The World After Death

A wan 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. Here and there, a few hills and withered trees broke up the sands, but not a trace of green could be found on either.

It was a world utterly devoid of life.

A world of the dead.

Cold, but he didn't shiver.

Natsuki slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he felt was a bone-deep chill. Only then did he look around. The landscape was nothing like he had expected.

"Is this the world after death?"

Natsuki wondered.

Yes, he was dead. He knew that much.

When he was young, he had once harbored grand ambitions and dreamed of making a name for himself. But fate dealt him a cruel blow. In middle age, he had developed cancer, and by the time it was discovered, it was already terminal.

He had spent almost all his final days in a hospital bed.

In the end, once it was clear there was no chance of survival, he had simply moved back to his hometown to wait for death.

As the pain came and his consciousness slowly withdrew from his body, his short life flashed before his eyes like a series of slides. Then it came to an abrupt end, leaving behind nothing but endless regret.

He had no idea how long he had spent in a hazy, dazed state afterward, or what had happened during that time. All he knew was that when he woke up, he was here.

"I never thought those legends were true. People really do have souls, and after death, they really can reach another world."

"So, is this Hell or the underworld?"

Natsuki continued to wonder as he struggled to his feet. He realized he was still wearing the clothes he had on while waiting to die at home. He had put on his burial clothes in advance, so his family wouldn't have to dress him after his death. Though calling them burial clothes wasn't quite right—they were just a white outfit.

His clothes weren't especially thin, but that did little to help in a world this cold.

He took a few steps and shivered several times.

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

In the final days of his life, he had been unable to move. Even the slightest motion had brought on unbearable pain. But now, all that suffering was gone.

Aside from the cold, he was no different from a healthy person.

The long-missed feeling of ease made him move around in the desert for a while. Once he confirmed that he had truly escaped his suffering, it was impossible for Natsuki not to feel happy.

If he'd known that the world after death would be this liberating, he would have ended his life sooner.

After moving around a little, he began studying his surroundings again.

"So, where should I go now?"

"Is this the Sanzu River?"

"And where are the Yellow Springs Road and the Naihe Bridge?"

Natsuki had no idea where to go next.

He also noticed that although the cancer was gone, something else had appeared on him.

For instance, a chain now hung from his chest, just below his throat.

It wasn't very long, and though he wasn't sure if it was his imagination, Natsuki felt that it was slowly getting shorter.

He continued onward for a while.

At last, Natsuki managed to climb a hill, expecting to find a different view on the other side.

Instead, all he saw was more endless desert.

"Wumeng Mountain connected to mountain after mountain?"

Natsuki couldn't help feeling speechless. What kind of world was this? Could he really make his way out of it alone?

More importantly, after walking for so long, Natsuki realized he was getting hungry.

He was already dead, and yet the dead could still feel hunger?

And what did the dead eat?

Incense?

Had his family not burned incense for him? Or did the dead eat something other than incense?

Just as Natsuki was wondering about this,

he suddenly sensed danger. His body trembled, and he instinctively turned his head. Not far away, a tall, snow-white humanoid figure was crouching on the ground, its face covered by a beastlike mask. Saliva seemed to drip from its mouth, and it was uttering words he couldn't understand.

Well, it seemed to be speaking.

Natsuki wasn't sure.

"Food. Delicious food!"

Natsuki didn't know that the other creature was saying those words, but he knew the bizarre figure before him was an enemy. The moment it appeared, he sensed a deep malice from it. Then he saw it leap toward him. It had been crouched on the ground some distance away, but with a single bound, it crossed the gap between them.

Natsuki snapped back to his senses and hurriedly dodged to the side.

Thanks to his quick reaction, he avoided the first attack.

But the creature was incredibly fast, and its leaping ability was astonishing. It kept attacking, leaving Natsuki no choice but to dodge with all his might. But against a monster like this—and after spending so long without exercise because of his terminal illness—Natsuki was no athlete. Before long, the creature had pinned him to the ground.

Its foul-smelling drool dripped onto him, making him gag.

As death drew near, Natsuki felt dazed.

"I just arrived in the world of the dead, and now I'm going to die again?"

"What happens when someone who's already dead dies?"

"Does he become a Zhan?"

As Natsuki wondered, he suddenly felt lighter. The creature's hand, pressing down on him, abruptly went limp. A moment later, its body toppled to the side.

Natsuki was free again.

Before he could rejoice at the sudden turn of events, he spotted another figure—a man dressed in black and wielding a long blade. Undried blood dripped from the weapon. It was the monster's blood.

"Wait, that outfit looks familiar..."

Natsuki frantically tried to remember.

Across from him, the man who had just killed a Hollow had also spotted Natsuki—or, more precisely, the chain hanging from his chest, which was steadily growing shorter.

"His Chain of Fate hasn't completely disappeared. A Plus who died not long ago?"

"I don't know why you're in Hueco Mundo, but since you haven't become a Hollow yet, I can still perform Soul Burial!"

As these thoughts flashed through his mind, he prepared to press the end of his Zanpakuto's hilt against Natsuki's forehead and guide him to Soul Society.

But before he could do so,

a terrifying Reiatsu surged from nearby.

The man turned his head and saw the desert floor split open. A gigantic figure burst out of the ground.

"A Menos Grande? How?"

This was the outer region of Hueco Mundo. Even ordinary Hollows were rarely seen here, let alone a Menos Grande. The Menos Grande of Hueco Mundo were generally concentrated in the Forest of Menos. The man was deeply shocked to see one here.