2 2. The Place of The End is The Beginning

The eternal dark sky shrouded the world as endless sad mounds and dead trees covered my surroundings.

'Where is this?' I questioned myself.

The light of the crescent moon was the only source of light in this dying world. Sometimes I could hear the howling of unknown creatures faraway. But I didn't know if it was just the wind, or monsters lurking in the shadow waiting for their prey.

The cold night air didn't bother me. Those fucktard parents would sometimes lock me outside in the cold night with my little sister with only our clothes covering us. Of course, I would always take off my shirt and used it to cover her. Well, she got mad and force me to put it on again though, every single time. So I would only do it after she fell asleep.

I tried moving my right hand, however it frightened me. In my vision, instead of a hand, it was a small white and chubby paw of a dog or something.

'What is this!?'

I looked at my left hand, but it was also a white paw like the one on my right. Because I was too bewildered by it, I accidentally pushed the sand on the ground too hard using those paws, causing me to tumble backward a few times.

"Kyun!"

'Kyun!? What was that!? Oh right, that's my voice. Wait a minute, that's not a human voice!'

It was then a ball of cotton appeared on my vision, moving left and right.

'What's that!?'

The sudden appearance of the cotton ball piqued my interest, as my long ears twinkling up and down.

'Oh wait, that's my tail... Wait... I have a tail? I also have a long pair of ears! What happened to me!? Is it a DREAM!? Or is it a FANTASY!?'

Whenever my tail went up, I could see my white belly. It seemed I transformed into some kind of animal. My inadequate knowledge of pets is telling me that I was either a dog or a fox.

I tried to recall what I was doing before I woke up in this endless space of wasteland.

'Oh... right... I was dead. No, I am dead.'

===°°°°===

I yelled on top of my lungs. The realization was hitting me so hard that a wind suddenly blew inside the living room. The paintings rattled and the beer on that bastard's hand was spilled on the floor.

"W... What happens? Is it an earthquake?" said the male-gendered trash. Both of them panicked and wanted to leave the house. But somehow the door was locked.

I couldn't think normally, the fact that I died was not the thing that made me turn crazy. I... was leaving my sister alone. The only one that I cared about all this time. Without me, those human waste would turn her into their slave, their own blood and flesh, without batting an eye.

'I won't do it. I won't leave her alone! Not with them!'

The door finally opened. Both of them went outside, but the clear sky and the normal atmosphere outside bewildered them. There was even the lady next door who was getting out, jogging, with her dog. Is it not an earthquake? Is it just their imagination?

Then, a voice resounded next to my ear.

[...]

Yes! I want it!

[...]

What for!? I will kill them!!

[...]

I won't regret it. I'll accept your offer!

[Good. We'll meet again someday, my little boy.]

CRINK! CRINK!!

I finally knew what caused the clanging noises that I have been hearing all this time. A sturdy metal chain appeared from the chest. It was connected to the spot right below my neck, on my chest, while the other end somehow was on the attic above us, inside my bedroom.

With the end of that voice, the chain started tightening. It was trying to pull something within me. The pain, I couldn't bear it. However, my resolution to kill these cuckoo bastards in front of me still stood like unbroken steel walls.

"Kuaaaaaaaaaakhhh!!"

I yelled. Slowly, like a lid, a hole was being torn open on the spot where the chain was, on my chest. It was unbearable, but my eyes were still locked on the pairs of rotten eggs in front of me. They were screaming out of their lung, for help, to the passerby. But from the outside, no one saw anything odd inside, not even the noise of furniture being trashed here and there.

And finally, like a thunderclap, the chain snapped as a hollow circle fully formed on my chest. My body then burst into pieces. But it soon formed into another me.

Four legs, a firm paw, with claws that could cut through diamonds, adorning each one of them. White luscious fur wrapped my body. Nine majestic tails spreading like a blooming fan of flowers. The only odd thing from this new body mine was my humanoid face that was sticking on the head of this fox beast.

My eyes were gleaming with golden lights, I was still screaming in pain, as a white goo of unknown liquid flowed out of my throat and covered my face, forming a mask of some predatory beast. As the light from my eyes fading, it revealed the gleam of another golden pupil.

Showing off my fangs, I roared.

The two pile of shits was terrified by my roar. Now they could see me. The new me. All kinds of fluid flowed out of their dirty body as I inched closer to them.

The mask, although sturdy, was still working like a normal. And so, relaxing my jaw, I devoured them.

===°°°°===

That was the only thing that I could remember. Everything after that was blank.

I was walking without any destination, ironically searching for any sign of life. But no matter where it was, the only thing I could find was some weak Hollows, and I was one of them.

Yes, now I was a Hollow as well. And this endless dessert and the eternal night was a place called Hueco Mundo. Where the cursed souls wander endlessly, searching for their purpose.

As I found a tree, I started carving on it. Unlike a normal tree, it wasn't made of wood, but some kind of mineral stone. My sharp claw carefully carved one side of the tree, forming a smooth flat surface. I was making a mirror.

It didn't take long for a small mirror around my size to appear. The shadow that appeared in the mirror was a white four-legged animal with one tail and a mask that look like a fox. The eye parts looked like a slit, making me look like a devious creature.

I just sighed, not knowing what to do. Counting stars would be impossible, as the only thing that was in the sky was a crescent moon that would never change its shape.

