Chapter 33: Hueco Mundo: Part 2
To be a Magus, was to walk with death.
Energies suffused around him in tendrils of flowing blue light that only he was able to see. Radiant, and tinged with a rustic hue of red and deterioration, and yet unimaginably calming; like the feeling of cool water running down one's skin on a hot day.
Tempered and reforged.
Broken, then mended, the brittleness replaced by a strength born from a mixture of fire and ore.
He couldn't understand it as he was now; couldn't even begin to as the tendrils of light concentrated around the sphere he found clasped within his right palm began to proliferate and engulf the area.
It was something born from a wish, an artifact, an object that could bring about one's desires.
A Wish.
He had always believed that he had had none, but at the moment he had reached out to the Hogyoku, he realized that there was but one.
In the time he had spent in Hueco Mundo, he neither strived for power, or to become a ruler. All that seemed to matter to him was facing off towards a single direction from the hill he had sat upon; the memories and goals he had once had long since faded away, and he, content to leave it as such. Only, once again, he found himself protecting others. Not understanding why, he chose to do so, or why it would bring him both a sense of happiness and emptiness at the same time.
He wanted to be a Hero. An Ally of Justice.
Therefore, he fought for the sake of others, and moved for their benefit.
Yet, he couldn't understand why.
Everything that made him who he was, was clouded away from him through a lack of knowing.
Many Hollows in Hueco Mundo were familiar with this feeling as the moment they Hollowfied, their memories as a Human gradually faded away with evolution and growing power. Generally, that was all it would be, a distant memory, yet for him it was different.
For his memory contained his sense of purpose.
The only concept that was eluding him in Hueco Mundo and causing him to stagnate with neither desire or ambition, and it was then that a wish formed.
A want to know.
And that was all it took for the Hogyoku to act, the tendrils of blue light engulfing the entirety of his vision and forcing him to black out.
A calm wind was blowing over his face, causing his eyes to twitch beneath his eye-lids, the firmness of the ground beneath him distinctly uncomfortable.
Immediately, his mind became active, realizing that something was wrong and different. His first thoughts turned towards Aizen, but he had made sure that the man wasn't up to anything before he had reached out for the orb in the man's hands.
Yet if that was the case, what exactly had happened?
He forced himself to think, but no matter what he thought, all he could remember was simply grasping the Hogyoku in his hands.
It didn't make sense, but then again, it was better to understand his current situation before anything else.
He attempted to move, but realized that he could not.
Even the mere action of opening his eyes was beyond his control.
His brows furrowed internally.
Based on what he could sense about himself, there was nothing wrong with him. No signs of injury and nothing his natural High-Speed Regeneration couldn't heal. Shockingly though, he discovered that he possessed an abundant supply of spiritual reserves. Far more than he had while residing in Hueco Mundo and this was stunning enough when considering how strong he generally was.
Still, this newfound spiritual reserve within him appeared closed off, as if his current self didn't know how to access it.
The more he attempted to understand his current status, the more confused he became.
It was only when his eyes opened without permission that he realized the abnormality of the situation.
He could see and feel everything like normal, but he couldn't seem to do anything else, almost as if his body was on autopilot.
In his vision appeared a barren forest, the leaves that should have had adorned the trees, oddly lacking despite the ideal temperature of the area. The bark itself appeared blackened, almost a scorched-like colour.
What was going on?
He attempted to move his body to his will, but once again found that he could not.
Instead, a groan escaped his lips before his arms found purchase on the ground and pushed himself up onto his feet.
Everything that was going on appeared like a movie. He could only watch and feel as his body moved by itself and acted on its own. Even his emotions were conflicting.
Scenes manifested in his mind.
A clash of a rain of swords.
An untimely death.
And a wish made on a plea from a woman he understood that he cherished.
It was a memory. Something that had already occurred in the past.
Was that what all this was?
The past?
He couldn't control his body, and could do nothing but watch and listen to how things progressed. If this was the case, then he might as well go along with it for the time being.
His gaze shifted around him until he realized that he wasn't alone in the area. In fact, there was the muzzle of a gun pointed at his head, an orb of blue spiritual energy gathered at the tip.
From the pointed gun appeared a slender and outstretched hand, delicate fingers wrapped around the etched grip. Further up from the hand was a sleeveless arm, neither too large or too long. Yet perhaps the most eye-catching feature of the person before him, was the piercingness of her light-pink-coloured eyes that furrowed after a moment.
"A Hollow?" The woman spoke, traces of surprise found in her monotone voice.
He didn't respond even if he wanted to. All he was currently, was a bystander. As such, the words that left his mouth weren't of his own accord.
"A Hollow?" He echoed back stiffly.
The woman watched him for a moment longer, her long tufts of light-brown hair arranged simply in a bowl-type shape and swept to her side swaying lightly in the breeze. Thereafter, she lowered her gun, the orb of spiritual energy fading away into wisps that dissipated in the air.
Staring at her, she felt somewhat familiar, yet he couldn't wrap his mind around it.
She wore a grey overcoat lined with silver fur at the sleeves and collar; a pair of tight black pants worn around her legs. If anything, the most telling sign that indicted that she herself was a hollow was the horned skull cap over her head, a flame like design traveling up over its pale surface.
She stared at him, flickering doubts flashing across her gaze, but her expression was unnaturally still.
"Who are you?" She ended up asking.
"I don't know," was his body's response.
The woman's lips thinned, but she then shifted her gaze up at the rising moon above, a solemnness exuding off of her.
"Come with me," she said. "If you stay in this area any longer, I guarantee that you'll die. How troublesome."
He scratched at the back of his head, an action he did even in Hueco Mundo. Seeing this, Shirou realized that the action really was ingrained within him.
"If its troublesome for you, you don't have to go out of your way to help me. I can just leave this area if its too dangerous," he said respectfully.
"Alone?" The woman interjected. "The Humans calling themselves Quincy here are weak, but one of them is exceedingly dangerous. More than that, the Shinigami will not wait for you to comprehend your own strength. You will die for certain if I leave you here."
"T-Then I'm in your care," he responded, the woman nodding back wordlessly.
"Grab onto my shoulder," she insisted.
He hesitated for an instant, but seeing the sharp glint that appeared in her eyes, his hesitation vanished.
His hand found itself atop her shoulder before the woman grunted and slung the entirety of his arm around her.
"Hold tight," was her curt response before the wind began whipping across their faces, a buzz like sound echoing out.
Shirou himself wasn't too effected with this kind of movement as he was proficient with his own speed and ability in Hueco Mundo. However, for the current 'him' that appeared to still be a fresh hollow, the experience was exceedingly jarring.
