Lance: Hey, you know that saying to not make a deal with the Devil?
Helel: What about it?
Lance: Well...let's just say that we'll get a taste of that coming up.
Helel: I see...you're really the Devil aren't you?
Lance: No, you are.
[The Hostess of Fertility]
'Loud.'
That was the only thing I could think of as I listened to all of the patrons in the Hostess of Fertility letting out cheers and such in light of Evilus' defeat in Orario, even though it's been a week since the 'war' occurred. Even then, spirits were high since this was apparently the safest Orario has been in a long while ever since the Zeus and Hera Familia's were driven out eight years ago.
As I looked around, I noticed that the Hostess of Fertility seemed to be somewhat low staffed. It makes sense I suppose. Since most of the Astraea Familia haven't been killed yet, their deaths haven't kickstarted the events of what would bring in some of the Hostess' employees. So far, I can see the cat person Anya working as a waitress, not to mention that Mia Grand herself owns the place. And if my knowledge serves me right, there should also be a girl named May in the kitchen too.
And then there was the biggest elephant in the room regarding whether or not I should have come here.
Syr Flova herself, or should I say Freya. I could tell that it was her because even if she managed to hide her divinity from mortal senses, I could sense the presence and power that this person contained, and I could tell that, after comparing it to Dian Cecht and other gods who I've passed that it was one that belonged to a god. When I first saw her, I wasn't sure if that person was going to approach me for any reason, but she seemed to treat me like a normal customer, so I guess my soul just wasn't interesting enough for her to be intrigued in me. If that's the case, thank the Devil.
As long as I don't have to deal with her for now, then I'm happy with that.
"Here you go!"
I was broken from my thoughts when a large sizzling steak with potatoes were set in front of me, my mouth watering instinctively as I took the beautiful slab of meat, most likely cooked medium rare with the pan fried potatoes to the side of it.
Oh yeah, that looks beautiful.
"Thank you very much, ma'am." I said in thanks as I looked up and was greeted with the sight of the Dwarf owner of the tavern crossing her arms and smiling down at me. Mia Grand, also known as Mama Mia to some of the patrons here. And of course, Mia Grand, the former captain of the Freya Familia.
"You're sure a polite one aren't you? You don't see many of your kind here often. Anyway, make sure to eat up and put meat in them bones! You're still young after all, so don't hesitate to go all out here and order whatever you want." Mia said to me with a smile, pretty much asking me to buy more food, before walking away before I could say anything. In her defense though, she does have a lot of stuff to cook at the moment. Still...
"People here are so weird." I muttered before picking up the knife and then began to cut into my steak and eat it, the first piece of beef entering my mouth before I started chewing.
…
Oh wow, that's actually pretty delicious.
And with that, I could feel my first bite further whet my appetite as I dug voraciously into my meal and devoured it bite after bite with the occasional sip of my drink and not long after, I leaned back with a satisfied sigh, having enjoyed a beautifully cooked steak.
I reached out to grab the juice that I had ordered on account that I was underaged and wanted to drink once I was older, only to see that my glass mug was empty.
Ah.
"Excuse me, miss?" I called out and raised my hand towards Anya, the cat girl who was the nearest person to me.
"Yes, nya? And please, call me Anya!"
"Oh, alright then Anya. I was wondering if you can get me another mug of this juice when you get the chance?" I asked her with a smile and she smiled and nodded at me.
"Sure thing, nya!"
And with her acknowledgment of my ordered drink, she walked away, leaving me to my thoughts.
Today's Dungeon run proved to be pretty good, all things considered. The growth in my status completely exceeded anything I was able to do when I began to train my Quincy powers, but it did help that by today, I already had a basic understanding of what I could use.
