Author's Note: I know I said I would upload this practically a month ago, but at last minute, I decided it needed some adjustments. I wasn't very happy with it since I've never really written several fights scene before. I hope by the end of this story, I can feel confident in describing brawls and battles and whatnot. To be honest, the next update will probably be in June due to several events coming up. I look forward to hearing your opinions on this latest update. Please read, review - and most importantly - enjoy!
Disclaimer: All characters belong respectively to Tite Kubo, the creator of Bleach.
Chapter 9 - Practice Makes Perfect
Ichigo and Renji trained for the past two days in the wee hours of the morning with Chad, who had the best advice to give concerning how to ride a horse. The two peasants had come to learn that the chef of the palace was actually from a country known as Mexico where he had lived with his "abuelo". During his short stay there, before he moved to Japan, Chad and his grandfather used to ride horses on the countless trails that were spread throughout the terrain. The difficult part of trying to learn how to steer the horse were the reigns. Animals are just as unpredictable as humans are; horses were no excuse. However, by the end of Day 2 and with much time and patience, Ichigo was finally able to gain trust in his horse after he had mastered the skill of pulling the reigns. For Renji, his horse hadn't taken a liking to him as easily as Ichigo's did but after offering countless carrots, the horse slowly began to accept Renji and behave for him.
Alternatively, the princes were far too superior compared to Ichigo and Renji for they didn't come to practice until much later in the day, typically around mid-afternoon. It was probably best for the arrangement to be that way. Ichigo and Grimmjow seemed to butt heads more often than not. It didn't matter what the problem was, but the Prince of Kyoto always blamed Kurosaki for things that necessarily had nothing to do with him. Thankfully, the aristocrats weren't rooming with Ichigo and Renji. They were placed in another wing of the palace and the seventeen-year-old felt very grateful. As much as he dragged his feet about not wanting to participate in the competition, Ichigo's opinion suddenly changed when he got into his first altercation with Grimmjow. The young man wanted to challenge the prince during the jousting tournament very badly. He was confident in his abilities that he could defeat him within the first round. At the time, Renji warned him not to get too cocky about his attitude, especially since they were the outcasts of the group.
Unfortunately, his best friend's words didn't exactly faze him none too much. Ichigo didn't care for the rest of the contestants; he only wanted the chance to fight against Grimmjow. As long as he came out as the ultimate victor, the rest of the tournament would be easy for him to conquer.
For the blacksmith's assistant, he wouldn't have to wait too long. Tomorrow was the day he had been waiting for with anticipation. For the meantime, he had decided to take a hot bath a little earlier than usual after dinner had been served. The Princess hadn't even joined them for a meal since she last made an appearance in the parlor room. He slightly pondered if she'd be in attendance at the festivities. It really didn't concern him ether way. He was only curious.
After he cleaned up, he left the bathroom and walked over to his side of the bedroom he shared with Renji. Around his waist was a towel, for he wasn't exactly ready to go to bed just yet. The sun had started to descend behind the tree line, but he wanted to wait until Renji came back - at least to put his mind at ease that his friend wasn't causing any trouble. Falling onto the soft mattress after his intense training, Ichigo hugged the pillows on his bed for extra comfort. It wasn't the smartest idea to lay in bed with a wet towel, but he just wanted a few moments to reflect on the past few days away from his family.
Just as he was starting to drift off into slumber, a knock came from the entrance of his room. It obviously wasn't his friend; otherwise, he would have just wandered inside. He figured it must be someone from the staff. Sluggishly, Ichigo rose from the bed and headed to the door to find out who was interrupting his sleep.
"Who is it?" Ichigo questioned as he opened the entrance to his room.
"Hello, Kurosaki," a petite woman greeted him from the hallway.
The seventeen-year-old boy was feeling slightly drowsy as he rubbed his eyes and yawned all the while Rukia stood outside his bedroom.
However, she decided she wasn't going to wait for an invite. She pushed the door aside, along with Ichigo, and scanned the room for another person. It appeared that the redheaded man was not in plain view from where she could see.
"Is there something you want?" Ichigo asked her, a little annoyed how she had intruded into the bedroom without permission.
Rukia looked back at the teenager, "Where's the other one?"
"Do you mean, Renji?" Ichigo inquired, "He's probably at dinner, stuffing his face until he explodes."
"I see," the caretaker simply noted, putting her hands on her small hips, "I guess I'll ask you to pass on the message."