This was why he found it incredibly odd. Despite appearing week and unreliable, Shirou knew that the power his past self wielded was several leagues above that of his present self. It was only because his past self didn't seem to understand how to use this power that was the problem.
"W-Wait wait stop!" He yelled in a panic.
The woman grimaced in displeasure and completely ignored his past-self's protests.
The scenery around was a blur of faded images and distorted sounds, and yet with Shirou's experience in the future, he could still make things out from his past-self's eyes.
Human settlements appeared and disappeared below, traditional buildings of wood and stone appearing like patches of dirt in the dimness of the evening. He had once been to the Human World in the future, and the buildings then were made of concrete and reinforced steel. As such, how long ago did the events he was seeing occur?
He contemplated silently to himself as the woman gradually began to slow down her speed.
She stopped at a clearing a small way off from the base of a mountain. There was a strong air of spiritual energy permeating the area, and he was quick to notice a temple of sorts off in the distance. More than that, numerous other Hollows were present in the area, some wandering while others remained idle.
He frowned internally. Most of the Hollows present were Adjuchas-class and none any lower. Judging from the humanoid appearance of the woman he had met, she was possibly the sole Vasto Lorde in the area.
Observing the Hollows quietly, his frown deepened.
Generally speaking, the stronger the hollow, the less likely it was to remain in the Human World as it was difficult to evolve on the relatively low spiritual aura of Humans. This was a fact that he understood from idle conversations of Hollows that he had once heard in passing. As such, it didn't make much sense to him that so many Adjuchas would remain in the Human World let alone a Vasto Lorde.
Why weren't they in Hueco Mundo?
No matter how much he wanted to ask, he wasn't the one in control of himself at the moment. This was an event in history that had already passed. He would have to find his own answers in a different manner.
The woman dropped him from off her shoulder, the experience of touching ground again sending waves of relief in his past-self's mind.
"It'll be safe here," the woman said before falling silent. "Neither the Qunicy or the Shinigami have found this place yet."
She simply stood there after speaking, staring at the distant Hollows with a flickering gaze before walking in their direction.
Tentatively, he followed after her, gaining himself a subtle glance from the woman, but nothing more. She was the one who had brought him here, and therefore it was only natural that he hoped to understand his current situation through her. In this sense, his thoughts corresponded exactly with his past-self.
Watching her walk ahead, it was with uncertainty that he realized that traces of fear could be seen on the Hollows ahead before they quickly retreated. What was once a small gathering of hollows parted instantly like the Red-Sea.
Not a flicker of emotion surfaced on the woman's face, but he was close enough to notice the balling of her hands. For some reason or another, the Hollows were avoiding her like a plague.
Nonetheless, he didn't question this and just quietly followed.
The woman walked passed the Hollows silently before entering a forest path that led up to the peak of the mountain. It was made of what appeared to be worn cobblestone. A path probably made by humans to be honest.
While walking ahead, the woman spoke and suddenly broke the silence of his steps echoing her own.
"Why are you following me?" She asked without turning around. "I've already said that this area should be safe."
"Well," he said softly, trying to decide if he should be honest or not.
He wanted to say that it was because she looked lonely, but he ended up saying something else when he felt the fierceness of the pressure she was giving off.
"I'm in your debt," he said, continuing to follow her. "Based on your words and actions, you saved my life. Besides, I don't even know a thing or two about this place and any dangers out there. My memories are just turning up blank."
Silence. The woman only continued walking, the gentle tap of her feet on the stone sounding rhythmic due to her pacing.
"You'll die if you stay near me," she said without emotion, the tone dull.
He immediately stiffened at that response, his feet stopping beneath him as he began inspecting himself for damage. His arms and legs were fine. They weren't covered in Hollow-Bone armour, and generally speaking he didn't seem to have any on his person. If not for the Hollow Hole he had around his chest, the woman who had saved him might have had mistaken him for a human.
Scrutinizing himself further, he didn't notice that the woman he was following had stopped and was staring at him silently. She was still expressionless and it made her look unapproachable, but her body was beginning to tremble.
Ignorant of this, he continued to search himself for any damages, moving and flailing his arms like a dead-chicken in an attempt to see his blind spots. Shirou himself felt his mouth twitch while observing the actions of his past-self. All his past self needed to do was utilize his spiritual energy to assess the entirety of his body. More than that, another means appeared in his memory.
Structural Grasping, a magic he was able to use even in the future.
And yet, not only did his past-self not seem to do any of the above, instead he seemed to seriously be considering whether or not he should check the image of his back uisng the lake in the distance. Shirou knew what his past-self was thinking because his past-self's thoughts and emotions naturally flowed into him.
Therefore, he was left at a loss.
Yet it was in this stupor that he heard a melodious laugh, like the chiming of bells.
It was beautiful. A pleasant sound not losing out to anything he had ever heard of.
His body stiffened, his gaze moving towards the woman laughing in front of him. Her shoulders were bobbing up and down, a hand over her mouth attempting to suppress her outburst, yet failing when his befuddled expression landed on her.
She laughed louder, tinges of red making its way to her cheek before her expression suddenly returned neutral, a ball of spiritual energy whizzing by his head.
"Die," she muttered, her gun extended outward.
"W-Wait what are you doing!?" He yelled in a panic, shifting backwards and raising his hands up in defeat.
"You saw," was all she said before muttering to herself.
She had never been so embarrassed in her life.
A faint blush was making its way onto her cheeks, and the fact that she could feel it only seemed to infuriate her more.
"Wait no stop!" He yelled out when another ball of blue spiritual energy appeared at the muzzle of her gun. "It's not my fault. You're the one who said I'd die if I was near you, so I at least had to check if something was wrong with me."
The woman's mouth twitched.
"You think I'm a fool? Why didn't you just use your spiritual energy to check?"
Naturally, after the woman asked that question, his past-self merely stared back blankly.
The woman sighed, before placing down her gun and resuming her walking.
"Uh, can I follow?" He called out weakly, unsure of what he should do.
The woman didn't respond for a moment before her voice echoed out behind her.
"Do what you want."
He debated with himself, but with no answers and destinations in mind, his feet eventually carried him forward to follow once more.
Walking up the stone pathway, the dimness of the moon spilled down from the forest canopy above, wildlife scurrying within the underbrush. Without the moon's light, it was entirely pitch black in the surroundings, but it wasn't hard to maintain sight of the woman's form ahead.
Eventually, they reached an open plateau facing out from the mountain side, and further back was an open cave covered by layers of hemp held together by what seemed to be string.
The woman pulled aside the hemp, and left an opening for him to follow in.
