Horrible Truths Revealed

[Hinata Nakayama]

When Hina awoke, she was lying in a river. She couldn't remember what had happened, and every time she tried, she was greeted with a throbbing headache. She slowly brought her hands up to her line of sight and noticed deep scratches on her hand. The scratches were so deep that they went all the way through her skin. Hina felt sore all over, and she could barely even stand when she forced herself to. It took everything she had to stand on her feet. After all, to her, the world was spinning and it wasn't helping the feeling of nausea that kept biting at her. Even so, she pushed forward. She had to find help. Whether it was her mother or anyone else, it didn't matter. It had begun to rain as her search began.

------------flashback-----------

Hina has been held captive in this place for three months now. No matter how hard she tries, she can't escape. Growing tired of it, they decided to throw her into a special "prison" of sorts that suppresses any of her Reiryouku or Reiastu. With all of her might, there was nothing that Hina could do. She eventually gave up to gather her strength back and to think of a way to get out of here. She sat down in the corner, knees brought up to her chest, hugging them. Just right when she was about to doze off, she heard the door open. She saw someone step into the room and right in front of the door of her cell. Hina would quickly look away, not wanting anything to do with the man. She knew that he was there to gloat about his victory over her.

"You are feisty like your mother, but I wonder if you inherited her strength of character. Or perhaps... You're like your grandfather"

"You... know my mother and grandfather?"

"I have known your family for a long time, going back to a time before any of you were alive. I especially remember your grandfather as a brilliant man with a promising future. But as he grew older, his sense of morality became an obstacle to his success."

"Do you hate him or something? What did he ever do to you to deserve this?"

"I don't hate Hiroki. I think he was a genius of his time, and I understand his fascination with Hollowification. He was one of many who looked into it. Who wouldn't be intrigued by the idea of combining the strengths of Shinigami and Hollow into a single being? Imagine the damage an army of such individuals could do in battle. Hiroki was on the brink of achieving this until he gained a conscience and realized what he was doing. He saw the potential for good in his work, but he also saw the potential for evil. He realized that if he continued down this path, he would be responsible for unleashing a force that could destroy the world. He chose to stop his research and turned his back on Hollowification."

Hina glanced back at the man, her eyes narrowing as she tried to discern his true intentions. Why would her grandfather, a respected Shinigami, be interested in Hollowification? Was he telling the truth, or was he trying to manipulate her? And if he was telling the truth, what did it have to do with her?

The door to Hina's cell opened, and another person entered. Hina quickly got up, but the newcomer was already standing in front of her. Hina took a step back in surprise. Who was this person, and why were they here?

"I am here today because your grandfather's research on Hollowification has not been in vain. As a result of his work, we now know that Shinigami are not the only ones who can gain an advantage from having Hollow powers. Some humans can handle such power without their souls being at risk of tearing themselves apart. I want to test your limits and see if you can handle the strain of Hollowification. If you can, you will be a valuable asset to our cause."

Hina tried to fight back, but she was badly injured and in no condition to put up much of a fight. Her opponent backed her into a corner and raised his hand as if to strike her. His fingers stopped just short of her ear. Unable to do anything, all Hina could do was stare at him. She was terrified, her heart pounding in her chest. She knew that he was about to hit her, and she closed her eyes, waiting for the blow. But it never came.

"Sleep."

The Shinigami was suddenly overcome by an uncontrollable feeling of drowsiness. She could no longer fight it as she quickly fell from being put to sleep. As she was falling, she was caught and kept from hitting the floor by the man who had been standing in front of her. The man who was talking to her began to laugh.

"Hiro, what will you do when you find out the truth? I can hardly wait to see the look on your face when you finally realize what's going on. It will be a sight to behold."


----------------------End Flashback--------------

Hina stumbles in the dark, rain-soaked forest. She has been walking for thirty minutes and is losing hope. She hasn't seen anyone and her strength to call out for help is draining away. Her foot sinks into the muddy ground, and she falls. She doesn't see who catches her, but she can tell who it is by the firm grip on her arm before being held gently. Even so, she has to make sure her guess is right.

"Who's... There...?"

[Hiroki]

Hina could see that she was being held by none other than her uncle, Ryouji. As he looked down at her, he could see that her condition was pretty bad. He had no idea who was responsible for something like this, but he was determined to find out. Once he did, he would ensure they paid for what they had done to her.


You're safe now, Hina. I won't let anything happen to you"

Hina could only muster a faint smile in response to Ryouji's arrival. She knew that without him saying anything, the nightmare she had been enduring for so long could finally come to an end. But then, words began to echo through her mind, which had been spoken to her before she could even recall arriving here. Her eyes widened in fear as she tried to push away from Ryouji.

"No... Uncle Ryouji... Let me go..."


"You can barely stand. I have to get you back home as soon as possible so you can recover."


