Chapter 29: Quincy Archer Hates you? Deal with it!

I figured you readers could all use an early chapter, so here we are. I do hope that you all enjoy it.

Not the longest chapter eve, but it does cover something important. I do hope you all enjoy it. Also, please leave some reviews, I love the feedback.

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and Shounen jump. Fairy tail is owned by Hiro Mashima and weekly shounen magazine. I own NOTHING. This is all just for fun.

School had ended, and Tatsuki had made her way down to that spacious, magical basement, as she had done on and off for the last few weeks. Mainly to watch Ichigo train, because there was no denying it, it looked cool. Moving at the speed of lightning, swinging great big swords around, wearing those black kimono… it was like something out of a movie, but with the added advantage of being real. Ichigo had reacted to the supernatural with surprise followed by stoic acceptance bordering on apathy, but Tatsuki's reaction was one of continued awe. Sure, it did fly in the face of everything she had learned about the physical universe, but then again, cars, vaccines, airplanes and the internet would have had the same exact effect on somebody from four hundred years ago. It was a wondrous, frightening and mysterious world, and she was glad to be a part of it, even as a side-liner. Knowing this, that most of everybody else did not, had its appeal.

But as wondrous and awe-inspiring as it was, there was an aftertaste to each experience. It was childish in its roots, and Tatsuki knew it. When they were kids, Ichigo had never been able to beat her in karate. She had been faster, stronger, better in every regard. Then puberty had started to kick in, and she couldn't really win anymore. It had infuriated her for a time, but she had come to accept it. Nature had equipped males with more muscle mass and larger size, which was a natural advantage in any kind of martial art. There was nothing to be done about it.

She had thought that childish grudge gone. But now, with Ichigo having grown all this power, so much strength and skill that literally nothing she had could compare, there was no denying it.

She was jealous.

Jealous, and frustrated, because she hated the idea of dependence, that if a hollow popped up she would have to rely on him to protect her. Japanese culture had its ideas about what women should and shouldn't do, and Tatsuki had spent most of her life flying in the face of that. Girls should be girly. Girls should rely on boys to protect and care for them. She had heard it enough times to want to snap the necks of the people who said it. She kept her hair short, because she liked it that way, and she kept on doing karate, because it made her feel strong. It kept her fit.

And now she had gone from knowing that she could beat the snot out of almost any potential robber, pervert or rapist out there, to knowing that these predators were small fish in a large pond, nothing compared to the real monsters, the ones that ate you alive, flesh and soul both. And Ichigo was the one who could fight them. Not her.

What was worse, he didn't even have the decency to be smug about it. His sensei would never have that. It wasn't like he had asked for this either.

There was no rational reason to be jealous, frustrated and angry with being left behind like this. Objectively this was nobody's fault, just the way life pans out.

But emotion was anything but objective and rational, and each time Ichigo left for a hollow hunt with Erza, she felt a little pang- of anger, of jealousy, and guilt that she felt these things in the first place.

It wasn't fair. Life wasn't fair, but damn it, she wanted it to be.

The best way to work off negative feelings, she knew, was physical. Reflection and self-realization was effective for some people, probably the kind of pricks who were actually mature, but not nearly as effective as a thorough release of adrenaline and the various endorphins a proper workout added. So she took a stance, and threw a punch.

Going through the various forms of karate she knew, over and over, she soon worked up a sweat. Fancy moves were all right, but it's the punch you practice a thousand times that really works. Her instructor had hammered that one home, and Tatsuki had largely found it to be true. As she let her muscles work, as little beads of sweat formed on her back and forehead, sure enough she felt her feelings take the backseat to the task at hand.

She had practiced for a little less than an hour when she noticed a purple-haired figure sitting on a nearby rock. She wore an orange jacket of sorts, she saw, and tight-fitting black pants. She didn't recognize her, but she probably had reason to be here. She had dark skin, so she was definitely not from around here.

"Your form is all right," the woman called out, sounding a little amused, and there was the suggestion that it was all right, not great.

"…thanks." Tatsuki muttered, and continued. Being watched made her oddly uncomfortable. She had assumed she was alone, entirely alone, what with Ichigo and Erza being out on yet another one of their hunts. She had thrown a few more punches and kicked high, when the oddly-coloured stranger chimed in again.

"I think you might have overextended a little."

She was right, Tatsuki knew- her kick had been a little more committed than it should have been. Still, she was in no mood to be criticized by a stranger. Grunting something intelligible, but unmistakably hostile, she continued.

"There it was again," The woman said. Her voice was teetering between amused and relaxed, and Tatsuki got a sense of why Erza despised that shopkeeper so much. "It would be fairly easy to catch that punch, grab your arm and break it. Not that it would matter anywhere outside a very high level match, but you seem like a serious young lady. Aiming high, aren't you?"

"I'm a regional champion." Tatsuki said sourly. "I'll be a national champion someday, too."

"That's the spirit." The woman said, shooting her a grin.

"Look," Tatsuki said, huffing a little as she stopped her practice, standing up straight, "do you have something to say?"

"Oh, nothing," The woman said flippantly. "I shouldn't criticize, really. You are doing excellently for your age."

