woody_3162

On a roll so here's the next one.
It's longer than usual but I don't think anyone will complain ;-)

Bleach 518: Resolve

Scene opens on the inner world of Ichigo. The thousand blades of Senbunzakara have obscured Ichigo from view. A Samurai clad warrior stands a few feet away with his hand held out. Ichigo appears behind him unharmed. He slashes down diagonally at the figure in front of him cutting him in half. The figure wavers and then disappears as do the thousand blades.

Ryujin Jaka: Good, you are thinking ahead. You were aware of their abilities and even though no indication had been given that they had retained them you prepared for that situation to arise and looked out for it. This is how a true warrior fights Ichigo!
Ichigo: …(do you have to tell me the obvious!)
Ryujin Jaka: Now, This is where the real test will start Ichigo, remember what I said! No leniency, no mercy!

Ichigo suddenly cries out in pain and falls onto the roof of the skyscraper. He crashes to his knees in pain. His hands push down on the ground to stop him from collapsing completely, sweat pouring off of him.

Ichigo: (this is only the start?!...How could the old man…and this is only his Shikai?!)
Ryujin Jaka: No Kurosaki Ichigo you are mistaken, I am merely only a PART of his Shikai not all of it, my power is not at full and even then I am still holding most of my reiatsu back.
Ichigo: …
Ryujin Jaka: Is this all there was to your resolve Kurosaki Ichigo? Is this how you planned to save the world, by faltering at the first hurdle?
Ichigo: Shut…(pants heavily) up.
Ryujin Jaka: Mere words cannot be resolve Kurosaki Ichogo!! You have to believe what you say!! Remember how it felt, remember that time without power, that helplessness, remember that inability to do anything!!

Ichigo grunts with pain as he pushes himself back up slowly. As he rises up half way, a large spiked metal ball on a chain slams into his side and sends him flying. He crashes to a stop a hundred feet away and slowly starts to push himself up again.

Ryujin Jaka: Remember your words to me Kuroski Ichigo! Feel the truth that lies deep in those words!!

Ichigo rises, standing on his feet once more, he raises his sword slowly up just in time to lock swords with an oncoming blow.

Ryujin Jaka: Pain holds no sway when faced with despair!!!


Scene change to the cave

Ichigo is still lying in the circle letting off waves of reiatsu, his body sweating profusely. Ryuken and Urahara sit close by against a wall of the cave leaning against each other. They look very fatigued and are sweating themselves.
Uryuu is standing next to seated Yoruichi, he has an extremely worried look on his face.

Uryuu: He’s been like that for hours now, how long is this supposed to take?!
Kisuke:…
Yoruichi: it will take as long it takes. But, the longer he stays like this, the lower the chances of him surviving.
Uryuu:!!
Kisuke: Whatever Ryujin Jaka is putting him through in there, one thing is clear, the longer it lasts the weaker he will become making it harder for him to accomplish his task.
Uryuu: Can’t you help him anymore?!! You’ve been sat there ages, surely you’re reiatsu must have recovered a little by now?!
Kisuke: That’s not it. Though It will take some time for our reiatsu to recover enough to be able to help him. However even if it were to return right now it would be too late.
Uryuu: Why?!!
Kisuke: That reiatsu you see surrounding Ichigos body is not his own, that is the reiatsu of Ryujin Jaka.
Ryuken: it has slowly been increasing over the last few hours and growing in intensity, now it is soo strong that any reiatsu we try to pour into his body gets burned up by it.
Uryuu:!!
Kisuke: That’s about as much as we can do now from here, it’s all up to Ichigo san to pull through this by his own will.
Uryuu: …
Yoruichi: do not worry Uryuu, I believe in Ichigo, he’ll pull through this…

Scene change back to Ichigo’s Inner world

Ichigo Stands on top of the skyscraper. He looks completely different from before. Cuts and gashes scar his body all over, his clothes are in tatters. You can see trails of smoke coming off from his hair. His right hand holds his sword low, pointed almost to the ground, his hand is completely charred black all the way up to the forearm. You can see thin lines of red tracing through it.The left side if his neck, his left shoulder, the left side of his forehead all are charred black.
He's breathing heavily though he's not panting. His face is completely serious and still.
Suddenly a sword protrudes out from beneath his left shoulder right through the charred area. You see bits of it break off and crumble disintegrating into the air.
Ichigo remains still as he raises his left arm and grabs the protruding sword blade with his left hand. His right arm swings backwards slicing the figure that was standing behind him.
The figure fades away as does the sword that was protruding through his body.

