Chapter six
Hanataro couldn't quite put his finger on it, but it felt like Ichigo had changed somehow. Maybe it was the way he talked or the way he walked…
No… It was like everything had changed, save for his physical appearance.
"Ichigo…"
"Hanatro, take Ganju and go back underground. I'm going to drag this Captain away, so this place will get filled by other Soul Reapers." Ichigo ordered, not breaking eye contact with Kenpachi.
"What about Lieutenant Abarai?" Hanatro asked, glancing back at the Lieutenant, who was still bleeding profusely.
Hanataro could hear Ichigo's teeth grinding in frustration and annoyance. He turned, a scowl on his face, and said, "As I said, this place is just waiting for other Soul Reapers to arrive. Leave Renji there and he'll get saved by his friends."
Hanataro nodded, standing up. As he took a step in the direction of the beaten Ganju, his feet froze. An unimaginable level of blood lust was coming from the Captain. When Hanatro fearfully looked at Kenpachi, he noticed that the Captain's focus was only on the opponent in front of him.
Slowly, Hanatro took another step, then another, and Kenpachi's gaze didn't shift even for a second. It was like Hanataro didn't even exist for him. To any other man, it would have been an insult to their pride, but considering who Hanataro was and the situation he was currently in, he couldn't complain.
Hanataro skipped to where Ganju was, not daring to run under the pressure of these two. He slung Ganju's arm over his shoulder and carried him to the closed opening of the sewers. Hanataro tried to ignore the whispers of Ganju lamenting his weakness and opened the lid. He dumped Ganju first, and before he descended, gave one last look in the direction of Ichigo and Kenpachi.
Sighing to himself, Hanataro climbed the ladder down, placing the lid on it before exiting. 'Please don't die… Ichigo…'
With Hanataro and Ganju out of the way and the sewer lid closed, Ichigo took a step forward. Kenpachi followed suit, a feral grin starting to spread across his face. "Finally… I could barely contain myself long enough for those weaklings to leave."
Ichigo moved faster than Kenpachi was expecting, striking at him with the black sword from the left. Even caught off guard, Kenpachi managed to counter the surprise attack with his sword, the shockwave from their blades meeting shaking and even cracking the ground.
Another thing Kenpachi wasn't expecting was the second blade to come at him. The white blade from Ichigo's right flashed in the corner of the Captain's eye before slashing him across the cheek, leaving a gash.
But Kenpachi wasn't the kind of man to get scared by scratches. He lifted his sword in the air and slashed at Ichigo, but the orange-haired Soul Reaper was faster and dodged the attack by leaping back. As if he had seen it coming, Kenpachi charged after Ichigo swung his sword wildly around, cutting the air and the ground.
Ichigo flipped into the air at the last second, dodging a slash that would have cut him in two. Twisting his body in mid-air, Ichigo landed on his feet, having dealt a cross-shaped wound on Kenpachi's torso. Once again the Captain was unbothered and continued to attack, with Ichigo staying on the defensive, dodging and attacking whenever he could.
Kenpachi's grin only seemed to grow every second this fight lasted, but Ichigo's face stayed neutral throughout. Mentally though, Ichigo was thinking, planning, strategizing, and there was one thing he couldn't make heads or tails of.
'Why can't I cut him?'
Every time Ichigo found an opportunity to strike, he took it and managed to make a wound on the Soul Reaper, but the cuts were shallow, barely letting blood spill out.
His attacks weren't made half-heartedly either. Every single one of them was aiming for the kill. So why couldn't he cut this monster?
Ichigo leaped back once again, Kenpachi following after him in hot pursuit. 'I should have the upper hand in terms of everything… everything except raw strength…'
Kenpachi's and Ichigo's swords clashed once again. Ichigo pivoted and slipped past the Captain's sword. He aimed to pierce Kenpachi, but the Soul Reaper caught the sword with his bare hand, blood coming out.
Surprisingly, instead of trying to pull back or attack with his other sword, Ichigo let go of the blade, leaving it in Kenpachi's grip. The Soul Reaper stood still for a second, staring at the abandoned sword in his hand. His attention turned back to Ichigo when he laid a hand on the hilt of his remaining sword. Moving his hands slowly along the flat of the blade, Ichigo mumbled something to himself, a faint sea-green light coming from beneath him.
Just as his hand was about to slide off the blade it extended. The blade of the sword extended until it was the length of a longsword, a crystal-like formation expanding from the hilt to halfway up the sword.
"Kanshou Overedge!!"
Kenpachi stared wide-eyed. Did he just activate his Shikai? Had this kid been fighting him, Kenpachi Zaraki, the Captain of the strongest squad in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, without even using his Shikai?
He dropped the white blade Ichigo had left, it clattered on the ground before disappearing into a blue mist.
Kenpachi's fingers itched. He could feel his sword vibrating from the surge of Spiritual Pressure. He wanted to do nothing more than take off his eyepatch right then and there. First, it had been Ikkaku; hyping him up about the strength of the invading Ryoka, then it had been that kid with the glasses; the arrows yet to disappear from his back, and now it was this kid; fighting him of all people without a Shikai for almost half an hour now.
Even though he wanted to… Even though he craved it, Kenpachi couldn't remove his eyepatch just yet. The glasses-kid had fallen only fifteen minutes after using that transformation, leaving Kenpachi frustrated.
"Fifteen minutes!" He announced loudly, pointing his sword at Ichigo. He was holding his remaining sword with both hands, prepared to pounce on him at the drop of a hat. "I'll give you fifteen minutes. Afterward, I'll remove this eyepatch and then we can get to the good part!!"
Ichigo said nothing. Raising the sword above his head before letting it fall down again, aimed at the ground. As it made contact, the ground split, creating a gash in the battlefield.
"You won't even get past five."
"Bold words!" Kenpachi lifted his sword and struck the ground himself, creating a slightly larger split on the battlefield. "My name is Kenpachi Zaraki! Captain of Squad 11!! I shall hear your name once more, before your death."
Ichigo gave him an annoyed look. He then sighed and said in a harsh tone, "Archer…"
"Shit!"
Another one broke before he could even get close enough to take a swing.
Ichigo hadn't been keeping track of how many swords had broken by now, or how long he'd been fighting Ruler, but he knew that if he'd kept track, he'd have lost count long ago.
Even though their fight had lasted for a while, Ichigo wasn't anywhere closer to hitting or cutting Ruler. Every time Ichigo charged at the priest, his sword would get broken and he was forced to dodge unless he wanted a sword through the chest.
It had gotten to the point where Ruler was standing still on an elevated part of Ichigo's inner world. When Ichigo picked up a sword that appeared as soon as the last one broke, Ruler would simply chuck his own sword, shattering the Asauchi into pieces. And Ruler didn't even have to move from his spot to retrieve the blade! He'd simply pull out another one from somewhere and chuck it at Ichigo.
This stalemate they had, where Ruler broke Ichigo's swords and he'd dodge Ruler's, was there purely because Ruler wasn't trying. Ichigo was constantly on the back foot, dodging every attack by the skin of his teeth, but Ruler was comfortably standing, barely exerting himself.
"Oh wow, you dodged another one." Ruler commented lazily, a smirk splayed on his lips. "How unexpected…"
Ichigo felt his irritation rising even more at the constant taunting from Ruler. If he just had his sword hilt then he'd create a sword and be able to reinforce it. Then he'd show Ruler something truly unexpected.
But he didn't have his sword hilt. All he had were these useless Asauchi that broke easily from Ruler's attacks. If this was some kind of test then Archer would have to try to come up with something better.
