Chapter 3: Heading to the Inner District
The walk back wasn't long—maybe ten minutes. They didn't run into anyone along the way.
Suoh had always been the extroverted type, comfortable in conversation and good at reading people. Despite their short acquaintance, he could tell Sato hadn't talked with anyone like this in a very long time. The old man's desire to speak was practically bursting at the seams. All Suoh had to do was ask the right questions or show interest in a topic, and Sato would open up like a dam breaking, words pouring out in an endless stream.
During their conversation, Sato mentioned the Seireitei, Shinigami, the Shinoreijutsuin, Hollows—all the key terms lined up perfectly with what Suoh remembered. It gave him a much clearer picture of his situation.
"Sato-san, you mentioned Hollows earlier. Do they appear often in West District Three?"
Suoh injected just the right amount of concern into his voice.
"Not often at all. This area's on the outskirts of the western mountain region, but I haven't heard of a Hollow attack in years."
Sato smiled reassuringly. "West District Three is one of the safest places in all of Rukongai. Out of the three hundred and twenty districts surrounding the Seireitei, we've got some of the best security and living conditions. Plus, plenty of Shinigami came from West Three originally. They still have friends and family here, and they visit during holidays sometimes. So we're pretty well protected."
He paused, turning to point toward a dense patch of forest to the north, several spirit miles away. "Just don't go poking around the northern forest. That's where things get dangerous."
His warning wasn't surprising. For ordinary souls, Hollows were the ultimate nightmare—an unstoppable force of terror.
"The northern forest... got it."
Suoh filed that information away. The Soul Society was massive, and every Rukongai district had vast undeveloped wilderness areas. Those places were crawling with deadly threats.
They kept talking as they walked, both unconsciously slowing their pace. Still, the short journey came to an end all too soon. A ramshackle house—not much better than Suoh's own hovel—came into view.
At Sato's direction, Suoh poured the clear water into a battered ceramic urn, filling it to the brim before covering it with a wooden lid. He set the empty bucket in the corner.
Time to go. He'd learned most of what he needed to know. Suoh turned to the old man.
"Sato-san, thank you so much for today. You've taught me a lot."
"My memories are getting clearer too. I should head back and sort through everything. I don't want to take up more of your time."
Something dimmed in Sato's eyes at the farewell.
They'd only just met, but Suoh's warmth, courtesy, and easy conversation had made this brief time together the most vibrant few hours Sato had experienced in over a decade. Despite the disappointment settling in his chest, the old man kept his smile gentle and kind.
"If you need to go, I won't keep you. It's not like I have anything to offer as a proper host anyway."
His expression turned serious. "Just humor an old man for one more minute, will you?"
"You can survive out here in the outer districts, sure. But it's nothing compared to the inner district. A young guy like you will want to find someone eventually, settle down. That's where young people belong—where life actually happens."
The concern in Sato's words ran deeper than simple politeness. This came from genuine care. He'd seen it before—young souls like Suoh, usually not natural deaths, whose memories eventually returned along with the obsessions from their past lives. Loneliness and negative emotions twisted together, and those were the ones most likely to fall and become Hollows. It wasn't rare.
But Suoh was different from most souls in this world. His biggest desire right now wasn't to fade into obscurity—it was to shine in this incredible world, to leave his mark on it.
"I will. I'd better get going, then."
"Goodbye, Sato-san."
Suoh nodded to show he'd taken the advice to heart, gave a slight bow, and turned to leave.
As he walked away, he could feel that gentle gaze following him. It stayed on his back until he turned past a crumbling low wall, finally breaking line of sight.
"Ah..."
Hearing the footsteps fade into the distance, Sato could only sigh softly before returning to his old house. After living in the Soul Society for so many years, he'd experienced countless farewells like this across the long stretch of time. He was used to it by now.
This was the normal life of an ordinary soul in the Soul Society.
No hunger, but no real peace either.
Standing at a crossroads, Suoh didn't head back to his wooden shack. There was nothing there worth returning to.
"Inner district..."
He turned his gaze in the opposite direction—toward the road leading to West District Three's inner district.
The inner district meant better living conditions, more souls gathered together, more information, and most importantly—closer access to the world of Shinigami.
Sato had lived for a long time, but his knowledge was too scattered and incomplete. Take the Shinoreijutsuin, for example. He'd only heard the name, knew it was where Shinigami trained, but had no idea about enrollment periods or admission requirements.
And there was another critical piece of information Suoh couldn't get from him—the current point in the timeline. For ordinary souls, time had long since lost all meaning and concept.
Without a moment's hesitation, Suoh started walking toward the inner district.
At first, the scenery around him looked identical to the area where he'd been staying. The same dilapidated houses, the same sparse vegetation.
Occasionally he spotted elderly souls with numb faces and hollow eyes moving slowly outside their homes. They glanced briefly at this unfamiliar young man hurrying past, then lost interest and looked away.
But as he continued forward, the dirt road gradually became more even and maintained. The houses along the path, while still simple, had clearly been repaired and cared for. They looked more orderly, more intentional.
The spring-summer sun beat down warm and heavy, heating his skin with a pleasant burn.
He should have been tired and out of breath from the constant walking, but the warm sunlight seemed to seep into his limbs like a current of heat, driving away much of the soreness.
Suoh didn't think much of it. He figured his body was just warming up from the exercise. He rolled his shoulders and kept moving, his steps growing lighter and faster.
The closer he got to the inner district, the more signs of life appeared. Near many of the houses, he saw small vegetable plots that souls had cultivated. The faces of souls sitting outside their homes no longer carried that dead, empty look. Instead, they showed traces of actual vitality.
Suddenly, Suoh felt something stir in his awareness. Following the sensation, he looked up—
In the distance, a small group of figures dressed in black with swords at their waists was racing past at incredible speed, heading in another direction.
Shihakusho. Shinigami.
They moved so fast they were already fading into distant black dots within moments.
Suoh pulled his gaze back and continued toward his destination.
***
30+advance chapters at patreon.com/Eatinpieces