Chapter 119: Young Man, Do You Want to Be the Soul King?

“Hahaha!” Ichibei Hyōsube’s hearty laugh echoed as he slapped Yamabuki Haruto’s shoulder. “No rush, young man. We haven’t descended in millennia—time to see how the lower realms have changed!”

“Don’t you already know everything down here?” Haruto asked, eyeing the monk warily.

“Knowing’s one thing; seeing’s another,” Ichibei chuckled, glancing at Haruto. “Besides, getting back up takes work. We need the Shiba Clan in Rukongai to launch this thing.”

He gestured to the cylindrical Tenchūren behind him. Haruto knew the absurd method: load it into the Shiba Clan’s massive cannon and fire it to the Soul King Palace. Ridiculous.

Nimaiya Ōetsu, passing by, squinted at Haruto’s Zanpakutō. “Can I see your blade? It’s… odd.”

“No,” Haruto said flatly. “My Reversal, Silver Angel has a bad temper.”

Unlike Asauchi forged by Ōetsu, Haruto’s Zanpakutō was a soul fragment, its name—Reversal, Silver Angel—unknown to Ichibei’s Shirafude Ichimonji. His hybrid Shinigami-Hollow-Quincy nature, amplified by Vollständig: Silver Angel, defied Zero Division’s knowledge.

“Stingy!” Ōetsu teased, sauntering off.

At dusk, the Gotei 13 and Zero Division gathered at the Shiba Clan’s estate in Rukongai. Haruto eyed the massive cannon skeptically. “This’ll get us up? What if it drops mid-flight? And…” He paused. Entry to the Soul King Palace required the Ōken, a key Aizen later forged. Yet, in the Thousand-Year Blood War, Aizen planned to blast the palace down with Reiatsu. Rules don’t bind the powerful.

“You know much,” Ichibei said, smirking.

“Let’s roll!” Ōetsu rapped, his rhythm off-key. Terrible singer.

“Rest assured, Gotei 13,” Ichibei said, nodding to the Shiba Clan head. “I’ll return this young man unharmed.”

The cannon roared, launching the Tenchūren skyward at blinding speed. Haruto, strapped in, questioned why the Soul King summoned a Vice-Captain like him.

They arrived at the Soul King Palace, its dense Reishi oppressive enough to crush most Vice-Captains. For Haruto, with his hybrid powers, it was a cultivation paradise.

“Stop gawking like a Rukongai rookie,” Ichibei said. “His Majesty awaits.”

Haruto gripped Reversal, Silver Angel. Its spatial manipulation could ensure escape if needed. “One question first,” he said, staring at Ichibei. “Does the Soul King truly have consciousness, or is this a trick to lure me here?”

Ichibei’s gaze deepened. “You know plenty. No lies, then. The Soul King’s limbs and organs are gone, yet he lives, enduring millions of years. Every few millennia, his consciousness stirs briefly. He sees past and future, sacrificing himself for this world’s balance. True wisdom.”

“So, it’s really him, not you?” Haruto pressed.

Ichibei laughed. “Think I’d dismember you for a new Soul King? Your powers are… unique, but I’m not that mad. The current Soul King suffices for now. You’re safe—relax your grip.”

Haruto weighed Ichibei’s words. With Shirafude Ichimonji’s power, Ichibei could crush him without deception. He lowered his guard, following Ichibei to the palace’s core, where two Detached Palaces—Ichibei’s and Ōetsu’s—flanked the Soul King’s chamber.

Ichibei stopped at the great door. “You’re not coming?” Haruto asked.

“This is between you and His Majesty,” Ichibei said. “Call if you need me.”

“You’re not worried I’ll cut him down? You know my Zanpakutō’s power, right?” Haruto probed, testing if his system shielded Reversal, Silver Angel.

Ichibei smirked. “I know all Zanpakutō names—except yours. No need for tricks. Go in; his time’s short.”

Haruto nodded, his ploy confirmed. He pushed open the door, revealing a limbless torso in an amber cocoon, enthroned in grandeur—the Soul King, father of Yhwach, origin of Quincy and Shinigami.

As Haruto closed the door, an unseen force seized him. His hand pressed the cocoon, and a voice echoed in his mind.

“Young man, do you want to be the new Soul King?”