"Common Relations" (solo)

Ecktis had trained at the academy for four months. He had not developed any truly tangible information or skills.
So he decided to pay a short visit back to the Rukongai for some much needed entertainment in his free time.

He walked through the desolate streets and kicked up the dusty ground with each stride of his feet. A few people glared at him in distaste because of his uniform and Ecktis began to feel very unwelcome. This sense of uneasiness only grew as he delved deeper into the slums.
These people must really hate us to be so aggressive towards Soul Reapers.
Ecktis thought.
Where does this hate come from? I should know because I lived here so long but nothing seems to make sense.
It was midday but souls were scarce on the streets for some reason.
Damn, I'm an open target for any troublemakers out here. I should be alert.
Ecktis pulled out his Asauchi blade and pointed it towards the ground. He didn't look threatening but he was ready to react if something went wrong.
It seemed no one was outside as he progressed further.
Ecktis advanced through the maze nonetheless but it was all so strange to see the place abandoned.
He could sense a faint but ever present spiritual pressure that did not belong to any normal soul.
What the hell! From what I've learned so far, that spiritual pressure feels like a...
Something scraped across his back and searing pain ran down it in three distinct spots. Ecktis' eyes widened and he felt his back with his left hand. He felt the warm touch of fresh blood oozing from three straight gashes down his back.
"Who the hell are you?" Ecktis sputtered.
"Idiot shinigami. Can't you take a hint? No one's outside because of ME. And it seems the Gotei 13 doesn't care what goes on here, so I'm free to devour all these defenseless souls as I please." Spoke a mocking, high pitched voice.
Ecktis realized what it was. It was a hollow. Somehow it had snuck into the Rukongai and helped itself to souls while going completely unnoticed.
He turned to face the voice.
What he saw was a creature that stood about seven feet tall and had pitch black fur and burning red eyes. One of its oversized claws was dripping with blood. The whole creature resembled a deformed wolf that stood on two legs.
This thing is huge! And I barely sensed its spiritual pressure even though it was lurking around where I was. It got off the first strike, I don't stand a chance against this hollow in my condition.
Ecktis recovered his footing and took off running in the direction he came from as fast as he could.
"You really are an asshole if you think your faster than me!"
The hollow was easily gaining on him, running on all fours in his direction.
It makes sense why it would pursue me. Not only does it want to eat me, it doesn't want me to tell of its existence! But why didn't the souls around here ask the soul reapers for help? The beast had nearly caught up with him when Ecktis dove into a nearby ally, causing the speeding hollow to slide on the dusty ground before diving into it as well. This bought him some more time.
Ecktis looked ahead, hoping for it not to be a dead end. Luckily for him the ally ran into a different street that was just minutes away from the Academy.
But the hollow kept gaining and would soon overtake him. The wound on his back began to slow him down as well.
Souls were still not on the streets, even though he had passed them before on his journey into the depths.
"What is going on here..."
He burst from the ally and headed north, the hollow in hot pursuit.
Ecktis noticed a cart with a giant haystack in it about 50 feet in front of him.
You have got to be kidding me...
But Ecktis looked back to see the monster nearly at his heels.
I guess I don't have a choice. But I need to find a way to distract him long enough for me to leap inside unnoticed...
He surveyed his surroundings, trying to find something to draw the hollow's attention.
Ecktis tried the most basic thing he could think of. He dragged his hand along the ground gathering as much dust as he could. Then released it into the monster's eyes, blinding it for a few seconds.
Ecktis then ripped a little cloth from his robe and rubbed it in the wound on his back until it was wet with blood, then threw it into another nearby ally and dove into the cart of hay.
Then he did his best to minimize his spiritual pressure as well as cover the scent from his wound.

the hollow tore after the smell of blood and when it discovered it was fake it went back into the street where it was before.
"Where are you shinigami?! I'll find you one way or another so might as well come out and I'll make it quick."

Ecktis stayed as silent as possible and stood perfectly still.
The creature began searching every nook and cranny it could find but miraculously didn't detect him.
"I'll find you yet, Shinigami. And I'll enjoy killing you very much."
It continued to search the area and was getting dangerously close to Ecktis' position.
Ecktis peered through an opening in the bale and saw the creature searching nearby barrels.
Slowly he climbed down from the cart, eyes fixed on the hulking hollow. He finnally got both feet on the ground and began to sneak away.
"He he... Found you."
The beast had looked behind him and had spotted Ecktis.
"Dammit!"
Ecktis quickly tore off down the street in an attempt to widen the gap between him and the monster.
"You still won't outrun me!"
The hollow jeered. It was gaining at an alarming rate.
An idea suddenly came to his mind.
I was detected so easily by this thing... That means my spiritual power is my high point. If I can release all the spiritual power I have left, it might allow me to alert some other shinigami of my presence...It's my best chance. I really hope this works.
Ecktis suddenly stopped and tapped into all his remaining spiritual power. He felt it burst out of him, becoming an uncontrollable flood of power.
It appeared as if black flames licked the entire area around Ecktis, making his outline as black as night. His eyes began flickering, but never turning, black as well.
The monster was surprised by the discharge and relented for a few seconds.
"What the hell is he trying to do..."
After a period of around six seconds the energy subsided.
I thought I could do that longer. The wound in my back must have restricted my full spiritual power.
Ecktis collapsed to his knees in exhaustion, his shaking hands preventing him from falling completely to the dust.
"It seems whatever you were trying to do failed miserably, shinigami. Now your dead."
Ecktis looked up into the monsters eyes and grinned slightly.
"You...Don't know what... I Just did, do you?"
The hollow eyed him suspiciously.
"Even if I don't it doesn't matter anymore. Your finished. But at least you were smart and didn't fight me head on. But go ahead and explain, shinigami. I'll allow you that."
Ecktis wiped some dirt from his mouth with one hand.
"You see, hollow. I wasn't trying to hurt you or even stop you with that."
"Then what were you doing then?"
"I just released every ounce of spiritual strength I had left in my body. But you probably want to know the point, don't you?"
Ecktis could feel the spiritual pressure of multiple soul reapers approaching.
"Yes, I would." Impatience crept into the hollows gruff tone.
"Well, your about to find out in a way that will be most rude. Some of my fellow shinigami are heading to my position at this very moment. And you haven't sensed their spiritual power because you were too distracted by what took place. Don't bother running. A Kido spell should kill you any second now."
The monster looked around in surprise.
"Damn you." It sneered at Ecktis.
A ball of red electricity sailed through the air and hit the creature square in the chest. It detonated with tremendous power and appeared to kill the creature instantly.
Ecktis widened his smile for a short time, then collapsed to the ground unconcious.
Some officials from the academy poured in and looked around the scene in shock.
"Was that a hollow? In the Rukongai?" one of them spoke.
"If so, I had no idea that hollows were so close to home. Whatever goes on here may effect the rest of us." A skinny one replied.
"This guy looks in bad condition. I'll take him to sick bay." A medic stated, motioning towards Ecktis.
"Go on ahead, we have to scout the area for more hollows...Just in case."
The medic nodded and ran off to get a recovery crew.
"We need to tell a captain about this or something. We can't allow hollows this close to home."
"Yeah, that's right. I'm glad we decided to check this out or we might have allowed more souls to be devoured by that thing. I wonder how we couldn't detect its spiritual pressure. that's a little disturbing."
"Let's take a look around. Then we can head back.
"Right."
The two left the scene and promptly scouted the area.


the souls gradually came out to return to their regular buisiness... As if they all knew that this would happen.

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