Chapter 25: The First Victim Igris y Mission
Narrator POV
Akira walked calmly along the sidewalk of a residential street, hands in his pockets and his gaze distant. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his MP bar had slightly decreased. That could only mean one thing:
His shadows were facing something that was putting up resistance. Maybe a Hollow stronger than usual. Even so, he wasn't worried. As long as he had mana, his shadows would regenerate on their own. And besides, the assassins he had sent were experts at moving with stealth and caution.
He knew Orihime and Chad would be fine too. Both could handle themselves in a fight and weren't as fragile as they appeared. However, just as he was about to keep walking, he stopped abruptly. A thought crossed his mind like a sharp sting.
What if his presence was affecting the story more than he thought? What if one of the battles went wrong simply because he existed? The world was too unpredictable… and he couldn't ignore the butterfly effect. A small change now could cause a catastrophe later on.
He clicked his tongue in annoyance just before spinning around sharply. In that instant, he lifted one leg and with a swift kick sent a Hollow flying that had been sneaking up behind him.
"Taking a quick look won't hurt…" he muttered, changing direction with determination. "Better safe than sorry."
He began to run. Not at full speed, of course. Though he could easily surpass any professional athlete—or even a car—he didn't want to draw attention. He was in the middle of the street, and someone moving that fast would raise suspicion… and that was the last thing he wanted.
So he adjusted his pace to something more believable, like an Olympic runner in full practice—fast enough to move quickly, but not enough to look like a phenomenon.
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Some time later...
Akira watched silently from a rooftop, eyes fixed on Orihime. His attention was centered on her, carefully analyzing every movement. It was an important moment: the awakening of her powers. So far, everything was going well… until the inevitable happened.
"Koten Zanshun! I reject!"
With determination and courage, Orihime launched Tsubaki, her offensive spirit, directly at the Hollow. The attack hit perfectly, but the enemy, wearing a twisted grin, showed that it wouldn't go down without inflicting pain.
In one final act of cruelty, it used the people under its control: several bodies rose like puppets and, with brutal force, threw Tatsuki straight into the path of the attack.
Orihime's inexperience worked against her. She had let her guard down too soon, and horror filled her eyes as she realized what she had just done.
"Tatsuki!!!"
Her scream tore through the air as she reached out helplessly, wishing she could stop the attack she had already released. And then, something unexpected happened.
Tsubaki's attack came to a sudden halt. Before everyone's eyes appeared an imposing figure: a knight clad entirely in jet-black armor that shimmered faintly with blue light.
His presence was both majestic and menacing. A black cape, torn by the wind, fell heavily from his shoulders, and from the back of his helmet extended a long crimson mane like a war crest.
It was Igris, the Knight of the Beginning, silently summoned by Akira.
Akira could have intervened personally, but chose not to. He knew Urahara, with his ever-ridiculous hat, might be watching from some corner, and he preferred not to reveal all his cards yet.
That's why he sent Igris—his loyal shadow, powerful and silent—to protect Orihime without drawing too much attention.
"What the hell?!" Tsubaki yelled, twisting furiously between Igris's fingers. "Let me go!!"
The small offensive spirit struggled like a trapped wasp, but the dark knight barely paid him any attention. He stared coldly, without the slightest hint of interest, and then simply released him. His mission was different: protect the young woman who had just made a mistake out of inexperience… and eliminate her enemy.
Igris drew his sword in a single, elegant motion. The blade, black as night, gleamed with a faint glow. He knew the Hollow before him posed no real threat.
In the blink of an eye, he was already in front of the creature. The blade traced a straight, clean line, slicing through the Hollow from side to side. It was like watching a hot knife cut through butter. The Hollow split in two before it could even react.
With the enemy defeated, Igris picked up the severed head as proof of his victory. He turned to Orihime and, with a slight bow of respect, vanished in a blur of speed, as silent as he had arrived.
Orihime stood still, in shock. Then, unable to keep herself up any longer, she collapsed to the ground unconscious from exhaustion. Her spirits returned to her, once again taking the shape of her signature hairpins, which fell softly beside her face.
Just a few seconds later, Urahara appeared, walking calmly, his cane tapping rhythmically against the ground. He observed the scene in silence… and then lifted his gaze toward where the knight had disappeared.
(He's fast… very fast.) he thought, scanning the area with his senses. (And he doesn't leave a single trace.)
