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“Hear my voice. Follow your instincts and release your soul. Discard your fear. Look ahead. Go forth. Don’t stop. If you turn back, you’ll grow old. If you’re hesitant, you’ll die. Come. Your name is … Zangetsu!”
When Muramasa pulled Zangetsu out of Ichigo, fear gripped him, expecting to see the familiar Old Man before him. However, upon opening his eyes, he first saw white. Instead of the usual black coat, there was a white shihakusho. Ichigo blinked, his gaze shifting upwards until he saw the white face, eerily similar to his own.
"W-what?" Ichigo blinked in confusion. "What is he doing here?!"
Even Muramasa seemed taken aback by this appearance, frowning as he looked at Ichigo's hollow.
"A Zanpakutou with the Spiritual Pressure of a Hollow", Muramasa mused. "What are you?"
"Me?" Ichigo's hollow replied with his usual sharp grin. "I'm his real self. You could call me his true instinct."
"Very well", Muramasa said slowly, grinning again, seemingly accepting the hollow's word and pleased by it.
"Wait a minute!" Ichigo protested, finally finding his voice. "He's not my Zanpakutou, he's my hollow!"
Muramasa glanced at him in surprise, furrowing his brow in confusion.
The hollow's grin faded, replaced by a scowl as he glared at Ichigo. "You and that Old Man", he gritted out. "You pushing me out, as if I don't belong..."
Suddenly, he flew at Ichigo with his blade. Ichigo only just managed to throw himself to the side.
"I am Zangetsu!" the hollow screamed as he turned to him to continue his assault.
Ichigo barely blocked the attack from cutting into him, feeling the pressure as the hollow pressed closer, pushing hard, their faces inches apart. The hollow’s usual grin had vanished, replaced by fury. Almost an anguish. But Ichigo didn't understand.
"What are you talking about, you nutjob?" Ichigo shouted back angrily. "Old Man Zangetsu is Zangetsu!"
"I am Zangetsu!!" the hollow screamed louder and angrier, unleashing a Getsuga Tensho that threw Ichigo into a wall, crumbling it.
Ichigo groaned as his whole body hurt, but he had to get up. Muramasa seemed to be able to talk to their Zanpakutous, so it stood to reason that he was talking to Ichigo's Zanpakutou as well. But his hollow was on the outside instead of the Old Man. Did that mean that the hollow actually was ... his Zanpakutou? But that wasn't possible. Zangetsu was the Old Man, he was the one who had helped him with his powers…
Ichigo looked up, confusion swirling in his head. He didn't understand. But suddenly the Old Man Zangetsu stood there, by his side, like he usually did when Ichigo needed his guidance and help during a battle.
"Old Man..!" Ichigo cried out.
The hollow, now standing in front of the broken wall with the shikai thrown over his shoulders, frowned deeply, and Muramasa appeared both confused and intrigued.
"Ichigo..." the Old Man responded with a troubled frown, watching the hollow carefully, a rare conflict within his eyes, worrying Ichigo.
"Old Man, what..?" Ichigo started, but he didn't know where to begin. "I.. I don't understand!"
The Old Man looked at him, and Ichigo's breath caught in his chest when he saw the pain in those familiar eyes. Suddenly he realized what the hollow was saying was the truth. A despair threatened to overwhelm him; had everything been a lie? Who was Old Man Zangetsu?
"You finally understand now, Ichigo?" the hollow (Zangetsu?) pointed his blade at them. "I am a part of you. Your Shinigami powers come from me. You never acknowledged me. You ignored me, pushed me down, all while using my powers! I’ll show you my real power!"
"Ichigo!" the Old Man suddenly shouted at Ichigo, urgency in his voice. "There's no time to explain, but he's not clear in his mind, he’s not in control! But I'm a part of you and him, you can still use your powers. Stand up and fight back!"
