"Vice-captain Kusajishi!" a messenger from the Ritei division suddenly appears behind Yachiru Kusajishi on the rooftop, similar to how a Ritei messenger visited Vice-captain Nanao in chapter 108. "It's an urgent message!"

"Yeah," Yachiru sits on the edge of the roof daintily, observing the battle below. "Later."

"Ah!?" the man looks up from his kneeling position, startled by her order. "But... Pardon me, but this is top-security message under the joint names of General-captain Yamamoto and 10th Captain Hitsugaya..."

"Yeah," Yachiru does not bother to look back at the herald. "So tell me later."

"Th... that would be a problem, Vice-captain!" he protests. "The message must be delivered to all Captains and Vice-captains as soon as possible–"

"...Be quiet," she finally turns around. With a warning look, cute little Yachiru releases a burst of spiritual energy so fierce that it resembles the head of a lion - its sharp teeth bared threateningly. "Ken-chan is fighting, so don’t interfere."*

The herald backs off, frightened.

Down below, Zaraki Kenpachi grips the eyepatch in one hand as his aura flows out and a column of spiritual energy bursts forth. He seems relieved and (manically) happy to be free of the handicap.

What...!? Ichigo holds Zangetsu in a defensive position, watching Zaraki, When he tore off the eyepatch, his spiritual energy skyrocketed...!

"Heh... that's a dirty trick..." Ichigo says. "You've been hiding something up till now... What’ve you got stocked up in that right eye of yours?"

"Stocked up? In my right eye?" Zaraki scoffs. "Ha. Do you take me for someone who would pull that kind of third-rate trick?"**

"This was made by the Development Department," Zaraki lifts up the eyepatch for Ichigo to see. "Something which infinitely continues to devour spiritual energy..." He turns the patch over to show 5 sharp-toothed mouths arranged in a circle on the black cloth, each one has an eye, "A monster."***

The sight startles Ichigo.

"The chunk of my energy that was being eaten up by this thing," Zaraki tosses the eye patch away and goes for his sword. In one wide stroke, the gigantic building beside him is split in two and collapses into rubble, "all of it will be used for the sake of killing you."

He spares Ichigo a dark, dangerous look, "That’s all it is."

Ichigo stands his ground and for a moment, he closes his eyes to listen.

"Can you hear it, Ichigo?" Zangetsu asks with a hand on Ichigo's shoulder as they observe their opponent, "The screams of his blade."

"...Yes," Ichigo says. The screams coming from Zaraki's blade is deafening as spiritual energy burns through it.

"He cannot hear that," Zangetsu tells him, "If one fights without believing in their mutual power, the strength of the other deteriorates." Indeed, small shards of Zaraki's sword crack and fall off. This would explain why the sword is so jagged in the first place.

"A guy, who believes only in his own strength, does not understand that," Zangetsu says. "Ichigo, do you believe in me?"

"...Of course I do," Ichigo says honestly. "I’ll leave all of my strength in your hands. Do with it as you wish, so... please lend me power."

"___Alright...!" the spiritual form of Zangetsu reaches down to grip the sword's hilt, which Ichigo holds firmly in both hands. A burst of energy erupts from Ichigo.

"Hou!" Zaraki seems amused. "Your spiritual energy is rising again! Interesting!!"

"It’s risen," Ichigo admits. "I’ve borrowed Zangetsu’s strength and I fight alongside him!" he adds in determination, "I definitely won’t lose to you, who only tries to fight alone."

"Zangetsu...? It’s that Zanpaku sword’s name, huh...?" Zaraki wonders aloud. "Borrow the power of a Zanpaku sword... and fight alongside it...?" He glares at his opponent darkly, "What rubbish."

"A Zanpaku sword is a battle tool," he explains. "To talk of 'fighting alongside one’s soul-cutting sword' is a line used by losers who are so weak that they can’t fight by their own strength. Such words... aren’t for us, Ichigo!!!" Zaraki's burning aura takes shape around him (similar to what Yachiru did, but on a larger scale) and it resembles that of a grotesque skull.****

"He’s coming!" Zangetsu speaks from behind Ichigo, "I’ve neared my limitations by stopping the blood from your wounds!"

This’ll be decided in one strike, Ichigo realizes.

The spiritual energy takes shape around Ichigo as well. The formation of his aura is eerily familiar to [vol.8 spoiler: the white-masked face of the Hollow that Ichigo nearly turned into during his training with Urahara].

The two men charge at each other and collide. The collision creates such force from their conflicting spiritual auras that nearly half a dozen tall buildings in the vacinity collapse in their wake.

When the dust settles and the air clears, Ichigo's sword is imbedded deep in Zaraki's right shoulder (his sword arm) and Zaraki's blade has cleanly pierced through Ichigo's abdomen. They stand in that position for a long, tense moment as their eyes meet in an intense gaze. Then...

...Ichigo falters, "Sorry... everyone." Zaraki's blade tears out Ichigo's side as he falls over in a bloody mess.

Zaraki looks down at Ichigo, an ironic smile on his lips, "...Ha. What's with the apologies," Zaraki's blade snaps cleanly in two. "You’ve won, Dumbass."

Zaraki collapses.

*I knew it - Yachiru is freakin' terrifying!! (it's always the cute ones, huh...0_o)
**I guess having a 'special eye' is too generic for Kubo-sensei's tastes. ^^;
***Zaraki has major guts to be able to keep that nasty-looking creature strapped over his eye all the time! That is so hard-core!
****Is this... astral projection or something?

-After such an epic battle, it's good to see Ichigo triumph... but at what cost? Zaraki has acknowleged him as the winner, but what good does that do if Yachiru drags Ichigo's bloody carcass into custody? *rolls eyes* Men...
-So now it makes sense why Zaraki's sword has no name - he doesn't believe in using it properly. I feel bad for his Zanpaku sword; it must be miserable to be used as a mere weapon.
-This whole Zaraki battle has taught me to respect the soul-cutting swords as separate entities. I'm dying to see more spiritual forms of other swords. That would be so cool! XD
-So now that Ichigo has gained strength the hard way and managed to take down one of the major strong-men of Soul Society... now what? What will his next battle be like? Will the story focus elsewhere now? There are so many side stories to choose from...

back?