Chapter 7: We are the Hunters

Written by Greatkingratt88. Thanks again man.

Fairy Tail is owned by Hiro Mashima. BLEACH is owned by Tite Kubo. Me? I own JACK SQUAT.

Ah yes, I LOVE the break so far. Its given me the perfect time to start watching more new anime, Like Fate Zero/Fate Stay night. Its pretty fun so far.

However, I figured my readers could use a gift as well, so I bring you this, Chapter 7!

Like always, thank you so much for reading this. I appreciate it. I also REALLY appreciate any and all reviews that are given, be they positive or negative. Reviews are still my best motivator and they also help motivate my writer as well!

"Attention! Graduate class Four B, stand to attention! Straighten your damn backs, tuck your shirts in, look smart, or I will personally feed you to a menos!" Erza couldn t suppress a small smile, as she and the rest of her class stood to attention. They had graduated, and all of them had applied for different squads, but the process took some time- and the Gotei, not believing in anything like prolonged times of idleness, had set up an exercise- a real patrol, out in the world of the living. And before them was seventh seat Haseyama of the seventh division, followed by three other seated officers, making ready to open a portal. Haseyama was a grim, tough kind of man, but his drill sergeant act was a little too over the top to take very seriously.

"You may all have graduated," he rumbled- a very good rumble, she noted- "but as far as we re all concerned, you lot are greenhorns. Stupid, ignorant children who'd probably sooner cut off their own head if they tried using a sword for real! So, how do we fix that?" "Um-" One unfortunate classmate piped up.

"That was a rhetorical question, soldier!" Haseyama snapped. You speak when spoken to- understood?

The class was silent, seemingly not sure of what to say.

"I said, is that understood?!"

"Sir, yes sir!" They shouted, not quite uniformly.

"You've got a long way to go." Haseyama muttered. "This will be your first patrol- a real one, out in the world of the living. This is the real thing- not a sodding exercise, not make-believe, not slaying dolls or cutting each other with fake swords. You are soldiers now- and if you ignore protocols, if you don t follow orders, you could wind up dead. Questions?" "Where will we be going?" Erza said. "And will there be hollows?"

"Don't sound so eager." Haseyama said sullenly. "Since you're new, we re going on patrol somewhere not so densely populated- Mongolia , the humans call it. There will be a small town not too far away, so hollows could pop up- but it's not a high risk area. If they do pop up, remember your training and whatever you do, don't try to be a hero. Being a soldier means fighting to live another day. You're no good to our cause when you re dead!" " Senpai?" One of the other shinigami said to their instructor.

"The portal is ready now."

"Right!" Haseyama said. "We go first, then you march through, single file. Once we're through, you'll be divided in four groups, with one of us each observing you. We won't interfere unless you're in serious danger- this is up to you now. With that," Haseyama and his colleagues stepped through the gate, now opening- it looks so elegant, like two sliding doors, only they opened to reveal a desolate landscape; plains with little vegetation as far as she could see. One by one, they formed a line and walked through, and Erza felt a rush of air as she stepped through- there was such a contrast; the air was cold, there was a breeze in the air that felt like it caressed her very bones with its chill, and there was almost no reiatsu in the air. After so much time spent in the soul society, so much time learning to read and manipulate spiritual power, it was almost shocking to come back here and feel the lack of everything that made up her body, her mind; it was like having her face splashed with ice cold water.

The rest of her class seemed to react no different, uneasy looks all round, some people even looking nauseous. Marisa shivered, wrapping her arms around her chest, and Sensuke grunted, looking uncomfortable. Remon looked the same- a little bit sour, but she knew him well enough to tell he wasn t enjoying this.

"Well, this this was," She said, trailing off as she took a few deep breaths.

"Its like being woken up by a slap to the face." Sensuke said, sounding nauseous.

"I had forgotten what the world of the living was like." Marisa mumbled. "We really aren't part of it anymore, are we? You think you have it rough? I've never even been here before." Sensuke whined. "I was born in the soul society- how the hell do people live here?"

"You feeling bad, private Shinyu?" Haseyama said, as he walked up to them. His voice was deceptively smooth. "Would you like us to send you home, maybe get a nice sleep? See the medic about that nausea? Would you like that, private?"

As bad as he may have felt, Sensuke could see a trap coming. "Sir, no sir!" He barked, straightening himself up. "Shinyu Sensuke, ready for duty, sir!"

"Good". Haseyama said, giving them a glare. "And does anyone else feel less than fit for duty?" There was a collective "Sir, no sir!" from the class arrivals, Erza included, and Haseyama nodded approvingly. "Good. Cause whoever's too chickenshit to deal with a little first-time travel instability gets two months of latrine duty." The class, which had looked mostly miserable, now looked nervously relieved.

"Form a line, greenhorns!" Haseyama barked. The class obeyed, quickly- things considered- forming a long line of twenty-four. Haseyama began strolling up and down the line, his thumbs tucked into his belt.