Ichigo blinked in confusion, but when the Old Man glanced to him, he noticed a hint of fear in those familiar eyes. Like the Old Man feared that Ichigo wouldn't trust him, but Ichigo knew him. The Old Man had trained him, helped him achieve Shikai and then Bankai, encouraged and helped him. No matter what, Ichigo knew he could trust him. Ichigo tensed up, preparing himself, and nodded at the Old Man, who seemed to visibly relax, as if a weight had lifted off his shoulders.
Muramasa frowned in confusion as Ichigo looked back at them. However, Ichigo’s focus was on his hollow, or Zangetsu, who glared at them, a familiar grin starting to form on his lips.
"Fine", the hollow said, raising his Reiatsu until it filled the atmosphere. "It doesn't matter. You won't win against me."
He lifted a hand toward his face like he was going to claw his face, and the hollow mask appeared.
“What is this?” Muramasa spoke as he backed a step inspecting the hollow with a careful look.
“Ichigo! You won’t be able to use your mask”, the Old Man spoke to Ichigo. “But your Zanpakutou will still work!”
Ichigo nodded as he got up on his feet and glared, on guard, at the hollow’s grinning skull mask. The hollow attacked with a hiss while the Old Man disappeared into Ichigo’s inner world again.
Ichigo was knocked into a wall before the hollow stabbed at him, but Ichigo was able to dodge, making the blade stab into the wall instead. However, the hollow simply pulled it out before attacking Ichigo once again, knocking him back. Ichigo attempted to point his blade at him, but the hollow moved to the side with Shunpo, grabbing him by the head and throwing him into another wall. While the dust settled in the air, Muramasa turned to the hollow.
“Who was he?” he asked. “Aren’t you Zangetsu?”
“That was the other soul that lives within him”, the hollow responded with nonchalant anger in his voice.
“Other soul?” Muramasa repeated with confusion as Ichigo struggled back up on his feet among the rubble from the crumbling wall.
But the hollow ignored him – “Getsuga …”
“Ichigo, use it as well!” the Old Man’s voice shouted at Ichigo from within him.
“Getsuga …”, Ichigo started as well, and they both finished, “… tensho!”
Their attacks collided in the middle of the ground between them, causing an explosion that made the ground tremble and raised a large cloud of dust.
The dust made it harder for Ichigo to see, so he decided to use Shunpo to reach a clearer space. The hollow followed closely behind, and Ichigo barely escaped as the hollow crushed the roof of a tower with his blade. Landing on a large stone bridge, Ichigo had only a second to decide that this was a more open area for a fight and prepare himself before the hollow appeared across from him.
The hollow ran at Ichigo, leaping into the air and slashing at him. Once again, Ichigo dodged and continued to evade as the hollow persisted in attacking him. Muramasa appeared behind them, watching impassively. When Ichigo finally managed to slash at the hollow, he only gave him a small cut on his chest. However, any momentarily feeling of triumph disappeared when the hollow moved back, and a white substance covered his wound. The white substance dissipated and to Ichigo’s horror revealed that the cut was healed.
“That’s high-speed regeneration”, the Old Man told Ichigo in his inner world. “He’s getting lost in his hollow instincts.”
Gritting his teeth, Ichigo moved behind the hollow with his sword raised. He managed to slash the hollow’s shoulder, causing it to spurt blood. The hollow fell and writhed on the ground with loud, upset hissing noises. Feeling uneasy seeing his hollow so out of control, Ichigo frowned and cautiously backed away. More of the white substance appeared on the hollow’s body, alerting both Ichigo and Muramasa. Suddenly, a large grey worm-like creature burst from the hollow’s body and attacked Ichigo.
“Watch out!” the Old Man shouted in Ichigo’s head. He barely had time to jump out of the way before the creature crashed into the ground where he had been standing. Landing again, Ichigo found the creature immediately upon him, attempting to swallow him. Releasing another Getsuga Tenshou, the creature burst open around him before he was injured.
Looking up at the hollow, Ichigo saw that he now had a partially Hollowfied body with one shoulder and chest covered by the white substance and a hole in his chest, surprising Muramasa. Gritting his teeth, Ichigo backed up a couple of steps in the wind as a torrent of black-red reiatsu surrounded and covered the hollow who yelled. The reiatsu expanded into an orb of bright blue reiatsu that engulfed a large part of the bridge, making the ground tremble and creating another large cloud of dust.
