While Ichigo went about his business in the city, we headed to one place in particular, the Sato mansion.
There lives what is considered the most popular couple in the world.
Composed of the current president of Future Industries, one of the largest corporations in the city and the world and, of course, the current Avatar.
No one would have imagined that things would end up like this for them given that they started out as rivals for the love of a boy and then became friends until, in the end, they would become a couple.
True, they had gone through some minor difficulties since they declared themselves a couple, but they, along with a certain sibling duo, managed to overcome them all, as the four of them formed Team Avatar, one of the strongest teams that had always existed, although its members were different due to the Avatar's reincarnation process.
Currently, Avatar Korra can be seen sitting on the steps in front of the mansion's doors while petting Naga, her polar bear dog and guide animal, something that every Avatar had in his life.
At first, she lived on Air Temple Island with Tenzin and his family, but after a while since she and Asami became girlfriends, they decided to take the next step and live together.
It was a bit complicated, since she never had such a luxurious life, but with Asami's help, she was able to adapt and was now enjoying her stay there.
Suddenly, her attention was drawn to the front when she saw someone familiar walking up the stairs towards the entrance.
That person was none other than Mako, a firebender and member of Team Avatar.
"Mako?" asked Korra surprised to see him.
"Oh, Korra. I was going to see if you were here." said Mako.
"Well, I was planning on taking a little walk around city to check on how things are going." said Korra.
"Well, I've come at just the right time. I could use your help with one thing." said Mako.
"What's up?" asked Korra.
"Do 'Komodo Rhinos' ring a bell?" asked Mako.
"Sure they do. They are a new triad that recently emerged and have gained quite a bit of influence and power. Are you going to stop them?" asked Korra.
"Unfortunately, we still don't have enough evidence to stop them and their leader. However, an incident involving them happened recently." said Mako.
"What kind of incident?" asked Korra.
"Apparently, they were 'visiting' a jewelry store clerk when an unknown guy showed up. He challenged them to a fight and beat them all." said Mako.
"Heh. That's funny. That brings back certain memories." said Korra with a smile, as that sounded a lot like when she took on three members of the Triple Threat triad on her first day in the city.
"I guessed as much." said Mako, knowing what she did in the past.
"Who was that stranger who took them down anyway?" asked Korra.
"That's the problem. We don't know who he is, since he slipped away before the officers arrived." said Mako.
"So, you came to ask for my help to look for an unknown person?" asked Korra.
"Not exactly. If there's one thing I know about triads, it's that they don't take things like that very well. It's very likely that their leader would make a move in retaliation against that person. I would even go so far as to say that he would be willing to destroy the city just to find him and make him pay." said Mako.
"I understand. You want me to go with you just in case they decide to make their move, right?" asked Korra.
"That's right." said Mako.
"Well, you didn't need to ask me so officially." began Korra with a smile before getting up. "You know I'm always willing to help, especially a friend."
"I know." said Mako before the two set off.
"One more thing, is there at least any word on that person they might be hatefully searching for?" asked Korra.
"From what we've been able to get from witnesses who saw the fight, it was a young adult with orange hair, a black suit and a large sword." said Mako.
"Did he defeat them with a sword?" asked Korra in surprise.
"No. By all accounts, at no time did he use it. He was able to defeat all three of them with only his own strength." said Mako.
"Wow. He must be really strong. I hope we can find him." said Korra.
"Especially before they do." said Mako.
Now you could see an office in which one of its walls was a huge window overlooking the city, signaling that it was on a high floor.
At a desk was a bald and very portly person, almost looking like an overweight person. He was wearing a white suit jacket and was currently having a glass of an alcoholic beverage.
It was then that a man entered the office.
"You called for me, sir?" the man asked.
"I just received news that the police have arrested three of our people. Would you mind explaining that to me?" asked the boss.
"W-Well, sir, from what I heard, everything was going as it always usually does, but then, some strange guy showed up and defended the manager and then defeated our guys." said the man.
"Do you know who it was?" asked the boss.