"So," he began, taking a tone Erza recognized as a try-hard take on you will obey my last command or else , "this is the world of the living, the one we all bleed and die to protect. Ain t it grand?" He looked around spitefully, gesturing towards the empty plains, uninterrupted only by a dead tree or two, a chilly wind still breezing across it. As the class remained silent, he continued,

"We got four routes to patrol. You do your route, get back to the rendezvous point, and we go back for lunch. Simple as that. We'll divide you in four groups, and each group gets one squad leader. You will be supervised, but there will be no interference unless you fuck up massively- or something goes really wrong. Understood?"

Sir, yes sir!" The class bellowed, now feeling a little less uncomfortable, in the face of having a goal laid out for them.

"Good!" Haseyama began dividing them up, in groups of six. She saw Rod in one group- assigned as leader, unsurprisingly. Before long, her own group had been made- herself, Sensuke, Marisa, Remon, and two classmates she knew by name but not personally, two boys named Jiamon and Kensu.

"You're in charge, Scarlet." Haseyama said, handing her a red sash. "That means you re responsible for these idiots- so be damn careful with what you do, cause you're holding their life in your hands. Same goes for anybody who leads anyone in an organization like ours. Got it?"

Erza swallowed, and accepted the sash.

"Yes, sir.'" She said, and fastened the piece of cloth around her waist.

After Haseyama had pointed the way, and after a quick consultation of a map he'd provided, Erza led the way. It wasn't exactly easy- this steppe had no roads, no discernable paths, and precious few landmarks to follow. A big rock here, a dead tree there, and a light mist covering the area. It was a little scary- not the landscape in itself, not the possibility of hollows, but the idea that whatever happened would be her responsibility. Steeling herself mentally, she reminded herself that she had trained for this, and so had they. This was a test of skill, and if it were easy there would be no point to it. Boldly, showing courage she wasn't sure she had at this moment, she strode forward. She checked the map as often as she could, not wanting to get lost- but as they covered more and more ground, mile after mile without them being lost, she began to feel like this was doable.

"I think I sense something." Sensuke mumbled. He'd been quiet, a far cry from his normal, boisterous self. The seriousness of the situation had got to him, it seemed, as much as it had for everyone else.

"You sure?" Erza said, trying to sense for spiritual particles. Everything was so different here, so lacking.

"I can feel it- very slight, but there's a bunch of spirit particle concentrations, maybe five hundred feet ahead. And it sure doesn't feel like people."

"Holllows? Marisa asked. They did say there might be..."

Haseyama nodded. ""Good call. So, what do you do in the face of a potential threat, when you're out on patrol, all on your own?"

Um, Erza began, quickly trying to dig up the right answers from her memory. "We approach with caution, assess the threat, and if the threat level is considered to be within our ability to handle, we engage and purify the hollows."

He nodded again. "And if they're above your level?"

"Run like hell, sir."

"And if that's not an option?"

"Then we fight and die facing the enemy."

"Good lass. Now, what are you waiting for- go ahead!"

"Yes sir!" Erza exclaimed. She turned to the others. "Okay, team- we're up against what's likely multiple hollows. Sensuke, any details?"

"They didn't feel overwhelmingly strong." He said nervously. "And- and this is a low threat area, so it should be safe."

Erza nodded. "I'm going first. Marisa, cover my back. Remon, Sensuke, take my left and right side. Jiamon, Kensu, take the flanks. Be ready for an attack. If they come at us, I'll try and distract them, draw them to me- hit them when you can. Understood?"

There was a chorus of affirmations, nods and 'yes' and 'sure', and Erza nodded back, and stepped forward, drawing her sword. The others followed suit, and warily the six of them advanced through the mist, their superior following a bit behind.

Erza felt heavy with every step, felt a tinge of nervousness and fear- but she swallowed it, pushing it aside. Focusing on the now and here, she sensed forward, sensing for reishi- and there, finally, she could feel the tinge of spiritual pressure.

"Got a number, Sensuke?" She mumbled. "Or Marisa? You're better at this than me."

"I count to seven. Sensuke said quietly. But they don't feel very strong."

"Sounds right." Marisa said, her voice tense. "They seem... distracted, because they're not reacting to us. That, or they can't sense us."

"Then let's see if we can take them by surprise." Erza said resolutely. "Quiet everyone."

They kept walking, and it felt like an eternity, like the mist would never end- but before too long, she began to see the shapes of hollows further down their path- long, snake-like bodies, weak limbs, floating through the air, burying their beaked faces in what looked like the carcass of another hollow.

'They're weak.' Erza whispered. 'Weak, and small- but still vicious. I'm gonna charge in, cut one down- when you hear me cry out, the rest of you charge in. Got that?'

There was a whispered yes, sir! , and Erza advanced by herself, slowly, cautiously, trying to suppress her energy till the last possible moment. The hollows were busy, gorging themselves- she got quite close, twenty or so feet left, before one of them turned its head towards her. It hissed, and the others begun to notice. They weren't too big, just ten feet's worth of snake-like body each- she could do this.

Letting out a loud cry, she charged forward before the first hollow to notice her could react, bringing down her sword. It cut neatly into its mask, cleaving it in two, and the monster began to disintegrate. As one, the hollows moved toward her, snapping at her. Erza continued her charge, dashing forward, cutting wildly. Blood spattered her face, her uniform, as she drew blood but little else- but the goal was achieved; all six of the remaining hollows were focused on her now. She dashed forward, then left, then back where she came from. Any time now...

