"If you're careless, I’ll kill you." - Anti-Ichi
"If you have what it takes to wield me, then prove it," Zangetsu challenges Ichigo, "Let’s see you try and steal me back with your own hands. From your own hands!!"
"Hah," Anti-Ichi grins dangerously and holds out the sword of Zangetsu in front of him. "You’re going to steal it back... huh. Well, isn’t that nice? I’d love to see you try it," his white-on-black eyes take on a menacing appearance as he yells viciously, "That is, if you can do it, Partner!!!"
Anti-Ichi leaps across the expanse. Ichigo braces himself to block the attack, but when Anti-Ichi strikes, the strength and spiritual energy of the sword force him back. I… I can’t retaliate…!! Ichigo realizes as he skids back.
Ichigo looks up at Anti-Ichi standing there, spiritual energy exploding out of him in waves. …Amazing…!!! Ichigo thinks as he stares at Anti-Ichi's sword. Zangetsu was this great a sword…!? It looks like it's burning through the air with its spiritual energy…!! It’s a monster…! It makes a normal Zanpaku sword look like a stick…! He looks down at the inferior sword (Asauchi) in his hands, which appears to no longer be a sword, but a wooden stick, There’s no way I can win with this thing!!!
"What’s wrong, Partner?" Anti-Ichi asks as he easily grips the cloth hanging from Zangetsu's hilt, "If you're careless, I’ll kill you." Using the cloth and blade as if they were a chain and sickle, he begins to spin the sword like a helicopter propeller.
Ichigo didn't expect this tactic, "...wha...!?"
"HEY!!" Anti-Ichi launches the sword at Ichigo like a harpoon.
Ichigo barely manages to dodge as the sword crashes into the wall behind him, …wha…
"Damn, missed," Anti-Ichi sourly tugs the sword back by use of the cloth. Then he quickly cheers up as he returns to spinning Zangetsu overhead like a whirlwind.
He’s using the cloth wrapped around the hilt to send Zangetsu flying!? What’s with this fighting style!? Ichigo watches his counterpart in disbelief. I’ve never even thought of anything like this…!!
"Hah, you’re so pathetic!" Anti-Ichi taunts him as he continues to spin the huge blade with ease. "How can you be covered in that much blood, when you're carrying a sword with this much power? I can’t comprehend it!" he gives Ichigo a condescending look, "Can you become best friends with a guy you’ve just met simply by hearing his name?"
"...What do you mean?" Ichigo asks.
"I’m saying that this is what you’ve been doing!" Anti-Ichi accuses him. "You fucking feel that you’ve already mastered Zangetsu just by calling out his name! By being so self-centered, you’ve done nothing to try and understand how to draw out Zangetsu’s strength!"
Ichigo is shocked by these words. He had never thought about it that way before.
"This isn’t all of his power! If I open my mind and he lets me borrow that power, I’ll still become vastly stronger!" Anti-Ichi yells. "But that’s impossible for you! You rely on training to build up your own strength without ever concerning yourself with the Zanpaku sword!!"
The Ichigo pair stand off against each other as these words sink in. Meanwhile, perched on a flagpole away from the battle, the man known as Zangetsu watches them silently.
Anti-Ichi launches the whole sword at Ichigo again, renewing his attacks.
That’s right. I haven’t actually tried to understand ol’ man Zangetsu,* Ichigo keeps running and dodging as he thinks, A Zanpaku sword is not a tool. Each on of them carries a name; they are alive. Despite that... He recalls his earlier conversation -
"I’m relieved," Ichigo had said. "It means your blade won’t get any stronger than that."
What was I so relieved about!? That’s such bullshit! Ichigo berates himself. It’s the same in my case!!! I don’t know a single thing about ol’ man Zangetsu just by calling out his name! That’s the same as having no name! I’m no different than a guy showing no interest in even the Zanpaku sword’s name!!! He pauses and looks up, I want to know__...!
After pulling back from another attack, the hilt of Zangetsu lands easily in the palm of Anti-Ichi's hand, "…Now, let’s finish this soon. I’ll show what mastering Zangetsu really means, for you who will die before you ever master him!"
Ichigo doesn't respond, but Anti-Ichi doesn't hesitate to run in for the final strike with Zangetsu in his grip.
Head bowed, Ichigo holds the Asauchi sword in both hands and thinks calmly, Could you tell me more about yourself, ol’ man Zangetsu? A little bit at a time is fine. He solemnly asks, I want to know more about you who lent me strength. So, please teach me. And then… please let me fight alongside you once more…
Anti-Ichi swings down at him with manic glee, just as Ichigo looks up in determination, __Mister__...!
Crouching on top of the flagpole, Zangetsu quietly bows his head and closes his eyes.
The swords collide - but everything has been switched. Ichigo holds up Zangetsu, while Anti-Ichi only has Asauchi in his hands.
Anti-Ichi looks down at this in shock, "...Wha..."
Surprised, Ichigo looks up and meets the hard gaze of Zangetsu in the distance, You’re giving me one more chance, huh___... Ichigo’s jaw sets firmly; he wasn’t going to waste this chance. Thank you, Mister!!
Back in reality (which is a very loose term for the place where Zaraki and Ichigo left off their earlier battle), Zaraki has barely made it a step farther than where we last saw him walking away from the scene. Behind Zaraki, on the ground where Ichigo's unconscious body lay, a huge surge of energy erupts.
...What’s this... Zaraki turns and looks over his shoulder, spiritual energy...!?
Ichigo stands up behind Zaraki with blood dripping down his chest, Zangetsu hefted on his shoulder and energy searing the air around him. Overall, he looks ready for round 2.
*Ichigo constantly refers to Zangetsu’s human form as "Ossan," which is a slang term for oji-san (“uncle”). In English, it’s like calling an older man “Mister” when you don’t know his name (it doesn't at all mean the sword is Ichigo's real Uncle - that's wa~y too much drama! :P).
Unfortunately, if I wrote down Ichigo saying "Mister Zangetsu" all the time, not only would it sound too polite for the slang phrase – but it would also make me giggle like a maniac. ^_^;
So for the most part, "ol’ man Zangetsu" is when Ichigo calls him "Zangetsu no ossan." Just as "Mister" is when Ichigo just calls him plain "Ossan." I’m not making much sense at this point... >_< Forget I said anything...
Notes:
-Ok, so Zangetsu's form didn't change in the end. I guess the point of this training was to knock some sense into Ichigo. He needed realize that he wasn't fighting alone and he shouldn't be so self-centered as to think Zangetsu was just a tool. It's cool to know for certain that each of the Zanpaku swords are living entities. XD
-I know he creeps me out alot - but I miss Anti-Ichi already!! >_< He was so cool! I hope he'll return sooner or later, when Ichigo does anymore of that, erm, mental training stuff.
-Ok, I'm taking bets (*brings out the Monopoly money*): Do you think Ichigo will win round 2 or is Zaraki going to cream him again?
-I’m sorry it took me so long to finish this summary. Everyone’s probably read the TW summary about a week ago, so it doesn’t feel right that it took me so long to get this chapter out... I think I'm gonna go sulk a bit.-_-
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