Ichigo lifted an eyebrow, confusion expressed fully on his face after Rukia's words had settled in his head. Why had she randomly dropped by? Was she hoping Ichigo wouldn't be in the room so she could talk to Renji privately? It didn't exactly make any sense to him, especially since he hadn't seen the nineteen-year-old interact with the woman after their arrival at the palace. Her appearance was questionable.
Rukia sighed, "Listen to me closely because I won't repeat myself."
The young adolescent didn't speak or mutter a sound, but his ears were open to what ever the raven-haired individual had to say to him.
"The tournament will begin at 9 AM sharp. Make sure you arrive at the stables a half hour early so we can fit your armor accordingly to your body shape. The rules of the game, as well as the prize the winner will be receiving are going to be explained tomorrow. Any questions?" Rukia proclaimed.
Ichigo moved over to his bed and took a seat on the edge, running a hand through his damp hair. He couldn't really think of any lingering thoughts he might have about the event. It looked as if everything was in order and that the staff had taken care of all the loose ends.
The caretaker stood in her spot a little while longer, lingering in case the boy was going to question her. However, he remained silent and the caretaker believed he was intensely thinking things over in his head.
Rukia began to turn away and started to make headway toward the doors. Although, just as she was about to say goodbye and leave for the rest of the night, Ichigo spoke up.
"Is she going to be there tomorrow?"
A knowing smile spread onto Rukia's face as she circled back to look at Ichigo on the bed.
"Are you talking about Inoue-sama?" she teased.
Ichigo snorted out his nose in an angry fashion, realizing the game the caretaker was playing, "Who else, stupid?"
Slowly, Rukia grabbed the doorknob from behind her without the teenager noticing. She wanted to drag out her answer for as long as possible, as she wondered how far she could push Ichigo's buttons. It was evident that he was genuinely interested, and for that reason, Rukia desired to find out why. On the other hand, the disgraced noble knew she wasn't going to get an explanation within the first few days. She had to observe his actions closely, as well as the other four contenders. She was going to be a hawk, and study their every movement without them ever suspecting. After all, she was the caretaker of Orihime Inoue, and thus, her duty to protect the princess was a very serious matter.
On the other side of the room, Ichigo waited for her to respond to his question as he stared at her while she started to close the door inch-by-inch, ready to make her exit.
"Are you going to tell me or not?" he shouted.
"You'll just have to find out for yourself!" she said as she stuck out her tongue and whipped the door shut.
The fired-up teenager jumped to his feet, prepared to run out of his room to catch Rukia, but he became conscious about the lack of clothes he had on himself. The towel wrapped around his waist was still hanging onto him and he quickly realized the woman had put him in a trap. He couldn't go after her even though he desperately wanted to get the answer from her.
As he began to retreat back to the inviting comfort of his bed, a voice from down the corridor smugly yelled, "Don't forget to put some clothes on tomorrow, Kurosaki!"
"There's going to be hell for her to pay."
The palace was buzzing with excitement about the jousting event. The staff had been working methodically throughout the mornings and evenings. They attentively listened and carried out every demand Uryu had given to them and most were often relieved whenever he would deliver a satisfactory remark.
For the busy butler, he barely had any time to neither speak with the Princess nor get the chance to see her. Rangiku was primarily taking care of Orihime, while Rukia checked in occasionally with her meals. Uryu wasn't entirely positive as to why the royal Highness wasn't allowed to leave the confinement of her bedroom, but as long as Rangiku wasn't doing anything neglectful and since Rukia hadn't shared any concerning information, the Princess appeared to be in good hands for the moment.
At around eight in the morning, Ishida - dressed in formal attire for the tournament - headed outside to make arrangements with Chad. Much to his surprise, when the fair-skinned man arrived at the stables to talk to the chef, it looked as if the horses and equipment had been prepared to be used for the day. The majestic animals were being taken out one by one under Sado's instruction and were directed to the fields where the contest would be held.
"Glad to see all is well over here, Sado-san," Uryu noted to the trust-worthy companion. The exotic man gave a little salute as the butler walked up to him upon entering the barn.
Uryu glanced throughout the area and gratefully smiled up at the dependable individual, "You've been more than enough help. I'll make sure to double your salary for the month."
Chad waved off the comment and shrugged his robust shoulders, "It's nothing, Ishida. I enjoy what I do."
The butler nodded, understanding how much horses meant to the man from Mexico. Although, it probably brought up painful memories for him. After all, his grandfather was no longer alive and his passing had been the main reason why Chad had moved to Japan in the first place.
