Sequel to SAO IV's Prologue: Ichigo Kurosaki was never born, instead Asuna Kurosaki was born. A girl instead of a boy, one born with links to the past and future. Mysteries lay ahead for Asuna Kurosaki whilst Kazuto Kirigaya after hundreds of years still feels empty as his love died a hundred years ago. Time is of the essence as these two grow, what challenges awaits them?
Note: I do not own Bleach nor Sword Art Online, but I do own this fanfiction. Thanks for reading!
Chapter 1: 'Reborn'
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In the starry night, a gate creaked open as it reveals a tiny silhouette. A female clad in black traditional Japanese clothing with a sword on her hips. Short raven hair with a single bang on her front face and a determined look upon her face, she hops onto a column as the white moon illuminates upon her.
Tomorrow would be the day everything started. The day which changed the Soul Society itself. However for now, she could move freely and do her job freely without knowing the changes about to take place, forced by a mysterious force even the Gotei 13 could not face alone.
As she leapt off the electricity pole, her sandals touched upon another building's roof, with her hands on her sword's hilt. She had sensed something. Something was here, and she was to eliminate it. It was time to move. Dust and a gust of wind was left behind as the swordswoman disappeared, her silhouette reappearing in another house's roof.
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Long chestnut coloured hair.
Chestnut coloured eyes
Peach lips
Fifteen Years old.
Occupation: Karakura High School Student
Name: Asuna Kurosaki
It was only a normal day of school for the chestnut haired girl. Nothing more, nothing less… Or at least it was supposed to be.
She stood there, simply frozen. She was cold, she felt her fingers, her legs, her muscles, her body frozen. A soul, she had saw a soul again. Asuna never liked any type of 'ghost' or 'souls' as they would call themselves. There was one living in her house, but she managed to eventually get used to that man. However this young girl was a different matter.
Standing nearby was a short twin pig tailed girl. Sporting light blonde hair, with a white and red striped sleeveless shirt. One of her eyes, specifically her left one was filled with blood. At the enter of her relatively flat chest was a chain.
The chain on her chest was relatively long, and her body slightly transparent-like. Asuna collapsed to the floor as she stared at the girl, pointing at her profile. Next to the pole was simply flowers placed in a bottle. On the flower bottle, there was a note stuck which had read 'from Ishida - Hope you go to Heaven.'.
She never liked ghosts, or any astral type creature, be it from a movie, a book or real life. She was able to see 'spirits' from a young age, however always ignored them. Typical spirits didn't have an eye covered in blood, but this girl did.
This freaked out Asuna more than anything.
The girl stared at Asuna, who was on the floor, staring at the spirit with her pale face, as the spirit whimpered: "You… You can see me?"
To this response, Asuna's natural instincts kicked in. Whilst her body was still paralysed in fear, she gave a slight nod.
The girl gave a brief smile as Asuna got back up. Her body was robotic, senses were cold as she did so. It's… It's another ghost. Ugh… Everytime I see one, that memory comes back. Even if she wasn't like that other evil spirit… I still… I still can't face beings like her.
As she got up slowly, the girl pouted asked Asuna. "Are you leaving already?… Oh right, that school uniform, you've got school…"
She sighed as she tugged her own chain of fate, her cheery voice turning into a sadder tone. "I wish I was alive. Then I could go to school, then I could talk with everyone, I could play with everyone… But now I'm dead."
She looked up towards the bright blue sky, then at the bright light, towards the light's, at a many miles away yonder: The Sun. "It was on a day just like this when I died. A splinter took my left eye before I died. I still remember when I was taken to the Kurosaki emergency clinic."
Asuna almost had let out a gasp. That was her family's clinics. A pang of realisation, of fear and of curiosity hit her. How many people had died within her house? Was her house truly a place of despair, where people only dies? Why did she see these 'ghosts' or 'souls' as they called themselves? Why did she feel a connection to these beings? Was her mother… Was her mother one of these?
Many questions. Zero answers, that was how the world was always going to be. Who was going to ask her question, who was going to answer them? Who had the answers?
"When I was younger, I always thought there was some kind of god out there… When you died, maybe it'd be a good thing. My family was christian, but then I got stuck here. I have no idea where my mommy, daddy and my little brother went."
