Normal day

(Timeskip Two Weeks)

It's been two weeks since I officially joined the group. During that time, Kabuto challenged us twice, and as always, it ended in defeat. I haven't been chosen for war even once. I have a new job now – delivering all the loot we've gathered during the day to an old man. In return, he provides food for me and everyone in our group.

Sometimes, I also meet Gabimaru there. He's a pretty good guy, easy to talk to, although a bit talkative. My relationships within the gang are quite good. Minoru, Rin, and Arata are cool with me. Noriko and Satoru are neutral, and Hideaki? That's a story in itself. It's clear he literally hates me, and it's getting worse.

...

I slowly opened my eyes to realize that someone's foot was on my head. "Arata, wake up." But he didn't wake up; I saw a smile on his face while he slept. His foot kicked me in the face, and I grumbled a bit. A bruise appeared on my forehead.

"Arata, if you're up, could you please remove your foot." But Arata didn't wake up. So I smiled a bit, but my smile didn't reach my eyes. Throughout the hideout, screams full of pain could be heard.

Arata quickly ran out of the room, and I followed him with a dark expression. I didn't chase him because of the foot on my head; it was for something else. I had my face painted.

"Sorry, Musashi, I didn't mean to, hahaha." And that was the last straw. Today, He would experience the definition of hell.

After a few minutes of screaming, Arata came out, and I followed from our room. I looked fresh, unlike Arata, who was unrecognizable.

"Well, you two, come and have breakfast."

So, we entered the room where the others were having breakfast. "Come on, you two, there won't be anything left in a minute." We quickly grabbed some food, and breakfast was over. We all gathered in front of Minoru.

"Well, since everyone is ready, let's begin. Today, Noriko and Satoru will stay home. Then, Rin and Hideaki will be in one team, and I and Musashi will be in the other. Arata will cover our backs. Everyone confirmed his words, and we set out on an expedition.

...

We started looking for new treasures at the dump. At one point, I heard Minoru calling me. "Musashi, I found something." I went to see what was happening. I saw Minoru trying to pull out something large. "Could you lend me a hand?"

I quickly went to Minoru and took the object and started pulling, but it didn't budge. So, the two of us tried to pull it for five minutes, but still nothing. "Musashi, can you wait here for a moment."

I nodded, and Minoru went somewhere. After a while, he returned with Hideaki and Rin. Of course, Arata was close by, keeping watch.

Hideaki looked at me. "What else to expect from someone useless? Can't even pull something out of the trash. Move aside and let a professional handle it."

Hideaki pushed me aside and started pulling the object. After a while, his smile turned into a frown.

Minoru sighed and went to help Hideaki, but it still didn't move. So, I started pulling with them, and then I looked at Rin, who also joined us. Four kids trying to pull something out of the trash.

"You're all idiots." Slowly, Arata approached us, looking at us like fools. "Why don't you first clear away all the garbage that's preventing you from pulling out that thing?" Everyone temporarily turned off their brains, and then we all started digging. Slowly, we began to discover what we were unearthing, and it turned out to be just a katana. While I was disappointed, the others had stars in their eyes.

After this find, it started getting dark. Arata handed me the katana. "We need to sell this; you're the fastest among us, so you'll reach the hideout before the others."

I just nodded and slowly set off on the journey.

Carefully, I walked through the streets of the Zaraki district. The usual noisy quarter full of fights and killings was eerily quiet. I walked through the district as cautiously as possible.

I slowly arrived at the shack of the old man, opened the door cautiously, and entered. I started looking around, and what I saw was not a corpse; it was just pieces of organs and flesh scattered all over the room. "I might throw up from this." I held my hand to my mouth; in the end, I managed to hold it in. I slowly crawled out of the shack, started feeling a strange sensation, so I went home, started picking up the pace, until I started running with the katana in hand.

...

..

.

(Minoru's POV)

I stood in front of the hideout, waiting for Musashi to arrive. Normally, I would be inside, but today Musashi took longer than usual.

"How long is he going to take? I'm starving." I looked behind at the voice. "Rin, he'll be here in a moment."

A few minutes later, I saw him running towards us. He didn't have a bag of food; he had today's catch in his hand. "What's going on, Musashi?"

"I don't know, but the entire Zaraki district is silent, the old man is dead, and on the way back, I came across more corpses, and then I quickly ran through the dump."

I felt a chill down my spine and looked at Rin. "Watch out." I pushed Rin away and saw a black claw descending upon me. In the next second, I saw my hand flying away. I looked at my right shoulder where my limb used to be. As I stared at my shoulder, pain shot through me.

"AAAAAAAAH"

I looked at what had severed my arm – it was a monster with claws instead of hands, instead of a normal face, and a strange white mask. I quickly glanced at Rin and Musashi, who were frozen in place. I wasn't any different from them; I was scared, and I started feeling more and more exhausted.

"Everyone, I apologize for not being a better leader." With these words, I fell unconscious.

...

(Musashi's POV)

I watched the monster just cut off Minoru's arm. It wasn't just any monster; it was a hollow.

"What's happening?" I couldn't take my eyes off the hollow, but I knew the one who spoke was Hideaki. The hollow turned towards where Hideaki spoke. I just watched, paralyzed. The hollow turned back to Minoru, who was unconscious, and suddenly pounced on him. No one could do anything. I saw the hollow bite my friend in half. No one uttered a word. We saw blood and organs flying everywhere.

The hollow turned and headed towards Arato, who went to check on the situation with Hideaki.

Arato panicked and started running to the hideout, but it was too late. A claw grabbed him, lifted him over its head, and opened its mouth.

In the next second, I saw something rolling towards me; I looked down and saw Arato's head. For a moment, I stared at his head, showing his last emotions – despair. I looked back at the hollow. I saw it turn towards the hideout.

Hideaki stood against the hollow. "You have to go through me, you monster!" In the next second, I saw the claw pierce his chest. In his last moment, he looked at me. "It's all... your fault."

I just watched as the hollow gradually slaughtered my friends one by one. From my fear, anger gradually took over. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS." I ran at the hollow, which had its back turned to me. I thrust the katana into its abdomen. The hollow roared and sent me flying with its claw. I flew far, and my whole body hurt. I raised my head and saw Noriko and Satoru slowly dying in front of us.

The katana lay quite a distance from me. I got up from the ground, blood flowing from my head. I started running towards it. I heard the hollow roaring and running after me.

(Narration POV)

"Hey, over here." Suddenly, the girl, Rin, shouted, and she started throwing trash at the hollow. Musashi grabbed the katana and quickly ran towards the hollow, which was approaching Rin. The hollow lunged at Rin, tearing her to pieces. Musashi was right behind the hollow. But it was too late Rin was dead, everyone was dead. Musashi raised the katana and stabbed it in the front, where the hollow's head was. The hollow fell to the ground, dead. Musashi looked at the hollow, not in joy but in sadness, anger, and guilt.

(End of a chapter)