"That was the fiftieth time your sword was broken," Ruler said, another dagger already in his hand. "will you change your strategy or will you keep…"
Ichigo didn't bother to listen to what he had to say. He picked up a new Asauchi from the ground and ran at Ruler. Sighing, "...running at me like an idiot." he prepared to throw the sword again, lining it up and then throwing.
Ichigo lifted his sword above his head, both hands on the hilt of it. He stopped running and focused. At first, the blade had been so fast that he could just barely see the sword being thrown at him, but now, if he concentrated, he could see the blade coming at him. He readied himself to strike and when the dagger came in range, Ichigo tried to strike it down with his katana.
Sparks flew out and a horrible sound of steel grinding against steel rang out. Ichigo's sword broke once again, but he didn't feel despair, quite the opposite actually. He had managed to block Ruler's sword if only for a few seconds, but to him, those few seconds were the best he'd done so far. The blade had also lost its momentum, so when it broke Ichigo's sword and came for him, he dodged with ease.
Feeling a rush from his achievement, Ichigo quickly picked up another Asauchi and started running at Ruler again, hoping to close the distance as much as possible.
His feeling of accomplishment was quickly shattered however as a sword came flying at him, too fast for him to even see before it was too late. The katana in his hands broke and when it did, Ichigo reflexively closed his eyes. He felt a throbbing pain come from his cheek. He opened his eyes and saw that Ruler had thrown two swords at once, one of them breaking his sword while the other nicked him on the chin.
When Ichigo looked down at his feet, he saw a barricade made out of six other identical swords. When he looked back at Ruler who stood a mere fifty feet away from Ichigo he saw that the grin was gone, replaced by an uncharacteristic look of seriousness.
"Those swords by your feet make the border." He said. His voice echoed in the vast emptiness around them. "The border between humans and monsters. If you choose to stay on that side I'll put a stop to this and we'll return to the world of the living. But if you step across, I'll fight you with all that I have until you can hit me."
Ichigo glanced down at the row of swords and felt a sudden sense of nausea washing over him. Gulping he turned his attention back to Ruler.
"Know this though… This side is filled with nothing but grief, danger, and pain. If-"
His speech was cut off when Ichigo took a step forward, crossing the so-called border between humans and monsters. "I don't care about what you're saying. You said that if I stay over there I'd go back to the world of the living, right? Then that makes this easier."
"Even if-"
"Shut the hell up and come at me!"
Ruler's features softened, even after Ichigo yelled and interrupted him again. A smile crept its way across his lips. He jumped down from the elevated building and crossed his arms across his chest. Two identical daggers came to him, the same ones he'd been using to break Ichigo's swords.
"Your confidence is admirable," he said. "...but that willpower and determination are truly something to behold."
Upon seeing the Captain's sword changing forms into three golden prongs coming out of a baby's head, Chad held up his arm in front of Orihime, shielding her. Instead of backing away, like Chad hoped she would, Orihime cast out the translucent golden shield, Protecting both of them from an attack from the Soul Reaper, but the Captain made no move so far, his head tilting left to right like a metronome.
His head came to a stop abruptly, as if he'd realized something. He sighed softly, closing his eyes. "I guess I can't just learn from observing…" The Captain disappeared from their sight, "... Hands-on research it is!" his voice came from behind them.
As Chad turned to face the man, he saw from the corner of his eye that the Captain was already on the attack, the strange blade already slicing through the air, aimed at his back. The Captain was too fast for him, he couldn't counter-attack in time to intercept the blade, but Orihime was faster.
"Santen Kesshun!" She called, the shield quickly repurposing itself between Chad and Mayuri, just in time.
Mayuri grunted in frustration when his blade scraped uselessly against the protective barrier. He leaped back, predicting a counter to come from Chad.
A chill and cold sweat ran through Chad's back as he glanced at Orihime, thanking her for the save. "It's fine," she said, a sheen of sweat on her forehead. "Just focus on attacking for now, I'll protect you from anything he does!"
Nodding, Chad reared his arm back, preparing to send another blast at the Captain. Orihime put down her shield to allow Chad the chance to attack, but once again the Captain dodged, landing on a wall above them.
He grit his teeth and cracked his fingers. "That shield and girl are a nuisance…" For a moment, he lowered his sword, clapping his hands together twice, and he called out, "Nemu!!" A second later, a woman with black hair and an impassive face appeared, kneeling next to the Captain.
"What do you need of me, Master Mayuri?" She asked, her voice just as neutral as her expression.
"You already know what I want you to do!" He snapped at her, "Don't ask such stupid questions, Nemu!"
Seeming to pause for a second, the woman lifted her face and nodded, "Yes sir."
Just like Mayuri had before, the woman disappeared from Chad's sight. He quickly looked around, trying to figure out where she was. As Chad whirled, he heard a shout come from Orihime. When he turned, he saw the woman Mayuri had summoned about to hit Orihime in the stomach with an open-palm strike.
Instantly Chad leaped at them, trying to save his friend, but Mayuri appeared in front of him, blocking his path. "It's better this way, right?" he said, a sadistic grin on his face.
Chad was prepared to remove the Captain from his way by any means necessary. He came to a halt, his feet sliding for a few feet before stopping. He sent a barrage of fists aimed at Mayuri's head, but the Captain skillfully dodged them, moving between Chad's punches gracefully. His movements reminded Chad of a snake.
Having noticed the woman coming for her, Orihime had tried to back away just before she could get hit, but the woman was too fast for her and her strike hit her in the stomach, making Orihime cough and sputter.
With the wind knocked out of her lungs, Orihime struggled to get the words out of her mouth, "S-sa…" but it was in vain, as the woman closed the distance in a second, turning so that her back was pressed against Orihime's front. With a push and using her legs as springs, the woman tackled Orihime, sending her into the wall, a few cracks forming in the stone because of it.
Upon seeing one of his closest friends getting beaten like that, a rage, unlike anything he'd ever felt before, began brewing within.
He hadn't felt this way before, not even when he was living in Mexico, fighting other hoodlums, who were like him. This Captain, or whoever, was quickly becoming someone that Chad hated; a trait not shared by many, if any at all.
Chad's punches quickened and he made them shorter, no longer throwing massive knockout punches. Instead, he opted to up the pace by throwing numerous random jabs with both hands to catch Mayuri off guard. But so far he had been unsuccessful, the Captain only sliding between his fists at an even faster speed than before.
The Captain's eyes never left Chad, not even to blink. It almost seemed like he was staring at something deeper than Chad's skin. It unsettled the Mexican and he was forced to up his speed.
After a few more minutes of Chad punching and Myuri dodging, one of them decided to break the deadlock. The one to break it was Chad.
Stopping his fists abruptly, Chad reared his transformed fist back and sent it flying toward Mayuri. And to the Captain's surprise, it connected. The punch didn't have enough power in it to send Mayuri flying, but it still twisted his head almost backward.
Chad kept his fist pressed against the Captain's cheek, smiling slightly to himself through his heavy breathing. After realizing that he couldn't hit his opponent with just speed, Chad had carefully aimed his punches in a certain way, to make Mayuri dodge in a rhythm, that had made it easy to predict where the Captain would dodge next. All he had to do then was wait for the opportunity and when it did, Chad took it without hesitation.
His victory was short-lived, however, as the Captain's head turned slightly due to Chad's fist still pressing on his cheek. When he couldn't turn his head any further, Mayuri's eyes darted to Chad. his eyes regarded the invader analytically. "Hmm…" His mouth curled down into a frown, his teeth still showing. "...that… hurt…"
One thing Chad had learned while living in Mexico, and later Japan when he started hanging around Ichigo, was when a sleeping bear was poked; and he had just punched a bear.
