fast but brutish and reckless to the extreme while Ichigo was more reserved and used smaller, skilful movements. Both were a devastating force to be reckoned with.

Kamina lashed out with a clawed fist but Ichigo dodged and countered with a quick slice of Zangetsu that severed Kamina's hand from his wrist. This offered no respite though as the appendage instantly grew back and began to drive the shinigami back with blazing lasers.

Ichigo fired off a Getsuga Tensho but Kamina shrugged it off like it was nothing. The hollow replied with a cero that carved a vast trench through the earth. Ichigo flash-stepped away but couldn't avoid the blast completely and was send sprawling across the ground.

"Dammit!" he cursed as he clutched at his now burned arm. Ichigo charged up his power then with a roar went full hollow to match Kamina. His spiky orange hair grew out into a long, flowing mane while is mask sprouted nasty horns. The form was more human looking than Kamina's current body but was still monstrous enough to send a tingle of fear through the spines of the bravest men.

Unlike Kamina though, Ichigo had spend many years mastering his inner hollow and could now control it perfectly.

Kamina howled with beastlike joy and shot forward. Ichigo swatted him aside like a fly but was instantly assailed again from a different angle. Kamina lunged in but this time Ichigo made no move to defend himself. Kamina tore his claws straight through Ichigo's gut but the captain showed no sign of pain. Instead he grabbed both of Kamina's arms and ripped them messily from their sockets. Kamina screamed terribly as blood splashed everywhere. Frantically he dug his razor sharp teeth into Ichigo's shoulder and bit down with all of his strength, crushing the bones beneath. Ichigo drove his horns through Kaminba's eyes in order to drive him back. They both parted and fired a cero, the two blasts met in midair and violently exploded.

Rapid regeneration kicked in and the two hollows began to regenerate all damage. Both knew this and didn't want the other to heal so launched themselves back into combat before the wounds had faded.

Ichigo's centuries of practice were beginning to show now. His movements were quicker and his level of skill far surpassed the berserk rage of Kamina's inner hollow. Chunk after chunk was blown or ripped from Kamina while only scratches breeched Ichigo's defences.

"You can't win, Kamina. Brute strength alone will never be enough."

Kamina stopped his attack and roared mockingly. He cocked back his head and started to charge a blue cero. Ichigo rushed to interrupt the attack but he was too late. Kamina let loose and the cero smashed into the ground, blazing through rock like wool. The beam continued deep underground until a great eruption of lava spewed forth from the gash.

"Shit! If we keep fighting like this then their won't be any Soul Society left to protect!" growled Ichigo to himself. Any move to take Kamina down quickly would no doubt create mass damage in itself though.

As he deliberated what to do, Kamina grabbed him by the head and rammed him through a nearby mountain. Ichigo cursed again loudly. It looked like he had no other choice but to make a mess.

In a flash he was upon Kamina and employed the use of Zangetsu rather than his claws. Kamina, unable to summon Gurren, was forced to defend with his newly re-grown arms. He lost one but the other caught hold of the zanpakuto with the other and managed to drive it backwards to smack into Ichigo's face. Ichigo ignored the impact and rained sword blows down upon his hollow opponent.

Kamina jumped back but Ichigo didn't ease up the relentless cascade of rock splitting blows. The hollow bellowed in rage then caught the blade in its mouth. The metal cut deep but shattered as Kamina bit down.

Before Ichigo could jump back, Kamina grabbed his arms and locked him in place. Golden light began to form from every spike and spine across Kamina's body. A high pitched whining sound started to emanate from the light as it grew and grew.

"Shit!"

A golden apocalypse roared into life, consuming everything in its path. Ichigo was hit and sent several feet back with the force. The energy blazed all around him, reducing vast swathes of earth to dust.

"I won't let it end like this!" Ichigo screamed, fires of defiance burning fiercely within his eyes. Spiral energy swirled around him as he forced his foot to take a step forward. The energy had disintegrated his robes and hair and now burned and blistered his flesh. His hollow mask began to crack as he took another step through the beam toward Kamina.

Step after step, Ichigo inched closer to the source of the chaos, closer to Kamina until once again they were eye to eye.

"This ends now!" roared Ichigo as a section of his mask crumbled. "Limit break! Ultimate Getsuga Tensho!"

Ichigo swung his blade and a tidal wave of black power met with the golden laser. There was a crash that levelled every mountain and tree for a fifty mile radius, then there was only silence.

The silence droned on, going from seconds to minutes. Just as it began to feel like eternity might pass without sound there was a pained cough. Out of the smoke staggered a empowered Ichigo. His entire body was burned terribly and large sections had been badly damaged but hadn't been able to regenerate.

Kamina was laid out a slight distance from the centre of the new crater. Between Belfay, Kamina and Ichigo, the surrounding area was now several miles lower than it had been at the day's dawn. He was still in hollow form and too had suffered grievous damage. His body shook as he tried to rise but the strength required could no longer be mustered.

Ichigo dragged himself toward Kamina then fell to his knees beside him. With the last of his strength he grabbed hold of Kamina's mask and pulled with all of his remaining might. The mask came free with a burst of energy that knocked Ichigo back. Light swarmed over Kamina's body then faded to reveal him to be one more in human form.