"Yes, it seems that the cause of it all was that guy those two told us about earlier" said the man.
"You mean the same guy you told me I wouldn't have to worry about and that you could easily take care of it?" asked the boss.
"Y-Yes, sir. I'm afraid so." said the man beginning to sweat from nervousness.
"That boy must be a powerful bender if he has managed to defeat three of my best men." said the boss.
"Uh… sir. I'm sorry to say you're mistaken. From what we have been able to gather, he didn't at any time use any bending skills. Which suggests he is a non-bender." said the man.
That caused the boss to tighten his grip on his glass so much that he crushed it, not even getting a scratch from the shards of glass in his hand.
"My men well trained and capable of challenging the metalbenders of the police… DEFEATED BY A NON-BENDER?" asked the boss slamming the desk so hard he almost broke it in two.
"S-S-Sir, he wasn't a mere non-bender. He seems to be stronger and faster than he looks. I would even go so far as to say he's not human." the man said very nervously.
"What does that matter? Do you know what the other triads will think of us when they find out about this? THEY WILL LAUGH AT US!" the boss began before getting up. "And that's something I don't intend to tolerate. Assemble all our men at once."
"W-What are we going to do, boss?" asked the man.
"We are going to show that boy what happens when you mess with the Komodo Rhinos and whether it is necessary to destroy the city to show our power…" began the boss before causing, from a chimney there, a burning stone to rise into his hand. "So be it." said the boss before crushing the burning stone with his hand.
A short time later, in another part of city, there were two people enjoying a nice meal at a Water Tribe-themed restaurant.
Those people were Bolin, an earthbender, Mako's brother and member of Team Avatar, and Opal, granddaughter of Toph Beifong, an airbender and his girlfriend.
Things were a bit complicated for the two due to events that have been happening the past few months, especially regarding Opal's family, but after all those issues were resolved, they were able to get back to the basics of their relationship as it could be seen right now.
Opal was currently slurping some noodles quickly until she reached the end.
"So, do you like it?" asked Bolin.
"Mmm. I never thought the food at the Water Tribe would taste so good. You really picked a good place." said Opal.
"What do you want me to tell you? My favorite food place for my favorite girl." said Bolin, making Opal chuckle with a slight blush.
"By the way, how's your new job at city hall going?" asked Opal.
"Well, I admit it was a bit boring at first, bringing snacks to the president, filling out reports, but one day, I advised her on a matter I'm familiar with and since then, she often asks me for help. I finally feel like I'm in the right place." said Bolin with a smile.
"I'm happy for you, Bolin. And how are the others?" asked Opal with a smile.
"Well they are… Here?" asked Bolin having turned his gaze to the window.
"Here in the sentimental sense or in the literal sense?" asked Opal in confusion.
"In the very literal sense." said Bolin pointing to the window, where Opal could see Korra and Mako in a police satomobile.
They both looked at each other before leaving the restaurant, paying the bill in the process, of course.
"Hey, guys!" exclaimed Bolin, catching the two's attention.
"Oh, hi, Bolin, Opal." said Korra.
"Hey Korra. What are you doing here with Mako? Are you cheating on Asami?" asked Opal with a small smile.
"Haha. Very funny." began Korra sarcastically. "No. I'm helping him with an issue regarding the Komodo Rhinos."
"That new triad?" asked Bolin.
"Yes. There's a good chance they're going to launch a major attack and we patrol the streets to keep an eye out." said Mako.
"Hey, how about we give you a hand?" asked Opal.
"Are you sure, Opal?" asked Bolin wanting to spend more time with his girlfriend.
"Bolin, I know you and I know you want to go help them, so I'll go with you too. Besides, doesn't it sound romantic to fight the enemy together like Korra and Asami do?" asked Opal with a wink.
"There's a point there." said Korra with a smile.
"Well, I'm not one to deny my girl anything. Ok. We're in." said Bolin.
"Fine by me. Hop in." said Mako before the pair got into the back seats to then, start the satomobile to be on their way.
Hours had passed since the four had started their patrol and so far, they had found nothing.