True as that was, Tatsuki could not help but feel like she was being condescended.

"Well, I could do better, apparently," she said irritably. "Since you seem to have all these opinions, why don't you show me, huh?"

"Really?" The woman said, sounding even more amused.

"Go on, spar with me," Tatsuki said irritably. This was probably stupid, she knew, because if she was involved with Urahara Kisuke then she was probably one of those empowered freaks of nature she could never win against- but Tatsuki was more like Ichigo than she'd care to admit, and a sense of stubborn recklessness was not alien to her.

"Really, you're doing fine," The woman insisted. Had she not sounded so amused, so supremely confident, Tatsuki would have guessed she was afraid.

"Go on," Tatsuki said. "Don't talk shit if you can't back it up."

"Well, maybe just a bit," The woman said, and shrugged. Smoothly she hopped to her feet, moving with grace and elegance. She wasn't very tall, but she moved with confidence. Her hair was purple, looking as if it were her natural color, and her eyes had a yellow, almost golden tint. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and there was a sly smile on her face. She looked alien, entirely different, and looking at her Tatsuki felt sure she was not a normal human being. But there was no backing out now. Deciding to take the initiative, Tatsuki rushed forward, throwing a punch. It was a good, solid move, well-practiced, and for a second she could swear it was hitting home. Then, at the last moment, the woman pulled back, the punch falling less than an inch short of its target. Tatsuki could almost feel the skin of her opponent, almost…

Not deterred, Tatsuki threw a roundhouse kick, a punch, a set of quick jabs…

The process kept repeating itself. No matter how hard Tatsuki tried, no matter how much she focused, she couldn't hit the dark-skinned woman. Every time she would get close, at the last second she would dodge, move out of the way, Tatsuki's attacks striking thin air each time, by the thinnest of margins. It was infuriating.

The woman didn't have a longer reach than Tatsuki. She wasn't taller than her. There was no visible natural advantage. She was simply… that much better. But even in the face of total adversity, Tatsuki refused to yield. The dance continued, one punch and a kick at a time, until sweat ran freely down Tatsuki's back. It had been maybe half an hour, maybe more, and going at it the best she could, she was growing tired, sluggish, her movements slower and more erratic. All the while, the dark-skinned woman wore a content smile on her face, one that to Tatsuki read like concentrated smugness. Emotion was bias, after all.

"You know," Tatsuki huffed, drawing in ragged breaths in between punches, "it's not a spar if I'm the only one hitting!"

"I'm trying to save you the embarrassment, kid," The woman teased.

"This isn't embarrassing already?" Tatsuki growled, missing yet another punch, this one going wide over the woman's shoulder. "Hit back, damn it!"

"You want to hurt for no reason?" She asked.

"Stop talking and take me seriously!" Tatsuki shot back. "I don't care how much better you are than me, fight back! I don't care if you floor me-"

In an instant, Tatsuki felt a punch to her solar plexus. It was rather light, all things considered, but it felt like a mule's kick. The next second, without knowing exactly how it happened, Tatsuki was flipped onto her back, slamming into the ground with enough force to almost knock the air out of her lungs. Drawing long, ragged breaths she closed her eyes for a bit, just recovering, her arms down at the ground as she lay still.

"Is that enough?" The woman said bemusedly.

"Just- just a second," Tatsuki muttered. She ached, both from her strained muscles and from the hits she had taken, but inside she burned with the desire to get up and fight. It was just that the rest of her body hadn't quite gotten the message yet.

"Just a second, and I'll get up, kick your ass…"

"You're stubborn enough to be a man," the woman said, and Tatsuki saw a grin on her face as she opened her eyes.

Forcing herself up onto her elbows, Tatsuki glared at her defiantly. "You're not normal."

"Nope, definitely not," the woman agreed.

"…are you like Erza?"

"Let's say she isn't unique, yes?" The woman said, and extended a hand. "You may call me Yoruichi."

Tatsuki took her hand, and was swiftly pulled up to her feet.

"Yoruichi…" She murmured. "And you already know who I am, don't you?"

Yoruichi nodded.

"So… want to show me what I got wrong?" Tatsuki said hopefully.

"Just for a little bit," Yoruichi said, and shrugged.

There is usually a set number of first times in a boy's life, as he transitions from boy to young man. There is the first time you notice girls (or in some cases, other boys). There is the first time you try an alcoholic beverage. There is the first time you view porn, be it in the form of your father's dirty magazines, or on the internet. There is the first time you fall in love. There is the time when you first learn about human reproduction (which for Ichigo, having been born into the online generation, happened long before his parents thought to broach the subject). There is the first time your mother finds your sexy magazines in your room even though you could swear you hid them perfectly.

Teenage years are full of first times. It is an inescapable fact of life, because moving out of the naïve ignorance of childhood into the terrifying territory of adulthood makes for a lot of new experiences.

It was not a common first time, Ichigo suspected, for your mother to join you on a hunt for vicious, soul-eating monsters.

