The bulk of the training that Ichigo and Rukia have been going through has either been on or near the Sokyoku hill. This is mainly to keep their reishi away from anyone much weaker than them from being exposed or even corrupted by their hollow like reishi. With the Kido Corps training grounds being close by it wasn't a stretch from their usual spots to train there as well. While Ichigo isn't as adept as his allies at sensing reishi, he knew Rukia's almost as well as he knew his own. He felt her leave to go train with Hiyori shortly after he was instructed by Yamamoto to repeat the kido spell 10,000 times. However he was a very fast learner and by the past hour of Rukia and Hiyori's sparring match he had already completed 1800 perfect casts according to Tessai. He only restarted once around the 150 mark the first time but now he's gotten it down to the point he can perform it by flicking a finger. However as he continues to snipe the target with the concussive blast of the first Kido, something feels amiss. After he reached the 2,000 mark he drops his hands and turns to Tessai to address what he's been feeling.
"Hey Tessai?" Ichigo asks, his usual nonchalant tone slightly exasperated due to the constant repetition.
"You are on 2,012 casts Kurosaki." Tessai responds, assuming that he was going to ask what number he is on.
"I wasn't gonna ask that, I was going to ask if you could have someone check on Rukia. Something feels… off." He explains, prompting the tan skinned buff man to peer over his tiny glasses at his student. "Her reishi feels like it's getting weaker."
"Third seat Hiyori had mentioned that they were going to train until her Reishi was depleted so that she may have her inner battle with the hollow." Tessai responds, though the look of concern on Ichigo's face does convince him to at least humor his request. "If it will get you back to your training then I will have someone go check on her."
"I'll grab Shinji and Kensei, knowing Hiyori she's probably going to do something stupid." Lisa sighs, annoyed that the young soul reaper is distracting her from her manga. "Hiyori's reishi feels like she's using her hollow powers, so she's definitely doing something stupid."
"Oh I think they're gonna have fun! I'm gonna go too!" Mashiro declares before rolling backwards into a handstand and pushing herself off the ground and vanishing in a burst of reishi.
"Well now that that is sorted Kurosaki, please resume casting the kido spell." Tessai asks, with the concern lifted from his shoulders, Ichigo turns back to face the target set up for him on the far side of the courtyard. He raises his hand and channels as little reiatsu as possible to fire the spell and does so. "2,013 and counting. Less than 8,000 to go. At this rate you'll be done in time for dinner this evening."
Hardly a second after the words leave his mouth the target explodes violently from an overcharged cast of the spell. "Maybe not. Starting back at one." Tessai dodges a cast aimed at him before clicking the counter. "Two." He says with a slight smirk on his face. However just as Ichigo goes to cast it again, the Rukia's energy shifts increasing massively and turning dark, the tell tale signs of hollowfication. His eyes widen in shock, feeling his girlfriend's spirit energy hollowfy and before Tessai could tell him not to go after her, he takes off. Grabbing Zangetsu by the massive wrap around its handle, sprinting as fast as he can to the training ground.
Halfway across the Seireitei in the squad five barracks, Shinji and Kensei are having a conversation on what to expect with Ichigo's hollow powers. They have been told of how strong the hollow version of Rukia is and considering the fact that Ichigo is at captain level, his inner hollow is bound to be nearly as strong as captain Kyoraku if not stronger. "You feel that?" Shinji asks, feeling the sudden shift in reiatsu coming from under the sokyoku hill. "I think Miss Rukia's hollow just woke up." He says, prompting Kensei to arch an eyebrow and then feel out the darkened reishi that now permeates the air. "Yeah, and if it's this dense this far away, Hiyori is in deep shit." Kensei responds as both captains stand. "Captain!" Lisa shouts as the rice paper door slides open. "We need to go now, Rukia has hollowfied we need to get there before she kills Hiyori. I've already contacted Hacchi and he's meeting us there." Lisa warns, though the captains don't answer instead they act. The four soul reapers flash step as fast as they can to get to the training ground.
Hiyori stares in terror into the twisted grin of Hoakita before her, the vulpine mask covering the majority of her face leaving just her mouth exposed which is grinning evilly at her opponent. The remains of her sword in her right hand, barely a third of its original length and almost completely useless against the hollow in front of her. Hoakita takes her time, savoring Hiyori's fear, "So, am I worth your time now?" Hoakita gloates, she raises the crimson sword and tosses it into the air. With the now free hand, she grabs the remaining tattered top of her shihakusho and rips it off. Her chest is covered in a sarashi covering her breasts but exposing her midriff. In the center of her chest where her heart should be is a large perfectly circular hollow hole straight through her body. She snatches the red blade by the sword tail and spins it at insane speeds creating a red wheel of death in front of her. Sode no Shirayuki is held in her off hand and is pointed right at Hiyori.
