Death & The Strawberry [Currently Being Edited]

Chapter 4: The Heat Of The Battle

   "I have to go to the bathroom!" Ichigo shouted at the teacher as he ran out of the classroom.

   "So do I," Rukia said as she bolted after him. The teacher was confused. She walked over to the doorway and poked her head out. They were already out of sight. What is it with those two kids? she wondered.

   Once they were out of the school building, they followed the trail of reiatsu to find Shibō. They found him out in the schoolyard, the exact same spot the last battle was held in. The Hollow's laugh rumbled the ground.

   "Ah, Kurosaki, and the little girl Shinigami," Shibō smiled a toothy grin," What a pleasant surprise!" His forked tongue flicked between his teeth. Ichigo transformed.

   "Take care of my body," he said to Rukia," I will only take a minute." She bade him well and took his human body from the ground. She ran off to find a place to keep it safe. "It's just you and me, now," Ichigo said as he grabbed his Zanpakuto," Bankai!"

   Ichigo pointed Tenza Zangetsu at the Hollow's head. Shibō struck out with both of his front paws, but Ichigo blocked his jagged claws. The Hollow wiped the blood from his paws. Ichigo struck at Shibō's unguarded chest, but he managed to dodge the attack. While Ichigo had his back turned, Shibō struck out with his tail. Ichigo dodged using shunpo and reappeared right above the Hollow's extended tail. He swung Tenza Zangetsu down with all of his might and severed the tail.

   Shibō looked at Ichigo calmly," You are stronger than I thought." The tail dropped to the ground with a thud. Shibō's reiatsu began to increase. Where did he get this power from? Ichigo winced from the large amount of spiritual pressure emitted from the Hollow. Shibō struck out at Ichigo, but Ichigo sidestepped and sliced his wrist. Shibō snarled.

   "You think that will be enough to stop me?" Ichigo asked. Ichigo laughed," If you do, you are dead wrong!" He summoned his Hollow mask and Shibō grinned.

   "You were holding out on me all this time, Kurosaki? No need to hold back now," Shibō said," because I am about to release my true power!" Shibō gathered all of his reiatsu and screamed," Osoroshī Akumu!" The reiatsu gathered around him creating a sphere of energy. The energy was consumed by Shibō's body. The Hollow's wings unfurled. They were red, the color of the webbing in between his spines, and had one sickle-shaped claw on each wing.

   In the span of a second, Shibō lashed out with his claws. Ichigo dodged the attack. Before Ichigo could feel satisfaction, the claw from the right wing pierced his left leg. Pain rushed through his body and he fell from the sky. Ichigo hit the ground and the Hollow mask covering his face shattered. The pain... Ichigo looked down at the wound in his leg. It was small, but the area around the hole was infected and swollen.

   "Ichigo!" Rukia screamed as she ran towards him. She knelt beside him and shook his shoulders. There was no response from Ichigo. Ichigo screamed and began to thrash and writhe on the ground. Rukia glared at Shibō," What did you do to him?"

   The Hollow wiggled his wings," I used the claw on my wing to inject a toxin into his body. It causes terrible and insidious nightmares. It takes several hour to wear off, all the while, the victim is unaware of his surroundings." He took a step towards Rukia," You will be my next victim!" Rukia stood up to face him and unsheathed her Zanpakuto. He swiped at her with a heavy paw, but she swiftly dodged.

   Ichigo began to struggle against the venom in his body. He groaned as he fought the terrible nightmares. Rukia's heart was splintering. Ichigo... Rukia blocked another attack and hacked at Shibō's leg. Her Zanpakuto pierced the Hollow's leg and made a large gash. Blood poured from the wound and Shibō grunted in pain.