"SHINYU!" She heard Sensuke cry, and he slammed into a hollow from the side, tackling it, sending it spinning, before finishing it off with a heavy stroke of the sword. Remon didn't cry out, he just jumped in, running his sword through the head of one beast from below. Good- quickly, Erza turned around to face the remaining ones. Holding her sword in one hand, she grabbed one of the hollows, holding it at bay, while spearing another on her sword, it's momentum doing all the work for her. One, two, three more hollows evaporated.

Even so, that left two unanswered for, not counting the one Erza was holding on to- which was snapping and writhing, struggling to break free. The two others were coming right at her, no stopping that. Erza braced herself,and-

Hado number one: shou! And one of the hollows went flying, veering off course from a spell Marisa had fired off. She smiled, and continued:

Hado number thirty-three: sokatsui! White lightning erupted from her fingertips, and the hollow let out a screech as it disintegrated, completely destroyed by Marisa's magic.

That left two still, both focused on Erza. She waved her sword at the oncoming hollow, but she hadn't the focus- it slipped under her guard, wrapped itself around her arm, and bit into her shoulder. Erza cried out, letting go of the other hollow to wrestle it off. She was hurting, but not badly- and the hollow was about to learn what a grave mistake it was to antagonize Erza Scarlet. Angrily, she grabbed it by the throat, slamming it down into the ground. The monster hissed, constricting around her arm, but Erza shouted back and her grip around the monster's neck hardened. Slowly, she began choking it, her fingers pushing through layers of skin and flesh, feeling bone underneath- bone that strained under her touch, beginning to crack...

The monster thrashed wildly, screeching as best it could with its windpipe being crushed. In its desperate throes, it let go of her arm, trying only to get free. Not wasting a moment, Erza held the hollow firmly, and thrust her sword forward, hard, right into the monster's mask. The thrashing stopped suddenly, as the monster begun to disintegrate.

Erza stood up, disregarding the pain in her shoulder. What happened to the last one? She looked up, and saw Jiamon and Kensu standing over a hollow corpse, chopped into bits, their faces a mixture between relief, fear and exhilaration. The head was still twitching, not quite dead.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" She grunted, holding her shoulder. "Finish it off."

The two of them said, at once, "Yes, sir!" , and together, without much finesse, they cut into the mask. The last hollow was purified, ceasing to be.

"All right, is everyone okay?" She asked. "No injuries?"

"I- I got a small nick, but that's all." Sensuke said. "I think we're fine, excepting some scrubs and bruises."

There were some affirming nods, and Marisa said,

"I think we should be asking you that."

Erza grimaced. She did have a lot of blood on her.

"It looks a lot worse than it is." She said casually. "All this blood isn't even my own." She slid down her uniform a little, to have a look. She did have a wound, but it didn't look too deep.

"What did I say about playing hero?" Haseyama said, stepping up out of the mist. "Good enough work, team- a bit reckless, but passable for greenhorns." He looked at Remon, who seemed to be bleeding from the shoulder. "As for you, Remon- let me see to that wound." Seeing the reluctant look on his face, he added, "That was not a request, soldier. Show it to me."

To some annoyance for the man, he insisted on bandaging and treating the wound, citing safety first- but hey, all things considered, they were doing pretty well. Seven hollows killed, everyone was okay, and all they had to do was patrol... this was going okay.

"...there." Haseyama murmured, putting the final knot in his bandage. "That should do it. Are you fit to keep on going?"

"Yes, sir." She said confidently.

"Then what are you mucking about here for? Get going- you have a route to finish!"

Erza nodded, and stepped forward again. "Everyone, clean your swords and get moving. We got work to do!"

"Yes, sir!" They said, looking heartened. They'd been through the fire, endured the heat, and had a baptism of violence. They felt like soldiers now, she could see it as clearly as she felt it herself. As one, they began marching their route, and before long they were headed back to the rendezvous, and not even the ache of her bitten shoulder bothered Erza. This wasn't so bad, was it?

After a couple of hours after setting out, the seven of them were catching sight of the rendezvous point again. Erza could see Rod's group there, Rod giving his usual, sourly defiant look. They looked a little roughed up, but nobody looked hurt.

"Did you get hollows too?" Erza said spiritedly as she came within earshot, walking up to Rod.

"A whole bunch of 'em." Rod said indifferently. "Ten or so. Nothing we couldn't handle."

"Team work was less than exemplary." Rod's supervisor said.

"Yes, I selfishly killed seven of them myself instead of giving the others a chance to get themselves seriously hurt or killed." Rod said, rolling his eyes.

"Your attitude isn't helping."

"Sounds like you did a great job." Erza said, trying to defuse the situation. "But where are the others?"

"Probably lost." Rod said, shrugging. "We nearly got lost, too- wound up being almost half an hour behind schedule, hollow-slaying included."

"I see." Erza murmured. "Ten hollows for you, seven for us... is that normal, Haseyama-senpai?"