Breathing heavily, Ichigo called fourth a Hell Butterfly. It sat gently upon his finger as he spoke. "Send a recovery squad to get us back to the Seireitei. Make sure Orihime is with them."

The black butterfly took off to deliver the message, leaving Ichigo and Kamina alone in the rubble. Ichigo could see no sign of life in Kamina, not even the slightest movement of the chest to indicate breathing. He doubted that the brawler would make it. Going full hollow for the first time really takes it out of a person's body at the best of times but after using so much energy and receiving so much damage, Kamina's body was a wreck.

Ichigo knew that he had to do something but kido was something that he had never gotten good with, especially healing spells. He was more likely to make Kamina implode than to successfully heal even a graze. He couldn't just sit by and do nothing though.

An idea struck him. "Well, here goes nothing." he announced to the silence. He place his hands over Kamina's chest and pumped a dose of spiral energy straight to the man's heart. Energy CPR was a dangerous action for both involved parties but Ichigo could see no other way to keep the renown blue haired lieutenant alive until Orihime arrived.

It was an hour until a squad of shinigami arrived on the scene, led by Orihime. Her look of horror was enough to demonstrate the destruction to the land that had been wrought. Upon seeing two bodies in the distance she dashed toward them with her fellow shinigami rushing to keep up.

Ichigo, what have you gotten into? What have we all gotten into?

She breathed a huge sigh of relief when she was finally able to inspect them. Both were alive, but barely. Orihime snapped into action. "Get both loaded up on the cart. I'll heal them as we travel. If we don't get them to the Fourth Division hospital soon then even I might not be able to save them fast enough."

"Yes Sir!" confirmed the assembled shinigami. They set to work immediately loading up the two men into a large cart equipped with basic medical supplies. Orihime jumped on and seconds later a warm orange glow covered the small bay.

000

A world full of pain greeted Kamina as his thoughts rearranged themselves into coherency. He blinked back the bleariness of his vision but it was quickly replaced with a brain pounding headache.

He was in a white room that he knew too well. The hospital. Shifting his position slightly to get a better view of his surroundings he saw that he had a visitor. Sat on a chair beside his bed was Captain Elie Elric. She too wore the hospital gown and her skin still looked pale and battered but she was able to move again which instantly put Kamina at ease.

"You're awake. How are you feeling?" she asked after noticing that his piercing crimson eyes were watching her.

"I feel like I've been on the receiving end of a giga drill break." he commented dryly. "What about you?"

She offered him a tired smile. "I won't be fighting any time soon but I'm stable. I owe you my life."

"Most people do." he answered proudly, his bluster returning. "If you want to start repaying it, how about telling me why I'm in here. I remember fighting that Meta-Spiral son-of-a-bitch and then nothing. The bastard didn't win me again did he?"

Elie frowned. "No. we presume you won that battle. Your inner hollow took over your body. It destroyed the King of the Spirits and nearly cost Captain Kurosaki his life to end your rampage. He is still in critical condition."

Kamina took this news without a single word. He stared blankly at the wall in front of him. He showed no sign of making any reaction so she continued.

"Without the King of Spirits, the universe is starting to fragment and splinter. Every dimension and time are melding together into one frothing hellhole. It has opened up the way to the world of the living though."

Kamina's eyes flickered at that part.

"We can get to the human world now. The captains are about to move out with the objective to kill Simon."

Suddenly Kamina's fist clenched. "Damn it! If I had been stronger none of this would have happened! How could I have let myself do that!"

Accompanying his outburst had been a sudden flare of power that had reduced his bed to matchsticks. He grit his teeth and pulled himself from the wreckage.

"Calm down." she cautioned him. "Your body is in no condition to move let alone do something stupid like that.

"I'm going with them." he declared in a low voice. "If anyone is going to fight Simon then it will be no one but me."

"Don't be an idiot. Even if you were fit enough to fight the strongest man in the galaxy, the other captain's wouldn't let you. After the damage you've caused they are contemplating whether or not to kill you and remove any further threats that you pose." Elie argued sternly.

Kamina staggered to the door. "I don't care. I'll fight every last captain if it's only to stand face to face with Simon. I owe him that much."

Elie laughed. "You are a stubborn man, Kamina Jiha. Let's hope that it pays off."

Kamina whipped off his hospital gown, much to Captain Elric's embarrassment, and threw on his black shinigami trousers. In one swift movement has cape was over his shoulders and his shades were planted firmly over his eyes. With a feral grin he turned to her. "Just who the hell do you think I am?" said cockily before dashing out of the room to find the shinigami captains.

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A/N: Hey one and all. Welcome to yet another chapter of TTGLX, Brothers to the End. Sorry this chapter is a bit short but I didn't want another Dragon Ball Z type ultra-battle that lasted ages.

I'm getting my mojo back so hopefully regular updates will soon recommence. On a side note, the next chapter will be a bit different so hopefully you'll all enjoy it. The omake should be up in a few days.

Thanks for reading, please tell me your thought or ideas. I appreciate all comments and any questions will be answered ASAP so ask away.

Enjoy the rest of your week

- FWF