BURN TO ASHES
An eternity is more than a single word could describe. Not even its very word that states its name could give rise to its meaning. To fully explain what an eternity was is to be breaking the boundaries of impossibility, for an eternity is beyond the comprehension of the denizens of this world, no matter the long standing realm of Soul-society or the never-ending night of Hueco Mundo.
Not even Rabia Fuego himself could say he had truly lived an eternity as a resident of Hell, which itself had been existing since the beginning of time. To him, an eternity was a very very long time. To him, an eternity was eons of being a Tormentor within the darkest bowels of the four realms. Day in and day out, he threw the Sinners of the world into raging flames, watching them scream and beg for mercy as they slowly disintegrate into ashes. Then, they were reborn into those disgusting lava vats only to be thrown back again in the fiery pits.
The first time he did it, Rabia felt a sense of exhilaration. How could he not? The very moment the poor Sinner touched the flames, Rabia felt an immense sense of power that he beheld. At his whim he cause unlimited pain, and it was up to his will if his charge should suffer. This power over the Sinners, he held it in his very hands.
The second time he did it, Rabia only felt righteous vengeance. So be it should these bastards burn. Their crimes in the living world had earned them a place in Hell and they should suffer no less for them. Rapists, murderers and deceivers, they all should burn in Hell and he is the one meting out this justice.
The third time he did it, Rabia was cold and calm. Then, the fourth time and then the fifth. Soon, it was a hundred thousandth time he had done it. By the hundred thousand and first time he threw a sinner into the flaming pits of hell with a cruel grin upon his demon face, Rabia felt...
Nothing.
So when Rabia Fuego heard of this particular Sinner rebellion, he was totally overjoyed. Although Sinner rebellions are not exactly rare and some were as short as even a day, it would be a welcome change to his boring repetitive task that he had long since grown tired of. News was that this band of sinners went and escaped into the human world, using a special kind of mask to hide their reiatsu, hence remaining undetectable to Hell's Will.
At first when he got wind of this incident, Rabia thought they went and attacked Purgatory or something like that (those pampered princesses in there could really do with a wake up call), but all those bunch of fools did was only just making it difficult for Hell's Will to clean up, hence requiring the mobilization of the demon hell guards to settle the loose ends. To think such trivial things were actually proclaimed as a rebellion by those nitwit nobles.
Nevertheless, it was still something interesting to do once in a while. Now, if only he could somehow apply for a change in position to become a Hell Guard so that he can pursue these scums and hunt them down.
After much time and effort and numerous sinners spent as offerings, Rabia finally managed to persuade a Hell Guard into forming a much needed contract with him, providing him with the signature Skullclad armor that demon hell guards wear. With that, his preparations were complete and he wasted no time in requesting for a deployment to the living world.
And when his approval for an indefinite stay in the living world until the Sinners were all cleansed came, Rabia noticed it was approved by this noble family of Xania no less, the one with the spoiled princess demon who frolic around the Purgatory without a care in the world with her fwens. Here he was, about to embark on a mission to kill dangerous escapees, and yet they probably would never know what a Sinner was, oh the irony.
Rabia coldly stood over the broken corpse of a Sinner he had manage to hunt down, his bloodied bone blade held in his hands. It had been some guy with fire powers, and it reminded him strongly of back down at home where he was constantly surrounded by the flames. How many years had he been here? Rabia did not know. All he knew was that he is getting close to his objectives. Sinner after sinner he had killed and all that remains were scattered remnants of the band of fools that was once branded rebels. Soon, he will have to go back. He will have to return to his life of repetition again.
The nostalgia was however broken by a weak groan. The Sinner he thought he killed twitched as the mess of blood and bone tried to crawl away.
"Why?" Rabia softly asked, looking down at the pathetic sniveling wreck. "Why do you cling on to life?"
All the answered him was an in audible gasp of pain. Without a second hesitation, Rabia swung his blade down, shattering the mask that had hidden the face of the Sinner. As it broke, Hell's Will detected the man's reiatsu and the gates to the fiery depths was already opening. No sooner than five seconds, a hand had reached out and dragged the guy back into Hell, screaming as he went.
It was the same scream, the scream that had sounded back when he threw his first Sinner into the fiery pits. Why do they all emit the same scream? Why do they all plea for their miserable lives?
Why do they struggle to keep living? Sure, the lava vats made it impossible for them to really truly die, but why do they still beg for life? Life... such an inconsequential thing. Burning it away was what should have been done and was what he had doing since time eternal.
Burn to Ashes.
Rabia dispelled his skullclad armor, moving away from the scene. Though ordinary humans might not be able to see nor sense him, the shinigamis would have already picked up on the reiatsu as a resultant of the fight. There is no need for him to content with them, and it would be best to leave promptly.
A howl stopped Rabia in his tracks.
Burn to Ashes.
A second later, a pain he had never felt before surged through his entire system as though they were on fire. His nerves screamed as muscles tore away from bone, giant teeth ripping his entire left section away from his body. There was no doubt about it, a hollow, sensing the reiatsu of the fight perhaps, had taken his moment of weakness to sneak up upon him. But what good does that revelation do? Rabia could only stared white eyed into the empty space before him as demonic blood gushed from his torn body. Behind, a sudden gust of him stated the only thing that could already happen - that the hollow had opened it mouth, now to devour him whole.
He was dying and he knew it. So this is what happen when those Sinners die. This sense of unfulfillment, this fear, this regret, this feeling of wanting to live.
Rabia wanted to laugh, but he could not. His throat was gone along with his left lung. All he felt now was pain and all he could do was ... nothing. So when the darkness finally enclosed around him, all that was present in his mind were three words.
And when he woke up among the sands of Hueco Mundo years later newly born as a menos, the first thing he said with his hollow tongue was
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