Chapter Eighteen
Ryohime was panting as she finished of the last Hollow, sheathing her Zanpakuto across her back. She closed her eyes briefly in dismay as she distinctly felt another Hollow reiatsu some distance away, and wondered where Yoshirou was off to. Usually, with this many Hollows popping up, he'd be here helping her, or at least taking out some of the ones further away. But she hadn't felt him once the entire day. It made her feel nervous. What if something had happened to him?
She sighed and jumped off towards the next Hollow, determined to do her part regardless. And her part was to protect Karakura, whatever the situation.
That determination nearly faltered when she felt the dim reiatsu burning right next to the Hollow she was hunting. Why him again?! she wondered, a little exasperated.
.
Vance ducked, jumping back away from the familiar-feeling creature in front of him. He could still barely see the thing, but somehow it was clearer then the last time he had encountered one of these monsters.
And this time, he was determined not to be easy prey.
He saw the blurry outline of a hand, maybe an arm, coming towards him, and ducked under it, slamming his elbow hard into where he expected the space between fingers to be. The horrible screech that followed jarred him, but he tried to ignore the ringing in his ears and carefully watched for another movement by the invisible monster.
For a moment, he thought he heard words in the monster's roar, curses and a promise of death. He frowned, again dodging an attack and spinning, slamming his knee into the inside of its arm.
It hurt. This thing had a very hard body.
He also realized this thing was becoming clearer, even while he was fighting it.
Then he looked up, frowning, as he felt someone very familiar dropping towards him in a very familiar way.
That was one thing he had realized felt out-of-place about the odd scene he remembered under the "car accident," memory. He had been certain he had heard Ryohime right before blacking out. He had thought he had felt her from above, falling towards him. And now she was doing it again.
Well, this time he wasn't going to let some bozo memory replace this. He was going to get the truth this time.
.
"I like the robe!"
Ryohime nearly dropped her Zanpakuto as her friend's unexpected comment rang through the air. She winced, but continued her downward swing, slicing through the Hollow's mask and destroying the heartless creature. She landed on the ground nearby, wondering if she dared try and replace Vance's memory again.
"Though, I'm a little irritated you were training sword-fighting and didn't tell me," Vance added as he jogged over to her. "Alright, spill it. How in the world did you do that?"
Ryohime sheathed her Zanpakuto, casting about for an answer.
"And don't you go messing with my head again," he added, stopping in front of her. "I'm not buying that 'car accident' garbage again."
"You're really gambling with that statement," Ryohime joked, her fears mostly fading. This was Vance, her Manga buddy. If anyone could understand the truth of her Shinigami existence, it was undoubtedly him.
"So, spill it," he said again, crossing his arms and nodding his head decisively, his braid bobbing behind him.
"Well… I'm a Shinigami," she said, right off the bat. Vance blinked.
"Shini… gami. Alright… okay, and what was that thing?"
"A Hollow. A fallen soul. If we don't take them out, they'd eat anyone they can find."
Vance looked up at the sky as he thought. "So… you run around in black robes killing evil spirits with your cool looking katana…" He paused and smirked. "This is sounding a bit familiar…"
"It's different," she said hastily. "See, most Shinigami aren't human, they're already dead. I'm just a substitute. And you can't have more then one Zanpakuto." She thought for a second, then amended herself. "Well, unless it's a duel-wield when you release…"
Vance shook his head as if to clear it. "Alright, putting aside similarities to Kami Katana… I assume this is a secret sort of thing you've got here, and that there is a reason I never saw… Hollows or Shinigami before now?"
Ryohime nodded. "Most people can't see us at all when we're in Shinigami mode, but some people with greater spiritual energy can see souls, so they can see Hollows and Shinigami too. I guess yours just recently developed."
Vance got a sneaky, gleeful look in his eyes. "Spiritual energy, huh? That sounds really, really fun. Can I do anything with it?"
Ryohime looked doubtful. "I… don't think so. I mean… I've heard of some humans who were able to use it to do simple Shinigami spells without knowing it, and an old friend of my Father's had her spiritual energy warped into some ridiculously powerful fairies, but I don't think humans can do any of that without absurd amounts of power. And that's dangerous for everyone, as Hollows are attracted to powerful people."
"Rats. No super powers for me, then, I guess."
"Probably not. That sort of thing doesn't really happen anymore."
Vance reached behind him and pulled his long braid over his shoulder, fiddling with it as he did whenever he was really thinking hard about something.
