BLEACH: To Save & Protect

Chapter Three: The first of the last quincy

"You want to see my bankai? Be careful what you wish for, fool! It's a thousand years too early for the likes of you to see my bankai. Scatter Senbonzakura..."-Captain Byakuya Kuchiki

Ichigo ran as fast as he could with Orihime and Chad following him closely behind. He knew that he had to stop Yhwach even though he wasn't sure how exactly he was going to do that. The previous two times he had faced him, he had failed terribly and yet Yhwach didn't even seem to be fighting back. There was no confusion in his mind about what he was fighting for. What wasn't certain was whether he had finally attained the amount of power he needed to protect his friends.
"Where do you think you're going...Kurosaki?!" Someone asked him from a short distance ahead right in their path.

"Ishida!" Ichigo exclaimed, "why are you standing in our way?!"

Uryu did not respond. He simply stared at them silently with his bow in hand ready to shoot. Ichigo took another step forward to confront him.

"Don't move Kurosaki!!" Uryu shouted. Ichigo ignored the warning and advanced prompting Uryu to shoot at him. Ichigo caught the arrow with his left hand and crashed it.

"Uryu!" Orihime murmured. Ichigo clenched his left fist which was bleeding lightly.

"Explain yourself Ishida!" He shouted, "If you have any justifications let us hear them now!!"

"Uryu! I can see you got yourself in quite a fix here!" Someone spoke from behind Ishida, "Kill them all and be done with it if you're truly committed to his majesty."

It was Jugram Hashwalth. His upper face was covered in numerous weird eyes and his long hair had become black.

"Although...I already know what you're going to do, Uryu!" Jugram revealed with a grin. Uryu threw a medallion at Ichigo.

"That's a key." He explained, "It will help you to open a way out of the Soul Society. Take it and leave, I will blow up this place and put an end to this senseless battle."

Ichigo picked up the medallion, held it in his hand and stared at it. He was relieved that he wouldn't have to fight one of his friends. He shifted his gaze from the medallion to Ishida.

"You know I cannot do that, Uryu." He said to him. Uryu wasn't surprised by the statement-he knew Ichigo. The Ichigo he knew didn't like being saved; he preferred to do the saving.

"Hmm...go on ahead I'll hold him back." Ishida offered. They were all glad that Ishida was no longer their enemy but this war wasn't over. As they closed in on Yhwach's palace, Jugram simply watched and didn't try to stop them.

"You didn't try to stop them!" Uryu commented, "I thought you would try to prevent them from reaching Yhwach."

"So...you think his majesty needs protection from mere humans?!" Jugram asked cynically as he drew his sword, "You are even more naïve than I thought!"