Not long after feasting on that fishbone, Gabriel felt a need for more as the moonlight of Hueco Mundo illuminated everything.
Gabriel, however, did not care. He was on a hunt... he needed to eat.
{EAT}
He felt this hunger like no other...
He wanted to eat... he wanted to eat so much.
His wings felt more like an accessory than anything else. He didn't even know if he could fly.
He would test that out later.
Eventually, his red eyes made contact with a hulking, reptilian Hollow that was stalking through the dunes.
The creature stood on two powerful legs, its massive, scaled frame covered in jagged, armor-like protrusions.
Its mask was shaped like the head of a dragon, with serrated horns curling back over its skull.
The beast was feasting on the remains of a smaller Hollow, its low growls echoing as it tore into its prey.
Gabriel's claws twitched, the hunger within him roaring to life at the sight. This one would be his next meal.
Gabriel could sense that this Hollow was stronger than him... at least twice as strong as him... he could just ignore it.
He could go hunt something weaker... a memory of his dad being feasted on by a Hollow flashed in his mind.
He could not bring himself to. There was no purpose in hunting the weak... he would never grow stronger if all he targeted were the weak.
He needed to challenge himself. Eating a much stronger Hollow meant he would gain much more from this.
Without hesitation, Gabriel lunged, using his wings to propel himself forward like a missile.
The reptilian Hollow turned just in time to see him coming and swung its massive tail. It caught Gabriel mid-air and sent him crashing into a nearby dune.
Sand exploded in every direction as Gabriel snarled, his claws digging into the ground as he pushed himself up.
Okay... this Hollow was stronger than him... at this rate, he might become its next meal.
Gabriel's eyes, however, flared with a need for strength. He needed to get stronger, he needed the strength...
He craved it.
His Reiatsu flared outside of his body.
He watched as the Hollow charged at him, its thundering footsteps shaking the ground.
Gabriel dodged to the side, barely avoiding the creature's crushing jaws.
He retaliated with a slash of his own, watching as his hand turned into a very sharp blade that managed to pierce the creature.
The creature's blood sprayed everywhere.
The reptilian Hollow roared in pain, while Gabriel was stunned. Had he just changed the shape of his soul?
While Gabriel was stunned, the Hollow spun around and whipped Gabriel with its massive claws.
Gabriel managed to snap out of his stunned state and blocked the Hollow's attack with his now-transformed arm.
The impact, however, sent shockwaves through his body.
The Hollow was stronger, its strikes heavier, its movements faster. But Gabriel didn't falter.
The clash continued for a while, a savage dance of claws and teeth. Gabriel, at first, found himself losing, but as the fight went on, his sword hand returning back to normal, Gabriel's power began to grow and grow.
The creature's attacks began doing less and less damage as Gabriel's skin became tougher and tougher. It almost felt like he was reshaping his soul in order to reach the level of strength the creature was at.
With every strike, Gabriel's movements grew sharper, more precise.
His claws dug deeper, his attacks landed with more force. He felt his power surging, his body adapting to the intensity of the battle. The reptilian Hollow growled in frustration as Gabriel matched its strikes, their power beginning to equalize. Gabriel's growls deepened, his movements becoming more fluid, more feral.
Gabriel leaped into the air, his wings propelling him upward. As if on instinct, he knew how to flap his wings to stay in the air.
He then dived down like a meteor, transforming one of his hands into a giant hammer. He slammed the hammer into the Hollow's back.
The creature howled in agony, bucking wildly to throw Gabriel off. Gabriel, however, held on.
His hammer hand now turning into very sharp blades, he used them to dig into the creature's flesh.
The beast managed to shake him loose, but Gabriel landed gracefully, his wings flaring as he faced his opponent again.
He was starting to get used to those wings of his.
The heavily injured Hollow knew that it wouldn't live if this continued and thus charged at Gabriel, aiming to kill him.
Gabriel didn't dodge.
Instead, he changed his hand into a very sharp blade, his foot shifting to resemble horse hooves. He ran toward the Hollow at full speed.
Gabriel and the Hollow clashed.
Gabriel felt his muscles burn, but he did not care.
As Gabriel appeared a couple of meters away...
Some blood came gushing out from his chest...
He did not falter...
Gabriel looked at his hands that were now swords... they looked to be half-broken... his hands and feet reverted back to normal.
Meanwhile, behind him... the reptilian Hollow's upper half began to slide off... it had been cut clean in half.
Gabriel walked toward the reptilian Hollow. He pinned the beast down, his mouth opening to reveal his eager fangs.
Gabriel tore into the Hollow, devouring its body with savage efficiency. The taste of its essence was intoxicating, the power flooding into him with every bite. The screams of the creature faded as Gabriel consumed it, leaving nothing behind but a faint echo in the air.
CRUNCH
CRUNCH
MUNCH
Blood trickled down Gabriel's cheek... the Hollow had long since stopped moving... however, Gabriel was not done... he consumed the Hollow, making sure to savor every bite.
He could faintly see the Hollow's essence merging with his own.
As he witnessed some of it being wasted, he managed to pull all of it back. No part of the Hollow's soul, nor essence, returned to Hueco Mundo. 100% of its essence had been devoured and fused with Gabriel's own.
Gabriel looked at his hand... he wasn't satisfied yet... however, he wanted to gain better control over his power. With better control, he could better hunt, and better hunting meant good food.
"Thank you for the meal... papa."
He said when he finished eating the Hollow... it was a force of habit... it just came out of him.
His human personality was still there. He wasn't a mindless beast. His hunger, however, was still there.
A/N'