Hollowfication...

Coming to your ears are assaulted by a harsh and wicked laugh. Immediately you're awake and ready for anything. On your feet you find yourself in your Inner-World...no longer as peaceful as it once was. "Ha...hey, there...Partner." You look up at the man sitting atop the stone crypt.

He's wearing the exact same clothes as you...he looks like you. But his color scheme seems different. Where you wear black he only has white. Where you wear white he has black. And his eye's...those yellow pupils and black sclera. "What's wrong? Don't recognize me?" He grins evilly before hoping down, his movements eratic.

"Who are you? Where's Grimm?" Again he laughs, you're suddenly irritated. "I asked a damn question!"

"Tell me...what happens if I don't answer it, Partner?" You grit your teeth, and immediately your hand goes to your blade. "Such a scary display...it pisses me off! Like a dog who's all bark and no bite!" He draws his blade...and you're stunned to see him weilding Grimm. "What's wrong? Surprised, Partner?"

"Tch...like YOU could surprise me." He laughs once more, he's insane. "Bankai..." Nothing happens...you stand there like an idiot whilst he laughs again.

"Every time you use Bankai it draws from ME as well. Did you think I'd let you turn it against me, Partner? How stupid do you think I am?!" He disappears from view...you barely have time to roll out of the way before his sword shatters the earth you had once been standing on.

He's fast and as soon as your feet touch the ground he's on you. "Ah-ha-ha!" His blade lay's open your shoulder and you recoil.

"Fuck..." You slide back and grit you teeth.

"C'mon, Partner! Show me that power you showed Grimm!" He laughs and rests the blade on his shoulder.

"You bastard...You think you can take my Bankai away? I earned it...and I...WON'T LET YOU! BANKAI!" Your spirtial-energy flares up as your Bankai takes form. You cross the distance between you and strike...he catches it with a laugh.

"You're just full of surprises...Partner..." His blade brusts through your shoulder and you scream in agony...

• • +

  Ichigo approaches the raging Hollow...only to stop in his tracks as he recognizes the Bankai blade. 'Everyone, back!', he cries to his Squad members. As of now, he's turned his blade on the encroaching Arrancar, who provide little sport for the Hollowfied Shinigami. He tears through them like tissue paper before finally turning his sights on you.

  'Hey...he looks strong.' Ichigo turns his attention to the approaching Kenpachi, that same demented grin he showed you so many years ago.

  'Don't touch him, Zaraki', Ichigo warns. He looks down at him before snorting and turning away. The young Captain clutches his sword. It took him sixth-nine minutes...he prayed silently that this young man wouldn't fall to his Hollow as he prepared to face him...

• • +

  Clutching your shoulder you grit your teeth. "What's wrong, Partner? Are you finally beginning to realize...that you won't beat me?!"

  "There's no one I can't beat!"

  "What about that Captain? You try and fail miseribly to hurt him every time! Without my power you'd be nothing!" He laughs again and you rush him. The two of you exchange a series of extreamly quick blows before seperating.

  "I'll beat him, in time...I'm not even a Lieutenant and I've mastered Bankai." You stand straight up and point the blade at his chest. "YOU...will be my next conquest." He smiles and laughs.

  "Don't get my words twisted, Partner! You CAN'T beat me!"

  "Shut-up."

  "Ehhh? What was that, Partner?" He holds a hand up to his ear.

  "I said shut-up! Just you voice pisses me off, Hollow!" He grits his teeth...you've rattled him now. You're anger begins to cool somewhat.

  "I'm going to crush you, and take your body for myself! Then I'm going to use it to kill your friends!" He charges straight at you...

• • +

  Ichigo is thrown straight through a wall and lands on his feet. 'Unh...he's getting strong', he thinks, 'maybe I should use it.' The Hollowfied Shinigami raises his free hand and charges a solid-black Cero. Ichigo does the same firing one back at him.

  As the two collide, Ichigo uses a flash-step and appears clear of the explosion. "Ah-ha-ha-ha!" He turns to face the beserk Shinigami and dodges in time. His blade smashes the roof of the building he was perched on...through the smoke he doesn't see the Cero until it's too late.

  "Bankai!" He knocks the Cero away far into the sky where it destabilizes and detonates by itself. Valentine is now encased in full-bone. He resembles a maniquine, Ichigo believes. He possess black marks spanning his body, tribal tattoos of some sort maybe.

  His mask is bare, possessing none of the marks and no features save for two slanted eye-holes where a Hollow's eye's start back at him. He is basically Humanoid with the top of his Shihakusho shreaded due to the increase in muscle mass. Ichigo grips his sword. "Thirty three minutes have passed...hurry..."