"It's much more than expected." Haseyama said, yawning. "But not outside what you could possibly expect."

Rod bowed his head lightly. "Been a useful trip, sir. Learned a lot here, we did- so now we just wait for the others, and go home?"

"Yes..." Haseyama said, sounding distracted. "They're late, though- what are they doing?"

"I'm sure they'll be here any minute." Erza said, suppressing a small impulse of worry. "They're being looked after by your men, right?"

Yes... well, let's just wait here, shall we? They're not that late yet.

They waited for ten minutes or so, and the students chatted away happily, with excitement- now that they were used to the climate of the world of the living, now that they'd completed this first mission, their spirits were considerably higher than before. Erza too felt glad- but somehow a bit concerned, too.

Then, out of the mist, they saw the shape of a man walking- no, stumbling. He wasn't one of the students; she remembered him as one of the supervisors who had gone with them. At first Erza took it to be the patrol returning, drawing a sigh of relief- but she saw nobody else behind him. And then she saw it. His arm, a bloody stump. Blood flowing freely from his face- oh god, his face, it looked like it had been run through a meatgrinder, looking more like a large mess of blood and flesh and bone than a human face. He was barely walking upright, stumbling along the path towards him.

She heard Haseyama draw a sharp breath, hurrying towards him. The man collapsed, and Erza, all the other students too, who had been paralyzed for a second hurried up. Haseyama was holding his hand, and up close his wounds seemed even worse.

"I- I ran." The man hissed, breathing in sharp, short bursts, blood pouring from his neck with every breath. "I ran away, Haseyama-senpai!"

"You keep still!" Haseyama ordered. "We'll get you some help- who did this?"

"I ran away!" The man said again, sounding desperate, and there was something haunted in his eyes. "You have to run- run away too. Run!"

"God damn it, somebody go get some bandages!" Haseyama spat, turning to his students. It was too late, though- the soldier's eyes were glassy, and he had stopped breathing.

"Damn!" Haseyama swore, desperately checking for any kind of life sign- a breath, a heartbeat, anything- but all there was was blood, trickling down on the ground and slowly coming to a halt. Erza looked around- there were all the signs of panic brewing, students looking frightened, on edge, all sense of accomplishment gone and replaced with fear.

Erza put a hand on her sword, to reassure herself. Just one man returning- this didn t look good.

"Looks like everyone else kicked the bucket." Rod said, putting words to her thoughts. "Gotta say, this looks bad."

"You sound pretty calm for a situation like this." Erza said, frowning.

"Actually, I'm scared shitless." Rod said, and there was a slight tremor in his voice, and he took a quick, deep breath. "Im just remembering something Shimura-sensei said- panic on the battlefield, and you re toast."

Erza nodded. "We don t know that they're all dead yet-"

"Whatever did that made a complete mess out of the most senior member of the group. Maybe you re an optimist, but we're better off assuming the worst."

Erza made a fist. Some first assignment She raised her voice, turning to Haseyama. "Haseyama-senpai! What do we do?!"

Haseyama stood up slowly, the blood of his subordinate all over his shihakusho. He looked odd, so odd- the look of a man processing shock, the first stages of grief. He didn't respond for a bit, his eyes having a glassy look.

"Haseyama-senpai!" She cried again.

"Shut it!" He snapped." Listen up, everyone- we need to open up a way back home right now!"

"Wait- what about the others?" Sensuke said. "They could be alive-"

"I said right now." Haseyama growled.

"Oh god." Marisa mumbled, looking around. "It's coming."

Erza let her senses reach, feeling for reiatsu. She wasn t the best, but it was unmistakable now- a large mass of it, rapidly approaching. And in the mist- over the mist she saw it now, as did everyone else. Paralyzed with fear, they saw it leaping forward. It was absolutely enormous- at least twenty feet tall. Its body looked a little like that of a toad, but with a wide, expanded neck- a little like a cobra. It had a broad, white mask, and absurdly large teeth, drool and blood dribbling down its chin. And claws, claws like scythes on the end of its long, thin arms.

And it was coming at them at breakneck speed.

"Damn it!" Haseyama shouted, quickly drawing his sword. "Everyone on me! Katsui, open the portal! Swords out- defend yourself or-"

Erza guessed that the next word would have been you'll die , but the words never left his mouth. The hollow leapt, so damn fast for a creature so big, and crashed into Haseyama, it s clawed hand digging into his torso. Haseyama grit his teeth, digging his sword into the hand of the monster, but it was for nothing- lifting him, body skewered like a shish-kebab, the monster brought him up to eye level- and in a second, snapping like a snake, he bit off Haseyama s head. Blood sprayed out in spurts, but only briefly before the monster took the rest of his body into its mouth. Not stopping, he leapt again, towards the one remaining senior shinigami- Katsui- who was desperately trying to open the portal back. The sword was out, the doors were opening- and then the monster s clawed hand struck out, so impossibly long, cutting him clean in half. The class watched on in terror- twelve of them, one monster, and they were all so helpless. The monster looked like it shared the opinion, slowly and deliberately picking up the two pieces of what was Katsui, chewing down first his legs, then picking up his torso. Erza saw with horror that he was not dead yet- a look of helplessness and terror on his face, as he descended into the mouth of the beast, his wheezing cries for help silenced abruptly by the sickening crunch of hollow teeth grinding against each other.

