First off, thank you to my first patron! Truth be told, I was a bit uncertain if this thing would actually work, but it has finally taken off. I will also point out, that previously it had been for motivation, but now, I'm depending on it to reach $150-200 a month, for me to pay for rural allocation for my studies. If I can't reach this quota by the end of the year, I may have to take a hiatus for anywhere between 1 and 5 years, to get a part time job along with my studies, which I really don't want, so please support me if you can. Even a single dollar a month would go a long way, but I understand that not everyone can, as I too appreciate how difficult money is to come by these days.
On to the story. I know for certain, some of you are not going to like the turn I take in this chapter with Ichigo's powers, but rest assured, it is necessary; will be partially explained next chapter and will also have strong implications for my original arc, revolving around Aizen, and my take on the Zanpakutou arc. I can already hear the cries of plot convenience and what not, but trust me, that isn't the case and this is in fact backed up from stuff Urahara has said in canon.
Also, I need to make this clear. Masaki will say numerous embarrassing things, but that is because she is being an overbearing mother… in other words, no incest. I'm not doing that, nor will I ever do it. I can only even read it in certain scenarios and even then, the story better be bloody awesome. So, to reiterate, no Ichigo/Masaki. I can tease things to make things awkward, but nothing will happen. I repeat, no incest… Kukaku on the other, I can consider, as cousins isn't that out there for me, as opposed to mother and son. I'd be a hypocrite to think so, considering I have family members who are in fact cousins, who had children together… but once again, no Ichigo/Masaki. Not. Happening.
Also, only one exam to go, so I'm almost free and I'll be able to write a lot for a good few weeks. May need to have my surgery sometime mid-December, but not set in stone yet.
Oh, and one last thing in regards to pacing. The story so far has been fast paced and that is intentional, as events are being moved along quickly, due to unforeseen events occurring in Aizen's plan… that being said, after the execution mess is sorted out, things will slow down a lot and I will flesh out the characters more. I know how canon Rangiku, Ichigo, Orihime, Chad, Uryuu, Isshin etc. act, and I'm not going to tamper with their core attributes, but I am going to mould them slightly more to my liking. I mean, Isshin is so goofy to Ichigo all the time, then he finger flicks Aizen… that is badass… or how later in the manga, we get to see how childish Masaki actually is… these are things I would like to play out, as well as for the other characters and their later development. In two chapters or so, you will start to see how I am beginning to change Orihime (who, by the way, has arguably one of the most powerful abilities in the world, second maybe only to Yhwach's omniscient powers), as well as a few others. I know no one has asked yet, given you are probably waiting for the Fullbringer arc, but if you haven't noticed by now, I'm messing a lot of things around from the canon timeline, while still sticking to it as far as major events go… but anyway, what I was getting at, was that Riruka will be coming into the story soon as well.
Lastly, for those of you worried about Masaki being in Ichigo's mind, this isn't permanent. She will get out of there eventually, but it will still be a little bit longer. If you must know, she will still be in there when Ichigo meets Riruka, but before the war kicks into gear, she will be out. That gives you a big timeframe to work with for when her eventual exodus occurs.
Next chapter may take a little longer to get out though, as right now, I just have a massive 9K+ wall of text, which I need to figure out where to split into two separate chapters and flesh out a few things, possibly splitting it into three chapters. That being said, it ends at the end of the execution stuff, so you can kind of figure out what will be in it, but of course, I changed things around…
Well, that's all for now, so enjoy the chapter.
SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan.
Disclaimer – I don't own anything from the Bleach anime/manga. All I own are my original characters and plot twists.
'Talking'
"Thinking"
'Hollow, Inner Hollow or Zanpakutou talking'
"Hollow, Inner Hollow or Zanpakutou thinking"
*expression*
Flashback
Chapter 9 – Combat
Ichigo winced internally, feeling the massive Reiatsu from before getting closer and closer to him.
'Just stop running and take this guy out!' Shouted Zangetsu.
"I can't! If I fight this guy, I'm going to have to go all out and that will bring way too much attention to my presence." Refused Ichigo.
'Ichigo, it isn't often I agree with Zangetsu, but today is proving odd in that respect, even if you don't fight, his massive Reiatsu as he chases you, is a very large beacon towards your position.' Added Y.