"I guess I'll leave you be then. The men should be coming down soon, and you'll have to make sure they have armor that suits them. We don't want anyone getting killed," Uryu light-heartedly joked.
Chad reassured the teenager with a simple smile, "Leave it to me."
The start of Orihime's day was rather violent. Tatsuki and Rukia had thrashed her from her slumber and shoved her into the bathroom for her morning cleansing. Afterward the ladies-in-waiting had dried her and styled her hair into loose curls. Thereupon, they handed her back off to her two friends who then executed her make-up and clothing.
Once all tasks were completed, the Princess of Karakura was guided outside of the palace walls by Rukia. A red carpet had been spread across the grass for Orihime to use, where it later led to the tent that had been pitched to protect her from the hot rays of the sun.
Sadly, Rangiku was nowhere to be found. However, the aristocrat had mentioned to her niece about hosting the event. She wasn't quite sure what her aunt meant by her words, but she guessed she would be finding out sooner than later.
"Here we go, Inoue-sama," Rukia cheerfully said as she helped Orihime up the platform to where her seat rested in a shady corner. The Princess hadn't even known so much had been prepared for one day of festivities. It was obvious major planning had taken place in a short amount of days and she admitted it to be quite an impressive sight.
Suddenly feeling elated by the fact that her staff had worked very hard to put on the production on her behalf, Orihime sat down happily in her chair. Now, she was truly excited for the tournament to start.
Meanwhile, Rukia silently took position next to the Princess and waited for things to begin underway.
The arena appeared very convincing considering it originally was only a valley caught between the mountains. A fence was built to keep the horse from running off with the rider in case they became spooked. In addition, there were some tables that were placed close to the entrance of the fence, probably for the five competitors who would have to wait until their turn. The entire event was going to be long, but exciting for the Princess who had never seen a jousting competition before.
Not shortly after the Highness' arrival, Rangiku appeared from the palace walkway and strode over to the gates that allowed her access into the arena. She pushed it aside with a gentle shove and bestowed a glowing smile to her niece as she walked to the center of the field. Orihime waved to her from her spot underneath the tent and relaxed back into her seat when Rangiku began to speak.
"Welcome to the very first jousting tournament! Today, we will be throwing the competition in honor of finding Princess Inoue a future husband. Now, I will explain the rules. Ishida-kun, please bring all our gorgeous men out!" Rangiku asserted to the butler.
Orihime and Rukia's attention shifted over to the palace doors, as Uryu was the first to depart. However, he didn't continue to descend the small row of stairs. Instead, he held the door open for the three princes and two peasants who were about to leave the palace quarters. The man who stepped out after the butler was Grimmjow, his metal armor glistening under the sun. He didn't have his headgear on yet, and Orihime hoped he planned to use it for his protection. She didn't want anyone being seriously injured. Following close behind the Prince of Kyoto was his cousin, another who was in the battle gear for the competition. After the two relatives came Ichigo, Renji, and Shinji consecutively. Everyone looked very dashing in the armor, almost like warriors who were going to defeat the little blue aliens that invade the Princess' dreams at night.
The small group was directed by Uryu to the arena entrance, where they were told to wait for further instructions. The butler signaled for Rangiku to go forward with her speech.
"Okay all you hot-tempered men; let me tell you how the game is played," she informed, "Two people will fight against each other at one time. We have arranged two fights to start out and who wins from each of those fights, will determine the next course of action for the rest of the tournament. In all, there will be five rounds."
The Princess sat on the edge of her seat listening to her aunt explain how the event would be organized. It was a new and fresh experience for her, watching two people fight against each other with weapons wasn't something she had ever been exposed to before. Sora might have seen it as violent entertainment and may have kept her away from it in the past. However, she couldn't really remember ever hearing about such a game until a few days ago. Was it possible her relative had made it up of her own accord?
"The first two competitors who be kicking off the event will be none other than Ichigo Kurosaki and Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. Please prepare your horses and enter the arena!"
This was exactly what he had been hoping for from the start of the training. It was almost as if the aristocrat had read his mind. Ichigo was pleased with the idea that he would be facing the Prince of Kyoto in the very first round. He pondered if the noble was just as anxious as he was to get on the horse and start the fight.