Its eyes conveying a perverse pleasure, the beast began to speak, its voice conveying an arrogance, a feeling of absolute power:

"Good day, my fine fellows." It chuckled darkly and slowly, and Erza could feel a gust of wind, a sickening smell of blood, both fresh and rotting, coming from its mouth. "I am Hanyval. I will be your host for today." He gave a mock bow. "Polite as I am, I must say: thank you so much for the meal. This is a feast I haven t seen in years."

Slowly he began to advance, with the confidence of a lion approaching mice.

Erza shot a glance at her classmates. Terror running across their faces, true fear, their conviction breaking. So fresh out of academy, so inexperienced- this was not supposed to have happened, and it showed.

"Stand fast!" She shouted, just as the first of them started to run, slipping into a panicked shunpo. "Hold your ground or we'll all be hunted down! Stay together, or you'll all be killed! She grabbed one of her classmates, Jiamon. You're staying right here!"

"Let me go!" He cried.

"You heard her." Rod said, slamming a fist into his gut. "That goes for all of you- stay where you are, or I'll make you wish you were hollow chow, cause what I'll do to you will be five times worse!"

It worked- almost. Four more of their classmates dashed away, the terror of this monster overtaking all sense and reason, but the rest- herself, Rod, Remon, Sensuke, Marisa, Jiamon and Kensu, they stood their ground.

"What adorable bravado!" Hanyval exclaimed, laughing again his slow, deep laugh. "I will save you for last, my precious little desserts- you have until I pick up these stragglers. Be prepared!" His voice was all sarcasm, condescending them, but nevertheless Erza felt grateful for the respite. Hanyval leapt off into the mist, and half a minute later, they could hear a scream in the distance.

Well, that s it then. Didn t think I d die this fast. Remon said matter-of-factly.

Oh god Marisa mumbled. Just fuck. Fuck.

"This is it!" Sensuke said desperately. "We're all gonna die! Game over, man! Game over!"

"Shut the fuck up." Rod said coldly. "If that's what you re all thinking, then sure we re gonna die. But maybe it s just me, but I'm not gonna take it lying down."

Erza nodded enthusiastically. "We can get out of this. Trust me. I- I was raised in a place where you never give up, no matter what. Where you rely on each other to get through whatever comes your way, thick or thin. And I m telling you, together we can make it. Somebody will send help if we re not back on time. Maybe we can t beat it, maybe we can- but we sure as hell can hold out. Trust me!"

Erza wasn t sure if she believed what she said, not fully, but it was something you had to say at a time like this.

Marisa nodded. "I trust you. Yeah. We can do this."

"If we get out of this, will you go out with me?" Sensuke said, hissing desperately in what would have to pass for a laugh.

"He's already making jokes." Rod mumbled.

"Marisa." Erza said. "We know it's strong- but do you have a read on how strong?"

"Huge class." She mumbled. "Reiatsu level, in proportion to our own- probably at least seven times more than we're meant to handle. He was very far evolved too- probably old and experienced."

"He had some pretty clumsy moves on his forearms." Rod piped in. "Very fast, but predictable- I don't think his joints let him move them very smoothly."

Erza nodded again, taking it in. "We're gonna need teamwork on this. The best there ever was. Rod and I are the fastest, so we'll try and distract him from the front. Once we ve got the attention of his arms, the rest of you flank him- Marisa, I want you to fire whatever kido you can from behind. Remon, Sensuke, tale left flank. Jiamon, Kensu, take right. Hit whatever place you can- a joint, his sides, wherever you can hurt him."

They all nodded, a small chorus of yes coming from the small crowd. They were terrified, scared to death and at the brink of despair, but they weren t falling into the abyss just yet.

"Hear that?" Rod said.

"What?" Erza said, listening around.

"Exactly- nothing. There s no more screams. He'll be coming soon."

Erza looked through the mist, and everything felt so slow. Every breath felt like a minute, every movement down to moving a finger felt like moving through tar. She felt it out there, a malevolent mass of spiritual energy, hate and strength. Raw power, heading their way .

"Make ready." She said, swallowing her fear. "Assume formation. Rod, by me." She stepped forward, holding her sword out. Rod was right by her side, just a yard or two to her right. She had a quick look- her team was following her instructions so far.

And there it was, walking through the mist, its long, thin clawed arms being the first to emerge. So slowly, yet so horrifyingly quickly, it walked forward out of the mist. More blood down its chin, more death surrounding it- and here it was before them.

"Well, well, my little desserts-" it began, but Erza wasn t in the mood for monologues.

"CHARGE!" She roared, dashing headlong into battle. Hopping forward at her fastest shunpo, she put all her strength into a fierce, hard blow. She connected hard with Hanyval s clawed arm- the monster didn t even try to dodge. But, surprisingly, his arm was forced back, into his chest, and the monster took half a step backward to keep balance. She hadn t really hurt it; there was just a chip in its thick hide- but that wasn t the idea. Dashing under the monster s claw, Rod jumped up, cutting into the monster s throat- not deep, but blood was drawn, splashing out in a wide arc. And at the same time, from every angle, her team came in, cutting into the monster s sides, its legs, knee joints, moving as fast as could while he was distracted.