Thinking quickly, he stepped back as fast as he could, but to his surprise, the Captain didn't move. Then, slowly, his free hand came up his chin and with a sharp tug, turned his head back on straight, but even then Mayuri didn't move, his eyes transfixed on Chad. Those eyes sent chills down his spine.
Chad raised his fists, not sure if he should wait for his opponent to move first or should he, but one thing was for sure: he was in some serious shit right now.
The Captain stood still for a straight minute, Chad's tension and nerves growing every second, then he moved. He tilted his head from side to side, almost hypnotically. Chad was confused why he was doing this again but didn't drop his guard for even a moment. Mayuri's head tilting ended, and with it, the Captain crouched low to the ground before lunging at Chad, who barely managed to react in time and send out a blast of energy.
The Captain sidestepped the attack, a part of his white cloak and left hand becoming slightly singed in the process, but he kept running straight at Chad without fear. He prepared to skewer Chad, drawing his blade back and gripping the hilt with both hands.
Chad could feel it, there was something wrong with that blade; something sinister. Almost completely captured in fear, he tried to jump back and fire off another blast, but his plans were put to an end when the loud, raspy voice of Mayuri came out.
"NEMU!!"
In a flash, the woman appeared before Chad, the same impassive look adorning her features. Her hands shot out and, with surprising strength, latched onto Chad's wrists keeping him from escaping. But that was the least of his worries.
"What are you-?"
Unable to finish his question in time, Chad looked in horror as Mayuri ran through his assistant and plunged his blade into Chad. Chad felt his body slack, as everything stopped moving and his legs gave out from under him and he fell to the ground.
Next to him, Nemu was also laying on the floor, a pool of blood beginning to form around her.
"CHAD!!" A terrified scream came from Orihime. The young girl had recovered enough to be able to stand, if only with a slight unbalance. Holding her hands out in front of herself, she gathered as much energy as she could and sent out Tsubaki from her hairpin.
The fairy darted toward the off-guard Captain and managed to hit him, but with Orihime's unsteady feet and dazed head, Tsubaki managed to only scrape the Captain's cheek, a thin cut with blood seeping out appearing soon after.
The Captain turned from Chad to look at the now-standing Orihime and then back down to look at Nemu. Muttering something under his breath, Mayuri let loose a kick, but it wasn't aimed at Chad. Instead, it was aimed at his assistant and Lieutenant, Nemu.
"You idiot Nemu!!" He berated her, kicking her limp body once again. "Why is she up!? How could you let her stand up!?"
"I-I'm sorry, Master Mayuri… But you ordered me to…" She tried to defend herself but was stopped when her Captain silenced her with another kick, this time to the head.
"No excuses!!" He raged.
Orihime stared on in shock and horror, not able to move her body as she watched the Captain continue in his verbal and physical abuse of the woman.
"Stop it!" She yelled, catching Mayuri's attention, his foot stopping just short of another kick.
Even though Nemu was by all accounts their enemy, and even though she had beaten Orihime, the young girl couldn't just sit still and let something like this happen. With tears stinging her eyes, she prepared to send out Tsubaki again, and this time it'd hit its mark.
"Tch… Fine, I'll deal with you Ryoka first," the Captain said, annoyed. He took a light step toward Orihime. "... I'll then find a suitable punishment for you." His eyes darted to Nemu for a second before returning to the new challenge in front of him.
Orihime quickly got into a stance, holding out both of her arms and bracing herself by slightly bending her knees. Instead of rushing Orihime as he'd done with Chad, the Captain took his time, taking slow steps toward the girl. Orihime stayed in that spot aiming at the Captain, but she didn't shoot out Tsubaki.
Was she expecting Mayuri to dodge? Was she waiting for a chance? Why was she hesitating?
Chad tried figuring out why Orihime wasn't making a move when the Captain was such an easy target, but he could only come up with only one solution.
This whole time, ever since Chad and Orihime were separated from the rest of the group, Orihime had been making most of the decisions in their movement. Chad had thought nothing of it. She was better at sensing Spiritual Energy anyway, so they could easily avoid any of the real threats lurking within the Seireitei.
Given the limited description Yoruichi had given them of the Thirteen Squads, Chad had thought of the Seireitei as a wasp's nest, just buzzing with people all over the place in a seemingly limitless way, and yet they had encountered very few Soul Reapers.
This was especially weird, due to the flashy entrance their group had made. Sneaking in the Seireitei should have been nigh on impossible with every Soul Reaper on the prowl for them… and yet they had encountered very few Soul Reapers.
Orihime, while slightly being kind of an air head, was one of the if not the kindest person Chad had ever met, so it wasn't surprising when she went out of her way to avoid everyone they'd run into. Even if they could beat them up without breaking a sweat, Orihime still didn't want to, because she was kind.
Even now, faced with this mad scientist Captain, with adrenaline and fear pumping within her, she couldn't bring herself to hurt someone with the intent to kill.
"Orihime!" After realizing why she was hesitating, Chad called out to her, "I'll be fine, so just run away!" Her eyes darted between the approaching Mayuri and the prone Chad. "I get it now! You don't have to force yourself and get killed because of my weakness!"
Orihime's face contorted as she locked her eyes on Chad. She lowered her head slightly along with her hands. Her body shook for a few seconds before she pulled herself back up, sniffling loudly.
With her eyes wet and filled with determination, she answered, "Gosh! What a cruel thing to say!" Her lips curled into a shaky smile, "I wouldn't be able to show my face if I just left you here… So don't worry, 'cus we'll make it through this without a problem!"
"Without a problem you say?" Mayuri questioned, disappearing from their sight for a second before reappearing right in front of Orihime. "My, how confident of you…"
Orihime reacted as fast as she could, yelling, "Soten Kisshun: I Reject!" but the Captain dodged it easily by tilting his head slightly. His blade was raised high in the air, ready to strike her down.
"ORIHIME!"
In the next instant the sword came crashing down like a lightning bolt slashing Orihime from shoulder to hip. To her credit, Orihime managed to stay upright for a few seconds before coming down with a thud.
"Be thankful it was a shallow cut…" The Captain remarked, "...It just isn't fun to experiment on someone unconscious."
"Heh…"
"Hm? And what do you find so funny?"
"Hahahh… You're right, I am grateful…" Orihime laughed to herself softly, like she knew of an inside joke that only she knew of.
"I'm pretty useless when it comes to these sorts of things, so I always leave them to Ichigo, Chad or Uryu… But it's nice when I'm the one who has to step up and save everyone…"
"Master Mayuri…"
"Shut up Nemu!" He snapped, not looking back at her or Chad. "What do you mean? You lost, so why are you talking like it isn't over already…!"
"I'm not the fighter in this team… Chad, Ichigo and Uryu are…"
"Master Mayuri…!" Nemu called out again.
"Didn't I already tell you to be quiet, Nemu?! What the hell are you making such a fuss for?!" The Captain turned, enraged, only to be met with the transformed fist of Chad. Mayuri was caught off guard for the first time in this fight. His negligence and cockiness allowed Orihime to set up the perfect counter-attack.
"...I'm this team's White Mage." Orihime finished, watching as Chad prepared to throw another punch.
Chad threw his next punch, capitalizing on the shock and confusion slowing Mayuri's thinking. Then he punched him again, and again, and again, and again. He threw out a flurry of blows all of which connected with the Captain's head, making his head dizzier than it already was.
Chad was thankful that Orihime managed to create this opening for him, but the giant risk that came with it was something he secretly wished she hadn't taken.
When Orihime sent out her fairies, she hadn't used Tsubaki again, instead she had used Soten Kisshun, which were the fairies that healed others, and had intentionally missed Mayuri. Her real target was Chad.