"No... you don't understand. Please... Let me go!"

Ryouji held Hina in one arm and drew his Zanpakuto with his free hand. He could sense someone approaching. When the person came into view, he saw it was an ordinary human. He knew that some humans could see Hollows, but he would remain on guard. Hina's breathing became shallow, and sweat dripped from her chin. Ryouji looked from Hina to the individual, and that told him all he needed to know. The human was a threat. As the human approached, he stopped beside Hina and raised his hand. Hina recognized what was coming and was filled with terror. She had been through this before and knew what was about to happen.

"Don't! Please!"

All it took was a snap of his fingers and a single word that changed everything. With the strength she had left, she managed to push away from Ryouji before she collapsed onto her hands and knees.


"Release."





Ryouji could only stand and watch as Hina's nausea became too much and she began to vomit white Reishi. The Reishi quickly wrapped itself around her arms and legs and crept up to encase her face in a Hollow mask. Ryouji knew what was happening, but he couldn't stop it. The mask grew tighter and tighter, constricting Hina's face until it was a perfect copy of a Hollow mask. Ryouji knew that there was nothing he could do. The Hollow mask was a symbol of Hina's transformation. As much as he wanted to go after the human, Ryouji knew she was his priority. He couldn't risk leaving her alone. He had to protect her.


"Give him hell, kid."

With a flash of green light from under his feet, he was already gone. Without hesitation, Hina began to attack the only thing in her sight: Her uncle.

"Hang in there, Hina. Forgive me for what I have to do."

Ryouji could sense his opponent was tiring. He knew he could easily attack but could not raise his blade against his niece. He was determined to win without hurting her. Just when he was ready to strike her in the gut with the end of his Zanpakuto, he heard a familiar voice starting a Kido incantation.

"Stop! Don't fire the kido!"

"Hado #32: Okasen!"

An arc of yellow energy was sent down below where Ryouji and Hina were. When the Kido hit its target, a huge explosion filled the air with dirt and debris. It was hard to see anything for a few minutes. Then, a voice called out from above, taunting Ryouji.


"Seriously, Ryouji? I can't believe you're having this much trouble with a Hollow! Of all the dumbest things I've ever seen!"


Shukumei had arrived from having sensed the sudden appearance of a Hollow. As strong as it was, she had to do something about it. It was only a distraction before she searched for Hina with the others. As the smoke cleared, she let out a small gasp. Her brother... protected the Hollow? What in the hell was he thinking?!

"Are you stupid or something?! Why are you protecting that Hollow? It doesn't make any sense!"

Ryouji knew that Shukumei was confused. From her point of view, it looked like he was protecting a Hollow. He knew that once she knew the truth, she would understand. But he also knew that explaining the truth would be difficult. He would have to choose his words carefully. He wanted to protect Hina. Ryouji’s eyes widened in surprise as Hina quickly stabbed him with her Zanpakuto. Before he could explain, she raised one hand, gathering Reishi for an attack. Just as she was about to fire a Cero, Shukumei used Shunpo to get behind Hina and grabbed her arm, forcing it into the air before the Cero could strike its target.


"That isn't just some Hollow, Shukumei. It's Hina!"

The Hollowfied Shinigami let out a distorted roar as she was forced to push back her aunt while withdrawing her blade from her uncle. The twins quickly appeared next to each other, keeping Hina in their line of sight. At first, Shukumei couldn't believe what Ryouji had told her. How could this be Hina? But she knew her brother wouldn't lie, and the Hollow had her Zanpakuto. If what was happening is indeed true, they only have a short amount of time before the worst-case scenario happens.


Hiroki observed as the twins held Hina off. Although he lacked fighting skills, Hiroki knew he could assist his allies in the only way he knew. He had been watching the battle from the sidelines, biding his time to intervene. When he saw that everything was ready, he quickly used Shunpo to reach the location of the twins and Hina.

"Bakudō #61: Rikujōkōrō!"


Six beams of light pierced Hina's midsection, causing her to drop her Zanpakuto. She was held in place with nowhere to go. Hiroki only had a short window to get this done. He pulled out a syringe and, despite Shukumei's objections, injected its contents into Hina's body. The binding kido was released, and Hina collapsed to the ground in pain. The substance around her arms and legs began to dissolve, leaving only her Hollow mask. Hiroki knelt, took the mask, and crushed it in his hand. With everything she had been through, she had already passed out.

"That... should fix things. Despite that, she's still going to be very weak. She's going to be out of it for a while. That being said. Don't mention this to Yuri yet. If she finds out, you know as well as I do she'll lash out with anger and that's exactly what the enemy wants. For now, let's get her home."

Ryouji would carefully pick Hina along with her Zanpakuto. He had a lot of questions but for now, he would focus on Hina and nothing else.