As the dust cleared, Ichigo saw that the hollow now was fully hollowfied, with white bone-like substance covering his body and a large lizard tail. The black-red reiatsu emanating from his body and flying overhead made the hair on Ichigo’s neck stand up. Muramasa expressed a noise of surprise at the hollow’s reiatsu.
“Prepare yourself, Ichigo!” the Old Man shouted, and Ichigo tried to ready himself. The hollow leaped high into in the air and attacked Ichigo, forcing him to leap away.
Upon landing, the hollow immediately emerged from the dust and slashed at Ichigo. Struggling to defend, Ichigo was pushed back as the hollow continued to attack him, eventually cutting Ichigo’s arm, making him wince. The hollow persisted in slashing at Ichigo before headbutting him, sending him flying back. Extending his hand, the hollow charged a red Cero in his palm, surprising Ichigo, before firing it at him. Ichigo used the only defense he had, firing a Getsuga Tenshou in response, the two attacks collided but the Cero overwhelmed it overtaking Ichigo.
The force of the Cero pushed Ichigo back, slamming him into a column, which toppled from the impact. Luckily, Ichigo could feel that the Old Man had used some of that bright blue reiatsu to protect his body as much as he could, so that Ichigo wouldn’t break anything. But it still made him almost pass out.
As the energy around the hollow’s hand dissipated, Muramasa appeared behind him.
“You are a hollow”, Muramasa mused. “And yet a Zanpakutou as well. How strange.”
To his surprise the hollow turned around and slashed at him. Muramasa managed to block but was sent flying back several feet, landing before assuming a battle stance.
“As I suspected… You have lost control”, Muramasa stated simply, frowning as he raised his hand. “Hear my voice. Discard your fear. Look ahead. Go forth. Don’t stop. If you turn back, you’ll grow old. If you’re hesitant, you’ll die. Your name is … Zangetsu!”
The hollow walked toward him before stopping with red-black reiatsu surging from his body, and made a choking noise. Then, roaring, he fell to his knees as the mask began to crack. Columns of black-red reiatsu surged skyward, exploding and destroying several nearby columns. Ichigo, panting and in pain, got up on a knee, looking up in confusion.
“What’s going on?” Ichigo wondered.
“Don’t worry, Ichigo”, the Old Man responded in his inner world. “This is good. He will be able to hear us.”
Since when had the hollow ever listened to them? Ichigo wondered as the dust settled. To his surprise, he saw the hollow’s mask and hollow form break apart, leaving only the normal white hollow standing there. Panting in exhaustion, the hollow glared up at Muramasa, who stared down at him before he looked up at Ichigo murmuring in wonder – “This man…”
Exhausted himself and feeling his body ache, Ichigo could feel that not all his power was with him. But he slowly got up on his feet, glaring at Muramasa. If Muramasa was able to speak with Zanpakutous, how was he able to..?
“How..? How are you doing this?” Ichigo asked.
“I told you, I am a Zanpakutou”, Muramasa answered calmly. “It’s my ability.”
“What are you planning?” Ichigo asked. “What are you trying to do? What is your master thinking?!”
“Master?” Muramasa spoke with a foreboding calm in his voice and a slow smirk. “I killed my master.”
“You killed”, Ichigo repeated in shock, “… your master?”
“With my will”, Muramasa continued with a smirk, “it’s easy. And Kurosaki Ichigo, I’ve taken an interest in you as a Shinigami.
“Your Zanpakutou is a Hollow”, Muramasa said with a glance at the hollow who was still regaining his breath, “and yet you were able to stand against it. You have not two but three souls inside of you. Who is that other power of yours?”
“Like I would explain to a jerk like you”, Ichigo huffed.
“You just don’t get it, do you?” Muramasa smirked. “Your power is nothing before my power. Your defiance is useless. Answer my questions.”