"Are you going to tell Herald?" he asked seriously. Ryohime looked down.
"I'm… I'm really not supposed to tell people," she said hesitantly. "I didn't like keeping it from you guys, I really didn't, but it's supposed to stay secret."
"I don't like keeping things from him," Vance said, throwing his braid back over his shoulder. "But if you tell me to, I won't say anything unless he asks."
"Then… just for now, please don't tell him. I'll find a way to explain it to him later."
"Alright."
They stood for a moment in silence.
"So… I don't suppose this Shinigami thing has anything to do with your crazy alter ego the other day," Vance mentioned casually, cocking his head slightly. Ryohime's eyebrows tightened in her frown.
"Yes, actually. It was… well, it's a bit complicated, but it was basically just an artificial soul taking over my body for a short time while I killed stuff. I don't like to use her, I usually don't have to, but things were getting busy and I had to get to school…"
"So you let a crazy, girly fake soul take over," finished Vance, and Ryohime nodded.
"I didn't really have other options."
"Hey! If a fake soul can take over a body, can a dead person's soul do the same?" he asked suddenly, looking at her interestedly. Ryohime opened her mouth to respond, then hesitated, frowning.
"I don't think so," she said. "No, I'm pretty sure that's not possible."
Vance was about to speak again when they both felt a tremor in the air, heralding the arrival of another Hollow. Ryohime instantly started running towards it, looking back to call, "Stay there!" to Vance, who, of course, ignored her.
He had the chance to see her bashing monsters. That wasn't something he was about to just let go.
.
San began in a slightly deeper tone then before, one that caught the attention of her reluctant audience and made several of them lean forward without realizing it, so as to catch every word.
"Among humans," she said, "there are some who are capable of sensing or, in rarer cases, seeing spirit beings because of the unusual strength of their spiritual energy. It is obvious that all of you are of this variety of human, which unfortunately puts you at risk. You see, there are three types of these spirit beings."
She held up one finger. "The first of these are Pluses, the common souls of the deceased who have yet to cross over into the next world, namely Soul Society. These souls are very common and very vulnerable, due to their general inability to fight."
She held up another finger. "The second type are the Hollows, which are white-masked creatures bent on devouring other souls, living or dead alike. Hollows are created when a Plus losses its heart to pain or anger, or when a Plus is dragged into a Hollow state by another Hollow. Hollows lost their humanity along with their original form, their minds and bodies transforming into that of monsters."
She held up a third finger. "And, finally, there are the Shinigami. The Shinigami are souls with high spiritual energy that have trained in Soul Society to defend Pluses and humans from Hollows, as well as guide Pluses from this world to Soul Society."
Nobody said anything, though Dikayumi seemed on the verge of asking a question before shutting his mouth and merely shoving his glasses up his nose again.
"Pluses and Shinigami are pretty straight forward, and there is little enough change for them to undergo, except when one or the other undergoes the transformation into a Hollow. Such a thing is much rarer for a Shinigami, and usually fatal, but has happened before. Such beings control enormous power, the power of a Shinigami and the power of a Hollow combined. However, the resulting being, typically called a Vizard, is at times unstable, and Soul Society finds the very existence of such a thing an abomination."
"Why are you telling us about the Vizards?" Dikayumi asked impatiently. "Well, why you're telling them is none of my concern, but why me? My father has already told me all this, and in much greater detail. Why am I here?"
San fixed him with a stare, and he grumpily stopped talking.
"Hollows," she continued, "unlike Pluses and Shinigami, have a different form for each of the four major levels of strength achievable by Hollows. The first is the one seen most often, and it barely says anything about the strength of said Hollow. It is the most common place form of Hollow power, and greatly varied in size and shape, and these typical Hollows can be anywhere from absolute weaklings to dangerous opponents. It depends on how strong the individual Hollow has become."
Steve listened, intrigued, and as he listened a picture came to him. A tall, lithe creature, plated in purple-white armor from head to foot, with a pair of the most absurdly unrealistic wings he had ever seen. He shivered. San's descriptions were making him think some pretty creepy things.
"To become stronger, a Hollow must devour the spiritual power of other souls, whether human or Plus, it matters little. However, at a certain point, those souls are no longer enough to raise their power at all, and they turn on their Hollow brethren.
"At this point, they return to Hueco Mundo, the plain of the Hollows, and tend to gravitate towards other Hollows of like mind. These groups of Hollows will eventually fuse together, their power becoming one, over which the most powerful of the Hollows takes domination. The resulting Hollows are the lowest caste of Menos Grande, called Gillians. They are quite unimaginative in their appearance, most looking exactly alike, and all of these have lost their sentiency."