Inside the cave was a small lit fire for light, which was odd since spiritual energy itself had a bright enough glow to illuminate the room. However, the answer was given to him almost immediately when he was caught staring at the flame.
"Spiritual energy may attract the Quincy and Shinigami," the woman said, removing her overcoat and hanging it up on the side wall. Her skin was quite pale and she only wore simple bindings around her chest that prevented her ample bosom from getting in the way.
The room was sparsely decorated, thin ledges and bound furs large enough to act as chairs and bedding spread throughout the chamber. The woman though rested at neither, finding a spot near a wall instead and sitting down, her back leaning against the hard rock and a leg pulled up against her chest.
She didn't say another word, simply staring at him in an odd manner.
He grew distinctly uncomfortable, but fortunately her gaze shifted away as a sound blared out in the night.
The call of the Hollows.
A deep guttural roar that came from deep within.
It echoed out outside, travelling throughout the mountains.
When the roars began, he had already been staring at the woman and watched the way her body shuddered, a longing in her eyes that he couldn't explain.
Still, something was bothering him. The woman had just informed him about not using spiritual energy to prevent detection from the Quincy and Shinigami, but wouldn't this howling be far worse than releasing spiritual energy?
The answer though lied in the fact that a Hollow's howl didn't use spiritual energy unless done purposely to frighten the enemy. Furthermore, even if it was heard by a Quincy or Shinigami, they wouldn't be able to pinpoint the location with so many Hollows howling.
The woman didn't bother explaining this to Shirou however and just continued sitting there, her arms hugging one of her legs to her chest as she stared absently at the gun in her hand.
"Say, Lady," Shirou called out uneasily, not sure what to call her. "Can you help me understand my current situation now?"
She turned her gaze back to look at him, the pale pink of her eyes glowing like pearls beneath water.
"My name is not, 'Lady,'" she said bluntly, causing a cold sweat to appear over his brows.
There was a certain intensity to her at the moment that Shirou couldn't ignore, almost like an animal staring down its prey.
"Then what should I call you?" He asked calmly.
A silence resounded soon after before the woman spoke again.
"I'll tell you after you tell me what I should call you?"
He closed his mouth, trying to recall a name, but finding nothing. Shirou, staring from the eyes of his past-self was already stunned at this moment. He could care less about what his past-self wanted to call himself and was more focused on the individual before him. For in the time he had taken to scrutinize the woman who saved him, he finally realized why she seemed so familiar.
"Call me what you want," were the words his past-self ended up deciding on.
The woman nodded without much protest.
She then pointed at him, gun in her hand.
"Starrk," she called him without explanation.
She then motioned to herself.
"My name is Coyotte, Coyote Gingerbuck," she said with a slight pause, her eyes staring at him intently. "You'll be in my care for the time being."
Coyote Gingerbuck left soon after she introduced herself, opting to leave when a sharp tension took over her expression.
"I'll be back," she had said simply, leaving his past-self alone in the chamber with the crackling flame.
Wisps of moonlight entered the room from the opening Coyote had left behind, but his past-self wasn't too compelled to close the hemp entrance when a refreshing mountain breeze aired out the chamber.
Instead, his past-self simply sat down on one of the matted ledges and began to relax, waiting until Coyote returned.
It was at this point that Shirou managed to take a look at the appearance of his past-self through some sort of ceremonial mirror left slanted against a wall and left forgotten. Traces of dust were apparent on the surface, and the wooden frame had signs of deterioration, chips splintered at the grain of the wood.
Nonetheless, his past-self was looking at that mirror, allowing him to understand just how different he had used to appear before his time in Hueco Mundo.
Hollows had called him the Vasto of White due to the paleness of his appearance, a pasty white sort of substance covering the outer layers of his skin. It hadn't been as hard as Hollow-Bone armour, but it did offer a substantial amount of protection when reinforced by his spiritual or magical energy. Besides that, the clothes he wore around his waist were quite plain and had faded white with time in Hueco Mundo. They were rags at best; he no longer able to tell just what sort of clothing it used to be, but it was probably an upper garment that had become too tattered to wear as he wore no upper garments at all.
This only made the paleness of the substance that covered his skin to be more pronounced with his bare chest. His face was also left partially masked, the upper part of his face above his mouth left covered. Almost his entire person was a pale white aside from his red hair, bronze-coloured eyes, and a few tribal markings running down his arms.
In comparison, his past-self was without the pale-white substance and mask covering his skin. Instead, the tribal markings were more prominent and resembled a circuit like pattern over his body. He was wearing a tattered long-sleeve shirt that was blue at the sleeves and white at the center. There was a tear partway through the chest that made the garment look more like a vest than a shirt. Then again, it was also what exposed the Hollow hole on his past-self's person. It was located in the same place, the centermost region of his torso.
An empty black-hole that was unmistakable.
The only reason Coyote might have had questioned if he was a hollow was solely because when she had first seen him from a distance, he appeared to be a human.
The face was relatively the same aside from the healthy flush on his past-self's complexion. Strong bronze-coloured eyes tinged with gold, short red hair, and what looked like an unguarded expression. It was hard to tell as this was the first time Shirou had been able to see the entirety of his face.
If one was comparing which of the two made Shirou appear more intimidating, it would be his future self, but as for which was stronger, the answer wasn't hard to understand.
It was the untapped potential of his past-self.
Hollows and Shinigami were both Souls, the strength of their person decided by their spiritual energies. As such, the stronger the Soul, the stronger the spiritual energy.
Stuck watching the history of his past-self like a bystander, he still had the capability to understand his own body at the moment. The strength of his Soul was exceedingly strong. There seemed to be something about his past-self that was different than his present, and it came in the form of a domain of power attached to the Soul that was stored within him, vying for release.
Pondering to himself, Shirou's thoughts eventually led back to Coyote Gingerbuck; the person herself entering the room silently, a package slung over her shoulder which she then dropped onto the floor.
She felt familiar, even sharing a similar name to both Starrk and Lilynette and bearing resemblance to both in some manner. Yet, she clearly wasn't them. Even the spiritual energy she gave off was different, making it difficult to conclude anything.
In the end, he would just have to hold his questions to himself.
"What's that?" His past-self asked curiously.
Coyote glanced at him before turning away and rummaging through the bag. She brought out an assortment of meat and fruit with some other miscellaneous objects that didn't seem to be of much use. In fact, she even took out another mirror which she simply left by a wall.
"Offerings," was all that Coyote said before slumping down by the far wall.
She was staring at him all the while, as if she hadn't expected him to still be around.
This made his past-self feel uncomfortable since he couldn't understand Coyote's intentions.
