*Ting!* *Clang!* *Ting!* *Clang!* They were both focused at striking the opponent so that they can create an opportunity to land a fatal blow. After the last clash of swords, they each shunpoed bavkwards.

“Not yet! GETSUGA TENSHOU!!!" Ichigo used 2 of getsuga tenshous at Zed. “Hmm, not strong enough! Ha!" Zed slashed the attacks apart.

Pant. Pant. Pant. Ichigo was running out of breath to fight. “Oh? Out of steam already? You're really as weak as you are. Let me end this. If you can survive this, you will be the first to ever survive this attack." 

Zed grabbed the blade of his zanpakuto. Immense reiatsu was emitted from him. "SLICE'EM UP, SLASHER!!!!!!" Zed transformed and he had a whole new look on him. His hair was more spiky, his build was skinner and his limbs had blades popping out." Survive this. Way of the blade: World splitter!!!!" Zed vanished. 

Ichigo thought: "Where? Where is he gonna attack from?"  *Slice* *Slice* *Slice* *Slice* * Slice* *Gush*

Blood came gushing out of Ichigo's shoulders. "ARGH!!!!!!" A series of fast swift slices slashed at Ichigo and he was overpowered.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! NOW DIE!!!!!! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!" Zed stopped attacking after a while. Ichigo was falling from midair and landed on the roof of a building. He was struggling to get up. 

"Oh? You still can stand up? That's some great endurance I must say. Congrats, you're the first person that earned my acknowledgement. But will you live to tell this tale? Unfortunately, no." 

Ichigo whispered some words. "Huh? You saying something? Say it louder, I can't hear you." 

"I WON'T GIVE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Ichigo shouted. He held his sword forward. "BAN-KAI!!!!!!!" A massive tornado started forming around Ichigo. After a while, a slice stopped the tornado. "Tensa Zangetsu." 

Zed was enlightened. "Oh~~? You could use bankai? How intriguing. Show me more of that power." 

"At your request." Ichigo disappeared and reappeared with his blade's tip at the neck of Zed. 

Zed was stunned for a second. He used sonido to escape. Zed thought: "Hmm? His speed is faster than before. Furthermore, his blade is now thinner like that of a normal zanpakuto. I should not underestimate his power anymore I guess." 

"What's wrong? Too shocked to move? Then let me end this for you. Getsuga tenshou!" Ichigo sent a slashing attack at Zed. Zed blocked it with his limbs. "Interesting. This power of yours has indeed increased but its barely enough to defeat me! Way of the blade: Bamboo slicing!!" 

Ichigo countered each strike with his blade. "Too slow." Ichigo swung his sword at Zed at a speed which no shinigami could. Zed tried to block the fast and vicious strikes but could not block all. He suffered some damage from that attack. 

"Very interesting. You only seem to have gained a tremendous amount of speed. But you lack power in your slashes. This is gonna be fun." Beams of light particles started gathering around Zed's blades. "CERO!!!" 

"Getsuga Tenshou!!!" The attacks cancelled out each other and they began clashing swords again. This time, both parties suffered damage from the opponent's attacks. Zed mocked Ichigo and Ichigo retorted back with his own words. This aggravated their mood for the battle and each side wanted to end the battle. "Let's settle this." Ichigo said sternly. 

"Very well." They each prepared to finish each other off with an ultimate move. Ichigo hollowfied himself and let out a battle cry. "ROARRGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" 

"Here I come, Master of the ways of blade: Drill of Death!!!!" Zed's blades let out a strong reiatsu. They combined into one and he started spinning at the speed of a drill, charging at Ichigo. 

"ROARRGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GETSUGA~~~ TENSHOU~~~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Ichigo charged at Zed, his blade emitting a strong reiatsu too. 

The two ultimate moves ended with an enormous explosion. They each appeared at the opposite end of their starting postion. Zed turned around to look at Ichigo. "Kurosaki Ichigo, your strength knows no bounds......" Blood came gushing out of his wound across his chest. Ichigo undid his hollow mask. 

"You too. You were strong. I got the idea of how strong an espada is now. I thank you for the experience." Ichigo said. 

Ichigo undid his bankai and returned into his body. He then rushed home to keep his promise with Karin to play the game together. When he reached home, Karin and Yuzu asked a lot of questions about what Ichigo was doing at the mall alone. He replied that he met Rukia along the way and shopped with her for the night. They bought the story and soon, they went to sleep. "Hey, Dad! Make sure you off the lights when you are going to sleep. Wouldn't want visitors in the middle of night." Ichigo reminded Isshin. Isshin nodded and went to lock the main door. He thought: "That reiatsu on Ichigo.... It's definitely Zed's. So it was him at the mall. Seems that he was beaten by Ichigo. My my. How strong Ichigo has become since he became a shinigami?Well, I expect nothing less of my child."

With this, the short story ends and Ichigo resumed his training, to invade Hueco Mundo, with Yoruichi.  

_____________________________________________________________________________Sorry for the delay. I was thinking of how to end this short story because I am keen to make the other strories I have better. Such stories include A certain assassin story, The Changed World and Detective Xenon. To fans who love crime and mystery, I apologize for putting Detective Xenon on hold. I want to focus on The Changed World and A certain assassin story first so I can develop a better storyline for Detective Xenon. I hope you enjoyed this story and continue to support me. As I am busy with studies, I'll try my best to publish the chapters for each story at the closest interval as possible. Thank you for your support:).