Work Text:
Forever
Ichigo doesn’t have time to think too much about the things he would like to think about, things other than “where should I hit” or “how to attack”.
It doesn’t have the end, this eternal struggle between him, Ishida and Yhwach: who will outsmart who? Who will manage to land the last blow? Who will survive?
Sometimes, between kicking and dodging, Ichigo has time to wonder. He has time to think, with a part of his mind which isn’t focusing at surviving, about his family and friends. What are they doing? Are they happy? Is Aizen’s illusion making them suffer or dream their best dream? Ichigo hasn’t had time to talk about details, when Aizen has explained his plan. He can only hope they are happy, kept blind to what is really happening.
Ichigo unleashes another attack, Zangetsu singing in his hands. Yhwach blocks it, but it’s okay. Ichigo can feel getting better at attacking Yhwach, he gets better at reading the bastard’s riatsu. Aizen’s annoying voice whispers advices into his ear the whole time and, combined with Ishida’s quiet murmur, Ichigo feels there might be a chance to beat Yhwach.
But it’s still too early to be happy, still too early to even dream about celebrating.
So Ichigo fights, because this is what he does the best. He keeps fighting and fighting for the rest of Earth’s days, until the last day of the time when Aizen’s powers won’t be enough to keep everything quiet and silent, and everything will explode: the world kept blind for too long will fall apart under combined powers of the all of them.
And Ichigo will be in the heart of that chaos, fighting until the last breath leaves his lungs, until his lips stops shaking with every taken breath, until his body falls apart after eternity of being kept in a form of a teenager against laws of life and death.
With Zangetsu glistening in the darkness of the place Aizen has brought them all to years-months-minutes ago, with Ishida’s arrows shoot one after another, and with Yhwach’s maniacal laugh, Ichigo fights.
This is the best thing he is good at.