[DISCONTINUED] Strive | Bleach

Chapter Sixteen: A Second Chance.

Ichigo’s POV~

What the hell… where is this spiritual pressure coming from?! It’s so strong! I double over from the weight of it being pressed onto my back. It took everything for me to just stay standing. I’ve never felt anything like this before… not from when I fought against Jidanbō, or when I went up against Ikkaku, or even when I fought Renji…

“Damn!” ‘Ichigo, g-get away…’ Damn it, where is she--? I saw someone come around the corner up ahead. She looked up at me, her purple eyes gleaming at the same brightness as the sweat that was over her face. She looked like she was in pain; thick, intense pain. I couldn’t do anything to help her, as I was frozen in place beside a wheezing Ganju and a pale Hanataro. She nodded, as an answer to my thoughts.

‘No, I’m not gonna leave you here.’

‘Ichigo, if anyone has a chance of beating him, it’s me. I know his strength, you don’t. And if anyone has a chance of saving Rukia, it’s you.’

‘Abaron, I—‘’Get your asses out of here, now!’ Reluctantly, I turned back to Hanataro and Ganju.

“We have to get out of here,” I told them. “I don’t know what’s going on, but someone around here is the one who’s doing this. Before the enemy sees us, we’ve got to run and get ahead!”

“But what about Abaron?” asked Hanataro, pointing past me to where Abaron was standing up straight with her sword out in front of her, ready to fight.

“She’s fine. Let’s go!”

“Yeah.”

“Y-yes.” Taking the lead, we sprinted past her. She gave me a reassuring look that turned suddenly into a look of fear. I heard a bell ring. It wasn’t like a church bell, no, it was like a bell on a sleigh. Abaron suddenly came up beside me, panting. I saw that we were running through a collection of buildings. Around each corner lied one after another. It was like an endless maze.

“Turn left!” she told us, glancing nervously up into the sky above her.

There was something that I didn’t understand… we’ve been running, and running, and running, and yet, I don’t feel any distance between us and the enemy. My legs started feeling heavy, as though I was running through one of Ganju’s sand pits. I am running, aren’t I? I know I’m running. But then why am I running so slow?! Was it because of this spiritual pressure? It’s like I’ve had a knife pressed up against my throat the whole time!

“Hanataro, what are you doing?”

“Are you alright?” Ganju and Abaron had turned back to help Hanataro, who had collapsed from the strength of the spiritual pressure. Abaron lifted him off of the ground and put him on Ganju’s back.

“Man, you’re a handful!”

“Are you guys alright?” I called back to them. They started running again.

“Shut up and just keep running!” Abaron pushed me forward, making me trip slightly over my feet. I heard bells, and this time, there were four rings.

“Are you the ones?” I stopped, only to have the others run into me. I turned on my heels, looking up onto the rooftops from where the voice came from. A figure of a man stood on the edge, but I was only able to see his dark silhouette. I felt something grab at my arm, trying to pull me away. But I couldn’t move. My feet were glued stubbornly to the ground. On my left was Abaron, who was holding the handle of her zanpakutō so tightly that it made cracks appear in her knuckles, followed by blood, and holding onto my arm with her other hand with her sharp nails. On my right was Ganju, who was still holding onto Hanataro. “What’s wrong? How long are you going to keep looking over there?” Abaron gasped and spun around, making me the slowest to react. I didn’t even realize that he moved! Before I could turn, something sharp pierced the left side of my chest.