Ichigo tensed up and raised his Zanpakutou, preparing for an attack. “And if I refuse?”
“How pitiful”, Muramasa murmured.
“Damn you!” Ichigo shouted and leaped forward to attack, but Muramasa raised a hand. The air convulsed around Ichigo, similar to when the hollow was pulled out of him. Darkness enveloped him.
“Awaken! Awaken your instinct!” Muramasa’s voice murmured in his mind. “It lies in a deep, dark part of you. Now… show it to me.”
His hollow showed up in front of him, wearing that familiar confident smirk.
“Hollow…” Ichigo started but it felt wrong, that wasn’t his name, wasn’t it? “… Zangetsu…”
To Ichigo’s shock, the shape morphed into Muramasa, who smirked at him. Suddenly, they appeared in his familiar inner world city.
“You’re up, Kurosaki Ichigo”, Muramasa said. “Now, release it. The soul inside you.”
Ichigo tried to move, but he couldn’t.
“Now manifest it!” Muramasa spoke. “Show your inner self!”
Suddenly, a swirling dark hole appeared in Ichigo’s chest. To his horror long arms stretched out of the hole, surrounding him while he screamed.
“You’ve come”, Muramasa grinned.
Ichigo collapsed as if the arms weren’t there at all. In the mirror world, black goop spilled from underneath his feet, floating up until it reached the inner world where it grew into a column of white liquid. The liquid transformed into fabric that broke apart into the wind, revealing a familiar black coat, glasses, and dark hair.
“You called for me?” the Old Man simply asked, frowning at Muramasa.
“Old Man…” Ichigo whispered with widened eyes.
“Interesting…” Muramasa mused with a smirk. “The inner world of a Shinigami, a Zanpakutou who is a Hollow, and … you who appeared from it. Just what are you?”
“I’m his power”, the Old Man answers shortly.
“Power, you say?” Muramasa murmured, amused and curious. “It was your power that protected Kurosaki Ichigo in his fight despite having no Zanpakutou. I see…”
“My turn to ask you a question”, the Old Man spoke calmly. “Who are you?”
“I am Zanpakutou Muramasa”, Muramasa responded proudly. “I free Zanpakutou. Zanpakutou respond to my voice, and my power awakens their true instincts.”
Ichigo stared at him in shock, wondering if that meant that the hollow actually was Zangetsu like he had said. Did that mean that his Zanpakutou was … hollowfied? But in that case … who was the Old Man Zangetsu?
“Fine”, Muramasa mused. “If you’re Kurosaki Ichigo’s power as you say, I wonder if you can use my power to release the instinct that is inside of you?”
He raised his hand, making the same gesture as he had done to Ichigo. After a moment, he narrowed his eyes and stepped closer. But before he got too close, the Old Man leaped forward with his blade, forcing Muramasa to raise his blade to defend himself. Ordinary means won’t work against him, Muramasa decided, frowning as he wondered what kind of power this man really was. The Old Man leaped back after a couple of crosses with their blades, making Muramasa frown harder.
“I’m not here to play”, Muramasa said. “If you have true power, hurry up and show it to me.”
“I’m not playing”, the Old Man answered with a furrowed brow and Ichigo could notice the tension in him. To Ichigo’s surprise, the Old Man leaped forward to attack again, that wasn’t like him but Ichigo wondered if he was feeling the same as Ichigo did. That he wanted the stranger out of Ichigo, that he didn’t belong there.
They clashed blades once more, but this time, the Old Man’s strikes were swifter and more forceful, pushing Muramasa back. Suddenly, he appeared behind Muramasa, who barely had time to react before the Zanpakutou slammed down where he had been standing, releasing a large cloud of dust. Muramasa fell back and crashed into another building. Ichigo noticed that Muramasa was actually … on the defensive.
The Old Man stood unmoving, looking up at where Muramasa had landed, waiting for his next move, with a frown indicating he knew there was more to him. Muramasa rose from the cloud of dust, seemingly unharmed.