Not a police alert, not a sign, not an announcement.
Nothing at all.
"Mako, are you sure those guys will attack at some point?" asked Opal.
"I just said it's very likely, not that it was going to happen." said Mako.
"Maybe they're planning their attack for another time." said Bolin.
"It's a possibility, but Mako is right that it would be better to patrol to be safe. Besides, knowing our luck, something's bound to happen before too long." said Korra.
"True, but even if they really did attack today, what would they do?" asked Bolin.
Suddenly, a small tremor shook the entire street, causing everyone, people and vehicles, to stop.
"An earthquake? Now?" asked Opal.
"Something tells me this isn't natural." said Mako.
Just then, geysers of lava erupted from parts of the ground, causing people to flee the scene in panic, even drivers and passengers jumped out of their satomobiles.
Or at least, most of them, as some of the drivers and bystanders, instead of fleeing the scene in panic, simply stood there and gathered as a herd.
"Listen to me, orange-haired boy! We know you're in there! So unless you want us to destroy this street, you'd better come out at once!" shouted one of the men in the group.
"They've finally attacked!" said Korra.
"And as I thought, they're all doing it to get revenge on that person." said Mako.
"That person?" asked Opal confused.
"One who defeated some members of theirs and they want to make him pay for it." explained Korra.
"Well I say we pay them instead." said Bolin.
"Well said, Bolin." said Opal.
The four got out of the satomobile and stood in front of the group.
"Stop right now!" exclaimed Korra getting the men's attention.
"Avatar Korra? For once, this isn't on you, so get the hell out of here!" said the man.
"You just threatened innocent people, so this does go with me." said Korra.
"Republic City Police! Stop whatever you're doing right now and surrender!" exclaimed Mako using his police authority.
"Surrender? I'm afraid that word doesn't exist in our vocabulary, officer."
Out of the most luxurious satomobile in the area stepped the boss, whose presence startled the four.
"It can't be." said Mako.
"Who is that guy?" asked Bolin.
"It's Kingkie. The leader of the triad. Chief Beifong has been trying to put him behind bars, but he always gets away with it." said Mako.
"That's what happens when you have the best lawyers." said Kingkie.
"What are you doing here? I never thought the leader of a triad would join a fight." said Korra.
"Oh, dear Avatar. I am slightly offended that you would consider me so. The other leaders may prefer to sit on their thrones watching their men do things for them. I, on the other hand, prefer to do things on my own. So, if I want to participate, I will." said Kingkie.
"Don't you think it's too excessive to do all this just because a single person beat up some of your people?" asked Opal.
"Normally, I wouldn't do it if it had been a skilled bender or the Avatar herself here in person, but that person turned out to be a non-bender and I don't intend to tolerate our gang being insulted by his actions." said Kingkie clenching his fist.
"Is that why you're doing this? To lure him?" asked Korra.
"Of course. After all, if there's one thing I know about that guy is that he seems to like helping people, so he won't hesitate to come here if people are in trouble." said Kingkie.
"You're an idiot if you think we're going to sit still in the meantime." said Bolin.
"Luckily, I'm not. In fact, I had a feeling you would show up at some point. That's why I brought this." said Kingkie before snapping his fingers.
Suddenly, the walls of a couple of buildings exploded and out of the holes came a total of four mecha tanks, something that left the four of them in shock.
"Meca tanks?!" asked Opal.
"Where did you get them from?" asked Mako.
"Let's just say I have good contacts." said Kingkie as the mecha tanks advanced towards them.
"Uh… Any advice on how to fight those things?" asked Opal, as this was her first time facing the old Equalist weapons.
"Yeah, don't let them hit you." said Bolin.
A mecha tank shot its grappling claw at Opal, who used airbending to shoot herself upward.
While she was in the air, she shot air bullets that caused the mecha tank to go backwards a bit.
When it landed, she shoot a strong gust of wind that caused the mecha tank to fall backwards.
The second mecha tank shot a whipped disk at Bolin, but he pulled out his lava shuriken and threw it at the disk, destroying it in the process.