When Masaki had first suggested it, only hours ago after school had just ended, Ichigo had cringed a little, if only inwardly, for a variety of reasons. His mother, as much as he loved her, had a way of telling him what to do, almost dominant. Part of him had quite liked having this separate… thing going on with Erza, and adding his mother to it felt… weird. That, and there was a brutality to what he did that he'd rather she wouldn't see. In all likeliness she had seen worse, but that had not yet occurred to Ichigo.

So when she had first suggested it, just as he and Erza were on their way out, Ichigo had cringed, kept his mouth shut, and quietly hoped Erza would use that authoritative voice of hers to say 'no, thank you'. But to his semi-horror, Erza had simply shrugged, nodded, and said a word or two of approval. His mother wanted to see how he was doing, the reasoning had gone, not that she doubted Erza's tutelage, no no, she was just concerned for her little boy (actual words used, and Ichigo's cringe had grown twofold when she said it), and the best way to know was to see for yourself. Besides, she was getting out of shape anyhow, and a run might be good for her. She wouldn't get in their way, just act like I'm not here…

At a loss for legitimate reasons to deny her- and he was fairly sure that "It's just weird, okay?" would not be considered legitimate, no matter how much he thought it was- they had headed out, all three. So far, it hadn't been all that bad, although it was certainly distracting. Two hollows had been exterminated so far. In between speeding across the city at a considerably slower pace than usual, for his mothers' sake, who seemed to be a bit out of shape, she would drop optimistic, supportive comments that, despite their positive nature, did not do much to encourage Ichigo. He knew there was such a thing as backseat driving, but backseat slaying was an entirely new concept to him, and one that his mother sometimes veered dangerously close to. What was worse, Erza seemed to mostly agree with her- or not disagree hard enough to voice it.

Fortunately, their third target had seemed more powerful and dangerous than the previous two, and Erza had directly ordered him to speed up, instructing Masaki to catch up when she could. The idea of serious danger appealed to Ichigo, because hollows might try and tear you apart, eat your insides and gloat about it, but at least they didn't make you feel awkward.

To his surprise, though, when he and Erza arrived, landing quite dramatically in the backyard of an industrial complex slated for demolition, the source of hollow reiatsu was gone. He could still sense its energy, although dissipating rapidly, so he was sure he was not mistaken. Confusedly, he looked around.

"What's going on?" He said, trying to sense for whatever might have caused this.

"I think I might have an idea," Erza murmured, nodding at a small building, just large enough to be some form of storage. On its roof, a white-clad figure stood, with a stern look on his face, black, straight hair framing his bespectacled face.

"Shinigami." He said, and Ichigo could see a white bow dissipating around his arm, the quincy cross hanging from his arm. "I've been watching you."

"Cousin Ishida. What a pleasant surprise." Ichigo said flatly, his voice lacking any kind of sincerity.

"I was afraid your clumsy methods might put people in harm's way." Ishida Uryu said, elegantly jumping down from the roof, and landing flawlessly on the ground. He was blood, Ichigo knew, but like a lot of family, also quite insufferable. "It is fortunate, I suppose, that you fell right into the lap of an experienced shinigami."

"Uh huh," Ichigo said. "Well, since you're already done here… hey Erza, wanna keep going?"

"Don't think I'll let you off so easily." Uryu said, and glared. "I have protected this town for years before you and your amateurish methods came along."

"Yeah, uh-huh," Ichigo said, and pointed with his thumb at Erza. "And she protected it since before you were in diapers. Your point being?"

"That-"

"You know," Erza said, interrupting him, "I really don't have time for this. If you two want to bark at each other like a couple of little puppies, do it on your own time." There was a thoughtful expression on her face. "Hmm… should we get a puppy?"

Ishida sneered,

"This is the shinigami you apprentice under? No wonder-"

His teen tirade was cut short, as Masaki landed, not quite as gracefully, and a little short of breath. She took a few quick breaths, huffed, and then her face lit up as she saw Uryu. The boy's face, which had carried a very concentrated expression of superiority, quickly went into something far less dignified.

"Uryu!" She said cheerily, and walked up to him, giving him a hug. Uryu attempted to resist, but much like Ichigo, knew better than to try very hard.

"How are you these days?" She said cheerily, as she ended the embrace. "Are you doing well in school?"

"Y-yes, aunt," Uryu said, nearly stuttering. "It's-it's fine. I'm getting As in um, almost everything."

"Well, I'm sure your dad is very proud!" Masaki said, and without even realizing it, a smug grin formed on Ichigo's face as she ruffled his hair. "Are you eating properly, though? Look at you, you're practically a stick figure!"

"Yeah, Uryu, you look like a skeleton," Ichigo sniggered. "Eat a sandwich, why don't ya?"

"I'm fine, aunt," Uryu said, glaring daggers at Ichigo. "Really, I am."

"I keep telling you to come over for dinner," Masaki said enthusiastically. "When was the last time?"

"Er…" Uryu said. Ichigo remembered the last time, over a year ago; he had not exactly been sociable.

"We simply must fix that," Masaki said enthusiastically.

"You know him?" Erza said. "I mean, I know you know him, but…"

"Of course I do," Masaki said, nearly huffing. "I practice archery with him on Sundays. It wouldn't do to fall entirely out of practice, you know. You should see him, he's really talented!"