I'll definitely need to practice my Hirenkyaku so that I can actually use it in the Dungeon. On the other hand, Blut Vene was pretty successful against the weakest of the Dungeon's Monsters which were unable to do a single thing to me, so I can probably afford to go to the fifth floor despite my stats being at I if I want to crank up my training and gain further excelia, but I need to check how effective Blut Arterie is first so that I have some firepower. Although, I'm sure that it will have considerable effect as well, if Blut Vene was of any indication.
Unfortunately I'm still no closer to figuring out what Robert Accutrone's Schrift is capable of, since I wanted to focus on actually using my Quincy techniques first.
The only notable actions he's done was appear in Captain Kyoraku's personal space at multiple instances, even if the second time was with the use of Grimaniel to shoot out the Shinigami's eyes, and the other action was him appearing at Ichigo's side and getting close enough to put his gun to the guy's head.
Oh right. There was even the time when he appeared next to Liltotto Lamperd and was seen aiming his weapon at her head point blank before he was killed by Yhwach's Auswählen.
"Sternritter N…'The Near'? Is he simply able to appear in the close vicinity of his targets or within blind spots? But how does he do that without even being caught? It's not as if he is some teleporter." I murmured aloud to myself, finding it comforting to just vocalize my thoughts. Sure, I'm still inside a tavern at the moment, but considering that I'm sitting alone with no one around me, surrounded by the cacophonous noise of cheers, chatters and clanging of drinks, I don't think anyone will really hear me, and even if they did, it wouldn't matter, especially since they'll have no idea what I'm talking about.
Besides, why should they care what a Level 1 Adventurer is talking about?
"Unless, his Schrift cancels his presence as he approaches them just until he gets up close to them where they could literally sense a disturbance next to their person but it'd be too late? So is N…the 'Nullification' or the 'Negation' of one's presence? No, that can't be it. He could have easily killed Kyoraku if that was the case. Damn…unless advanced Hirenkyaku or some sort of teleportation really was the answer so something like the 'Navigate' would allow him to appear in their blind spots."
Now that I thought about it, none of them were ever really looking at the spot Robert appeared at, did they? Even with his first encounter with Kyoraku, the captain wasn't really quite literally looking down, and in a split second he had to in order to see Robert right in front of him, and even with Ichigo and Liltotto, they weren't looking his way either, allowing him to get right next to the two of them at the two instances.
Yeah, that might be it.
Ugh, thinking about this is giving me a headache.
"Nya, here ya go!"
I was snapped out of my thoughts once more, my eyes greeted to the sight of a glass mug being placed in front of me courtesy of my fellow brunette.
"Oh, thank you very much." I thanked Anya with a smile when I looked over to her, with the girl cheerfully returning the smile.
"It's no problem, nya!"
Seriously, how can a girl this sweet have such an asshole brother who wants to chase after a woman who would never truly love him? Freaking gods of love.
"So, are you new to Orario, nya? I've never seen you here before." Anya asked me, probably curious as to who I was and just wanted to strike up a conversation with someone her age…
And probably to also find an excuse to stop working for a moment as well? Oh well, who am I to deny a conversation partner?
"Yes I am. I've actually been here in Orario for a week or so. My name's Sigmund and I'm a new member of the Dian Cecht Famila. It's nice to meet you." I answered her while also introducing myself with a polite smile.
"It's nice to meet you too, nya! As I said earlier, my name is Anya, just a normal kitty working at the Hostess of Fertility. Say, you really came here at the right time, you know? Where did you come from, nya?" She asked me, also referencing the fact that I came here shortly after the war with Evilus, and she wasn't wrong. I really did 'come here' at the right time, so to speak.
But she really knows how to cut straight to the point though doesn't she?
"Well you see Anya…"
[3rd POV - Anya]
"I'm afraid I don't know." Sigmund answered her question…eh?
"Nya! What do you mean you don't know?!" Anya exclaimed as she looked at the boy who seemed to be her age who simply laughed at her question as if she asked him something funny.
'What is he laughing for?' She thought to herself as he stopped laughing to answer her question.
