Fame Is For Assholes [o]

"Needless suffering?... No, you haven't seen true suffering, child."

Silence had reigned over the desolate wasteland that was once called New York City... such was the aftermath of conflict and death when it was all said and done. One step after another, I had solemnly crept through the damaged streets, loneliness never showing it's ugly face, for this was a lifestyle that I had grown accustomed to. Ironically, the once bustling epicenter had descended from it's throne, becoming nothing more than an example of the strife that was imminent between the worlds. Degraded to a wasteland, the territory began to adopt the presence of Hueco Mundo, and gradually it felt like home. Evil spirits hid away in the shadows of the chaotic ruins, awaiting their feast; pathetic humans had no choice but to flight or fight, but the majority of them became nothing more than a meal... on the opposite side of the spectrum, powerful beings fought vigorously throughout the massive battlefield with intentions of either restoring or countering peace.

Like a ghost risen from the ashes of the ever-present despair, I halted fifteen meters before the young Quincy, the vile stench of my constitution remaining at a minimum... but I doubted that even this kid lacked the ability to sense it. While the hooded cloak I donned shielded the upper portion of my face, only a fool would believe that what stood before him was human, a malevolent grin justifying this observation. Within my right hand, I grasped the murderer known as Tártoros in a stance that personified the folktales of the Grim Reaper, blood stained on the edge of the blade. From amongst the plethora of souls that lingered, this male exuded something rare, a species that my kind came to despise just as equally as the Soul Society. The convenience beckoned, and I couldn't dare bother with pitiful trash when a gem stood right before me.

"Why... don't look so glum, child. The blight of conflict is inevitable, and the destruction you see before you is nothing more than the product." The comments hinted with an air of pleasure, I waved my left hand toward the gargantuan rubble, furthering my point. "There is no church in the wild... the strong live, while the weak perish.. in the end, nothing will remain but the apocalypse and those who managed to survive it."

"Because of... the internet...?", the thought confusingly repeated itself within my mind, briefly leaving an impression of intrigue by the youngster's comment and disregardful posture. Surely, I couldn't have been wrong with the assumption that I made earlier, having perceived a certain spiritual pool from the child that wasn't threatening nor deficient, meaning that I could've potentially stumbled across some decent amusement in the ruined metropolis. Not just that, but a weak human wouldn't have been so nonchalant with traversing the wasteland alone, especially upon coming face-to-face with a stranger of my appearance... he was either deathly stupid or just the encounter I suspected him to be. Momentarily stunned by his carelessness, the bewilderment in my mind quickly subsided, and became replaced with an increased urge to dissect the youngster through flesh and bone... to understand for myself what really made him tick.

Blood inconsistently dripping from the murder weapon, I swayed the curved blade across my chest vigorously and back to it's original position, the dark-crimson liquids splattering into the crevice of the fractured ground we stood upon. The youngster continued to rant, the bizarre sentences having zero substance to me, everything being taken with a grain of salt... and then it finally ended, but not without forcing me to cock my head to the side inquisitively.... a pause... then a roar of laughter erupted from within me, humored by the lackadaisical expression in his form. Consequently, the burst of hilarity threw my head back, the once-concealing hood falling from it's crowned position to leave nothing unseen by the child, the blackened void that replaced my right eye becoming entirely exposed. A jolt of excitement trickled down my spine as the laughter subsided, the menacing grin that was already present on my face widening even further than before.

"Depressing? Not at all, child... shall I remind you of what has become of your precious city? The world is unforgiving of those who do not realize that life is nothing more than a game of cat and mouse... you either become the prey... or you become the predator." Without a second gone from the undeniable reality that I spoke, my frame left behind an illusion¹, and the distance required to migrate directly to the rear of the human being just a simple step for me. The imperceptible explosion of movement replicating that of teleportation at such a short distance, the illusion left behind would surely enable me to catch him off-guard, dispersing within a few seconds... but my trickery would've already been unveiled before then. Once behind the child, I leaned in slightly, a ghoulish whisper flowing from the my lips into his ear. "Now, tell me child... which are you?"

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¹Sonido: Fantasma.