He then manipulated the trajectory of the lava shuriken so that it cut off one of the mecha tank's arms.
Before he went to do anything else, Bolin delivered a stomp that caused the ground beneath the mecha tank to shake before cracking, causing the mecha tank to fall into a not-so-deep hole.
Mako launched huge fireballs at the third mecha tank, which tried to resist them by using its arms as shields.
When the fireballs stopped, it shot its grappling claw, but Mako dodged it before it shot its other grappling claw which Mako quickly dodged.
It was then that he waved his arms and shot a lightning that caused the mecha tank's back compartment to explode, rendering the device useless.
The last mecha tank shot a pair of whip-wielding disks towards Korra who neutralized one with a fireball while deflecting the other with a controlled gust of wind.
The mecha tank was about to attack when Korra used waterbending to manipulate the water in her canteen and shot a stream of water that, upon impacting the cockpit glass, froze it, causing the pilot's vision to completely blur.
Despite not being able to see anything, the pilot made the mech tank move quickly towards the Avatar while waving its arms in an attempt to hit her, but then, Korra used earthbending to make a ramp appear in the middle of the mech tank's path, causing its left crawler to pass it, which caused the mech tank to tilt enough to fall.
"Wow. We sure have improved since the last time we fought those things." said Bolin.
"It's over, Kingkie. We've already taken care of your toys." said Korra.
"Who said I only had those? I have more set aside in a special place. I was hoping I wouldn't have to waste my men on you, but apparently that boy is a coward who won't show up for a tough fight." said Kingkie before snapping his fingers.
The men around him got the message and began to advance towards the four, who prepared to fight them.
Suddenly, when there were only a couple of meters between the two sides…
BOOM
Something fell hard in the middle of the area, creating a smoke screen in the process.
Everyone stopped immediately, confused as to what had caused it.
When the smoke cleared, everyone saw standing there a young adult man with orange hair, black clothes and a large sword on his back.
"Who are you calling a coward, old man?" asked Ichigo with a frown.
A FEW MOMENTS AGO
Even though he knew his friends would come looking for him, there was one thing Ichigo hadn't thought of until now.
What would he do in the meantime?
At the moment he was sitting on a rooftop, thinking about what he could do.
The first thing he thought of was to look for lodging in some hotel or something, but he had no money on him, let alone money from that world.
He could go back to the spirit world and ask that old man to let him stay in his apartment until the time came, but that would be too much of an abuse after he had helped him by providing him with information.
In fact, now that he thought about it, there was one thing he could try.
According to the old man, the Avatar was the most powerful person on the planet.
Perhaps she could help him in some way such as, for example, providing him with a place to stay.
All he would have to do would be to find her, introduce himself, explain his situation and wait for the outcome, although he couldn't imagine if she would believe him if he said he was a shinigami from another world, not to mention that he didn't know where she might be at the moment.
He was about to go down to the street to ask anyone if they had seen her when suddenly a small tremor caught his attention and that's when geysers of lava erupted on a street far away from where he was.
"What the hell…?" asked Ichigo in surprise.
Filled with curiosity, he quickly made his way to the place of origin and once he arrived, he stood on the roof of a building to take a look at the situation.
On one side, there was a group of men along with one who seemed to be the boss given his physique and attire.
On the other side, there were only four people, but one of them mainly caught the attention of the substitute shinigami, for even though he wasn't good at detecting reiatsu like the others, he could sense a similar enormous power coming from her.
He had a theory as to why, but he wanted to make sure, so he stood there to observe what was going on.
"Don't you think it's too excessive to do all this just because a single person beat up some of your people?" asked Opal.
"Normally, I wouldn't do it if it had been a skilled bender or the Avatar herself here in person, but that person turned out to be a non-bender and I don't intend to tolerate our gang being insulted by his actions." said Kingkie clenching his fist.
Ichigo began to understand.
Those guys must have been the Komodo Rhinos, a gang that the guys he clashed with on those two occasions were part of.