"The thing is Anya, I was actually found on the streets of Orario near the end of the war with Evilus by Lord Dian Cecht's Familia with a head injury of all things, and when I woke up in their pharmacy, I realized that I lost all of my memories for the most part. I actually didn't know what my own name was until I got my Falna when joining him. Although, I'd appreciate it if you kept that a secret and not tell anyone this." He explained with a small smile and shrugged, seemingly going with the flow regarding the fact that he was an amnesiac.
'Who smiles and easily accepts the fact that they lost their memories?' The cat girl couldn't help but think to herself, but she can also admire that he is so easy-going about it, especially if he really was found in the middle of everything that had been going on. That said...
"You're weird, nya. But don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
"Thank you very much. And maybe I am weird, but I can't be any worse than many of the other people here in Orario. I mean…"
He leaned in and motioned for Anya to move closer to him, and call it curiosity killing the cat, but Anya leaned in to hear what he wanted to say to her, her head turned so that her ear was faced his way as he spoke softly, his voice covered by all of the noise around them.
"Have you seen the Freya Familia? They're probably the weirdest ones here in Orario. I mean, between you and me, they're all a whole bunch of simps for a woman who'll never truly love them."
When Anya's head snapped to face him with her eyes locked with his, she felt a chill go down her spine. While she doesn't know what 'simps' were and while she was a lot of things, the girl formerly known as Vana Alfi wasn't stupid. He was clearly referring to the fact that everyone in Lady Freya's Familia all sought her love…much like how her brother seeks her love.
And it's clear that Sigmund holds no love for the goddess for some reason.
But the fact that he would state that Freya would never love them was very crazy and bold. If anyone in her old Familia were to hear him…they'd surely be after his head. And if someone here heard him and word somehow got out to Allen…
"Please don't let anyone ever hear you say that." She warned him, her voice taking on a slightly begging tone as she made her request, even dropping her cat routine to get the point across. She didn't want the Freya Familia to possibly do something to her new family if this was heard, no matter how much she really wanted to agree with him.
To Syr, May, and Mama Mia, even if the Dwarf was a strong person.
"I don't want any trouble to come to us if someone here ever hears you say that and if the Freya Familia hears you saying this, you'll be in a lot of trouble too." She whispered urgently to him as a warning for him to keep quiet about what he had just said.
It seemed he did catch on though since he reached out and…
'Eh?'
Sigmund was patting her head with a smile as he nodded at her, his hand shifting her hair underneath her white headband. This was actually a feeling that was foreign to her that she's never experienced before.
'He's…petting me? It feels good…did Brother ever do something like this for me? No…I don't think he has ever patted me on the head like this.'
"Sure thing Anya. Don't worry, I'm not an idiot who would say something like that out loud. I won't cause any trouble for you guys, promise. I'm sorry if I worried you in any way." He said to her in a reassuring tone after he removed his hand from her head, and she could feel herself relax upon hearing his words, feeling in her gut that he was telling the truth.
"Thank you, nya…" She softly thanked him with Sigmund shaking his head.
"No, there's no need to thank me, Anya. I was just causing you undue stress just now, and I apologize for that. It's just that I was reminded of when that foolish newbie Bambietta would invite the Soldat to her room in order to 'relieve her stress' and would continue such a foolish course of action in spite of the fact that it caused problems for us, and yet…His…Majesty…"
Sigmund trailed off and seemed to have a thousand yard stare, and Anya saw that his skin seemed to lose color. Who was Bambietta? And who was this Majesty of his? Does he remember something after all?
He seems to stare forward, not focused on anything, and Anya could see the briefest flicker of fear cross his face, a fear that she has seen in the mirror more than a few times, so the girl reached to grab his shoulder and lightly shake him out of whatever was happening with him.
"Sigmund? Are you okay?"
It seemed that her concerned voice reached him as he snapped his head towards her.
"W-What? Anya?"
[1st POV - Just a moment prior]
What the hell was that?