“I’m surprised”, he noted, “that I’m being pressured to this extent. But … you are not a Zanpakutou, am I wrong?”
The Old Man remained silent.
“The relationship between a Zanpakutou and a Shinigami is communication and synergy”, Muramasa continued. “However, I know now that there are exceptions like you who are kept reined in. It’s very interesting.”
“You say Ichigo is keeping me reined in…” the Old Man said.
“Am I wrong?”
“Yes.”
“Then what?” Muramasa asked, his smirk was gone.
“… Why are you so interested in Ichigo, in us?” The Old Man responded without answering. “What is your aim?”
“You will know in time”, Muramasa answered calmly.
“I don’t know what you are planning, but I won’t let you have your way”, the Old Man replied, pointing his blade at Muramasa. “I will protect Ichigo. That is my true instinct.”
“I see”, Muramasa spoke calmly, raising his blade. “So, you intend to stand in my way. Then I have no choice. I will extinguish you.”
Ichigo tensed up, and the Old Man frown deepened. In the next moment, they leaped toward each other, their blades meeting. Muramasa utilized shunpo to get behind the Old Man, who swiftly countered his attack. They crossed blades multiple times, but Muramasa was pushed back.
This time, with a frown, Muramasa raised his blade, and it disappeared in a haze. The Old Man tensed up and Maramusa raised his flat hand in the same gesture he had done before. The Old Man wasn’t sure what he was planning but he had a bad feeling so he leaped backward. Suddenly, he seemed to collide with an invisible force in midair, then was pulled down, crashing into a building amid a cloud of dust. Struggling to sit up, the Old Man found himself unable to move as Muramasa calmly walked toward him.
“It’s just like what happened to me…” Ichigo murmured to himself, noticing a movement in the corner of his eye. He looked up and saw in the windows of the building above them – numerous long arms connected from Muramasa’s back, restraining the Old Man, so many that the Old Man was barely visible.
“What is that?” Ichigo whispered in horror, glancing at the other two below. There were no visible arms, yet the Old Man was constrained as though bound by them. “Is that his?”
Muramasa raised a hand, and his blade reappeared in his grip.
“I cannot control your power”, Muramasa spoke, raising the blade above his head. “So you can disappear.”
Suddenly a bright blue slash surged toward Muramasa, forcing him to leap back to avoid it. The Old Man was suddenly released from his bindings, panting.
“I can’t let you have your way any further”, Ichigo said as he walked up to them, protectively standing in front of the Old Man.
Muramasa frowned, gazing upon Ichigo. “You escaped my spell in such a short time. Just who are you?”
“Are you all right, Old Man?” Ichigo asked, glancing toward him.
“You are protecting me”, the Old Man murmured gazing upon him with surprise before standing up.
“Of course”, Ichigo responded like it was obvious. “You are a part of me, no matter what.”
The Old Man bowed his head and closed his eyes, visibly relieved.
“Now that the Holl-… Zangetsu is gone”, Ichigo began, glancing a bit carefully at the Old Man, who met his gaze without hesitation. “There’s one thing to do. You know what, don’t you, Old Man?”
“Yes, Ichigo”, the Old Man responded without a hint of doubt in his voice or face.
“Such strange souls”, Muramasa mused. “An unknown power and a hollowfied one, and yet you protect them.”
“Sure”, Ichigo responded. “But I know the Old Man and Holl-.. Zangetsu. They are a part of me now. What I do with them is my business, and I’m fine with it. But I don’t intend to let a perfect stranger have his way!”
“Kurosaki Ichigo, just what are you?” Muramasa asked. “Your speech and conduct surely are not those of a Shinigami towards a Hollow and an unknown power.”
“Your name is Muramasa, right?” Ichigo asked with a heavy frown. “Well, you’re wrong about one thing. I’ve said it many times, but I’m not a Shinigami. I’m human!”
He shouted as he leaped toward Muramasa, their blades clashing. Ichigo kept screaming, raising his reiatsu, collecting the power in his body, making him glow light blue. Muramasa blinked in surprise as Ichigo’s blade grew heavier, pressing his own blade down.
