Bleach: The Hunter c1

Things slowly began to set into a certain rhythm. In the morning, I would train, then look for food, or cook if I had food from the previous day, then I would continue working on my log cabin.

After work, I would practise some more or work on my gear.

I would change my stone tools into bone tools as they were stronger, maybe because the bones were full of this strange energy.

Speaking of this energy, my training in this energy kept on improving. Before long, I was able to perform what I consider supernatural feats.

Augmented strength, I could easily lift log trees, or crush stones in my hands, then improved senses, like vision, hearing, and overall something akin to a sixth sense.

In a hunt, my arrows would punch through animals, not just hit but pass through like they were made from paper.

With this new strength, I decided to follow up on something I learned from reading a book back when I was alive.

Something called ‘cultivation’. So I tried to contain this energy into my core and build up something like walls around it, and then try to suppress it and expand, something like pressure training?

Like those squashy toys people used to have in offices, trying to crush them, but they are made from rubber-like material.

My idea for this is to train this energy, because I do believe this would improve the density, and upon release, it will be like floodgates that were open from a dam.

While I didn’t see any major changes at first, later on, I started to notice some changes.

Especially when I release it and the grass around me gets crushed into nothingness.

Weeks went by, eventually months, and my log houses began to look decent, my clothes shifted from whatever I had into leather.

I made some clothes from other stuff, like that grass found around the forest area, which looked like linen, so I spent time weaving with it.

I call it training as it was paid in ass to understand the ins and outs. 

Thankfully, this is the afterlife, and I won’t grow old by something like ageing, right?

Eventually, I decided that it was time for some trading; it had processed leather and some other self-made stuff.

So I decided to visit a town I saw not far from my hut.

Oh boy, it was a reality check…

~~~

‘What the hell is this?’ I frowned as I saw people in rags who had no shoes or even sandals, people dressed in rags.

Something like a shop was not even on the cards. If you even consider selling jars of water in a shop.

‘This is beyond poverty…’

I frowned. Here goes my plan to trade…

“...Hey friend. Some nice shoes you got there? May I have a look?” 

And here it goes… 

I turned around and saw five guys who screamed gangsters from the sheer way they looked, and I am not even considering that they had weapons on them.

Clubs, knives—

‘Is that a brick? Where did he get that?’

Chains… these guys were quite serious.

“No, they are one size, my size, so there is no point in checking them,” I said while looking around. This was bad.

They have surrounded me.

“Hey, boss, did you hear it. This guy said only his size. A funny one, isn’t he?” 

One of the gangsters said as he laughed, licking his knife. Behind him, a bit taller guy revealed himself. He was holding a sword.

It was a proper Katana. Something I didn’t expect to see here!

“Hahaha, a smart ass, aren’t you? We run Inuzuri brat. So when we want something, we take it! So let’s take it!” The guy, like a commander with his sword, ordered his minions to attack.

Instead of waiting for them to surround me completely, I went on the offensive. I pulled out my two bone axes and moved with augmented speed at the closest one.

Before delivering a powerful strike.

The guy, like a ragdoll, flew into one behind him.

“Shit, he has Rieatsu!” The gangsters panicked as they looked shocked to see this.

And I was shocked to see how fragile they were.

Seeing that they have panicked, I went to take out their boss. Appearing in front of him and then delivering a full swing.

He tried to defend in some form, like bringing the sword before him.

But that’s where I delivered a kick to the balls. 

OOF!?

The sword flew out of his hand, and I grabbed it after discarding my right axe.

The moment the sword ended up in my hand, I knew this was a special weapon.

Seeing that their boss is down, the rest of the gangsters scattered. But I began to pick them one by one. Leaving one conscious.

I grabbed him and demanded answers.

“Tell me what this is, this sword!?”

“D-Don’t hurt me! Please!” The gangster looked like a snivelling worm. After buddies are out, he is useless.

I grabbed him by his dirty clothes and shook him a bit.

“Tell me what this weapon is and I will let you live!” I demanded answers again.

“...T-This is Zanpakuto! A weapon used by Soul Reapers to kill Hollows!” The gangster snivered as he explained to me.

I dropped the idiot and looked at the katana with a red handle.

“How the fuck you losers got one of these?” I asked, not believing what I was hearing.

“W-We didn’t get it! We found it! A hollow eats one of the soul reapers, and the Zanpakuto got left behind!” 

I looked at the weapon. Inspecting it. 

The craftsmanship was exquisite. It was a supernatural weapon for sure.

Before I realised, the loser was gone.

Tsk

I looked around and collected whatever weapons they left behind.

Like knives, those looked like proper steel, useful tools.

Once I got all I wanted, I proceeded to leave. 

‘Getting closer to Seireitei could be a bad idea now that I have this weapon.’ 

I looked at the katana. It was a strange weapon; I felt that it wanted to absorb my energy.

‘I wonder what will happen if I feed it my spirit energy?’

I pondered this. Well, it was time to leave, as this place was useless.

~~~

Once I was back at my log house, it was time to practise.

