A Nascent Kaleidoscope.

Chapter 362: Chapter 328

I don't know what I really expected when I started wandering around.

Maybe I was just excited and didn't really think It through. While this town isn't big, it isn't tiny either. I don't know why I thought finding another Hollow would be so easy that I could just do it without a second thought.

Eventually, I found myself up on the highest spot I could find. Some kind of office building most likely, yet it wasn't even very large itself in comparison to the buildings downtown in Fuyuki.

I guess it's not like I had nothing to do to keep me preoccupied.

My Aura continuously was pulling in Reishi and I was converting it into Reiryoku at a decent pace. It would be awhile before my soul could fill properly. And then there was the matter of making it so I produced it by myself without having to grab hold of ambient Reishi like the natives here. Otherwise, once I left this place, I would eventually run dry after prolonged use.

Maybe once I analyze the stuff more I could break down my Aura to substitute it? Cannibalize it into Reiryoku then let it regenerate naturally so I technically still generate it, but in a more roundabout manner. I felt pretty confident that my Aura could fill in the gap needed there, but time would tell.

Still, in the meantime, I've just been using my phone to talk to everyone.

Did I ever properly thank Rin for this thing? It's such a convenient tool that I can't believe the Old Man or I never considered it beforehand. Playing a little trick on casualty and time so that everything aligned beyond world-lines.

I was randomly chatting with Jinn and I jokingly asked for nudes, and well....nudes I received.

Not complaining, I was just surprised. Except, there was silence on her end for like twenty minutes, then I got a response from all of them.

There seemed to be absolutely no hesitation on Venelana's part. Same with Raikou and Yasaka. Scáthach was super cute as she tried not to look embarrassed, I know she isn't one for public displays of affection, so something like this may be somewhat foreign to her but also not something he would hesitate much over. Artoria was a little similar in that she's still the most reserved of all my girls.

Meridia though, she looked like she was trying hard to appear 'annoyed' or scowling but she sent some very interesting pictures as well.

Jinn was obvious as well, being the instigator in this whole thing. I would definitely have to thank her when I went back home.

It definitely soothed the loneliness of not having any of them around for the moment. Once I finished up here, I was going to take a little bit of time to unwind before jumping into anything big. I would need to go back to Chaldea soon, but I was still keeping a close eye on Sir Wiggles to get a sort of feeling of when that's best.

And I need to sit down and talk to Salem, that's a big priority once I wrap up here. I told her I wanted to be at my best when I had that conversation with her. I was not in my right mindset at the time and I felt a little more relaxed now that I had a goal in mind and was working towards it.

Admittedly, I was a little nervous, I didn't know how she would take everything, but I couldn't just dance around it any longer. Any further feelings would only be based on false assumptions and it would be no different than lying to her.

While I continued to take in the Reishi and convert it into Reiyroku, a thought occurred to me.

Should I just go to the source?

The information Gramps gave me was vague, but it did outline the overall layout of this place. There existed three main dimensions, that being the Human World, the place where Shinigami live and the afterlife – Soul Society. And lastly there was a third place where Hollows apparently congregate to is known as Hueco Mundo.

I admit to being a tiny bit wary about attracting the unwanted kinds of attention as I was mostly here just to help myself and didn't want to get involved in anything overly complicated.

But on the flip side, I don't know if I could get what I wanted by just staying quiet in my little corner.

Oh well, I'll just do what I've always done and just go with whatever opportunities present themselves. If nothing else, I don't believe I can't sneak into this Soul Society and...acquire what I want.

I immediately perked up, broken from my thoughts, as I heard that distinct roar sound off in the distance.

Bob had roared enough that I'm pretty sure I'd never forget the feeling and sound. The kind of predatory calling that would send shivers to weaker people if they had enough spiritual power to sense these things.

My excitement quickly died down when I realized that it's probably doing that because it found a meal.

I quickly jumped down and ran towards the source.

I was starting to think that Hollows were much more animalistic in nature than I previously assumed. Perhaps it's the subconscious parts of a human that gets added to the corrupted nature when they turn hollow. That those inherent instincts from previous paths of evolution manifest in such a way.

Not to mention thus far, both Hollows I've run into looked like animals. The first one was some weird combination of a horse and a lizard. This one was more like a Spider and a human in combination, but awkwardly slapped together.

It had that same big hole on its chest, but in a slightly different place as well. I noted the immediate difference as it was peering into the second story window of a home.