Ryujin Jaka: So you've learnt to control the pain. Now it cannot cause you to react rashly or make you falter back.
Ichigo: ...
Ryujin Jaka: However, dominion over pain does not mean you should wilfully take injury Kurosaki Ichigo-
Ichigo: it wasn't aimed for a vital spot...
Ryujin Jaka: ...so now you can speak as well. Those are the firsts words you have spoken in a long while, it seems you have truly gained complete mastery over your pain. So you chose to allow that attack to land in order to guarantee a successful strike on your opponent, superb.
Ichigo:..
Ryujin Jaka: but... What about those that remain. There are still many and your body will not last much longer? I shall be releasing myself completely soon Ichigo and you will only be able to withstand that for a few moments before your body crumbles away. You have very little time left and the opponents remaining are the strongest, their attacks are co-ordinated with each other and you have barely been able to scratch a few of them.

You see up in the sky six figures watching down on Ichigo. They slowly move down and land on the skyscraper encircling Ichigo in their centre.

Ichigo: ...are you telling me that I cannot do this?!
Ryujin Jaka: I am asking you to show your resolve Kurosaki Ichigo!! Show us that you are worthy of the trust the Captains have place in you, that you are worthy of the faith your friends have in you.
Ichigo:...
Ryujin Jaka: the fight has come to its end. They do not have much time left themselves. They have come down for the final showdown Kurosaki Ichigo, it is time.

Suddenly a huge wave of Reiatsu releases from Ichigo as Rujin Jaka releases himself completely , it is so strong that it pushes his foes back a few steps as well. Ichigo goes down on one knee and grimaces, but no sound escapes from his lips. You can see the black char on his left shoulder begin spreading over his body quickly.
His enemies attack all at once. The two directly in front and behind him jump forward high in the air towards him aiming to cut him down with strikes from above. The other four, two on either side of him, rush forward towards him on the ground.
The two, one either side that are rushing towards him slightly from behind raise there swords aiming to attack his back. The other two rushing toards him aim to attack his front.
Ichigo grunts whilst still on one knee but doesn't look up, he raises his sword and places the blade across his left hand.
As his foes reach him almost simultaneously he breaks his sword in half. The blades from the front and behind are mere inches away from him as he jumps into the air, he slams his two blades into the two foes that jumped and had been coming down towards him from above. Beneath him all four swords strike each other , he lands on their centre locking them into place and slams his blades into an enemy on either side.
The two remaining immediately let go of their swords and jump back away from Ichigo out of his reach.
Ichigo pants heavily gasping for air as his body is slowly turning to black.

Ryujin Jaka: ...such resolve...even at the end. Splendid.
Ichigo: ...
Ryujin jaka:You used their power and speed against them, had they been lesser foes they may even have cut each other down in the process.

Ichigo: even so...it didn't work after all...I guess this was all I was capable of...

In front of him the two enemies suddenly shimmer and fade away, their swords also disappearing beneath his feet.

Ryujin Jaka: You are correct Kurosaki Ichigo, this WAS all you were capable of
Ichigo: Where have they gone? Am I not even worth finishing off?
Ryujin Jaka: you forced them to relinquish their swords Ichigo, in this battle, they have been defeated.
Ichigo: ...I see...but even so...

Ichigo is cut off as his whole body turns to black, looking like a burnt out statue made of wood.


Scene change to the cave

Cont...