Instead of my usual routine, it was time to practise swordsmanship. 

My sixth sense is telling me that I should invest in this mysterious weapon.

The weapon is used by Soul Reapers, and what I heard when I was passing by all the districts is that their weapons are extremely powerful with unique abilities.

Not that I have seen myself…

So I began with basic sword swinging to have a feel for it.

It didn’t take long for my sensitive senses to pick up something strange.

The sword doesn’t eat my energy… it's like…

“...You are trying to imprint my energy in yourself?” I commented after looking at the sword.

‘If this is the case, then let’s rip it up.’

With newfound motivation, most of my regular training was replaced by sword practices.

I tried to recall the samurai games I played when I was alive.

The wide swings, short swings that came from a burst of speed.

Just like those days, weeks and months passed, I didn’t feel that much progress.

However, the sword began to show signs of power. It started radiating peculiar energy. It wasn’t the usual spirit energy, but some sort of presence was there.

So I tried to understand it. 

Trying out different ideas until one day, I was meditating with a sword in my lap.

[You finally decided to communicate with me…]

A beast-like voice spoke.

‘Who?’

[Please, don’t pretend. You know who I am… You only need to tell my name.

Trust your senses.]

‘...’

‘...’

‘...’

I pondered, feeling something it was hard to describe!

“Ugh!!! Damn it!”

I exclaimed with frustration, raging for a second before returning to focusing. 

…

…

But then…

I realised that I don’t need to think or focus… just let it go.

[That’s it… Now say my name!]

“...Yuro…no Kage.” 

The blade on my lap gloves darkened to a deep purple as it morphed into a straight katana; the handle and the guard changed. The guard was crescent-shaped, and the handle was no longer red but dark purple.

My hand slowly moved and picked up the blade. I could feel that my power just went through the roof when this blade became like this.

[This is Shikai. The initial sword release.]

“... Initial sword release. There is more?” 

[Hah. Who knows. But first you need to learn how to wield me, partner.]

“...Hmm…” I inspected the blade one more time. I started to understand more of it. The weapon was part of me, so it made it easier to grasp that there is a unique power in this weapon.

“Fine… then let’s go.”

[Normal animals won’t do. We are not hunting irrelevant beings.]

“...”

[We are hunters. We hunt… Hollows.]

“!”

“...I only heard their roars. Never seen them in person.” I said with a frown and a bit of worry.

[Don’t get soft on me, partner. Softness dulls my blade.]

“Fine.”

~~~

Hollows are not rare when we are so far away from Seireitei. The further from that place, the less law there is.

Including hollows.

Soul Reapers only pop up when there are sightings of extremely strong hollows.

“...”

I left the area and went further away. I was pretty sure I was out of the district completely.

Meaning this was no man's zone. 

Sure enough, half a day later, I was in front of a hollow that looked like it had a frog head for a head. It was around three metres tall.

‘I can feel that this thing is quite weak.’

I got serious as this thing was eyeing me like I was food.

“...Prowl… Yuro no Kage!”

My Zanpakuto swifted into the Shikai stage.

I dashed into the hollow, and as I swung my sword, it was time to unleash the first ability.

“Prey on them, Yuro No Kage!”

Dark Purple aura surrounded the hollow as the blade connected with the mask and cut the beast in half.

The next moment, the corrupt energy vanished, and only white was left behind.

“...Collect…” 

White energy conversed in my palm. Becoming a small fruit, reminding me of a cherry or a grape.

[Good. This is it. You understand the basics. You can not only consume Reiryoku. But, take unique powers from Hollows or other beings.]

[Anything that you declare prey and I mark. Will become yours.]

I looked at the fruit for a second.

“...So spoils of war. I think you took my obsession a bit too much.” I grimaced for a bit.

[I am YOUR Zanpakuto.]

“...True…”

I sighed before popping the fruit into my mouth, chewing it before swallowing. It was tasteless, but I felt a small increase in my Reiryoku.

“...I suppose, I should continue my hunt.” Now that I was motivated even further, I continued with my trip. Looking for more hollows at the edge of the Rukongai.

I didn’t need to look for more. Sadly, the creatures were small fry. And from the looks of it, they didn’t even have the balls to enter Rukongai territory.

My hunts were simple, and it would seem that the fruits that I eat that came from hollows are sustaining me; I don’t feel hungry.

“I am pretty sure I have circled a considerable amount of land.” 

I looked around. It looked like a desert-like place. No grass or trees, the ground looked like it hadn’t had rain in months, if not years.

After walking for a bit, I stumbled upon something.

A small blonde girl is lying on the dirt.

“...”

I walked over to her. 

“Hey… are you okay?” I got closer, and she slowly moved and looked at me.

“...I am…so…hungry…”

She looked dirty and malnourished. 

‘...Hungry? She has spirit energy?’

“...Here.” I pulled out some smoked venison I had on me. I haven’t eaten it since I've been eating spirit fruits, as I call them.

The hollows I had eaten were so weak that I couldn’t harvest any sort of powers from them, but food? That is what they are good for.