Apparently they decided to take matters into their own hands and in a very serious way if the boss was there.
"Is that why you're doing this? To lure him?" asked Korra.
"Of course. After all, if there's one thing I know about that guy is that he seems to like helping people, so he won't hesitate to come here if people are in trouble." said Kingkie.
Ichigo clenched his fists in frustration at seeing that this man was willing to harm innocents in order to lure him alone.
He couldn't help but feel a little guilty that things ended up this way for getting involved in other people's business.
That's when Kingkie snapped his fingers and the mecha tanks came out of their hiding places.
"The mother of the lamb! What are those things?" asked Ichigo.
Seeing the technology of that world, he expected there to only be things from a time in his world's past, but he didn't expect the people of that world to be smart enough to design something like that that would only appear in a robot manga.
In fact, a part of him wondered if crackpot scientists like Kisuke or Mayuri would be interested in one of those things to examine it and apply their knowledge to make them more… modern.
"Meca tanks?!" asked Opal.
"Where did you get them from?" asked Mako.
"Let's just say I have good contacts." said Kingkie as the mecha tanks advanced towards them.
Ichigo had planned to show up and lend them a hand, but one look at the four of them and their positions and expressions and he could tell they were ready to fight no matter what kind of opponent.
Interested in them, Ichigo decided to stay on the sidelines to see how they fought those things and would only show up if the opportunity was necessary.
He watched as Opal manipulated the air to take down a mecha tank, which he saw interesting, as he hadn't seen an airbender before.
Then, to his surprise, he watched as Bolin created a shuriken out of rocks and lava and used it to take down the mecha tank along with his earthbending.
"Wow. That old man didn't tell me they could use more elements besides the basic ones." said Ichigo in surprise.
Next, he saw Mako hold his mecha tank at bay with fireballs before knocking it down with a powerful lightning.
And finally, he saw Korra, the person of most interest to him and that's when he was truly shocked, as he saw her use all four elements to take down the last mecha tank.
That was enough to confirm his theory.
That person was none other than the Avatar, the bender of the four elements.
Needless to say, he was slightly impressed by her way of using the four elements in a simple way to fight an enemy.
"It's over, Kingkie. We've already taken care of your toys." said Korra.
"Who said I only had those? I have more set aside in a special place. I was hoping I wouldn't have to waste my men on you, but apparently that boy is a coward who won't show up for a tough fight." said Kingkie before snapping his fingers.
That was something Ichigo couldn't stand.
He could be stupid at times or even a daredevil, but he wasn't a coward and certainly not when it came to helping others.
Now that he had seen how the four of them fought the mecha tanks, he felt it was time to show what HE could do.
So he took a big leap and landed hard in the middle of the two sides.
"Who are you calling a coward, old man?" asked Ichigo with a frown.
Everyone was surprised at the appearance of this strange person.
It was then that Korra noticed his appearance.
Orange hair, black clothes and a big sword on his back.
She quickly understood that this guy must be the person Kingkie and his people were looking for, the one who defeated three of their members with his own hands.
Not only that, but she could feel something in him, something big and familiar.
She didn't know why, but she could simply tell that this boy wasn't a non-bender, but he wasn't someone normal either.
Kingkie was slightly taken aback by the arrival of the substitute shinigami before smiling.
"So… you finally decided to grace us with your presence. That makes things a lot easier for us." said Kingkie.
"Leave all these people alone. This is between you and me." said Ichigo.
"Of course. After all, this is business, there's no reason to involve anyone else" said Kingkie.
"Wait." began Korra catching the two's attention. "You don't have to fight alone." said Korra to Ichigo.
"Right. We can help you." said Mako wanting to help him.
"I appreciate it, but I can take care of these guys on my own." said Ichigo with a smile.
"What? You're going to take them on by yourself?" asked Bolin in surprise.
"Are you out of your mind?" asked Opal.
"I agree with the airbender. After all, it's you alone against all of us and as far as I know, you're a non-bender while all of us are powerful bender." said Kingkie.