"Here," her voice came from out of the blue.
He watched as she tossed him a glowing orb of some kind, brimming with a faint light.
He caught it without much difficulty, but didn't know why she had given it to him or what he should do with it. Therefore, he simply stared at her in befuddlement.
She ignored him, and taking out another glowing orb and placing it by her mouth.
Gradually, the orb began to distort before shifting into a thin stream that Coyote inhaled.
She stared back at him calmly, somehow conveying her desire for him to mimic her actions. He did so with a bit of hesitation, but found that the stream of energy that he inhaled gave him a burst of vigour.
"What is this?" He ended up asking.
"Spiritual Energy," Coyote said while taking out another one which she passed over before taking another for herself. "The Humans down the mountain offer offerings to me thinking me to be some sort of Mountain God or something at the temple they built. Sometimes they offer up animals, and even animals have Souls."
Even after Coyote's explanation, his past-self still appeared confused.
"You don't seem to know anything do you," she stated with a sigh as she shook her head.
He apologized.
"We are Hollows. Souls born from regret, rage, or lingering feelings, but that doesn't really matter. We can't change who we are," she explained, her arms crossing together after she finished another four orbs. "What matters is what we have to do to survive, and that means consuming spiritual energy and fighting those who condemn us for it."
"You see, we Hollows are hunted whether we like it or not. The majority of us consume Humans for a lack of better options, or even each other. In my case, I was fortunate to be able to sustain myself with the weekly offerings of the mountain people in this area. As for others, they generally do what they can to survive and grow stronger."
Saying that, she fell silent.
"Then what about the Hollows we saw earlier?" He asked.
Coyote stared back blankly, but she still answered.
"We're hunted by Shinigami and Quincy. Are numbers have been reduced to only a few. Those of us that are left are the strongest of our kind. As for myself, the Shinigami consider me the strongest in their ranking system, calling me a Vasto Lorde. It's only natural that those weaker flock to the protection of those stronger."
But they fear you.
Shirou knew the words his past-self had wanted to say, but held himself back from saying.
It didn't matter though for the silence that followed was telling enough.
Coyote's expression remained cold, a hand placing her gun to the side before turning her back to him.
She didn't speak for the rest of the night.
Weeks passed followed by months, and it was with a sudden understanding that Shirou knew that Hueco Mundo currently didn't exist.
After all, Coyote had spoken of Hollows hiding in remote areas in the world away form the eyes of the Shinigami and Quincy. If Hueco Mundo existed at this time, then the actions by the hollows wouldn't have had been necessary. Hueco Mundo was a separate dimension that would offer the best protection against the Shinigami and Quincy. It was also a place that was full of spiritual energy, making it possible for more Vasto Lorde class Hollows to manifest as the meager spiritual energy from Humans was far from enough. There was a reason why Adjuchas-class Hollows and Vasto Lordes didn't actively hunt in the Human World in the future. Cannibalism at this point was also taboo. The number of Hollows was already small enough, they couldn't risk losing the entire population. At the moment, Coyote was believed to be the only Vasto Lorde Class Hollow by the Shinigami, her power used as the basis for the highest level of a Hollow's strength.
Shirou didn't know how long he had spent watching the actions of his past-self, but by this point he had become accustomed to it. He emptied his mind and allowed himself to immerse in the memories of his past, closing off any prior knowledge he knew to assimilate himself better.
Today, Coyote had taken him to the actual temple where the Humans gave their offerings in exchange for blessings. In other words, they gave their offerings to Coyote, and she made sure to help the Humans when possible.
He was offering to help carry the large quantity of offerings despite knowing that Coyote could do it herself. However, he had gotten stifled after staying up in the mountains for so long.
At the moment, the two were stopped at the temple's gates, invisible to Human eyes and watching a family offer up their prayers for blessings.
The family was close, the parents and siblings huddled together under a blanket due to the cold winds of the mountain.
Coyote was staring at them, seemingly lost in thought as to how others could share such strong bonds.
"Their a family," he said after a moment had passed and she still hadn't moved.
"Family?" She echoed. As a Hollow, the terminologies she had used once as a Human had faded long ago.
"A group of people that live together and support each other," he explained to the best of his ability. "Generally, they're related by blood, but it doesn't have to be that way," he said, an image of smiling man appearing in his mind. "Kind of like the way we are right now."
"Family," Coyote muttered to herself, before subtly glancing his way and pursing her lips.
The two fell into a calm silence; only the rattle of the necklace around Coyote's neck echoing out. It wasn't actually a necklace but a thinned lower maw of some kind of animal. Instead of the teeth protruding out, they faced downwards resembling a necklace.
The family before them eventually finished their prayers and left.
Coyote stood still though even after he moved to collect the offerings. It was only when he appeared in front of her carrying an entire sack full that she was able to snap herself out of her daze.
"Thanks," she said simply when she noticed him carrying everything.
"No problems."
No words were spoken after; he left to his own thoughts and Coyote's to hers.
The two eventually returned to the cave by the plateau. Coyote's expression was the same as it had always been but lined with some other sort of emotion that she seemed to have had been mulling over during the course of the journey.
He didn't pry. If he ever angered her, he was certain that he would die without a doubt. His past-self was still ignorant of his strength and wasn't exactly the best in comprehending his spiritual energy when Coyote attempted to explain it to him.
Opening the hemp entrance and entering, he set down the bag of offerings and sorted through them, dividing it equally as Coyote had insisted for him to do.
At times he really couldn't understand Coyote. She was clearly stronger than him, but the way she treated him was always being considerate. Emotionless as she made her face to be, there were even times in the past few weeks that he was certain that he saw her smiling in content with this simple lifestyle of returning home to him waiting for her. In fact, he couldn't imagine the expression she would make if she returned home one day and he was suddenly gone to see an empty room.
"Starrk," Coyote suddenly called out to him.
He raised a brow, his trail of thought broken.
"Yes?" He inquired.
He looked towards her, but found that her expression was somewhat off. Instead of the general calm it had been at the eve of the morning, it was now stiff.
"No, its nothing," she eventually said, returning to her side of the room where she then sat down and turned her back towards him.
He didn't say anything in response and just absently sat himself beside her, his back leaning against her own without her reacting too much.
It had been something that had happened spontaneously in the first few weeks. She had asked him to rest near her as if she was worried that he was just some figment of her imagination. He complied as the request wasn't that hard to fulfill, but from that moment on, when he saw the inexplicable happiness on Coyote's face at the verification of his presence, he felt that his simple action was worth it.
The two sat there, passing the time by watching the movement of the clouds until the stars themselves began appearing one by one. It was a peaceful life, but it was a content one with Coyote doing her best to train him.