Orihime had chosen to use herself as bait to heal Chad's paralysis and create an opening for him to attack the Captain.
With a final punch, Chad sent Mayuri flying into the wall, denting it seriously. Mayuri's face was slightly bloated, his eyes unfocused and dazed. His hat had been blown away, revealing a lengthy strip of blue hair going from the middle of his head to the neck. His mouth was agape letting blood flow out like a waterfall, he was even missing a few teeth.
Chad blew out a sigh of relief, believing it was over and done with. He relaxed his transformed arm, making it turn back to normal and then turned and walked to Orihime. "Are you fine?" He asked worriedly. "He said it was a shallow cut, but I don't know how much of what he said was true…"
Orihime lifted her body slightly from the ground, propping herself on her arms. "I'm fine…" A trail of blood dripped from her mouth. "...Never better…" She said with a strained smile.
Chad grimaced at her tenacity, but calmed himself down. "Alright… If I carry you, can you heal your own wounds?"
"Probably…"
"Let's go then…" He picked her up and put her on his back. "...Onward to Rukia…"
"Yay…" Orihime responded with an exhausted cheer.
"Bankai…"
Ichigo crumbled to the floor, blood spurting out from the wounds inflicted upon him by Ruler. "Damn it…" He cursed, his back stiff and burning from the amount of daggers stabbed into him.
"I did warn you, you know…" Ruler sighed with only a few scratches on him. "Though, if it makes you feel any better your body in the real world won't be affected by the damage… that is if you don't end up dying before going back there…"
"Oh yeah thanks… I feel better already." Ichigo said with as much sarcasm as he could manage.
'Damn him… Damn Archer… Damn them both to hell… How is this training… This is only making me realize how pathetic I am… It's not just the fact that my swords keep breaking… I'm… I'm just too weak to fight them…'
"Are you finally admitting it?"
"Huh?"
Ichigo looked up at Ruler, who was looking at him with a serious expression. "Are you admitting your weakness, Ichigo Kurosaki?"
"How do you know what I was thinking...?"
"Pray tell, Ichigo, where are we?"
"Oh…" Ichigo lowered his head enough that his forehead was kissing the floor, and said with a shuddering breath, "Yes…! I am weak."
"Knowing your own powerlessness and even admitting it… Are you still prepared to continue on this path of swords filled with pain and regret?"
Ichigo took in a large breath of air. He smashed his head on the floor, clearing his head. Ruler was giving him a chance to run away. If he took it he could live out the rest of his life with his family and friends peacefully. But if he continued walking without looking back… If he continued forging ahead, then he could get the strength to protect them all.
"Yes!!"
"Good answer!"
Feeling the pain in his back disappearing, Ichigo craned his neck and saw that the swords had vanished. He turned to question Ruler's actions, but was stopped when he saw his hand extended out to him.
Ruler's face was gentle, his eyes calm and reassuring and his hand was inviting Ichigo to accept it and his help. "Take my hand and I will turn you into the ass kicking machine you were meant to be, Ichigo…"
"Yes…" He accepted it.
Ruler helped Ichigo to his feet, and to his surprise he noticed that all of his previous wounds were gone. "Did you..?"
"I can't help you if you're going to die from a single attack now can I?" He chuckled, putting distance between them with slow steps.
"At first, I was surprised that Archer wanted to leave me in charge of you for now, but I think that this was better than him training you." Ruler remarked, turning back to Ichigo, his sword ready.
"So this was all Archer's idea?" Ichigo asked, "And then he shifted the responsibility to you?"
"In his own words: 'Our ideals don't match so it'll just be pointless if I trained with him at this point'." Ruler said, imitating Archer's deeper voice.
"I don't know if I should thank him or punch him…"
"Please do both."
Ichigo let out a burst of laughter, something even he wasn't expecting. Must've been the light-headedness from smashing his head on the ground.
"Get ready Ichigo Kurosaki…" At his prompting, Ichigo prepared a new blade and readied himself to face off against Ruler. "...for this shall be your final test…"
At the base of the repentance cell, where tall walls stood creating a maze to anyone not familiar with it, a child-like laughter could be heard ringing and bouncing across the walls.
"Go! Go! Go! Get him Kenny!!" Yachiru ran on top of the walls following the battle between Kenpachi and who they assumed to be Ichigo.
But the one fighting the Captain currently was not Ichigo, it was Archer. He had taken control of Ichigo's body in order to avoid meeting with him in his Inner world and to make sure that he couldn't be killed while unconscious.
Archer was currently running from Kenpachi, while also taking opportunities to attack him whenever it arose. But this kind of tactic would soon fail.
This was definitely a fight that, under normal circumstances, Archer could manage on his own without a problem, but since this wasn't a normal fight.
First, Archer had used an enormous amount of energy to heal the wounds Ichigo had gained during his fights with Ikkaku and Renji. Second, Ichigo's body was very different from Archer's so he couldn't operate as he normally could. And third, Archer had overestimated his own fighting ability in an unfamiliar body and situation.
He was left with only two options; either stop running and face Kenpachi head on, or continue running until he exhausted himself.
It had been ten minutes since Arched had used Overedge, and if he believed what Kenpachi had told him, in less than five minutes, he'd stop holding back and start attacking with his full power, so even if Archer continued running he'd be cut down in five minutes.
Alternatively, he could face off against the Captain and hope he can defeat him in less than four minutes, but if he couldn't, that would mean getting cut down.
Archer sighed. It was Checkmate for now, but if Ichigo could somehow step up and surpass Kenpachi in a few minutes… No… Archer wouldn't allow himself to even entertain that idea at this point in time.
Of course… there was always the third option…
Archer turned the corner, speeding up slightly. He was going to need a fair bit of distance if this was going to work.
"I've got you!" Kenpachi roared.
Archer felt the hairs on his neck stand up. Kenpachi was right behind him, his sword moments away from chopping off his head.
Grunting he leaned his head and body to the side barely making it. His only loss was the tip of his ear and some hair, well technically Ichigo lost those but oh well.
Spinning around, Archer tried to land a roundhouse kick on Kenpachi's head, but the Captain blocked it with his hand.
Archer looked at his face and saw a beast.
With a grimace, he used his foot like a hook and kicked himself behind the Captain.
Panting heavily, Archer straightened himself and raised his hand. Luckily, Kenpachi took the chance to regain his breath as well. His once stiff hair was dampened by blood and drooping. Wounds that would no doubt leave scars littered his body, and yet he was still ready to fight like nothing happened and he was fine.
Anyway, what Archer was about to use, would definitely drain the rest of his energy and would leave him defenseless, but the only way to win now was through a gamble, and Archer was going all in on Red.
"I am the bone of my sword…"
Uryu groaned as he got up. How long had he been unconscious for? An hour? A few minutes?
He still felt his Quincy powers resonating within him, so it couldn't have been that long ago. But he was running dry pretty soon.
"I'd say… a few minutes at best…" Definitely not enough time to rescue Rukia, not even enough to help Ichigo.
Damn it… It was frustrating beyond belief. After coming this far… After infiltrating the Soul Society and fighting Soul Reapers and even a Captain, Uryu still felt useless. He'd used his ultimate technique, a technique that would leave him as an ordinary human, and it had failed.
Of course, his opponent was leagues above him normally so what was he expecting, when using something like this. He should've just stayed down.
Was it his pride in his race, or the pride in himself that had led him to use the Letzt Stil? Was it simple madness?
