Bleach Chapter 3: Character System

“Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves.”

***

Apacci.

Kazuya easily recognized the name. She was one of the Tres Bestias, Tier Harribel’s Fracción. The tanned Espada with golden hair — easily one of his most favorite female characters ever — led Apacci and her two friends.

‘This is kinda weird.’

Somehow he ended up in a timeline before Apacci met Tier Harribel and became an Arrancar under Aizen.

A timeline where Aizen had yet to conquer Hueco Mundo and become the ruler of Los Nachos.

“What about yours? Don’t expect to take mine without giving yours!” Apacci snapped at his silence. “Cat got your tongue or what?”

Perhaps it was his calm and composed manners or his lack of understanding of Hueco Mundo that lowered her guard. She didn’t feel threatened, and her true colors surfaced. While appearing polite at first glance, she was a Hollow with a fiery demeanor.

“Kazuya,” he answered as he touched the skeletal mask covering most of his face. “It’s…”

This prompted him to observe the other changes in his body. He was wearing the same clothes during his death — a white shirt and jeans, both of which were torn in embarrassing spots, showing his pale white skin. One of those holes exposed the gaping hole in his thighs. Two holes, to be precise.

‘Hmm. I remember this.’

Every Hollow’s hole, at least in higher evolutions, symbolized an aspect — what a Hollow lacked in most cases before their death or the cause of their death. He remembered that much from the material. For example, a Hollow hole near the stomach signified a craving for strength, whereas one in the eye meant blindness to certain things.

‘What is mine supposed to mean?’

He gently punched his thigh, then tried moving his legs. He could use his legs just fine.

“Terrified of your holes?” Apacci asked. “We are Hollows. Why tire out your legs walking when we can fly instead?”

“Haha, indeed.” He chuckled at her roundabout way of consoling him. “So, Apacci, where are we going?”

“How would I know?” she retorted. “Someplace I don’t have to constantly run away from those damning incarnations of gluttony.”

Kazuya unconsciously rubbed her crest, the fur extending down her head. It was a habit he picked up while horse riding to show affection to the mount.

“Watch where you touch! I am not your pet.”

Despite her irritated voice, she didn’t tell him to get off her back. He glanced at his legs and smiled. Even in a dangerous world, she was trying to be kind to a stranger. Perhaps she was glad to find someone reasonable in Hueco Mundo, a companion who would not turn her into food.

‘And they say Hollows are evil.’

He’d consider seducing her if she was in her Arrancar form. He always had a thing for tomboys. Unfortunately, she won’t attain her human form anytime soon.

‘A bummer. Oh, I almost forgot about that pop-up window. Character System, was it?’

As if answering his curiosity, a giant gray box clogged his vision.

{Character System}

…

He zoomed past the status and focused on the three-dimensional model on the side, showing his current appearance like a game. His clothing was enough proof that the model was his. Ignoring his now long silver hair and pale white skin, he stared at the pair of black feathery wings. He reached to his back and grabbed the soft bones sticking out of his shoulder blades.

He rolled his shoulder blades, and the wings twitched, coming to life.

‘I have wings!’

He widened his eyes and continuously flapped his wings.

The wind generated caught Apacci’s attention. “So you can fly?”

Kazuya stopped messing around with his wings and patted her back. “I don’t know.”

“...”

He returned his eyes to the status and found that his half mask resembled a demonic skull more than anything, with big holes displaying his clear blue eyes, and a sinister set of teeth right where the mask overlapped his lips. Even the twisted horns belonged to a demon.

‘Am I a demon?’

[General Information]

Name — Kazuya Ishihara

Gender — Male

Race — Hollow (Vasto Lorde)

Reiryoku Level — Great Level (Captain-Class)

Alignment — Neutral Evil

Affiliation — None

…

Racial Abilities

[Cero: Reiryoku offensive technique

Mastery level - Yet to learn.]

