Without breaking his stride, Chad surged forward, his powerful legs carrying him with incredible speed as the Hollow stumbled back, still reeling from the loss of its arm. Its body twisted and flailed in confusion, unable to comprehend the sudden change in its attack.
Chad's eyes locked on it, determination burning in his chest. 'I must be kinder than other people,' he thought, his mind sharpening, focusing on the need to protect. He was no longer just fighting for himself; he was fighting for everyone who couldn't defend themselves.
His body blurred as he reached the Hollow in the blink of an eye. The air around him seemed to snap with tension as his fist coiled, his muscles primed for the devastating blow. With a roar, Chad swung his arm forward, the punch cutting through the air with an explosive whoosh, the force of it almost shaking the ground beneath him.
BAM!
The punch collided with the Hollow's mask with an earth-shattering impact. The sound was deafening, like the crack of thunder, as the Hollow's mask shattered under the weight of Chad's strength. The pieces of the mask flew off in all directions, and the Hollow was sent flying backward, crashing to the ground with a resounding thud.
The Hollow began to disintegrate almost immediately, its body turning to dust as it vanished into the ether, leaving only a faint trace of its monstrous presence. The battle was over.
The dust began to clear, and Chad stood there, breathing heavily, sweat dripping from his brow. He was exhausted, but victorious. Karin, still trying to comprehend the sudden turn of events, looked at him in awe.
"He saw it," she whispered to herself, watching Chad stand tall despite his fatigue. There was something undeniably cool about the way he had just defeated that monster with a single blow.
Chad raised his fist, a thumbs up of triumph, but before he could even finish the gesture, his energy drained away all at once. The moment of pride disappeared as quickly as it came, and he staggered, his legs buckling beneath him.
With a grunt, he collapsed to the ground, his vision blurring from the exertion.
"Hey, you okay?" Karin asked, rushing toward him, her voice laced with concern.
Chad's mind was a whirlwind of questions, each one more pressing than the last. 'The armor... it's a powerful force. I suddenly could see the monster clearly. Where did the armor come from? Where did the monster come from? How did I defeat it?' The confusion swirled, and he couldn't shake the feeling that something bigger was at play here.
Karin reached him, breathing a sigh of relief as she knelt beside him. "Are you okay?" she asked again, her voice softer now.
Chad managed a tired smile. "Oh cool," he replied, his voice slightly weak, a wry chuckle escaping him.
Karin's expression shifted, her frustration rising. "No, it's not cool! It's a tragedy! That word doesn't apply to anything here! That's men's logic for you. You're just like Ichigo—man, I can't stand it!! Stay here, I'll get Papa Goat-face to fix you up."
Chad couldn't help but chuckle at her outburst, even though the laughter was strained. He watched her hurry off to find help, but the weight of the fight, and the confusion gnawing at him, lingered.
As he lay there, he thought to himself, 'I need something to eat.' The battle had taken more out of him than he realized, and now, all he wanted was some food to recover his energy.
He closed his eyes, letting the world around him blur, hoping that soon, he'd find some answers to the strange events that had unfolded today.
....
Orihime stood in the middle of the school courtyard, her heart racing as she glanced around. The air felt heavy, suffocating even, as she was frozen in place. The courtyard that had once been a peaceful place now felt eerily still. She had been preparing to leave with Tatsuki and Chizuru, but everything changed the moment her eyes locked onto the looming figure on top of the gym building.
The creature's grotesque form towered above them, its dark silhouette casting a long shadow over the school grounds. Its hollow mask stared down at her, its hollow eyes burning with malice. Orihime's chest tightened, her breath catching in her throat. The monster's presence seemed to drain the warmth from the air, leaving only an overwhelming chill that made every hair on the back of her neck stand on end.
'That thing is dangerous,' she thought, her mind screaming at her to run, to get away before it was too late. But her body wouldn't move; her legs felt as if they were cemented to the ground, rooted by the sheer terror she felt.
Orihime's eyes darted to Tatsuki and Chizuru, but they hadn't noticed the monster yet. 'We need to leave... we have to get out of here,' she thought, her pulse quickening. Every cell in her body seemed to scream at her to run, to flee from the danger before it was too late.
She took a shaky breath, turning to Tatsuki, ready to warn her about the creature. But as she glanced back at the gym building, the hollow was gone. She blinked in confusion, her eyes scanning the area frantically. 'It's gone... Where did it go?' Her thoughts raced as she searched for any sign of the monster, but it had vanished into thin air.