Suddenly, he felt a spike of Spiritual Energy coming from the direction where Ichigo was. "I guess he's fighting that Captain… Good luck Kurosaki…"
Then another spike, this time it came from the outskirts of the Seireitei. Uryu jumped to a ledge overlooking the eastern part of the Seireitei and after scanning the area where he felt the surge coming from, he saw it.
A giant yellow head was poking out from between barracks and other buildings.
"I wonder what that is…" He remarked to himself until he sensed two familiar Energies close to the yellow head. "Chad… and Orihime…!"
This was bad, if that head belonged to a Soul Reaper… No this level of Spiritual Energy couldn't be coming just from some Soul Reaper, it had to be a Captain.
There was no way they'd be able to take down a Captain level threat by themselves.
Then Uryu came up with a solution to help them.
"A few minutes…" He said quietly, drawing an arrow on his bow. "...or I guess a single attack…"
"Bankai…"
His words were barely audible but both Orihime and Chad heard it loud and clear. An avalanche of despair hit both of them as they realized the Captain they'd used all their strength to defeat, was quite as defeated as they had hoped.
Rising from the rubble, Mayuri held out his blade in front of him in a horizontal position, a bright red light emanating from it. "You have made the biggest mistake in your tiny, insignificant, worthless, dreadful lives…" He said, his words full of malice and hatred.
"You've forced my hand this time…" His sword dissipated, reappearing behind him in a completely different form. "I don't care anymore… I'll melt you two down until not even bones are left of your pathetic maggot bodies!!"
Chad's and Orihime's bodies shuddered as they heard Mayuri's threats and saw what his sword had turned into. Filling the street they were in was a giant baby. At least the head of one… It was wearing a red cape that covered its body, but they could see the many sharp swords hidden underneath it.
The baby spread out his arms, letting out a loud wail that made their ears ring, while simultaneously revealing the rest of its body. Tens of wriggling stumpy legs and the fat body of a caterpillar.
From the baby's mouth poured out a thick cloud of purple miasma. When it came into contact with them an unbearable, burning pain consumed their bodies. Chad bit his lip to not let out a sound, but Orihime screamed out in pain as soon as the cloud hit her.
"In only a few minutes you will die screaming, as befits trash like you!!" Mayuri yelled, his eyes spinning in their sockets. "Die! Die! Die! Die to my Bankai; Konjiki Ashisogi Jizou-"
His ranting was met with an abrupt end as his bankai's head was pierced by a sudden flash of blue energy. The baby's movements halted for a second, before it let out another wail ,this time in pain, and collapsed to the ground.
The Captain turned around to look at what had happened and saw a few feet away from him, an arrow. And he recognized what kind of arrow it was. "QUINCYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!! DAMN YOU!!!
Once again, Chad took the opportunity his friend had made for him and rushed Mayuri before he could react. He had placed Orihime gently down before running at the lunatic Captain.
Charging his fist with as much power and Spiritual Energy as he could, Chad let out the strongest punch in his life, and this time he was sure it'd knock out the Captain.
The Captain was sent spinning in the air from the sheer power of Chad's punch and he landed right next to the paralyzed Nemu.
His Bankai disappeared a few seconds later, returning to its sheath.
"Master Mayuri…" Nemu said in a monotone voice. "...behind you…"
Heavy pants echoed around the desolate landscape inside his mind. The wheezes rasped his throat as he realized just how exhausted, hungry and thirsty he was.
Leaning on a broken sword, Ichigo was kneeling in front of Ruler, who was unscathed, save for a cut on his cheek and a torn sleeve.
"Damn it…" Ichigo managed to at least curse his situation.
After closing the distance and forcing Ruler into a close-quarters combat, Ichigo thought that he'd be able to turn the tables or at least put up a better fight, but Ruler was much more proficient in an up close fight.
Every time their swords clashed, Ichigo felt and knew that in raw strength, he was better than Ruler, and his sword wasn't breaking as often as before and even when it did, Ichigo was able to fix it in a few seconds. However, the power difference made didn't help in any way as Ruler made up for it with skill. Every single one of Ichigo's attacks were deflected, countered or riposted.
It all culminated into one big screw-up when Ichigo grew too frustrated and swung his sword with reckless abandon. Ruler blocked it easily. His sword slightly angled to the ground so Ichigo's sword slid along Ruler's.
Shivers ran through Ichigo's body when his sword slammed down into the ground, sinking into it only partly. And as he went to lift it back up, Ruler came in with a precise stomp right in the middle of the blade.
It went without saying what happened next.
Ruler sighed, his expression softening from serious to disappointed. "This shouldn't be that hard for you." he lamented.
"'Shouldn't be hard', my ass." Ichigo managed through labored breaths. "This is just too unfair… How am I meant to grow stronger from getting beat up?"
Ruler shook his head. "You're not getting it at all…"
But Ichigo was too angry to stop now, "Every single one of you… Kisuke, Archer and you…" he continued his complaining, "...All you do is force these impossible and unfair tasks onto me… I just want a simple straight path that will lead me to Rukia. Why do I have to jump through these complicated tests that put me on death's door every time?"
Ruler stayed silent for a moment before he found the right words to say to Ichigo, "Do you want to save Rukia?"
A simple question.
"Yes!"
A simple answer.
"Do you want to become strong?"
"Yes!" Ichigo lifted his head ready to stand once again, only to stop when he noticed the tip of Ruler's blade at his throat.
Ruler's gaze pierced through Ichigo, peering into his soul. "Then why are you complaining? Why are you on your knees?" Ichigo swallowed thickly. Ruler's words were as piercing as his eyes.
"T-that's…"
"If you thought that the path you chose was going to be easy," Ruler continued, "then you should have stayed content with being weak. Strength is only awarded through hardship… and it seems like you have chosen to walk along the path that will have you going through hell and back."
"If this is the point that makes you give up, then I shall end it for you right here and now." He moved his katana slightly, drawing a drop of blood from Ichigo's neck.
Ichigo was speechless.
Everything Ruler had just said was true, except for one thing. That was what pissed Ichigo off.
"Don't get me wrong, Ruler…" Ichigo started, keeping his eyes locked with Ruler's "...although I've been complaining…"
His hand shot out, grabbing hold of Ruler's sword before he could pull back - or thrust forward. His expression stayed calm, even in a situation like this, as if he was expecting Ichigo to do something like this.
With his hand firmly gripping the katana Ichigo slowly got to his feet, adding a second hand when Ruler tried to tug on it slightly.
Now standing and both of his hands drenched in blood, Ichigo pulled on Ruler's sword, knocking him off balance and pulling him toward Ichigo. Letting go of the blade, Ichigo clotheslined Ruler, knocking him down.
"...I never intended on giving up!"
That stunt managed to wipe that look off his face - now it was a deranged smile. "Is that so?" He asked from the ground. "Then I'd like to see what you will do when faced with someone who outclasses you in every way."
As a last ditch attempt, Ruler reached out for his sword and tried to swing, but it was in vain, as Ichigo batted it away with the still broken Zanpakuto.
Lifting the hilt high into the sky, Ruler grit his teeth in preparation, but his eyes kept calm and his smile stayed, not wavering for a second.
Ruler chuckled lightly, the shoulder of his coat nailed to the ground by the broken blade. "How amusing…" he regarded Ichigo analytically, gauging him in a new light, "... even in this situation, you won't strike down your foe… that might come to bite you in the ass one day."
"Dumbass," the Soul Reaper sighed, "you're my Zanpakuto. Why would I even attempt to kill you?"
Letting out a guffaw, the world around them began to glow, "I see! This is definitely new, Ichigo Kurosaki!"
With the world around him beginning to fade, Ichigo took the chance to ask, "This path that I'm on… do you think it will end in happiness or…" He couldn't manage to utter the last word. He didn't even want to think about that.
