Chapter 10 - Darkness

The two men eyed each other for several seconds quickly analyzing each other. Ichigo quickly noticed the man before him was indeed a Faunus with ears resembling a large cat and a pair of canines to go with, lastly having a long white tail ending a patch of blue fur. His clothes were very simple consisting of a pair of loose-fitting white pants and an open white vest over a plain black shirt. On either hip was a set of long daggers with bone white handles and blue sheaths. All four of these blades were held tightly on his sides by a blue sash.

Satisfied with his quick analysis of the man Ichigo relaxed slightly and laid a hand on Zangetsus handle asking, "So just who are you then?"

To this, the man just cracked a half grin, "Me, that ain't really important right now, is it? What is important is what you're doing here and what that means for me."

He took a quick step forward and said, "I've heard quite a bit about you, but looking at you I'm honestly a bit underwhelmed. Not everything I've heard seems to add up."

"Yeah well let's just say there's a lot of exaggerated information out there. People like to overthink things."

The man just shook his head to Ichigo's reply. Cracking his knuckles the man quickly rushed forwards saying."I'll see for myself."

Tightening his grip on Zangetsu's handle Ichigo sighed, "You don't want this fight, trust me."

With a sinickle smile on his face, the blue-haired Faunus yelled, "I think I do want this fight." As he quickly closed the distance he readied two of his daggers to deliver a quick strike.

Watching as the man leaped towards him Ichigo quickly braced himself and brought Zangetsu up to block the man's downward strike. Colliding with Zangetsu with great force the man's smile grew even bigger as Ichigo didn't even budge from the force. Jumping back quickly the man laughed to himself, "This is going to be fun, Oh how long I've waited to finally get a chance to see your strength for myself."

Ichigo watched the man across from him carefully. The force behind that strike was more than he initially expected but that surprise didn't last long and he quickly pushed the man back. What was on his mind was who exactly this man was and what he really wanted. He didn't look familiar at all and he didn't have any kind of distinguishable markings on his person or his clothing to give him away. So who is he?

That thought would have to wait because the man quickly charged him once again with that same sinickle smile on his face.

The two exchanged blows a few more times before Ichigo began to grow annoyed by the man's antics. Blade locking once again Ichigo quickly pushed a small amount of aura into Zangetsu and with a large force pushed the man back. Flaring his aura Ichigo yelled, "Enough, this pointless display you are trying to show is over. Leave before you regret it."

The man once again just chuckled to himself as he flared his own aura against Ichigo's much to his annoyance. The man seemed set on drawing this fight out even longer and Ichigo didn't want any part of it.

Grinning madly to himself the Faunus man said, "Enough? This is just getting started I have no plans of going anywhere until I see exactly what you are capable of. I'll force it out of you if I have to."

Rushing Ichigo once again the man went for a simple frontal attack swinging one of his daggers downwards and clashing with Ichigo once again. Pushing himself closer to Ichigo the man brought his face right up to Ichigo's and grinned. "Let's see that power now." The man said as he quickly swept at Ichigo's stomach with his free blade forcing him to jump back.

Feeling a slight pain in his abdomen Ichigo looked down to see a slash in his shirt that was slowly turning red. "That was a dirty trick there," Ichigo said as he looked up at the Faunus who was currently admiring the small trace of blood on his dagger.

The man simply replied, "This ain't a clean fight." As he did a small paw mark formed where he had sliced Ichigo and a sharp pain ran through Ichigo's body originating from the mark

Clenching his stomach Ichigo thought, 'What the hell was that? Does he have some kind of poison on his blades?'

Not giving Ichigo much of a chance to recover from the sudden pain the man rushed him again. This time he began mixing in a variety of kicks attempting to catch Ichigo off guard. While adding in a variety of kicks he also speeds up or decreased his striking speed to become even more unpredictable. To counter this Ichigo quickly adapter a one-handed strategy so he had a faster reaction time to whatever this man threw at him. After the two clashed a few more times they once again became blade locked and with another quick grin, the man pushed Zangetsu to the side and delivered a quick kick to Ichigo's abdomen before jumping back.

Once again a small paw print formed where the man struck him. A moment later a jolt of pain much stronger than the last rocketed through his body causing Ichigo to grab his side gritting his teeth. Holding his side Ichigo gasped for breath and slowly began panting as the pain subsided.

'This isn't poison so it must be something to do with his semblance. It seems to be based around physical contact of some kind. Is he storing energy from all his movements and unleashing it in one direct strike? Or is it simply a delayed effect on the strike?'

Taking a deep breath the pain resided a bit and Ichigo readied himself for the man to rush him once again. 'I need to watch out for any sneak strikes he tries. If his semblance works how I'm thinking that every time he strikes me the pain it inflicts will increase as well. I need to be careful."

Before either of them could make another move though, a black rift began forming a few feet away from the Faunus and quickly expanded. The rift wasn't much larger than a person and seemed to just float in space.

Turning to face the rift the Faunus's deminer shifted from the psychotic happy tone he had to one of almost anger. He gritted his teeth as the rift began to ripple as a figure passed through it.

Stepping out fully from the rift was a tall slender man with extremely pale skin. He looked to the Faunus with a blank expression and then turned his attention to Ichigo.

Seeing the man emerge from the rift Ichigo felt his anger rising as well while the man that stepped out locked eyes with him. As he tightened his grip on Zangetsu Ichigo yelled, "Ulquiorra what the hell do you think you're doing here? Huh?"

