It Feeds

What Lies beneath the Sands
A solemn breeze swept across the vast desert landscape of Hueco Mundo. The decrepit trees of granite quivered, as if they would shatter to pieces at any second and plumes of white sand were tossed into the air and gently spread around. The opalescent crescent moon seemed to hang in the skies above, giving off a strong spiritual energy signature that no being could match in comparison. Such a concentrated amount of spiritual energy did not and could not exist anywhere else besides Hueco Mundo.

“Gatsu-san,” the adolescent voice of the young Shinigami, Akō called. “Sector F-7 is clear, report back to -sama. We have cleared out most of this area…” Akō said as his zanpakutō ripped into the lithe frame of a dying Arrancar. Sliding the blade from the bloody and mangled corpse, Akō slowly wiped the blood with a look of joy across his face.

Kneeling alongside a trio of dead Hollow and a Shinigami, Gatsu was scalpel deep in the Shinigami when he heard Akō from above. “One moment, Akō…” Gatsu said as he peeled back what could only be the face of the deceased Shinigami. “Hanji had quite a unique anatomy; I want to examine his body before we report his death…”

Akō smirked. “This is why people avoid us. You’re always looking to dissect your comrades.”

“In the name of science Akō, in the name of science…” Gatsu chimed.

Just as these words escaped the scientist’s mouth, a colossal purple arm rose from the sands below and crushed the Shinigami between its fingers. Blood trickled down onto the sands below, striking a look of terror across Akō’s face.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” the young Shinigami called as he quickly turned and began sprinting away. “We did a full sweep, how are one of these fuckers still alive?” Akō didn’t waste another second to think, utilizing shunpō too quickly leap away.

The small Shinigami’s efforts were all in vain as a slender white tentacle erupted from the sands below and latched onto his leg, forcing him to the ground in one quick pull. Alongside the tentacle, two more poured out and quickly wrapped around Akō’s neck and arm. A low, yet gruesome growl echoed through the air, causing the air to shiver.

Using his free hand, Akō thrust his palm out and called out, “Hadō #54: Haien!” A vibrant, purple colored blast of spiritually energy shot forward at Akō’s command striking against the lanky tentacle that wrapped around his leg tightly. Once again, the young Shinigami’s efforts were in vain and only proved to anger the beast even more. Another growl tore through the air, enough for Akō to cover one ear in pain.

Before he could even realize it happened, the beast swiftly pulled at Akō’s neck and arm one way and his leg the other way, ripping him at the abdomen in one motion. A spurt of blood shot from his mouth as his innards repelled in every direction; Akō died within seconds.

The tentacles slowly receded back into the white sands, the torn body of Akō slowly dragged into the depths of Hueco Mundo as a feast for the monster that killed it. In the next few minutes, only one sound could be heard, the violent gnawing and chewing of something that lied beneath. Akō had made a fine feast…