Chad helped Ichigo get situated on the majestic animal and then assisted Grimmjow with his own steed. The seventeen-year-old watched the egotistical man carefully as he equipped himself mentally and physically for battle. Before the blue-haired noble grabbed his helmet from Ishida, he mustered a conceited smirk towards Ichigo, having known that the younger of the two was studying him.
"Hey, Ichigo, take this," Renji's voice interjected forcefully. The teenager swung his head around and stared at his friend, not making a connection with what he was saying.
Renji nudged the headgear into the side of his leg, "Here, you're gonna need it."
Quickly, he took the helmet and provided Renji with an encouraging look, "Don't worry, that prissy scum isn't going to be allowed to win this one without a fight from me."
His comrade threw back his head in laughter, "Yeah, you and what army?"
Suddenly, the butler approached Ichigo and his horse, his eyebrows hitched in a frown, "Let's get a move on, Kurosaki. We'd like to get this over with as soon as possible."
Ichigo didn't like the haughty tone in his voice, yet he thought better against saying anything to the butler. He slid the helmet over his head with ease and once he felt all was in order, he kicked the sides of his horse to push forwards past the gates. After Grimmjow entered, the two faced each other from opposite sides of the field. It was intolerably hot under the sun, and with the heavy armor tight against their bodies, it only pushed the impatience both men were feeling.
Rangiku appeared again in the middle after having disappeared for a short while. It was evident she was anticipating a great duel between the bachelors as she winked at each man separately with an enticing light. She bestowed both with a sword large in length and weight.
In addition, she warned them that the first man to fall off his horse was the loser, but would have one more chance to fight someone else later on.
With nothing else left to be said, Rangiku took a few steps towards the gate to prepare for her speedy exit once she shouted at them to begin. The horses kicked their heels in the dirt to prove who the more dominant one was going to be by the end of the battle. Ichigo and Grimmjow gripped their reigns tightly in one hand while the other held the weapon.
"FIGHT!" the busty strawberry blonde-haired woman finally shouted, ducking into the area with the others, who were safe from harms way.
Ichigo and Grimmjow charged forward with their steeds, the outside world immediately shutting off from their eyes and ears the moment the fighting words were spoken. The horses were practically floating across the grass as they locked onto their targets. The first to raise his sword was the Prince of Kyoto, predicting that the peasant would try to aim for his body the instant he saw an opening if he wasn't properly defended. When Grimmjow began to hoist the glimmering weapon in the air, Ichigo quickly lifted his own and pointed it ahead of the incoming impact.
Grimmjow's horse flew past Ichigo's in a blur and the teenager felt a graze somewhere along his hand. A loud noise came from underneath him and he soon realized the prince had knocked his sword out of his hand. Consequently, he had also slashed the surface of Ichigo's skin. The teenager winced from the contact when he touched it with his fingers as it began to bleed. Yasatoro jogged out towards the men's position and picked up the sword for him. He handed it back to Ichigo and returned to the others.
Ichigo's temper ignited with rage. He was being made a mockery. It was supposed to be the other way around. It was he who was meant to hit Grimmjow and rough him up a bit.
Get your ass in gear, King. There's a lot on the line here. Don't you want the prize?
Isshin's son lifted his helmet off to wipe the sweat that was dripping into his eyes. No one had mentioned what the prize was exactly going to be once the victor was announced. At this point, Ichigo could care less as to what the prize was. He only had one agenda and that was to knock Grimmjow's ass out of the tournament. Nothing else mattered to him expect winning against him.
"Have you finally composed yourself?" the prince leered across the field.
Immediately, the teenager kicked the horse with the heels of his armor, in which it neighed in response and rushed forwards at Grimmjow. However, the aristocrat didn't budge from his spot. The animal and the noble stood still as Ichigo charged with all the power he was given from his steed. He raised his sword once again in the air and waited for Grimmjow to do the same.
The gap between the two adversaries began to close. Everyone in attendance at the event grew silent as the tension intensified from the scene that was beginning to unfold.
Finally, just as Ichigo was about to strike a defenseless man, Grimmjow unexpectedly jerked his horse last minute and clashed his weapon with Ichigo's. Fortunately enough for the adolescent, he was predicting the prince would try to attack him when he was not self-aware. Metal hit metal and sparks flew from the direct contact.
The prince was the first to pull his horse back and break the interaction after a brief encounter.
"What's wrong?" Ichigo remarked, "Where did all that confidence go?"
"Shut the hell up!" Grimmjow growled, throwing his weapon on the ground in his heatedness, "Let's settle this man to man. Get rid of your's too and we'll see who can push the other off first using our bare hands."