What was I saying? Why was I talking about Bambietta Basterbine? Why was I calling her a foolish newbie?
And why the hell was I talking about His Majesty-
'This is the end for us!'
What? What was that?
'...we were formed for his sake. And all Sternritters that are deemed useless will be…'
I recognize this. This was during my- no…during Robert Accutrone's moment of panic before he was-
'CUT DOWN BY HIS MAJESTY'S AUSWÄHLEN!'
I felt fear.
I felt betrayal.
And then I was suddenly a bright blue seemed to fill my vision, and I could only be filled with dread as I saw the light-
"Sigmund? Are you okay?"
I snapped out of whatever had taken hold of me just now and found myself back in the real world, my head turning to see Anya looking at me with concern in her eyes.
"W-What? Anya?"
I looked around and then remembered where I was.
Right. I'm at the Hostess of Fertility in Orario. I'm not...I'm not dead. I wasn't struck by the Auswählen. It was Robert Accutrone who was hit. Not…me.
"Are you alright nya?" Anya asked me, drawing my attention back to her.
No. No I wasn't.
"Oh, yes. Thank you for asking Anya. Sorry, it seems like I was lost in my thoughts."
Before she could call me out on my possible lie, I heard Mia's voice ringing out.
"Anya, back to work!"
"Nyaaa! Sorry, Mama Mia, nya!" Anya said before looking at me for a moment to which I waved her off.
"Go on Anya. You heard the woman." I said to her and tried to give her a smile of encouragement before she nodded and walked away.
I reached into my pouch and drew out a good amount of valis to pay for my meal and leave the remaining amount as a tip for Anya, if Orario does that sort of thing before I placed them on the table, stood up, and turned to quickly leave the tavern, leaving the drink Anya had gotten for me untouched.
[3rd POV - Syr]
'Syr' watched as the young man Anya was speaking to left his payment on the table and then quickly left for the entrance of the Hostess of Fertility after Mia had called for the girl to get back to work.
His soul…she couldn't tell if it was a beautiful or ugly sight. It seemed like someone had taken it and molded it into something different that allowed it to gain a brilliant sky blue color, yet at the same time it felt as if such an action had dirtied it, even if she couldn't see any distinct representation of the stain on his soul. And that boy, he seemed shaken by something when he was speaking to Anya, seeing as he quickly left after the two talked.
"Nya? Where did he go?" Anya asked as she was headed to where he was sitting with a glass of water. And her soul. Her color seemed to shine just a bit brighter since meeting him. How interesting. She couldn't help but wonder what had occurred between them when she wasn't looking.
"I don't know Anya. After Mama Mia called for you, he left valis on the table to pay for his meal and then quickly stood up to leave without a word." Syr answered, causing Anya to look towards the door with a small frown.
"I hope he's okay."
How interesting indeed.
[1st POV]
When I returned to the Dian Cecht Familia's home, I went straight to my room to get undressed, removing my cloak, coat and tie, which left me in just my partially unbuttoned dress shirt since I was feeling strangely warm. I went straight to the bathroom where I removed my glasses and drew some water and proceeded to wash my face, feeling the cool liquid brush against my skin.
I looked up as I stood over the sink, staring at the reflection of my wet face that was imposed on the mirror against the wall after putting my glasses back on. Gray eyes, light brown hair, and square framed glasses. A teenage version of Robert Accutrone.
What's happening to me?
I shook my head clear of whatever intrusive thoughts I seemed to be having. No, I must be simply letting my imagination run wild and used events from the Thousand Year Blood War to compare Freya with that new upstart-
With Bambietta Basterbine. And accidentally revealed some of my knowledge. Yes. That must be it.
I walked over to my bed, redressing into my nightwear that was provided for me before I lied down and closed my eyes.
I think some sleep might help clear things up.