She put her hands on her chest. "But I hope… I hope they're all safe. Maybe there's really another world out there for us to go to, a place where we can actually rest."
Asuna stared at the soul. She had done her best to suppress it, however the mention of the word 'mommy' triggered her memories. Her eyes going blank, her entire body going soft as her body laid still.
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Flashback
In the riverbank nearby Karakura, where there was a steep river bank. The bank had green grass, all round. On top of the slope going downwards towards the secondary path the closest to the river, there was a mother and her child walking happily. The child was in a white karate uniform, crying somewhat as she held her mother's hand.
Then the young girl saw another girl crying for help. As her mother called out for her to stop, she didn't listen. She kept running. She soon was slapped by something she only caught a glimpse of. A giant furry rat like creature.
Minutes later she awoke as rain fell. The young girl with short chestnut coloured hair stared an older woman, with long chestnut coloured hair, laid still on the green grass of the river bank, crimson blood flowing out of her wounds, at her chest. There was now a hole in her chest
On her was a pendant. A pendant she grasped with her very dying breath, with a smile. "Live on… Asuna."
She stared and looked at the monster which was leaving. It was as if it was a ghost, or… A ghost monster.
As the monster left, she swore two things. One, to protect the ones she loved. Two, to get revenge on the monster.
As she cried on her mother's corpse, after minutes passed, she felt a pang of Nostalgia. Memories of someone not her.
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The experience was one she never recovered from. What was it that killed her mother? Was it the a ghost? All she remembered was a monster which suddenly disappeared like a ghost. After that, she began seeing 'spirits'… She told her father, but her father dismissed it as trivial imagination, her 'vivid imagination', and nightmares because her mother died. However she positive that this 'sight' of hers was something akin another reality. Even now she was afraid of ghosts because of how her mother died.
"Are you okay miss?"
Recovering from the brief flash of memories, Asuna slowly nodded towards the girl, signalling that she was indeed fine.
"You should go now, I'm sorry for holding you here so long." The girl took a breath as she continued on, squatting down to Asuna's height. "But thank you… Thank you for talking to me, it gets boring sometime… Being all alone…"
Asuna simply stared at the soul, as she robotically got up. A smile wasn't on her face, it was more of a face of terror. Every single time she saw a soul, the memory came back. The memory… Of her mother's death. The memory she could never forget.
She ran. As the girl smiled at her, she ran from the girl the instant she got up from her fall, heading towards Karakura High School.
During this time, she could only feel the regret and sorrow for not properly talking with the 'spirit' but also the fear of seeing that spirit again.
Why does it feel like in my heart, every time I see spirits… I feel like I'm missing something. Something warm, something I want… And it's not my mother either.
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Karakura Highschool
Walking into the classroom, she yawned, lifting her arms along with her bag. As she stopped, she suddenly felt her chest being groped.
"Asuna-chan's boobies are soooo large! They're almost as large as Orihime-chan's!"
"Eek!"
Asuna yelped out as she felt the redhead with glasses, known as Chizuru groped her breasts. Chizuru was positioned behind her, with her arms wrapped around her body Her fellow student had often groped other girls with large breasts such as herself or Orihime without remorse.
Chizuru made a dirty comment as she moved her hands towards the tip of Asuna's breasts which prompted a heavy hand response.
As Asuna yelled out: "Nooooo!", she used both her elbows to jab at Chizuru's body, which caused Chizuru to fly outside in the hallway towards the wall.
As Chizuru's body made contact with the wall, a huge thump sound could be heard as Asuna gasped at her excessive use of force.
"Chizuru-san?! Are you alright?"
At that moment, another auburn haired girl looked on at Chizuru and ran over to help her, along with Asuna. Both girls extended their hands to help Chizuru up.
Orihime, in her usual bubbly tone, yet now mixed in with a slightly worried tone said to Chizuru: "Chizuru-san… I think you should go to the nurse."
Asuna nodded in agreement. "Yeah… I'm sorry for the elbow jab I made on you. I'll help you to the nurse if you want to."
Another girl approached the trio, this time this student had spiky, messy and short black hair. She shook her head disapprovingly and chastised the duo who had helped Chizuru up.
