Nemesis Island - Noon
The odd energy Ichigo had felt on Fandom only was more pronounced once Chad and him made it onto the visiting island. It made the back of his neck prickle as something about it was almost familiar. It felt like a hollow, but the size of it... It was closer to a Menos Grande, but at the same time it was very different. He was hardly aware of the area around him, his full attention on trying to pick up on the strange spiritual energy. They'd wandered away from the island's city, ending up in an area not unlike the preserve.
"I don't get it," Ichigo commented. For some reason he was whispering. "If it's a hollow, why didn't it set off my badge?"
Even Chad was able to tell that something was definitely different here, his right fist clenching at his side as if nervously anticipating having to pull his armour up. Maybe it was just that Ichigo was here now that he could feel it even more than he expected he would, but he couldn't help wondering if it was Ichigo or if it was just that strong.
"You don't think...?" Chad asked, trailing off because, no, even when Captain Zaraki was on the island, Chad didn't feel much, and he knew that guy had a considerable reitsu. Maybe it really was just Ichigo being there helping him to feel it stronger.
"Don't think what?" Ichigo asked, casting Chad a look. Chad had done that whole not finishing his sentence thing again, but Ichigocould venture a guess. "That it's another shinigami? It might be." For just one moment he let himself wonder if it would be Rukia. If she'd came to... No, with his luck it would be Renji. Now there was know-it-all he didn't need around.
With a confirming, apprehensive grunt, Chad nodded. "What would they be here for, though?" he muttered, a frown deepening his usual rumble as he considered that perhaps it wouldn't be any stranger than the fact that Zaraki had been here at all so long ago. And they did seem to work a lot on their own volitions; it could be anything, any one of them, especially now that Ichigo was here. Even Aizen...
He grunted again, distastefully, casting a glance around before regarding Ichigo, wondering if he was picking up anything stronger yet.
"I don't know," he frowned and moved further into the trees. "Maybe this island is differ-"
"It's pathetic how you can't even decently trace someone's energy," a mocking voice interrupted his thoughts and Ichigo ignored it, just like he usually did. Even as he worried that Chad would pick up on his hesitation.
"Maybe this island is different from Fandom," he repeated.
Chad grunted slightly again, not noticing either Ichigo's lapse or the taunting that caused it. "Most island are different from Fandom, Ichigo," he pointed out.
"Well yes, but if it-"
"It'd be a bad idea to just ignore me," the voice came again and Ichigo gritted his teeth, wishing it to shut up.
"... it would be like-" he tried to continue.
"A very bad idea," the voice repeated. Only, it wasn't just a voice now as someone jumped down right in front of them. Someone who looked exactly like Ichigo, but his whole being was white, except for his eyes.
Ichigo froze, wondering if he was seeing things now. It couldn't be. He was in his head. He wasn't supposed to be standing in front of him.
It became a bit more obvious as they moved that something was going on, and, by the time Ichigo froze, Chad felt his hackles rising in preparation. He, too, stopped. "What is it?" he asked, voice low and quiet as he looked around, hoping to maybe see something, anything....
The hollow laughed, his voice shrill and echoing even in this world, and he drew Zangetsu from his back as he stepped forward. "He's scared," he commented even if Chad couldn't see him. "As he should be."
"You're not real!" Ichigo shouted, even as it felt all too real. "You're messing with me. You can't be here."
That was....certainly an odd reaction. "...Ichigo?" Chad asked, frowning with concern at his friend. "What is it?"
"Nothing," Ichigo said instantly, but he looked pale and his eyes were wide.
"Nothing?" the hollow mocked and he threw Zangetsu up, catching the sword by the cloth that was twisted around the blade's hilt, using it to make the blade spin over his head. "Is this nothing?" He released the cloth, but held on to the other end and the blade flew right at them.
"Watch out!" Ichigo shouted and he jumped towards Chad, to push him out of the way.
Funny. It was usually Chad doing the pushing out of the way, but, the moment he realized that Ichigo was launching himself at him in an attempt to get him to move from something he clearly couldn't see, he took the shove. He landed roughly on the ground, the impact making the armour of his right arm spring almost immediately into existence, and he grunted, trying to see what he was being protected from. "You found it," he said, quickly. "The hollow?"
"I would say that I'm the one who found you," the hollow remarked dryly. He was swinging the blade above his head again.
It was real, it couldn't be real and Ichigo was staring wide-eyed at the impact Zangetsu had left on the ground back to the hollow. "Yes. It's... It's here. Chad, I need you to keep moving," he said even as his hands reached for the badge and the next instant his body fell to the ground.
Chad obeyed Ichigo's instruction, rolling away from the spot where he hit the ground and pushing to a crouch a small distance away, trying to make sense out of what was going on with Ichigo, especially as his body hit the ground as well. Maybe, if he concentrated really hard, he could see...
"Let me help," he said. Whatever it was, he knew that Ichigo had to know that he couldn't just stay out of the way and watch him struggle like that.
Ichigo drew his sword from his back, having half expected for it to not be there at all. His fingers tightened on the hilt and he felt the energy, reassuring himself with Zangetsu's presence. The hollow seemed to be waiting for something, maybe it was for Ichigo's answer and he knew it even as he met the cold, yellow eyes. "No. This is my fight."
"As short as it might be," the hollow mocked and it grabbed his sword by the hilt as he lunged forward. Not aiming for Ichigo, but for the body behind him and Ichigo jumped back, only just in time to stop him.