'Yep, they're right Ichigo.' Chirped Masaki.
Ichigo grunted in annoyance, before coming to a stop between two high walls, the space between them not much larger than a large corridor, about four metre across. Ichigo hoped the cramped area would work to his advantage, forcing his opponent to take his attacks head on… but he didn't realise just how much his opponent loved to do exactly that.
'Stopped running did you.' Said the hulking man, as he dropped down a few metres away from Ichigo.
The man held a wild and aggressive appearance, along with a long, thin scar running down the left side of his face. He wore, what Ichigo now realised, was the haori of a captain, only his was much more frayed, than that of the white haired captain he had just left behind. His hair was styled into stiff strands and had small bells attached to it at its tips. Additionally, he wore an eyepatch on his right eye.
'Why are you chasing me?' Shouted Ichigo in annoyance.
'I felt your power, you're hiding it, but I know it's there.' Said the man, with a bloodthirsty grin.
'What do you want?' Asked Ichigo carefully.
'Isn't it obvious? A fight!' Growled the man in excitement.
'Fine. I'll fight you just to get you out of the way. I'm here to save my friends and I'm not going to let you stop me!' Declared Ichigo in frustration.
'Friends? You mean those Ryoka?' Questioned the man.
'Yeah and Rukia too.' Said Ichigo, his mouth setting in a thin line.
'Ho, in that case, if you beat me here, I'll help you guys out.' Offered the captain.
'Why?' Asked Ichigo cautiously.
'I just want a good fight. I am Kenpachi Zaraki, Captain of the Eleventh Division and my division is all about fighting. If you beat me, I'll help you out, as long as you agree to fight me again afterwards.' Said Kenpachi.
'Fine, we have a deal.' Said Ichigo, pulling Zangetsu off his back.
'Yay! Kenny gets to fight!' Declared a lump of pink, which popped up over Kenpachi's left shoulder.
'Yachiru, go sit on the side.' Ordered Kenpachi of the little girl.
'Okay Kenny!' Cheered the little girl, before hopping over to one of the nearby walls, perching herself precariously along it.
'Well, are you ready?' Asked Ichigo.
'First, tell me your name.' Said Kenpachi, grinning in excitement.
'Ichigo Kurosaki.' Said Ichigo, as he brought his sword in front of him.
'Alright then, Kurosaki, I'll even give you the first shot since you agreed to this.' Said Kenpachi, as he opened his robes more and patted his chest tauntingly.
Ichigo narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
'Why?' Asked Ichigo carefully.
'I need to make sure you're going to be a challenge.' Said Kenpachi matter-of-factly.
'Do it! This guy is literally asking for it!' Shouted Zangetsu, with a bloodthirsty grin of his own.
'Fine, but if you go down here now, it's all your fault, remember that.' Said Ichigo, as he tightened his grip on Zangetsu.
'Good words, now back them up.' Said Kenpachi in excitement.
Ichigo disappeared and reappeared only a metre away from Kenpachi, his blade glowing with dark red and black energy.
Ichigo roared and slashed his blade down on Kenpachi, the energy around his blade exploding upon contact with the man's torso, causing dust to cover the area. Ichigo walked out of the dust cloud, back to where he was standing before.
'Sorry about that.' Said Ichigo, sparing a glance to the pink haired girl.
'Don't worry, Kenny is just getting started.' Said Yachiru happily.
Ichigo looked at her in confusion, before a monstrous wave of yellow energy exploded behind him, pushing away all the dust, revealing a demonic figure.
A fairly deep cut along Kenpachi's chest, falling diagonally from right pectoral to his left abdominal muscles, bled heavily. Kenpachi's yellow energy swirled around him menacingly. Looking at him, Ichigo thought that all the Hollows he had seen before today, paled in comparison to his menacing form.
'That was pretty good, I even got knocked out back there for a second. I guess I don't need to hold back.' Said Kenpachi approvingly.
Ichigo noticed his eyepatch was missing now.
'What the hell are you?' Shouted Ichigo, as even though Kenpachi was bleeding heavily, he looked ecstatic.
'I live for a good fight.' Said Kenpachi seriously.
Ichigo looked at him in confusion.
'Don't tell me you don't understand? When it is only you against everyone else, thrown in the middle of combat, thinking only of the fight, that is the best feeling in the world!' Exclaimed Kenpachi excitedly.