Yet, all things eventually come to an end.
On the same night, a crushing spiritual pressure soon suffused the area, causing Coyote's eyes to narrow in seriousness as a cold sweat dripped form her brow. Shinigami and Quincy were always out on the lookout for Hollows, killing them without mercy. She had just been fortunate that her current location hadn't been found in so long, yet it was clear that the location was no longer safe. From the pressure alone, she was certain that whoever was releasing it wasn't just one individual, but a group of them.
The pressure was so overbearing that the trees outside began to buckle and groan, the calls of the night wildlife sounding out throughout the entire mountain.
Coyote was confident in handling what Shinigami's deemed as Captains, even two or three at once, but some Captains were far stronger than others. Moreover, numbers were always a focal point of a fight.
Based on the sheer spiritual pressure on the area, the number of combatants was far from just small.
She stood up grimly from her rested position, knowing exactly that she had to fight to allow herself and the others to escape, or perhaps she could somehow defeat them all. Either way, she had to act, but she faltered when another stood up with her.
"You can't expect me to just stay here or run while you go out there," his past-self said determinedly.
Coyote pursed her lips, the emotions on her face finally evident; the worry and panic unable to be hidden, forced by the situation.
"Earlier today, you said 'Family," she spoke softly, as if she was still unsure of the word. "That we can be considered 'Family.'"
She turned towards him, her seriousness catching him off guard as she moved herself closer and pressed her forehead against his own, her eyes downcast.
In the tense silence, he heard her swallow, and noticed the tremble in her voice.
"I don't want to lose 'Family,'" she said bitterly. "I-I don't want to be alone anymore."
She pulled away from him, leaving him stunned when he saw how destitute her eyes appeared; the unfathomable loneliness within those pale pink orbs, not something that he had ever seen before.
"That's why I must go," she continued while he stood in a daze, her expression shifting into resolve as she moved towards the entrance.
"Please stay here," she called out to him, her spiritual energy rising to almost completely match the spiritual pressure of those approaching.
"I'll be back shortly."
Chapter 34: Hueco Mundo: Part 3
Power swelled around her, thick swaths of flickering blue that distorted the air, echoing the groaning of the wood and earth beneath her. Tiny fissures began to form, no more than hair lines in the rock, but growing with each passing second, a testament to her might and something that she wished that she never had.
Her expression shifted, the subtlety found in the wrinkling of her brows too inconspicuous for anyone to notice, not even herself.
Staring at Starrk the hollow she had chanced upon, for once she found comfort in her ability. The very same ability that had caused her to be so alone, no fellow hollow able to withstand it for too long. In this regard, Starrk'was different, and that was enough for her.
Solitude.
Isolation.
Loneliness.
She couldn't describe just how unbearable it was living day by day with only the company of the wind and rain; the constant patter and howls offset only by the sole flame lit within a high-mountain-side cave. Gradually, she had grown used to it, her decadent life of protecting those she had not once spoken to for fear of killing them. That was how it always should have had been, and yet something changed within that dreary mountain side. The introduction of a concept so foreign that she had never considered it.
Family.
She had one now. She wasn't alone anymore.
Resolve setting, she moved towards the exit of the little cave at the mountain-side, hands parting the thatch entrance to reveal the bright moon of the sky. Even now she could feel it, the spiritual pressure of the Shinigami locking onto hers. They would be in the area within minutes if not seconds.
To protect the one behind her, she had to go and find a place far, far from here.
"Wait!"
Her hands balled into fists, the sound of his voice a stark reminder of what she now had, what she didn't want to lose. Therefore, she disappeared in the next moment, the storm of wind left in her wake parting the very clouds as a comet-like radiance traversed the skies.
Glancing back at the distant mountain behind her, a calmness worked its way up over her face, a hand pulling up a fabric of cloth around her neck which she used to cover up her mouth and nose. It wasn't exactly something that she needed to do, but there was just a vague sense of reminiscence attributed with the action as if trying to make up for the mask that was no longer there.
A howl echoed in the distance, the sound of a wolf crying at the moon.
They were pack animals, but every once in a while, shunned solitary wolves hunt alone.
Her hair billowed in the breeze, the fierceness in her gaze not an expression she generally wore as there had once been no meaning between life or death for her. Yet not anymore.
The gun carried on her waist, a revolver-type pistol, soon found its way into her palms, her eyes narrowing at the dozen or so figures fast approaching her. From the energy she was releasing to match theirs, they wouldn't be Shinigami if they couldn't sense and apprehend her.
They donned their black robes, representations of the end of life; Reapers that ferried and oversaw the balance of souls. It was only just recently that a few began to wear white overcoats, some form of higher Shinigami called 'Captains'. She could care less what they were, and even less for whatever Shinigami created the Hollow Classification System.
As far as she was concerned, Hollows were just Hollows, the convenience in using the Shinigami's Classification system only good for determining levels of power.
From the moment she had spotted them, they had already spotted her, the dozen or so Shinigami first setting up a perimeter around her before three approached all wearing white.
Her brows furrowed, the killing intent she could sense from the Shinigami around her palpable.
"Will you not just leave?" She questioned solemnly while letting her aura erupt around her.
"It's not that simple," a resolute looking Shinigami responded.
Of the dozen or so Shinigami around her, the one who spoke to her appeared to be the leader. He was one of the three Captains that had stepped up to confront her. A man with a rather stoic expression and cropped hair spiked upwards. He had a hand placed lightly over the hilt of the sword slung horizontally over his back and his eyes were narrowed into slits.
His name was Akira, an orphaned sole with no last name. His only redeeming qualities had been his tenacity, conviction, and abundant spiritual power, allowing him to become a Captain-Class Shinigami through the violence of the era. In regards to Shinigami, he could be considered a prodigy.
To Coyote though, she didn't care one bit about the background of her opponents.
"It is that simple," Coyote said flatly in response, a sharpness flashing in her pupils.
Akira shook his head, the other two Captains and Shinigami around him remaining silent.
"The existence of hollows itself is abnormal, nothing but vengeful souls led astray from the proper path and feasting on the blood of the innocent."
She had nothing she could say as a response, for that was exactly what most common hollows did. Left with no choice, to sate the emptiness and hunger they felt inside, weaker hollows preyed on Humans, consuming their souls and becoming the monsters spoken of in myth. However, that wasn't the case for all hollows.
"Even still, we Hollows live a life harder than most, the likes of which no Shinigami or Quincy could ever understand. We never wanted to prey on the humans, but those of us consumed with rage, guilt, and obsession after initially dying are unable to control the instinct to kill. We are hunted down anyway just for existing."