What nonsense was he spewing? Did he really have to make it harder than it needed to be? Of course, life never was exactly very fair to Ichigo. At the same time, the aristocrat was probably used to getting what he wanted, whenever he wanted it.
In a like manner, Ichigo let the sword slip from underneath his fingers and watched it fall to the ground. If the Prince of Kyoto desired to play by different rules, Kurosaki was just going to have to beat him at his own game.
As a matter of fact, the horses were forced by their riders to race forward once more at their opponent as all the hairs in the arena stood on end. No one knew who would be declared the ultimate victor during this round.
For the orange-haired teenager, he had a plan that was churning the wheels in his mind. He was going to attempt to jump off his steed and onto Grimmjow's in an effort to win the match. He needed the moment to be precise and executed perfectly.
As his horse zipped past Grimmjow's, Ichigo quickly directed the reigns to hint at the animal to make a sharp turn. The majestic creature obeyed her rider and pulled the movement off with a polished charm. Grimmjow hadn't turned around yet, perhaps thinking that the two were going to charge at one another again.
"This is just what I need!" Ichigo thought triumphantly.
He kicked his heels once more and came up behind Grimmjow with great speed. The eldest of the Kurosaki clan directed the ropes slightly to the left, where he hoped his horse and the other would line up perfectly next to each other.
With much luck, he had hit the nail on the head. His horse pulled up right alongside the cocky noble, and when he whipped his head around to stare at Ichigo, he tried to steer away. Regrettably enough for him, Ichigo stuck out a hand and grabbed Grimmjow by the arm with direct strength.
The Prince of Kyoto tried to loosen the grip, while his other hand controlled the reigns of his horse, leading to what could be a disaster. He wasn't exactly sure which way he was telling the animal to go, since he had gotten distracted by the peasant's ruthlessness.
"Let go of me, you little piece of shit!" Grimmjow snarled as he swayed his body to the side to fight against Ichigo.
However, the teenager was the one with the upper hand. If he didn't stop the chase soon, both horses were going to crash into the gates where the other contestants were waiting.
As the steeds got closer, Ichigo took one last look at Grimmjow and then back towards the terrified people. He should finish the torture for the noble as fast as possible.
At last, the peasant lowered Grimmjow's body to the ground and just as the man's head hovered over the soil, he yelled to the prince, "Enjoy eating dirt."
Subsequently, Ichigo freed Grimmjow from his grasp. The man plummeted to the floor. His horse trampled over his rider and the noble rolled for several seconds in the grass. Eventually, he halted to a limp stop, lying face down.
Before long, Ichigo tugged on the reigns and brought the horse to a standstill. Pursing the loss, Rangiku ran out to the field and over to Ichigo. She grabbed his hand with a bewildered look on her face and threw his arm into the air.
"Ichigo Kurosaki...winner!"
After the first fight, the next one started with no time for a break. Grimmjow was escorted off the field, much to his disappointment. He tried to tell the nurses who were on standby that he could stand on his own, but when he attempted to get back on his feet, he tumbled to his knees. Orihime didn't have to talk to him to know that the loss was a major blow to his pride.
Meanwhile, Ichigo shortly celebrated his win with Renji, who congratulated him before having to get on his horse to fight against Ulquiorra. The duel between the other peasant and noble was far less exciting compared to the first one because of how fast it had ended. Of the two, it was clear that Ulquiorra had better control over the sword than Renji. However, the disadvantage didn't slow the nineteen-year-old down in the slightest. He had fast reflexes and managed to dodge most of Schiffer's swings. Although after a little while, he began to tire and Ulquiorra stole the win by simply swiping his sword at Renji when he started to slip up defending himself.
Round two would determine who would be the first bachelor to be cut from the jousting tournament. The next duo to battle each other was Ichigo and Shinji. It was going to be a tough call Orihime predicted. They were both good at handling the weapons with accuracy and managed to hit their targets on the mark. Nevertheless, all it takes is one misstep. Shinji wasn't quick enough to control the reigns of his horse when the animal got startled by a flock of birds. Shortly after, Ichigo snagged the opening and managed to get the Prince of Sapporo off his steed.
By the time the fourth duel rolled around, Grimmjow seemed to have recovered from his trauma. At least, he appeared to have collected his senses enough to fight Renji. For Ichigo's friend, it looked as if Grimmjow wasn't going to play the sympathy card. He was completely prepared to slaughter Renji when he entered the arena. The peasant wasn't even given the chance to raise his weapon when Grimmjow's horse came flying at him and knocked him off the saddle.
