Amidst the ruins, towering skyscrapers stood like a forest, displaying the former glory of this place. But now, they were nothing more than useless objects, reduced to mere dwelling places for monsters.
And on the roads where vehicles should have been driving, a tall monster was walking all alone.
Suddenly, it seemed to realize something and turned to look at a glass window on a nearby building.
Although shattered and fragmented, it could still reflect his terrifying visage.
There were no facial features, only a twisted void where the face should be. The entire body was composed of black crystals, looking exactly like a xenomorph from a horror story.
"Is... is this me?"
A male voice mixed with the sound of electric current came from the monster's body. He leaned against the glass in disbelief, staring at his own reflection. From that face devoid of features, one could surprisingly sense an emotion of terror.
"What is happening? How did I become like this? Wasn't I at... what was I doing again?"
The monster examined his hands in disbelief. Those arms, full of black crystals and ending in what could only be called sharp claws, further heightened the fear in his heart.
Suddenly, a sound like tinnitus rang out in his brain, followed by fragmented memories surfacing in his mind.
"I... my name is... Geno... Have I... already died?"
The monster's name was Geno. According to the memories he recalled, he was originally a human, and his last memory before this was of a large truck coming straight at him.
"Is the power of the Hundred-Ton King truly invincible...? But, what is my situation now?"
His current appearance was obviously unrelated to the primate mammal known as 'human,' and this was exactly what puzzled Geno. He had absolutely no impression of why he had turned into this form.
"Don't tell me it's another movie plot, something like a gene modification by an evil scientist."
"Help! Help me!"
Just as he stood dazed on the spot searching for his sense of self, a burst of intense shouting suddenly entered his 'ears'—or rather, the 'core' that existed where his head should be.
But regardless of what he was, in this desolate wilderness, finding a living creature was already something to be thankful for.
Learning to control and adapt to this body was a bit unfamiliar at first, but his movements soon became natural.
'It's certainly much stronger than a human's physical constitution,' Geno thought to himself.
Soon, he saw the originator of the voice: a human male fleeing in panic. Chasing behind him was a group of monsters that looked exactly like Geno.
"Help! Is anyone there! Please, anyone! Save me!"
The man screamed for help in panic. He ran blindly through the space, choosing his path without care. The anti-corruption suit he wore was already tattered, and his body bore colorful, glowing fissures.
Eventually, his physical strength failed him; he collapsed to the ground and fell into a swoon.
'Hmm, should I save him?'
After a brief contemplation, Geno looked at his own claws. He would probably be treated as a monster...
"Forget it. I can't just let him die here."
Geno naturally knew the other party might not appreciate his kindness, and whether those monsters would recognize him as one of their own was another matter entirely.
But how could someone who would risk their life to save a little girl stand by and do nothing here?
Just as Geno was preparing to expose himself to save that poor soul, the situation took a sudden turn.
A cold light flashed, and the monster closest to the man instantly turned into fragments and dissipated into the air.
A group of young girls appeared in front of the man, protecting him.
Seeing this, Geno pulled back the leg he was about to step out with. Looking at their uniform attire, they appeared to be some kind of special forces unit. If he went out, he might be mistaken for an accomplice of those monsters.
It was better to stay honestly where he was.
However, this did make Geno sigh in relief. At least he didn't have to expose himself and take the risk.
But what puzzled him was: why was this team entirely made up of girls? And why did they look so similar?
Is the probability of multiple births that high in this world?
Before Geno could figure it out, the girl in the lead took the initiative, cleaning up the monsters chasing the man like autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves—resolving most of them in an instant.
The girls behind her, who looked just like her, immediately deployed in support. They were clearly an organized and tactical squad.
"Captain, this man is beyond saving."
One of the girls wearing gloves examined the man's body and found that the Corruption symptoms had reached an irreversible state.
The Captain, having returned from slaughtering the monsters, looked at the man whose face was full of terror yet whose eyes were gradually becoming hollow. A trace of unbearable pity showed on her face.
"Send him on his way."
The Captain's voice was like the Reaper's scythe, pronouncing the death sentence for this poor man with an understatement.
"But..."
The girl responsible for the examination hesitated. Even though she clearly knew this man was hopeless, the kindness in the bottom of her heart still made it hard for her to act.
"Number Seven, are you going to disobey orders?"
The Captain's gaze gradually turned cold. She could allow her squad members to harbor good intentions, but she would absolutely not permit them to disobey orders.
This was all for their own good.
"I understand, Captain Zero."
Saying this, the girl named Number Seven raised the weapon in her hand and closed her eyes, preparing to send this pitiful man on his way.
Splurt!
A stream of heat splashed onto her face. Number Seven's eyes widened in confusion. She clearly hadn't made her move yet, so how could...
Looking up, she saw that the owner of the blade resting on the corpse was none other than Captain Zero, who had just been lecturing her.
She watched as the Captain expressionlessly shook the blood dry, sheathed her weapon, and then turned around, leading the team forward as if nothing had happened.
"Silver Squad, continue the advance."
"...Yes, Captain."
The girls looked at each other in dismay, but still maintained their military discipline. Obeying Zero's command, they continued marching toward their objective.
Not long after they left, Geno, who had been hiding beforehand, walked out trembling.
He had seen it clearly. Those few girls had easily wiped out the monsters relying solely on the blades in their hands.
If he had rashly rushed out just now, he feared he would have been sliced into potato chips.
So scaaary~
And they didn't spare that unconscious man, either. It was very strange; they were clearly the ones who saved him, yet they were also the ones who killed him.
He really couldn't understand this world.
Suppressing the fear in his heart, he leaned close to the man's corpse. The colorful fissures on the man's body, which had been glowing, seemed to lose their energy after the signs of life vanished. They ceased to shine, leaving only gaps and tiny, black, gravel-like substances clinging to the man's corpse.
"It looks a bit like my body. Could it be a virus similar to zombies? That would explain why they killed this person."
At the same time, the changes in the corpse made him suspicious: was his own body once human as well?
Geno rummaged through the man's backpack. He attempted to find more intelligence regarding this world from the man's belongings.
"'Hollow Investigator Manual'... What is a Hollow?"
____
New Story: Bleach: Dominating Soul Society in One Sting
✅ New releases are dropping, plus get exclusive content & updates.
✅ Help us unlock community rewards:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone
🚀 140 MEMBERS = +5 extra chapters of ALL STORIES!
👻 P - Walnutchan