"If you girls keep rescuing her like that every single time she'll never learn. Jeez… You're both too kind for your own good. I understand Orihime, but you Asuna? You've punched Keigo before for attempting to grope you, so why not Chizuru?"
Asuna gave a shrug to this, meanwhile Orihime with her cheerful bubbly tone responded to Tatsuki, with almost a chastising like tone. "I'm sure Chizuru didn't mean it Tatsuki…"
Chizuru, seeing her chance that she wouldn't be punched by Tatsuki for the first time for groping, decided to play it smart and thank Asuna and Orihime for helping her up and play the incident off.
"Thanks Asuna, Orihime but I think I'm fine."
Asuna and Orihime both smiled. Both girls with similar hair colour and beauty smiling made it as if the sun itself was shining upon them.
Keigo sighed as he saw this and complained yet again to Asano. "Do you see this bullshit?! Chizuru gets to grope but we don't! Last time I tried to grope sweet, sweet Asuna-chan's breasts she straight out punched me! I got a black eye for the rest of the week!"
The African American-Mexican-Japanese 6 foot tall giant, towering far above the duo of Keigo and Asano shook his head as he then waved to Asuna.
"Good morning, Asuna."
Asuna waved back to the 6 foot tall giant and smiled brightly. "Morning Sado!" She and Sado had shared a history of… Street fighting. She may have seemed like a gentle girl through her looks, however in reality, she wasn't all that gentle. At least, not since that day her mother had died.
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Flashback in Flashback
A younger Asuna, as if staring through her memories stared towards at the scene. It was as if she was unconscious in this scene. No… Unconscious wouldn't be a good way to define it. Her older-self wasn't able to move her body, she was paralysed. She understood what was happening outside.
A young black youth dressed in late 19th century Japanese clothing smashed the ground with one fist as he swore, causing the hollow to chuckle. "So you finally realise it, don't you boy. Your lack of power, the power you lack to even face me."
The youth smashed the ground in anger, as if he were much in pain to move, as the beast turned it's attention to the older, much more heavily injured male.
The older looked at the beast, as it asked him: "Any last words, Shinigami?"
The older male looked at the youth, as he said to him with his last pleading breath: "Avenge… m…"
As he was about to say it, the beast yawned, and plopped the injured male into his mouth. "Boring. Too boring for your last words. But I guess, you were worth it. That tasted good… So much energy."
The beast then looked towards the three children, who were conveniently tied up. He slowly walks towards them, licking his lips.
"The appetiser for my second lunch…. Mhm…"
The youth yelled from the depths of his throat. "NO! Don't! Please! I'm begging you… Spare them! Eat me first! Please, spare them!"
The beast chuckled as it magically teleported next to the youth, who was struggling to barely attempt to stand.
"Shut up, boy!"
Grabbing his body by its tail, it flung the youth towards a wall with a throw using itss tail.
With pain throughout his body, whilst he spat out crimson red blood out from his mouth, his bones broken rendering him unable to even stand, the youth watched as the children screamed.
One of the older children, probably eleven years old and likely the oldest of them all spat at the beast as he said to it: "I won't let you, I won't let you kill them before you get through me!"
The beast chuckled, as it began to move its tail, causing extreme anxiety on the children's faces. "Easily fixable."
The beast wrapped its tail around the children, as the youth yelled weakly with a young maiden, looking alike to Asuna herself still seemingly unconscious: "No! Stop! Don't do it, please!"
Crystal blue tears streamed down his eyes as he shouted, however to the creature with no emotion but hunger, this was no use.
The remaining two children screamed, but were quickly silenced, as the beast laughed and said to them: "No worries now… I'll treat you well in my belly! Once you become apart of me!"
They were eaten whole, as the youth screamed at the Beast. "Damn you…! Damn you! Fuck you! You bastard! I…I will… I WILL AVENGE THEM!"
The beast used sonido and instantly arrived in front of the youth as it said to him, bored: "I'll have some fun with this one before I eat him."
He threw the youth towards the maiden, as the youth crawled towards her supposed older self, his entire body on the ground, blood seeping through everywhere. His hand reached for hers…
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School went by as always. However today, Asuna simply felt something was off. Her senses was telling her, something was here. She could feel it outside as her eyes stared out the window towards the crystal clear blue sky.
"Kurosaki, do you mind to tell us what this equation equals?"