"Who knows?" Ruler's voice sounded ethereal, it echoed around Ichigo. "Guess you'll have to suffer to learn…"
"Yes! This is it!"
'Ichigo' was currently at a stand still.
"You're even better than I could have imagined!"
He had practically pulled out every single ace he could and yet he could only slow down the rampage of the Captain. Cursing under his breath, he got up ready for the next round.
"Yes that is it!!" Kenpachi yelled, ecstatic, "Let us fight to the death! That's how it's done!" His manic laughter echoed around them, bouncing off the tall walls still left standing after their fight.
Archer sighed, "How much longer is that idiot going to take? I might just lose at this rate…" His lamentation would be answered a second after.
Feeling his consciousness slipping, Archer smiled. He had initially aimed to defeat Kenpachi before he could remove that eyepatch, but a sudden roadblock had come and ruined his plan.
He couldn't utilize his full strength with Ichigo's current physical and spiritual capabilities. That made this fight drag on to this point.
"Fifteen minutes…" Archer murmured, then yelled out to the large Captain, "If you had given me sixteen minutes you would have been dead."
Kenpachi's eyes darted to Archer, "Don't you dare…!" The anger and disappointment was evident on his face.
"Don't worry!" Archer reassured him, "While I may be gone, there will still come a challenger that will give you a satisfactory battle."
The Captain was beyond confused at Archer's words, but at least he was hesitating, which meant that he was thinking.
If Archer could keep him like that, then this fight wouldn't end in the next five minutes.
"If I'm right and he has managed to surpass the level that he was on," Archer continued, keeping his sentences lengthy and drawn out in order to keep Kenpachi thinking. "...then this guy will wipe the floor with you, eyepatch on or off."
Kenpachi grinded his teeth in hesitation before relenting, "Alright then I'll believe you." Archer felt a slight weight lifting from his shoulders upon hearing that.
"But if this new guy doesn't meet up to expectations…" Kenpachi continued, his hand beginning to pull on his eyepatch. "...I will destroy him in a second. No mercy."
Instead of worrying, Archer was glad that the Captain made that threat. "Wouldn't have it any other way."
Letting out a sigh, Archer felt his grasp slip.
"Alright kid, here's the second part of your test."
Archer's body dropped, almost collapsing onto the ground, and Kenpachi ripped the eyepatch off.
Contrasting the gray skies of his inner world, the skyline in the real world was drenched in the colors of the setting sun. Oranges and reds stretched out above Ichigo. He didn't know why, but when he awoke his eyes were already set on the sky.
"That's right…" Ichigo mumbled, his gaze wandering lower, "...Archer did say something about a test…"
Ichigo was speechless when his eyes drifted down far enough. The first point of Ichigo's distress was that he didn't recognize the place he was in, the fact that it was destroyed beyond measure didn't help. The second point was the giant of a man standing approximately ten meters away from him.
He was definitely much more damaged than Ichigo remembered. Conversely, the spiritual pressure emitted by the Captain had increased tenfold. The air was stifling and it was enough to send even the toughest of men into a fit of panic.
Even Ichigo was not safe from this, as he felt a cold sweat breaking out across his body.
"Huh? It's you…?" The Captain said, but Ichigo couldn't think of anything to say or even ask, "You look the same… but this feeling… you're definitely someone different…"
'What the hell is this guy talking about?' Ichigo wandered to himself.
"You sure are amusing, Ichigo Kurosaki!" That was all the warning Ichigo got before the Captain vanished from his sight.
"Where did he-?!" Ichigo was already amazed at his speed before, but now… That was just ridiculous…
Ichigo frantically searched the surrounding area before a voice came from inside his head, 'Behind…' Trusting in the voice, Ichigo whipped around to see that Kenpachi had indeed moved there, and that he had his sword raised, ready to strike Ichigo down.
'I need something to defend…!' Just then, he realized that he didn't know where his sword or at least where the hilt was.
'Reach out… it's right there… next to your hand… pick up the sword, Ichigo…!' Deciding once again to trust the voice in his head, Ichigo reached, without even looking, and true enough he found the sword.
Now all Ichigo had to do was lift his sword up and deflect Kenpachi's blow, without his sword breaking into pieces. Easy enough, right?
Preparing himself for the worst outcome, Ichigo closed his eyes slightly, only to hear the satisfying sound of Kenpachi's blow being blocked.
He didn't think that his sword would be able to survive a blow from that monster, but… Maybe this wasn't his sword…
The sword he picked up was black, with what looked like crystals coming from the guard and extending toward the tip. The blade part itself was also black, but had a red hexagonal pattern covering it.
Even though Ichigo had never seen it before, he felt a strange sensation of familiarity and power emanating from the sword. However, Ichigo didn't have the luxury to keep appraising the sword, as Kenpachi had once again disappeared in a flash.
Rising up to stand on his feet, Ichigo started to scan the area around him carefully. Kenpachi was definitely too fast to see or even sense, but he had stopped when he was about to attack. Why? He could have easily just skewered Ichigo without him even noticing before it was too late. There must be a reason why he stopped and now it was all a gamble if he would do so again.
His eyes darted towards anything that moved even an inch and whenever he heard something his head would snap this way and that, but he still couldn't catch a glimpse of Kenpachi. For all he knew, the Captain could have been running circles around him and Ichigo would be none the wiser. His stress was only increasing with every second that passed that Kenpachi didn't attack.
In Ichigo's mind, Kenpachi was the type of man to relish a one-on-one duel, so him not attacking was unnerving to say the least. Was he waiting for something?
Feeling eyes on his back, Ichigo whipped around only to see no one behind him. Seriously, what was this guy thinking?
'Is he waiting for me to do something?' Ichigo thought, 'This is too unnatural, I can't even catch my breath…'
Kenpachi's pressure was wearing Ichigo down physically as well as mentally, but Ichigo had a feeling that the Captain wouldn't try to beat him by doing something like that intentionally. So he must be waiting for Ichigo to make a move first, and all Ichigo was doing right now was getting into his own head.
"You want me to do something? Easier said than done when I can't even see you, Kenpachi!" Ichigo shouted, turning around once again to face nothing.
Just then, when Ichigo was ready to throw caution to the wind and swing his sword aimlessly, the voice returned, 'The bells, Ichigo… Listen to the bells…'
"Bells? What bells?" There were no bells around here, and if there had been any, they would surely be destroyed by now.
Thinking it over in his head, Ichigo finally realized what the voice meant. Quickly closing his eyes, Ichigo listened for the bells.
Focusing on his hearing, he was able to hear the sound of Kenpachi's sandals touching the ground for a moment before appearing somewhere else, but more importantly, Ichigo heard the soft ringing of bells.
The bells the voice was referring to were the bells on the tips of Kenpachi's spiky hair. They were easier to track than the split second shuffling feet on ground, and there were so many of them that Ichigo could accurately pinpoint them. Thinking of a plan on the spot wasn't hard for Ichigo and now that he was focusing on that one thing, the bells, his mind was more than clear from outside interference.
Ichigo slowly started memorizing the positions of the ringing bells. Then, he started counting. One… Two… Three… Opening his eyes, he readied his sword and counted.
One… Two.. Three… Four…
Swinging his body around as well as his Zanpakuto, Ichigo slashed at what was supposed to only be air, but almost miraculously, his sword was stopped by Kenpachi's.
"Took you long enough to find me." Kenpachi grinned, retreating a few steps back while lifting his sword to rest on his broad shoulders. "I guess you could turn out to be the real deal then… Just like he promised."
