New Life, New Beginning | Sequel to the Misfortune Champion

28

As Ichigo opens his eyes, he blinks several times and sat up from the ground, looking to his sides and saw the others looking at him. "What?"

"Why did you scream?"

"Oh, uh. My... Zanpakuto spirits surprise me and drag me into my inner world." Ichigo replied sheepishly, as Ichiro nodded and groaned.

"Spirits, you mean you have two Zanpakuto spirits?"

Ichigo nodded, until he was suddenly surrounded with black reiatsu with bright blue outlines. The others had to shield their eyes and once it does down, Ichigo stood up, now wearing the same clothes but this time, a white cloak with black and red markings tied around his waist, and a massive khyber knife that is as tall as Ichigo is behind his back.

The black hair teen pulls out the khyber knife, it is completely black with the same small thin, hollowed-out portion running along the back edge of the blade from the base to the middle of the blade, like the trench knife, and the hilt is dark red color.

"W-Woah, so you're a dual-wielder?" Ganju asked. "And I thought two Taichou from Gotei 13 is the only dual-wielders around Soul Society..."

"Anyway, let's get going. The earlier we wake up, the earlier we save Rukia." Ichiro said, and everyone look at him blankly, irritating him. "I hate you all for not praising me."

After that, both Ganju and Ichiro lift up the floor tile, looking around if there is anyone around their surroundings. The sun is now slowly getting up, the orange rays hitting everywhere. "Okay, no one's around." Ganju said, as everyone got back into the land and look around.

"It feels kinda weird that there ain't no security even though Ichigo fought here yesterday." Ichiro said.

"The enemy probably doesn't think we'd be sneaking around the same place again after one night."

"Guess that's true."

"Ahh, the juices are flowing now!" Hanatarou exclaimed. Before they left the tunnel, Hanatarou had swallow a pill that said to give tired and lazy persons a lot of adrenaline, or something like that.

"I'm telling you, you don't look like it." Ichiro said with a sweat drop behind his head.

"Well now." They approach the long stairs, and look up.

"We're almost there. Let's go, and don't get caught because the sun is now rising up. To the Senzaikyu!" Ichiro said.

Everyone grunts in agreement and began running up the stairs, while they reach halfway through it, Ichigo began to leaps far from everyone else. "Kuso! This is one friggin' long ass staircase! How many steps are there, chikusho!" Ganju cursed, panting already, including everyone else.

"Quit yappin'!"

"Make way, please!"

Suddenly, much to everyone's disbelief, Hanatarou run past everyone, running next to the leaping Ichigo. "See, I told you. The medicine works." He said, as everyone stare at him in disbelief, their faces saying "Impossible."

Once everyone reach the very end of the stairs, everyone pants in exhaustion, while Ichigo pants a little and wipe the sweats off his cheek. "Why... didn't you run?" Nozomi asked, her hands on her knees as Ichigo turns around and smirks.

"What? Jumping can make you taller, and I'm still a teenager." Ichigo remarked, everyone just thumbs up and went back to their posture.

"Finally, we're here."

"Yet, no one's around. They're thinking on security here, too." Ichiro said. "Okay now we'll go straight to the inner area."

When they took a few steps forward, suddenly, a reiatsu crashed down upon them, the world around then turning into black and white. Their eyes widened and some struggle to move, and Ichigo look around, considering the fact he already experience Soi-Fon's reiatsu and this one was as much as the petite Shinigami has. Meanwhile, Rukia's eyes shot open in surprise when she felt the reiatsu. It was small but she could feel it.