The Devil You Seek

A flurry of emotions filled the little hollow’s heart after leaving his new found friend, Sasha, behind at the park. He didn’t even know if she was alright and it was pulling at his heartstrings not knowing if he had done the right thing by doing so. But, it was for the best, at least at the time or so he thought. Perhaps by leaving the park, the shinigami would simply vacate the area and leave her be. There was no true way of telling until he went back. All that mattered now was getting back to Hueco Mundo to regroup his thoughts and try to get back to the human realm as soon as possible.

Through the void, he traveled until finally, the portal opened before him. Stepping out, his little feet padded softly on the sandy dunes. Finally, he was in his homeland, away from all of that nonsense that was in the human world. Here at least, all he had to worry about was just the stronger hollow, but this was the wastes. Surely there was nothing around to cause him harm.

That apparently wasn’t the case, the little hollow felt it instantly - the fading power of a hollow. What in the world could be causing this? Immediately his head turned toward the fading source, attempting to focus before giving up and rushing over the horizon to find odd looking creatures floating around a woman. One such creature was latched onto the hollow that he had sensed and was slowly taking away its power. The little hollow simply couldn’t understand what in the world was going on. Was this woman in control of these creatures? It certainly seemed that way as he heard faint murmurs of sweet words as the creature gave off sounds of what sounded like pleasure.

Instinct seemed to plead with him not to engage - let the hollow die. There was nothing more that the hollow could do besides blindly charge into battle. But, she looked like a shinigami. He had already left one who seemed bent on attacking him. Though, this one didn’t seem too intent on killing the hollow outright. Against his gut feeling, he slowly moved over the dune, making his way down close to the shinigami and her creatures. Keeping his distance, he called out. “What are you doing?” A slight chill traveled up the little hollow's spine, unsure if he had made the right choice.

406/406

Unlike the orange ones she could vaguely remember from her life as a mortal, these Jellyfish no longer communicated with pure data. Having fed off Kasumi for so long they had slowly evolved and former an emotional connection with her that worked through a network of pulsing energy. It was a better connection now than it had been ever before. There was the possibility that her transition to a spiritual being and the growth of her energy levels had to do with it, but she preferred to see it as something that would have come with time regardless of how things would have turned out to be. Pets and their masters always grew toward each other. This wasn’t an exception.

Speaking of communication - the tentacles around her thigh tightened, she felt the wonder of them all seep into her thought tiny reiryoku strings. Slowly tilting her head to the side where one of the curious spheres had been drifting toward the dune again, Kasumi felt something approach their little dinner party.

Rapidly digging themselves out of the sand, most lost their interest in the meager meal and started to cautiously move onto the next one - the newcomer. From where she sat she assessed it not to be really strong, but Hollow-breeds could deceive spiritual aware beings just as good as any other. That’s why she rose onto her feet, dusted off the sand from her side and took a couple of steps into the Hollows direction.

The Jellyfish floated around and in-between them. Too curious to leave but too cautious to actually hide behind Kasumi.

“Feeding them,” she answered his question while wondering if he was incredibly strong or stupid. Maybe it was only natural curiosity, Vör added, and she knew that her Spirit might be right.

If he knew what she was then he certainly didn’t seem to care too much about it. From that she figured him to be confident in his surroundings and probably his abilities as well. A single Shinigami, she imagined, in the Hueco Mundo desert didn’t appear really threatening.

“You should know all about that, feeding that is.”

Showing him a bright, white smile, she then released the bakudo on her latest victim. It whined, but didn’t get up. They had drained it enough for it to be harmless. She wondered how long it would survive down here even if she wouldn’t purify the creature. The spell fell apart, faded in the night air with only a small trace of glittering energy.

She turned her attention to the little masked thing on the hill. “I think that you’re right on time.”


437-

The little hollow watched as the strange creatures bobbed around the female shinigami, watching one seem to cling to her almost as if its life depended on her. Well, it seemed that way to him at the very least. Then a pair began to dig themselves out of the sand, they seemed rather versatile creatures. From what he had gathered at first, they seemed more like helpless floating blobs with tentacles. It seemed there was something more to them than he originally thought - he had to be wary of them. Especially what he assumed was their caretaker… maybe leader. There was no way to be certain at this point what she was at this point, but he could sense her power, far greater than his own.

Knight had gone out of the frying pan and into the fire it seemed. Leaving one shinigami behind, he seemed to have found another whose spiritual strength seemed to make his dwarf in comparison. One could ascertain that he might be able to deal with the jellyfish, but her, it would be the end of him. As the shinigami rose, the hollow flinched slightly as if expecting her to strike. Nothing came of it as he watched the pair of jellyfish wander between them. Words of the beasts feeding reached his ears.

Curiouser and curiouser.