And Hanyval began to stagger. He stood up tall, taking one step back, two steps back- he looked almost like he d overbalance, and though a mask couldn t convey emotion, he looked surprised. And for just a moment, Erza felt so proud- they were doing it, fighting together. This was the fairy tail way; never give up, never surrender, and triumph.

"Don't give him time to recover!" She shouted, eagerly cutting at the beast s arm, each sword blow leaving a mark, a nick, even drawing blood through its thick hide. Monsters be damned- she could and would fight to the death if she had to!

Of course, it wasn t that easy. Nothing ever is. Hanyval roared, and lashed out quickly at Erza, ignoring the others. She just barely avoided a hard hit- damn, that thing was fast!- but even dodging, she took a glancing blow, and was sent tumbling. She wasted no time, using the momentum of the hit to roll back up on her feet, and got back up just in time to see Rod, zig-zagging around the beast s legs, finally dashing upwards for a hit-

And with calculated precision, Hanyval's clawed arm came down, its palm slamming into Rod s body. There was a dull thud as he hit the ground, and not a sound was made- he was lying there, still and quiet, some blood trickling from his forehead.

"Regroup!" Erza shouted. "Everyone, to me!" There would be time to worry about him later- right now, the rest of them had to survive.

Obeying her as quick as they could, the others jumped away, narrowly avoiding some quick, fierce swipes.

"Damn." Remon murmured, breathing heavily.

"We can do it." Erza said confidently- more confidently than she really felt. "We managed to drive him back just now- keep going."

Hanyval looked at them, standing tall. There were small cuts on his body, little places where he bled- but they were like paper cuts, small, insignificant.

"I knew there was a reason I saved you for last." He said gleefully.

"Same formations!" Erza barked. "Be ready-"

Her next order didn t come out, as Hanyval leapt towards them with immense speed. Trained as they were, the graduates scattered, avoiding the attack. Erza jumped back, then held her sword high, charging forward-

And then she saw it. Marisa, on the back foot against the monster, desperately firing off a kido. The magic simply glanced against the monster s cheek, and its claws surged forward-

The world seemed to move in slow motion. Erza was speeding forward with desperate speed and strength, a fury rising in her chest- "Die die die die die!"- and then the monster's hands connected, running right through Marisa s chest. Erza saw a shocked expression on her friend s face as she gasped for air, and she could see four black spines running out through her back, slick with blood. Then, Hanyval flicked his hand, and Marisa s lifeless body went tumbling on the steppe, blood spraying as it went.

"DIE!" Erza roared, and something burst inside her. Anger so great that she couldn't even take it all in, so great that her thoughts seemed to become nothing but a singular instinct of hatred rose in her, and she charged forward. She slammed her sword s blade into the monster s bloodied arm, swinging it hard like it were a club, going into a frenzy-

And then Hanyval s other arm shot out, pinning her to the ground. She felt his filthy claws, sticky with blood, pushing against her body, but through the rage it didn t matter. She struggled, only one arm free, frantically beating and pushing at the hand to break free. She could see Hanyval raise his arm, ready to spear her

And then, from the side came Jiamon and Kensu, again cutting at its knees, and cutting at the hand pinning her was Remon. And at the front, frantically cutting at its mask, was Sensuke, moving like he never had before; his life was at stake and he was fighting the best he ever had. Annoyed, Hanyval grunted and his grip on Erza loosened. Remon grabbed her, and quickly she pulled herself away, getting on her feet again. She took a couple of deep breaths, readying herself again. Sensuke was still fighting, slipping in and out of shunpo, dodging one blow after another.

"Come catch me, you ugly brute!" He roared, firing of a shakkaho into its face. "Come take me! I am Shinyu Sensuke, and I am going to-" And then Hanyval s mouth shot forward, snapping at him. Sensuke barely avoided having his head bit off- but caught just barely in its teeth was his arm. Slowly, the monster began to bite into it, and there was an audible snap as the arm broke. Sensuke screamed, desperately bashing the hilt of his sword against its mask. Unconcerned, the monster reached up with one arm, grabbed him, and carefully pushed him into his maw. Erza saw his face for the last time, desperate and afraid- and then there was one crunch, two crunch, three crunches as the monster began to chew, and the screams silenced.

Erza stood as if paralyzed. Her anger was still there, but it had been joined by something else. Fear. She saw this monster, and she saw doom- for her comrades, and for her. Jiamon and Kensu, who had not let up, but ignored completely, got its attention now. He looked down, a malicious glare in his eye, and lashed out against Jiamon. He dodged the first hit, but Hanyval followed him with his eyes, well accustomed as a hunter- and then his claws made a swipe, and suddenly Jiamon was cut in two. Kensu looked in horror, his resolve finally breaking, and he turned and ran.

"To the end, Erza Scarlet!" Remon shouted, punching her in the shoulder. "Come on!"