"He?" Ichigo's brain slowly worked through all the clues that had been laid out for him. The change in location. The wounded Captain. The strange sword laying on the ground. The voice inside his head that knew everything about his surroundings and his opponent.
"I thought that voice sounded familiar…" Remembering the moment before he opened his eyes, Ichigo recognized the voice of Archer telling him that his final test had begun. "Seems like you two had some fun while I was gone…" So Archer had used his body to fight off Kenpachi until Ichigo was able to succeed in Ruler's test. "Seriously those two… No wonder I'm so tired."
Steeling himself, Ichigo pointed his sword at Kenpachi, "Alright then. I'll accept this challenge! I'll defeat this monster Captain, and I'll save Rukia!"
"I like your confidence, kid…" Kenpachi chuckled, slowly approaching, "...But it's gonna take a lot more than bravado to defeat me!"
Before he could even lift the blade off his shoulders, Ichigo had slashed Kenpachi from his collarbone to his hip. "Yeah yeah, I know that already!" Ichigo wasn't surprised to see the Captain take that strike unflinchingly, in fact it was almost like he let Ichigo slash him on purpose. But in the end it wouldn't matter.
Ichigo would overcome this impossible task. That was a promise!
Normally, two big spiritual energy signatures clashing against each other was something that Yoruichi liked to avoid, instead using the confusion and panic that it made to sneak around, but right now, with the role of guardian to these kids having been bestowed to him, he had no choice but to run as fast as he could right into the center.
And what a sight to behold, the eye of the storm.
Ichigo Kurosaki, the young Soul Reaper, who'd had this power for only a short while, was fighting against one of the Captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, and was holding his own.
Yoruichi prowled the tall walls, at least the ones still left standing, watching the exchange of blows between the two warriors. To say the least, he was mesmerized. It was a true David versus the Goliath down there, and yet Yoruichi couldn't even begin to guess who would win this deadly fight.
On one hand, Ichigo had been growing at an exponential rate and given his heritage… who knew how high his roof would be. While on the other hand, Kenpachi was said to be one of the strongest Soul Reapers in history, at least the potential to be, but his habit of limiting his strength was a problem.
Finding a place that was at the least amount of risk of coming down, Yoruichi sat down to observe the fight. "Hey there, Mr. Kittycat!" Yoruichi yowled as someone scooped him into their arms, like he was just some simple domesticated cat. Normally, he would have delivered a swift punishment to anyone that dared, but he was too taken aback at the fact that this person had managed to sneak behind him and even touch him.
Turning his head to look at the assailant, Yoruichi was confused when he saw a small girl with pink hair wearing a Soul Reaper's uniform, and if he was correct, she had a Lieutenant's badge tied to her arm.
Just who was this person? And how had they managed to approach Yoruichi without him noticing? There was no way that he'd lost his surroundings when watching that fight! If that was right, then… Then…!
He could just hear the flapping of his fan, and that voice teasing him "Oh man! You got snuck up on by a child! That's hilariously ironic, Yrouichi!"
Yoruichi was taken out of her thoughts when the girl spoke again, "Hey hey! Were you watching that fight down there?" That tone of voice and her overall disposition, it gave the image of being very unassuming, so maybe Yoruichi hadn't noticed this girl because of that. "...So who do you think will win, Kenny or Ichi?"
That was a strange thing to ask of a cat, but for some reason, Yoruichi felt an inclination to answer her question.
Even if she was a Lieutenant, she was still just a little girl. Even if Yoruichi talked, there was no way that someone would believe that she met a talking cat.
Well, maybe everyone except for her…
Anyhow, Yoruichi turned his attention back to the fight for a minute before saying who he thought would win.
"The winner shall be Ichigo Kurosaki."
Setting the cat down, the girl sat down on the wall next to Yoruichi, letting her feet dangle and said, "Yachiru thinks so too!"
Every time Kenpachi's sword hit itself against Ichigo's, he thought that this would be it; this blow would be the one that broke his sword. Miraculously though, his sword survived every single blow and if Ichigo wasn't seeing things, then he was starting to see the Captain's sword start to chip and crack.
At this point, both of them were nearing the end of their respective ropes. Whether it was their swords or their bodies that broke down first was anyone's guess. The built up damage accumulated from their hours of non stop fighting was starting to wear them down. Ichigo winced as a numbing pain shot through his arms whenever their fierce clash resumed.
Getting sick of the deadlock, Kenpachi decided to take matters into his own hands. He pressed his advance, knocking Ichigo's sword away with brute force. He then stepped in before punching Ichigo on the nose. Feeling the hot blood running down from his nose, Ichigo grunted, steadying himself while also using the momentum to return the Captain's punch with a full-power swing of his sword. Kenpachi wasn't able to block the hit in time, so Ichigo's sword carved another deep cut, right across the Captain's chest.
Anxious about a retaliation, Ichigo stepped back, only to be caught off balance, when Kenpachi completely ignored the wound on his chest that was gushing an abnormal amount of blood. "Where do you think you're going?!" He asked, stabbing his sword into the ground, piercing it through Ichigo's foot as well. Ichigo reflexively doubled over, yelling out a curse, only to be met with Kenpachi's knee crashing into his chin.
He hated to admit it, but there was definitely still a large gap between them, one which Ichigo couldn't fix through sheer determination. In terms of strength and speed they should be about equal, if of course they're both at their best condition, but even Ichigo could tell that he was weaker physically, although hsi speed would normally make up for that, right now he was too fatigued to even think about running laps around the Captain.
However that gap between them was formed from the difference of experience and age. For all his delinquent behavior in or out of school, Ichigo was still only a fifteen year old teenager. While on the other hand Kenpachi was a Soul Reaper, someone who had probably lived hundreds of Ichigo's lifetimes. Ichigo couldn't just surpass Kenpachi's strength to win at this point, he would have to eclipse it entirely in the next ten minutes, or he'd run out of steam.
So, with his options limited to one of two: a prolonged fight – that didn't sound appealing at all–, or a short fight – which, all things considered, sounded too impossible to even attempt, Ichigo had to come up with a plan right now.
Unfortunately his brain was too rattled from getting kneed in the chin, so a long and well thought out plan was not something he could do at the moment. At that point, he just decided to formulate a plan step by step and wing it whenever he messed up.
First step! Stay close to Kenpachi! 'He'll just take advantage of me retreating, so I have no choice but to stand my ground!' With his plan thought out, Ichigo charged in head first, the top of his head knocking into Kenpachi's torso. Ichigo came up with this plan when he vaguely remembered what Tatsuki had told him all those years ago.
While the initial idea was to stop getting caught on the back foot, literally, this tactic had another merit. The long arms and sword meant that Kenpachi had a reach that was longer than most, but it also meant that he had difficulties landing a hit on someone when they were pressed up against him.
Second step! Knock that giant over! 'Once again, my smaller size is perfect for not only getting close to him, but also to do this…!' Taking advantage of Kenpachi's confusion, Ichigo bent his knees slightly before launching himself right into Kenpachi's chin. Feeling the sharp chin of the Captain hitting him on the head was enough to make droplets of tears start to form on the edges of Ichigo's eyes, but if that was all Ichigo was feeling, he couldn't imagine what Kenpachi was feeling right about now. "Payback's a bitch, ain't it?!"
But, with that blow, Kenpachi staggered a bit, and while it may not have been the toppling of a giant Ichigo expected, this was good enough for him. Holding his sword with both hands, Ichigo raised it up before bringing it down and while Kenpachi managed to guard against it, he still lost a good amount of balance from that hit.
Third step! Blitz him with your speed! 'If I let Kenpachi recover, he'll just retaliate with twice the power from before. I have to keep him on the defense and I can't let him find a single opening!'