"Rukia!" Ichigo yells as he bursts into the room, his eyes widening in shock seeing her beginning to hollowfy. "What did you do?!" He yells, partially turning his anger towards Hiyori.
"Stabbed me in the shoulder with that knock off kitchen utensil she calls a sword. Bitch insulted me, insulted you and broke Sode no Shirayuki. Credit where credit's due Rukia tried to stop me from coming out but gave up after that bitch stabbed me in the shoulder. Lost my arm when I freed it from my shoulder." Hoakita explains, looking at Ichigo and giving him a seductive look.
"You did what?!" Ichigo shouts now turning to face Hiyori, his face twisted with fury. "You stabbed her?!"
"Her hollow called me a bitch, baldy!" Hiyori retorts, shouting back at Ichigo who is getting increasingly more furious.
"That's because you are!" Ichigo yells, the response from him causes Hoakita to begin to laugh.
"Yes my king… let him out to play. My king, come out, come out to play Zangetsu." Hoakita continues, the reishi around Ichigo begins to turn black.
"Let me out! Let me out! You heard what she said! That bitch hurt her and Rukia and you didn't do jack shit to stop her! Let me out!" Zangetsu's voice screams through Ichigo's head. The influence of his hollow is now beginning to seep in. The increasing levels of reiatsu caused the room to shake, Hoakita's laughter echoing through the room.
The rest of the Vizards arrive in time to see Ichigo's eyes suddenly turn black and gold. His hunched over position relaxes slightly and he stands up straight. His full posture relaxes as the air around his face begins to condense into white flecks of bonelike shards amassing over Ichigo's left eye. He turns to look at Hiyori with an evil grin on his face, his hollow mask taking shape. He chuckles to himself, the echoing of his hollowfied voice causing the other vizards' blood to run cold. "You shouldnt have done that…" He says, turning to face the several captains and lieutenants that had come to stop Rukia's hollowfication, now having to stop Ichigo as well. Hoakita slowly walked up to Zangetsu's side."You know damn well what happens when you touch something that isn't yours." Zangetsu speaks, wrapping his hand around Hoakita's waist. "Hello, my queen." He greets, pulling her into himself and capturing her lips on his. Their masks pressing against each other gently as the two hollow soul reapers embrace. During their moment of embrace, the entire vizard squad pulls their masks down and draws their swords. Hachi is preparing to create a kido barrier to keep the upcoming battle contained.
"Hello, my king." Hoakita greets as she separates from the kiss. "Did he let you take over? He was very mad at that bitch for what she did to Rukia and I."
"With some words of encouragement." Zangetsu replies, "I put him in a time out to cool off, but he'll probably be itching for a fight. I'm excited to see if the king can remain on the throne. The other me isn't too happy about this either, but agreed it's for the best. Love the new sword by the way."
"I knew you would." Hoakita responds before narrowing her eyes at Shinji. "The queen doesn't want me to kill her." She begins, "I guess you're going to attack us if we do go after her, Shinji?"
"We will protect her, yes." Shinji responds, still holding the grip tightly on his sword.
"The king and queen are in a bit of a time out for the time being, but we want to come out and… stretch our legs. Plus it'll be a good warm up to fight our king and queen." Zangetsu's voice is filled with twisted excitement. He grins widely as he raises the massive blade out in front of him and grabs his shoulder with the other hand. The mask on his face starts to grow larger and a horn begins to materialize from the side of his head. "This is where the fun begins." He says before raising his already monstrous reishi even higher. His golden eyes flash brighter for a brief instant before a single word that the vizards prayed they wouldn't hear escapes his mouth. "Bankai."