In regards to other hollows, even those who eventually maintained enough reason like herself would still have no choice but to continue consuming human souls. After all, they had no other alternatives. A world in which was reserved just for Hollows didn't exist.
"And that is why it's best that you should accept your fate," Akira said resolutely. "You all hide in the shadows, trying to stay away from attention yet your existence itself is not compatible with the world."
Saying that, Akira shifted his gaze in the direction Coyote had come from, causing her breath to hitch.
"No matter how much you try to mask their presence with your overbearing spiritual pressure, it's still possible to sense them. There are more of you towards those mountains and they too must perish."
Akira gestured with a hand, ordering for the other Shinigami in the perimeter to go forth.
Yet in the next moment, the spiritual pressure in the area suddenly intensified, a tyrannical might descending forth from the sky in a pillar of azure blue.
"Don't. You. Dare."
Her voice was eerily calm, but beneath it was a wrath the likes of which Hollows were known for. An unbridled fury smashing relentlessly against the gates like the waves over sand. Primal and belligerent, there was a madness within it that reflected in the red almost blackish hue that slowly began to assimilate with her energy.
Akira and the others faltered. In regards to Coyote, she was the only Hollow classified as Vasto Lorde, the pinnacle existence amongst Hollows. No single Captain-Class Shinigami could be her match, and it was with heavy emphasis that all Shinigami had been warned not to apprehend her without sufficient numbers.
In the times before Hueco Mundo, and before the Seireitei, strength was the only justification, the weak left to die. The power level of the Captains of the new era paled in comparison to those of the old: veterans who fought in the war not only against the Quincy, but the earliest Hollows.
Facing the sudden pressure before them, Akira and the others had no choice but to respond in kind.
"Bankai!"
They released the strength Captain-Class Shinigami were known for. That which was stored within their souls and manifested in their blades.
Zanpakuto.
The weaker Shinigami were pushed back by the clash of powers, yet none dared leave. For within the towering azure, they could feel a pair of piercing eyes staring down at them. Any sudden movements would invite only death even with the protection of their superiors.
Akira frowned, expression unsteady, but Coyote didn't even glance at him.
This wasn't something that she wanted to do. No, this wasn't something that she would have had done unless she was forced to.
A thrum resounded from within her, the intensity of her spiritual energy increasing many folds. Unlike most hollows who possessed unique weapons at their disposal, claws, teeth, or other such miscellaneous things, she alone possessed only one method of defence. The root of her existence.
Pure Spiritual Energy.
If a regular hollow only possessed the level of heat similar to a candle, then she was the bonfire that extinguished their light.
Her teeth clenched, her hair whipping back.
Akira and the others glanced at each other, deciding that they couldn't wait any longer. The swords that were once in their hands or sheathed at their sides had long since shifted into a different form. One carried a curved sword, the other a halberd. Akira himself seemed to possess a rather unique weapon, something similar to a chakram exuding an odd glow. Some sort of ability that seemed incomprehensible.
In her eyes however, it all meant nothing.
The gun in her hands disappeared, replaced instead with an empty palm, nails digging into her skin and drawing blood.
It was like an explosion had gone off. A power that threatened to annihilate all of creation congregating in her hand. Reality itself distorted, tendrils of energy forming azure spirals that spread out like a web.
She who was known as the Lone Vasto Lorde hesitated no longer, calling forth the name of an attack she had long since discovered. Its overwhelming might unquestionable.
Her strength funnelled down to a sole point, the pressure building up unimaginable.
Speed. Power.
This attack encompassed all, making it impossible to dodge with the current range of the Shinigami.
The orb in her palm leveled itself forward, her whispered words the last sound any of the Shinigami would hear before being engulfed in a never-ending blue.
"Gran Rey Cero."
The world shook, dust falling from the cave's roof over head, but he was more concerned about what was going on outside.
From the perspective of his past-self he could feel the varying waves of emotion playing within his mind. Helplessness, uncertainty, and insecurity were the most prevalent, his past-self wanting nothing more than to step out and aid Coyote. However, his past-self couldn't do so when he considered just how much of a liability he was when he could hardly even fight at the moment.
Therefore, he was left stewing alone within the cave, gaze glancing steadily at the distant flash of blue in the horizon. Afterwards there was only silence.
A minute passed followed by another, and just when his past-self felt as if he couldn't take it anymore, a familiar figure emerged from just outside of the cave.
It was Coyote.
She entered silently, a brooding expression on her face as she unceremoniously sat herself down at the distant corner. Her complexion was somewhat pallid, yet he wasn't sure if it was from over exhaustion or something that she was contemplating over. Either way, his past-self decided that he had to do something to at least help ease her nerves.
Stuck watching the events within his past-self's body, he was actually growing curious from the actions of his past-self. Figuratively speaking, he could already determine the differences between them. For one, his past-self appeared more carefree and wasn't restrained by any other responsibilities. Furthermore, differences in strength were already a given, but that was more in part due to his past-self's lack of comprehension to utilize the strength within him.
Presently though, he felt somewhat befuddled when he understood just what exactly his past-self was considering.
Furrowing his brows, his past-self was steadily moving towards the large number of food offerings left behind at the temple by the local humans.
After seeing Coyote and being unable to tell if she was exhausted or not, his past-self had gotten the idea that he could help by replenishing her spiritual reserves. As such, he had gone looking for any spare animal souls he could gift her. However, their current stock had run out and they would have to wait until the humans sacrificed more.
Left at a loss, it was only then that his past-self's eyes landed towards the food offerings. To be fair, food offerings didn't possess souls to begin with, but as they were blessed by the spiritual properties of the human temple, they still offered a meager amount of energy when consumed.
Picking them up into his hands, his past-self began to display culinary skills Shirou never even knew he had. The fruit and berries were squeezed out to make a sweet syrup-like sauce, and the cold meat preserved by the high-altitude temperatures were soon placed over the fire.
Coyote glanced up to watch, seemingly escaping her silent contemplation, but his past-self hardly noticed in his concentration.
All he felt was the determination of making others happy. It was a sort of selflessness that caused something within him to stir, a memory of an unholy fire surfacing in his thoughts.
Lost in the memory, it wasn't until his past-self tentatively placed the food in front of Coyote that he composed himself.
Coyote stared down at the food before a rare confusion surfaced on her face, her brows wrinkling.
"You can eat it," he said somewhat apprehensively. "There are small traces of Spiritual Energy left in the offertory food so it can at least help replenish whatever reserves you lost."
"Hollows don't eat food," Coyote said blankly, however she still reached a hand out.
