The World After Death

A pale crescent moon hung in the sky, its dim light spilling across the land. As far as the eye could see, there was a boundless white desert. Within this desert, one could occasionally spot hills and withered trees, but neither the hills nor the trees held a hint of green.

This was a world of absolute, deathly silence.

It was also the world of the dead.

It was freezing, yet there was no shivering.

Natsuki slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he felt was a bone-chilling cold, and only then did he have the presence of mind to observe his surroundings. Such an environment was beyond his expectations.

Is this the world after death?

Natsuki thought to himself.

Yes, he was dead; he was very clear on that point.

In his youth, he had harbored grand ambitions, wanting to carve out a great career. However, fate dealt him a cruel blow. Nearing middle age, he was diagnosed with cancer, and by the time it was discovered, it was already in the terminal stage.

During the final moments of his life, he had spent almost all his time in a hospital bed.

Finally, when it was certain there was no chance of survival, he simply moved back to his hometown to await death.

When the pain struck and his consciousness gradually drifted away from his body, his short life flashed before him like a slide show, ending abruptly with nothing but endless regret.

He did not know how long he had spent in that chaotic, muddled state afterward, nor was he clear on what had happened during that time. He only knew that when he woke up, he had appeared here.

To think that those legends were actually true—that people truly possess souls and can reach another world after death.

So, is this Hell, or the Underworld?

Natsuki continued to ponder, then struggled to stand up. He discovered that he was still wearing the clothes he had on while waiting for death at home. To avoid the trouble of being dressed after death, he had put on his burial clothes at the time—though calling them burial clothes was perhaps inaccurate; they were simply white garments.

The clothes were not thin, but they were no match for the biting cold of this world.

He walked a few steps, shivering uncontrollably.

Natsuki realized that at this very moment, he felt incredibly light.

Clearly, in the final moments of his life, he had been unable to move; or rather, the slightest movement would bring on waves of agonizing pain. But now, all that pain had left him.

Aside from being a bit cold, he was no different from a normal person.

This long-lost sense of ease made him unable to resist moving about in the desert. Once he confirmed that he had truly shed those pains, it was impossible for Natsuki not to feel a sense of joy.

If he had known the world after death was this comfortable, he would have sought death long ago.

After moving around a bit, he began to examine his surroundings again.

So, where am I supposed to go from here?

Is this the Sanzu River?

And where are the Yellow Springs Road, the Naihe Bridge, and the rest?

Natsuki truly had no idea where to go next.

Furthermore, he discovered that while his cancer was gone, he had gained something else.

For instance, there was a chain attached to his chest, just below his throat.

The chain was not long, and he did not know if it was just his imagination, but Natsuki felt that the chain was slowly growing shorter.

He continued forward for a while.

When Natsuki finally climbed up a hill, he had hoped to see a different landscape.

As it turned out, what met his eyes was still an endless stretch of desert.

"Wumeng Mountain connects to mountains beyond mountains?"

Natsuki could not help but feel speechless. What kind of world was this? Could he really walk out of a place like this on his own?

More importantly, after walking for so long, Natsuki actually discovered that he was feeling hungry.

He was already dead—could a dead person actually feel hunger?

Also, what did the dead eat?

Incense?

Had his family not burned incense for him? Or was it that they didn't eat incense, but something else entirely?

Just as Natsuki was thinking this, he suddenly sensed a dangerous aura. His body trembled, and instinctively, he turned his head to look. He saw a tall, humanoid figure with snow-white skin and a beast-like mask crouching not far from him. From the creature's mouth, saliva could be seen dripping, and some words he could not understand were being uttered.

Well, the creature seemed to be speaking.

Natsuki was not entirely sure.

"Food, delicious food!"

Natsuki did not know that this was what the creature was saying, but he knew that this strange figure before him was undoubtedly an enemy. The moment it appeared, Natsuki felt a deep sense of malice. Immediately after, he saw the creature leap toward him. Even though it had been crouching on the ground and was still some distance away, a single jump bridged the gap.

Natsuki snapped back to reality and hurriedly dodged to the side.

Because his reaction was timely, he avoided the creature's first attack.

But the creature's speed was too fast, and its jumping power was truly astonishing. It continued to launch attacks at Natsuki. Natsuki could only try his best to dodge, but facing such a monster—and given that he hadn't exercised for a long time in his previous life due to his terminal illness—he was naturally no athlete. Soon, he was pinned to the ground by the creature.

Foul-smelling saliva dripped onto him, making him gag.

The scent of death drew near, leaving Natsuki feeling somewhat dazed.

Have I only just arrived in this world of death, only to die once more?

What does one become when a person who has already died dies again?

A Zhan?

As Natsuki pondered this, he suddenly felt a sense of relief; the palm the monster had pressed against him abruptly lost its strength, and its body toppled over to the side.

Natsuki regained his freedom.

Before he could even rejoice at this sudden turn of events, another figure clad in black robes and wielding a long blade came into his view. Fresh, undried blood was still dripping from the stranger's blade—the blood of that monster.

Wait, this attire looks somewhat familiar.

Natsuki could not help but rack his brain in a frenzy.

Opposite him, the man who had just dispatched the Hollow caught sight of Natsuki—or, more accurately, the chain hanging from Natsuki's chest that was steadily shortening.

"The Chain of Fate has not yet fully vanished. A Plus who died only recently, then?"

"Though I know not why you have appeared in Hueco Mundo, since you have yet to turn into a Hollow, you can still receive a Soul Burial!"

In a flash of thought, he raised the Zanpakuto in his hand, preparing to press the pommel against the other's forehead to guide him to the Soul Society.

However, before he could complete the act.

Another terrifying surge of spiritual pressure assaulted them from the side.

The man could not help but turn his head, only to see the desert floor split open as a colossal figure burrowed out from the ground.

"A Menos, how can this be?"

This was the outer perimeter of Hueco Mundo, where even ordinary Hollows were rarely seen, let alone a Menos. The Menos of Hueco Mundo were essentially concentrated within the Forest of Menos; the appearance of one here and now left the man deeply shocked.