"Wait, I'll go get changed. Wait for me at the gate, Orihime," Tatsuki called out, unaware of the looming threat that had just been there.
Orihime opened her mouth to call out, to warn her, but the moment she did, she felt it. The presence returned, now directly above her. Her body froze, and she turned instinctively, her eyes widening in terror. The Hollow was back, its monstrous form looming in front of her, now closer than ever.
The creature's eyes narrowed, its hollow voice low and sinister as it stared at her with an unsettling grin. "You... can see me, can't you?" it asked, the words dripping with malice.
Orihime's heart skipped a beat, panic rising in her chest. She shouted to Chizuru, telling her to run, but before she could react, the Hollow launched a barrage of red projectiles from its forehead. The sky seemed to erupt as the bolts of energy tore through the air, smashing into the windows around them with deafening crashes. Glass shattered in all directions, and the ground trembled beneath them.
Orihime's heart raced, her instincts kicking in. She ducked and shielded herself, barely avoiding the deadly attack. But her gaze shot to Chizuru, who had been caught in the blast. The red projectiles had struck too close, and Chizuru was on the ground, knocked unconscious.
"Chizuru!" Orihime cried, rushing to her friend's side, her voice filled with urgency.
Chizuru stirred, groaning in pain, but she forced a smile. "That hurt... but I'm alright," she said, attempting to sit up, though her voice wavered.
Orihime's relief was short-lived. As Chizuru moved, something was wrong—her left hand twitched unnaturally. Orihime looked down in confusion as Chizuru's hand shot up, grabbing her by the neck.
"Wait—what?" Orihime gasped, her throat tightening in fear.
"Chizuru?" Orihime's voice quivered with confusion as she struggled to break free from her friend's unexpected grip.
Chizuru's face contorted in distress, trying to pull her hand away, but it wouldn't budge. "What's happening? I can't... let go!" she gasped, her face showing signs of panic as she tried to break the hold on Orihime.
But the grip only tightened, squeezing the air out of Orihime's lungs. She gasped for breath, her vision fading as her friend's strength became impossible to fight against.
The Hollow, now landing in front of them with a sickening thud, let out a dark laugh. "Haha, that's my special power," it boomed, its voice deep and eerie. "I don't like to fight... so I fire seeds from my forehead. They penetrate my victims, and the sprouts take over. Once they're in, they control the body, like puppets on strings."
Orihime's blood ran cold as veins began to appear on Chizuru's arm. The veins spread like dark roots, crawling up her skin as her face twisted in horror. With a vicious punch, Chizuru slammed her fist into Orihime's stomach, sending her sprawling to the ground. The impact knocked the wind out of her.
At that moment, the situation worsened as more students, their bodies possessed by the Hollow's seeds, began to stagger toward Orihime. Their eyes were glassy, their movements stiff, and they reached for her with mindless aggression.
But just as things seemed hopeless, Tatsuki appeared, her fists clenched in anger. She charged at the possessed students, her movements precise and powerful as she took down one after another. Her punches landed with thuds, knocking them out cold with ease. Orihime watched in relief as Tatsuki cleared the area, her strength a welcome sight in the midst of chaos.
Tatsuki looked over at Orihime, her face softening in concern as she offered a hand to her. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice laced with worry.
Orihime managed a shaky smile, nodding. "Yeah... thanks, Tatsuki." Her body trembled, both from the fear she had just experienced and the relief now flooding over her.
"Sorry, Orihime, I didn't notice the creature before," Tatsuki said, her voice filled with regret as she turned to her friend.
Orihime, still shaken, could barely process what had just happened, but she quickly shot Tatsuki a worried look. "The thing, can you see it, Tatsuki?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
"No, I can't see it," Tatsuki replied, her eyes narrowing as she focused on the area around them. "But I can tell where it is. It's the thing that made you cry!" She pointed fiercely toward the Hollow, her finger shaking with the intensity of her anger. The Hollow's massive, grotesque form seemed to loom even larger as Tatsuki's words cut through the tension like a knife.
"Hey, fatty!" Tatsuki yelled, her voice laced with a challenge as she squared off against the possessed students. "You picked on the wrong girl! Now your bulbous butt's about to get kicked!"
Her voice rang with determination, and without another word, Tatsuki launched herself at the crowd of students who had been overtaken by the Hollow's power.
TO BE CONTINUED