numbernine03: edge of all infinity [c]

The last thing Nico remembered was the metallic taste of blood filling his mouth, the feeling of steel on flesh as the Godking brought his blade down upon him, unconsciousness taking over as he hit the floor. He had seen Luucio’s movements, as ungodly fast as they were, and could have easily teleported to avoid the blow. However, the Godking’s vast spiritual power had caused Nico to react in a manner he hadn’t for an untold amount of time: he hesitiated.The frigid temperature snapped the Arrancar back to reality, his breath forming large clouds of vapour before his eyes: only the stars and moon above him. He was laid on his back, a chill creeping over his body as he became apparent of the cold. Was he dead again? It wouldn’t be too unreasonable for a second afterlife to exist, he’d already experienced the Hell that was Hueco Mundo, and perhaps there was another beyond for bastards like him.


The sound of Luucio’s voice swept those thoughts from his head: he had survived. Nico turned his head to his shoulder, expecting to see a stump where his right arm had once been, met with the sight of a familiar limb. He flexed it tentatively, yet no pain coursed through him, no sign of injury at all. He breathed deeply in relief, the cold air flooding his lungs, exhaled once more in a misty fog. He brought himself to his feet, noticing the Godking stood before him, facing the opposite direction. He took a few steps towards him, surveying his surroundings.


Nico found himself atop the highest structure he had ever seen, the pillar of the Godking stretching even further into the heavens than he could comprehend from the ground. The desert of Hueco Mundo extended endlessly in all directions, the shifting sands similar to the waves of a vast ocean, huge pools of black dividing the land into continents. The view was unparalleled.


From here he could spy countless civilisations of Hollows long forgotten, recognising some of them from his own travels across the waste, though there was still so much to see. Nico had suspected that this world was mostly empty, his suspicions now proved true, though the vastness of the land hid innumerable secrets and sights. All feelings of rage towards the Godking were gone, almost stunned by the beauty of his surroundings.


Even Nico’s eyes could not see an end to this infinite expanse, distant mountains blocking his view of the horizon. He smirked, taking in the sights.


He dug his hands into his pocket, searching for his non-existent packet of cigarettes. With a defeated sigh, he left his exposed digits within the warm confines of his jacket, his eyes upon the back of the Godking’s head. There were only two reasons that sprang to Nico’s mind to build such a high tower. The first was to demonstrate the Godking’s power and absolute rule, which Nico wouldn’t put past Luucio. The second was to survey the land: his land.

Nico continued to observe the desolate beauty of Hueco Mundo, the sheer emptiness of the dimension oddly satisfying and yet worrying. Up here they were far removed from the slaughter that took place in the sands, the city below the only truly civilized place he’d experienced in this realm. Was it possible for other civilizations of such grandeur to exist out there? The familiar spark of curiosity coursed through his veins, warming his cold bones.


Everything the Godking had shown him so far, from the modernization of Las Noches to the stunning view atop this tower, was new and interesting in a world that he had thought to be boring. And yet, Luucio’s desire to own it all didn’t seem far-fetched: his conviction alone was enough to make Nico believe that all he saw would soon be the Godking’s land. Said conviction was backed by power, both his terrifying spiritual power and the power of the armies beneath him, which made his domination of this world even more believable. Nico wasn’t one for leadership, nor did he give a fuck about the hopes and dreams of others, yet he stood beside Luucio atop this tower. He’d bring change to this barren world, and change was interesting.


A prideful man may have taken that as an insult, but Nico knew it to be true. He’d slumbered for longer than he’d expected and he’d grown weak as a result. If he were at his full strength then the swordsman from before would have been a little more hesitant to treat him with disrespect, a little more careful with his choice of words. Nico made a mental note to fuck him up later. He used to rampage across the wastes, slaughtering everything in his way, doing whatever he wanted to do without a care. Since he’d awoken, he’d been told what to do constantly. If anything, Nico preferred his lack of responsibility in his role as an Espada. He was free to do pretty much anything he wanted.


The thoughts that fuelled the Godking’s ambition had come to him in the past, but Nico cared little for it. Truth be told, Nico never really gave a shit about strength. It was just something he’d picked up along the way, a byproduct of living so long. The only time he’d ever cared about something being stronger than him is when it stood in his path, and nothing stood in his path for long. He looked towards the glowing light in the distance, resembling a twinkling star. It was odd, a feeling of overwhelming nothingness coming from it: a void in his sensory abilities. From this height, Nico’s perceptive skills could identify everything he laid eyes upon, and yet he couldn’t even feel a presence at the location of that light.


Nico found it hard to believe that something existed at a plateau so high that he couldn’t comprehend it, even the Godking’s power could be quantified under his gaze, yet Luucio’s fascination with that strength was borderline obsessive. He had built this entire kingdom to seize that power, something so strong that only he could sense it. The Godking appeared to be rather mad now. Additionally, he wanted Nico to become hunter, rather than the hunted. That prospect intrigued him. He didn’t feel sympathy for anything that would be in his previous situation, fleeing from the Godking’s forces across the wastes, he felt no connection with his fellow survivors. It was a cruel world out there, and that meant Nico could have as much fun as he wanted.


Nico turned to face the Godking, who was now staring longingly at the moon above, his gaze also drifting upwards to the stars beyond the sky. Nico dreamt of the stars often, his desire to explore was not limited to the earth he resided upon. He supposed his dreams were similar to the Godking’s own, except he was far further off realising them. The Godking had assembled all he needed to accomplish his goals; Nico still had a lot to experience before he’d be able to accomplish his own.


As if on cue, his empty stomach rumbled once more, reminding the two of his starvation. The scenery and the cold had numbed Nico to his hunger, but now he felt it once more. This insatiable hunger would only be dispersed when he returned to his former glory. He turned back to the sands, his eyes hungrily surveying the world before him. Cannibalism was a necessary activity in Hueco Mundo, and so identifying the inhabitants of Hueco Mundo as future delicacies was a familiar viewpoint to the stronger residents of this world.