Walking across the endless grey dunes, I lift my gaze to the sky for a fleeting moment.
The same dull sky.
A sigh escapes me as I shake my head, the emptiness of Hueco Mundo pressing in from all sides. Yet I continue on, driven by the desire to find fulfillment.
My name is Santiago Renacer, I can remember a snippet of what I loved in my previous life.
I love beating up the toughest opponents. Be it in a video game or in real life.
I stood still, a recollection of mirror fragments appear in my mind as of that moment.
Faint sound of explosions echoed towards me.
I continue to remember the prime version of myself.
I continue to be absorbed within that past. But I was shook by the faint sound of fighting growing louder and louder. Perhaps, these beautiful sounds are the reason for this nostalgia.
The scent of ashes mixed in the abundance of Reishi, perfection. I grinned and had a whiff of it.
As I slowly open my eyes at what was in front. I saw two extremely powerful beings tearing each other apart.
When can I fight like that? Another heavy sigh escaped, frowning at my weakness.
Maybe its not that I am weak, its just that I am comparing way too much.
As I watched the two fight behind a totally not so obvious rock, I hid like a squirrel awaiting for the passing of terrifying predators.
Oh she looks like a shark... sort of... Oh she has nice glistening blonde hair as well. I snort in quiet displeasure.
The other seemed to look like a skeleton of some sorts. He had a comfortable furred black robe.
Must be nice.
Looking at the weapon he was wielding, well I must be gob smacked. It was a battle axe. A weapon wielded by executioners or elite knights.
The way they clash, the over sized shark teeth as an arm against the huge battle axe was breath taking.
The two in the air looked as if they were in a ballroom, dancing. The blonde Hollow with her eloquent water-based shots barraging towards the skeleton's battle axe and he swings lightly to deflect her incoming high pressurised bullets made me think this skeleton was slightly stronger.
So pointless of her continuously firing these useless projectiles when the skeleton is deflecting them with ease.
I have a massive urge to tell her how to defeat this boss like character. But then again, wouldn't that break the terms of this honourable duel?
I tapped on the rock in silence, mixed in with concern and an urge.
Then she started to summon more barrages but in smaller and condensed bullets.
They burst forth at a speed that makes the air around tear and screech.
Maybe she was testing the waters with this skeleton man. Her sharpness, that level of calm and composure. As a gamer and fighter, I have to respect that.
I continue observing, faint red started to surface onto my cheeks, a surge of Reishi within me stirred in a quiet torrent.
I hugged the rock hiding me away from these monsters as a way to appreciate its help. Even if they could sense me anyways.
The fight raged on and I could tell the blonde Hollow was more visibly exhausted compared to the skeleton who slumped here and there.
"Tia Harribel, surrender while you still have the chance," the skeleton said, his voice deep and ominously aged.
Oh so the blonde Hollow was named Tia Harribel. I noted her name in my mind.
Slouched with her cuts across her armoured body, Harribel still had the eyes of someone who no matter what couldn't get an utter of defeat.
"Barragan... Your tyranny is causing Hueco Mundo to continue its senseless killings and murder. I refuse to surrender."
Then she fled west in an attempt to escape from the clutches of this skeleton named Barragan.
Barragan stood still in the air unmoving, he looked towards my direction and I for sure knew he knew I was here the entire time.
I yelped in palpable fear, slowly leaning my back against the rock.
"An ant witnessed my greatness... be sure to instill that in your mind." Then he fled, without giving me a hard time.
Well that will definitely be my most memorable experience I ever encountered.
No longer fearful of my life, I stood up and headed west where maybe I could ask the mighty Tia Harribel how to become stronger.
Barragan was definitely the type to kill someone if they were impertinent, I could never.
However, this Tia Harribel seemed a lot nicer the way she talked just then.
I find her story to be a lot moving than usual, must be because she was on the losing side.
I bolted across the dunes in search of this Hollow.
—
Days go by in a quick instant…
I drag my heavy feet across the sands, slouching my body forward as an escape from tiredness. My deary eyes scout the horizons and yet I see no strong being named Tia Harribel.
This journey is definitely fraught with perilous encounters.
Then as I look up again, I see a castle.
So this must be where she lives. I sensed three other strong beings, their exorbitant amounts of Reiryoku pressing down against me.
This is nothing compared to that skeleton.
I stood unfazed in front of their gate even if my body was visibly shaken and ached all over.
A Hollow who stood 160 centimetres in height, skinny with a partial humanoid body felt the pressure gradually getting stronger as the four powerful beings draw closer to my figure.
"H—Hello!" I stuttered, scanning their facial expressions.
My first impression is definitely not the greatest but I definitely can get myself out of this pickle.
But before I could say anything, their gargantuan starture spooked my tingling senses.
"P—Please to meet you strong beings of Hueco Mundo…"
Even if they were stronger than me, I would never bow down.