Author's Note:
Hello all, I am Getsuga Goon. Welcome to my first-ever what-if story/fanfiction.
First off, writing is merely a hobby for me as I am a full-time engineer, which can be insanely time-consuming. That said, writing is definitely not my forte and I am a novice at best, so any and all constructive criticism is greatly appreciated! The story has gone through many revisions already thanks to such constructive critiques and I'm learning a lot about creating a more enjoyable story for both myself and you all!
Acknowledgments: This takes inspiration from the Bleach Fanfiction named "White" by Melkor's Mercy, which has not seen an update for over 3 years as of my posting this story on 5/13/2023. The following is my attempt at a rewrite/reimagining of this scenario to be more consistent with the canon timeline, but many ideas will be carried over.
The following is a general list of things I plan to change while being as spoiler-free as possible:
Heavier inclusion of characters not focused on or even included at all in the original fanfiction, the most significant example being the Fullbringers. (Although the author had plans to bring the Fullbringers in later).
Heavier focus on the relationships the Kurosakis build with other characters.
White is initially less powerful than in the original fanfic… but he WILL snowball later on into becoming easily one of the top tiers (should go without saying to be honest).
Speaking of, let's talk about White's character. I'm trying to balance raw Hollow Ichigo (the Zanpakutō) with actual Ichigo, so I'm sorry to say this but White isn't going to be quite as savage in this fic in some regards but will still definitely have his moments. At the heart of Ichigo is being a protector, so having him kill everyone in sight, especially those in pain/who need help is a no-go for me, no matter what the context!
Expect some exposition here and there. I have this to assist more casual fans about the more abstract lore for the Bleach universe, as I notedly plan on including elements from the light novels in this story. Also, just to get this out of the way, Ichigo x Orihime will happen for those who care about shipping.
I must stress, Yuzu and Karin are just as much of main characters in this story as Ichigo is. THIS STORY IS NOT JUST ABOUT ICHIGO BECOMING A HOLLOW, BUT ALSO THE IMPACT AND EFFECTS IT HAS ON HIS FRIENDS AND FAMILY. If you came here expecting a fic solely focused on Ichigo, you may be disappointed.
Lastly, I ask that those who choose to leave a review on a given chapter also read the corresponding Author's Note. Any reviews that are overly hateful and unconstructive will be reported or deleted.
Chapter 1: Death and Rebirth
Evening, Karakura Town
On the street, a gang of young men surround a teenage boy with spikey orange hair wearing a gray uniform. Another man lies face first on the ground, blood leaking from his face, which appears to have been harshly bashed in somehow.
One of the men, who wears a nose ring, growls at the boy, "You come here, stomp Li'l Yama in the face, and order us out like we was dogs?!"
The teenager scowls deeply, deliberately ignoring the man's further angry words, "Are you crazy, punk? You got a death wish? SPEAK!"
Although the men do not know it, the boy they are surrounding is Ichigo Kurosaki, a notorious high school student known for his approach of beating up bullies instead of trying to make peace with them. The boy also has a long history of being bullied, himself, particularly over his orange hair, which has earned him the title 'Strawberry'.
The man with the nose ring finally has enough and charges angrily, "Say something, you little shit—"
Ichigo suddenly kicks the thug in the face, knocking him down with his head spinning.
The others in the gang flinch in instinctual fear as one of them gasps, "NOW HE DROPPED LI'L TOSHI!"
Another of the men stumbles back slightly, completely shocked, "This is missed up… real messed up… that's one bloodthirsty strawberry."
Before 'Li'l Toshi' can even hope to recover, the boy casually stomps his head into the ground as with the first thug.
This scene makes the other men further recoil slightly as Ichigo hisses and points at something down the road, "SHUT UP! ALL YOU CHUMPS, LOOK AT THAT!"
Further down the road is a damaged and tipped-over vase housing a couple of flowers.
After a moment, the teen promptly continues shouting, making the men flinch again, "QUESTION ONE!"
He wears an angry, feral smile as he suddenly points at another, bearded man with piercings among the group, "YOU, SMELLY LOOKIN' DUDE! YOU TELL ME WHAT THAT IS!"
The bearded man sweats nervously as he answers, "Um… An offering for some dead kid?"
Ichigo immediately closes the distance and kicks the man's head so hard that his brain rattles inside his skull, "Check out the brain on Smelly!"
The man's companion shouts as he watches him fall to the ground, "LI'L MITCH!"
