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This article, Fractured Light, is an extra chapter of the Hueco Mundo arc, which is part of Bleach: War for the King's Seal. It serves as a detailed depiction of the events in Hunger and Greed: Unveiled from Shiratori's perspective. This chapter also serves to chronicle the battle between Judah Eli and Averian, the event that led to Hikari's involvement in the overall arc.
"Please, Judah. Please help us." I croaked as hot tears ran down my bloodied face. I, a proud member of the Jagdarmee was reduced to hiding under corpse of my friend, Elias. Just to stay away from him.
I couldn't move, I didn't even dare to breathe. It took every ounce of will I had to keep watching. This demon, clad in blood-soaked white leaping from Soldat to Soldat, torrents of blood following every swipe if his blade. Arrows of light flew freely, but were disintegrated by the Hollow's reiatsu as it tore its way through my comrades.
One by one they fell.
Lukas' battle cry was reduced to a gurgle as the demon split his throat.
Tobias' attempt to let loose another volley of arrows was thwarted as his arms were severed from his torso.
Jonas attempted to retreat. But turning your back to a predator was always a death sentence. Before he could even take his first step, he was bifurcated, his intestines spilling onto the floor as his blood stained the sand.
The screaming won't stop. The blood keeps raining. The sound of bodies being ripped apart, metal slicing through bone and tearing flesh paralyzed me.
One sound drowned it out. His laughter. He would not stop fucking laughing! He took morbid glee in cutting down my comrades! I had only ever heard of such blood lust existing among the shinigami. Hollows were creatures led by instinct, not killing for pleasure, the Arrancar even more divorced from taking pleasure in mindless slaughter.
But this thing was different. His eyes were wild, yet terrifyingly intelligent. His manic smile not detracting from the calculated way he struck down anyone unfortunate enough to stand in his way.
Suddenly, the world became drenched in red light! The Hollow letting loose a flurry of Cero and Bala on the Arrancar, who in turn threw his hand out, as...what? It couldn't be...blue flames? The Arrancar was shooting Holy Fire?! The azure flames devoured the Hollow, easily overpowering their measly attacks. What little left was left of our opposing forces fled under the cover of the explosion.
I should have done the same, but as long as I sense this demon's power I won't move. Who am I kidding? I won't survive this ordeal, but I will ensure that the daten is sent to the Jagdarmee. Only Judah could possibly stand against this demon.
As the dust settled, the Arrancar was nowhere to be seen. I could no longer sense his reiatsu. He must have felt that his prey had all been hunted or scurried away. It was only when I was sure that I was alone, that I dared to draw breath into my aching lungs.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Without warning, the familiar weight of Elias as lifted from me, I stared in horror at the blood-soaked feet of a man wearing crimson-stained white robes. Slowly, as if an anvil where tied around my neck, I lifted my head to behold his piercing red eyes. The pure terror must have been etched into my face, as his bored expression morphed into a sadistic grin. He lifted his scythe above his head and brought it down, I didn't even the time to close my eyes....
CLANG!
As I waited for the end to come I heard metal clanging against metal! My eyes shot open as a familiar reiatsu flooded my senses. I craned my head up, now devoid of the horrendous fear that gripped me earlier. "Judah!" I breathed.
The Executive Hunting Captain, every bit the superior to Quilge Opie, stood tall. His yellow cape swayed back and forth in the wind. His sword and shield were held firmly in his grasp as he readied to battle the Arrancar. He whispered, and green reiryoku engulfed me. I recognized the spell immediately as it knitted my bones together and restored my wounds.
Heiliger Seufzer.
"Shiratori," Judah spoke. "Leave. Now." Judah commanded, his voice carrying with it all the weight and power of a Sternritter.
He turned to smile at me, his face brimming with confidence and light. "Don't worry, I'll handle him."
I rose, clutching my arm. The fear for my life evaporated as Judah stood before the demon in white. I took note of the creature's face; curiosity and hunger swirled in his eyes as he stared down Judah. Then, in a flash, he pounced!
Judah rushed to meet him, their dueling reiatsu ripping the quartz trees from their roots! The twin pillars of gold erupted into the sky as the two moved so fast that I, even with my Schrift-enhanced vision, could barely follow them.
Yet, though I couldn't see them, I could still sense their power. And what I felt made my blood run cold. The Arrancar's power was perverse. It felt as if the souls of Quincy, Hollow, and Shinigami were screaming within the demon. This...this shouldn't be possible. No Hollow inherited the power of those it killed in this way. And yet...
My mind flashed back to the blue flames wielded by this Arrancar. How it was identical to the power wielded by the Quincy.
No. This Arrancar is far more dangerous than I thought!
As the Arrancar's power steadily rose, my fears wear confirmed. Shock waves ripped through the sky, blue flames were sliced though by Judah's Sankt Licht as the two warriors continued to destroy the forest around them. I could only stand there, mesmerized by the power on display.
Shit, Judah told me to run! I have to go! The thought cut through me like a knife as I turned to retreat. I have to warn the Wandenreich of this new adversary. So I ran, as swiftly as my Hirenkyaku could take me. I ran, and hoped beyond hope that Judah would soon follow.
As I made it to the edge of the Judah's training ground, a spike of reiatsu drew my attention back to him. There was no mistaking it, "The Spear of Destiny." I croaked out, a mixture of awe and fear consumed me. If Judah was using his ultimate technique, then there was only two possible outcomes: He won, or he lost.
When I could no longer feel his spiritual power, when the light that emanated from the Forest grew dimmer, something withered within me. My feet lost purchase as I fell to my knees. Tears ran anew my face as I wailed.
"Hikari," I thought, "I'm so sorry."