BLEACH: The Dusk In Red

Not that long after Bashira left his room, someone else knocked on his door. It wasn't hard to guess who that was. Hyoma quickly got up and went over to answer, and unsurprisingly his father was there, waiting for him.

"You came home late. Where were you."

"The normal route got blocked because of the burning. I had to take a longer way instead."

His father looked at him oddly, before inspecting every inch of his body with inhuman speed.

"Did anything.. unusual happen today?"

A hint of nervousness appeared on his face, but Hyoma quickly covered it up with a fake smile. He said with false glee on his face,

"No?"

He could not let anyone else know that he could see the burnings, especially his father. Satisfied with him, his father turned around and started to leave, letting Hyoma breathe a sigh of relief. But suddenly he turned around, and said something strange.

"Your birthday is this Saturday isn't it?"

'He still keeps track of that? I thought he stopped caring about me already.'

"Yeah?"

He went quiet for a few seconds, before finishing.

"You will be turning 16 then. Make up your mind in the next 2 days, whether or not you will be getting into the same work as me and your brother. If you don't, then don't expect me to offer this chance to you again."

Hyoma's family was a strange one. It's history dates back to many many years ago where they were known spiritualist's and sorcerer's which acted as agents for death spirits. Although his family still participated in that work today, Hyoma never believed in any of that crap.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm not doing any of that voodoo nonsense."

The entirety of the Suzuko families wealth had actually come from these practices, but that was along time ago. Nowadays, people don't believe in that stuff anymore, and so their infinite money well was starting to run dry. If they continued to stick to tradition, then they would go broke in the next 5-10 years.

Hyoma who only believed in reality and not the spiritual, would always turn down the invitations to take part.

"Suit yourself."

His father turned around and left, leaving Hyoma on his own once again.

**

The next day was the same as any other. Hyoma got up early in the morning, prepared for school and was taking his usual path home. Today though, something very strange took place.

He was walking down the crowded city street, with the school not that far away. On the road, a strange man was walking down opposite of him. He was wearing an unbuttoned shirt with a tie wrapped around his head. It was as if he went to a late night party, right after work and was coming back drunk.

He would've called out to him, telling him to get off, but then he quickly changed his mind.

'I better not get involved... I'm sure he'll be fine.'

He continued to ignore him as if nothing strange was happening, but right when the two were about to walk past each other, a car drove straight into the man at full speed.

Hyoma widened his eyes as he flinched out of fear, then froze as he saw something truly peculiar. The man was... perfectly fine. It was as if the car hadn't even hit him in the first place, and the driver didn't even notice him as it continued to speed down.

'What the heck??'

The drunk man slowly turned his head into Hyoma's direction, but Hyoma himself quickly turned around and started to walk off. He then muttered to himself,

"Strange? I could've sworn he was just looking at me..."

**

Later that day, Hyoma was sitting on the schools roof once again. Thankfully he wasn't as sick as before, but it appeared his friends were running late.

'And I forgot my lunch again...'

Just before he could go downstairs to go and find them, the doors the roof slammed open as a familiar student jumped out, while striking their usual flamboyant pose.

'Oh no.'

"A vile darkness stalks this city, but it is I! The boundless shadow hero who shall save everyone, and avenge those who have already fallen!"

Hyoma clasped his hands to his face as he struggled to hide his laughter from Shinten, but the shadow hero could already tell he was amused by his strange act.

"Are you laughing?? This isn't a joke!"

"It's hard to take you seriously when you keep talking like that!"

Unable to suppress his laughter anymore, Hyoma fell to the floor as he uncontrollably giggled like a 3 year old child. Shinten who looked at him with a dumb founded look, before quickly composing himself. What he said next however, made Hyoma silence himself.

"Anyways, I've come to recruit you into my shadow army."

"..."

Hyoma immediately stopped laughing and looked at him with dead pan look, as if he couldn't believe what this person just said. He knew Shinten was a crazy guy, but this was just next level.

"You heard what I said? Your being recruited into my shadow army! Don't worry! As it's first member, I'll give you the role of vice general! That's just below me!"

"..."

Having enough of this, Hyoma just barged past him and started to leave through the exit. Already halfway down the stairs though, Shinten's next words made him freeze. 

"Those black flames. You can see them too, can't you?"

He abruptly turned around and looked up to see Shinten's figure now drenched in sunlight. The shadow of his body shaded down on Hyoma, making the Chūnibyō look cool for a moment.

"I need your help."

With a slight hint of hesitation, Hyoma turned around and continued to walk off. Shinten was stunned for a moment, so he just stood there awkwardly. And then eventually, he was there for a long time.

'How did he even know? Can he see them too? If he didn't then he wouldn't have even know that the flames were black... or is he just insane?'

As he walked down the schools corridor, a group of three girls were busy gossiping with each other. Hyoma didn't really care, but then they brough up Shinten which peaked his interest.

"Shinten doesn't even look that bad! If he wasn't so.. immature, then I probably would date him."

"I think everyman needs a little bit of madness..."

But it was what the last girl said, that interested him the most.

"Shinten has got a lot more than just a little bit. He keeps telling everyone around the school that they can see black flames, and that they should join his shadow army."

The first girl then said,

"You think I should join??"

They all started to laugh at the same time as they got further and further away. Hyoma on the other hand, was busy sweating like heck.

"He really is just insane."