The remainder of the gang gathers around 'Li'l Mitch' to check if he's alright while the orange-haired boy, unimpeded, continues, "QUESTION TWO!"
Ichigo shifts a glare on the men as his voice quiets down somewhat, "Why is that vase lying on its side?"
The remaining thugs sweat nervously as they reveal, "That's because we knocked it over with our skateboards…?"
The teen nods, his voice now a low growl as the men's faces pale, "Is that so…?"
Ichigo once more shouts as he suddenly points at the form of a wraith floating in the air behind him, taking the form of a bloodied little girl, "THEN YOU'D BETTER APOLOGIZE TO HER, SHOULDN'T YOU?!"
The men scream in primordial fear before hastily picking up their friends and running off as they further scream in fear, "WE'RE SORRY! WE'RE SORRY! DON'T HURT US! WE'LL NEVER DO IT AGAIN!"
After the men disappear from sight, the teen grunts with an annoyed look on his face, "Well, you shouldn't see them around here, again…"
Ichigo then quietly looks at the wraith next to him, still floating in the air. Among his other talents, the boy has the rare and unique ability to see ghosts, something only a handful of mortals can ever dream of doing. Although, he generally likes to keep it to himself, meaning not many people know he can communicate with the dead.
After another moment, the teen's features soften as he speaks to the ghost girl in a much softer tone, "Sorry for using you like that."
The ghost responds to the boy with an appreciative tone, "That's ok. I asked you to get rid of them. I was so glad to help."
Ichigo nods before starting to walk away as the sun begins to set, "I'll bring fresh flowers soon."
The floating girl smiles in joy at the promise, "Ok. Thank you… now I can rest in peace."
The orange-haired boy waves as he calls back to her again, "No problem. Yeah… you rest in peace…"
As Ichigo continues to walk off, his thoughts drift to his family back at home, making him frown, "The old man's gonna have a cow, but this needed to be done… I am Ichigo, that means I'm 'the one who protects'…"
His stride slows slightly as his gaze becomes distant, "It's the name Mom gave me…"
Night, Karakura Town
In this world, there is an afterlife—multiple afterlives to be exact, which comes with its fair share of spiritual beings that mortals like to call ghosts. Shinigami are the death gods known to protect and preserve the natural order involving the afterlife, a task which they have done for over a million years. Rukia Kuchiki is one such being, taking the appearance of a young raven-haired girl in a black samurai outfit—which is the signature look of all Shinigami.
Rukia is currently patrolling the streets of Karakura Town, a suburb of Tokyo, as she considers her mission, "Captain Ukitake said that there has been strange Reiatsu coming from this town recently. But so far, I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary…"
The samurai woman leaps between rooftops, continuing to carefully survey the town below. After a while, her eyes become distant, her thoughts drifting to a man with spikey black hair.
"Captain Ukitake… would he really have killed Kaien?", as the thought comes, the woman shakes her head and slaps herself mentally.
"Don't get distracted while on duty, Rukia! You can think about that later!", she scolds herself.
After a moment, her purple eyes become almost remorseful, "Besides, thinking about what ifs won't change what happened. What's done is done…"
Just then, something in her robes buzzes violently, prompting her to pull out a phone, "My spirit phone's going crazy… that must mean there's a Hollow in the area…"
The Shinigami narrows her eyes slightly before they widen urgently, "I-It's on the opposite side of town!"
Wasting no further time, Rukia now sprints from rooftop to rooftop, her thoughts worried, "Please let me be quick enough…!"
Kurosaki Clinic, Karakura Town
Ichigo returns home to his family's clinic well after sunset, having spent more time than planned straightening out the punks for disrespecting the ghost girl. Just as he opens the front door, he is assaulted by a familiar foot to the face, knocking him right on his ass.
Isshin, a black-haired man with a stubble beard and Ichigo's father, starts scolding him, "DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS, DELINQUENT?! DINNER AT THIS HOUSE IS AT 7 O'CLOCK SHARP, EVERY NIGHT!
The boy angrily counters as he rises from the ground, "IS THAT HOW YOU GREET YOUR SON WHO JUST HELPED A GHOST FIND PEACE?!"
His father growls, furthering the banter, "JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE GHOSTS AND I CAN'T DOES NOT MAKE YOU MAN OF THE HOUSE! MY RULES ARE IRON!"
Across the room, two young girls are at a table with bowls set out and a pot of steaming rice in the middle. One of the girls has short, dirty blonde hair held with a strawberry hairpin on the left side. She also wears a light green, one-piece dress with a pink apron on top.