'Should I start counting grains?'

It was tempting and was going to do it, however, on the mirror that I was made, stood a creature 5 times bigger than me, its red eyes were glaring at my small body. It was a purple muscled humanoid Hollow that looked like it hit the gym every day while drunk on steroids. Hella huge.

Boom!

His fist caved into the pile of sand where I stood before. I landed a few meters away from it.

'Good, no genitals. At least I won't be distracted.'

Somehow, I could keep my cool.

Now that there was someone else that I could compare myself with, I realized that I was really small. Either that or everything around me was just abnormally huge.

Dash!

The muscled Hollow charged at me, he twisted his upper body and, like a string of rubber, deliver another powerful blow at me.

Boom!

Although I could evade it, the shockwave was powerful enough to throw me off.

'Shit! Would I die again?'

I couldn't afford to die one more time. I need to find a way out, this world might be connected to my previous world. I wanted to return, back to where she is.

"I can't die here, kyun!" I yelled, wanting to appear tough.

'Kyun?'

At my sudden cute cry, the muscled Hollow tilted his head sideways together with me.

Boom!

He resumed his attack once more while I was crying inside lamenting my lack of dangerous presence.

'Where is the mighty howling from before? Where is the gruesome aura? Why you made me like this!?'

As if answering my complaint, knowledge was bestowed into my head. It was the instruction on how to use my ability.

"Oooh... kyun. Now we're talking, kyun."

I regained all of my lost confidence from before and stood facing the muscled Hollow. Every step he made was so heavy that my small body would float a few millimeters in the air if he was too close.

My canine mouth smiled as I calmly muttered, "Primera Mentira."

(A/N: First Lie.)

So, what was the first lie you made? Well, anything would suffice, but the most important thing was not the content, but to whom you made the lie.

The first lie you made ever since you were born was a lie you made to yourself. You would tell yourself that being hit every day was fine. You would tell yourself that everything would be fine as long as it was just you. And then, when she appeared for the first time, you would tell yourself that everything would be fine if your sister doesn't exist. And so, you would tell yourself that killing your sister would be for her own good.

(A/N: For those who find it disturbing, man up dude. His ability was connected to his past life. As it was the rule of the Hollows that their ability was closely knitted to their sin/desire/life before death. So I will use this chance to explain the MC's past little by little.)

[Primera Mentira]

[Once activated, allows the caster to produce clones of himself. The clone's ability, quantity, and duration would depend on the caster's strength. The caster could switch place with the clone without restriction.]

[Currently, can only allow 1 clone/use that couldn't attack or move for 10 seconds.]

'So weak!' I cursed at myself and that person in particular.

Behind the muscled Hollow, on his blind spot, another me appeared.

'Ohh... I don't know that I looked that cute. If my sister could see it, she might... throw it away immediately. I don't know what is wrong with that little kid's head.'

Boom!

The muscled Hollow's fist tore my body apart. It was twisted so bad that the cute little form from before could not be seen anymore.

'Holy crap! That's so close! Banzai instant switch place! Banzaaai!' I happily cheered at my surviving the doom fist. Unlike the clone shadows in a certain manga I read, it didn't disperse into a cloud of smoke. It truly became a clone right into the flying innards and bones. It disturbed me how realistic it looked.

While the muscled Hollow was still distracted, 'And now! Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu: Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki!'

(A/N: You watch Bleach, no way you never watch Samurai X.)

Of course, that was a lie, there was no way in hell I could do that only using my puny claw.

Slash!

I might not know how to fight, but I watched and read all of my sister's anime and mangas. I at least know what to do if I have to fight against bigger enemies. Aim for their balance. And that is their ankle.

"Grooaa!!"

I deeply underestimated the sharpness of my claws. Like butter, it cut through the tendon or whatever muscle part it was called. Unlike some irresponsible MC that farting flags here and there, I made sure to cut both ankles, forcing it to kneel. And once it was closer.

Jump! Slash!

I cut through his neck. However the damage was not deep enough, but it was still bewildered because of the sudden damage he got on his muscular and tough body. I didn't miss this chance and snapped my fang on his masked face.

Crunch!

It growled in pain as I keep spawning one clone after another to evade his panic attack. The sandy ground was littered with my clones' blood, flesh, and bones which disappeared after 10 seconds.

My stamina was almost hitting the ground as well, but I couldn't give up yet. Just one more hit. One more hit!

Shwak!!

My claws finally put an end to his resistance. My breathing was ragged. My vision was blurry. Any moment now, I felt like passing out.

'No... I can't fall here.'

The muscled Hollow's body turned into light which seeped into my body. I gained some strength, but it was far too little compared to the amount of energy I use to fight him.

Alas, my leg gave in and I fall on the sandy ground. While I didn't have any damage on my precious body, it was a pain to even open my eyelids anymore than this.

As my vision darkened and slowly drifting into the dreamland, an odd figure appeared at the end of my sight. In the living world, it would have been normal to see a woman passing by. But, this was the land of the Hollows. The closer to the human their shape are, the more dangerous they get.

It was blurry, but I could reckon the details. Like a natural reaction, I knew what was coming to my place.

'Damn it... A Vasto Lorde... in this place...'

There was one more detail on her, a goat-shaped skull adorning her head.