Yui Senryu was running for his life.
His legs burned. His lungs felt like they were about to explode.
His heart pounded like a war drum, thundering in his chest.
Sweat poured down his body, stinging his eyes, but he didn't even have the strength to wipe it away.
At this point, he couldn't even manage a full breath.
Yui was a child from District 45, born into a relatively privileged family by Rukongai standards.
Maybe it was that secure upbringing that gave him a spark of curiosity, an urge to explore.
Well… just a little.
His idea of adventure was tagging along on a routine family trip to the outer districts, where his father was managing business.
Crossing four or five districts was enough to give him bragging rights for months.
He never expected anything more than some stories to tell his friends.
And maybe his father would even start grooming him for the family trade.
That was how things were supposed to go.
But fate never asked for permission.
There had been whispers recently, rumors that Hollows had been sighted near the outer districts.
But no one in Yui's family had ever seen one.
To them, Hollows were little more than scary stories.
Monsters invented to frighten children into obedience.
So even after hearing the rumors, they didn't delay the trip.
Delaying, even by a day, would mean financial losses.
If he could turn back time,
Yui wouldn't have cared about disobedience or disappointing his father.
He would've done anything, anything, to stop this trip from happening.
Because then…
His father wouldn't have had to stay behind to buy him a few seconds to run.
That massive white monster,
The thing that had slaughtered nearly everyone in their group,
Was still behind him.
Casually keeping pace.
Its voice rang out, leisurely, evil.
"Oi oi oi… you're about to hit your limit, aren't you? Still trying to run?"
"Sure, it's always nice when the meat gets a little exercise before the meal, but you're pushing it."
Heavy thuds followed, deep, crushing sounds.
Trees cracked and toppled like matchsticks as something massive tore through the forest behind him.
To Yui's ears, the monster's voice sounded distant. Faint.
Like a whisper carried by wind, just on the edge of perception.
But its words rang clear.
Yui knew he'd run as hard as he could.
And he knew he hadn't survived because of his own speed.
The monster was playing with him.
Like a cat toying with a mouse.
He understood this. Knew it fully.
And still, he ran.
Not out of fear of death.
He had already watched his father, and everyone else, die right in front of him.
He knew his death was next.
So no, it wasn't fear that drove him.
It was because all of them, his father included, had entrusted him with their last hope.
Even if he was nothing more than a helpless mouse, if there was even the slightest chance to live…
He had to run.
It wasn't a choice.
It was a duty.
From the moment he turned to flee,
He stopped running for himself.
And began running for them.
That weight pressed down on his shoulders, silent and invisible.
But Yui didn't say any of this.
Not just because he had no breath left to speak.
But because he knew the monster wouldn't understand.
Maybe it was fate, or just a cruel joke,
But the terrain ahead suddenly shifted.
A shallow slope appeared right in front of him.
At the base of the hill was a stream. Small for Yui. Probably nothing to the massive creature behind him.
But still, it was something.
An unpredictable variable.
He had no other options.
"Alright, that's enough. Let's call it here."
"I'm starting to get bored. Just let me eat you and be done with it, will ya?"
"Why keep struggling when it's so obviously hopeless?"
The monster's voice was still casual…
But a bit more serious now.
Not by much.
Yui wasn't even a person to this thing.
Just food.
His legs faltered.
He'd tried to keep running.
But his strength had long since run dry.
His body was overdrawn, past its limit.
What he needed now wasn't another sprint, it was rest.
And even that felt like a luxury.
He glanced back, instinctively.
And saw it.
That massive, grinning white face.
Leaping toward him.
His stomach dropped.
Mistake.
The moment of eye contact shattered his mental composure.
Terror hijacked his limbs, and he stumbled.
Fell.
Tumbled down the hill.
Ironically…
That accident saved him.
If he hadn't looked back, he wouldn't have noticed the lunge.
And the monster would've struck true.
Now, he had barely dodged it.
By sheer luck.
But it bought him only a few seconds.
His body lay crumpled at the bottom of the slope, too weak to move.
A thunderous crash shook the ground,
Dirt and rocks exploded into the air.
And then,
It landed.
Right in front of him.
The Hollow's grotesque grin widened.
It raised its clawed arm, jagged like a butcher's blade, and swung.
"This has been fun. But it's time for you to die now!
KYAAHAHAHAHAA!!!"
"AAAHHHH!!"
Yui couldn't even scream no.
Couldn't form words.
He could only shriek, raising his arms to shield his face,
And braced for death.
But…
It didn't come.
The blow never landed.
Instead, there was a sharp, metallic clash,
The sound of steel crashing against steel.
"You! What the hell, are you a Soul Reaper?!"
The monster's voice, this time, in surprise.
Yui's arms lowered.
Someone stood between him and the monster.
A tall man.
Shirtless.
Silver-white hair.
Even from behind, Yui could see his muscular frame, like a sculpture carved from living flesh.
In his left hand, he held a sword.
Just one hand.
And with that single raised arm, he had parried the Hollow's full-force attack.
It felt almost like he was mocking the creature.
"S-Soul Reaper…?"
Yui whispered.
But even he couldn't hear himself.
"No. Not a Soul Reaper."
Sparks burst into the air,
The monster leapt back, crashing through trees as it retreated, warily watching the silver-haired man.
Yui realized then…
This man wasn't speaking to him.
And yet,
Every word carved itself into Yui's soul.
"Just a meddlesome stranger with too much time on his hands."