That much, Ichigo hadn't known, although it did explain the hours or so when she would go out. The quincy boy was practically blushing, and while his mother's positive comments had been torment when he was on the receiving end, the sadist in Ichigo found no sympathy whatsoever for Uryu.

"Yeah, wow," Ichigo said, laughter barely held back. "You sound really cool and talented, Uryu."

"Shut up!" Uryu snapped angrily. "You shut up, you-"

"That's no way to speak to family, Uryu," Masaki said strictly. Uryu glared at Ichigo one last time, then said,

"Yes, aunt. Of course."

"Ahem," Erza said, clearing her throat in the least subtle way possible. "We're out on patrol, Masaki. Remember how you said we wouldn't know you were there?"

"Oh, right, right," Masaki said. "Still, it's not every day you run into family. And look at him, protecting the city just like my Ichigo!"

This time Ichigo's snigger was loud enough to be heard, and Uryu's ears went a visible shade of red.

"Shut up-" he began, but Erza cut him off.

"Look," she said, "we don't have time for this… domestic stuff. We certainly don't have time for you two-" at this she nodded at Ichigo and Uryu, "-butting heads because of old grudges other people did, or because you're young, male and full of yourselves. You both fight hollows. You're on the same team."

"What?" Ichigo said innocently. "I haven't done anything."

"Kurosaki Ichigo, if you tell me this wouldn't have escalated if I hadn't been here, you are a dirty liar deserving of a beating," Erza said sternly.

"…you're right. Totally would." Ichigo mumbled.

"At least you respect your master," Uryu mumbled, putting a certain emphasis on the word 'master'.

"Hey!" Ichigo snarled, "You stuck-up little-"

"QUIET!" Erza called out. "This is exactly what I'm talking about. Boys. Hormones. Utter idiocy. I swear to god, if I catch you two going at it even once…"

"Maybe we could work this out some other way?" Masaki said innocently. "Like you said, they are on the same team. They should work together."

The words 'hell, no' did not exit either Ichigo's nor Uryu's lips, but their faces said it well enough for them.

"What do you propose?" Erza said.

"A contest, perhaps?" Masaki said. "Whoever slays the more hollows win. Afterward, you shake hands."

"Not to rain on your parade, but hollows don't pop up at our convenience," Erza said. "In fact, we should be grateful theydon't pop up often enough that we can hold a contest on it."

"Oh, I think we have a way around that." Masaki said. "Uryu, you don't carry any hollow bait on you, do you?"

"…no." Uryu said, looking uncomfortable.

"Uryu?" Masaki said firmly.

"…yes." Uryu said quietly, his voice almost inaudible.

"Hollow bait?" Ichigo said.

"It's a spiritual cocktail that attracts hollows in their dozens, even hundreds, when activated," his mother explained. "Sounds perfect, no?"

"Wait, you carry around something like that?" Ichigo said, sounding alarmed. "What the hell for?"

"None of your business," Uryu growled.

"What were you going to do, activate it on purpose to prove a point on who's better?" Ichigo said. "That's freaking dangerous!"

"Now, Ichigo, it just happens to be what we need." Masaki said in a soothing voice. "Let's go somewhere with less people. Settle this part for good."

"I haven't agreed to that," Ichigo grumbled.

"You have now," Erza said, crossing her arms. "Not a bad idea. Challenging, direct training. I like it."

"…I don't get a vote, do I?" Uryu said glumly.

Ichigo looked him in the eye, and for the first time thus far, felt a pang of sympathy.

"Don't look that way, cos. Let's get this over with."

In the distance, two figures watched- figuratively speaking, as they were too far away to see anything with the bare eye. Quietly, they followed, keeping far away from the vision of the two shinigami and two quincies. They said nothing to each other, only drinking in the sensation of volatile reiatsu breaking loose as the hollow bait was broken, setting loose dozens of hollows within a minute. Had these figures had any fear the situation would get out of hand, they would have soon been reassured by the swift action of the two young apprentices, one shinigami and one quincy, slaying one hollow after another with swift, unrelenting ease. But they knew no fear, and only listened, only sensed.

Erza had not been wrong, Ichigo had admitted to himself. Whether you acted like you were above it, like Uryu, or only pretended without much effort, like himself, there had been a lot of ego going on back there. It was strange, though, to turn from one pissing contest into another, much, much larger one.

Because this sucked. Even when the first hollows had appeared, after the hollow bait had cracked, it had become apparent that he had about a snowball's chance in hell of winning. At first, he had been enthusiastic, charging forward, cutting down four hollows in a matter of seconds. He had felt good about himself for a second or two, until he had seen the smug look on Uryu's face, as he fired his seventh arrow, each one having crushed the mask of a hollow with vicious accuracy. No matter how he tried, no matter how fast he pushed himself to hit and cut, Uryu had cut down twice as many already, and at this rate he was likely to kill three times what Ichigo could.