“You intend to thrust me out with your own will?!” Muramasa frowned incredulously. “Kurosaki Ichigo… You are an interesting fellow indeed.”
He disappeared in a green spark, making Ichigo nearly fall forward in surprise. In the next moment, Ichigo opened his eyes and found himself back on the stone bridge, facing only Muramasa in front of him.
“Sorry to keep you waiting”, Ichigo frowned and Muramasa turned to him. “I’ll take myself back. The only way to do that is to get Hollow Zangetsu back. Even if it means destroying him… That is how I truly feel. In order to do that, whatever happens, I cannot lose!
“Here I come!” Ichigo pointed his blade at Muramasa, who silently stared back.
“You continue to amuse me, Kurosaki Ichigo”, Muramasa spoke up after a pause. “I never expected to become so interested in a single Shinigami.”
“And you’re incredibly talkative”, Ichigo frowned. “You keep droning on and on.”
Muramasa huffed in amusement.
“I’m done talking”, Ichigo continued. “Let’s settle this!”
Ichigo lunged forward at Muramasa. However, the hollow suddenly appeared in front of him, clashing blades with Ichigo in a shower of sparks.
“So it comes to this, Hollow Zangetsu”, Ichigo said, facing his hollow.
The hollow furrowed his brow at Ichigo’s words, pushing him away. Ichigo leaped back, swiftly regaining his stance and keeping a vigilant eye on the hollow.
“I’m going to fight to get you back”, Ichigo declared, surprising the hollow. “Even if I have to fight you. My feelings won’t change. What about you?!”
“I want to know”, the hollow’s smirk grew, pointing his blade at Ichigo. “You or I… Which one of us is truly the strongest, who is the King! If you lose, I will devour you and take control of your body!”
Red-black reiatsu swirled around him as he spoke.
“Without his power within your Zanpakutou”, the Old Man spoke up in Ichigo’s inner world, “you can’t fight like you normally do. But I’m still a part of him, I’ll lend you my power. Remember, you won’t be able to use the power of your mask.”
Before Ichigo could respond to any of them, the hollow grinned and uttered one word – “Bankai!”
Ichigo was taken aback as the reiatsu around the hollow intensified, causing his blade to transform into the white daito, the shape of his bankai.
“Here I come!” the hollow shouted with a wide grin, lifting his blade as the black-red reiatsu swirled around it. “Getsuga tensho!”
“Crap!” Ichigo uttered as the resulting blast overwhelmed him. The Getsuga Tensho tore along the corridor, eventually dispersing, Muramasa observed as the dust settled, revealing a large crack in the floor leading to a panting Ichigo.
Such power… Ichigo thought. That was close. Was he always using power like that?
“That’s all?” the hollow sneered. “Get up! I’m not finished!”
“All right”, Ichigo replied frowning, getting up from his kneeling position. “If that’s what you want.”
“Bankai!” Ichigo shouted, grasping his blade as he usually did when he used Bankai. However, to his surprise, nothing happened.
“Too bad, King”, the hollow sneered.
“Ichigo”, the Old Man spoke up, “without his power, you can’t use your Bankai.”
“What-!” Ichigo glanced down at his Shikai blade.
Before Ichigo could process it, the hollow shouted once more – “Getsuga Tensho!”
Ichigo leaped into the air to avoid the large black-red attack, which ripped through the space he’d occupied, leaving a large fissure in the ground in its wake. Ichigo wondered if he could possibly take the hollow on without using his Bankai. The hollow laughed as he slashed another attack up at him in the air. Ichigo reached up to bring his mask forth but remembered what the Old Man had said. He couldn’t use the mask either. Left with little choice, Ichigo decided to attack and shouted – “Getsuga Tensho!”
A slash of bright blue reiatsu clashed with the black-red attack, resulting in a powerful explosion. Upon landing on the bridge, Ichigo was visibly fatigued and bruised, while the hollow looked relatively unscathed, sneering down at him.