…
…
…
I opened my eyes to see a slightly older young man with brown hair and brown eyes looking at me with a smile. He seemed to be speaking to me in another language that I recognized as German. Who is he? Why do I feel at ease with him around?
"We've finally been acknowledged as Soldat, Robert! Isn't that amazing? To think that we have been acknowledged as Soldat in the time when His Majesty is prophesied to fully return to the world like the legends stated?"
What? Was he talking to me?
"Yes, I have to admit Walter, I'm quite happy, myself. And after all these years since the Shinigami had massacred our people, we will finally make a stand and fulfill the calling that was given to us."
Was that my voice? And who is Walter? Is that who I'm talking to?
"But let's just not stop here my friend. After all, we are merely at the bottom of the ladder, and you've always been a very powerful Quincy, and while I don't really share the same talent you have, I'm sure we can advance even further and become leaders within the Wandenreich. We just need to prove ourselves out in the field against the Hollows and eventually our efforts will be noticed and rewarded. Maybe one day, you'll become one of His Majesty's future Sternritter and I'll be calling you my boss as your right hand man."
His Majesty…is he talking about Ywhach? That must be who he was referring to right?
I could feel myself letting out a small laugh at his statement and responding back to his statement.
"Boss, eh? Alright then Walter. Let's prove ourselves on the battlefield then and when I surpass you, I'll make you start calling me your boss."
"Of course. After all, I always have to look out for you, don't I? And you for me. Brothers in all but blood who will always watch one another's back." Walter said, sharing a laugh with me as we clasped hands in a handshake.
Walter…he seems like a great friend doesn't he?
…
…
"Ugh!"
I felt my back impact the ground as Walter's Heilig Pfeil kicked up the ground below my feet where I had used my H̷̟͘i̴̲͐r̴̳̓e̸̠͊n̶̟̋k̷͒ͅỹ̶̞a̶̪̕k̷͍͊u̴̯̔ to appear at, my friend's quick reflexes helping him to pinpoint where I was going.
And so it was another spar that I had lost to him.
"You know Robert, you're really proficient with your H̷̟͘i̴̲͐r̴̳̓e̸̠͊n̶̟̋k̷͒ͅỹ̶̞a̶̪̕k̷͍͊u̴̯̔, despite being a few years younger than me. But you keep trying to use it to put distance between the two of us." Walter said to me as he disengaged his Heilig Bogen, the light receding back to his Quincy Cross.
"Well, I can't just foolishly appear right up close to my opponents with my Heilig Pfeil drawn just like you and risk taking damage just to deliver a guaranteed shot." I shot back at him, causing him to laugh as he stuck out his hand towards me, and I grabbed it before he proceeded to pull me up to my feet.
"But it works, and that's what matters. Sacrifices will have to be made in order to achieve victory. You know this Robert."
Yes, I did know. But even still, just because sacrifice is an option it doesn't mean that it should be the first thing that comes to mind.
"Anyway, let's go get some food, shall we? I heard that we had steak today."
"Steak?"
My mouth drooled slightly at the thought of steak and Walter laughed as he slung an arm around my shoulder, the two of us walking to the mess hall for food.
"Indeed my friend. Now onwards, to food!"
…
…
…No way…how could this happen?
"Walter! Stay awake, Walter! Just hang on. We'll get you medical attention and you'll be fine!"
I found myself kneeling next to Walter's body in the middle of the rain, my hands frantically and hopelessly pressing themselves against his wounds that had been dealt to him by an Adjuchas-class Menos Grande. He had been punctured through the stomach and through the sternum in a surprise attack since the creature had somehow managed to avoid being detected even with our ability to detect spiritual presences.