"Renji Abarai...Eliminated!" Rangiku shouted the second the adolescent climbed to his feet.
The first bachelor to be removed from the tournament was Ichigo's best friend. Orihime wondered how that must have made him feel, knowing he was the only peasant left to fight the three nobles. However, the princess believed he could prevail. He seemed very determined and would not back down easily.
After Renji lost, Round 3 was put into motion.
"Kurosaki versus Ulquiorra-sama and Hirako-sama versus Jaegerjaquez-sama," her aunt announced the line-up.
The two duels went practically the same as they had before. More shoving and clanking of swords was the same pattern as the previous rounds. Each man put up a fight until a person was pushed off or managed to stay on his horse.
"Shinji Hirako...Eliminated!"
For the fourth round, since there was an uneven number of bachelors who were left in the tournament, Ichigo was forced to sit out while the cousins were set to fight against one another. For Orihime, predicting who would come out on top during this round was quite a challenge for her. Both men were very blunt in their attacks. They didn't use any form of a strategy, yet the princess slightly questioned if they were taught that way by their fathers since they shared a common style.
In the end though, despite the battle lasting roughly around twenty minutes, it was Ulquiorra who had surprised Grimmjow with an assault on his horse. Instead of aiming his sword at his family, he lightly jabbed the other horse's behind and frightened him. The horse jumped up in response and sent Grimmjow brutally to the ground.
"Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez...Eliminated!"
Now the only two contestants that remained were a noble and a peasant. Two opposite ends of the spectrum but both equal in strength.
The Princess wished her aunt would call a short recess for every one to regain their posture and collect their thoughts. The tournament had been running for two hours without any break. None of the bachelors was allowed to take their armor off until they were told to do so once the battles were brought to a conclusion. Orihime couldn't help but to think the men were starving. She had been given snacks by Yasatoro to nibble on whenever she began to grow hungry. While for the contestants, their stomachs hadn't eaten anything since breakfast early since the morning.
Thankfully, it was the last battle. However, even the Princess was hesitant on how long the duel would drag on for before someone was defeated. As much as she enjoyed the sport, she never intended for any one to get seriously hurt. She winced each time she witnessed a sword barely manage to scrape the surface of skin.
After what had seemed like a decade, Ichigo and Ulquiorra finally emerged from their hideout and galloped onto the field. Rangiku trailed behind them in her flashy attire and placed herself in between the animals.
Unexpectedly, instead of announcing the beginning of the fight, Rangiku did something different.
"Princess Inoue!" Rangiku directly yelled to her niece underneath the tent.
The young maiden was caught off guard. What in the world was going on? Had something happened behind the scenes she was unaware about?
Orihime's body tensed in the comfortable seat, "Y-yes, Auntie?"
"Who do you hope wins today?"
It felt as if time had stopped in one place. All of a sudden, it seemed as though the entire arena had become hushed and lifeless. Even the princess herself couldn't find the energy to move because of how startled she had grown to be from the simple question. In her head, she secretly wondered why her relative was asking her such a thing. The deciding victor would merely be determined by how fast, stronger, and strategic the person truly was from the very start of the duel. Besides, what did it matter? Why was her input needed? She'd rather not share her answer for fear of disappointing the other one she doesn't choose.
"I would like to keep it to myself. I hope that will suffice for now," Orihime responded earnestly.
Rangiku nodded in understand then looked back and forth between Ulquiorra and Ichigo. Admittedly, she honestly couldn't predict who would be the ultimate champion of the jousting tournament. With the wave of her arms, she instructed them to begin.
A wave of exhaustion was finally overcoming Ichigo while in the midst of battle. He realized his body starting to grow fatigued when he had trouble catching his breath as the hot sun heated his armor. For ten minutes, Ulquiorra consistently tried to attack him without ever stopping for a rest himself. Ichigo contemplated whether or not the Prince of Yokohana was even human. He showed no visual emotion and he rarely spoke as he fought. In all honestly, it pissed Ichigo off to a degree. It almost felt as if he was mentally judging him.
Nonetheless, Ichigo wasn't going to give up at the moment. He wanted to be the one to win, to hell with everyone else in the tournament! He practiced harder and longer than the three princes combined, and to have his ass handed to him by a noble would be a major letdown. Ichigo tried to convey his concerns into a plan that would work to his advantage. However, it was slightly difficult to formulate a strategy while on the run, trying to avoid being hit by a powerful animal.