A little voice in the back of Ichigo's head reminded him that he was cutting through hollows large and small, weak and strong, like a knife through hot butter and this was definitely a testament to his strength, a sign of how far he had come, that he should focus more on taking pride in what he actually could do rather than compare himself to his bitch of a cousin…

…but at the end of the day, Ichigo was a young man, stubborn and stupid, and patently refused to not compare himself to Uryu, despite knowing that his second cousin in all likeliness had years of training that Ichigo did not. Growling irritably, he jumped through the air, raising his sword to carve through a hollow, only to find his blade cutting through thin air, as Uryu's arrow had hit home several seconds before Ichigo could connect. Under his breath, Ichigo swore, and Uryu smiled smugly.

"That's poor form, Uryu," Masaki chided him. "There is plenty for the both of you. Now, steady your arm… I think you might be firing just a little too quickly."

"Yes, aunt," Uryu said, keeping his tone neutral.

"Use your feet, Ichigo! Don't overwork yourself- just keep going, and try to anticipate where the next cluster of hollows will come!" Erza shouted loudly, so that Ichigo could hear where he was up in the sky.

Portals would appear and close at random, but there seemed to be a set number. Seven usually, never more than nine. There was a pattern to it, Ichigo noticed- a few would open, a little larger than the other, instantly spilling out a huge pack of hollows, which would surely have scattered all over the place if they were not cut down so fast. Uryu's shots rang out, quick and precise, but not each one was an instant kill- hitting a speeding target from afar was still a challenge, it seemed, and some of the monsters were too tough to die instantly. Up close, though, Ichigo's blade was certainly at a disadvantage. Sensing a disturbance just close to him, Ichigo abandoned the fight he had charged toward at first, Uryu's arrow cutting down his intended prey just a second later. The blink of an eye later, a large portal opened, just by Ichigo's side. As hollows began spilling out, Ichigo cut down hard, sending himself into a spin, instantly killing nearly a dozen hollow, dozens more falling the coming seconds as they ran through a virtual meat grinder. After ten seconds or so the portal closed, and Ichigo found himself covered in gore and ichor, bits and pieces of hollows still in their death throes falling to the ground. That ought to even the odds some!

Erza watched Ichigo's progress from afar. As she had expected, Uryu far outstripped him in this contest, his long range skills and superior experience reigning supreme in this situation. But even so, Ichigo was making him work for it, doing his best to anticipate where the hollows would come up. Up close, sensing the portals coming would be easier, even when your competitor was a quincy.

"Just like that!" She bellowed, putting a hand to her mouth, to carry the sound of her voice further. "No slacking off! Stop overextending, don't hit harder than you have to!"

She looked over to Masaki, who had a surprisingly pleased look on her face, something she never would have expected from the ex-quincy just a few weeks ago.

"So, what do you think?" Said Erza, keeping her voice neutral, but feeling slightly nervous. Masaki was her friend, Ichigo her responsibility, and to fail in either regard was something that would hurt.

"Look at him go, eh?" Masaki said thoughtfully, as she watched her son dash back and forth, his energy fluctuating wildly as he grew more tired. "Careful now, Uryu," she said, turning back to her nephew. "Clear, straight shots. You do not have to make that kind of effort, so missing has no excuse."

He voice was oddly authoritative, Erza noticed, and she realized that as much as Masaki might have hated life at the quincy manor, perhaps she hadn't hated everything about being a quincy. She was weak, comparatively, being a full time mother and working a part time job, but Erza could tell she had once been quite good at it.

"Yeah," Erza murmured. "I did my best."

"And it's not bad." Masaki said, nodding. "He… is pretty good at it, isn't he?"

"Exceptional." Erza said firmly. "He's a stubborn student, and it took some punching to get through to him, but he's naturally talented. Were he in the academy, I have no doubt he would be slated to be an officer as soon as he graduated."

"That's… good, right?" Masaki said.

For a moment, Erza's eyes darkened.

"In a way, yes."

Masaki smiled. "Well… I'm glad he's getting strong, at least."

"I, um," Erza said, feeling a little awkward, "I'm ah, a little… surprised?"

"What for? Straighten that arm, and breathe." She said, turning quickly to Uryu for just a second.

"Well… with how you were, you know, back before?" Erza said cautiously, not wanting to bring in any negativity. Things were going well, and the last she wanted to do was remind Masaki how much she had hated what happened to Ichigo in the first place. But it was a bit late to backtrack…

"Oh… that?" Masaki said, and shrugged. "It is what it is, I guess. What's done is done, and you have to adapt. Besides," she said, gesturing with her arm toward Ichigo, Uryu, and the rapidly dying hollows, "look at them. Working together. I'm here. You're here. It's been ages since we had a family gathering like this."

"…a family gathering based around exterminating monsters?" Erza said flatly.

"You take what you can when you're a mother," Masaki said, with a small smile. "Before you know it, they're all grown up, going to some university or other, and they have no time for mom and dad anymore."

"That's… one way of looking at it, I suppose." Erza said, not wanting to disagree, now that Masaki finally seemed on board. "HOLD IT PROPERLY!" She shouted at Ichigo again. "It's a sword, not a club- did I teach you nothing?!"

Quickly, and with a little bit of fright, Ichigo adjusted his stance.

