From Dusk...To Dawn - Sequel to 'Into the Sweet Darkness'

Chapter 4 - Quincy Lord

Please listen to the music while reading this chapter! It gives a lot of effect.....even when I listen to it, it gives me goosebumps o.o

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Sana pov:

It took us a few minutes to get to Hueco Mundo. The Garganta was just as dark and dreary as I remember it to be. I sighed, looking down at the pathway of spiritual particles we were walking on. Haschwalth san was making the road as I walked next to him, and the other four people had their own paths, walking on them next to us.

I could feel Haschwalth san's gaze on me every now and then. I guess he was a little suspicious about me just agreeing to go with him without much of a fuss. Well, its not like I could fight anyway, right? And with these guys pretty much stalking me, there was no way I would be able to contact Kisuke san, let alone Soul Society.

I had completely locked up my heart this time. I had lost hope on seeing Sousuke again and after this, I would be called a traitor once again. Yamamoto jii san was sure going to be angry.....and I had a feeling that this time, even Ichigo and the others wouldn't forgive me for what I was doing.

I finally looked up seeing the end of the Garganta. Taking a deep breath to ease the tightness in my chest, I stepped out. But when I did, I froze.

I felt like my stomach had been punched all the way till my spine and the wind was knocked out of my system. I gasped choking at the crushing feeling of this reiatsu. I couldn't even stand, I couldn't breathe, my head spun and the place we were in became all distorted. I staggered on my feet taking Haschwalth san's arm for support as a reflex to prevent from falling over.

My hold was so tight, anyone else would have yelped in pain. But Haschwalth san didn't even twitch.

It took me several moments to get even the slightest accustomed to this reiatsu. I was sweating and panting. My hand trembled as I slowly let go of Haschwalth san's arm. I staggered on my feet before standing in one place despite my wobbling legs. Damn it....who was this guy with this kind of reiatsu? It was insane! A guy at this level was the enemy? If Soul Society barely survived defeating Sousuke, what chance did they have against this guy?

The way I saw it, it was zero. Zilch. Absolutely nothing. Whoever it was with this reiatsu was too strong. Not even Ichigo could beat him.....could he?

"It seems this is the first time you have been in the presence of a reiatsu of this level." Haschwalth san commented flatly and I refused to look weak. I know that I had already shown him that I was affected badly by the reiatsu, but I didn't want to make him feel like I was going to have my spirits crushed just for this. there had to be some weakness or drawback or something to this reiatsu, right? Maybe it was just something similar to the Hougyoku, but a more powerful thing that I had to find a way to destroy.

That's all....yeah....thats all.....I hope.

"Come. His Majesty is waiting." He said and began to walk forward. I clenched my fists tightly as my eyes stung painfully. I swallowed the lump in my throat and lifted my head up with whatever dignity I had left. I followed the Quincys through the corridors of this place as they led me to their leader.

Now that I looked around at the place I was walking through, I realized we were in Las Noches. It was the same place I had stayed in with Sousuke. The dull gray walls, the high ceiling windows, the out of proportion height of the corridors, the thick silence besides the sound of footsteps....only thing, lots of Las Noches had been destroyed and I could see the white sands and dark sky of Hueco Mundo through the huge holes left in the walls.

I looked back at the ground in front of me. The tightness in my chest still hadn't faded and it was still quite difficult to breathe under the pressure of this reiatsu. My lungs couldn't get enough air, it made me sweaty and light headed to some extent.