Asuna blinked back into reality as she stared at Ms. Ochi. She had been sidetracked by what was out there, something which had managed to grab her attention. She franticly looked at her notes and looked at the question Ms. Ochi had given her.
"Uhh… X=9…?"
Ochi shook her head disappointedly. "Wrong. The answer is that X=5 because… Kurosaki-san, have you been even paying attention?" Asuna shook her head franticly as her classmates stared.
Keigo whispered to Asano as he looked towards Asuna, taking advantage of Ochi's focus being on Asuna. "Hey… What's up with her? She's normally quick to answer to these questions. She's not the type to space out in class… Heck she's probably the smartest one here competing with Ishida…"
Asano replied with only a shrug to Keigo's queries as Keigo snapped back at Asano: "What do you mean you don't know?!"
As Asano was about to shush Keigo to not get caught by Ms. Ochi, as Asuna continued speaking to Ms. Ochi. "I'm sorry Ms. Ochi… I didn't listen since I just… I just don't feel that well. My head has been spinning."
Ochi sighed as she looked at Asuna, her attention focused upon her student. "I understand. I trust you, Yuuki. Head over to the nurse room immediately. If you're not well, you should rest a bit."
Asuna weakly nodded as she slowly got up from her seat. With everyone staring at her, she felt her head feeling light, as if she actually had a headache. Where as reality was that she simply had this feeling. This feeling she could not shake off. A sense of familiarity, a sense of… Something she had felt before. A sense of nostalgia. A cool, yet empty pressure to her soul.
Opening the doorway of the class room as she walked out, she took one last look at the class, where Ms. Ochi was busy lecturing them as the class did their own thing. Some listened, some whispered to each other in secret and some pretended to listen whilst staying asleep. She couldn't understand but, something truly felt… Off.
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Heading back home towards her house after yet another uneventful day, with only misery as she remembered the headache she had today and the weird feeling her body felt during class. As she crossed the streets towards the small road which led to the Kurosaki clinic, her home, she once again felt that tingly feeling.
That feeling, as she approached the place where she had seen the ghost-girl this morning. The 'spirit' or 'soul'. The pole with the flower bottle where the ghost girl was located. Asuna's heart pounded as she dreaded walking past the area. The girl's eyes, the girl's astral form, the girl's pained voice.
I… I'm just afraid of it. I'm afraid of all of it. Ghosts, spirits, souls, whatever you call them. Ever since she died. Ever since I remembered. Ever since…
She was shook out of her thoughts as she heard screaming from the next corner of the street; the same corner where the flower vase was being kept. The flower vase which was given tribute by someone to the girl.
Asuna instinctively ran towards the high pitched scream as she saw the girl, invisible to the 3 other males on the same street screaming at the males at an attempt to stop breaking the vase.
The three males, at their teens and all with tattoos across their arm, led by one which had a mohawk were clearly gang members. Buffed and tattooed, it was clear they were from a gang. Which gang however, Asuna didn't know. Whilst she and Sado had both often beaten down gangs, this gang she wasn't familiar with. Maybe they were from another town…?
Unable to control herself and her instinct to 'protect' the soul, she spoke out loud towards the 3 gang members: "Put that vase down. That's a memory for someone who died there."
The lead gang member, the man with the mohawk turned towards Asuna and laughed as he walked towards her. "Boo hoo, what'cha going to do little girl? Suck my dick?"
He leaned over and looked at her face as he towered over her. She herself was only 5'7' whilst the man was about 6'2' or even taller. Likely as tall as her Mexican friend, Sado. He moved his arm, towards her head, as he attempted to pat her.
However as his hand came close to contact with her smooth chestnut hair, Asuna had ducked and punched him in the stomach. As the man was thrown aback by the force of the punch, he stumbled back as the other gang members looked in surprise.
With one hand on his stomach, now standing several meters away from Asuna he pointed at her: "You… You insolent filthy bitch! I'll make you pay!"
The lumbering male charged towards her as he grasped his fist, turning his waist slightly preparing to punch her with his right hand with the full weight of his body.
Too easy… All the gang members only rely on brute force to fight. But all this just reminds me how much I hate fighting…
She sighed. The lumbering hulk seemed so slow to her, as she bidder her time and simply ducked dodged rightwards, as she then ducked down and delivered a kick directed towards the male's groan.