"And that's supposed to scare me? I've seen worms that were scarier than all of you put together." said Ichigo.
And it was true, as he remembered his start through Hueco Mundo, where he encountered a giant hollow worm that turned out to be friendly despite its appearance.
Kingkie growled at the insult.
"Let's get him!" exclaimed Kingkie causing all the men around him to rush towards the substitute shinigami as they readied their bending powers.
A pair of firebenders combined their powers to launch a huge flare that hit him directly, much to his joy and the horror of the four onlookers, but that was short-lived as Ichigo quickly appeared behind them, grabbed them by the head and sent them crashing into each other, being knocked down in the process.
Earthbenders lifted several rocks from the ground to then smear them with oil which the firebenders set on fire with their powers, creating burning rocks which the earthbenders hurled at him.
Ichigo moved quickly to dodge the incoming fiery rocks and when he got close to the earth and firebenders, he knocked them all down with his fists and kicks.
A couple of waterbenders used water from a barrel they brought to fill the floor with water and then freeze it, causing Ichigo's feet to get trapped in the ice, which more waterbenders took advantage of to shoot icicles at him.
Ichigo put his arms in X position as a shield, managing to protect himself and resist the icicles, which, for someone like him, weren't that hard.
Once the rain of icicles was over, he took a leap that allowed him to free his feet to then land next to the waterbenders that he quickly knocked down.
After that, Ichigo lunged towards an earthbender, who, in an act of desperation, quickly erected a wall to protect himself, but Ichigo threw a punch that knocked down the wall as the fist continued to advance until it impacted against the bender's face, being knocked down in the process.
Then, several earthbenders erected columns of earth directed towards him, but Ichigo, with speed and agility, went through the columns until he reached the benders and knocked them down with his strength.
The four spectators were truly shocked by what they were seeing.
When they learned that he was a non-bender, they feared for his safety, as he was going to face an army of bender.
However, their fears vanished when they saw him fight them and defeat them with ease.
They had never seen a human, whether bender or non-bender, with such strength and speed as Ichigo was showing at that moment.
Korra began to suspect that he was truly not a normal human, as she still felt that familiar power within him.
While they were surprised and at the same time, impressed, Kingkie was getting more and more frustrated as he saw that his men were being defeated easily.
At first, he thought he could beat a mere non-bender with numerical superiority, but that boy was able to beat them using quality over quantity.
Well, if that was the way things were, then…
"Stop!" exclaimed Kingkie, bringing the rest of his men who hadn't been knocked down to a halt. "He's obviously no ordinary guy."
"Oh, have you understood that you have no choice but to surrender and retreat?" asked Ichigo.
"No. That the only way to defeat someone of your quality, is with someone of the same quality." said Kingkie.
"And who might that be?" asked Ichigo.
"Me." said Kingkie before giving a loud stomp that shook the ground.
Instinctively, Ichigo put his arms up in defense mode just as a pillar erupted from the ground in front of him, hitting him so hard that it sent him backwards, though he landed on his feet.
Without giving him time to act, Kingkie threw an uppercut that sent a trail of dirt flying toward the substitute shinigami, as if someone was digging a tunnel under the ground.
When it hit Ichigo, it exploded, but he managed to dive to the side to avoid it.
Acting quickly, Ichigo lunged towards him with his fist ready to strike, but before he could make an impact, Kingkie caught his fist with his own, to the surprise of the shinigami who couldn't react before receiving a punch from the boss that sent him backwards.
Ichigo rubbed his chin with the back of his hand.
Because he was fighting humans (with special powers), he decided to restrain himself enough not to break bones with his blows, but in view of the fact that this guy was tougher than he looked, he would have to increase his strength.
With two punches in the air, Kingkie sent two huge boulders flying like cannonballs, but Ichigo quickly dodged them as he charged towards him.
Once again, Ichigo directed his fist forward, but Kingkie put his arms up as a shield, blocking the substitute shinigami's punch, though the force put into that punch was too much for him and he not only grunted in pain, but was forced to back up a bit.