Did it let off that initial roar to warn away any other predators, or rather any other Hollows in the area? It would fit with my initial hypothesis of their animalistic nature.

Well, I suppose it didn't matter much. I wasn't here to study their physiology as much as their innate existence with how it corresponds to Spiritual Power.

I didn't waste any time, it looked like it was about to grab at whoever was sleeping this late at night. So....I just did the most blunt thing and soared through the air, kicking it in the face.

I put a little bit of effort into my 'attack' so the Hollow was lifted off the ground and went sailing down the street a little bit.

It wasn't that big in size, but it was big enough to be able to reach the second story of a random house on the street.

Though, this was probably not the best place to do something like this. I have no doubt that the impact woke up many people nearby, and while the Hollow wouldn't be visible to the common folk, that was not the case for me.

Thankfully, I had its complete and undivided attention at this point, so It didn't take me much effort to lead it away.

A random pot shot with a spell here or there was enough to send it into a rage as it clamored after me. Its awkwardly placed legs tearing into the concrete with each movement.

They would probably assume it was an earthquake and bunker down, not peek out the window and see anything strange going on.

However, I turned a few corners, leading it to a more deserted area, making sure it followed me without causing any wanton destruction that could affect other people. I wasn't completely careless in my own actions, I wouldn't feel right if it just bulldozed through a house to get to me.

"Alrighty." I clapped my hands happily. I can finally continue my experiments. "Now why don't you –"

I felt a wave of what I was assuming as Reiatsu flowing out unabated. Shortly followed a feminine shout. "Quick, over there!"

I turned to look to see a kid – teenager with bright orange hair. A little tall for his age, but the look of youth was obvious.

Next to him a girl in a matching school uniform was running at his side. Black hair and petite in stature, but could be called cute. I presume she was the one who shouted as she held up her finger, pointing my way.

"Hurry you fool, it's going after him!" She shouted again, at her companion, slipping on a bright red glove.

I glanced over my shoulder to see the Hollow rushing towards me and I assumed they were talking about it?

I blinked as I saw the petite girl slap the back of the orange haired kids head with a red gloved hand. And I really reeled back when I saw his body smack face first into the ground and what appeared to be his soul spring out. It was wearing a black kimono with a massive sword strapped to its back.

"What the hell!?" He shouted angrily, but didn't stop moving forward. "Do you have any idea how much that's gonna to hurt when I get back to my body!?"

"Stop whining and deal with that Hollow!" She returned.

I heard him mumble some unpleasant things about her under his breath. He didn't even give me a second glance as he came up to me. His hand on that massive blade strapped to his back, he unsheathed it to reveal what looked like an oversized Katana.

Not to be confused with an Odachi or some other variation. No, this looked like someone took a standard Katana and inflated it several degrees. If he were to hold it up, it would be almost as tall as he was, but the blade itself was as thick as a thigh. And what made it a little more comical was that it even had the standard curve that a regular Katana would have.

He was about to leap towards the Hollow but instead, I grabbed towards his collar, yanking him back.

The action took him completely by surprise, I don't' think they realized I could see everything that was going on. As it required a certain amount of spiritual power to see not just hollows but Shinigami as well, which is what I was assuming this kid was.

Or maybe he wasn't a kid at all?

He certainly felt strange to my senses.

"What the hell!?" The Orange Haired kid looked up at me.

"Oi, don't steal others' Hollows. I went through a lot of effort to lead it away from the residential area out here." I chided him, flipping my hand over and throwing a few Talismans at it.

This Hollow was more or less at the same strength as the last one. I could only assume there were stronger ones as it didn't seem very intimidating at this level. I couldn't see how such a thing wasn't immediately wiped out and became a 'threat' needed for a whole society to combat if this was the peak combat strength they had.

No, this thing only threw around its large body, I have no doubt there are more intelligent and stronger ones.

"Seal." I commanded, locking down the Hollow with my Talismans.

Same as before, the Hollow locked up and stumbled to the ground, unable to break free from the magical bindings.

"Ah, now that's settled." I clapped my hands.

"Who the hell are you!?" The Orange haired kid climbed to his feet. "Rukia, who the hell is this!?" He shouted towards his female companion.

She ran over, clearly looking wary of me. "How would I know you oaf?" She huffed.

"He did that magic spirit stuff like you did." He retorted.

"That wasn't the same, and it's called Kidō."

"Whatever."

"It's not 'whatever' it's completely different!"

"Why does it matter!?"