Ulquiorra just shook his head, "I'm not here to fight with you Ichigo. I'm simply here to retrieve Grimmjow before things get out of hand and I'd have to be retrieving his corpse."

'So this guy is with Salem to then. This is bad if she has recruited him then who's to say how many more she has found.'

"I ain't going anywhere Ulquiorra. Not till I get the fight I wanted." Turning his attention back to Ichigo Grimmjow dashed towards him ready to keep the fight going.

Seeing this just annoyed Ulquiorra who sighed before pointing between Grimmjow and Ichigo. As he did so another one of the black rifts quickly formed in front of Grimmjow and before he could react Grimmjow ran right into it and vanished. Once Grimmjow vanished the rift quickly closed and left Ulquiorra and Ichigo

Ichigo eased up a little after the rift closed and looked to Ulquiorra for answers. The two stood in silence for a few moments before Ichigo began growing frustrated with the man's silence and demanded, "How long are you going to let Salem blind your better judgment Ulquiorra. You used to believe in the same thing I did, we were friends and we wanted the same thing."

"Salem simply opened up my eyes to the truth Ichigo. You just don't understand the whole truth, so you don't understand the full reasoning behind my actions. One day you too will be shown the truth and I fully believe you will see the world the same way I do now because we always did see the world in a similar light growing up."

"Don't say that bullshit Ulquiorra. I want to believe you're doing this for a reason but I can only have so much faith left in you," yelled Ichigo.

Ulquiorra sighed as he heard Ichigo's response. "Before I leave I shall enlighten you to a few things that Ozpin has still failed to do so."

"I know you are fully aware of the maidens and their powers Ichigo since you possess a similar power that easily rivals if not dwarfs their own."

"I'm tired of talking about my fucking semblance Ulquiorra."

"No, no I'm not speaking of such things, I'm talking about the Grimm power that has been handed down to you from your father."

"I."

Ulquiorra quickly cut him off, "I don't have time to answer questions so just listen. The maidens were born into this world by the two remaining humans that could control magic without dust. The two parents eventually had different views on the world and the father took the young maidens and fled, leaving the mother alone."

"Least that's what he thought. He feared his wife would use their daughter's powers to control the people of Remnant. However, by doing so created one of the strongest powers Remnant has ever seen. For he was unaware his wife was carrying another child, a boy."

Raising his voice Ichigo demanded, "Where the hell did you hear all of this stuff Ulquiorra?"

"This boy shared the same abilities his parents and sisters had the ability to freely use magic. However, due to the mother's current state and some other actions she took this boy's powers began to be corrupted as he grew inside of her. When this boy was born his skin was ashen and he had plates of bone covering his chest and extremities. Along with the bone plating he also had a white mask that covered his face like a Grimm's."

"The woman was in shock seeing the state of her child before viewing her surroundings. She was responsible for this drastic change in the young boy's powers her feelings and actions twisted this boy's powers into one of darkness and death."

Looking back to his old friend Ulquiorra said, "I understand your frustration Ichigo. But I have faith in you as well because I know the kind of person you are. So until we meet again I just want you to know I still see you as a friend and I hope I can open your eyes to more of the truth one day."

Waving his hand in front of himself once again another black rift formed in front of Ulquiorra who quickly walked through it before Ichigo could reply to what he said.

Watching the rift dissipate Ichigo resheathed Zangetsu mumbling, 'Damn it Ulquiorra.'

'That story is insane, it can't be true. There is no way.`` Dropping to his knees Ichigo's thoughts drifted over the possibility of what he just heard is true. 'How could Ozpin not know this, or does he?'

'Does he know the truth behind this and just not told me?'

Shaking his head Ichigo tried to clear his thoughts and tried to reassure himself, "No there's no way it's true. Even if he was my friend I can't trust what Ulquiorra says anymore."

'But there is the possibility it is true. Fuck.'

"Shhh now child I have waited to reach out to you for a long time and Ulquiorra has given me the best opportunity I have had."

Turning towards the voice a small Grimm came out from behind a tree in the distance. It was shaped like a jellyfish with a large spherical head and several long barbed tendrils, these tendrils stretched a few feet long and had a crimson color.

Ichigo instinctively reached for Zangetsu but the voice came from the Grimm once again.

"There is no need for that, I just wanted to extend a greeting to the current holder of the darkness."

Gritting his teeth Ichigo barked back, "Salem, what reasons would I have to talk to you."

"I can open your eyes to the truth and knowledge Ozpin is keeping from you or completely lacks. I can explain exactly what darkness is inside you and how to control it as it tries to take over."

Salem smiled as she saw Ichigo's shocked reaction to her words. 'So it has begun trying to take over then. That means I have less time than I imagined.'

Ichigo's thoughts went right back to the twisted voice he has heard several times.

"So you have already begun to hear the voice persuading you to take certain actions."

"That's none of your damn business. I'm done with this Salem. I have no interest in speaking to you."

With that Ichigo quickly drew Zangetsu and sent a Getsuga at the Grimm who instantly disappeared and reappeared next to Ichigo. Wrapping its tendrils around his wrists and neck.

"The voice will just grow stronger and sooner or later will make you do something out of your control. I offer you an invitation to visit me and I will help you in this endeavor. When you eventually can no longer resist its violent urges seek out an old friend who stabbed you in the back and then fluttered away."

With that, the Grimm retracted its tendrils and vanished without a trace.