"This is a Self-insert like no other (I hope). Though the name's are different, I play the protagonist but I become a hollow, not a Shinigami like what I assume most Bleach SI's are based on. So I hope you can enjoy this epic story about (me) a lost soul who's fate become's entangled in the world of Bleach."
—Author's Note at beginning of Requiem of the Eternal Night
Requiem of the Eternal Night: A Hollow's Story
is a Bleach Fanfic composed by Themulchmeister. As you can already tell it is a Self-insert Fic about an 18 year old boy named Steven Benson who through an unfortunate twist of fate dies and becomes a hollow.
The story is fairly loyal to the canon and basically starts off outlining Benson's troubles as a low-level hollow (finding food, maintaing your individuality and such), his evolution towards becoming a Vasto Lorde and his search for his long lost brother whom we later find out becomes a Shinigami. The rest of the story follows the canon as he tries to kill his brother whilst working as an Arrancar under Aizen. With a staggering 80 chapters it is quite a read.
You can take a read here. Feel welcome to contribute a few tropes as you see fit.
This story provides examples of:
- Body Horror: The author doesn't spare details on the more gruesome details of Hollow evolution.
"I open my arms and try to pry the chrysalis open but it doesn't work. I grind the inside walls with my claws creating immensely bright sparks which burn my flesh away, this only seems to trigger more of the white death to ooze from my body. I desperately scratch the walls like a crazed drug addict. I then resort to peeling back my own flesh and bone to stem the inevitable wall from closing in and gaining more cement".
- Bond Villain Stupidity: In chapter 66 when The Knight Templar Mitzuki Sheehari impales Banzai Benendes whilst saying how he should have defeated him much earlier. As he hypothesizes why he is different from the other hollows, Banzai Benedes grabs his torso and kills him with his Signature Move.
- Demoted to Extra: Most of the canonical characters of the series have succumed to this trope. Most evident in the Fake Karakura arc when the main belligerents of the Gotei 13 and Vizards (apart from a few lucky ones who get to take on Benendes) aren't even mentioned before they are slain by Aizen of course.
- Gambit Pileup: When Aizen initially obtains the Hogyoku from Rukia it is found that in fact only a portion of the Hogyoku was placed inside of her body. However Aizen had already half-anticpated this fact and as such was to be the whole premise for both Steven and Michael's murder whom both contain the teo remaining thirds of the Hogyoku. Initially Kisuke Urahara claims responsibilty for their murders stating that he had to hide the Hogyoku inside an unsuspecting body and in doing so hoped that Mitzuki Sheehari would either send both of them to Soul Society thus remaining in hiding from Aizen or slay them as hollows so the Hogyoku would be destroyed with them only this was lampshaded by Aizen's revelation in that he set it up to appear as though Urahara had commited the murder when in fact it was him all along. To further elaborate his twisted scheme he goes on to explain how Steven's brother was under his hypnosis from the very beginning and that in fact it was he who sent Sheehari to perform the Soul Burial knowing the Shingami's character; anticpating that he would provoke Steven's hollowfication and also anticipating Steven's own personality which led to his rapid evolution and thus the eventual awakening of the dormant Hogyoku inside of him. Phew...It makes perfect sense doesn't it?
- Kill Steal: During the Lust arc when Ulquiorra intervenes Banzai's fight with Vasto Lorde Ichigo. It boils down to a brief three-way-battle before the other two combatants kill each other to a draw.
- Minor Major Character: Though Michael Benson is an important character who ends up becoming the Antagonist of the series he only shows up in a couple of scenes.
- My Master, Right or Wrong: Banzai initially swears loyalty towards Aizen and the Espada even though he implies he does not exactly approve of his methods.
- Ship Tease: Banzai displays somewhat romantic interactions with at least four female characters however they're either too busy somewhere else or die before anything goes further.
- Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism: Though the majority of the story is heavily cynical, it ends up being quite idealist as shown when Steven makes peace with the Shinigami in order to defeat the even greater evil forces of Aizen's Hell Army.
- The Nudifier: Banzai's claws and Razorwire Zanpakuto are not only useful for slashing his victims but they also serve as a useful weapon of perversion.