The male's eyes widened as he saw her getting into position. Realising it was too late as inertia had taken into effect, not allowing him to change his posture, it was akin to as if he was in slow motion as he saw her kick him in the groan, causing him to fumble back in pain, as he hit a nearby wall.
He had no time to look up as Asuna then delivered a punch onto his face as he yelled: "Please stop! Not the face, not the face! Please… I promise I won't throw away the flowers, I'll even come here everyday and put my own here!"
She looked at him and then turned away as she nodded. "As long as you… Understand." As she began walking away the male had a smirk whilst one of the gang members took out a knife and slid it at him at the ground.
The lead gang member gave a nod as he picked up the knife. "Heh… Bitches like you… Tricked so easily."
As he charged towards her with the knife, once again Asuna dodged him, leaving her leg on the floor in the way of his charge, tripping the man as she then witnessed him fall on the ground, dropping the knife.
Looking at his arm, Asuna slowly walked towards it, as she pulled it towards the left. The man yelped in pain until a distinctive crack could be heard.
As she then sat on him and then prepared to pull the left arm, she asked him. "Are we done here?"
The man, on the ground cursed. "Fuck you… I will… I will kill you. I'll make sure you'll regret this."
She tugged onto his arm, with a faked gentle smile. "I'm sure you will. Not today though."
The man yelps in pain as he yelled out: "Alright alright! I get it! Please… Let me go… I promise you'll never see me in Karakura again!"
She sighed as she stood up and got away from the man, as his fellow gang members went to help him.
"Leave. Now."
The two quickly nodded. Unwilling to suffer the same fate as their leader, they quickly picked up him and dragged him along as they left.
As they were leaving, Asuna looked at the soul nearby the pole where the flower vase once stood. "I'm sorry, I should've responded this morning to you… I just…"
The girl smiled brightly. Her face reminding Asuna of Yuzu, her dear little sister. "It's alright, I get it. People sometimes look at me, the ones that see me can. But they try un-see me. But anyway, what's your name, Ms?"
Asuna's body felt weird as she looked upon at the spirit. This interaction… Felt familiar. It felt much less scary. Her body felt natural, her mind felt at peace. Her soul felt that this interaction was just familiar.
"My name is… Asuna Kurosaki."
The soul replied to her, smiling: "Misaka Takahashi."
Asuna looked at the young girl, as she squatted down to the soul's height. "So… How did you end up dead?"
The soul looked towards the mountain nearby Karakura as she sighed. "It's a… Long story really."
As the soul was about to tell the story, Asuna felt something. Something dark, something emitting pressure, something emitting a pressure that felt like strangling her, or rather making her uncomfortable.
As she looked around everywhere, Misaka screamed. "No… No… It's them…!"
Asuna looked at Misaka who pointed forwards, slowly turning around towards where Misaka pointed. A gigantic monster, with a hole at its heart. A grey body, with a tail behind it as if akin to a dinosaur or Godzilla-like beast, with a mask on it, it was terrifying. On the mask, it's teeth appeared to be outside, as its huge size spread fear towards Asuna and Misaka. It made a feral scream as it looked towards Asuna and Misaka.
Asuna held Misaka's hand as she saw the monster, stuttering: "T-Them…?"
Misaka nodded slowly as she stared at the monster. "The big grey monsters who try to eat us… They. They are the guardians of the dead or something… Like devils. I have no idea but I once saw another dead person get eaten by them."
The monster licked its lips as it approached the duo. "Yummy human. You have a large amount of energy. What a good catch for today."
Asuna simply stared at the monster, her body unwilling to move as she stood still, staring at the monster. Paralysed in fear, unable to move she simply stared at it as seconds became hours, to her it slowly approached her.
Is this it…? Is this my end? Why… Why won't my body move?! Move dammit! That day I couldn't protect mom… Today, today I need to protect this soul. I need to protect. Please… Let me move! Move!
Willing her body, Asuna moved as she picked up the knife left behind by the gang members, as the monster laughed. "Ha-ha-ha! Do you think puny knife can scratch me?!"
Asuna looked at the knife, then looked back at the monster as she stood up straight to face it. "It might not be able to… But I will still fight!"