If the reiatsu escaping the cave wasn't suffocating before, now it was like standing on the surface of a star. The pressure is so intense that the rock faces around the cave are being compacted to diamond-like gemstones. So much so that the other captains around the seireitei have been alerted to what's going on. The first of them to feel the shift is Byakuya who had been on the receiving end of Hollow Ichigo's onslaught during their fight. The crushing pressure of his reishi is forcing unseated members of the squads to fall unconscious. Mere moments after the reiatsu spike happened a mass alert issued from the captain commander himself rang through their ears. "Attention all lieutenants and captains, Kurosaki Ichigo and Kuchiki Rukia have begun their hollowfication training. Get everyone who is unable to withstand the reishi to safety and meet at the training facility under Sokyoku hill. You are to be back up in case their hollows prove strong enough to get past the vizard captains." Byakuya shoots Renji a stern look telling him all he needs to know as both men tear out of the sixth squad office towards their barracks to assess the situation and get anyone who has fallen unconscious to safety.
In The Training Grounds,
"So, who wants to play first? I promise I'll be gentle~" Hoakita coos, dancing around Zangetsu's body, trailing the point of her frozen blade along his chest. Her slight dance concludes with her in front of Zangetsu with a hand and sword around the back of his neck and the other over his hand that clutches her by the waist. "My dear, why don't you and the boys go play for a white. I'd like to spend a little time with just me and the girls!" She says, emphasizing the last part by lunging out of Zangetsu's embrace and right at Hiyori. The petite soul reaper is frozen in fear and only watches as Hoakita closes the distance, slashing both blades down at her. Hiyori is only saved by the sword and scabbard of Lisa who parries the attack.
"I have half a mind to not bother with you all and just watch the cat fight." Zangetsu says, his nonchalant tone not dissimilar to Ichigo's more lackadaisical tone but the lax tone is laced with a sinister intent from the hollow. "Personally I wanna see them go for each other's clothes first. Would make for a more fun fight to watch." Zangetsu spins the long slender midnight black katana by the chain escaping the base of the handle.
"Great. Lisa isn't the only perverted vizard now." Kensei groans, drawing the ka-bar style zanpakuto from his boot, gripping it hard in a reverse grip. "I kind of agree with you though, but it seems your queen wants you to fight me. Question is how? Personally I'd settle for a game of chess and some Sake but I don't think you'd take me up on that offer."
"I'm an expert at all things war, while that idiot Ichigo is a fool and doesn't know the first thing about battle or tactics, I am an expert at it. After all, what am I and the old man to do all day but play war games. That boring old bastard never wants to fight and like I said, I've been needing a chance to stretch my legs." Zangetsu answers, letting go of the spinning chain and allowing his sword to be flung upwards, rotating rapidly as it does so. Gravity soon takes over once again and it falls back towards his hand, stopping at the tip of his index finger by the point of the blade. With a flick of his wrist he juggles the blade on his fingers bouncing it from pommel to point repeatedly.
"You're the hollow, why are you calling yourself Zangetsu if you know there's another spirit inside his inner world." Shinji questions causing the mask-covered man to turn to face the pharaoh masked soul reaper.
"The old man usurped my name, and took my place the day that Ichigo awakened his shinigami powers. The old man isn't his zanpakuto spirit, I am. I am Zangetsu, the old guy is just something he got from his mother. The old man never wanted us to become a shinigami, always wanted Ichigo to be weak and to stay out of spiritual affairs. But what he didn't know is that I know what he really is, what our dear mother was. Problem is, you idiots ruined any chance of me and Ichigo trusting each other and now I have to beat some sense into him." Zangetsu explains before catching the blade in his left hand. He points the katana towards Kensei and flexes his off hand at him twice as an issue of a challenge.
"Mono e Mono, just how I like it." Kensei's hollowfied voice rings with excitement as the militant vizard blitzes Zangetsu.
Kensei and Zangetsu clash blades hard enough to cause a shockwave from the impact of their blades. Stray bursts of reishi materialize and electrify sparking off the point of contact. Zangetsu grinning the entire time their blades are locked. Though the mask hides his expression, the sheer force behind this attack from Zangetsu is enough to unnerve Kensei slightly. Pumping his spirit energy into his sword Tachikaze. The blade is enveloped in an orb of white light before exploding on Zangetsu's blade sending the hollow careening backwards with slight smoke trailing off his shihakusho. The blast did little to leave lasting damage, but the now exposed hollow hole in what once was Ichigo's chest as well as the strange white flesh starting to metastasise from it is a clear indication of his regenerative capabilities. "Oh, you and I are going to be good friends. I actually felt that one." He grins even wider at the prospect of enjoying this battle. "But, two can play at that game." Zangetsu says before vanishing and slashing hard at Kensei from behind him. The buzzcut sporting captain manages to swing his small sword back fast enough to catch the bankai blade but Zangetsu merely places a hand against the onyx black steel and says the name of Ichigo;s quintessential technique. "Getsuga Tensho." He declares, before the blade releases a massive explosion of black and red energy that encompasses the entirety of the open area between the rock formations.