It didn't take much for Chad to realize that he probably couldn't do much to help anyway, as he scrambled to still try to understand what was going on. The spirit energy involved was almost suffocating, that much he could tell, and that was saying a lot. He felt like he could almost see...something...He grunted, and that was his only response, a sound wrought from concentrating and watching quietly and...There had to be something he could do to help, even if he didn't know what yet and even if Ichigo insisted he could do it on his own.
The hollow instantly pulled back, easily avoiding Ichigo's counterattack. "You can't win," he taunted. "There's only one part of you that can fight me." He laughed, the sound shrill, and he jumped forward, once again striking at the unmoving body on the ground. "And that's me!"
"Stop messing around!" Ichigo threw himself once more between the hollow and himself. The impact of the two identical blades against each other was enough to make him stagger back, almost tripping over himself.
"I'm not messing," the statement was followed by another swing of his blade as the hollow tried to push Ichigo further back. "Once I get rid of that little shell. Your power, it will be his."
Ichigo blocked, the strength behind the blow forcing him to his knee and he realised exactly what the hollow was trying to do. "I won't let you," he growled, but the next blow sliced his shoulder and he couldn't fight like this.
"Chad!" he called, certain that his friend was still there. "I need you to get my body out of here!"
Chad, glad he knew that he would be needed for at least something, gave a quick glance to the prone shell of Ichigo's body. He nodded. "Right," he said, and hurried forward to not only avoid the clash he knew was happening between Ichigo and whatever hollow was there, but to also sweep up his body in one arm, in case anything happened that he would need his armoured one to protect not only himself, but Ichigo now, too. He hesitated, though, body over his shoulder, to immediately flee to direct safety.
"You sure you'll be okay?"
"You'll die!" The cry came from the hollow in front of him as well as the one inside his head.
"Yes," Ichigo said through gritted teeth and he lunged forward in his own attack. "Get out of here."
That was all Chad needed; he didn't want to abandon Ichigo, but he trusted his friend. Without another moment's hesitation, he turned and started running back toward Fandom Island, to find somewhere to keep Ichigo's body until he got done what he needed to do. With each footfall, he reminded himself that this wasn't turning his back. He was still helping by protecting him, and by his own request. He wasn't turning his back.
"Hey now, don't leave. I'm not done with you yet," the hollow jumped back from his attack on Ichigo, turning to follow Chad.
"Getsuga Tensho!" Ichigo cried out, aiming the energy blast right at the charging hollow. If it got away, there was no way Ichigo would catch up with him. Not without using his bankai and there was no way he could do that now. Not facing the monster that had been screaming inside his head ever since he first used his bankai in battle.
The blast surrounded the hollow and for an instant it looked like he'd be swallowed. Only for an instant. As soon as the blast died down, the hollow was still standing there, holding Zangetsu like a shield in front of him. "Did you think that would work?" he shouted. "Did you really think you can cut me with that blade?"
"I'll destroy you with this blade," Ichigo growled back, already moving to strike. "It's mine!"
Every blow was blocked effortlessly, the hollow was moving faster than Ichigo time and again. "What's wrong? Is that all you've got? You can't hear him, can you? You're too scared. You should be, I'll eat you whole!"
With a cry, Ichigo poured all his strength into his next attack, trying not to hear the words. Trying not to think that they were true. Every time he tried to listen to Zangetsu, the hollow had come in his way. He missed, yet again, and the this time the hollow grabbed him by the throat. His fingers were a tight band around him and Ichigo couldn't breath.
"You're pathetic," the hollow spat. His nails scratching the skin of Ichigo's throat, drawing blood. "You don't deserve any of this power. Look at you! You call yourself a subsitute shinigami and you can't even bring yourself to use your full strength in a fight for your life?" He laughed and the emptiness echoed in his voice. "You're nothing." And with that he flung Ichigo back.
He hit a tree full force, his blade slipping from his grip as he fell to the ground, his body nothing but a weight that pulled him down. The spiritual energy from the hollow, it was almost too much.
"You're already giving up," the hollow noted disgustedly. He moved closer to Ichigo, his blade in his hand. "I would have expected more of you. Is that truly all you've got? How disappointing. Oh well."
There was something moving beyond the hollow. A man in a ragged black cloak that caught in the wind, but the mere sight of him was enough. Ichigo looked up, to the hollow standing over him, but Zangetsu was there. He couldn't lose.
The black cleaver flickered as Ichigo grabbed it and blocked the blow that came baring down on him, but only just. It drew blood, cutting into his arm. "Bankai!" The words were echoed by the hollow as both cleavers changed into slick, black katanas. Ichigo pushed back, using his strength, using Zangetsu's and he moved to his feet.
"Now we're talking," the hollow crowed and the next instant he was upon Ichigo. They were equal now. A flurry of black and white weaving around each other, blocking blow after blow. Until they came right at each other, one hitting high, the other from blow.
Ichigo staggered and tried to do, but the hilt hit his brow and pain shot right through his head. It took him another instant to realise that the hollow was still right there, its pale inhuman eyes meeting his before he stared down in disbelief at the blade piercing its stomach.
"No," it breathed before it dissolved into nothing. Going nowhere and Ichigo was left staring at the empty spot.
His heart was racing, one eye shut as the blood trickled down from the wound and he couldn't believe it was over. His fingers tightened on the hilt of his blade. "Zangetsu," he whispered as slowly the thrill of the fight faded from his body. "Thank you."
[[Preplayed with the asskicking senor_chado. Chad and Ichigo going off to the island okay for radio, anything else isn't. NFI, but OOC is shiny.]]