The salty smell of his own sweat.
The sharp pain of each breath.
And lastly the burning sensation that filled his legs.
'Here comes his next move!'
Ichigo shifted his stance, holding his jet black katana with both hands. A white mirror of his own sword came at him.
A crazed flurry of vertical and diagonal slashes bore down upon him. The substitute Soul Reaper did not cower or waver. His experience guided his sword, it was as if his blade was a boat cutting through a maelstrom.
Ichigo's arms felt as though they had been shocked with each swing he deflected. Walnut eyes locked with canary ones, they both knew how strong the other was.
After all they were one in the same.
Each swing of Hollow Ichigo's sword released slashes of razor sharp wind. Every slash signaled the destruction of an azure skyscraper.
To the hyper-fast combatants such things meant less than nothing. Inside of the substitute Soul Reaper's inner world, he and his Hollow had activated their Bankais.
This activation was evident thanks to the new cloaks they each wore. Ichigo thought that they seemed silly with their contrasting appearance.
'Mad bastard!' Hollow Ichigo persisted with crazed one handed swings. Ichigo dodged and deflected trying to create an opening.
He gritted his teeth.
"Come on! Is that all you got!" Within the storm of hyper-fast blades Ichigo attempted to goad and taunt his foe.
His hollow revealed his black teeth, "Oh, not in the slightest!" The intensity of the fight rose. Ichigo and Hollow Ichigo used their movement techniques dashing across the weathered and torn landscape.
The landmarks of the world were slashed apart and the air was filled with onyx and pearl white ribbons. The thin blades carried within them the condensed power of their wielder.
Yet neither noticed. Their speed was so great that the world appeared frozen in time. Turning pieces of debris into floating platforms.
Ichigo executed finely honed slashes and parries he had witnessed Byakuya perform. While his counterpart abandoned the use of styles for his swordsmanship.
Ichigo was forced into using one hand to carry his blade. His free hand deflected an incoming swing aimed for his chest.
A warm damp sensation began to welling up from his chest.
Blood was pooling.
In an act fueled by terror the substitute Soul Reaper glanced down at his wound.
…He paid dearly for that decision.
The fiery haired young man felt a strong hand grab his left forearm. Then in a swift motion like running water, he felt his left arm being crushed as the snow white blade skidded across his torso.
His eyes went wide. Ichigo felt foaming bubbles of blood form in his mouth.
"Oh…" Hollow Ichigo caught the attention of his fiery haired counterpart, "What a terrible horse I have. Diverting his eyes away during combat!" Ichigo felt his Hollow grip him by his cloak, his body was refusing to move.
"Have no fear! I'll beat that out of you in no time!" Seeing the way the world became blurry, Ichigo realised that he was being spun by his adversary. Hollow Ichigo only used a single arm to treat him like a ragdoll.
Destroyed structures and the him of his black cloak streaked past the fiery haired Soul Reapers eyes. His stomach felt like it was convulsing until—
"And off to the stables!" With that bellow from his foe Ichigo felt his sword slip from his grasp as he fell, making for a gloomy sight.
He was reintroduced with the sensation of being hurled through concrete and glass. Fortunately for the young man the feeling did not last long, he found himself lying on the freezing mortar once again.
'M…m…move damn it!' He could move his arms and legs, but what stood before him was a daunting enemy.
His own lungs.
Each breath, conscious or not drew in more blood. Every passing second he could feel the world becoming colder as his mouth foamed.
'I…can't…not like this! Think come on there has to be a way to mo!'-
Move.
The substitute Soul Reaper's walnut eyes dilated. He wanted to move, he wanted to get faster as well, he did catch up to his Hollow. His opponent fought like a beast but he was true to himself, Ichigo could never accept the fact he had such a creature within him.
'I see. I'm no different from you huh?' Byakuya's visage flashed through the young man's mind. 'I need to stand up, and change. I'm afraid of facing myself, I'm no better than the kid who couldn't protect his mother!' Every part of his being screamed to rest, yet the fiery haired young man began rising.
He was flowing his spiritual energy through his body, forcing it to mend itself. He knew that his Bankai was connected to his Hollow, he was gambling on the possibility he could use a fraction of his counterpart's power.
The searing pain that was his indicator that his gamble paid off.
Ichigo smiled, his gaze landing on the hole above him. Flying towards the opening he suppressed any hesitation that could steer his resolve.
He stopped flying after exiting the hole simply hovering in the air. He was staring at the dilapidated environment, several skyscrapers laid slashed apart or left demolished.
He tossed his attention ahead. Spiritual senses buzzing. His Hollow had noticed him, he was obviously baiting the fiery haired young man towards his location.
A cheeky grin swept past Ichigo's face. With unparalleled speed he began flying towards the location.
Several meters were cleared in mere seconds as the Soul Reaper was approaching.
'There you are.' Stopping mid air, to see his counterpart perched on the side of a skyscraper holding—
'No!' Two snow white katana's were in his possession. Ichigo and his Hollow locked eyes, the man in white began displaying his teeth. An eerie aura projecting out from him.
"Finally back from the stables huh? And I think I have something of yours…" Ichigo clenched his fist as Hollow Ichigo was swinging his sword around like a toy. "Honestly I did you a favor after all—" The palate swapped man stood, raising the other blade in his possession above his head. "No one likes faulty tools!"
With that declaration he slashed the sword down, causing a terrible metallic clang to ring out. Then snapped it into two, causing the Soul Reaper to be frozen in place as if he had been petrified.
Then without missing a beat, the Hollow broke the sound barrier, thrusting his blade through the substitute Soul Reaper.