'I'm not here for fun, I came here for a reason. Every time I swing my blade, it is to bring me one step closer to saving my friends.' Retorted Ichigo.
Kenpachi frowned at this.
'Here I thought you were a man… turns out you're just a little boy with a toy.' Commented Kenpachi unhappily.
Ichigo gripped his sword in annoyance.
'Little boy with a toy…I'll show you!' Roared Ichigo in anger, before charging at Kenpachi and swinging his blade down on the captain again.
A heavy clang rang out this time. Kenpachi had raised a chipped sword to meet Zangetsu.
Ichigo blinked in shock, Kenpachi was only using one hand and he wasn't even in a strong stance. He was standing there, casually, sword held lazily in his right hand.
'What's wrong? You going to fight me seriously now?' Questioned Kenpachi in boredom.
Ichigo quickly leapt back and reassessed his situation. Giving a quick frown, he disappeared in a buzz of Sonido and appeared behind Kenpachi, hoping to cut him down, only to find Kenpachi had grabbed his blade, with his bare hand.
'I'm not holding back anymore you know… if you keep this up, I'll kill you.' Said Kenpachi coldly, before slashing at Ichigo.
Reappearing a few metres back, Ichigo dropped to his knees. Kenpachi had cut him deeply just then, tearing through his robes and letting blood fall to the ground.
'Oi, Ichigo get serious!' Reprimanded Zangetsu, as he used his power to heal Ichigo's cut.
Unluckily for Ichigo, Kenpachi noticed his fast healing and grinned.
'So you can take a hit, can you?' Questioned Kenpachi happily.
Ichigo scowled, before raising his sword, as Kenpachi was upon him instantly. Grunting in exertion, the ground cratered under Ichigo, as he tried to hold firm against Kenpachi's downward slash. The struggle continued for a few seconds, before Kenpachi broke through Ichigo's guard and slashed horizontally, cutting across Ichigo's chest again and this time, slicing his left biceps deeply as well.
Growling, Ichigo tried to strike Kenpachi, only to barely draw a thin line of blood along his left forearm.
Kenpachi merely grinned, before slashing at Ichigo again, cutting across his chest once more, leaving a plus shaped mark of blood, along the left side of Ichigo's torso, before Ichigo retreated again.
'So, even when you are running away, you can still cut me.' Said Kenpachi appraisingly, as he looked at his left forearm in interest.
Ichigo merely panted, as Zangetsu healed his wounds.
'Although, if you don't come at me seriously, I'll take you down here and now.' Said Kenpachi warningly.
'Alright Ichigo, this time, I'll give you the name of my attack. It will be the only way to get through this guy.' Said Zangetsu sourly, glancing to Y in Ichigo's mind.
Ichigo huffed, as he straightened his back.
"Sure I earned it?" Asked Ichigo.
'I guess you kind of have by now… but if you want more power after this, you're going to have to do something serious. For now though, I'll give you the name, but from now on, I'm not going to boost your attack anymore, that, you'll have to earn, by beating me. In the meantime, you need to use your own power.' Said Zangetsu, to which Ichigo grunted.
"And you choose now of all times to throw me in danger…" Thought Ichigo in annoyance.
'If I'm always babying you, you will never get stronger.' Shrugged Zangetsu.
'Fine, but you asked for this.' Said Ichigo threateningly, before raising his sword above his right shoulder.
Kenpachi merely grinned in response, as Ichigo's sword thrummed with energy.
'Getsuga Tenshou!' Shouted Ichigo, as he swung his Zanpakutou, releasing a pale blue, crescent shaped, blast of energy, at the bloodthirsty captain.
Kenpachi grinned savagely, raised his sword and brought it down against the attack, fighting against it for supremacy, before he batted it aside, destroying the wall that Yachiru wasn't sitting on.
'Good. Very good, great! That's what I'm talking about! Now give me more!' Roared Kenpachi in excitement, before charging at Ichigo.
Ichigo stepped back in fear, before leaping back, trying to avoid the charging captain, only to find him right in front of him, his sword swung upwards this time, opening Ichigo's guard. Kenpachi then followed up his initial attack, by swinging down again and sending Ichigo flying through the air, before he crashed into the ground, his chest bleeding heavily.
