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Chapter 69: Hunter Among Hollows II
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He has many doubts to solve and endless questions to ask.
The cave was carved into the side of a jagged dune rock formation, half-buried beneath the ever-shifting sands of Hueco Mundo's vast white desert.
There was no door. Just a smooth gap in the stone where the walls opened into shadow.
The inside, however, was not as hollow or lifeless as Akashi expected.
It was dark, but not completely. Faintly glowing moss clung to the inner walls, bathing the space in a dim green-blue light.
The ceiling arched high overhead, stalactites rising like petrified fangs. A smooth stone table stood at the center, flat and cold, surrounded by rocks shaped and worn into stools by decades of use.
On one side, a makeshift shelf held bones, some bleached white, others blackened by something far older than rot.
A single sleeping mat rested neatly in the corner, beside a pile of cloaks, old maintenance kits, and several bound scrolls tied with threads of red.
The simplicity of it all made Akashi pause at the threshold.
He had lived in the comfort of the Eldritch City for the past year; a labyrinth of corridors carved from bone and obsidian, illuminated by floating orbs of light, filled with knowledge, baths, and food at his leisure.
By contrast, this cave was barren, quiet. Simple.
Ashido stepped ahead and gestured to the stone table, "I hope you're not expecting a grand feast. I've only got fruits, so excuse the simple welcome."
He placed a large woven basket in the center of the table. Inside were bulbous, dark green fruits with tough hides and faint ridges, each the size of a grown man's head.
Akashi took one without hesitation, split it open with a flick of his thumb, and bit into the flesh.
It was slightly bitter, thick in texture, but unmistakably nourishing. He chewed slowly, savoring it, then nodded.
"Delicious."
A smile played on Ashido's lips as he sat across from him. "Didn't expect that response. I'd say bitter, but I'm used to them by now."
"I know these," Akashi said, holding up the fruit. "I know they grow in the Forest of Menos. Rare. Hard to find. I've only ever found a couple."
He tossed a pit to the side, "You must've mapped out the entire forest by now."
Ashido leaned back against the wall, hands behind his head. "You spend more than a hundred years somewhere, you start to find patterns. They grow deep underground. Near old Hollow nests. Takes a while, but the seeds spread if you dig up the right soil."
"You didn't need them though," Akashi remarked. "You're strong enough to survive on Reishi alone. Especially in Hueco Mundo."
Ashido shrugged. "Doesn't mean I want to give up on taste." He gestured to the basket. "Besides, sharing fruit beats trading blows. For now."
Akashi would definitely agree with that, thus why he stocked up on years' worth of ingredients before coming to Hueco Mundo.
Hell, the Eldritch City even has a section specialized for cuisine, several worker horrors responsible for it, making some of the finest meals he'd had the pleasure of tasting.
The taste of fine meals keeps his mind sane. It makes him look forward to the next day.
Akashi took another bite before tilting his head. "How long have you been here exactly?"
Ashido closed his eyes. "I think multiple centuries. Give or take. Didn't really keep count."
Akashi's brow furrowed. "And in all that time, you stayed. Even when it became clear it was pointless."
Ashido opened one eye. "Pointless?"
"You know what I mean," Akashi said, voice level. "You've killed tens of thousands; probably hundreds of thousands; of Hollows."
"But they keep coming. More keep forming. And the Human World still suffers attacks. So why here? Why not fight directly where it matters?"
Ashido sighed. "Because this is where they come from. Kill them at the root, not the branch." He looked at Akashi. "What about you? What's a kid like you doing in a place like this?"
It was clear to Akashi that Ashido didn't want to delve into the topic too much, maybe something personal.
"I've only been here a little bit more than a year," Akashi answered. "The Hollows are useful to me. Their Darkness. It feeds my Zanpakutō. And fighting is where I progress the most."
Ashido chuckled softly. "Useful, huh? There it is."
Akashi raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"That spark. That look in your eyes. I can see it, you have ambition, big one... What is it?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he stared at Ashido for several long seconds. Searching. Measuring. Ashido met his gaze but eventually looked away with a shake of his head.
"We're not being honest with each other yet, are we?" Ashido said.
Akashi shrugged. "Not yet. It's not that much of a secret, but I don't really know you."
There was a quiet moment, broken only by the distant howling wind outside.
Then Akashi said, "Speaking of which, have you noticed the phenomenon?"
"Phenomenon?" Ashido was confused.
"Do you have scars?" Akashi responded with a question.
"Of course?" Ashido responded as if stating the obvious. He's been here for hundreds of years, fighting hollow. If there is something he doesn't lack, it's scars.
"Yet your skin's clear. Not a single scar on your face... How?" Akashi curiously asked. That just doesn't make sense.
Ashido scratched his head, his mouth twitching. They were talking about something so serious, and now they're talking about scars, "Luck, I guess?"
Well, he himself didn't believe it. His face lacks scars, and so does Akashi's... Is it really a strange phenomenon?
"Coming here, I made peace with the fact that my face would get scarred, but... It didn't happen."
Akashi said, glancing at his own reflection in the smooth fruit skin. "I've lost a strand of hair every now and then, though. A miracle I haven't gone bald yet."
They both laughed. It was brief and rare, but honest. A sound not often heard in the wastelands of Hueco Mundo.
"So," Ashido said after the chuckles faded, "what's Soul Society like these days? How's the Gotei 13?"
Akashi rested his chin in his hand, "Still broken in some ways. Still strong in others. The Captains are powerful, but some of them are… shackled. Some are lazy. And well, Soul Society hasn't progressed much."
"You're not fond of it."
"Think a little and you'd feel the same," Akashi admitted. "I learned a lot there, but I don't think I was meant to stay. I did come from the farthest districts of Rukongai after all."
That resonated with Ashido, for he was the same... The state of Rukongai, it's truly disturbing.
Ashido nodded thoughtfully. "Any advice you're after?"
Akashi leaned forward slightly. "Zanjutsu. And about this realm. You've been here longer than anyone I've met."
Ashido smiled. "We'll spar tomorrow. Or whenever you're ready. I'll teach you everything I've picked up."
Akashi's expression shifted from surprise to contentment. "Thank you. I imagine you don't get a lot of company."
"Not the kind that speaks."
Akashi stood and walked to the edge of the cave, where the light dimmed into natural shadow. "You asked me before about my goal," He said quietly. "I can answer now."
He turned slightly, his voice still calm but resonating with something deeper. "It's something like... There needn't be darkness outside of me. Make of that what you will."