Mouth opening, she eventually took a bite and began to chew.
Watching her face, it was with a slight disappointment that he realized that nothing about it had changed. From the moment she took the bite and then swallowed, there wasn't really a difference.
Still, some part of his past-self didn't want to accept such an outcome, a pride in one's skill displayed in his voice.
"How is it?" He asked.
Coyote glanced up and only spoke a few words.
"No matter what it is, souls or food, it's all just nourishment," she stated, causing him to deflate somewhat.
"Still," Coyote seemed to struggle with the words. "If you're asking me how it is compared to normal souls, then I can only say one word, Delicious."
Saying that, Coyote took the rest of the prepared meal into her hands and shifted her back towards him, unwilling for him to watch her eat.
He didn't really care much, instead reveling in a small kind of victory.
Like so, the night passed as if nothing substantial had happened. Only in the morning would he realize that everything had changed.
Staring dazedly at the empty cave, he then shifted his gaze to stare at Coyote who even now was tearing down the thatch entrance.
"We're leaving," was all that she said.
As it would turn out, leaving meant leaving the entire mountainside.
Since the events of the night prior, Coyote had become more and more reserved, staring apprehensively into the sky as if some looming danger was approaching. Imposing on Coyote's good will as his past-self already was, his past-self didn't garner the courage to ask what was bothering Coyote so much. Instead, he just went along with everything while trying to make sense of the situation.
Currently the two were walking towards an unknown destination, and at this point, it wasn't hard to tell that even Coyote didn't know exactly where they were going. The only thing that seemed to matter was getting as far away from the mountain-side as possible.
"What about the other Hollows?" he ended up asking.
"…"
She was hard pressed to answer, yet that in itself was telling enough.
He closed his mouth, looking back towards the distant mountain before letting out a sigh. As much as he wanted to do something, he understood that he didn't have the ability to.
"They will leave eventually," Coyote spoke pensively. "They will sense my absence and not have any other purpose in remaining there."
Their protection was gone. To many Hollows it just meant that the cycle of seeking a new haven would only continue. However, it was too bitter to imagine just how many would perish for the sole crime of existing.
Through the eyes of his past-self, he was appalled at this realization; the feeling mutual between his past and present-self. It was a type of resonance that made him realize that despite their differences, his past-self was still him.
"If you think that its wrong of me to do this, that it's selfish, then get stronger," Coyote spoke from in front of him. "That form of yours, that power within you, with it you might be able to make a difference."
The sound of her steps on the gravel road echoed in the silence, the profundity of her sentence creating a solemn air. He didn't speak, sensing that Coyote was far from finished as she pulled slightly ahead.
"As you are now though, I won't allow you to fight."
"But-"
Coyote shook her head, pausing in her steps to stare back at him somberly.
No words needed to be said to convey her intentions. It was a mix of hesitation, fear, and bitterness. Coyote already understood that what she was doing would already be hard to accept for him, but she still did so anyway. The reason itself was evident.
She chose him alone over the others, and this realization was enough to stop any words of protest threatening to spew from his mouth. Instead, a desire began to well up from within him. Something that the future Vasto of White knew all too well.
A desire to save.
To be an Ally of Justice. A Hero.
To change the current situation for the Hollows, Coyote's method was right. He had to get stronger before trying to do anything.
"I understand," he said resolutely, this one answer unknowingly granting Coyote the greatest amount of relief.
She nodded her head before wordlessly trudging on, lowering her pace so that he could walk by her side. It was a picturesque sort of scene, the kind Coyote could have had never imagined in her life, and as such she cherished it.
Their figures gradually began fading in the distance, passed the forests, and passed the mountains and hills, the two journeyed. In regards to nourishment, although Coyote said it didn't matter what sort of food they ate, she had found herself more and more inclined to eat the still spiritually imparted food he made.
Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, until finally Coyote decided to settle themselves down near a fledgling settlement that was more of a hamlet than a village. Based on the name the local humans called it, the settlement was called Karakura.
The area Coyote chose to settle in herself was at a temple in the distant forest adjacent to Karakura. In this way, it was possible to once more receive offerings from the humans and maintain a lifestyle free from hunting them. Doing so would inadvertently lead a trail right to them so Coyote had always been hesitant. Moreover, he never would have had condoned such a thing either.
Just to make for certain that their location would be safe, Coyote began crafting special markings into the ground reminiscent of something she had once seen.
"Spiritual markings," Coyote explained to him. "I'm not really sure how they work, but some humans blessed with spiritual awareness known as Onmyouji had developed a method to prevent spiritual energy form leaking out. It was said to be used to trap demons, but who would have had known that it was then used to aid them."
"Then this area will be safe?" He asked.
Coyote hesitantly nodded. "Unless they get close, it will be difficult to find this location. It should have had been the same for the mountain-side cave, but,"
Coyote cut herself off, yet after understanding more about the situation regarding Hollows in the past, it wasn't that difficult to comprehend what had happened. It was because of him and the fact that Coyote had brought him to the mountain-side location, leaving a trail for the Shinigami to have had followed.
Using this same principle, it was also probably the reason why Coyote didn't bother traveling at a faster pace; opting to travel by foot lest they leave behind any spiritual signs in the wild.
"Then all that happened in the past, it was because of-"
Coyote placed a hand on his shoulder, not saying anything and simply frowning. It wasn't good to dwell on the past. What mattered was the present.
His mouth shut itself naturally, prompting Coyote to nod.
"Stay here for a bit, and work on your abilities. I'm going to do a quick check of the area."
Slinging on her grey overcoat, she vanished towards the direction of the forest, leaving him alone. He furrowed his brows, raising his arms up to stare at his palms. It was all too frustrating.
No matter what he had done in the months Coyote had spent attempting to train him, he couldn't get a grasp on how to use his powers. The feeling was if it was just out of reach, making it all the more irritating.
Understanding the emotions that his past-self was feeling, Shirou didn't exactly know what the problem was either. Waking up in Hueco Mundo, his strength came naturally to him just as it did for Shinigami with abundant spiritual energy. Then again, maybe he was simply missing something.
In regards to his past-self, the biggest mystery revolved around the seemingly unimaginable spiritual power residing within his past-self's body. Fingers outstretched and palm open, his past-self attempted to will his spiritual energy to manifest.
At the same time though, words flashed across Shirou's mind without any context as he thought on the matter, a jumbled pile of information he could barely sort out.
A manifestation of the Soul.
Something which rewrites the laws of reality itself.
His head began to hurt, until finally he felt as if it would explode when a familiar sentence shot to the forefront of his mind.
A will.
A mantra.
An incantation.
"I am the Bone of my Sword."