They fed without devouring. Ate without killing. What sort of manner of feeding were they doing without maiming the poor creature? This was an interesting thing to Knight. Perhaps this kind of feeding… perhaps technique was what Shinku and he could use as a peaceful method to grow stronger without killing. Maybe there was a way to learn it, or maybe the hollow was dreaming of grandeur. Nonetheless, he knew what she meant by feeding, merely nodding. This form that he was in constantly hungered. Satiation was merely a fleeting moment before the pangs of hunger set back in.

Suddenly a flurry of energy fled the hollow that the woman and her minions had captured, fading into the air like ashes in the wind. No movement came from the poor creature, was this going to be his fate as well? Wrestling with his options, Knight struggled internally, not knowing what to do. A small chortle left the being as if insanity had set in. Reaching behind him, he grabbed his lance, throwing it before him, scattering sand about as it landed, sending a small could to the air. There was nothing more he could do besides run - even then, he was sure to be dead before he got a few feet away from the scene.

“Harmless - I seek peace.” Knight’s voices chimed together as he took a step forward, holding his hands up to show he meant no harm and that he carried no weapons. “Besides, you know you could kill me - just like the shinigami I left moments ago.” Fear, yes it was real. Even now, he felt his legs go weak. Was this what all his victims felt before he devoured them?

505/911

Out of nowhere he reached for his weapon, and if he hadn’t been so slow then Kasumi might have taken it as a sign to attack. For now, however, he appeared to be peaceful. Even the idea brought forth a smile onto her lips. From a Hollow without a broken mask and seemingly not much more strength than one of her unseated subordinates she hadn’t expected to get such a calm reaction. Most attacked or hid, at least in her experience. This one was curious, though. Vaguely, in some ironic way, he reminded her of herself from a time long gone.

Slowly the dust settled around them. The spear was now firmly dug into the white sand between them sticking out like an eyesore. Watching it with mild curiosity she soon found her eyes turning toward the little creature. The owner of the spear had found it into himself to speak up. Amazingly enough he was explaining to her that he came in peace and that she could kill him. Unsure what type of strategy that was Kasumi drew her blade. The double-edged sword briefly reflected the moonlight before she threw it (as if it was a spear) at the dying beast a dozen metres from them.

No sound came from the creature as the blade sunk in swiftly. Through its flesh it went with blood seeping onto the sand. The desert drunk the red liquid as greedily as the Jellyfish had absorbed the Hollows lifeforce. Some long moments later there was no sight of the creature. It had moved on, she knew, and the only things left in its place were a Jellyfish, lost in the heap of sand, the disturbed ground, and her Zanpakuto as it lay there lonely beneath the odd moon.

“The Shinigami you’ve left?” Raising an eyebrow she turned to get her sword. A foolish act, perhaps, to show your back to a potential enemy. But by now she was pretty certain that she could squeeze the creature with her bare hands.

“Don’t you mean fled?” The Captain wanted to know as her fingers reached for the hilt. She picked up Vör, loosely held her while returning to her previous spot, then sank into the sand again with two things in her lap now: Vör and the smaller Jellyfish which had taken the opportunity to settle down the moment Kasumi’s form started to resemble something close to a chair.

He seemed afraid, so she asked the obvious.

“Why aren’t you running now?”


417-

Knight nearly flinched as he watched Kasumi draw her weapon. Even for a brief moment, he thought that his words meant nothing to the shinigami and his life would end right there. But the intent was not to draw it and use it upon him, no it was meant for the poor hollow who had been caught and fed upon before he had even arrived. There was no sound, just blood that drained into the sand while the jellyfish fed on the fading life force leaving the dead creature. A chill that no wind could ever provide passed over the little hollow’s body as the body faded into nothing.

Looking to the blade that the shinigami had cast aside, and his before him, he heard the woman taunt him before grabbing her weapon and returning to where she sat. Still silent, he didn’t even know what was going on in Kasumi's mind right now. Was she going to kill him or merely play with his head?

Yet, she asked him simple and true as to why he wasn’t running. The little hollow supposed that his remarks earlier about him even trying to run would only end in his death weren’t enough. Well, they were at least enough to make her not attack him outright… at least he hoped. Knight shook his head, his empty eyes looking to Kasumi. “I don’t wish to fight outright unless I’m provoked - self-defense. I am… seeking friends.” Knowing how shinigami were at this point (constantly charging in to kill him) he didn’t figure this concept would even sound right coming from a hollow. “Me and my friend, Shinku, also a hollow, only seek peace. We kill only hollow for their souls, no humans. We wish to learn, to grow stronger. To not be the beasts,” Knight gestured with his left hand to where the hollow once was. “like the creature that you’ve slain. A lofty goal that hopefully won’t end today with you or your creatures killing me.”

333/1244

“What’s your name?” She asked but might have not shouldn’t it have been for the curious jellyfish in her lap displaying quite some interest in the new presence.

