Bleach: New Generation

Chapter 61: Symbol of Hope

(Big chapter. 3000 words haha. Didn't expect it tbh. My writing kinda went all over the place but you guys can tell me where I went wrong. But just like normal Bleach this chapter has ehh pacing. Anyway, enjoy!)

Their ascent only grew slower as they moved closer to where the presumed Soul King would reside. The spiritual pressure was unlike anything both Kaito and Ichika felt. At this point, they were starting to climb the walls instead of flying up there.

"This spiritual pressure pisses me off. Isn't there something that we can do about this?", gritted Ichika through her teeth. Her body was tensed up, trying to fight the endless weight of reiatsu.

They stabbed their blades, moving up at a sluggish pace. Both were drenched in sweat and tired to the bone. But even though the two Soul Reapers were at the brink of death, they still needed to fulfill their missions.

"No, there isn't"

These words echoed through the room they were currently in. As soon as silence fell upon them once again, the once powerful reiatsu vanished completely. Kaito was the first one to collapse onto the ground. He landed on his back with a loud THUD before rolling over to get up.

Ichika immediately jumped off the wall. Although she wasn't as affected, her legs felt like they were about to give out.

"You okay, Kaito? That looked bad, like really bad"

Kaito groaned as he stood up, using his zanpakuto to support himself, "Yeah. Just wasn't prepared for that weight to suddenly take off like that. Any idea of who or where that voice came from?"

Ichika scanned the dark room for a couple of minutes, trying to find a device or person that might be embedded in the walls.

"No idea. But that may be because we're close to the top"

Crack

Ichika and Kaito jumped backward after hearing that small noise. It seemed to come from behind them, light seeping through the small crack in the stone building. Kaito readied his zanpakuto whereas Ichika quickly drew her one from her sheath.

A small ray of light reflected off Kaito's silver blade, bouncing to another spot in the room. Both their hands were wrapped onto the hilt of their blades as they stood back-to-back. None of them said a word, but they already knew that one word, one single breath would give their location away.

Creak

The sound was coming from outside. Even though there were marble walls, why would there be creaking outside, the two thought.

Their footsteps drew closer to the sound, close enough so that they could inspect what was outside. Ichika and Kaito separated for a brief moment so that one of them could look through the crack.

A trail of red hair swiftly made its way to the sound of origin. Ichika's violet eyes were close but not close enough for her to be attacked through the wall. She peeked through the crack, looking closely only to find...

Nothing.

"Ah, what a mistake people make whenever they're faced with something they cannot see. A hint of a small sight can easily draw people in. That is how most people fall, and if we're talking about human beings, feel fear. Haven't they told you at the Spiritual Arts Academy to always stick close to your team whenever faced with something unknown?"

An object seemed to hit the marble floor, shattering some of the material. Within a second, Ichika returned next to Kaito, watching what would eventually emerge from the shadows.

The absurdly large paintbrush was the thing that caught their eye the most. The second was the white captain's coat. The last was his head. The bushy black beard and the bald head were the most obvious sights to see, but there was one thing that made them gulp in nervousness.