"It matters because – "

"Hello, standing right here, between your shouting." I interrupted. "If you guys want to have your little lovers spat, that's fine, I'll be on my way." I started walking towards the hollow, but the girl ran forward, getting in my way.

"No, identify yourself." She jerked her hand up, pointing at me.

"Shouldn't you be in bed by now, kiddo?" I tilt my head.

"Y-you!?" She shuddered. "I'm older than you are!"

"Yeah, listen to the granny." The Orange haired kid snorted.

"What was that, strawberry!"

"Don't call me strawberry!"

"Don't call me granny." She huffed in return.

"Anyways, I'll be on my way." I smiled, taking a step to the side, only for the girl to block my path again.

"No, who are you? Why are you stopping us from dealing with this Hollow!?" She demanded again.

"Well, technically, you're stopping me from dealing with this hollow." I pointed out. "Granted, I was going to use it before finishing it off, but my point still stands." Though, I didn't feel the need to have to explain myself to them. "So...." I shooed her away. "Shoo, shoo. You're in my way."

"No, with my authority as member of the Gotei 13, I'm commanding you to identify yourself." She declared. "I received no reports that a human with such Reiatsu was living around here."

".....you're a Shinigami?" I looked at her in confusion.

"Hmph, so you know then." She looked smug at my realization. "Now, who are you, what are you doing here?"

I did not like the tone of superiority she was taking with me.

"Question."

"What?"

"Why are you in a school uniform? Is it a Shinigami thing?"

"N-no, it has nothing to do with –"

"Is it your fetish?"

"What!?"

I turned to look at the orange haired kid. "Were you two in the middle of..." I whistled a little, getting my point across. "If so, I really should commend you that you stopped in the middle of that when you found out a Hollow was nearby."

"What the hell are you saying!?" The kid got flustered.

Heh, actually, they were both blushing a little bit while the girl was stammering in place.

"Alright, it's been fun, kids. But I have places to be, things to do." I shook my head, stepping to the side again. "Now if you'll excuse me –" I found a massive blade now blocking my path.

"Nah, you're pretty damn suspicious." The Orange haired kid recovered pretty quickly. "I don't think I've seen you around here at all. Pretty sure I'd of heard about a foreigner running around."

"Rude, I'm half Japanese." I pushed the blade to the side.

"Whatever." He grunted. "Still, who the hell are you? You're not a Shinigami, right? But I didn't know anyone else could do that magic stuff."

"Wouldn't you know if I'm a Shinigami or not, considering...." I gestured to his outfit.

"I'm new to this stuff." He admitted frankly.

"How does that work? Did you just get offered a job and they shipped you out? Wouldn't you be trained first?" I was a little curious now. "And my mother taught me that it's polite to introduce yourself before asking someone else their name."

He looked at me for a moment, shrugging. His lifted his massive blade up, putting it over his shoulder. "Kurosaki Ichigo, Substitute Shinigami." He introduced himself.

"Heh, so that's where the name Strawberry came from." I chuckled, making his scowl deeply.

The name Ichigo can also mean Strawberry.

[Says Watermelon.]

Ddraig! You're back.

[Yeah, took a little bit and I'm caught up with what's going on. I think this place made me recover faster, this Reiryoku as it's called. Since I'm a soul and all, it's probably helped a bit.]

Huh, neat.

[We'll talk later. Handle things here, otherwise you're just going to look like you're staring off into space.]

Good point.

"The hell does 'Substitute Shinigami' mean?" I questioned.

"It means he's a substitute for me for now. It doesn't concern you, human." The little girl huffed again. "I'm Kuchiki Rukia, member of the thirteenth division and Shinigami assigned to this town."

"Wait..."I stopped, realizing something. I turned back towards Ichigo. "....are you human?"

"Yeah?"

That lying cat!

He told me that humans couldn't be Shinigami, what the hell!

Going to get a spray bottle later.

"Wilhelm Henry Schweinorg." I introduced myself. "Well, now that we're acquainted, I'll be on my way."

"Wait, Ichigo, stop him!" Rukia shouted.

The Substitute Shinigami ran infront of me again and I was starting to get annoyed. "Whatcha want the hollow for?"

"None of your business."

"Kind of is my business." He retorted. "Pretty sure it comes with the job."

Admittedly, I guess it kind of is. Shinigami have 'authority' over Spiritual matters I would presume based on their job description.