The seventeen-year-old didn't have time to think. Instead, he needed to act.
Ulquiorra was on his horse's tail as the two majestic beasts ran towards the fence. Without having the common sense to consider the consequences, Ichigo was going to do the unimaginable. He wasn't going to stop his horse from going forward. On the contrary, the animal was doing exactly what he wanted it to do. In an instant, Ichigo and his steed were over the fence and running in a single direction.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing?!" screamed the butler from the sidelines.
"Isn't that a foul?" Ichigo heard Grimmjow from earshot as he questioned the referee, which was Rangiku.
The woman didn't say anything. She was unsure whether or not jumping out of the rink meant automatic disqualification. Unable to decide what she wanted to do, her opinion once again was put on hold when Ulquiorra followed in pursuit after Ichigo on his horse. The two were heading in the direction of the mountains.
While holding on tightly to the reigns, Ichigo glimpsed over his shoulder as he heard the sound of pounding hoofs chasing after him.
"So far, so good," Ichigo thought confidently. Quickly, the young man pulled the ropes upward and came to an abrupt stop. Ulquiorra repeated the action and waited for Ichigo to turn around and look at him straight on. He wasn't going to call out to him. For the Prince of Yokohana, talking to him would show weakness. He needed to prove he was far superior to the mere adolescent and let him know he was the boss.
"Are we really going to do this?" Ichigo provoked, back facing towards Ulquiorra as his front observed the clouds passing by ever so softly over the mountains.
Without changing his expression, which remained placid and cold, the noble quietly remarked, "I would like to finish this as fast as possible, peasant."
At the sound of distaste, Ichigo's horse swerved around and took it's stance across from Ulquiorra. The pale man knew calling the teenager the lowly name would stir a response from him. Over the past few days, Ulquiorra could tell how much Ichigo despised nobles. His usual scowl would intensify whenever the three princes walked into the same room as him. If anything, he deserved what was coming to him. He clearly didn't respect the hierarchy system and needed to be put in his place.
"What did you say to me?" Ichigo growled.
Since Ulquiorra now had his attention, he refused to carry out the charade for much longer. Lifting his sword, the prince jolted his horse and ignited the battle once more. Ichigo grasped his weapon tighter than he ever had to before and charged straight towards Ulquiorra as he braced his body for what he knew was to come.
Instantly, the swords touched together, but the contact was broken when Ichigo's weapon wobbled in his hand and he almost lost control of it.
This wasn't going to work, Ichigo sensed. He had to change his tactics.
"Hey!" he exclaimed before Schiffer had the opportunity to raise his sword at him.
Trotting over to him, Ulquiorra asked, "What is it?"
"I have a suggestion," Ichigo declared.
The noble sat still on his steed, waiting for the boy to proceed.
"Let's fight it out without using the horses' speed. We can stay on top, but we will battle each other side by side. Whoever falls off, is officially the loser."
It only took a matter of seconds before the two were in the position they needed to be to continue their duel. At first, Ichigo couldn't believe Ulquiorra would give into his idea, especially since he seemed like a stubborn person. However, without saying a word, he moved alongside Ichigo and waited for the actual brawl to begin.
In spite of that, before they could get started, collections of voices were coming closer to their location. Ichigo looked behind and saw Rangiku, Uryu, Rukia, Renji, and the Princess running towards them.
Rangiku pointed at Ichigo with a sharp tone when she arrived shortly after, "What is going on here?"
"We're about to fight," the orange-haired teenager answered with simple directness.
Ichimaru's wife huffed out her nose in anger, "I can see that! Do you think you can make the rules around here?"
"No, but apparently you think do."
"Why you-!"
Suddenly, Rukia stepped up to cut off Rangiku, "Stop being reckless, will you? You had Inoue-sama sick with worry. Both of you!"
Ichigo's eyes briefly diverted over to the quiet maiden, who held her hands at her stomach. The petite caretaker wasn't lying. There was fear written in the features of Orihime's face. Yet, he couldn't comprehend what had her so frightened. They were simply fighting - no one was going to be killed. If that was the case, he wouldn't be playing the game if there was a chance he would die.
Before Ichigo could respond to Rukia, a chilling voice intercepted him.
"Leave it," Ulquiorra warned, "Let's start."