By the time I had noticed the fluctuation of Spiritual Power and quickly rushed over to investigate what had happened, I had seen my best friend hanging in the air with the creature's claw-like arms piercing his body, raising him up to devour him. And with a sudden burst of energy and anger I had never felt before, I appeared next to the creature with my H̷̟͘i̴̲͐r̴̳̓e̸̠͊n̶̟̋k̷͒ͅỹ̶̞a̶̪̕k̷͍͊u̴̔, my bow drawn and aimed at its head with Reishi going through my bloodstream to use Blut Arterie before I released my Heilig Pfeil and killed it while it was distracted, and I quickly grabbed Walter's falling body before using H̷̟͘i̴̲͐r̴̳̓e̸̠͊n̶̟̋k̷͒ͅỹ̶̞a̶̪̕k̷͍͊u̴̯̔ once more to bring him to the ground so I could set him down and try to treat him the best I could, leading to this moment.
It had been a routine mission, so how could it have turned out this way?
"Robert…? Are you there?" Walter called out weakly as he reached out and placed his bloody hands on top of my own bloody appendages and continued to speak without letting me answer him.
"I'm sorry Robert…I was too weak. I couldn't detect a weak Adjuchas like that and let my guard down as a result...no time to draw my Heilig Bogen to use a simple Heilig Pfeil…no time to even use my Blut Vene to protect myself…and here I am, dying…" He said to me, tears forming in his eyes before they slid down his face.
"You're not dying Walter. You're not weak. You're even stronger than me, remember? Now stop talking and save your energy. Some of the other Soldat are coming, alright? You'll receive care and you'll be fine." I tried to assure him, even if I tried to play ignorant to the severity of the wounds that were inflicted on his person. And I kept talking so that he could focus on my voice.
"We made a promise didn't we? I'd become the new Sternritter, part of the next generation of His Majesty's most powerful soldiers. And you said that you'd serve as my right hand man. You said you'd call me your boss." I said to him with a shaky voice, feeling my vision through my glasses becoming blurred by my tears as I looked down at my friend.
"So how could you realistically do that if you die here?" I asked him, not expecting an answer, and all he did was have the audacity to smile and laugh at my question as he gave me a response, despite me not telling him to speak.
"Ah…that's right. I'm sorry Robert. I did promise you that didn't I? We'd…make our way up the ladder from being simple Soldat. You'd become…a Sternritter….and I'd call you boss…we'd always look out for each other and watch the other's back…
Yeah…you'd be….an…..amazing person to work for…..Boss…"
…
…
"Walter?"
Silence.
"Walter? Come on, say something you fool. I know that I'd be an amazing Boss, so don't speak as if it's only a possibility…Walter….Walter….Walter!" I shouted, shaking him as he blankly stared up into the dark sky with a smile, his tears mixed with the droplets of water that pelted our bodies from the sky.
No, he can't be dead! He's Walter! He's always been stronger than me, even if he says otherwise! While I had the talent, he was always the one working the most to improve and surpass whatever limits had been imposed onto him! He can't die!
"Say something damn it! Stop pretending to just be lying there with that silly look on your face! Look at me, you bastard!" I shouted in anger at him, but no matter how much I yelled at him and spat profanities at his face, I knew the truth deep inside the moment I saw that smile.
And when I finally came to a halt, I had to accept the painful soul-aching truth.
Walter had died. My brother had died. And I was powerless to save him.
And as I looked up at the sky, I let out a scream and cry filled with anguish, unable to stop the tears flowing down my face as I let out my anger and grief at the death of my best friend. The man who should have become Sternritter instead of me.
…
…
…
"I've finally become a Sternritter, Walter."
It's been years since Walter had died, and that event had changed my life. Ever since he passed, I found myself taking up some of his bad habits, just as using H̷̟͘i̴̲͐r̴̳̓e̸̠͊n̶̟̋k̷͒ͅỹ̶̞a̶̪̕k̷͍͊u̴̯̔ to appear next to my opponents with the intention of surprising them with a point blank shot.
Not to mention since that day, I had taken to abandoning the traditional Heilig Bogen in favor of a Spirit Weapon that mimicked modern conventional weaponry to make up for the time it took to create the traditional bow and form a Heilig Pfeil, since the time that it took to form them would be seconds too late. Seconds that could have saved Walter.