The fight continued, for nearly two hours, and it was clear both boys were getting tired. Erza had to wonder just how potent that piece of hollow bait was. The tide of hollows sometimes waxed, sometimes waned, and she estimated they had to have killed hundreds. Ichigo had at this point cut through more hollows in an hour than he had his entire career so far.

"Just how long does this keep going?" Erza asked.

"It should end soon," Masaki assured her. "The bait uses certain energies to draw in hollows, and once they disperse, they will stop coming. You can't tell, but I can- it should be over soon."

Taking her word for it, Erza nodded. "Very well then. I think the two of them could use a rest-"

She cut herself short, as she felt the tremor. The portals had stopped appearing, and the two boys were catching their breath, both of them sweating. The last few pieces of hollows fell to the ground, quickly dissipating, and Ichigo and Uryu both looked relieved. But it wasn't over- there was a tremble in the air, a ripple as yet another portal begun to form, wide and huge, almost massive, well over ten yards across.

"What…" Masaki said, a nervous look on her face. Erza just kept quiet, sternly observing.

From out the portal, a bulky, four-legged, frog-like monstrosity heaved itself, radiating power well and far above that of the trash they had been exterminating. It was tall and large, at least ten feet high on all fours, and it looked at them with a malignant glare.

"Aunt Erza!" Ichigo called out, breathing heavily as he landed on the ground. "That- that thing is pretty fucking big!"

"What is that?" Masaki said. "A menos?"

"No," Erza said, shaking her head. "Huge class. Old, powerful. Very dangerous. Well, relatively speaking."

"You have to step in!" Masaki said firmly. "This is too much for them to handle!"

The hollow was not moving just yet, standing still, looking toward the city, then to the four of them, then back.

"Is it?" Erza said. "You'll find that people can do quite a bit more than you think if you only push them."

"Why isn't it moving?" Ichigo said.

"It's afraid." Uryu said. "Most likely of miss Scarlet."

Erza nodded. "Most likely. It certainly wants a piece of the city, though." She looked at Ichigo and Uryu. "Go. That monster threatens your city and your homes. Defend it."

"You gotta be kidding me!" Ichigo said. "That thing is-"

"Huge." Erza said. "You're bigger. Go ahead and show it."

"It's going to be very resistant," Uryu said.

"Work together." Erza said firmly. "United we stand, and divided we fall. The two of you are family, and the sooner you start acting like it, the better it is for me, for Masaki, for everyone else- and right now, for the city."

"And if we can't do it?" Ichigo said. "I mean, big words are nice and all, but they don't win battles. We could lose."

"I am right here," Erza snapped. "No matter what, that thing will not escape. Now, if I have to tell you again to go do your jobs, I will make you sorry you were born. GO!"

Knowing better than to argue, but still hesitant to act, Ichigo looked up at the creature.

"Cousin Kurosaki," Uryu said. "I… have a plan of attack."

"Let's hear it." Ichigo mumbled, any sense of hostility washed away by fear, threatening to rise up in his gut and overwhelm him. His aunt expected him to take on that?

"Charge right in. Distract it."

"Oh, brilliant- I'm bait," Ichigo murmured. "I can't even guarantee I'll be able to land a hit."

"You won't have to." Uryu said firmly. "If you distract it, I'll have a better shot. It shouldn't take me long to find vulnerable spots."

"If it has any," Ichigo murmured.

"Trust me, cousin," Uryu said, "there is no hollow that is invincible. Certainly not one of this caliber. Even if it takes a while, I know I'll be able to hurt it."

Ichigo hesitated, took a breath, and then nodded. "…all right then."

"Go." Uryu said.

Ichigo dashed away, up into the sky, and was surprised to see his cousin join him, sailing into the air on currents of reiatsu. "Son of a bitch…

Masaki anxiously watched the two of them charge, and took a startled breath, best described as a gasp, when Ichigo locked blades with the hollow. Bone met metal, and two reiatsu sources clashed, viciously struggling against each other. It was hard to see from down on the ground, but the energies painted a picture as clear as day.

"It's too strong!" Masaki cried, grabbing at Erza's shoulder. "This is too dangerous, Erza!"

"No, and no." Erza said flatly. "You want to protect your son, and that's all right- but look past it. Who, between the two of them, is stronger? Feel it."

Strong as a wildfire, Ichigo's reiatsu blazed, wastefully and in excess. He was tired, but the body of a shinigami was durable, and he clashed with the hollow again and again, dodging one slash after another, parrying, striking, sometimes even driving it back.

"…it's still dangerous." Masaki mumbled.

"Of course." Erza said. "But this is nothing compared to what may come. He needs to learn, and learn fast."

There was a rapid change in energies as Uryu fired his first arrow. It glanced off the hard, scaly back of the monster. Rapidly, Uryu fired arrow after arrow, a dozen, two dozen, in a matter of seconds. It seemed wasteful, but there was a method to it. Few even hit, most glancing, but a few buried themselves deep in its skin.