Snapped out of her shock, Erza slipped into a shunpo right along with Remon, charging at the monster with reckless abandon. Here at life s end, at the brink of being dead and alive, there was now the strangest sensation- hate, rage, sorrow, vindictiveness, but also a feeling that there was nothing to lose, that nothing mattered other than her sword and using it properly.

They charged, quick as they could, but it was too late for Kensu. With a single leap, Hanyval had closed the distance, skewering the poor boy with his spear-like talons.

"To the end, then!" She shouted, nodding to Remon. He nodded, and dashed to the right. Hanyval turned around, as if in expectation, and there was so much confidence in his pose- such assurance that he was in charge. And, a small, logical part of Erza s mind said, he isn't wrong.

But that little part was drowned out, overrun by purpose, by hatred. Shouting her anger out loud, to the heavens for all to hear, she leapt forward, her blade poised to stab. The monster swept at her, but she saw it coming- so slowly, and anticipating it, she grabbed at the arm as soon as it was within reach, pulling herself over it, continuing in under his guard. Going right for his neck, she stabbed her blade in- and in it sunk, the blade going halfway there. Furiously, she tore at it, twisting it as much as she could, just doing whatever damage she could. The monster cried out, its other arm shooting right for her- and there was Remon, cutting into it, distracting him. Sneering angrily, Hanyval lashed out, his other arm slamming into Remon, and he fell to the ground. Erza barely registered it, furiously working at the wound, tearing and gouging. Maim! Kill! Hurt! DIE!

And then, straining under the pressure of her own strength, and the toughness of the monster s hide, it snapped, and Erza fell down to the ground. The monster grunted irritably, slowly reaching up to pull out the half of the blade that remained in its thick, tough neck.

"I have to say," He began, gently beginning to pull out the blade with a delicate touch that seemed strange for such gargantuan monster, "you were good sport. I'll remember you as one of the finest meals I had."

Erza tried to think of some words of defiance, some last words of fury in the face of death, but managed only to hiss and spit at it, as she struggled to get up on her feet.

And then the world was a little greyer.

"Have you lost your will to climb?"

Aizen Sousuke observed carefully from a distance, standing a comfortable five hundred or so feet away from the battle. He could not see a thing, of course- considerable distance aside, the mist was blocking everything. But the thing about being a brilliant shinigami was that so long as it was a matter of reading spiritual energy, eyes were really more of an accessory than a necessity. Even closing his eyes, he could see the picture perfectly clearly- blood being spilled, bodies on their last breath, every second taking them closer to death. Just one left fighting- and one huge hollow of mediocre power. Boredom had taken him here; his usual experiments were getting tedious, as was maintaining his many schemes, so he had followed this patrol, to clear his head, make an exercise out of observation. He had toyed with the idea of letting loose some hollows just to watch what happened- but providence, it seemed, had already provided more than enough of that.

He adjusted his glasses slightly. Erza Scarlet relatively quick-witted, strong and determinate, and so terribly outmatched. Shame; she might have made an interesting experiment subject at some point. He made a mental note of tracking down that particular hollow- there would be some interesting data to him, undoubtedly. He yawned, half ready to return back home. The outcome was clear; nothing much else to this- the hero was dying, the monster was winning, and he was running late for tea.

Then, he felt a small surge in power, building up slowly. A furious little burst, like a small dog with a big bark, standing tall in its shortness, defiant though delusional about its strength. Perhaps there was something to Erza Scarlet, after all?

It was surreal. Again, reality was blurred with dust and wind and mountain; she could see the hollow s raised arm ready to come down on her, moving slowly, absurdly slowly, almost still- but coming down on here nonetheless. She could see it as clearly as she saw the dust whirling all around her. And looking up at the mountain, so clearly there and so clearly not, she heard it speak to her.

"Have you lost your will to fight? To live?"

"To hell with you!" Erza spat. "I have done everything- and if you re a part of me, if you come from in here- she tapped her head with a finger- then you know I m not giving up. So shut up and let me die, if that s what s coming next!"

"You are yourself as you always were." The mountain said cryptically. "And I am you- but a younger you, one that desires to live."

"What do you want?" She shouted, her voice cracking.

W"e want to live." The voice said, for the first time showing some emotion, a hint of concern. "You must not die yet. You are not yet ready- but because we wish to live, I shall lend you my power for an instant. It will hurt you- are you ready?"

"I am ready, all right." Erza said bitterly. "Whatever you got to do, do it."

And the landscape faded and all that was left was reality; bloodstained, dying reality, monster and dead bodies, steppe and mist- and a clawed hand coming down.

And she felt the power in her, surging through her, burning like fire. Standing up, she burst forward, past the claw that hit her, slashing widely as she hopped into the air, the force of her reiatsu slashing forward in a red, destructive arc. The force bit into Hanyval, cutting from his wretched hip to his wretched shoulder, blood so red it looked black staining her face, her clothes.