“Hollow Zangetsu”, Ichigo spoke, causing the sneer vanish from the hollow’s face as he narrowed his eyes at Ichigo. “I know you; you wouldn’t obey anyone. Why were you defending him?”
“… You’ve called me that two times now”, the hollow ignored his question. “Why?”
“Isn’t that who you are?” Ichigo asked with a frown.
“Why now?” the hollow gritted out. “Before, you would’ve been happy to cut me out if you could. Is it just because you now know where your powers really come from?”
“Yes”, Ichigo answered honestly. “But also, now I know who you really are. You are a part of me, just as much as the Old Man is.”
Ichigo felt the Old Man’s surprise within him.
“In order to get you back”, Ichigo continued. “If you want to know who of us is the strongest, I’ve got to hit you with everything I’ve got and show you how strong I am.”
“Heh”, the hollow huffed in amusement, raising his blade. “Come at me everything you’ve got, King!”
Ichigo glanced down to his Zanpakutou.
“I’ll give you everything I have, Ichigo”, the Old Man assured in his usual reassuring tone.
“All right, let’s go!” Ichigo declared.
Turned out that doing it wasn’t as easy as saying it, Ichigo thought after he collided with rocks once more. The hollow closely followed, grinning and swiftly turning his blade in his hand to stab it down at Ichigo, raising a cloud of dust. Fortunately, Ichigo evaded and utilized the dust as cover before he slashed at the hollow. However, the hollow effortlessly leaped away in his higher speed to flank Ichigo. It felt like the hollow was toying with Ichigo, who had to fight to defend himself all while the hollow darted around him in Shunpo. With a single strike, Ichigo was sent crashing into a jagged rock, letting out a pained shout.
“Told ya, King”, the hollow spoke in a bored tone. “You gotta hit me harder than that if you want to beat me.”
“I know that”, Ichigo grunted as he climbed to his feet once more. Gearing up, he raised his reiatsu until it visibly shimmered bright blue in the air around him. He closed his eyes, feeling the Old Man’s soul rising within him, flooding his veins with his power.
The hollow Shunpoed right in front of Ichigo, bringing his blade down. Ichigo raised his blade just in time, halting the attack amidst a shower of sparks. There was a hint of surprise on the hollow’s face, as, despite Ichigo’s trembling hands, he had managed to stop him.
“I’m starting to understand your power”, Ichigo addressed the Old Man. It felt somewhat different, but it was still power, Ichigo concluded.
Deflecting the hollow’s blade, they clashed multiple times, creating showers of sparks before disengaging momentarily.
“This is getting boring”, the Hollow sneered. “Let’s end this.”
“Yeah”, Ichigo found himself agreeing. “Let’s do that.”
“Take this!” the hollow bellowed with a grin, raising his blade, swirling with black-red reiatsu, and brought it down in an attack. “Getsuga tensho!”
Ichigo concentrated all the reiatsu and power he could feel in his body. Roaring, his reiatsu surged, forming expansive bright blue flames of reiatsu that engulfed him, accompanying his cry – “Getsuga Tensho!”
The two attacks met in an explosion of wind. The bright blue and black-red flashes collided and pushed against each other.
Ichigo could sense the Old Man’s grip on his blade and hear his roaring alongside his own, raising his own reiatsu. The bright blue reiatsu intensified, and his attack began to push back at the black-red one. The hollow’s eyes widened in disbelief. How was this possible? He wasn’t even using his Bankai! The hollow could feel himself being pushed back, Muramasa’s eyes widened as he realized what was going on. The Zanpakutou … was losing?
The hollow gritted his teeth and summoned his mask. But it was too late. The blue flames threatened to engulf and disintegrate him, growing larger and larger all around him. Refusing to surrender, the hollow roared. A colossal column of blue reiatsu surged skyward and expanded outward in an explosion, rippling across the surrounding ground.
