Chapter 1: Chapter 1: New Recruit

Narrator's POV.

The sky was a deep shade of purple, the sun slowly setting behind the mountains of Soul Society. The main character, a young man named Riku, stood at the entrance of the Shinō Academy, staring up at the sky with a blank expression. He was a low-rank Shinigami, just starting out on his journey to become a powerful warrior.

 

"Riku, are you ready?" A voice called out behind him, breaking him out of his thoughts.

Riku turned to see his escort, a tall and imposing man with a stern expression. The man had introduced himself as the 8th Seated Officer of the Tenth division. "Yes, sir," Riku replied, bowing his head in respect.

He had chosen the Tenth division because he wanted to fight - no, he needed to fight. But going to the Eleventh would have been a bit restrictive for him, especially since his strength falls mainly under Kido and energy manipulation.

"Good, we have a mission for you," the officer continued, his voice serious. "There's been a surge in Hollow activity in the 78th District of South Rukongai, we need you to go and take care of it. You won't be alone, of course. You'll be a part of a team led by the 9th Seated Officer."

He paused and glanced at me, probably to get a read on my current state." Typically, we would allow you to get acquainted with the division before we issue missions, but it's all hands on deck. Even if it's a bit unfair, remember you are a Shinigami. Your duty comes before everything."

Riku nodded, his expression determined. He had been training for this for years, and it was time to put his abilities to the test. His hold on his zanpakutō, a sleek and deadly weapon with a dark red hilt and a curved blade, tightened.

As he set off on his mission, Riku couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and nervousness. He knew that Hollows were powerful and dangerous creatures, but he was confident in his abilities. He had always had a strong connection to reishi, the energy that made up all living things, and he had been training to control it with precision.

His Shikai abilities allowed him to control the environment around him, manipulating the reishi in the air to his advantage. He even had a level of control that rivalled that of the Quincies, a race known for their mastery of reishi - or so his teachers tell him. The precise innate control also extended to his reiryoku.

Consequently, his Kido abilities were prodigious. However, he would have to wait until he became a high-level seated officer before he was allowed anywhere near numbered Kido spells above sixty.

As he entered the Rukongai district, Riku couldn't help but feel a sense of unease as the team member split to take up their predetermined areas. However, the team members did not travel too far from each other so as to be able to respond rapidly to emergencies.

The Twelfth division was able to sense and narrow down the regions with Hollow infestations, but any specifics were to be determined by the members on the ground. As such, the team had to fan out to seek out the enemy.

The Rukongai districts far from Seireitei, were well known for their poverty and crime, and it was clear that the people here were suffering. His determination to improve his circumstances was rekindled a fair bit.

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If the circumstances of his reincarnation were slightly different, he would have had to live the rest of his long life like these pathetic lowlifes - having no control over his destiny. They don't even have the right to conjure up the illusion of control as most low-level Shinigami do. They are doomed to starve to death or be preyed upon by Hollows, maybe even both.

As he walked down the streets, Riku could sense the presence of Hollows. He could feel their reiatsu, the energy that all living things emitted, growing stronger. He knew that it wouldn't be long before he would have to face them.

Hollow reiatsu is easily distinguishable. It has a vile and wild nature to it. To normal Shinigami, sensing Hollow reiatsu is likely an unpleasant but bearable experience. For Riku, he could almost taste it. He could see the reiatsu practically taint the world in its stench. "I'm going to have to go through some desensitization training after this," Riku muttered. He readied his blade and started constructing a Hado spell as he walked alongside a rundown traditional Japanese house.

And sure enough, as he turned a corner, he was confronted by a Hollow. It was a large, grotesque creature with a gaping maw and sharp claws. The hollow didn't resemble any animals that he knew, but it mattered not. Riku didn't hesitate.

"Bask in the essence of creation, Sōten ni zase." Blue reishi gathered as a cyclone around him. Every time he activated Sōten ni zase, he could feel the metaphorical chains on his body and senses lift. The pure sense of freedom Sōten ni zase provided him was always a rush.

A/N: I'm a weeb, so excuse my horrible Japanese. The idea for the release phrase should be something like "Bask in the essence of creation, Seat of the Blue Heaven".

As he observes the hollow, he sees that it's panicking. He reckoned anybody would be panicking if the world seemed to abruptly become hostile to you. Before the no-name Hollow had time to formulate a coherent thought, Riku, with a whisper, released the Hado spell he was constructing. "Hadō #31. Shakkahō."

A crimson flame comes into existence in front of him, and before the spell is launched, he willed the surrounding reishi to greatly empower the flame. From the Hollow's point of view, it saw a blinding red light, felt a scorching sensation and then a profound sense of emptiness. It couldn't process the fact it had just lost most of its body including the lower half of its mask, in an instant. But as for most weaklings, death indifferently claimed the Hollow's near-worthless life.

As he stood victorious, Riku couldn't help but release a whistle in satisfaction. He had never tried empowering a Hado spell to the extent he just did. Sure he imagined it would have produced devasting effects but seeing it in the flesh...He didn't even strain himself, especially since he used the bare minimum reiatsu need for the spell to actualize before pumping it full of surrounding reishi. He could fire maybe 20 or 30 of these spells before emptying his tank.

He had done what he had set out to do, and it felt good. But as he looked around at the suffering people of the Rukongai district, he couldn't help but feel a sense of bloodlust. He wanted to destroy more Hollows, it was far too fun not to.

 

Narrator's POV.

As the dust settles, it becomes clear that Riku's actions have consequences. He may have rid the area of Hollows, but his actions have also caused a great deal of destruction. The buildings are in ruins since he didn't bother to control the range of his spell, and the people are in shock.

Riku stands amid the destruction, surveying the damage he's caused. He can feel the absence of all the souls lost in the battle, and the anger and fear that some of the surviving citizens feel towards him. He knows they see him as a monster, a ruthless killer. But he also knows that what he did was his job. His duty as a Shinigami is to the Seireitei, not the wandering souls of Rukongai.

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