The Double Edged Sword

34

Recap:

"All the chains?!" Ichigo questioned in shock, panic overcame him as he begged for someone to come and stop it from happening; he watched as the chain was eaten up the whole way to his body until it was gone. Right as the last rung fell from his chest and a hole was blatantly obvious in the middle of his chest; in that very moment, he felt a feather light kiss on his cheek. Izumi was there to his right, tears flowing from her eyes as she stared at him with pain and terror. But before he could even think about her kiss, white liquid began pouring out of his eyes and mouth, he chocked on it and screamed as a hollow mask began forming over the right side of his face.

Terror filled his very being as he stared at Izumi's conflicted face; she wailed along side his scream holding her chest right over where the new hole had formed on his chest.

This wasn't happening.

....

'I'm here Ichigo.' Those were her only thoughts as she stared into the frightened eyes of her best friend as he fought desperately against the forced trying to take his soul. She was only a two feet away as she sat on her knees same as her best friend. Izumi screamed right along  him as his pain intensified. She didn't want him to feel alone. 

He's too strong for this. Way too strong to be turned into some random hollow. She was sure of it. The power surrounding his body was pushing anything and everything away, her hair was whipping around widely as everyone else around them went into full panic mode; honestly Izumi couldn't blame them. If Ichigo actually does turn into a hollow, with the amount of spiritual pressure he harbors within himself, he'll be one hell of a monster. 

"Oioi! This guy is really turning into a hollow!! What's Izumi still doing down there?" Jinta screamed while pulling himself up out of the pit. Uryuu stared down at the crying girl, it was hard for her to see Izumi in such a pathetic state. 

"Preparing 'rescue operation'." Uryuu said loudly while readying herself for her next attack but she stopped short when Kisuke patted her shoulder.

"Wait, watch him closely. Usually when a person is turning into a hollow, their soul explodes, and then it regroups; but his order is very random. His body is still the same, however it's starting with the mask. This represents that he is resisting it." Kisuke's eyes slid over to Izumi who was screaming while clutching her chest; perhaps seeing her, and hearing her pain was helping him to fight the process?

"There's still a chance for him to turn into a Soul Reaper, let's observe for a little longer and see if he's really transforming into a hollow or not." Kisuke knew as well as Izumi that Ichigo had great power locked within in himself; she had discovered it as children after his encounter on that fateful day with his mother; the very day that Izumi had met Ichigo. 

He had his own power, power that was so locked away, that Izumi had given up trying to pull it from his soul but Rukia had managed to awaken it when she had transferred her own powers into him. However, Izumi knew, she knew that Ichigo was stronger than that; he was stronger than the basic spiritual power that, that girl could muster. Multiple minutes passed where Ichigo continued his struggle; his eyes were dimmer than she would have liked, but Izumi continued to stay right in front of him, right where he could see her. He needed to see her, needed to see that she was there, waiting for him. 

She watched as the mask slowly continued to spread and eventually covered his other eye as well; the power that he was letting run wild was steadily increasing until his bindings began to fail. The many knifes that were put into place along with the band on his arms began to pop off; this alone made Tessai panic and declare that the plan was failing. 

"I think it's over owner! I'm changing to elimination mode!" the older man screamed before readying himself to begin his other incantation. "Bakudou no Tsukumo Daniniban! Manjikin!" a cloth like bonding agent came flying out of the ground where Tessai had put his hands; the cloth wrapped around Ichigo in an instant while Izumi continued to stare into her friend's face. She wasn't giving up yet.