One of the creatures had already analysed the stranger, wondering if it was a meal, a threat or a friend. For now Kasumi had categorized him as the last option simply because she had no way of communicating anything too complicated or too detailed to the complexed silvery orbs. The actual way they had been created was still a mystery to the young Shinigami. Somehow, and fortunately for her, they had simply evolved past that programmed point, and now they all shared a bond, one without words or numbers.

Friend, the tentacle moved first, curling upwards and floating in front of her face for a moment or two, then the creature took off into the air. It was even more curious about the little Hollow than Kasumi was, and he certainly had her attention. To see one of their kind trying to live a peaceful life was quite astonishing. Especially with the almost ever-present hostility around them. Apparently the Jellyfish thought the same thing, or thought nothing at all and just moved toward its target. Its tentacles tentatively reached out for Knight’s arm. There was a cautious amount of hesitation, but the being knew on an instinctual level that Kasumi would protect it.

“It’s getting to know you, I don’t think that it’s going to eat you, yet.” Laughing gently she thought about getting up but didn’t feel like it. If the Hollow should run she could always use a Bakudo to drag it back. It wouldn’t be unlike the former scenario, but there was no real need for it now.

“You can call me Kasumi.” Now that the introductions were behind them, as odd as they might have been, it was time to hear more about that ‘friend’ of his.

“Tell me about Shinku.”


323-

“I… am known as Knight.” The hollow spoke softly as he tilted his head, curiously regarded the shinigami. The exchange between them was going rather well in his opinion - of course, anything short of fighting and shouting seemed a great stride considering the two races were always trying to kill one another for whatever reason (though he knew why).

Still, Knight could feel the tension in the air - he could tell she was far stronger than he was and from the way that the now deceased hollow was sapped of their spiritual energy and dispatched, it wouldn’t take but a moment for the female shinigami to dispatch his life like sniffing out a flame. His skin crawled at the thought of this, he had to get stronger in the long run to not run into something like this again. The little hollow would have grimaced if he could.

Those two creatures, the shinigami and jellyfish, staying together was odd in regard to Knight. They appeared to be working together as if the jellyfish were the ones to attack first while the woman waited until the target was weak before striking. Smart, but odd. It was only natural for the little hollow to be wary of the creature, especially when the odd creature started coming towards him. What was it doing? Was it going to sap him of his life force like the other hollow? The instant it touched him, his skin squirmed, causing his cape to quickly turn into tentacles, splaying out behind as he tilted his body away from the creature while looking at it.

Quivering under the touch, Knight barely heard Kasumi say it was friendly. Slowly his tentacles lowered to the ground, still unsure if it was attempting to be friendly or waiting for the word of its owner to strike. Either way, he felt uneasy over it.

Then, she spoke, telling him her name and asking of his friend. “Uh…” Knight shook his head, trying to shake off the feeling from the jellyfish touching him. “Shinku is my friend - my partner. We’ve teamed together to try… to live peacefully. Only eat hollow and strive to grow stronger together with friends of other races. Human to Shinigami. Will you be a friend and help us with our goal? Or will you end me here and stop us?”

This really was the moment of truth. Would she follow the Shinigami way and kill him or humor him?

409/1653

It was oddly amusing to watch him be so cautious around the Jellyfish. Their translucent tentacles slithered across his arm causing his form to briefly shrink. There was no facial expression she could study, but the way he moved, so insecure, it told her enough. She didn’t blame him for feeling rather uncomfortable, certainly not, but the scene brought forth a chuckle from her side of the desert. So much for trust, the thought entered her mind uninvited and really unexpected. With it something else came. It was the realization that she was so used to those around her simply accepting her judgement that him acting as if they were potentially hostile while she had told him that they weren’t was.. almost unreal. Clearly the haori had smothered either the doubts of those around her or their courage to stand up to her. Perhaps both. Those lines had been blurred.

Unfortunately some couldn’t be.

If only he knew.

“I cannot be your friend,” she replied honestly. However, no threatening aura came from the young captain sitting in the sand. Watching him being on the edge of fear for a moment longer, she lured the Jellyfish back toward her frame with just a tiny amount of silvery energy. The web had them. They came floating to her like moths to a source of light. She was glad to have them settled, and basically surrounding her, in the sand. The one in her lap was happy to stay there, she let it be.

“No,” shaking her head Kas gently laughed, continuing. “we will not be friends.”

“Though, that doesn’t mean that I’m not intrigued by your.. choice of lifestyle.” The land here consisted out of simplicity and brutality. Death came swiftly here, but so did opportunities. Peacefulness, however, didn’t really match Hueco Mundo’s nature in Kasumi’s opinion.

Gesturing to the seemingly endless sands around them she kept her gaze on Knight when posing her own question. “Are you telling me that you’ll only kill your kind because you think that’s being peaceful? Or have you two simply decided that it’s the lesser evil?”

She found it quite interesting to see someone who preferred to kill their own race above any other. Most would not choose that option. It appeared unnatural, odd. It’s why she had to know why they had come to that conclusion.


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