The term Shinigami can translated as Death God, but they're more like Soul Reapers. They make sure to keep souls moving through the natural cycle of reincarnation.

"God, I'm being sassed by – " I paused. "How old are you?"

"Fifteen."

"Right, why am I arguing with you again?" I shook my shook. "Why don't you just take your girlfriend home and let me deal with my own stuff, yeah?"

I'm done with this.

He looked at me expressionlessly. With that big ass sword in his hand, he raised it up to the sky, still without any expression. Then, he threw it backwards.

I blinked again, watching it spin through the air, my mouth slightly open as I watched its trajectory. I could have easily stopped it, but I think I was just too surprised at his balls to formulate any proper response.

Honestly, I feel like I'm usually on the opposite side when things like this happen.

That gigantic sword of his slammed right down through the head of the hollow, pushing into the concrete below.

The Hollow dissipated very quickly.

"....did you just...?"

"Woops, my hand slipped." He said dryly.

I would be impressed if I wasn't pissed off.

I looked right at him and held my hand out. With a jerk of Telekinesis, I ripped the sword out of the ground and had it fly into my hand.

He was surprised at my sudden action.

"Oh hey, free sword. Seems like some idiot just left it lying around. I guess it'll be good compensation since my Hollow was taken from me."

Huh, lighter than it looks.

I was expecting something that weights like a hundred points or more, but it's about the same weight as my other swords.

"Hey, Asshole, give that back." Ichigo scowled, stepping forward.

"I'm going to go with no." I gave the sword a couple swings. "Well, my night is ruined, guess I'll head off. Later Kids, don't stay out too late. Make sure to use protection, bye!" I gave my goodbyes even with the brat running at me.

Well, may as well make him panic a little bit.

"Wuld." I whispered, disappearing from the spot I was in with a burst of speed.

[***]

I hummed to myself as I walked back into my....building? My current home I suppose would be an apt description.

I was a little less pissed off now, but still miffed that my Hollow was killed after I spent a few hours looking for one.

But hey, it isn't all bad.

I'm actually really curious about this sword, it should be a Zanpakutō. At the very least, it'll provide me with some very interesting data.

I don't really plan on keeping this thing, but I'll let the kid stew for a few days.

Besides, I think it's already....bonded? Is that the correct term? Well, I don't know if it would even work for me how it's supposed to. I think his soul already seeped into it or something.

But...The sword didn't really give me a good vibe. Not like malevolent or anything....it felt kind of hollow.

I kind of felt like I would break it if I tried to do anything too strenuous with it.

Which is not how I envisioned a Zanpakutō should be.

Well, he called himself a Substitute Shinigami, whatever that meant. And he's apparently a human – which I was told was impossible. Maybe that has something to do with it?

I tried wrapping my Aura around it, just to get a feel. I was pleasantly surprised when it sort of.....accepted my Aura initially, but rejected it immediately.

Like, it didn't like me specifically, not my Aura in general.

I kind of lost track of time, playing around with this thing, doing all sorts of tests when I heard a sudden knock on my door.

And really, there was only one person who knew I was here. I guess my new Bounded Fields I put up did their jobs since he didn't just barge right in.

I put away the sword into my Storage Ring and went to answer.

"I think people are right. Black Cats are unlucky." I looked down at Yoruichi.

"Funny." He drawled.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"I was just in the neighborhood, thought I would visit."

"Uh huh." I noticed him peeking around my looks, looking inside. "Looking for anything specific." Because at this point, I was having the strangest idea that he was here for something in particular.

"Now that you asked, you wouldn't have happened to come across a sword recently, would you?"

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. What's it to you?"

"Well, some brat comes knocking on my friend's shop, shouting about how some asshole stole his sword. Well, I immediately thought of my new friend."

"Right."

"So.....where is it?"

"How are you so sure I have it?"

"He described him as 'posh redhead asshole'." Yoruichi said evenly.

"That could be anyone."

"Because red hair is common here."

"More common than Orange Hair. At Least mine is natural." I huffed.

"I never mentioned he had Orange hair." Yoruichi looked at me.

".....huh." I guess I gave myself away then, if it wasn't dreadfully obvious before. "So, what can I do for you?"

"The Sword, please."

"And I want my damn Hollow back, but it looks like we'll both be disappointed."

"What?" Yoruichi tilt his head.

"What, did he not tell you that he killed the hollow I captured?"

Yoruichi and I stared at one another for a moment before he let out a sigh. "Fine, what do you want?"

God, I love those words.

[***]

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