"Come on, cousin!" Ichigo roared, just barely evading the hollow's claws, catching a powerful swing with his sword just in time. He could feel the sword, almost crying out in protest, as it strained against the monster's strength, and prayed he was strong enough. The monster was deceptively quick for its size, and its reach was long- so far he hadn't been able to get close.

Uryu did not respond verbally, but with an arrow, carefully drawn and empowered, slamming into the monster's shoulder. It roared and reeled, and Ichigo surged forward, adding four cuts to its chest, fast and hard. He dashed back, just in time to dodge its claws lashing out at him. He could feel the whiff of air as they missed, less than a centimeter from connecting. Tired and all, he felt the rush, the surge of adrenaline that came with such danger. It was an extreme, one he had started to enjoy far too much.

Before he could lose himself in pondering, a second, third and fourth arrow slammed into the monster's neck line, each in a different spot. Ichigo could feel the monster's pain, reflected in the roar it let out, the reiatsu that it exuded, and something deep inside him felt a pang of sympathy. It hadn't chosen this, after all, hadn't chosen to become a cannibalistic monster…

But it didn't stop him from surging forward, dodging under a wild claw sweep, and cutting into the monster's paw, lopping off three clawed fingers in a single fierce blow. Not content, he continued his charge, sliding under the monster's belly, cutting as he went. Hot, dark blood dripped onto his head and back as he opened up its belly, ichor spewing out copiously. The monster screamed again, quickly turning around and reaching with its good paw, but two more arrows slammed into its shoulder, and the monster's attack fell short, its arm going half limp, wincing lamely.

"Now, cousin!" Uryu cried out. Ichigo did not need to be told twice, and dashed back, slamming his sword against the hollow's mask. But the bone was thick and Ichigo's arm weary from two hours of intense fighting, and the sword bounced, leaving only a small crack. Jumping back, out of the hollow's striking range, he called,

"Damn it! It's no good, it's too thick!"

"Go again!" Uryu commanded.

"Didn't work the first time!" Ichigo said, drawing a couple of quick, deep breaths.

"I'll help! Just trust me on this one!" Uryu cried.

Muttering a curse under his breath, Ichigo charged forward, sword raised high. One arrow, two arrows struck the monster's mask, deep cracks appearing as Ichigo's blade came down. Smashing through it like a hammer going through china, Ichigo let out a loud battle-cry as his sword crushed the mask, cutting the hollow's head almost in half. The beast let out one final shriek, abruptly cut short as it began to evaporate, shattering into billions of tiny spirit particles into a matter of seconds. Ichigo breathed heavily, his shoulders heaving. He could feel his heart thumping, hammering like a piston, sweat and blood running down his forehead. It seemed he had got a small cut without noticing it, and it was somewhat miraculous that he had not been hurt worse.

As he slowly descended toward the ground, towards his mother and his mentor, the adrenaline high slowly began to wear off. He felt like a million bucks at the moment, so alive, so strong and successful, although he knew there would be nausea coming before too long. Even so, even with the danger, with his cousin and that attitude problem of his, he felt satisfied. Who cared if he had won? They had just beat a huge hollow.

As he landed he felt his knees almost giving in, and he slammed the tip of his blade into the ground, using it for support. This fight had taken more out of him than he had realized, and he needed a rest, badly. Even so, it was never done till Erza said so.

Uryu, of course, landed gracefully, although his white suit was stained by blood and dirt, and Ichigo noted with some satisfaction that he looked nearly as worn as Ichigo felt.

"It is done," His cousin said, attempting to carry himself with stoic dignity, but not quite succeeding.

"So I saw," Erza said, and nodded approvingly. "Took you long enough."

"You gotta be kidding me," Ichigo said, in between ragged breaths. "That thing was fucking crazy. The least I deserve is a pat on the back and hearing I did good, all right?"

"What do you want, a medal?" Erza said dismissively. "This trial will seem like nothing compared to what may come."

"Well, fuck me…" Ichigo groaned. "Permission to go home and pass out, sensei?"

Erza nodded, but was interrupted by Masaki, who practically slammed into Ichigo, catching him in a powerful hug.

"You did great," she whispered into his ear, a fearful relief in her voice. "You did great, Ichigo. Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"…I'm fine." Ichigo said quietly, not letting his mother know that her affectionate hug had caused him quite a bit of pain. "I'm fine, mom. It's all right."

"So…" Uryu said. "I suppose I'll just-"

"You come here," Masaki said, almost tearfully, and let go of Ichigo- who felt enough relief to feel guilty- and went to give Uryu a hug, too. "Look at you boys, working together. You did great!"

"What are we, the Justice League?" Ichigo muttered, and glanced at Erza.

"You will work together when necessary." Erza said simply. "Your training is important, but the safety of the people in the city is even more important."

There was no room for disagreement in her voice, and Ichigo wouldn't have had the energy to protest anyhow. Exhaustedly, he simply shrugged. This was going to ache in the morning…

Two miles away, the two figures stood. It would have looked much better, objectively, if a strong breeze had made their cloaks flap in the wind, but you can't have everything. One was a blond man, looking young but with the eyes of an old man, wearing plate mail under a tabard with the insignia of the Knights of the Vanden. The second was a stern-looking Asian man, favouring a much lighter set of chain mail, wearing the insignia of his order at his sleeve rather than his chest. A neatly trimmed mustache framed his mouth and chin, his head was shaven save for a short tail at the back of his head, and he stared into the distance with a thoughtful expression.