Ichigo allowed his head to drop, a pain like none other was traveling through his entire being. A condescending voice began flooding his ears,
"Now can you see why you're so weak? Rejecting me, and relying on that old fart's power, just give up and I'll take over and save everyone!"
Hearing those caused the Soul Reaper to begin laughing, "That would be the easy way out wouldn't it? Just to give up?" Raising his head Ichigo began gazing into his opposite's canary eyes, "Sadly. That's just not how I do things!"
Without any more hesitation, Ichigo began grasping his Hollow's zanpakuto. As if a bucket of onyx paint had been splashed against a stark white canvas. What appeared like living black flames had begun to devour the blade, reacting on instinct Hollow Ichigo retracted his hand.
…Fear.
Ichigo could see the distinct signs of that emotion he himself had become aware all throughout his life. His opposite was gripping a segment of his hand that cloaked in the black flames, wrenching his face.
Ichigo removed the blade from his torso.
Rearranging his hold on the blade, the young man grasped the hilt. In that instant he caught as though a voice from the most far off corner of his mind began whispering to him.
Names and images of techniques were entering his mind, Sonido, Hierro, Cero and lastly the method of Hollowfication.
With a pitying gaze Ichigo looked towards his Hollow, "You don't seem to be doing so hot." The Hollow in question was fading away, as if he was being reduced to specks of dust.
As the fading process began to devour his torso he smiled, a wicked smile, "Look at you so confident. Keep that up little king. Or else as soon as you fall I'll devour you and become the new king." With those words the Hollow faded completely leaving behind no traces.
An odd sense of melancholy gripped the Soul Reaper's heart, the azure world stood destroyed yet peaceful.
As if responding to his change in mood, Ichigo felt a cooling gust of wind rush past him. His dark cloak began swinging in the wind, afterwards he began to depart from the world.
Ichigo felt as though he was rising from a week-long rest, his limbs felt as though pins and needles had been placed underneath them. Yet, the most startling revelation was the distinct weight forcing his gaze down to the dry rocky training ground.
"Wow?!" Ichigo forced his limbs to obey, causing the sound of cracking plaster to ring out. Lying on the ground was a carved out cast of some large muscle bound creature.
"Okay, that's we—-" A knee slammed against the stomach of the substitute Soul Reaper, sending him flying back for a handful of meters.
Crashing through the stone, Ichigo rose and stared at Hiyori. Before he could fling out an insult, he looked at the petite woman's battered and bruised state. Soot covered her clothing, her messy hair was flailing behind her.
"Finally decided to man up have we?!" The woman was furious, her green eyes were livid, echoing how much turmoil his training had caused her.
Using his smaller blade Ichigo saw his reflection, white mask with several crimson slash-like markings on the left. The whites of his eyes were replaced with a terrifying jet black. His walnut eyes became the same canary that his Hollow had.
A storm of emotions filled the newest Vizards being.
Pride, shame, fear, and exhilaration.
Ichigo started rising, dusting himself off. He lifted his hand, using the information from the blade he had made his own. Placing a hand to the mask on his face he gave a mental command, disappear!
Several black motes were flying across the fiery haired young man's vision. Ichigo could feel the fatigue he had built up finally arriving. He buckled down to one knee, the exhaustion hitting him like a freight train.
"That—is going to take some time to get used to." Rising to his feet, the young man looked around the scorching sun, appearing more welcoming than before.
Arid wind, carrying along particles of dust, felt like a cool summer breeze. Unconsciously taking a deep breath, Ichigo could feel he was more whole than he ever had been.
"Oi, Carrot Top, catch!" Hiyori's voice caught the young Soul Reaper's attention, he caught the sight of a black dot flying over the rocky terrain towards him.
"Wait-is that?" Straining his eyes Ichigo looked at the approaching dot, "Oh! Crap it is!" Panicking the Soul Reaper leaped, taking towards the sky flying at the object with frightening speed.
He approached it in a few seconds, using reishi to act as an airbag to slow his momentum. Ichigo then by curling his body allowed the dot to strike him.
Gazing below himself, The Soul Reaper sighed. Below himself was Ichigo's human form, he delicately coiled an arm around his body.
"Damn it, Hiyori." Mumbling the Soul Reaper released a stream of spiritual energy, causing a sensation similar to being sucked up by a vacuum to overcome him.
His spiritual body began breaking down into azure specks, all the specks concentrated onto the old location of his chain of fate. Reacting quickly mid-air, Ichigo planted his feet onto the ground.
"Great, you're dressed, let's go." With one nonchalant tones, Ichigo had the displeasure of hearing. Hiyori appeared behind him, with a wave of her hand she opened the spiraling portal of light and shadows.
"Wait, hold on, where's Kon?" However, the fiery haired young man's question was left dying in the air. Hiyori had already made her way into the portal, slouching, the young man followed behind the blond haired woman.
Ichigo noticed the scent of fast food, the various spices and the smell of the chicken. The woman in front of him seemed unbothered, as she went to take a seat by the long mahogany table.
Blinking, the substitute Soul Reaper noticed he was standing within the dining room of the Vizard base.
"Ichigo! Sit down, would you." The care free voice of another blond attracted the Soul Reaper's attention. He sat at the end of the table, wearing his usual attire.
"Shinji." The young Kurasaki narrowed his eyes at the leader of the Vizards. "What's with the…um…celebration?" The lack of assuredness in his voice was not lost to the man in the grey long coat.
"Just thought you might enjoy something nice after finishing up. That's just how much I care after all." The man seemed to try and wear a humble face, causing Ichigo and Hiyori who had begun stuffing her face to share a look.
Without pause they both uttered, "Fat chance."