As she said that, she charged towards the monster with the knife, however the monster simply grabbed her delicate arm easily as it flicked the knife away.
It then proceeded to grab her whole as it dragged her up to eye level. Asuna could feel her heart racing as the monster looked at her. "Your soul, it seems tasty. You have a-lot of spirit energy, you seem like the best meal."
Asuna glared defiantly at the monster, unfazed from the outside. "Do your worse, monster." She closed her eyes as she whispered her last words.
"I'm sorry. Yuzu, Karin… Dad. How worthless am I? I couldn't protect mom and now I couldn't even protect myself. So much for those lessons I took in karate for 'self-defence', I can't even defend myself… I'm sorry.. And goodbye."
Moments later however, she felt her body dropping to the ground alongside the monster's arm, which had loosened its grip allowing her to break free. As she opened her eyes, she saw the monster facing off against a petite, raven haired girl in a black clad uniform wielding a katana of sorts.
With immense speed, this raven haired girl moved quickly, as she jumped to reach the hollow's height, raising her katana. The hollow made a feral growl as it attempted to punch her, only for the girl to gracefully step on the arm as she leaped up further and slashed right down at the hollow, using an overhead slash, slashing her blade down through the monster easily.
As she slashed down, landing towards the ground gracefully using gravity to help her slash, the petite girl turned towards Asuna and Misaka.
She pointed at Misaka as the monster behind her faded towards the dust. Asuna looked at the petite girl, as she felt something was off. The feeling, was awfully familiar. It felt familiar to her, as if second nature. The uniform, the sword and that monster.
Why?
"I need to perform a Konso on you. Don't worry, you'll be sent to heaven… Soul Society. It's a great place, trust me."
Misaka whimpered as she looked at the petite girl, frustrated. "But… But I don't wanna! I want to stay here. I'm scared, I don't want to leave…"
The petite girl, clad in black uniform replied to the girl with a monotone voice. "Unfortunately, as you can see on that chain, everyday it grows shorter is everyday less you have to spend here. If you continue to stay here… You'll become one of them. Trust me, Soul Society is a great place."
Misaka looked at the petite girl and sighed as tears fell down. "May I have a moment with Kurosaki-san?"
The petite girl nodded, replying monotonely. "Yes, however don't take too long. I have more of those hollows to catch."
Misaka stared at Asuna as she cried, tears flowing down her one remaining eye. "I… I didn't want to die. My wish was that I could stay here, maybe one day I could revive. Maybe one day… I didn't need to suffer this fate."
Asuna hugged her as she comforted Misaka, stroking her hair gently: "It'll be alright, the girl said that heaven isn't such a bad place. I promise, I'll still put flowers here everyday I come here. I promise, you won't be alone anymore."
Misaka smiled slightly as Asuna released her. "Thanks… Kurosaki-san."
"Call me Asuna. Don't be so formal"
"Alright then, Asuna. Goodbye."
Asuna waved her hand as Misaka looked towards the petite girl swordswoman. "I'm ready."
The swordswoman gave no reaction, slowly turning her sword around, putting the bottom of the katana she was using on top of Misaka's head, as a blue light enveloped Misaka's body. Slowly, Misaka disappeared from this plain of reality as Asuna stared upon the petite girl.
"So now that she's gone, who are you?"
The petite girl sheathed her sword as she stood back up, giving only a slight response. "I am a Shinigami."
Finishing her statement, the petite girl leaped up with supernatural speed as Asuna watched, astounded by her jump's height. Leaping towards another building, she had soon left Asuna's sight.
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So who is this 'Shinigami'?
What does Asuna feel familiar with?
Find out next time, on Bleach: Reincarnation
In all seriousness, thanks for reading this everyone. It'll likely take a long time for me to update but I've finally gotten around posting the first chapter, this hopefully will have better fights, plot and character development than my previous fanfictions. There's a huge plot line planned out, and once I'm done with Reincarnation I'll go back to the prequel. Lately I've had a-lot to do due to this being my final year, so obviously with that comes exams. I'm thinking of writing fan-fictions as a CAS Minor however I'm not sure if I can do that. We'll see I guess.
Anyway, see you all on the next update! Thank for supporting me. Remember to favourite, leave a review (Always read those) and follow!