Bleach: Kingdoms and Princesses

The Evil Unveils Its Face, Part 5: The Two Blades Stand Again

"Cleave and forge your destiny, Zangetsu!"

The blast of energy from Ichigo and his blades was so great, it hurled Hanza back and a pillar of energy shot up into the air. People from all over Karakura felt it. Storms from afar were kindled by the sudden surge in power that blasted its way into the atmosphere. The air seemed to crackle with the charge of something that was undefinable. Ichigo himself felt raw power, a power like what he wielded when he saved Rukia from death or in the Soul palace, flow through his veins.

In his hands were the two blades he had forged from the asauchi not too long ago. When he had learned the truth about himself and his heritage. When he had claimed his full power to stop Ywach and his Quincy army. This was a power he had felt would be lost to him since that final battle, but now he held it once more, and it called for him to step forth and squash the insignificant coward before him. The man who dared to strike from the shadows instead of fighting in the open, and who used Ichigo's own family and nightmares as his weapons.

The assassin would pay dearly for that.

Ichigo looked at at Hanza as the light finally dimmed. He swiped his larger Zangetsu through the air and shot a Getsuga at the assassin. The blow hit and the man cried out in pain. But Ichigo did not stick around to fully observe what happened. He rushed back inside to find his sisters. He found two men outside Yuzu's room. The larger blade took one assassin through the face while the smaller blade went through the other's stomach and pinned him against the wall. Ichigo left his sword and the man there to expire.

Ichigo looked through the door to find his frightened sister there.

"You're alright," he breathed with relief.

"Ichigo, what's going on," Yuzu cried out.

"Some men are trying to get to you to kill me and Rurichiyo! Just stay there and I'll protect you!"

Summoning his sword back into his empty hand, Ichigo then charged for Karin's room, his large sword easily cutting through the rest of second assassin and spilling blood all over the floor as the man slid from where he had been pinned. He found Karin holding off an assassin with a strange glow about her. The assassin looked startled. He never noticed Ichigo approaching and was soon cloven from head to waist from behind.

"Ichigo! What is happening to me," Karin gasped.

"Stand aside Ichigo," Isshin commanded as he swept into the room carrying Yuzu. There were blood splattered on his Soul Reaper robes. "I have your sisters now. Go out there and take care of the man who is waiting out there."

"Why didn't you stop this earlier dad," Ichigo seethed.

"I must admit, they caught me off guard," Isshin answered calmly. "And there are about twenty in the other room, all dead if you want to check for yourself."

"No, I have unfinished business outside."

Ichigo spared his family a reassuring glance and then nodded. He rocketed out of the house and confronted Hanza, who was bleeding all over his chest from where Ichigo had struck him. The lead assassin coughed a little and shot Ichigo a murderous look.

"So, Substitute Soul Reaper, you managed to escape my two traps. I must admit that that is impressive, but your luck runs out here!" Hanza poured more power into Saiga. "Depending on the spiritual pressure of the wielder, this bakoto's power is limitless! I'll show it to you by crushing you and what you have now right before your very family!"

The haze and mirrors returned around Ichigo. He could feel the nightmares returning. His body was till injured from what had been done to him before. Sheer adrenaline and determination had kept him going. But now it was all hitting him. He sneered at the man's cowardly tactics.