This girl is Ichigo's younger sister, Yuzu, and she wears a pleading expression as she regards her brother and father, "Would you two please stop fighting?! Come over and eat dinner before it gets cold!"
The males ignore the young girl's pleading, leaving the other, more nonchalant girl sitting at the table to shrug. This one is Yuzu's twin sister Karin, who has short black hair and wears a blue t-shirt with gray shorts.
The black-haired girl's tone is casual as she eyes the pot of rice in the middle of the table, "Let them fight. It means more rice for us."
Karin promptly grabs more rice with her chopsticks before placing it in her bowl.
Ichigo suddenly snaps at his father, roaring, "YOUR RULES ARE WAY TOO STRICT! DECENT FATHERS DON'T MAKE THEIR TEENAGE SONS BE HOME BY 7:00!"
The young blonde girl perks up from her rice as she points at something next to her brother, "OH! Ichigo, I think you brought home another one!"
The teen flinches before turning around and gawking at the form of a male, bespectacled wraith, "Wha—HOLY SHIT! WHERE'D YOU COME FROM?!"
The floating man simply waves casually at the teen, "Hey…"
Ichigo shouts in immense annoyance, "I EXCORSIZE ONE AND ANOTHER LEECHES ON TO ME! SHIT!"
His black-haired sister casually shifts in her chair as she looks at the scene, unimpressed, "He sees them, talks to them, touches them, and even channels them. A quadruple threat. Must be a pain, Strawberry, be in such high demand."
As the orange-haired teen swats away the ghost, attempting to make it leave, Yuzu shifts with a slight pout as she squints at the scene, "I can't help but be a little jealous of you, Ichigo. I wish I could see spirits clearly like you. Then I could make so many new friends."
Ichigo sweat drops as he holds the ghost back, who seems to be trying to hug him, "Yeah, I wouldn't exactly call this freeloader my friend…"
"GET OFF OF ME!", the boy cries in the next moment as he swings at the spirit, causing it to retreat slightly.
Karin continues to look at the scene with disinterest before sighing as she turns back to her rice bowl, "Well, I think it's a load of crap. Ghosts aren't real."
Yuzu furrows her brows and purses her lips, visibly troubled, "Huh? But Karin, you can see ghosts as clearly as Ichigo can!"
The black-haired girl wears a cold, disinterested expression as she reveals, "I'm in permanent denial. If I don't acknowledge them, then they don't exist. Simple as that."
The blonde girl and the male ghost visibly gawk, the spirit visibly offended as he speaks, "T-That's so cold…"
Ichigo, now momentarily freed of the spirit's presence thanks to his sister's cold words, begins to stretch his shoulder, visibly dropping his guard.
Isshin's voice suddenly roars as the man capitalizes, "DROPPED YOUR GUARD—"
The father's punch is easily caught by his son, who shifts to counter. However, a chill rushes down the boy's spine causing him to flinch and take the punch to the face.
Isshin promptly celebrates his victory, while all three of his children tense up and widen their eyes, visibly filled with dread.
Yuzu looks terrified as her body buckles slightly and she brings her arms close to her chest, "W-What is this?!"
Their father immediately stops his comical celebration at hearing his daughter's words, making him look at his children with a serious and urgent expression.
Karin doesn't notice the look on her father's face as she sweats nervously and looks at her brother, "Ichigo... is this one of your friends, too…?"
Ichigo frowns deeply, about to respond. Before he can, a giant hand suddenly bursts through the walls of the house, sending debris everywhere as it violently grabs the black-haired girl. The teen widens his eyes in horror as the wall fully collapses, revealing the monster's entire form. It's a bestial creature, the likes of which the Ichigo has never seen. The force of its fist going through the wall was enough to knock both Isshin and Yuzu out cold, which the orange-haired teen is quick to take notice of.
"YOU BASTARD!", Ichigo roars as he grabs one of the chairs and rushes outside to confront the retreating monster who dares attack his family.
Now on the street with the beast, the teen moves to slam the chair into it, but he is easily knocked back as the monster hits him with its fist.
The beast sniffs the air briefly, as Karin squirms in its grasp, "L-LET ME GO, YOU MONSTER!"
Surprisingly, the creature actually obliges as it suddenly releases its grasp, leaving the girl to fall to the ground like a sack of potatoes, making her sprain her ankle as she hits the road. Having discarded her, the beast now sets his sits on Ichigo, a hungry look in its piercing golden gaze as it slowly approaches. Before the boy can do anything, the masked creature brutally crushes his body under its massive fist without warning, leaving his body a crumpled, bloodied mess.