The blast pushes Shinji, Rose and Love backwards and sends Mashiro flying. The resulting shockwave shook the entire seireitei, places as far away as the Shiba homestead felt tremors from the blast. When the light from the reishi explosion clears, the dust begins to settle revealing Zangetsu more hollowfied and Kensei bleeding profusely with the top half of his captain's robes completely obliterated. Zangetsu's left side of his body has become mostly hollowfied, the arm gripping the black sword is now bone white with red accent tattoos along the side of his bicep and under arm. His fingers have elongated and are now pointed with long white claws, his wrist framed by a ring of white fur. Along the hollow's shoulder sprout large spikes like shoulder pads as his body bulks up considerably. His foot has completely mutated now taking on a reptilian appearance with a large three toed foot with a gnarled ankle spur off the back of his leg. The mask covers almost two thirds of his face with a long singular bull's like horn protruding from the left temple. "I'm impressed you survived that, let's see if you can handle these." Zangetsu says, raising his hand bringing his index, thumb and middle fingers together an orb of glowing red energy begins to materialize on his fingertips.
On the other end of the battle field, Lisa is getting chased around the raised cliff structures in a deadly game of fox and hare as Hoakita's speed makes her almost invisible. Lisa barely catches sight of the vixen hollow themed soul reaper before having to raise her scabbard to catch a blade strike from Shirayuki or its counterpart. Hoakita herself is a blur of white and red sword swipes followed by strangely elegant streams of silk that follow the path of the deadly blades. The hollow using Rukia's own sword just as well if nor even more proficiently as she does, using the long flowing silk as a means to both distract her opponent but gain a significant reach by twirling through attacks holding the weapon by the silk tail rather than the handle. With Lisa bouncing off a raised pillar and darting backwards, the spinning blade splits the ground just a fraction of a second after Lisa's foot touches the rock. The sheer force of the strike is enough to shatter the stone pillar leaving the hollow mid air, upside down and facing where she struck the ground. "Damn she's fast." Lisa says managing to stop for a brief moment between onslaughts from Hoakita. Her breath racing and her heart pounding in her chest, the expenditure of reiatsu in order to constantly flash step out of the way is causing her body to feel the symptoms of extreme fatigue. She feels as if she climbed half way up mount everest in the mere seconds it's been since their fight has begun. Her body was covered with knicks and cuts from where she barely managed to evade the swipes from both blades of Hoakita. Her short skirt shihakusho has been diced and shredded exposing both skin and wounds.
"Hiyori talked all high and mighty of herself. Talking down to us saying that we were pathetic, an unranked seat and we weren't worth her time… well are we worth your time now? Are we strong enough now? So much for tha…" Hoakita trails off, stopping mid sentence and staring off into space. Her facial expressions going blank as she just stares at Lisa.
"Smash: Haguro Tonbo." Lisa declares, slamming the pommel of her sword against the opening of her scabbard. The two pieces of her weapon fusing together and beginning to grow as she spins them rapidly over her head. When the blade has finished awakening, Lisa stands in a defensive position wielding a massive pole arm with the blade of a monk's spade. Using the sudden lull in the battle to her advantage and releasing her shikai.
"Seems like the queen is going to have a bit of a chat with Rukes." Zangetsu says, lowering his hand from charging the cero, letting the reishi dissipate and return to him. "Sorry to cut this short, but the king has been ringing me non stop since I came out to play." He says before stabbing the sword into the ground and sitting cross legged in front of it. "If you'll excuse me, I have an audience with the king to attend." He says before curling the large lizard-like tail around his legs, entering a somewhat meditative pose and slipping into Ichigo's inner world.
"Hachi!" Shinji shouts, the use of his name being the only indication of the order. The large master of kido responds by rapidly snapping his fingers creating a series of massive cube fortresses around the two hollows.
From behind the painted elephant hollow mask, Hachi's voice echoes out speaking the incantation command for the bakudo spell. "Walls of iron sand, a priestly pagoda, glowing ironclad fireflies. Standing upright, silent to the end. Bakudo number 75, twin cast, Gochutekkan." He firmly speaks, he clasps his large hands together and brings them down to the ground in front of him. A couple feet away from each hand, a lineless pentagon of light forms before vanishing.
