Bleach: Sea of butterflies

On the dark streets of a rundown district, a man with a missing tooth walked briskly, a bulging sack slung over his shoulder. His face was twisted in a grotesque smile as he muttered to himself. "Hehehe, boss is going to be real happy with this one. Caught myself a big fish today," he cackled, giving the sack a little pat. The weight of his catch made his pace uneven, but the thought of the reward waiting at the end of his journey kept him going.

As he moved through multiple districts, the streets grew narrower and more decrepit. Finally, he arrived at a grimy alley where a group of rough-looking thugs lounged around, their eyes gleaming with suspicion as they noticed the man approaching.

"Who goes there?" one of the thugs barked, stepping forward with a menacing look.

The man with the missing tooth grinned wide, exposing the gap where his tooth once was. "It's me! Got somethin' real special today," he said, patting the sack with a satisfied smirk.

One of the thugs walked over, eyes narrowing as he inspected the sack. "Let me take a look at that," the thug said, reaching out to grab it. But the man with the missing tooth pulled the sack back protectively.

"Back off! This one's mine! I caught him fair and square," he snapped.

The thug smiled coldly, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "Too bad you won't be living long enough to spend your reward," he said before swiftly drawing his sword. In one fluid motion, the blade pierced through the man's abdomen, leaving him gasping in shock. He stumbled backward, blood spilling from the wound as he fell to the ground.

"You bastards..." he rasped, collapsing in a pool of his own blood.

The thug wiped his blade clean and signaled to one of the other men. "Get rid of the body," he ordered, pointing at the corpse. Then, with a grin, he hoisted the sack over his shoulder and made his way toward a shabby hut at the far end of the alley.

Inside the hut, the stench of alcohol filled the air. The thug banged on the door. "Boss, I got a good catch for you!" he called out.

The door creaked open, revealing a towering figure standing in the shadows. The man was large and imposing, with a nodachi strapped to his back, its massive blade gleaming faintly in the dim light. His eyes glinted with curiosity as he stepped out.

"What is it?" the boss growled, his voice deep and slurred.

The thug threw the sack onto the ground, a smug look on his face. "Look at this," he said, opening the sack.

Inside was the small figure of a boy, unconscious but clean and strikingly beautiful, with dark blue hair that shimmered almost black. The boss knelt down, inspecting the boy closely. A sadistic smile spread across his face as he realized what he had in front of him.

"This kid's too pretty to be from some ordinary family. Looks like he's from a noble house," the boss muttered, licking his lips as he tossed a pouch of coins at the thug. "Good work. Now get lost."

The thug caught the pouch, grinning ear to ear as he walked off, already imagining how he'd spend his reward. Meanwhile, the boss stared at the boy, his grin growing darker. "Hope you don't break too easily, kid," he muttered, a twisted glint in his eyes.

---

"Ughh… my head hurts," the boy groaned, slowly coming to consciousness. His eyes fluttered open, hoping to find himself back in the hospital, hoping this nightmare was just a terrible dream. But as his vision cleared, all he saw were rotting wooden planks surrounding him.

His heart sank. He was in some kind of shack. The reality of the situation hit him like a freight train.

He tried to move, but his body was bound tightly to a chair. His arms and legs were strapped down, rendering him immobile. Panic surged through him as he heard voices approaching. The door swung open with a loud creak, and in walked the large man with the nodachi on his back. He sat down across from the boy, resting his enormous blade against the wall.

"Hey there, little kid," the boss sneered. "You look too good to be from some regular family. So tell me, what noble house do you belong to?"

The boy, still groggy and disoriented, stared at him in confusion. He didn't understand what the man was talking about. "I-I don't know," he stammered.

The boss's expression darkened, and in an instant, his hand shot out, grabbing a fistful of the boy's hair. He yanked the boy's head back violently, glaring down at him. "Listen here, you little shit. When I ask a question, you answer!"

He punctuated his words with a harsh punch to the boy's stomach, knocking the wind out of him. The boy gasped, pain radiating through his body.

"I'll ask again. What noble family are you from?" the boss demanded.

"I don't know," the boy repeated, his voice weak.

The boss's fist connected with his stomach again, harder this time. The cycle of questions and punches continued, the boy's small body crumpling under the blows. But he had no answers to give. The more the boy resisted, the angrier the boss became.

Finally, the boss struck him low, the pain shooting through the boy's abdomen like fire. He let out a pained scream, tears welling in his eyes. The boss grinned, his face twisted with pleasure as he watched the boy suffer.

"Ahhh, that's more like it," the boss purred. "From now on, I'm gonna call you 'Princess'. Suits a pretty little thing like you, don't you think?"

The boy's tears flowed freely now, but even through the pain, his spirit remained unbroken. His bright blue eyes stared defiantly at the boss, still full of fire.

The boss raised his hand for another strike when suddenly, a shout came from outside.

"Boss! We've got trouble!" one of the thugs yelled, his voice urgent.

The boss clicked his tongue in annoyance, lowering his fist. "We'll continue this later, Princess," he said, flashing a cruel smile before leaving the shack.

(End of a chapter)