Karin wails at the sight, crying hysteric tears, however, she is unable to get up due to the damage to her ankle. The boy's crumpled body is slowly lifted by the beast, blood leaking out from nearly everywhere imaginable. The creature squeezes Ichigo's body between its hands, causing the boy to feel the life leave him, darkness overcoming his being. After what feels like an eternity to him, the boy can once more see his surroundings clearly, his lifeless body on the ground in front of him.
The orange-haired boy can't help but gasp, "T-THE HELL?! AM I DEAD?!"
Ichigo notices the severed chain hanging from his chest, a sure sign that his soul is no longer tethered to his body. The beast turns to him again, letting out a deafening shriek. The monster takes a step towards Ichigo, and before the boy can react, grabs him by his orange hair before dragging him away. The teen desperately attempts to resist as he slowly watches his body get further and further away from him. From the corner of his eye, he can make out the terrified expression of his sister, who can do nothing but watch helplessly as her brother is taken away.
This causes Ichigo to grimace, "Damn it! I'm her older brother! I'm supposed to protect her!"
Karin forces herself to rise to her feet despite her sprained ankle, appearing as if she is going to attempt and give chase. The orange-haired teen, however, shakes his head while making direct eye contact with his sister. No words are said, but the message is clear. The girl's tears now fall freely at the sight of the monster dragging her brother's soul away.
At this moment, Ichigo can't help but feel a plethora of negative emotions, "I can't be dead. This can't be happening! What the hell is this thing, anyway?! What is Dad gonna' say when he… sees my body…? Damn it! I was too weak… too weak…"
At this moment, the teen's negative emotions leave him, instead replaced by a sickening contentment, "But this is what I deserve… after all, I was the reason she died…"
Ichigo doesn't bother to resist anymore, not even caring to take note of the beast opening some kind of dark, strange doorway. Darkness is all he can see as the monster takes him inside. After a moment, Karin fully regains her bearings, looking on in horror as her brother disappears alongside the evil creature. It should go without saying that she is beyond devastated.
After about a minute, the dizzy form of Isshin, having just regained his consciousness, walks out, gasping in horror at the sight of his son's mangled body, "W-WHAT?!"
The man rushes to his son's side, calling out, "Ichigo? ICHIGO! Speak to me, PLEASE!"
Karin, sniffles, muttering, "It's no use… he's—"
Isshin shifts his gaze to his daughter, "WHAT HAPPENED?!"
The girl mutters dejectedly, "Some kind of monster attacked us… it had me, but let me go… Ichigo stopped resisting… it took him away… he's gone…"
The man starts to cry, wiping his eyes as he whispers to himself, "Damn it… not again…!"
Isshin thinks his whispers went unheard by Karin, although that is an incorrect assumption as her tear-filled eyes hold a glimmer of curiosity. The girl, however, chooses to pretend she didn't hear it as she instead stares blankly into the distance, tears continuing to fall from her eyes.
It's at this time that Rukia arrives, gasping in horror as she realizes, "No…! I didn't make it in time!"
Menos Forest, Hueco Mundo
In the lowest depths of Hueco Mundo, otherwise known as the land of the Hollows, lies the Menos Forest—a harsh, desolate place that serves as a nest for the Adjuchas and Gillians among the Menos Hollows. Only Hollows of the Adjucha class can ever hope to leave the Menos Forest alone, as the surface of Hueco Mundo is full of even more powerful Adjuchas and the legendary Vasto Lordes—the total number of which one could count with the fingers on their hands.
It is in this place that Ichigo fully feels himself being consumed by the beast—the Hollow, feeling the last remnants of his humanity leave him. Strange visions invade his psyche—dark visions that invoke a feeling of emptiness. The boy no longer has any idea of what he was or who he was anymore. At least that is the case until visions of an orange-haired human flash throughout his mind. The creature sits at a wooden desk reading some kind of book.
Who is he?
There is a moment of clarity surging through his otherwise mindless thoughts. Suddenly, hundreds of different visions flood through the boy's consciousness all at once. Some were of people, animals, and even strange, masked creatures. It was as if he was simultaneously remembering all of these beings.
They're… us? We are one…?