There was a collective intake of breath at this.
"However, there are some who are strong enough to remain sentient, and these also retain certain characteristics of their previous form. This is almost always in the case of the mask, whereas their bodies remain basically giant, black robed pillars with white-wrapped hands and feet and spikes ringing their necks."
Another image popped into Steve's mind, this one of a tall figure like the one San had described. This one with a row of small teeth smiling unsettlingly, the sides of the mask apparently carved in a manner he found reminiscent of straight flower petals until it spiked back in a pair of short, almost antenna-like things.
"A sentient Gillian is the only kind of Gillian capable of carrying on to the next level, which they achieve by devouring yet more of their Gillian fellows. When enough have been consumed, and the Gillian's power is high enough, the dominant Hollow evolves into an Adjuchas, a truer form of themselves with greater and more compact power then any previous forms. The Adjuchas are more varied in appearance, as well, much like the first stage of Hollow form."
Steve pieced together an Adjuchas form for what he was now fondly thinking of as his little mental Hollow. Those wings from the common form were back, but now it had four of them, and instead of plain white he added a bit of pink, for variety's sake. The lithe form was back and smaller, but still larger then a human. The plated armor was more like a robe now, dangling low as if to obscure feet, and each hand had five long, delicate claws instead of fingers.
San continued. "Adjuchas is a dangerous level for a Hollow to be in. As long as you're Adjuchas, you have to continue eating other Hollows or you'll regress back into a Gillian and lose what sentiency you had before. Upon becoming Gillian a second time, further evolution is impossible.
"However, some Adjuchas have the potential to become even greater, and should these rare few devour enough other Adjuchas, they can reach the highest natural Hollow form possible, Vasto Lorde. A Vasto Lord is significantly more human in appearance, though still completely Hollow, and with power that rivals or surpasses the strongest of Shinigami."
Steve put this latest stage to his personal Hollow, shrinking it down to human sized and getting rid of the tail that had somehow leaked over from basic appearance to Adjuchas. The wings, however, he lengthened, finding the originals too small for maximum majesty, and emboldened the pink a little. On a whim, he let the mask retract a little, getting rid of those hideous teeth, and revealing the knowing smile beneath. The eyes within the mask's sockets opened, human-like but bright gold. He added hair, pink to match the color scheme, that fell around the Vasto Lorde's shoulder blades from under the mask. He smiled, satisfied. Now that was an interesting Hollow.
"A Vasto Lorde is terrifying enough in its own right, but Hollows have yet another advantage over Shinigami. I've already told you about the Vizards, Shinigami using Hollow power. The flip side of that is Arrancar, a Hollow who has, either naturally over time or with outside help, broken its mask and taken on some of the power of a Shinigami. When an Arrancar is created, their spiritual energy is greatly increased and the true form and powers of the Hollow is locked away inside a separate form, usually a sword or weapon. This true form can then be accessed through a sword release similar to that of a Shinigami's Zanpakuto."
"Wait, what's a Zanpakuto?" asked Erina, suddenly. "And sword release?"
"A Shinigami's katana is called a Zanpakuto," said Yoshirou, unexpectedly, partially drawing the sword from its sheath across his lower back. "This is mine. A Zanpakuto is part of the Shinigami's power, and Shikai, first sword release, is accomplished when a Shinigami who is harmonious with his Zanpakuto calls its name. The Zanpakuto will then assume its Shikai form and gain new powers. A second sword release, Bankai, can be used by captain-level Shinigami after intense training to release the absolute power of a Zanpakuto."
Erina looked a little confused, but didn't comment.
"If a Vizard's power is irregular and unstable, is an Arrancar's?" asked James, startling Steve. San looked at him for the first time since she started her explanation.
"Good question, but no. A Vizard actually has a portion of their own soul turned Hollow, and they have to subdue that inner Hollow before they are able to use the power unhindered. If they don't subdue it, the Hollow will try to take control of them, and it is possible for such a thing to happen, followed by great destruction in the vicinity. An Arrancar, meanwhile, merely takes on Shinigami-like powers, there is no battle to control the power, it simple is."
"Then Hollows are superior to Shinigami," James reasoned, which made their host frown.
"There have been quite a few arguments both ways on that," she said, "and I cannot tell you which is truly more powerful. You must decide that for yourselves."
