The hollow screams, the sound rending the air and tearing at Tensa and Shiro's ears even in their master's inner world.

The small shinigami's zanpakuto stabs through skin, flesh, and bone with a refreshing coldness that makes the spirit's teeth ache like they had just bitten into an ice cube. Tensa reaches out to the other sword, testing, tasting, for a brief moment, then the other sword's consciousness is /gone/, like it was never there and Tensa falters, worried that he's done something wrong.

The other sword has left behind a massive amount of energy, more than half it seems, and Tensa reaches out to give some of his energy to the other sword spirit, thinking it is customary. Shiro halts him though, realizing quickly that something is off. However, before there is time to realize what, their bond is torn to shreds as the other zanpakuto's energy surges through the spirit's master's body, changing and being changed, destroying and being reforged.

The spirits are torn apart, for the first time in their existence truly alone, and it's frightening. Tensa begins to panic, but then his master is calling him, albeit subconsciously, and for the first time he is in a sword's form. In this form he is heavy, clunky, unwieldy, and at first he thinks there's been a mistake, but then it doesn't matter anymore because the hollow is lunging and he is sharp, and then the hollow's arm is flying off to land in a heap of rubble as power surges through him.

His master wields him well, for one with such little experience. He races forward, injuries and fear forgotten, and Tensa (but it's not him yet, not yet but soon-) slices cleanly through the hollow's leg, sending it spinning off into the night.

The hollow shrieks in pain and rage, and lunges forward, towards the cause of its pain.

Ichigo meets the challenge, yelling.

"Realise the mistake of messing with my family, fishface!"

Tensa- though now he is Zangetsu, just Zangetsu, and not Tensa Zangetsu, and his master doesn't even know his name- cuts through the hollow's mask in one strike, and the monster reels back, fading. In a matter of seconds it is gone and Zangetsu's master stays frozen in position, the source of the adrenalin that shortly before raced through his veins running dry, his body catching up to his mind.

A/N This is a continuation of sorts from my story One Last Time. You don't have to read it first, but it would be appreciated. s/7655171/1/One-Last-Time