BLEACH: To Save & Protect

Chapter Five: The King & The Strawberry

 

"...we're friends-aren't we, Ichigo?!"- Rukia Kuchiki



Yhwach was sitting on a throne in a very large hall-all alone. As he waited, he seemed to have been asleep but he was suddenly awakened. Judging by how shaken he looked, it appeared he had just had a bad dream. For someone who called himself 'Almighty' he was not looking the part at that moment.

"Ichigo..." He murmured to himself, "That felt very real!"

It wasn't until a good while later than Ichigo reached the hall together with Orihime and Chad. Yhwach remained seated on his throne as Ichigo and friends entered.

"You have finally arrived, Ichigo...my son." Yhwach remarked. Ichigo stared at him silently for a short while with his right hand on the handle of his larger blade which he carried on his back. The smaller blade was holstered on his left hip.

"Chad...Orihime, I need you to watch my back." He said to his two friends. Orihime was excited and Chad too, they were both glad that Ichigo was finally trusting them to fight alongside him. He was-at long last-believing in their strength.

"Okay." Orihime accepted. She was still blushing from the fact that Ichigo had requested for her help.

"Don't worry about it." Chad responded and made his signature thumbs up gesture with both hands. Ichigo's eyes gleamed.

"Let's go" He shouted while drawing the bigger blade off his back. Using flash step, he advanced towards the throne and attempted to cut Yhwach. To his surprise, even though Yhwach didn't even try to move, his sword got stuck in the air a few inches away from Yhwach. Suddenly, a reishi bar appeared in front of his sword and numerous hooks grew out of it towards Ichigo.

"What the-" Ichigo exclaimed as he retreated. As soon as he set his foot on the floor, a blade appeared out of the ground and pierced him! He swiftly jumped up and momentarily settled his feet on the wall but even there, he triggered blades that appeared out of the structure and tried to cut him. Out of options, Ichigo retreated to the entrance. Yhwach had not yet lifted a finger but he was already winning!

"You cannot defeat the 'Almighty'... " Yhwach jabbered as he finally got up from his seat, "I have already seen every single thing you're planning to do and I took the liberty of setting traps in all places where you're going to set your feet!"

Ichigo was already breathing hard but a few setbacks had never stopped him before and they were not going to stop him then.

"GESTUGA TENSHOU!!!" Ichigo shouted as he waved his sword.

"EL DIRECTO!!" Chad supplemented the attack with his right hand punch. The combined power in the attack was very strong and it appeared Yhwach was going to sustain some damage but that wasn't the case! The king of the Quincy emerged without a single scratch.

"You don't get it, do you? My son..." he said while moving forward, "You cannot win in a fight against me-your father."

"Oh! I see it now...you will not give up." Yhwach continued to jabber, "Very well, I will just beat you and take the power you have gained."

The multiple eyes which had formed in Yhwach's hair multiplied rapidly and began to attack Ichigo. Chad tried to hit them with his 'El directo' and Ichigo used the Getsuga tensho but they kept attacking! They were going to reach Ichigo's back as he retreated...