[Sonido: Movement technique

Mastery level - Yet to learn.]

[Garganta: Limited Spatial Distortion technique.

Mastery level - Yet to learn.]

Innate Abilities

[Silvery Voice: Your voice can influence people’s state of mind. The ability works best in persuading or seducing someone.]

[Unnamed/Undiscovered: Manifestation of your Hollow Heart]

[Crumbling Heart (Hollow): Living beings classified as ‘Hollow’ receive nourishment and enhancements.]

[Regeneration: Your wounds regenerate automatically. The time required depends on the severity of wounds.]

Acquired Abilities

[Seduction: The ability to seduce those from the opposite gender.

Mastery level - Basic]

[Riding: The ability to ride a mount.

Mastery level - Intermediate]

[Arithmetic: The ability to process arithmetic problems.

Mastery level - Intermediate]

[Equipment]

Fine cotton shirt

Denim jeans

‘Did I skip several arcs and lose my memories?’

This certainly wasn’t the status of a Hollow who had just been born. A Vasto Lorde with Reiryoku rivaling a Captain-Class — that type of power was nearly at the top of Hueco Mundo. Well, he was a high-class fodder compared to the endgame enemies such as Quincy Sternritters.

‘Neutral Evil. It… makes sense.’

He was always seeking his freedom, whether or not it broke laws. Not to mention the loath he felt for his grandfather who risked his life to do good for the society. Yep, he never fitted the bill for a Lawful guy.

Then came the racial abilities. A bunch of unlearned skills that all the Vasto Lorde possessed. Nothing extraordinary. What’s extraordinary was his innate abilities. People always complimented his voice, which also gave him an easier time with women‌. He couldn’t imagine that was one of his innate abilities.

‘Crumbling Heart.’

Despite its brutal name, it seemed like a team-based ability that provided no real benefit to him. A useful ability should he find trustworthy Hollow allies. Scratch that, he’d seduce Hollows women into trusting him or beat them into submission by the natural law of Hollows.

‘Unknown Hollow Heart.’

He tossed the unknown aspect to the back of his mind and glanced over the rest of his status. His skills were nothing to write home about. Heck, they wouldn’t be considered hax in a world where a Quincy could bring his imaginations to life and another could see the future and temper with it as he pleased.

‘This can’t be it. There have to be other functions.’

A roar took away his attention before he started another exploration on his System.

Apacci shivered in recognition of the roar’s owner. “It’s back.”

“A Hollow? This is troublesome.”

He had yet to grasp the basic Hollow techniques like controlling his Reiryoku, also known as the spiritual power. He could rival an average Captain-Class Shinigami in Reiryoku, but it was all useless if he couldn’t control his Reiryoku.

“You bet it is.” Apacci kicked the ground, raising her speed. “Learn to fly, dammit. I can’t carry you like a slave.”

She had run into the giant Adjuchas a few days ago; her Sonido and natural agility helped her escape its hungry mouth. Her current Reiryoku wasn’t enough to use her rudimentary-level Sonido for more than thirty seconds, which won’t be enough to escape the Adjuchas hellbent on devouring her.

While Apacci trembled at the thought of dying, their predator showed up on the hill behind them — a giant snake-like monster with eight arms and the lower body of a caterpillar. The skeleton mask on its head and the bone-like armor on its shoulders took some points away from its fearsome appearance. The monster fitted right in the agony-filled desolation of Hueco Mundo.

The Adjuchas jumped down the hill and chased after them with its many wriggling legs, stirring a sand storm in its wake. “There is only one fate awaiting you, little deer. Stop resisting and become a part of a greater Adjuchas like me.”

Kazuya didn’t feel an ounce of fear in this situation, as though his mind didn’t register the giant monster as a threat.

He patted Apacci’s back. “Buy me some time. I’ll kill him.”

***

What do you think about the system? I'm kinda tired of pure numbers. It is just there to record his growth instead of passive growth from levels.