His past-self was panting at this point, the connection between the two reaching its highest resonance as just briefly the shadow of a world of flame appeared in his eyes. A great forge containing a vast armoury and a desolate hill. Subsequently, both he and his past-self fell unconscious on the spot.
To say Coyote panicked when she had returned was no understatement. It felt as if a Shinigami had stabbed her with a blade with how fast she reacted, her hands balling into fists so tightly that they paled. The sac of food and offertory animal souls that she had just pilfered from the local temple and was slung over her back fell to the ground with a thud.
No. No.
Her teeth clenched, feet carrying her forward towards the sprawled body ahead of her. Fortunately, when she got close enough she realized that Starrk was still breathing, yet this fact didn't do anything to alleviate her vigilance. Instead, she stared wearily at the area around her, unsure if the cause of Starrk's current state was do to an enemy attack. After all, she wouldn't put it past those Shinigami to find a way to lure her out.
Inspecting him, she noticed that he was uninjured. Aside from the discomfort she could see from his face, everything seemed normal.
Relief flooded her in an instant.
Staring at herself, it was only then that she realized that she was trembling. Taking in a breath, she gradually calmed down. Eventually, the shuddering of her body came to a halt before she tentatively took Starrk into her arms protectively.
She was never used to showing her emotions; more precisely, she had no experience whatsoever, but here and now, she pursed her lips in worry, eyes shifting downcast.
She didn't know what she should do. However, she knew that it was probably best to move to a safer location. With that in mind, she found herself moving in the direction of the temple where she wanted to place Starrk into one of the side rooms of the fenced establishment. She didn't care if it was occupied or not, or even if she interfered with the Humans. All that mattered was that she could ensure that Starrk stayed in a spiritually potent zone, and temples and such religious buildings were the most efficient.
With that thought in mind, and only Starrk's health up for consideration, she trudged through an entire line of Humans offering prayers to some God she didn't take the time to know.
Humans couldn't see them, so all that they felt as she passed the gated entrance was a strong breeze. For the few that were directly in her path, she only considered it as divine intervention or retribution for daring to impede her. As such, numerous individuals were sent sprawling to the ground without any warning or cause. Of course, some were injured while others were just fine. However, even the injured somehow considered the matter in a positive light.
"T-The wind God has touched me. I-I've been blessed!"
"I have too!"
With how excited the locals were acting, it wasn't long before a riot began occurring at the temple's entrance although by then, she had long since left.
Finding a side temple that was generally used as storage, she slowly placed Starrk down before finding herself a lone corner to sit at. Her gaze was fixed on him the entire time, nothing but him filling up her mind and priorities. She didn't know what she would do if he actually died on her. In that case, it would be too cruel.
The world allowed her to meet him, and allowed her to experience what companionship meant; the idle days she had spent by his side her most cherished memories. Hell, because of him she could never look at Human food in the same way again without her stomach grumbling at her to consume it.
If the world took him away from her now, then she would rather the world burn at the cost of her own life.
There was a reason she had taken Starrk and left the mountain-side cave so hurriedly all those months back. She was trying to avoid the consequence of her actions. The Shinigami of back then were Captain-class and as such should have had possessed enough capability to attempt to apprehend her. However, in her eyes regular Captains and Shinigami were nothing more than larger animals. What she feared instead were the leaders of these animals; one who controlled a flame that threatened to extinguish her very existence. This alone was the reason why her life would be at risk if she ever decided to go out in the open.
Moreover, as she had already killed three Captain-Class Shinigami, she knew that the Head of the Shinigami wouldn't let this matter go. More so when she considered that she was a Hollow, an enemy of the Shinigami.
Pulling her legs to her chest, she wrapped her arms around her knees and anxiously waited.
Her lone figure insignificantly small within the temple side house.
Its impossible for something that's eternal to exist.
Works of art, and ideologies similarly deteriorating with time; fading away until they are nothing more than a memory, a history of the past. In which case, the choices one makes and the outcome of such choices could be seen in the same regard.
Time was all encompassing. No matter how durable a sword was, it too would wear away with use, the blade chipped and cracked, dull and brittle.
That was why the heart that had never recognized what he had lost eventually noticed it and fell into despair.
Hollows themselves were souls born from negative emotions like grief and rage. Yet at the same time, the strength of a Hollow was determined by their soul in a fashion identical to Shinigami. Those with originally strong spiritual awareness as Humans had a higher probability of becoming a Shinigami then those that didn't.
Yet what was a Reality Marble?
It was the very manifestation of one's soul. A magic so distorted that it imposed upon the order of the world. Just imagining its strength alone was hard to fathom.
And yet, it existed within the body of one individual soul.
Staring at the world before him, Shirou was left in a daze, the sheer heat around him forcing him to cover his eyes from the glare. Even then, when he finally adjusted to the lighting it was to see sword after sword after sword.
Staring closely, it became clear to him of one fact. He had seen this world before. His very own inner world where he had met Kyouka, Gae Bolg, and the others. Only now, they weren't around. Instead, only swords and barren ground lay near him.
"This was the Hell that you had walked into."
A voice spoke to him, but when he tried to locate it, all he saw was a vague shadow blurred by smoke and a shower of sparks.
He furrowed his brows, wanting to call out, but before he could, a striking sound entered his ears. The noise of a hammer meeting an anvil. The forging of a sword.
"You wanted to protect others, to help them, but the price itself was too high."
His head zipped behind him, yet by then the shadow of before had long since disappeared, replaced instead by a monolithic gear spinning in the sky.
"You realized too late that there would be no ending, no sign of her ever again. And when the sword finally shattered, only this Hell was left as your namesake."
He felt a coldness well up from within him, the words piercing into him like knives that caused him to stagger. His eyes narrowed and he was soon glaring, but his body had long since stiffened. Something within him was reacting at a subconscious level.
"Who are you!" He muttered out.
Suddenly a face appeared before him, grayed hair and silver eyes staring back at him as a mocking yet tired voice replied.
"I am you. At least a version of you that somehow got dragged into this world."
He faltered, his mind blanking as a part of him adamantly refused the grey-haired man's very existence.
"If you don't remember, then perhaps I can show you."
It was then that the smoke cleared, the ambiguity surrounding the landscape similarly fading away to reveal a single scene.
The reintroduction of a landscape and concept he knew of, but had long since forgotten.
"Look well, for this won't be the last you'll see it. The end of your path."
He wanted to deny it. To say that what was before him was false.
But he knew that he couldn't. Not when the memory itself surfaced in his mind with a jolt.
The Hill of Swords,
And the Wrought Iron Hero who died upon it.