'You can take over for now.' Drawled Zangetsu, unbeknownst to Ichigo.
'Ichigo, if that's all you've got, you aren't saving your friends. If anything, they'd be better off without you. If you try and go against the rest of the captains like this, you won't win.' Said Kenpachi, with a frown.
Ichigo groaned and struggled to get back to his feet, grunting with exertion, he managed to get on his knees, using his left hand to support himself, Zangetsu held in his right hand on the ground.
'Is that it?' Asked Kenpachi in disappointment.
'Ichigo, why are you hesitating?' Questioned Y, as he appeared next to Kenpachi, who was suddenly frozen.
'Why are you paralysed in fear?' Asked Y.
'He's too…' Started Ichigo, before Y cut him off.
'Strong? You are stronger, he is weak. Do you not hear his blade cry out in vain? His blade is mourning. They do not trust each other and when they fight side-by-side, they will diminish each other's strength. Someone who relies only on oneself, they cannot be strong. Do you trust me, Ichigo?' Questioned Y.
'Of course I do. You are a part of me, aren't you?' Answered Ichigo, before Zangetsu crumbled in his hand and faded into blue spirit particles.
'That is Zangetsu, not I.' Said Y, in response to Ichigo's gobsmacked look.
Suddenly, time resumed and Kenpachi was walking over to Ichigo once again. Ichigo could still see Zangetsu behind Kenpachi and didn't know what to do.
'What happened to your sword? Did you give up?' Questioned Kenpachi sourly.
'If you wish to survive Ichigo, you must know what I am. You know the answer deep down, as I am a part of you, you need to acknowledge it though.' Said Y coolly, even as a monster advanced on his partner.
'If that's all you've got, its better I just end you now.' Said Kenpachi, before he raised his blade high into the air.
'No, I won't lose here!' Shouted Ichigo, as blue particles of energy gathered around his left hand.
Ichigo slashed upwards and cut into Kenpachi's chest deeply, causing him to stagger a step, giving Ichigo a chance to leap back.
Now tipped with blood, was a completely black blade, just like Zangetsu. Its size however, was different, being relatively small, about the size of Ichigo's arm, but was similar to the first blade in shape. Although, unlike Ichigo's previous blade, it resembled a trench knife, more than a sword. It also had an enclosed handle, with a portion acting like a hand guard.
Ichigo gripped his new blade tightly and felt energy, not just from it, but also from the air around him. It was invigorating, feeling the rush of energy around him, pulsing in sync with his heart, thrumming through his blood.
'Now Ichigo, use my power.' Said Y, and Ichigo felt as though the spirit was standing behind him.
White energy with a blue tint burst from around Ichigo, enveloping him in a vortex of power, swirling around him uncontrollably.
'So, you want to get serious now huh? Interesting, sounds fun.' Said Kenpachi, with a grin, as yellow energy burst around him, causing Ichigo to see an ominous skull behind him.
'Abandon your fear. Look forward. Move forward and never stop. You'll age if you pull back. You'll die if you hesitate.' Said Y to Ichigo.
"I won't fear, I won't pull back, I won't hesitate. I have you and Zangetsu on my side." Thought Ichigo.
'Me too Ichigo.' Added Masaki firmly.
"Yes, you too." Agreed Ichigo, with a smile, before charging at Kenpachi, who mirrored his actions.
The two glowing figures each swung their blades, Ichigo from the ground up and Kenpachi down, in a diagonal slash from right to left. The two blades clashed and an explosion of energy was released, hiding the two opponents from view.
As the light faded, Yachiru looked at the aftermath with a smile and jumped off the wall that hadn't been destroyed.
'Thanks for the great fight Icchi. I hope you stick around, because I'm sure Kenny would love to fight you again.' Said Yachiru, as she hefted the large man on her shoulders easily, despite her diminutive frame.
Ichigo didn't respond and dropped to his knees in fatigue. Along his body, a faint pattern tracing the veins along his chest and the arteries along his arms was present.
-line break-
Leaping away, the captain and lieutenant pair made their way to the barracks of the Fourth Division.
'Well Kenny, did you have fun?' Asked Yachiru, as they hopped along the rooftops and walls of the Seireitei.
'You bet, first thing tomorrow, we go break that kid's friends out and after this is all over, I'm fighting him again.' Said Kenpachi happily.
