HallowIchigo
Chapter Two – The Black Masked Hollow
Urahara was one with the shadows, roaming the woods at the outskirts of Karakura Town. Ever since earlier that evening, he had been sensing a strange reiatsu, something different from anything he could catalog in his centuries long experience as a shinigami, so he decided to let himself be driven by his scientific curiosity.
His steps were cautious and his countenance was alert, trying to pick up any disturbance in the environment that would give away the position of the presence he could so clearly feel, but so little discern in nature.
Upon arriving to a large glade, the blood tainted grass was the first detail that caught his attention, followed by the torn bodies of three shinigamis. He silently approached the closest one to inspect it. Inside the robes was shown the symbol of the 12th Division, the squad he once commanded. Their lacerations had been unmistakably inflicted by sword… What on Earth had happened in here?... The reiatsu left on the wounds felt like-
A sharp cry coming from the far left disrupted his thoughts. Quick and agile, like a hunting wild cat, he moved across the woods, around the bushes and trees, just in time to see the last moments of a macabre feast, as a soul met its end in between the claws and fangs of a strange creature.
It could easily be mistaken for a hollow – the animal build, with claws, spikes and tail, the black fur, the yellow eyes, the face that looked like a skeletal mask – but that's where the difference subsisted – the mask was black instead of white. It was fairly dark underneath the towering tree-tops that filtered the moonlight, but Urahara could clearly see the mask was black.
It must have sensed his presence, because it suddenly turned and its yellow eyes became yellow irises around black pupils at the sight of the sneaking shinigami. Whatever it was, it was probably connected to the killing of the three Squad 12 members that laid lifeless a few paces away, and it had been feasting on a soul, so Urahara decided to attack first, ask questions later.
"Nake Benihime!" His crane became the zanpakutõ it really is and released a ray of red energy at the creature's direction. As the smoke cleared, Urahara's eyes met with disbelief the fact the creature was standing at the exact same place, only slightly burned by the attack. It growled strangely, as if voicing an agony that hadn't been inflicted by the assault.
"Whatever you are, don't think that's the best I can throw at you." But as he raised his zanpakutõ to prepare his next blow, the creature was already gone from his sight and his senses. "… not wanting a fight, eh. I feel so rejected!" and there he stood, alone in the dark forest, with nothing but the bats to witness his confusion.