This was it then. Out of the two plans he'd made for himself, Ichigo had chosen the shorter one. And that was to be expected, already he felt his movements beginning to slow down, so even if he had wanted to draw this out, it would have made this fight last ten more minutes max before he would ultimately lose. But on the other hand, if Kenpachi managed to steel himself and defend against every single one of Ichigo's attacks, then this fight would last for only a few more minutes.
To make it simple, Ichigo had taken the greatest gamble in his life since that day when he accepted the powers of a Soul Reaper from Rukia. Just like then, this gamble meant life or death.
Throwing caution to the wind, Ichigo unleashed a flurry of blows on Kenpachi and even though he was off-balance, he was still able to block or deflect most of the slashes that would have damaged him severely, almost as if he was doing it on purpose. But he couldn't be, could he?
Ichigo kept up his attack for half a minute, most of his slashes still being knocked aside, like they were nothing. But after a certain point, the Captain decided that he'd had enough.
"Is that all you got?"
That was all the warning Ichigo got before his opponent's fist slammed into his stomach. Coughing up all the air in his lungs, as well as a mixture of spit and blood, Ichigo was forced to stop attacking. Attempting to get as much air back inside his body as he could was the worst possible thing that could have happened right now.
Ichigo's mind raced, trying to think of a plan to save himself, but nothing came to his mind. No plan, no strategy, no options left. His eyes darted along the ground trying to look for something and although he noticed something gleaming in the corner of his eye, there was nothing nearby that would help him in this situation.
He could feel the presence of Kenpachi looming over him, a hand raised up high. Was that his sword hand, preparing for the finishing blow, or was Kenpachi lifting his fist in the air in victory? Ichigo couldn't discern it, his mind was too jumbled right now.
In desperation Ichigo planted his feet and raised his head. His abdominal muscles screamed in pain from the gut punch, but Ichigo fought back against the gasps of pain threatening to escape his lips. Staring at Kenpachi, the Ryoka could see that he had indeed raised his sword instead of his other free hand. Holding his breath, Ichigo copied the Captain by raising his own sword with both his hands gripping the hilt like his life depended on it. This caused Kenpachi to pause for a second. A second that Ichigo desperately needed.
Honestly speaking, Ichigo had no clue why he had decided to stand back up, but… he couldn't just die like that. Hunched over, choking in air desperately. That just didn't sit right with him. He had come all this way. Defeated all those other Soul Reapers. Jidanbo, Ikkaku, and Renji. All of those guys had their strengths and weaknesses, but Ichigo could say that no fight in the Soul Society had been truly easy. So what would it mean if he would fall right here? To this man?
"I know it now…" his voice was barely above a whisper, but Ichigo knew that the Captain could hear him, "...You're not as strong as Byakuya… He was on an entirely different level than every single one the guys I've beat up, and I have to be the one that defeats him… I'm the only one that can…" Kenpachi stayed silent, letting Ichigo ramble on. Even if he was just smugly letting Ichigo talk because he was that confident in his victory, Ichigo was still grateful for the breather he was afforded. "...So this isn't the place where I'm supposed to lose. Not to you, Renji, Ikkaku, or any of the other Captains!"
"Those are some ironic last words!" When Ichigo finished his speech, Kenpachi acted in a heartbeat, his sword coming down like a bolt of lightning, but little did he know that giving Ichigo that little bit of time to talk allowed him to collect his thoughts and come up with a plan. A plan that was as simple as could be.
The last thing Urahara had tried to teach Ichigo was the control of Spiritual Energy, but it never progressed further than theory because of Ichigo's focus on his reinforcement skill, so it had been left on the back burner as something that could be utilized at a later date. Although Ichigo tried to do some simple Kido spells he had been shown in secret, it never seemed to work out. That was, until he got his face blasted by Renji's Shakkaho. The sight of the ball of red Spiritual Energy and the feeling of being hit by it was internalized in both Ichigo's mind and body.
Utilizing the theory that Urahara and Tessai had taught him and the feeling that Renji had exploded onto him, Ichigo gathered his Spiritual Energy into the one thing that had kept him alive and safe. His Zanpakuto.
Even though Kenpachi had acted first, Ichigo's sword was much faster. Faster than lightning, it struck down, cleaving Kenpachi from shoulder to hip. The wound first spouted out a large amount of blood, drenching the Captain's coat and uniform and then it exploded in a flash of blue and white Energy that cleaved not only through the Captain, but also the ground and wall that stood behind him.
Ichigo felt a great sense of pride and accomplishment at seeing the fountain of blood coming from Kenpachi's wound, but that was short lived as an even greater pain overcame him.
Lodged within his shoulder, roughly five centimeters deep, was Kenpachi's Zanpakuto. If not for his faster attack, then that sword would have torn him in half.
Backing up, the sword sliding from his shoulder painfully - the jagged edge sawing even deeper - Ichigo tried to gain some distance, on the off chance that Kenpachi could still retaliate. However, no counter attack came. Kenpachi only raised his sword up, as if to inspect it. Sighing to himself, Kenpachi put the sword back to rest on his shoulder.
"That was some power, kid… Haven't fought anyone like you in… decades, probably…" His voice was oddly calm in this situation, which put Ichigo slightly on edge, "...So you want to fight that Kuchiki asshole? Well, good luck with that then… I'll be seeing you around then… if you win that is." With one last burst of manic laughter, Kenpachi disappeared.
Ichigo stayed vigilant for any kind of attack for a few minutes, but when he realized that the Captain had actually just given him a farewell, Ichigo relaxed his body, and the second he did, his vision blackened and his consciousness faded with it.
To say the least, Yoruichi was flabbergasted.
Although he had predicted that Ichigo would be the winner, he still couldn't believe that Ichigo had won, especially in that kind of manner.
When Kenpachi left the battlefield, Yoruichi watched as he jumped up to the wall Yoruichi and Yachiru were at. He gave one look to Yoruichi and before he could say anything, Yachiru hopped on his shoulder and waved to the feline, "Bye bye, Kittycat!"
A small grumble escaped Kenpachi's lips, maybe as a farewell to Yoruichi as well, before he jumped down on the other side.
Since they were no longer a threat, Yoruichi hopped down to pick up Ichigo and even maybe give him a congratulation on the victory. However, to no surprise, Ichigo was collapsed on the ground, his hand clutching his sword.
"Oh my," circling the unconscious Ichigo, he quietly whispered to himself, "looks like you're bleeding quite a lot. Hmm, you'll die in about five minutes if nothing is done."
Ichigo didn't give a response - not even a groan or a gasp - so Yoruichi sighed to himself, trying to recall the best route to get into one of the numerous secret hideouts, Kisuke and he had built over the years.
His tail swished idly behind him before he remembered the best route for this operation, but it also needed him to abandon his feline appearance.
Sighing in discontent, Yoruichi circled Ichigo once again, "The things I do sometimes…" and as he was about to transform, he stopped as he noticed a gleam coming from a pile of rubble. Investigating the light, Yoruichi pushed a few rocks to reveal a white sword.
It took a few seconds for him to recognize the sword. It was exactly the same design and shape as the sword in Ichigo's hands, only this one was pure white.
If his suspicions were true, and this was in fact Ichigo's sword…
"Looks like things are about to get even more complicated, Ichigo Kurosaki…"
So... been a while...
Okay I get it. Its been a year, but stuff happened. Maybe one day I will explain the unwarranted hiatus, but for now, I just want to get this chapter out and move on.
The next chapter won't take as long, I promise, and hey, I'll throw in a QA as well as a special announcement, so get ready!
Amyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and as always reviews are much appreciated and I'll see you next time