"Lord Subutai, there really was no need for you to come all the way out here yourself." Haschwalt said, his tone mild, almost bemused.

"The same could be said for you, Grand Master," Subutai said, keeping his eyes fixed on the horizon. They had both of them read the battle just concluding, drinking in each emission of spiritual energy, analyzing it quietly with the minds of trained warriors, foremost experts among their kin.

Haschwalt drew a sigh, and looked up at the sky.

"I am not terribly similar to Paladin Bambietta,"

"You could say that. You could also say the sky is blue and the sea is wet." Subutai remarked dryly.

"-not terribly similar, but we share some core principles. Such as her belief that being cooped up in our castle, however magnificently built and hallowed, is not good in the long run. An errand like this is as good an excuse as any. You rarely go this far out though, Lord Commander. Not for two potentials."

"Potentials are rare these days." Subutai said. "As his majesty's first general, it is my responsibility to assess potentials- potential allies or enemies, who might bolster or threaten our cause."

Haschwalt nodded. "And what is your assessment?"

Subutai finally looked away from the horizon, and turned his sharp gaze to his companion. "Powerful. The quincy pureblood is naturally talented and has not let it go to waste. His lack of proper mentorship has left his skills unrefined, and his temper unstable, but he would be a worthy addition, should he join. Perhaps even capable of reaching the rank of paladin, with time."

Haschwalt nodded; he concurred with the Lord Commander's statement. "And the other?"

Subutai made a face. "The boy could certainly learn the arts, although he is utterly untrained. He wields the power of a shinigami- he is unlike any I have ever seen. He wields the skill of a wretched shinigami, yet has the affinity for our arts. More importantly he is powerful- and headstrong. His mentor is stronger yet, although she does not show it."

"So what will you tell our majesty?"

"What I just told you. And perhaps that killing them both might be advisable, as they are both headstrong and powerful."

"Absolutely not." Haschwalt said sharply. "We are not like the dregs of the afterlife, murdering at our convenience." Subutai had not come from the upper class in Europe, like Haschwalt, and had far less appreciation for nobility and chivalry; his prime directive was victory and power.

"Yes, I expected you would say that." Subutai said, and shrugged. "There is no guarantee they will become our enemies, anyhow. They certainly have no reason to side with our ultimate enemy, nor do they have a stake in the conflict to come. Then again, there is no guarantee they won't."

"A river we will cross when we arrive there." Haschwalt said firmly.

"His majesty's decision, I believe." Subutai said, his tone neutral enough to border on apathy. "Regardless, our business here is concluded. Let us return."

"Quite, Lord Commander," Haschwalt said. He had seen these signatures years ago, when he had visited Japan to purge its pureblood radicals, and he had always wondered how they would turn out. Haschwalt was too old to be soft, but even so it excited him to see new potentials grow up and earn their strength, especially since new quincies were rare outside the Vanden.

He sincerely hoped he would not have to kill them.

Yes, I figured it was about time to bring in Uryu. Been planning on it for a while now. Also, yes, the interaction he has with Ichigo will be a bit different here than the one in cannon now that they know their related. Thats not so say they wont still butt heads, as they did here, but it wont be as badly. I do hope you enjoy the new interactions.

Also, the Knights of Vanden have taken interest in the two of them. How and why is this? I'll leave that all up to your imagination.

Another thing of note, yes, Masaki has unfortunately gotten weaker. It was bound to happen, after all, she hasnt been active as a quincy for YEARS. That's going to make any human a bit weaker.

Also Yes, I DO plan on giving Tatsuki powers of some sort, and who better to train her than the CQC master of Bleach, Yoruichi! I always wanted her to have more of a focus in this story, and i figured she would make for a great mentor for Tatsuki. Expect more of them in the future.

Lastly lets talk about the recent bleach chapter we got.

Im SO happy to see Orihime stepping in and doing well against the fight with Ywatch. She's doing great so far. Granted, I would have liked her to get a real battle a bit sooner but fuck it, Ill take this.

I plan on using Orihime in a very similar fashion to what we see in the current fight, with a bit more offense added to it.

As for Ichigos new transformation, I really like it, it reminds me of Tensa zangetsu when he fused with the hollow. Very fitting. Dont expect to see it in this story though. My cowriter isnt a fan of Ichigo and his various power ups, and besides all that, ERZA is our main character, not him.

Speaking of which, I know it looks like Erza herself has taken a bit of a back seat for a while, but dont worry, that will end soon enough, I just figured it was important to focus on our cannon protagonist a little bit before we get to soul society. Once that happens, the focus will probably be 50% Erza, 30% Ichigo. 10% on Ichigos friends and 10% Momo. I believe this is for the best personally.

Anyways, I thank you all for reading this chapter, I hope it satisfied you enough. If you have any comments on it, feel free to leave them in the form of a review. Dosnt matter if its positive or negative, im willing to listen.