Seeing this, Renji, who had already eaten half an apple, was immediately overwhelmed with guilt. He reached up and tried to gag himself. "Ugh—"
Muten Natsu took half a step back, putting a little distance between them. "What are you doing?"
"I'll get you a piece too."
"Stop." Muten Natsu felt utterly drained. "Even if you get it out, I'm not eating it."
Renji looked confused. "Aren't you hungry?"
"This isn't about being hungry or not." As he spoke, the three of them were already nearing the cabin. Thinking of the other children who were asleep inside, Muten Natsu lowered his voice.
"Even if I were hungry, I still wouldn't eat it."
"I'm the complete opposite," a strange voice said from inside the cabin. "Even when I'm not hungry, I still want to eat."
...
The cabin exploded apart, a violent gust tearing through the air.
Under the pale moonlight, shattered planks mixed with flesh and blood, spinning wildly through the sky. Mangled bodies sprayed crimson as familiar, broken faces were flung around, forming a horrific tableau that burned itself into Muten Natsu's eyes.
Inch by inch, it unfolded, both slow and terrifyingly fast.
The children who should have been sleeping inside the cabin were now airborne, crashing to the ground as warm blood spilled out.
The earlier noise was gone.
So was all life.
"Muten… Muten Natsu!"
Hearing Rukia's hoarse, desperate shout, Muten Natsu looked at her helplessly and met her violet eyes.
Eyes drowned in helpless tears.
He bit down hard on his tongue, using the pain to force his blurred consciousness back into focus.
Renji's terrified scream reached his ears, and Muten Natsu turned toward the sound.
A monster nearly three meters tall had its claw wrapped around Renji, who was struggling desperately. Its hulking body resembled a humanoid lizard, and a gaping hole ran straight through its chest, revealing the scenery behind it. Its face was covered by an eerie, bone-pale mask.
A hollow chest. A mask on its face.
A monster that fed on souls.
"A Hollow…" Muten Natsu's breath caught. "Run!"
He shoved Rukia behind him, clenched his teeth, and charged at the Hollow. Leaping into the air, he slammed his foot into the monster's claw.
"It hurts!" the Hollow howled, loosening its grip. Renji dropped straight down.
Muten Natsu caught him, bending his legs as they hit the ground before sprinting away from the lizard Hollow.
This Hollow doesn't look that terrifying. Maybe we can—
Bang!
A horrifying force came crashing down, and both Muten Natsu and Renji were sent flying.
"Ow, ow, that hurts." The Hollow moved toward Muten Natsu as he struggled to get up. "It's about as painful as being hit by a falling leaf."
Rukia grabbed a wooden plank with both hands and slammed it hard into the lizard Hollow's leg.
"Didn't he tell you to run?" The lizard Hollow didn't even sway. It glanced down at Rukia, pinched the plank with its claw, and swung it the same way she had. "Did you get lost while running?"
Bang!
The plank shattered. Rukia was sent flying backward, crashing into a tree trunk. After a short cry of pain, she fell limply to the ground and didn't move again.
"Ru—" Muten Natsu barely opened his mouth before a metallic taste flooded his throat, leaving him unable to make a sound.
He struggled to stand, but before he could steady himself, the grotesque Hollow was already blocking his way.
Its massive body blotted out the moonlight, casting a deep shadow that completely enveloped Muten Natsu's small frame.
"I'm sorry, Muten Natsu." The lizard Hollow lowered its head toward him. The pale mask opened and closed as it spoke in a low voice. "I originally planned to wait until you came back before starting to eat. But I really couldn't hold myself back."
Muten Natsu's pupils shrank sharply.
"But you understand, don't you?" the Hollow said softly. "When something delicious is right in front of you, it's hard to resist."
The enormous claw pressed Muten Natsu to the ground with effortless force. Like harvesting fresh vegetables, the lizard Hollow twisted and tore off Muten Natsu's left arm.
"Just like this."
Blood flooded Muten Natsu's throat. His body spasmed as he let out broken, gurgling sounds.
"Souls with high Reiryoku really do taste better." The lizard Hollow swallowed the arm, the eyes behind its mask shining with pleasure. "Eating all those others doesn't even compare to the satisfaction of just one of your arms."
So cold…
Muten Natsu's vision blurred further and further, each labored breath carrying the taste of blood.
Is this it?
Am I dying?
"Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid," the lizard Hollow said gently. "It's fine."
Afraid?
Muten Natsu wasn't afraid of death.
He had already died once. Dying again didn't seem like a big deal.
He had long wanted to die anyway. This miserable place had nothing to offer. It would be better to restart sooner, to transmigrate into another world.
But…
His gaze drifted toward where Rukia and Renji lay.
As an adult, he simply couldn't bring himself to leave these children to live like stray dogs.
He had planned to restart after raising Rukia, but then he met Renji. Then there was Takahiro, who somehow grew chubby despite only drinking water; Yūma, the fastest runner who always ended up covering the rear; Ryōhei, who cried all the time; Toshiko, whose smile was beautiful; Tomomi, who was good at climbing trees; Kayo, who always cared about others; the timid Satomi; Yūki, Haruki, Ryūji, Kanae, Kōichi, Keiko…
Before he knew it, everyone had stored plenty of water and even built houses of their own. Life had finally started to get a little easier.
As long as they all worked together, things would surely get better.
But there was no "later" anymore.
And there was no "everyone," either.
"Don't make that hopeless face. I'm not going to kill you." The lizard Hollow spoke calmly.
"Let's make a deal. I'll spare your life, and you keep doing what you did before. Gather a big group and live together."
It carefully pinched Muten Natsu's head between its claws and lifted him up to eye level.
"That way, you get to live, and I don't have to run around looking for food anymore. What do you think?"
"You—"
The blood clogging Muten Natsu's throat burst out in a spray.
"What… did you say?"
"Don't judge me by appearances. It's actually exhausting," the lizard Hollow said, scratching at its mask. At some point, a crack had appeared in what was once a complete mask. "I have to avoid Shinigami while hunting souls to reward myself. Chances to eat my fill like this are rare."
"Luckily, you helped me gather such a nice batch of little snacks. Do you know how satisfying that feeling is? Watching the tasty treats pile up, even building themselves a gift box."
"So, even though it's a bit embarrassing to ask… could you do it again?"
Muten Natsu looked at the children's shattered bodies.
Ah…
So that's what it was.
He had always believed he was different from them. That the small body he inhabited was driven by an adult's maturity, not a child's innocence.
But he was wrong.
He was no different from them at all.
Just as naive.
So naive that he understood nothing about the cruelty of this world.
He had smugly gathered everyone together without considering the dangers that could arise.
He had arrogantly decided to take care of the children without possessing the strength to protect them.
He had self-righteously wanted to create a better future, never realizing that in this cruel world, the fragile present was too weak to ever lead to one.
All his efforts so far, all his past hardships, all his stubborn perseverance…
They had all been pushing the children straight into the lizard Hollow's mouth.
The lizard Hollow ate happily.
And it hoped Muten Natsu would do it again.