Not giving him any time to defend himself, Schiffer berated Ichigo with a full-on assault. Ichigo had barely had the strength to put up his sword to protect his body, although he managed and warded off the pain by making it impossible for the Prince of Yokohana to go after a gaffe in his defense.
Slowly, the mysterious man jerked away his sword and settled onto his horse. At last, he was finally beginning to crumble.
Fortunately enough for Ichigo, he saw his chance and grabbed the moment before he missed it. At first, the teenager placed his hand on the saddle to offer himself support. Then he put all the weight of his entire body onto that same hand to help him rise into the air. For a little bit, his legs wobbled back and forth as he pushed the limit of his strength. His thighs had grown weak from being in the same position for a long period of time and they needed to adjust to the new stance. Eventually, Ichigo stood from off his horse, crouched into a ball for he was hunched over his legs.
After observing the adolescent for the past minute and a half, Ulquiorra understood what he was trying to accomplish. He was going to jump off his own horse and pushed Ulquiorra off simply with his bare hands.
Subsequently, the well-built seventeen-year-old launched into a small jump. However, the Prince of Yokohana was in for a surprise. Instead of the anticipated attack Ulquiorra had played out in his head, Ichigo had a change of plans. As he leaped over to Schiffer's horse, he raised his sword above his head. He was prepared to strike down the noble in one blow.
With his own weapon at his side, Ulquiorra couldn't lift in time to guard himself against his attacker. Before the aristocrat knew it, Ichigo's body harshly fell on top of him and Ulquiorra was left dangling over the edge of his horse. Ichigo pressed his sword into the prince's neck and searched his face for any signs of discomfort.
"Finish me off," the pale individual asserted, "There will be plenty of chances to prove myself."
Realizing the noble was taunting his abilities, Ichigo pushed the blade deeper into his armor.
Tilting his head as he smirked underneath his helmet, Ichigo growled, "Go to hell."
Immediately, Kurosaki yanked his sword away and threw it to the ground. Next, his two hands grabbed Ulquiorra by the neck and together the duo slipped off the horse. When they crashed onto the field, Ichigo rolled one way and the noble went the other.
There was a few seconds of complete silence from everyone as they all tried to comprehend what had just happened. Was it officially over? Had a winner been decided? Ichigo kept his ears open despite the noise of his own heavy breathing. Desperately, he wanted to get out of the armor and dump his entire body into a tub of ice.
At long last, Rangiku's loud mouth finally announced the victor of the jousting tournament.
"Ulquorria Schiffer...eliminated! Ichigo Kurosaki...winner!"
Not far from where he was laying, the exhausted adolescent heard his best friend shout in excitement. With no hesitation, Renji ran over to his side and gave Ichigo a proud grin.
"You did it man!" he proclaimed. Slowly, Ichigo raised his hand in the air to receive a high-five from his fellow companion. Renji took note and gruffly grabbed his friend's hand to compliment him on his accomplishment. In the end, it appeared that the underprivileged could stand over the wealthy.
Eventually, Ichigo got onto his feet as well did Ulquiorra. Now came time for the big reveal. The ultimate revelation of the prize Ichigo and trained and fought hard for.
"Congratulations, Kurosaki-san. You've gone through many trials of hardship today, but fear not!" Rangiku beseeched, "All your efforts have been well worth it."
Ichigo rolled his eyes; did she really have to prolong it any further than she needed to?
"So...what did I win?" he questioned her, his heart pounding against his rub cage with each passing second.
Rangiku's hazel eyes twinkled with pleasure at the young man. She was excited to tell him the good news and she hoped he would accept it well.
"Tomorrow afternoon, you will be...going on a picnic date with Princess Inoue!"
As the woman said this, she moved out of plain view from Ichigo and instead of there being an empty space left behind, Orihime stood in her place. She was standing quietly by her caretaker and did not mutter a word. However, her face was turning crimson red the longer she remained underneath Ichigo's intense stare. It was embarrassing to her that her aunt had subjected to go on a date where it would only be the two of them and no one else around. She had never been on a date with a man, much less a very handsome one!
In a flustered state, Orihime curtsied and blurted, "I will look forward to our date."
For a moment, Ichigo wasn't positive of how he should respond. She was clearly nervous and he didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable. Although it may have not been the prize he was imagining, it wasn't entirely horrible. He was going to get to eat more gourmet food, all while sharing it with the Princess, whom everyone in the competition was after. He could get to know her for who she really is, and not as someone he's heard so many negative comments about over the years.