'Yay Kenny!' Cheered Yachiru.
-line break-
The blade in Ichigo's hands broke down into Reishi once again. Ichigo then lurched over and landed on his hands and knees, panting in exertion.
Feeling people approaching, Ichigo mustered what strength he had left and quickly vanished, just as multiple people dropped down at the site of the battle, looking like ninjas, all clad in black.
One of them, probably the leader of the group, gave a quick hand signal and they all disappeared once again. Anyone capable of fighting Kenpachi without restraint and being able to escape afterwards, warranted the attention of their captain.
-line break-
Ichigo managed to find a small warehouse, that seemed to house a collection of small double edged-swords. The warehouse didn't look abandoned, but didn't appear to be frequently used either, so Ichigo decided it would be a safe place to rest for an hour or two. Leaning against a wooden board, he closed his eyes and fell asleep, instantly waking up in his inner world.
'So what happened back there? Why'd you disappear?' Asked Ichigo of Zangetsu, upon spotting them.
'You aren't strong enough yet to hold us at the same time.' Said Zangetsu, with a frown.
'What do you mean? Aren't you both part of my soul? Why do I need to be stronger to use you?' Questioned Ichigo.
'Ichigo, we may be part of your soul, but we are also separate at the same time. I told you before, you are strong because you work with us, however, we, and by extension you, are too strong, to use us at the same time, without you, and by extension us, becoming stronger.' Said Y.
Ichigo merely gave the dark haired spirit a confused look.
'I'll explain.' Said Masaki, getting Ichigo to look at her.
'Basically, the power of those two is great, as is your potential, Ichigo, since one day you will be able to all work together. The problem now though, is that you yourself are not powerful enough to take the strain of wielding both of them at the same time, given how immensely powerful they are, not to mention how much stronger they can become in time. For that reason, you need to become stronger in order to unleash your true power.' Explained Masaki.
'Oh, now I get it… but how do I get stronger?' Asked Ichigo.
'The soul grows during life and death battles… as much as I hate to say it… the only way for you to get stronger, is to fight strong people, people who will push you to your limits and then, even more than that.' Said Masaki tentatively.
'Plus, from now on, we aren't going to hold your hand. I kept you alive in Hueco Mundo and at the beginning against that Kenpachi guy.' Said Zangetsu.
'Then I helped you defeat Kenpachi by channelling your power so you could use it.' Said Y.
'But now, you must get stronger on your own.' Said both Zangetsu and Y.
'We will make sure to keep you alive though, she will too.' Said Zangetsu, pointing at Masaki.
'Although, now you must fight, scratch and claw for your true power. You've seen what you are capable of, but now, you must force it from us. Prove to us that you can handle it.' Said Y.
'Since we can't let you use our true forms right now, we decided that we would give you an incomplete form of both our powers.' Said Zangetsu, before he reached behind his back and pulled off a sword that looked like an overgrown Khyber knife, not too dissimilar to Zangetsu's true form.
It was as tall as Ichigo and had a silver hilt with grey wrappings, as well as a short length of chain at its base. The blade itself was black, possessing a silver edge and was shaped similar to a trench knife, like Y's blade had been, curving inwards at the backside of the tip.
'Until you can earn it from each of us, this will be your weapon.' Said Zangetsu, as he flipped the sword over to Ichigo, who deftly caught it.
Ichigo marvelled at the blade. It didn't feel like one of his spirits or the other, but rather, like a strange mix of the two. He could feel Zangetsu's bloodlust, but also Y's calm. There was a strange balance to the blade that Ichigo found comforting, as if it was complete, but not at its full potential yet.
'Now, while we have some time, we are each going to teach you one thing before sending you back out there. Don't want you dying after all.' Said Zangetsu.
'Yep, I'll teach you my most iconic skill, called Blut Vene. It will give you immense durability when you use it. Since we don't have a lot of time though, I won't be able to teach you how to completely block an attack, but I will teach you how to use it to stop blood loss from critical wounds, which is also the easier part to it.' Said Masaki happily.
'I shall teach you how to control your energy and channel it. If you can grasp it, this will allow you to prevent unnecessary energy expenditure and also, enable you to inflict an attack with the same power as you could previously, but with less energy put into it. Additionally, it will help you control your Reiatsu and hide it with practise.' Said Y.