Even if I did end up sacrificing some of the destructive power of my Heilig Pfeil, I made up for it with this weapon's ability to rapidly fire out Heilig Pfeils without me having to keep drawing a each individual arrow, and I'll surely be able to use a version of Licht Regen for this weapon one day.
"Do you see this Walter? I've finally become a Sternritter like I promised I would." I said to the old photo of my friend standing next to a younger me as I stood in front of it in my Sternritter uniform, which I had tailored to suit my personal tastes.
"And now, I can serve His Majesty as one of his Knights. But I still wish that you were here. Things haven't been the same without you. New faces have come and gone, and we're nearing the full completion of the Sternritter. The Grandmaster wished to hold off granting more members the title in favor of allowing the next generation to become Sternritters themselves, around the time that His Majesty is rumored to receive all of his power back from the impure Quincy. I'm not sure how to feel about such a course of action, but if that is his wish, we must simply have to follow it."
I stopped speaking and then stared at the picture of the two of us before letting out a small sigh.
"I'll be away for a while to gather more recruits for my Soldat, so I won't be able to speak to you again for some time. I'll see you another time, my friend."
And with that, I left my room, closing the door as I left the picture of my childhood behind.
…
…
…
I am Robert Accutrone, Sternritter N - 'The Navigate'. I have grown to become a man who has been shaped by the passage of time, easily into my fifties now. After His Majesty had regained his power, he had the newly formed Sternritter consume his blood and gain a power based on an initial of the English alphabet that he engraved into our souls. Mine was the letter N. It had been such a great honor for me.
While I was more than willing to be one of the first to lead an assault on the Seireitei, a part of me wished I had been leading the Jagdarmee rather than Quilge with my newly gifted Schrift to kill the residents of Hueco Mundo on behalf of his Majesty, but I had faith in my colleague that he'd kill more than his fair share of Arrancars and Hollows on my behalf. It's a shame that he had been killed in his conflict with the Special War Power Ichigo Kurosaki.
So instead, with this power, I was responsible for the deaths of many Shinigami, and while I failed to kill him, I was successful in taking the eye of the newest Head Captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads by appearing in his blind spot with the Navigate and taking his eye when he was too late to realize where I had appeared.
How funny that the trick I had taken from Walter would become the foundation of the Schrift I used. Using the power of my Schrift to appear in their close vicinity but in a manner where they wouldn't detect where I was until it was too late, not unlike what my friend usually did, except I 'navigated' by teleporting towards a blind spot where they weren't looking, my Spiritual Power undetected until I appeared right beside them.
Yet for all my efforts, I couldn't defeat the Captain that Äs Nödt was supposed to have apparently killed. I can't believe that foolish boy couldn't even finish the job after using a Captain's Bankai to rip its owner into pieces. Though I suppose I'm a fool myself for not making sure that the new Head Captain had a Heilig Pfeil in his head rather than his chest.
And it was at some point when I had realized that His Majesty had gone ahead without us. He had left us here and went ahead, leaving us behind. I had figured out why. We had been deemed useless to him. And as I told the newbie Liltotto this fact and about the fate he had for us…
"Don't you get it! This is the end for us! We've been deemed useless for the upcoming battles!" I shouted at the girl who looked at me with surprise.
"What…are you talking about…?"
Of course, she doesn't now. She was one of the new generation that Haschwalth wanted to bring in. She doesn't know that we're all about to be sacrifices for His Majesty.
"You newbies know nothing! Of how frightening His Majesty can be! The Sternritter was formed for His Majesty! His Majesty hated lies. So it wasn't a joke when I said we were formed for his sake. And all Sternritters that are deemed useless will be…CUT DOWN BY HIS MAJESTY'S AUSWÄHLEN!"