His clarity quickly vanishes as he cannot focus on one particular memory. This continues for some time until a vision of the orange-haired person comes back to him. This time, he sees the person's soul. As he homes in on the Hollow Hole in the orange-haired boy's chest, his mind quickly feels a commanding affinity for this person.
Why do we remember this one more than the others?
As he continues to look at the orange-haired person, he notices the soul looking back. The individual has yellow eyes with black sclera—quite the menacing look.
He's… me.
Not long after that, the being falls back into slumber.
Moments Later, Menos Forest
Amid the Menos Forest there stands a towering behemoth of a Hollow, pitch black, save for its white mask with black tribal-like markings running down each side through the eye slits. A Gillian the likes of no other has been born.
The being can think far more clearly than it could before, "Where am I…?"
Looking around, confusion overwhelms the creature's senses, "What was I doing? Have I always been here?"
The being looks around, instinctually noting a powerful presence approaching. A group of Gillians led by a bird Adjucha approaches the new Hollow after having sensed its birth.
The Adjucha declares, "You there! Yeah, you, the new Gillian! This is my territory and therefore you must be subservient to me… or else die!"
The Gillian simply stares quietly at the bird Adjucha.
The Adjucha chuckles, "Nothing to say? Ah, well of course you don't! You are just a Gillian, after all."
Instinctually, the new Gillian opens its mouth and fires a massive blast of Hollow energy, known as a Cero, at the Adjucha, who takes it head-on.
Steaming after the blast, the Adjucha remarks, "That managed to somewhat hurt me… although you showed real backbone by defying an obviously superior being. You must be something special… it would be a waste for you to die so early on in your lifespan."
The Adjucha is silent for a moment before continuing, "We shall be partners for now. To celebrate, we all will go to the living world and feast!"
World of the Living
At a neighboring town to Karakura Town, the violence-hungry Captain of Squad 11, Kenpachi Zaraki, with his tiny, pink-haired sidekick, Squad 11's vice-captain, Yachiru Kusajishi, perched on his shoulder, sits on a tree incredibly bored as this last bout of Hollows were way too weak for his liking. A distance away, Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa, Squad 11's respective 3rd and 5th seats, finally finish off the remaining Hollows after an hour of fighting, when they would normally be able to beat them in less than 5 minutes. Of course, this is Squad 11, so every battle is extended to its utmost duration, as once the fight is over, so too is the fun.
Kenpachi sighs as Yachiru remarks, "It looks like it's time to pack up and go home, Kenny…"
Kenpachi leaps off the tree, "I wish we were stationed in Karakura Town instead of that Kuchiki girl. I heard that a lot of strong spiritual energy fluct—fluct… uh…"
Yachiru notices Kenpachi struggle, so helps, "Fluctuations?"
Kenpachi nods, giving his vice-captain an appreciative look, "Yeah, those. A lot of those occur there, which means strong opponents! But instead, we are out here in the boonies!"
Just as one of the Squad members is about to call for a Hell Butterfly to return to the Soul Society, a rift in time-space occurs and a fleet of giant Hollows rush out.
"Menos Grande?! PERFECT!", Kenpachi squeals in delight as he unsheathes his sword for the first time in the night.
One after another, the Gillians are brutally cut down as Squad 11 all cherish the chance to go all out, especially their captain who is leading the charge. This continues until Kenpachi notices two particularly strong-looking Hollows in the center.
An odd-looking Gillian and an… "Adjucha! Now THIS will be FUN!"
Yachiru climbs off his back and attacks a weaker Menos behind them as Kenpachi charges off toward his new prey. The bird Adjucha doesn't even have time to fly off and avoid the strike as Kenpachi cuts straight through its captain-level Hierro, a Hollow's protective skin, like a knife through butter, removing one of its wings. The Hollow screams in pain and slashes Kenpachi across the chest with its talons, which prompts Kenpachi to get even more excited, slashing at it again, which grazes part of its mask, removing a piece of it. Kenpachi is about to deliver a fatal blow, but before he can an enormous blast of red Hollow energy rains down on him, forcing him to a knee. As he attempts to regain his bearings, a giant white foot kicks him across the forest they're fighting in.
"CAPTAIN!", the bald form of Ikkaku calls after cutting down another Gillian.
The Adjucha looks up in disbelief as the Gillian did not have that much force in its previous Cero, thinking, "…wait, could that have just been its way of trying to communicate before?!"
Just as fast as he was kicked away, Kenpachi comes back and is right in front of the Gillian's giant mask, about to deliver a slash right in its face. His slash is interrupted, however, as he is grabbed by the Gillian's massive hand before being promptly thrown to the ground. The Gillian isn't done, though, as it continues by launching three crimson Ceros in succession, causing the entire forest to shake from their sheer intensity.
