Somehow, I became the protagonist of this shonen battle manga!? 1.3
"I suppose I could help, if I absolutely have too. I mean, it's always us girls who end up taking the slack, right Rukia?" you say, sensing an excellent chance to deflate Ichigo's manly ego a little. Whilst you're sure that he'd come around eventually anyway, you're not willing to wait for him to deal with his macho bullshit. Sure it sucks that you got thrown right into this responsibility, but Rukia's right - someone has to do it, and she no longer has the powers to do so because she saved Ichigo's family.
And, somehow, you don't think Ichigo could look some poor soul in the eyes and refuse to help them. Despite how much you might mock him, he really is the type of person to jump into a fight against ten guys to save someone he doesn't know. That's just how he is, and it's a quality you've admired for a long time. You just wish he'd stop struggling to find contrived explanations for it.
"Definitely. Why, most captains amongst the Shinigami might be men - but more women are sent on patrols in the living world than men. I guess men just don't have the stomach for actual work and prefer to spend all day posturing at one another," Rukia replied, definitely a new convert to the sport of mocking Ichigo. There was a sadistic gleam in her eyes, eager to explore this brave new frontier.
"Alright, alright! Fine, I'll fight your damn monsters Rukia. But I'm only doing this because I owe you, not for any other reason - got that?" Ichigo growled, shaking his fist.
"Sure, buddy," you reply, trying not to laugh.
There's a sensation much like being hit with an especially hard punch, and a sense of disorientation as you're momentarily in two places at once. Then it clears up, and you're standing dressed in the robes of a shinigami and looking at your unconscious body yet again. It's a weird feeling.
Ichigo's standing next to you, his oversized sword strapped to his back. You momentarily wonder how he draws the thing, and then decide it's best not to think too hard about these things. Rukia steps back, something of a smug look on her face. She's wearing some kind of red glove emblazoned with symbols and art.
"Well, that's good because Substitute Shinigami duty starts today. Follow me!" Rukia says, and left with no way to get back to your body you and Ichigo follow her. She sets a fast pace, her leaps graceful and inhuman. Even reduced as she is, you can see the skill inherent in the way she moves. Also she's pretty cute.
She explains that she's stuck in a false body - a 'gigai' - whilst her powers recover. You suppose that it makes sense for ghost samurai wizard police to have a way to move around undercover as mortals. Suddenly, she pulls a pink flip phone from her pocket at the sound of a ringtone.
"Two at once... ? Tatsuki, you head that way and deal with the hollow over there. Ichigo, keep following me - we'll deal with the bigger threat together," Rukia says, and you turn to the direction she's pointing in. You can see a small plume of smoke rising in the distance. You nod to Rukia, wish Ichigo luck, and dart off. You're fast, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, one hand on your sword. Rain begins to drip down, your footing not impaired in the slightest.
It's a surprise when the hollow's fist smashes into you from above. You go flying into the alley below, slamming into the wet concrete hard enough to crack it. You manage to roll aside from the hollow's follow up blow, running up the side of the wall to get away. You get your first look at it - a huge, blue skinned ape like creature. It had a hole where most of its stomach should be, and it looked seriously pissed off.
You don't draw your sword just yet. Instead, you turn to some unfamiliar spiritual muscle that somehow feels completely natural. Black liquid spills forth from your chest, like incredibly thick ink, covering you from you feet to just below your jaw. It goes up the side of your neck, and the back, but it doesn't touch your hair. Looking down, you seem to be wearing some kind of seamless, skin tight black bodysuit below your robes. Thick lines of gold run down it, and it gives you a feeling of strength. You have some kind of metaphysical weight you didn't before.
You grin, step forward, and slam a palm strike into the creature's chest. It's blown backwards, displaced air whipping your hair around, and you leap forwards to follow it. You slam it into a wall with a jump kick, shattering brickwork and bone. It gets up and launches a wild swing at you. Its arm must weigh more than your entire body, and it's swung with such force, but you simply catch it in mid-air with your own hand. You feel the creature's massive fist, and squeeze. It shatters into a ruined mess.
The hollow howls through its mask, and you send it flying upwards with one hell of an uppercut. You jump up, and your legs crack concrete. Your left hand pierces through the hollow's chest like the head of a spear, finding its heart. Bits of the organ still held in your left hand, you finally draw your sword with your right. You jump up off the hollow, screaming a wordless battlecry, and slice its mask in two. It dissolves into dust, and then nothingness. The bodysuit turns back to the black liquid, and then retreats back into your heart.
You still hold bits of the hollow's heart in your left hand. You look at them, for a moment. Somehow, they look tasty. Your waking mind tells you that this is insane, but you just know that you should eat it. You bring the tattered bits of heart to your mouth, and bite down. A little blood drips down your chin, but then it too dissolves like the rest of the hollow. And yeah, it tastes really, really good. You feel...
[x] Stronger, just like you felt after killing that first hollow. 250xp to Hollow's Strength technique.
[x] Like you had skin made from iron.
[x] Like you could feel the world around you a little better.