Seeing that his opponent was stronger than he imagined, Kingkie raised a couple of rocks which he split into smaller pieces which he then launched as if they were machine gun bullets, forcing Ichigo to move quickly to avoid them.
Acting quickly, Kingkie gave a loud stomp and, sensing something coming from the ground, Ichigo took a big leap just as several stalagmites popped out of the ground and crossed right where he was.
Ichigo took advantage of that to head towards Kingkie and give him a direct kick in the face that sent him crashing into his satomobile, creating a huge dent in the process.
Kingkie let out a groan as he stood up to glare angrily at the substitute shinigami.
"Who the hell are you? A monster?" asked Kingkie.
"You could say that, though that's none of your business, old man." said Ichigo.
With a growl of rage, Kingkie caused the ground beneath the substitute shinigami to buckle, causing two walls of earth to crush it like a book closing.
Korra and the others were shocked to see the boy end up like that, even blaming themselves for not being able to do anything to help them.
Korra was about to launch herself in rage at Kingkie and give him a mighty blow when suddenly…
"By the skin of my teeth."
They all looked to the side to see, wide-eyed, Ichigo completely unharmed from the attack.
"A little more and I wouldn't count it, though I think I could have taken it." said Ichigo.
No one knew what to think of him anymore, as they didn't even know what had happened.
Whether he had teleported or moved so fast they didn't notice.
Certainly, Korra hoped she could talk to him after this to try to find out more.
"I'm tired of this anyway." said Ichigo as he gripped the hilt of his sword.
"Oh, you finally consider me worthy enough to use your sword against me?" asked Kingkie.
"Not at all." began Ichigo to the boss's surprise. "I simply want to get this over with."
Kingkie gritted his teeth in anger as he saw that this boy was clearly underestimating him.
"Very well. If that's what you want…" began Kingkie before causing lava to erupt from the ground and begin to harden and then manipulating it to envelop him, covering himself in fiery rock armor. "This armor has withstood attacks from all the benders! Go ahead! Give me your best shot! I can take it!"
"As you wish." said Ichigo raising the sword high.
At that moment, a white energy began to envelop Ichigo and his sword.
That made Korra's eyes widen from the utter shock, as she was now able to find the familiarity she felt from Ichigo's power.
"That's…SPIRITUAL ENERGY?!" asked Korra mentally.
Now more questions were running through her mind regarding that boy.
Who was he really? Or rather, what was he? Was he a spirit? But he was nothing like the spirits she had seen throughout her life. Was he a person who had passed on as happened with Iroh? It couldn't be that, for no human spirit could have power like he had.
With a quick motion, Ichigo made a vertical slash with his sword, slamming the tip into the ground, which caused a huge wind wave to head straight towards Kingkie, who stood on the defensive to withstand the attack.
By the time the attack hit, there was an explosion and as the smoke dissipated, the four were shocked to see that on the ground there was a groove formed by Ichigo's attack, plus, at the end of the groove, was Kingkie unconscious with his lava armor destroyed and a cut on his chest, although, to the relief of many, it wasn't very deep, so it wasn't fatal.
The whole place fell silent as the triad leader was defeated by an opponent so powerful that he caused quite a bit of damage with a single ranged attack from his sword.
"I-I'm out of here!" exclaimed one of Kingkie's men.
"That guy is a monster!" exclaimed another of Kingkie's men.
"Fuck it! I don't get paid enough for this!" another man exclaimed.
Without hesitation, all those who had stayed out of the fight began to flee in terror, hoping they wouldn't be the next to be attacked, leaving even their downed boss and comrades behind.
Mako couldn't react to that, as he, like the others, was too focused on Ichigo, who put the sword back in place when he saw that he was done for everything.
"Avatar Korra, I presume?" said Ichigo, snapping the Avatar out of her stupor.
"Y-Yes. Who… Who are you?" asked Korra hoping to get answers as Ichigo turned around to look at her.
"My name is Ichigo Kurosaki and I think we have a lot to talk about." said Ichigo.