Once the Gillian is finally winded, Kenpachi stands in the crater left, his white captain's coat completely burned away and Shihakushō in ribbons.
He gives another one of his signature toothy grins, "Now THIS is what I'm talking about! Why can't there be more Hollows this strong?! THIS IS WHAT I LIVE FOR!"
The Adjucha, truly recognizing that this is NOT the average Shinigami Captain, shouts to the Gillian, "Run, you fool! Leave me behind or else you'll die!"
Only one feeling remains of the boy—an instinctual, aggressive NEED to…
Protect!
The Gillian grabs the grounded Adjucha gently in its hand, holding it such that the Shinigami can't attack it.
Yachiru wonders aloud, "What kind of Gillian protects an Adjucha…?"
At this moment, the girl's eyes open wide as she looks at the captain excitedly, "Hey Kenny, don't ya' think we should give it a name?"
Kenpachi frowns, "Eh? Not really… it's too weak for me to remember anyway…"
The Gillian growls before uttering angrily, "I'm not weak…"
Ikkaku's jaw hits the ground, "D-did that Gillian just talk?!"
Yachiru's smile widens at this, "See Kenny?! That one's special! We gotta' get him!"
Kenpachi smirks, "I can see that… you might be worthy of remembering after all... You gotta' name?"
The Gillian is quiet for a moment before answering instinctually, "White."
Just then, the Adjucha opens another rift, known as a Garganta, for the two of them to escape before the Gillian can protest. Kenpachi leaps towards them, attempting to reach them before the portal closes, but just as he is within arm's reach the Garganta shuts in his face.
"Damn…", Kenpachi laments for a moment.
Yachiru walks over, a hopeful smile on her face, "I hope that Gillian is stronger next time we see it… Don't you think so too, Kenny?"
This causes the scarred Shinigami to grin as he rests his blade on his shoulder, "Yeah…"
Menos Forest
Once more in the depths of the Menos Forest, the Gillian is confused and slightly irritated as it thought it was going to keep fighting that strong opponent. Its attention is grabbed by its wounded Adjucha companion calling for it to… feast upon his remains?
ABSOLUTELY NOT!
That is the message it gets across by intensely flaring up its Reiatsu, however, the Adjucha continues, "You truly have the potential to become the strongest of all Hollows… should you evolve into a Vasto Lorde. To do so, you must feast on me."
The Gillian is still rejecting the idea as the Adjucha follows up, "That's the way things are in Hueco Mundo—the strong prey on the weak. If you don't like that, you will need to become strong to change things…"
The Gillian still hesitates.
But… I have to protect you…
The Gillian manages to utter, "Protect…"
The bird seems surprised by the Gillian's response, "Protect? Protect me? Hmm… you're a strange Hollow. You'll find Hueco Mundo isn't a merciful place for the weak. Those who protect others become targets. Protecting me would have gotten you killed if you had been weaker…"
The Gillian is silent as it waits for its companion to continue.
The Adjucha wheezes before continuing, "Although, I can't say protecting the weak is a bad thing… just naïve, I guess… But from what I've seen, I have this feeling, that you are the one we've all been waiting for—a Hollow whose strength is only matched by his compassion—his… heart."
The Adjucha chuckles at the irony as Hollows have lost their heart but this is lost on the Gillian who seems to still be registering his words.
The bird regards the Gillian seriously, "Just promise me one thing… one day, you'll destroy the Shinigami!"
The Gillian makes a nodding motion, although still seems to be hesitating in devouring him.
The Adjucha growls before yelling at the Gillian, "DEVOUR ME NOW! If you don't, someone else will! If that happens, I doubt you will ever evolve! Follow your instincts! BECOME STRONG!"
"Become strong…", the Hollow can't help but find the idea appealing when considering the vision of the crumpled heap of flesh that was his body when he died.
The Gillian, spurred on by its companion's cries, picks up the Adjucha's body before devouring it whole.
Feeling a surge of energy and a greater sense of emptiness than before, the Gillian realizes that it is hungry for others of its kind, so viciously feasts on any other Gillian it can find in the area.
Every time he eats another Gillian, he feels himself able to think more and more clearly. Brief flashes of his mortal life return on occasion, which only seems to spur his hunger even more. The Gillian continues its vicious feast, feeling itself become more complete after each meal.