As the light and cloud of dust subsided, Ichigo stood panting in the ravaged corridor, leaning on his blade. Tensa Zangetsu, the hollow’s blade, was embedded in the ground, with no trace of the hollow. Ichigo forced himself to straighten up looking at Muramasa, who stared back at him in astonishment.
“You’re next to do down, Muramasa!” Ichigo swore.
Muramasa huffed in amusement.
“Kurosaki Ichigo…” he said. “Didn’t you have any misgivings about destroying your Zanpakutou?”
“Nope”, Ichigo responded without hesitation.
“What?” Muramasa frowned in surprise.
“Hollow Zangetsu is a part of me”, Ichigo explained. “He’s strong. He’d definitely stay and take on all my power. When I think of that there’s no way I can cower from battle and turn my back on him! This is our bond!”
“I see…” Muramasa murmured with a frown until he suddenly tensed up and began coughing violently.
Ichigo’s eyes widened as parts of Muramasa’s body turned translucent. “You…”
“Your bonds are your strength… How interesting”, Muramasa remarked before another bout of coughing overtook him. “It seems I’ve played with you for too long. I’m going to retreat.”
“Hey! Wait!” Ichigo shouted as he realized what was happening.
“Kurosaki Ichigo, I’ll remember you”, Muramasa said before dispersing into green energy.
Ichigo was left startled, only with the Tensa Zangetsu stuck in the ground. But then suddenly the blade transformed into his hollow.
The hollow was lying down on the ground, wearing a dark mulling expression, without saying anything. The Old Man materialized beside them.
“Zangetsu”, the Old Man spoke to the hollow, surprising Ichigo who saw the Old Man extend a hand to the hollow. The Old Man’s eyes held a strange pain, an expression that seemed filled with regret.
“Fuck you”, the hollow muttered, glaring at the Old Man, who persistently kept his hand extended. With a roll of his yellow eyes, the hollow finally grabbed the Old Man’s hand and allowed himself to be pulled up.
“Are you all right?” Ichigo asked them.
“Fine”, the hollow grumbled, averting his gaze.
“There was mind control”, the Old Man explained when the hollow remained silent.
“Mind control?” Ichigo questioned.
“It appears that Muramasa was controlling the Zanpakutos by awakening their urges and inciting them”, the Old Man clarified. Ichigo glanced at the hollow and realized that he was embarrassed, avoiding eye contact.
“Are you saying that all the other Zanpakuto are under his control?” Ichigo inquired to make sure.
“It’s very likely”, the Old Man confirmed.
“And you two…” Ichigo began, glancing between them. “What the fuck?”
The Old Man blinked and then averted his gaze, appearing guilty. The hollow, on the other hand, turned to look at them, rolled his eyes again, he seemed to have reverted to his usual demeanor already.
“We are your powers”, the hollow stated simply. “Both of us are Zangetsu.”
The Old Man looked to the hollow in surprise, and Ichigo thought he could see a glimpse of surprised gratefulness in his expression. The hollow simply snorted and crossed his arms. Ichigo knew that wasn’t the entire truth, but looking at the Old Man it was obvious he wasn’t ready to tell everything.
“… What should I call you then?” Ichigo decided to ask instead of all the other questions that he had.
Both the hollow and the Old Man looked surprised, exchanging glances.
“I can’t call both of you Zangetsu”, Ichigo pointed out.
“Why not?” the hollow interjected, probably just to be annoying Ichigo thought.
“That’s confusing!” Ichigo responded, clearly annoyed.
“… You may call me Old Man”, the Old Man offered, surprising both Ichigo and the hollow. “And him, Zangetsu.”
“… Don’t expect me to be grateful”, the Hollow Zangetsu muttered after a moment, a tinge of embarrassment coloring his tone. Ichigo couldn’t help but grin.
“What are you going to do now?” the Old Man inquired.
“It’s obvious”, Ichigo responded resolutely. “I’m going after Muramasa. That’s all.”
The Old Man and Hollow Zangetsu looked at each other. The Hollow Zangetsu slowly grinned with a hint of bloodlust, while the Old Man simply answered with a small smile – “I see.”