'And I, will be teaching you how to utilise high-speed regeneration… and I'm first, too bad for you Ichigo.' Said Zangetsu, with a bloodthirsty grin, before materialising a sword just like Ichigo's, only with the colours of the blade being inverted.
Ichigo grunted as their blades clashed and struggled to hold against Zangetsu. Zangetsu merely grinned, before flipping over Ichigo's head and slashing him deeply along his back, while being upside down and in mid-air.
Ichigo grunted in pain, before turning around, as Zangetsu gave an upward slash, which he hastily blocked, only to find the blade slashing across his chest in an instant, cutting from right shoulder to left hip.
Quickly leaping back, Ichigo tried to regain his breath, only for Zangetsu to cackle and grip the sword from the chain at its hilt and start swinging the blade, shocking Ichigo.
Ichigo quickly ducked, as the blade flew through the air at him and only barely dodged it, suffering a nick to the left of his robes, where his stomach had been previously.
Taking a chance, Ichigo charged at Zangetsu and tried to cut him down, seeing as he had no weapon nearby. A quick cut to his left trapezius proved otherwise, as Zangetsu had harshly pulled on the chain, causing the blade to fly back swiftly.
'Come on Ichigo, remember the goal, you're supposed to be practising high-speed regeneration.' Mocked Zangetsu, in a singsong voice.
'And how do I do that exactly?' Grunted Ichigo sourly.
'Not telling, you felt it before, replicate that feeling. If you don't… well, you're in for a bad time.' Said Zangetsu, with a grin.
"I'm starting to regret this already." Thought Ichigo in annoyance, gritting his teeth as his wounds started to sluggishly heal.
-line break-
Soifon was many things: Captain of the 2nd Division, Commander-in-Chief of the Special Forces, Corps Commander of the Executive Militia Corp. With these titles, came a severity to her personality. It hadn't always been so ever-present, but certain events had led to it being the only side she showed now.
When a patrol unit had reported to her, telling her that a new Ryoka had entered the Seireitei and they hadn't tracked them down, she was angry. Hearing that he had just fought Kenpachi and fled, made her even more annoyed that they hadn't been caught. However, upon hearing that Kenpachi had been recently admitted to the Fourth Division for healing, had changed her mind. Someone who could take on Kenpachi Zaraki… brutish though he may be, he was by no means weak, which said volumes about whoever had faced him, and won for that matter. It was just too bad for him, he had managed to stumble into the grounds of the Second Division and she happened to be there.
The intruder had orange hair, something Soi Fon found mildly odd, however, she was most surprised, to see him wearing the robes of a Shinigami and even had a Zanpakutou of his own, held in a sheath of cloth on his back.
Soi Fon watched him enter the shadows and begin to dash away, at a speed she found impressive. At the very least, the fool understood how to be stealthy, which made her wonder why he had fought with Kenpachi.
Following him for a minute, she realised he was making his way to where Rukia Kuchiki was held, in preparation for her execution tomorrow. He managed to evade quite a few patrols, which caused her to frown, after this was over, they were going to have their training stepped up. It was dark now, night would soon be upon the Seireitei, but that was no excuse.
Approaching the grove under Soukyoku Hill, Soi Fon picked that moment to act. Quick as a flash, she had appeared behind the invader and struck, aiming right for his heart. Ryoka or not, the Special Forces almost always took no prisoners. With some surprise, the boy managed to dodge somewhat, instead getting stabbed through his right biceps, before quickly wrenching himself free and creating space between them.
'Great, another captain, just my luck.' Mumbled Ichigo in annoyance, as he gripped his wound.
'You should give up now. I was going for the kill there, but if you give yourself up now, you may only suffer imprisonment in the Nest of Maggots.' Said Soi Fon coldly.
'Death or life in prison… I'd rather option three.' Commented Ichigo dryly.
'There is no option three.' Said Soi Fon, sheathing her sword, much to Ichigo's surprise, which was compounded, when she disappeared and lashed out with a kick aimed at his head.
Raising his right arm to block, Ichigo winced as her powerful kick struck his wounded arm and jumped back quickly, only to find her pursuing him. Soi Fon launched a series of rapid kicks, which Ichigo either dodged or blocked, wincing when he was forced to use his right arm. Eventually, Soi Fon let up her barrage of kicks and used Shunpo to appear behind him, attempting to sweep his legs.