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Akira opened his eyes just as Igris appeared before him. The dark knight bowed slightly and, with solemnity, dropped at his feet the severed head of the Hollow, still steaming from residual energy. Then, with his usual devotion, he knelt before his master.
Akira brought a hand to the back of his neck, scratching it with a faint smile. He had forgotten that little detail— Igris had the almost ceremonial habit of personally delivering the trophies of his defeated enemies.
"Good work, Igris. But you can rest now… trust me, you'll need to be at one hundred percent when our real objective arrives," he said with a calm smile. Yet in his mind, a strategy was already forming—more dangerous than any before.
He had a plan. Something bold… risky, no doubt, but with a high potential reward. The idea was simple in theory, though perilous in practice: to follow the Menos Grande through the interdimensional rift it would open when retreating to Hueco Mundo.
Akira knew he couldn't do it without backup, and that's why he had an ace up his sleeve—the teleportation stone. Without it, he would never risk crossing into enemy territory, but with its power, he could escape if things went out of control.
"If this works... I'll be able to confirm whether shadow extraction also applies to Hollows. And if I can get the Menos Grande... then we'll be talking about a true reinforcement."
He looked up at the sky, waiting for the dimensional rift to appear. He couldn't let Rukia, Ichigo, or Urahara see him—nor could he interfere with their plans. This hunt had to be silent, efficient, and completely his own.
Igris silently returned to Akira's shadow, vanishing without a single sound. Akira sat on a nearby rock, letting out a long sigh. Though his face remained calm, a faint unease pulsed in his chest.
Yes, he felt a little fear.
And who could blame him? What he was about to do wasn't exactly sensible. But he also knew this was his only chance—for now—to enter Hueco Mundo and obtain what he most desired: a Menos Grande.
"This is my window… and I don't know when it'll open again."
Besides, it wasn't just about the shadow. Being in a place full of Hollows was a golden opportunity to gain experience. Akira needed that desperately.
Unlike Jin-Woo, he couldn't enter dungeons at will. His experience sources were limited: the Demon Tower and the Hollows that crossed his path.
In terms of growth, he was stagnating. And one of his few options to level up—the Hollows—was too dangerous if he tried to force his progress.
Not because of the Hollows themselves, but because of the possible interference from the Soul Society, always on alert for any anomaly. Especially with their spy divisions. The last thing he needed was for someone like Aizen to set eyes on him.
So, this "expedition" to Hueco Mundo wasn't just a gamble for a powerful shadow—it was also an investment in his strength.
"I'm still not at the level of a captain like Byakuya… and I know it. But if I'm going to survive in this world and keep my freedom, I have to become much stronger."
He wasn't too worried about the lieutenants. At least not most of them. In his opinion, many had proven mediocre against Ichigo. And if Akira was stronger than Ichigo—which he was—then he had no reason to fear them. Still, underestimating the Soul Society would be a mistake. A fatal one.
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Some time later…
Akira raised his gaze when the cracks in the sky began to converge into a single point. He narrowed his eyes as a dense, suffocating spiritual pressure started seeping through the fractures of Heaven. It was an overwhelming energy, almost tangible, as if the air itself had grown heavier.
The cracks compressed until they formed a dark opening, and from it emerged two skeletal hands. They were long, chalk-white, with sharp nails that resembled claws. The hands gripped the edges of the portal and, as if tearing through a curtain, began to pull it apart slowly.
Then the head appeared.
A white mask, grotesque in shape and with an empty stare, broke through the barrier of the sky. Its size was colossal. The Menos Grande was forcing its way into the human world with excruciating slowness, yet its presence alone was staggering.
Akira stood instantly.
His assassin shadows had already returned to his side—a comforting presence, considering what he was about to attempt. He couldn't afford to leave them behind if he wanted to survive where he planned to go. But first… he had to make the Menos retreat. And he'd do it by helping Ichigo. Well… indirectly.
"Igris."
The order was barely a whisper, but it was enough.
From Akira's shadow, Igris emerged slowly, wrapped in darkness, his black armor gleaming beneath the midday light. His tattered cape billowed as if answering a battle call.
"I'll need your strength once more… That's our target," Akira said, pointing toward the creature that continued to emerge, ripping the sky apart as if no barrier existed between worlds.
Igris fixed his blazing gaze on the monster and nodded solemnly. If his master desired the head of that creature, then he would obtain it—no matter the size, no matter the power. He was the Knight King of Shadows.
And the battlefield awaited.
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End of Chapter.