The same lights reappear and spark in violent magnesium-like discharges of reiatsu from the spell, two sets of five massive iron pillars fall on top of both Ichigo and Rukia's hollowfying bodies. Rukia's body is instantly forced to lay flat on her back as the massive pillars restrain her movement with their weight, a pillar in the center of her chest, on both arms and legs. The same pillars manifest above Ichigo's body and fall in the same spot, forcing his crouched position to lie on his stomach as a pillar finds its mark in the center of his shoulder blades then on his wrists and ankles. Neither hollow acknowledges the kido restraining them instead stare blankly at each other, luckily having been restrained in a position where they're facing one another. "Might as well get Tessai and Urahara in here to help with the restraints. Those two are dangerous." Shinji says relinquishing his mask. From his pocket he produces a soul pager and calls both Urahara and Tessai. "Yo, get down to Yoruichi's place. We have the situation stopped for the moment but we'll need you two to help keep them restrained. They're both under the level 75 seal but I don't know how long it will hold them for." Shinji explains before taking a breath of relief. The drowning amount of spiritual pressure has been quelled for the moment. "Now it's up to those two." He says before turning to Hiyori. "You alright?"
"No." She says in a shaky voice, the past ten minutes of combat having felt like an eternity for the tomboyish soul reaper.
"You got cocky, and you underestimated just how strong her hollow was." Shinji scolds. "That hollow inside the Kuchiki princess has been feeding on Kisuke's hogyoku for over four months. Even he isn't sure how strong she is, though if his theory is right. She is strong enough to rule Hueco Mundo as the strongest Vasto Lorde to ever exist, and ever will exist. You're just lucky to be alive." He says as he rests a hand on the blonde shinigami's head and ruffles her hair. "Dummy."
The lush boreal forest that expands seemingly forever, is normally filled with life. The woods she and the other kids in the Rukon districts would play in when they were little is what comprises Rukia's inner world. The forest terrain shifting from the evergreen trees that stand high above, are framed by tall mountains that scrape the cloud-covered frigid sky. The seasons here fluctuate with Rukia's mood and state of mind. Normally this forest would be teaming with life, on a beautiful cloudless and chilly day. Other times it is blanketed with snow, gently laying on the trees and on the lush grass beneath her feet. When she's dealing with inner turmoil, the harshest blizzards rip through the giant trees that dot cover the landscape. Something was always happening in here, whether her memories that exist as animals that live in the inner world, or the movement of the wind, and even snowfall. A perfect place for her to come and train, an environment perfectly made for her powers, so peaceful and beautiful just like her zanpakuto. However, it had never been this quiet before no rabbits, foxes, elk, deer, birds or any living thing was nearby. The forest is only ever silent when a predator is near.
"This is the first time we get to see each other face to face, Queen." Hoakita greets, the reflection greets looking at Rukia from inside a clearing in the forest of Rukia's inner world. The hollow woman is seated on the stump of a long dead tree, mushrooms and flowers that dotted the clearing having been covered with a layer of red ice. The hollow version of her is her exact opposite, her robes are inverted being white like a bride, her sword a deep crimson contrasting Rukia's blue blade. Her skin as white as the snow that blankets the world at times when Rukia is at her most content. Her eyes black and gold, her hair as white as a bride's veil. "It's like looking in a mirror."
"What did you do?" Rukia asks, already in a standoffish tone but Hoakita just laughs.
"I didn't kill the bitch if that's what you want to know. I did have a bit of a warm-up match against Lisa. She is fun." Hoakita answers, drawing the crimson version of Sode no Shirayuki from a scabbard that sits across her lap. Once the blade is free from its sheath, Hoakita raises it to her mouth and slowly draws it along her tongue tasting the cold steel. "I take it you're not here for a chat are you?"
"I'm here for my body back, and for your power." Rukia answers.
"You remember our agreement? Show me power I can respect, Show me power that will give you respect and I will remain the chariot that draws you into battle. Should you fail, you will be the chariot as I'll become the queen." Hoakita reminds her.
"I know." Rukia responds, drawing her sword and immediately releasing her shikai. Hoakita smiles widely, she stabs her sword into the ground and pushes herself up. She wraps her fingers in the red and white silk of her sword before yanking it to her hand and spinning it.
"This will be fun." Hoakita smiles before lunging at Rukia.