In a rare feat of agility and flexibility from the large teen, Ichigo back flipped over the attack and launched an axe kick down on the petite captain, only for her to easily push it to the side and enter his guard, before lashing out with a punch to his gut, which sent Ichigo flying back and crashing into the ground.
Ichigo grunted on the ground in pain, before quickly rolling to the side and jumping away, as Soi Fon launched an axe kick of her own, in the place his head had just been previously, cratering the ground slightly. Not letting her assault stop for a moment, she quickly kicked off the ground and thrust her elbow into Ichigo's gut, causing him to double over, before a right roundhouse launched him left, his shoulder digging a trench through the grassy terrain, as he crashed against it.
'Last chance before I go for the kill.' Warned Soi Fon coldly, as Ichigo struggled to his feet.
Giving a grunt of discomfort, Ichigo channelled his Reiryoku into his arm, causing it to slowly heal.
Soi Fon watched with narrowed eyes at this, waiting for his response.
'I'm just getting started.' Panted Ichigo.
'Foolish, trying to assault the Seireitei is a sure way to be crushed. For what reason do you hope to invade us?' Scoffed Ichigo.
'My friends are here and I'll save them, I won't leave anyone behind.' Said Ichigo tiredly.
Soi Fon gave a small scowl, before disappearing and reappearing behind Ichigo again, sword drawn, aiming for his heart once more. To Soi Fon's shock though, Ichigo had blocked her attack, holding his sword sideways and using the flat of the blade to prevent being killed.
'I'm not going to lose here.' Growled Ichigo, before pushing his blade out to the side, opening up the captain's guard and launching a kick into her gut, which sent her back.
Soi Fon grunted, for a Ryoka, he was pretty strong. So was she though… stronger than her even.
Soi Fon scowled and gripped her blade with her right hand.
'Sting all Enemies to Death, Suzumebachi.' Said Soi Fon, as her sword was enveloped in a glow.
When the glow died out, it was revealed that Suzumebachi had now taken on the form of a black and gold gauntlet, with a small chain linking it to a stinger-like blade on Soi Fon's middle finger. The stinger was about twice as long as the normal length of her fingers, slightly increasing her striking distance. The colours and pattern of the weapon resembled those of a hornet.
In a burst of speed, Soi Fon had appeared in front of Ichigo and before he could react, stabbed him in his right forearm, before he managed to leap back.
'This is it, come quietly or you will perish, if I strike that area once more, you will die.' Said Soi Fon gravely.
'So you mean if you hit this thing again, I die, is that right?' Asked Ichigo, holding his arm up, gesturing to a butterfly-shaped stamp that had appeared there, after he had been stabbed.
'Correct.' Said Soi Fon.
'In that case, I need to thank Zangetsu after this.' Said Ichigo, confusing Soi Fon.
She watched curiously as he raised his blade and raised her hand in preparation, only to gasp in shock, as he swung his blade down on his arm and cut it off.
Ichigo grunted in pain as blood spurted out, before the flow was quickly cut off.
'Need to thank mom after this as well.' Muttered Ichigo.
'You're insane!' Shouted Soi Fon.
'Maybe.' Agreed Ichigo, with a wince.
'Why are you so set on your goal that you would willingly cut off your own arm for it?' Asked Soi Fon sharply.
'My friends are everything to me, without them, I'd be all alone, and having two arms and no friends is worse than one arm and two friends.' Laughed Ichigo weakly.
Soi Fon growled once again.
'Besides, this isn't permanent.' Grunted Ichigo weakly, before focusing his Reiryoku around the stump of his forearm, before giving a mighty roar, as bone, sinew and muscle burst from the stump, after which, it was quickly covered with skin.
Soi Fon looked on in shock as Ichigo flexed his new arm.
'That may be useful, but it still hurts like hell.' Said Ichigo, pulling his sleeve back down, having raised it before cutting off his arm.
'What are you?' Asked Soi Fon suspiciously.
'Someone who would do anything to save his friends.' Said Ichigo sternly, pointing his blade at Soi Fon.