Hanyval let out a long, shrieking howl, and staggered back, clutching his side. Blood spilled out copiously, and he was breathing long, heavy breaths. Erza felt the force, the power, like nothing ever before- and her hate gave her the will to use it. Shouting an incomprehensible curse at the monster, she struck again, and again, leaving deep, bleeding cuts. He tried to defend himself, block her blows with his arms, but Erza was relentless, pounding him over and over, each strike drawing blood, cutting deep into its flesh. Finally, Erza hit one hard, long final time, and the monster s arm cracked. Breathing heavily, Erza faced him. The power was draining now- but he was grievously injured.

He gave her a look of long, vicious hate, and Erza felt a sinking feeling- the power was draining from her, rapidly; she d be helpless- but the hollow finally turned away from her, ripping open a portal to the world it had come from. Erza sunk to her knees, exhausted. She sat like that for several minutes- or it could have been hours, or it could have been seconds. Time had lost meaning. Slowly, she looked around her. There was Remon, his body crushed, drawing a few last, raspy breaths. There was Marisa, her body broken, nearly torn in half. There was Kensu, dead from the hollow s claws. There was Jiamon- both halves of him. And there was what was left of Sensuke- just the stump of an arm. She was sitting in a field of blood, all alone, and it began to sink in- everyone had died, every single one of them but her-

"Damn." Erza breathed in sharply, at the sound of that voice. Dry, tired, so haunted, but unmistakable. She turned around, and there was Rod, barely standing.

"You!" She began, breathing fast. She felt a wave of nausea run over her, and struggled to keep herself collected. "You-"

"They all died, huh." Rod said flatly, just barely hanging on to his sword. "I'm so sorry, Scarlet."

"I-" Erza said, unsure of how to react, what to say. "You did your best."

"It wasn't bloody good enough, was it?" Rod snapped, and a look of helplessness flashed across his face. Slowly, he walked up to her, sitting down on the ground across her. "Everyone's gone. And there was nothing we could do. Who'd have figured?" He raised his sword, letting it rest against his shoulder.

Erza shook her head slowly. "We're still alive." She said weakly.

"I'm sorry, Scarlet." He said again, pain running through his voice.

"I told you-"

"Sorry, cause you got to figure this one out by yourself." He said, slowly positioning the tip of his blade against his neck. "Sorry you'll have to see more of this."

There was something unbearably matter-of-factly about his voice, and she could see his wrist tense, ready to push upward, cut into his neck-

"NO!" She cried. Ignoring all exhaustion, she sprung forward, grabbing the blade in her hand. It cut into her palm, drawing blood, but she held on to it stubbornly.

"What are you doing?" Rod asked, sounding confused. "I'm-"

"Don't do it." Erza said, steel in her voice. "Don't you do it, Rod Sentry."

"Why not?" He said, sounding defeated- but she could feel his grip slacken. "I'm an arsehole- that s why I didn t make any friends in school. The only people who could stand me just they're gone now, and I couldn't even help. I don't deserve more than this."

"Yes, you do." Erza said resolutely, holding on to the blade. It hurt, her blood staining it, but she held on, refusing to let go. "From now on, I'll be your friend, and you'll be mine. And we re going to make something out of this. We're going to-" She let out an almost sob, a tear running down her cheek. "We're going to remember them, Rod! Together! Don t you dare leave that to just me!"

Rod shook his head, and let go of the sword. "You always were stronger." he mumbled.

"No, I'm not." She said, finally letting go of the sword. "We're all weak. That s why we need each other, to lean on. Without others, we re nothing. We'll get through, and we're going to make sure this wasn t for nothing."

"You're a wreck." He said plainly.

"So are you."

The two of them sat in silence for a long time, feeling the pain of their injuries, speaking no words, trying their best to ignore the death they had just witnessed.

And eventually, that was how the rescue party found them- sitting silent, covered in the blood of their comrades, their eyes all but dead as they stared into the distance.

Well SHIT! That sure was dark wasn't it? I bet none of you saw THAT coming huh?

Now, the reason why I went this route is simple. The battles that Soul reapers and Hollows engage in are part of a never ending war. In war, their are casualty's, usually on both sides. Now, early Bleach made a good point on this, but lately, it seems to have been forgotten since the good guys always survive their battles...Final arc withstanding so far though with Yammamoto, Sasikibe, Kira, and from the looks of it, the head of the royal guard as of chapter 610.

What I WANTED to do here, was to show Erza that life here, that this profession, is NOT an easy one. The fatality rate of soul reapers is likely much higher than that of wizards back in Fiore. It was best for her to learn that lesson as soon as possible in my opinion, and what better way then to kill all of her classmates!?

Now I know that seems fucked up...and it is, but I remember something a friend of mine, a writer on this site once told me.

"If you love your character, then torture them. Make them go through hell and all kinds of torment .You do this, to show just what their really made of and so they can grow as a character."

Erza Scarlet is, without a doubt, my favorite character in all of fiction, and I KNOW something like this, while extremely harsh, cruel and depressing, can not and WILL NOT break her. It will give her something she needs for the journey ahead.

Motivation. Motivation to get stronger. To become strong enough to protect all of her comerades, and to ensure something like this NEVER happens again.

But please, do tell me what you thought of this chapter. Feedback of all kind is welcome and appreciated.