The End is My Beginning

The Shinigami pauses as a shadow looms over her. Looking up, she spots the creature's tail hovering above her head and makes a dive away just as it bashes into the ground. A cloud of dirt, mud and grass blades plumes from impact as Derek loses his grip and is sent bouncing and rolling across the field, and the woman's sword is unearthed, twirling through the air away from it's owner.

A stump in the ground brought Derek's progression to a sudden, rough halt as he crashes against it in a sitting position, "Nggh!" He immediately grabs the back of his head, thankful that he didn't feel any blood. Once he manages to gain his bearings, he saw the woman in a similar position about 100 yards across from him. She was sprawled out on her stomach against the splintered remains of another stump.

Derek noticed how heavy she was breathing as the creature returned it's focus to her.

"It seems you still have some fight left in you, after all." The middle head comments with a subtle growl.

"But your efforts are in vain." The 2nd head remarks, "And now, we shall put an end to this."

The black-robed beauty pushed herself up onto all fours, groaning tiredly as the weight and length of this battle was beginning to take it's toll on her.

'What does it take to kill this thing?!?' She wondered, agitatedly.

"Look out!" She heard Derek cry from afar. Looking up at the titanic beast, she gasped when she saw a massive ball of flame forming inside the mouth of the center head. She knew she needed her Zanpakuto, and began scanning the ground around her, but could not locate it.

In an act of desperation, Derek leaps up to his feet and rushes at the creature; even though he felt and looked like he had been through a wheat shredder. As he reaches it, he grabs it's tail and pulls on it just as the monster hurled the meteor-sized orb of fire at the Shinigami.

The creature's body was inched backwards once more, allowing the trajectory of the fireball to pass directly over the woman; splashing harmlessly into the ocean just beyond the nearby cliff. A split second later, the ball erupted in a fierce explosion that shook nearly the entire town, as well as throwing a wall of water high into the air.

Frustrated, the Hollow spun it's heads back around, seeing Derek hanging on to it's tail once more like a leech drawn to blood. A calm growl echoed in it's throats as it's thoughts linked together, 'This mortal's soul differs from any other.'

'It seems to grow stronger every time this woman's soul is threatened.'

'Yet something else seems to drive him; a purpose which fuels his emotion and propells his spirit to adopt a most intriguing scent.'

'A scent which screams of untapped power. It will be ours.'

Refusing to let go of it's tail, Derek growls right back at the beast, "Leave her alone already!" He demands, "This is between you and me, isn't it?!"

The pale beast stares at him a moment before a chuckle began to echo from each head, "You are correct, young human." Replies the head on the right.

"This confrontation should be decided between the 2 of us." Added the left head.

"So on that note, let this battle be decided now!" The middle head declares, ignoring the Shinigami who still bled against the stump where a tall, healthy tree had been.

She gazed up in a panic before suddenly shouting, "What do you think you're doing?!? Run! Get out of here!!!"

But before he could do anything else, Derek suddenly felt the demon lift it's solid, white tail into the air, whipping it out with violent force that sent Derek flipping and twisting uncontrollably through the air as the monster unleashed a hungry howl.

"No wait!" The woman cried in terror, "STOP!!!"

The middle head of the creature suddenly lurched out, and like a serpent striking at it's prey, snatched Derek into it's powerful jaws...

A gasp caught in the woman's throat as she saw Derek disappear inside the demon's mouth. Her heart felt as though it had suddenly stopped beating; her blood chilled in her veins.

'No...' She thought fearfully, 'It can't be. Not again.'

The Hollow stood still. As though it were savoring the taste of the man. It made no noise; no boasts or amused gestures. There was only silence.

The Shinigami could feel the presence of tears threatening, and with it, came a powerful concentration of pure, ripe hatred. Her hands balled up at her sides, and her body began to tremble.

"I will kill you. The spirits hear me, I WILL kill you!' She swore to herself with a sparkling glare in her eyes...

Finally, all 3 heads returned to face the woman, sensing the despair in her soul from the act she just witnessed.

"Are you troubled, Shinigami?" The right head inquires, wanting to fuel that hatred within her.

"Are you saddened by the fact that you failed to protect another soul from being devoured by us?" The left head goaded.

She growled viciously under her breath, pushing herself slowly back up to her feet.

"Do not despair." The right head speaks again before the left adds, "For you shall join him in our belly soon enough."

Her head hung heavily; the bangs of her glorious turquoise hair hiding half of her face.

'I'm sorry.' She said to herself, offering her condolences to the man that sacrificed himself to save her, 'I'm sorry I failed you. But you have my word, I will not let this thing kill anymore people.'

Her head slowly rose up; her eyes sparkling like blue diamonds as a tender green aura began to burn around her once again. A single tear fell down her cheek as she looked up to the 50 foot monster. She was determined to end this once and for all; even if it costs her her life...