And then I felt before I saw the pillar of light crashing down onto my person. Even if it seemed like an instant, I had felt the greatest unending pain when I could feel my life being taken from me.
'Walter...is this truly what our fate was to be all along? Did His Majesty perhaps know this whole time that we would merely be dispensable tools for him? If so…how cruel…' I thought of my childhood friend whose smiling face I could remember before he had been killed by that Adjuchas.
'I never said it all those years ago, but goodbye…my brother…'
…
"AAAAHHHHH!"
I quickly sat up from my bed, panting and gasping for breath as I held a hand over my heart to calm myself.
Were...were those his memories? Those were glimpses of Robert Accutrone's life? Right?
Am I his reincarnation? Does that explain why I looked like him in that dream…that nightmare? Are we a mix of two souls or something? Did his memories imprint themselves onto me since I gained his Schrift and Vollständig?
What the hell happened to me as I was brought into this world?
I raised my hand to wipe the tears that had been pooling around my eyes and then shook my head.
"Stop it. Calm down man. You're not Robert Accutrone. You're Sigmund Gelbrand. You were given a new lease on life. You may have his memories and his powers, but you're still the same person you have always been." I said aloud to myself as I took a deep breath in and out, yet despite trying to reassure myself of these facts as I went back to sleep, what I had dreamed of echoed in my mind as if it was a searing memory.
I knew that the multiverse had to be real, but I didn't think that I would have seen the life of someone who wasn't talked about in Kubo's Bleach, and feel every single thing Robert felt as well.
His warmth for his best friend.
His anguish when he lost Walter.
His determination to become a Sternritter for Yhwach and the person who was like a brother to him.
His frustration when he lost to Byakuya Kuchiki and blaming Äs Nödt for not finishing the job.
And finally, the despair and fear he felt, knowing that he was going to be a victim of the Auswählen. That he was going to be thrown away.
It was honestly...a truly frightening experience.
AN: You guys totally thought that being reincarnated with gifts from the Devil wouldn't have any repercussions didn't you? Well surprise surprise! We'll be getting small snippets of the life of Robert Accutrone (which is completely OC for any new and existing Bleach fans because I wanted to give him some character since he makes up Sigmund's very being).
It won't really be an overarching well...arc. In this story, but we will see small snippets that will slightly explain how Sigmund, who for all purposes was a normal human, is able to use Quincy techniques with ease, with some other small details that will be explained in a small exposition the next chapter. The closest thing I can give a comparison to is Shirou Emiya and EMIYA from Fate/Stay Night, except it's less 'I don't accept you' and more of a clipped and slow general memory transference. Let me know how I did with showing it this chapter, some of Robert Accutrone's life and how it could have molded him into the person he is as well as molding Sigmund. I wanted to show that the reincarnation/isekai experience isn't as hot as people would believe and that there are always going to be flaws as well.
You may be asking why Hirenkyaku had corrupted text, but the reason for that is because that is what the Ishida (being Japanese) know this technique has, but there is presumably a German equivalent that wasn't revealed in the manga, since the Sanrei Glove was the Leiden Hant, and the Kojaku was the Heilig Bogen, so the memories recognize it as something else while Sigmund knows it to be Hirenkyaku.
Also the 'simp' comment to Anya, he knows that Anya was part of the Freya Familia, but he doesn't know her circumstances of being kicked out by Freya and Allen (LN 17 spoilers) and thought she just left willingly with Mia to get away from it all, which to be fair, she wasn't for their brutal lifestyle, so he didn't think she'd react that badly to it so that was why he stayed calm in making sure she was calm. Also, yes she does say 'nya' that much, especially if you read the LN and it is part of an act.
Anyway, I hope you guys liked this chapter and thanks for the support you guys have shown so far! 69 favorites (ba-dum-tss) and 91 follows, some from people whose works I read too, so it definitely means a lot!
PS: I'll be busy for a little bit so the next few chapters will be slower in coming out but I'll definitely still be working on them.