"You were telling us about Arrancar release," Steve reminded, and San nodded.
"Yes. An Arrancar's sword is their true form in a contained state. They release their swords in the same way as Shinigami, a release word followed by the name, but instead of the sword assuming its true form, the Arrancar does. The released form is similar to the appearance of the Hollow before becoming an Arrancar, with their unique abilities or powers restored."
"So what does an Arrancar look like unreleased?" asked Steve curiously.
"Usually almost completely human, with the exception of the always-present Hollow hole, mask fragment, and often an Estigma, markings usually on their faces, which are unique to the individual."
It was easy after that for Steve to finish off his mental image, creating a released form and unreleased form for his little Arrancar Hollow. He was quite satisfied with the result.
"What are you going with all this?" asked James, leaning forward and resting his chin on his palm. "It's all very interesting, but why should we believe you?"
"Several of you have encountered Hollows before, and to be able to see, and attract, Hollows without understanding them is a dangerous position for a human to be in. It is important for you to know this history before I reveal what I gathered you for."
Steve glanced at James at the word history, and his friend glanced back for just a second before they redirected their attention back San.
"More or less thirty years ago, a Shinigami Taichou defected from Soul Society and took two other captains with him, along with a powerful device called the Hogyoku. This traitor, Aizen Sousuke, had already been performing experiments on Hollows, trying to create the perfect balance of Shinigami and Hollow power, and the result was an army of Arrancars who had sworn loyalty to him. They were hidden in Hueco Mundo where the Shinigami were unable to observe them, and that was where Aizen and his two generals went after leaving Seireitei, the central city of Soul Society. He fed the Hogyoku he had stolen to his own Hogyoku, making it even more powerful, and began the final stages of preparation for his plan to take over Soul Society."
"I'm gonna bet he failed," Erina commented, and Dikayumi adjusted his glasses again with a rather smug look.
"Of course he did. My father helped to defeat him, actually."
Steve looked at the younger boy skeptically. "What? But… you're a human…"
"Quincy," corrected Dikayumi, but he didn't elaborate as San continued talking.
"The Arrancar made up Aizen's main force, and the ten most powerful were called the Espada. Some of the Espada had servants, called Fraccions, who served them directly, and the three Shinigami, Aizen, Ichimaru Gin, and Tosen Kaname, were over them all.
"There was a group of humans, one of them a Shinigami Daiko and a Vizard, who had been involved in Seireitei when Aizen left, and Aizen further involved them by kidnapping one of their number. They raided Hueco Mundo, and later were reinforced by captains from Seireitei. Between them, the Shinigami Daiko and his companions defeated three Espada and several unimportant Arrancar, and the captains sent by Seireitei destroyed four of the other Espada inside Las Noches, Aizen's fortress.
"The three top-ranked Espada, along with Aizen, Tosen, Ichimaru, and various Fraccions and minions, went to the World of the Living while Las Noches was being invaded. They meant to use a human town to create a key to another dimension, a vital part of Aizen's plan, though the creation of this key would mean the deaths of everyone in said town. The remaining captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Divisions, along with their lieutenants and other key members, arrived over a replica of the town to stop Aizen, the real town and the citizens having been transported unknowingly to Soul Society for safety."
Here, she paused for a moment as if to gather her thoughts, and Steve noticed a slight tensing in her jaw, as if she was gritting her teeth.
"The following battle resulted in many deaths on the side of the Arrancar, and Aizen revealed how little he actually cared for their lives by cutting down the Third Espada himself after the deaths of the First and Second."
"Why would he do that?" asked Erina, looking rather insulted at Aizen's betrayal of his army. "It's completely unreasonable."
"Aizen simply saw them all as beneath him," San replied. "Any sacrifice was suitable, any death allowed, if it followed his plan."
"I hate this guy already," Erina muttered.
"Upon decimating the forces gathered to defeat him, and merging with the Hogyoku with the intent of transcending the normal limits of Arrancar and Vizard powers, he opened a gateway to Soul Society to make his key over the real town."
"The Shinigami Daiko, guardian of the town Aizen was attempting to destroy, followed him, arriving on the heels of Ichimaru Gin's sudden turn of alliances and failed attempt to assassinate Aizen."
There were a few raised eyebrows at this, and San looked around at them all, eyes finally falling on the person leaning in the doorway of the shrine that no one else had noticed yet. She inclined her head.
"Ah, you are awake. Care to join us, Nakamura-san?"