Chapter 23: Chapter 23: Home is where the heart is.
I doubled checked with my scan to make sure, but I'm pretty sure I'm out of Baraggan's territory. Although the man himself would likely deny any limits of his domain...
Regardless, I slowed down from a streaking comet to a slow glide through the dry atmosphere of Hueco Mundo.
Currently, my rocket spell was likely my magus opus. At least until I settle down and properly go through the backlog of Kido spells I have.
As I brought myself to a stop just above the peak of a dune, I allowed my rockets to power down. I landed gently on the dune, disturbing the sands ever so slightly.
My previous flight was long enough for me to recover my energy reserves. Not to hundred per cent, but enough to work with. I needed to rest, but I would not do so out in the open.
Calling on Sōten ni zase, I started forming a mental image of the house I wanted to construct. Soten handled the annoying calculations and the hassle of converting reishi into specific compounds like cement. All that I was left with was keeping the mental image stable and collecting ambient reishi.
Slowly the dune beneath me started to disappear as the sand was converted into pure reishi. Eventually, I was left with a large empty clearing.
Since I wanted to stay in the area for quite a while, I compressed the remaining sand into a decent enough foundation. This process took longer than I would have wished, as I did not have any telekinetic abilities. Instead, I manipulated the gravity around the area.
A novel experience for a former mortal.
In prison, I tested gravity manipulation, among other pursuits. But understandably, not at the scale, I was currently working on. After a few more minutes, the sand was compressed enough to give iron a run for its money.
The next part came easier as I've experimented extensively with creation in the past. Although technically, you could call it matter manipulation.
Regardless, a massive blue cyclone of reishi formed on the now-hardened sand floor. Gradually the cyclone started coalescing.
Layer by layer, a modest modern single-story house came into existence as if 3D printed by the air. As always, the creation was offensively bright blue. I willed for the outer layers of the walls to dull to a more bearable white. The house was modelled after my former home. All it was missing was a slightly worn driveway and a happy family.
"I'll add colours later. Lord knows this hellscape could use some variety..."
Once the house was complete, I nearly passed out right there on the porch. All the last-minute fine-tuning of miscellaneous objects around the house drained my remaining mental energy. I didn't need one of the bathroom floors to creak slightly, but my wife, Linda, always found it amusing to irritate me with it in the mornings.
'Well, ex-wife...'
Pulling myself together, I made my way into the house. Ignoring the stale smell permeating the corridors, I laid on the clearly fake cotton bed sheets and proceeded to pass out.
For the first time in a long while, I could relax completely - even if it was just for a moment.
...
"Hadō #4. Byakurai."
A blue arc of electricity fired from my right index finger and landed squarely on the chest of the training doll roughly 100 metres away from me.
If everything had ended there, I would have spent the last two years in Hueco Mundo in vain.
No, after the first strike, the arc split and went on to attack two more training dolls. After which, the daughter arcs further split. Creating a veritable web of electricity spanning a few dozen targets.
And here's the kicker, instead of each split halving the power of the arcs into oblivion, the arcs independently drew in ambient reishi. Allowing the power of the spell to increase as more targets are struck.
Seeing the last target disintegrate into a fine powder, I couldn't suppress the smirk making its way across my face. After all these years of rigorous study, I've finally gained a working mastery of seals and barriers.
The former of which allows me much, much more freedom in the manipulation and creation of spell matrixes. My improved version of Hado #4 was an experiment on how stable self-replicating spells can be.
And I must admit, the potential of this method is limitless.
Gazing out at the ruined courtyard, I allowed my mind to drift and sway with the cool breeze artificially produced by the climate-controlled dome covering my entire compound.
Within a few days of creating my initial home, I quickly realised Hueco Mundo's weather was garbage. Regardless of whether it was "day" or "night" (which is denoted by how bright the moon was), the place was extremely dry and slightly caustic.
My first thought was to copy Las Noches in all its ostentatious glory.
I immediately curtailed the idea somewhat because I have no need for a full-on demon lord's castle.
But the seemingly climate-controlled nature of the palaces within was more appealing. Especially the central domed area some of the fights in the anime took place in. The use of spells to replicate a beautiful sunny day was ingenious on Aizen's part.
And with a bit of fiddling with some heat, air and light seals, as well as some semi-permeable barriers, I replicated a constant lazy Sunday afternoon for my home.
Sōten ni zase's hum rang in my mind. He had just finished collecting all the energy readings of the spell I just released. The data would form part of a database I was working on and-
*BOOM*
A large explosion rocked my dome. Cracks quickly spread throughout the roof, and on the side closer to the explosion, the roof had already collapsed. Not to mention the gaping hole in my walls.
Ignoring the dust filling the dome, I turned up my scan to full range. I had temporarily limited the scan so I could focus on my spell practice. It looks like the past years had been far too peaceful for me if it allowed me to drop my guard so easily.
I stilled as the scan picked up the true extent of the damage through the thick dust. My home was in ruins. Half of the house was missing — the type of damage you would expect from a drone strike.
My breathing became laboured as past memories flooded my mind. Scenes of cratered streets and houses in flames played out, with a soundtrack of constant screams for help.
I remember the journey to the raid shelters. The kids were terrified, so I carried my youngest while keeping a hold on the older sibling's hand.
Lana, the oldest, was trying hard to be a brave girl like her mom. But Elizabeth, the youngest, buried her face in my chest, shivering and trying to ignore the stench of burning bodies.
Before we could get too far, a massive blast of air flung us forward. Disorientated, I quickly looked around. The girls landed close by, and if their shallow breathing was anything to go by, they were alive but likely unconscious. Standing up with shakey legs, I turned to face where our home used to be.
In place of our 13-year-old family home was a smouldering ruin. Linda hadn't managed to leave yet. She was trying to help her sister into her wheelchair. The process usually takes a minute.
It was only going to take a minute...
I pulled myself out of the self-induced trance.
I really thought I had moved on. It's been decades at this point.
I couldn't help but scowl. A few low-level Hollows had damaged the dome during the past two years, but I never thought too much of it. A causal release of my reiatsu and the beasts would scatter.
However. Looking at my damaged home-
"Someone is going to die for this."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Red_Roman
Red_Roman Yo, so the 10-12 hour power cuts are back. And now they are a permanent daily occurrence.
It was honestly a nightmare trying to squeeze in a chapter when every minute of power is precious.
Anyway, I need somewhere to vent my frustration, and what better way than through the story?
If you have an idea for the story, please comment it below.
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