Soi Fon gave one last growl, before shooting off at Ichigo, stabbing relentlessly. Every jab Soi Fon attempted was either dodged by Ichigo, or batted away by his blade. He did his best to avoid every stab, even if it opened him up to kicks and punches from the assassin. Back and forth the two went, Ichigo receiving kicks and punches, one after the other, while Soi Fon kept trying to stab him.
Eventually, Ichigo slipped up and was stabbed in his right shoulder and from that point on, guarded it more carefully, only to suffer a strike on his left biceps after that. Throwing his sword in a quick movement, Ichigo forced Soi Fon to temporarily retreat, before she shot at him again, trying to attack him while he was weapon-less, only to find said weapon flying dangerously close to her head.
Ducking under the blade, she stabbed him quickly in his left calf, before he brought up his right leg and kicked her away, suffering a strike to his quadriceps in retaliation. There was no time to rest for either combatant, Ichigo needed to prevent getting stabbed by the relentless captain in the same place twice and Soi Fon needed to make sure Ichigo couldn't cut off the areas where he had been stabbed. As the fight continued, Ichigo started to adjust to Soi Fon's movements and started to bring his sword into play more often, now trying to strike the captain, instead of merely using it to block or distract with.
Soi Fon was undeterred though, and quickly snuck under his arms, striking his left forearm this time, only to find a knee flying right into her face. A hasty block saved her nose from being crushed and also gave her a stab to his left knee for her troubles, but she was still struck and sent back in mild discomfort.
Ichigo panted, after enduring the relentless barrage from the captain and took a moment to catch his breath.
Soi Fon assessed her opponent quickly. He made no move to cut off his limbs, which led her to believe that the act of regenerating, must take a lot out of him. Multiple butterfly shaped stamps were present on the parts of his skin that were visible, with many more, hidden to most, on his black clothing.
'You're… a lot more trouble than Kenpachi was.' Huffed Ichigo tiredly.
'Don't compare me to that brute who can only swing a sword. I am the leader of the Stealth Forces, killing is my speciality and stealthy kills are my strongest asset.' Grunted Soi Fon.
'I'll bet.' Agreed Ichigo.
'You can still quit now, I'm not unfair. You fought well for a Ryoka, there is no shame in giving up now. If you are lucky, one day you could even join the Special Forces, if you aren't executed.' Said Soi Fon.
'Well, that offer sounds lovely… but I'm just human, I don't think I can get into the assassin business.' Joked Ichigo.
'Human?' Questioned Soi Fon suspiciously.
'Yeah, Ichigo Kurosaki, fifteen year old high school student.' Chuckled Ichigo.
'You're fifteen, human and can keep up with me, someone with centuries of experience.' Said Soi Fon, looking as though she had just swallowed a lemon.
'People don't like my hair, I get into a lot of fights. I did Karate for a bit as well.' Shrugged Ichigo.
'A fresh amateur can actually stand against me… even if I'm not going all out… I believe I'm going to strong arm you into joining us, especially since you are much better than my Lieutenant.' Said Soi Fon, with a tinge of annoyance in her voice, when mentioning her subordinate.
'Sorry, I need to finish school first before joining the military.' Joked Ichigo tiredly.
'Tell me this, why are you going so far to save the prisoner?' Asked Soi Fon curiously.
'Because she helped me save my family and she is my friend, that is enough reason for me to enter hell, or I suppose in this case, heaven itself to save her.' Answered Ichigo.
'I'm sure you know by now, you can't beat me. One more stab and you are done for.' Pointed out Soi Fon.
'I know, you're definitely more trouble than Kenpachi, but, even if I can't take you out with this attack like I did to him.' Said Ichigo, raising his blade as it thrummed with Reiryoku, Reiatsu swirling around him violently.
'I can at least escape for now.' Said Ichigo, before swinging his blade.
'Getsuga Tenshou!' Shouted Ichigo, before the familiar, crescent shaped, blue energy attack, was launched at the captain.
Soi Fon quickly dodged the attack, shooting into the air and back to avoid it, taking a brief moment to observe the explosion the attack caused, as it struck the ground and hid everything from view. Shooting through the dust cloud quickly, causing it to disperse, Soi Fon looked around and noticed that the Ryoka was gone. As her stinger reverted back to a blade, she sheathed it and turned away in annoyance, before heading back to her division.