Chapter 4: First Battle
After introducing myself to the class, I cast a quick gaze around the room in search of an unoccupied seat. My eyes landed on a space before a girl with intriguingly styled, short, black hair that coiled in a manner reminiscent of a lollipop. Intrigued, I navigated my way to the seat and settled in.
Observing her, a thought flickered through my mind, "Her hairstyle really does mirror the one from the anime." I couldn't help but steal another glance at the distinctive appearance she sported.
Feeling a burst of enthusiasm, I turned my attention toward the girl and initiated our introduction, "Greetings, I'm Gremmy. Please, do me a favor and stick with 'Gremmy' instead of something like 'Grem.' The latter sounds like the name you'd give to an unattractive, tiny dog. And you are?"
Her reaction was a mix of surprise and a stifled laugh, "Hi, I'm Rukia. Nice to make your acquaintance."
With that brief exchange behind us, I shifted my focus to the orange-haired youth seated beside her, offering a quirked grin, "Hey there, tangerine, what's your handle?"
A tic seemed to twitch on the teenager's forehead as he retorted, "Name's Ichigo. And yours?"
"It's Gremmy," I responded, extending my hand toward him for a handshake.
Our hands met, and I couldn't help but notice a flicker of unease in his expression. Nonetheless, he gathered himself and replied, "Pleasure to meet you, Gremmy."
My inner thoughts ruminated, "Oh no, my smile must've come off as unsettling." With a resigned sigh, I reflected, "I was just thrilled to be face-to-face with the main character. I should work on toning down my expression."
Redirecting my attention to the chalkboard. I feigned engagement with the ongoing lesson.
....3 hours later....
By the time lunch rolled around, a single thought echoed within my mind: "I hate school." With an almost begrudging sigh, I rose from my seat, preparing to head to the cafeteria.
As I stood up, memories of school lunches past resurfaced, sparking a dubious curiosity. "I haven't tasted school lunch in ages. I wonder if it's still as garbage as I recall," I mused, my curiosity piqued.
While making my way out, my gaze shifted to Ichigo, prompting me to inquire, "Hey Ichigo, mind if I tag along for lunch?"
His response was almost immediate yet interrupted by a tap on his shoulder from behind. He turned, a hint of impatience in his voice, "What do you want, Rukia?"
Silently, Rukia held out a flip phone, displaying a message. Though I couldn't read it from my distance, the gravity of the situation seemed clear. A veil of seriousness draped over Ichigo's features as he turned back to me, apologizing, "Sorry, Gremmy, not today."
Offering him a reassuring smile, I replied, "No worries, I'll find someone else to join for lunch."
As he dashed out of the classroom with Rukia in tow, a new plan materialized in my mind. "Guess I'll tail them, but first, a shadow clone will hold down the fort here during lunch." With a determined stride, I headed towards the bathroom to create the shadow clone.
A faint poof sound accompanied the clone's formation, and suddenly, its reflection stood before me. I addressed it with clear instructions, "You remain here and stand in for me. I'll take a little detour to see what Ichigo's up to."
The clone nodded in understanding. After its confirmation, I expertly cloaked myself in invisibility, ready to stealthily tail Ichigo.
....5 minutes later....
My discreet surveillance of Ichigo had me brimming with excitement as we approached the source of the Hollow's spiritual pressure. The anticipation was palpable; I could sense its energy, not particularly potent but enough to fuel my eagerness. While I could obliterate it effortlessly with just a thought, the prospect of witnessing my first battle was thrilling.
After a while we finally reached the hollow. It was spider like and seemed to be chasing a young boy's spirit who didn't pass on yet.
I teleported atop a nearby building, affording me a perfect vantage point. Seated on the edge, my legs dangled over the side as I observed. Rukia appeared to be communicating something to Ichigo, although the words escaped my ears. Yet, the effect was apparent, Ichigo's demeanor shifted, his temper rising in response.
In an explosive burst, he dashed toward the Hollow, swiftly severing one of its eight legs before it could reach the boy's spirit. His subsequent punch launched the creature backward with incredible force. The spectacle held a unique charm, despite my awareness of my higher level of power. To witness such a raw, intense confrontation had an undeniable allure.
As the battle raged on, I found it impossible to divert my gaze. Each clash, every resonating sound, heightened the thrill. It was akin to dropping Mentos into a soda bottle, a bubbling exhilaration that was building within me. I yearned to participate.
Just as I was about to give in to that impulse, a raspy male voice broke the anticipation, seemingly emerging from thin air beside me.
"Let him kill the hollow."
I swiveled to face a dark, black cat with piercing yellow eyes. Even though I recognized the cat, I played ignorant, knowing the necessity of maintaining the charade.
My response held a reluctant agreement, "I suppose you're right. It wouldn't be to my advantage to eliminate the Hollow. I'll let him handle it." Settling back into my seat, I focused on the ongoing battle, my attention tethered.
"Why are you trailing one of your classmates, Gremmy Thoumeaux?" the cat inquired, its tone carrying an uncanny awareness of my identity.
I was surprised, how did they know my name already, but I quickly hid my surprise which didn't seem to escape her gaze before replying.
"I simply wanted to witness a genuine battle for the first time."
Unconvinced, the cat pressed further, "Are you truly here just for that?"
My response remained steadfast, "I hold no hostility toward them, nor do they exhibit any intent to harm me. My purpose is genuinely as simple as witnessing a real fight."
The cat seemed contemplative, then queried, "Did your first battle meet your expectations?"
I replied with a straightforward "Yes" conveying my satisfaction, prompting me to rise and make my way back to class.
The cat looked at me confused and asked, "where are you going?"
"I'm returning to class," I stated, gesturing toward the fading remnants of the battle where Ichigo was standing over a disappearing hollow.
The cat seemed to understand immediately and then looked back up at me looking like it wanted to say something but before the cat could get any words out, I said, "See you around black cat." with a brief wave, I vanished.
The cat's contemplation persisted, and it eventually mused aloud, "I wonder what ability enables him to disappear like that…"
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I changed up the writing style a bit and changed how I spaced the sentences and dialogue. Do you prefer the older style or this one? And if you can't tell the difference just comment on if you enjoyed the chapter or not.