Today marked the fourteenth day since they had arrived in Hueco Mundo. Of the team Asano Kiyoshi was in, only seven members were still alive.
On the thirteenth day, another Shinigami had been unable to bear the immense pressure and chose to end his own life.
The method he chose differed from that Uncle before him. Perhaps he had simply been younger.
That Shinigami had chosen to die in battle beneath a Hollow swarm's assault. He had slipped away in secret during the night without telling anyone.
It was not until the next morning, when they found his farewell letter, that everyone learned the shy young man with faint freckles on his face had died...
Asano Kiyoshi carefully put away the letter. According to the young man, the envelope contained a photograph of his mother and some money. If they made it back, he hoped they could look after his mother when they could. If she was no longer alive, then the money was a gift for everyone.
Looking at the slightly yellowed letter, Asano Kiyoshi felt a lump in his chest.
It was not that their minds were fragile. It was simply that days without even a glimpse of light were unbearable.
After putting away the envelope, Asano Kiyoshi led the remaining survivors onward, struggling to survive throughout Hueco Mundo's outer regions.
Before they knew it, another day had passed.
Hueco Mundo had no concept of day or night. It seemed to remain forever locked in the depths of midnight, sleeping silently.
Asano Kiyoshi led the others in digging out a small cave beneath the ground, then reinforced it with a Reishi Stabilization Device.
After all, Hueco Mundo's surface consisted mainly of sand, and it was plagued by extremely violent sandstorms.
Against such natural disasters, a group of small