*Snap!*
Along with a crisp sound, countless Reishi gathered to form an orb of light, dispelling the darkness inside the Tenchūren.
It also allowed Naraku Sora to clearly see the figure beside him.
At this moment, Captain Hikifune still had the appearance of a mature, elegant woman; she hadn't yet ballooned to three hundred pounds.
In her own words, before officially becoming a member of the Zero Division, she had to maintain her current state so she could better remodel her own bones into the power of the Ōken.
"Hmm? Captain Hikifune, is something the matter?"
Sora asked curiously, looking at her beautiful face.
Kirio Hikifune took a deep breath and said with a serious expression, "It wasn't convenient to ask you back in the Seireitei."
"But now I want to know, what exactly are you trying to do by sneaking into the Soul King Palace?"
At this point, although she could no longer kick Sora out of the Tenchūren, knowing what this guy was planning in advance would at least give her some peace of mind.
"It's nothing much, really."
Sora waved his hand dismissively. "I'm just going to ask that big fat monk, Hyōsube Ichibē, for some Spirit King fragments to use."
"?"
Hearing this, Hikifune's expression instantly froze.
She originally thought Sora was going up to the Soul King Palace to ask for techniques like Zanpakutō forging or the Hell Hot Springs.
She never expected that this guy was actually targeting the Spirit King.
Wasn't he afraid of being smashed to pieces on the spot by the other members of the Zero Division?
Was it still not too late to kick this guy out?
Hikifune suddenly became deeply worried.
*Boom!!*
Accompanied by a deafening explosion, a ring of white shockwaves rippled across the Omotesandō as the Tenchūren landed steadily.
Although the riding experience was still as terrible as ever, Sora was no longer the same as before. This little bit of discomfort was absolutely nothing to him.
——
The doors slid open, and the unchanging scenery greeted his eyes.
Grand and vast.
Several Zero Division Estates, each the size of a city, floated in the sky, surrounding the Greater Soul King Palace like stars orbiting the moon.
It looked majestic and imposing, but after looking at it for a long time, it was just alright.
He didn't know how Hyōsube Ichibē had endured this scenery for a million years. He could only say that the thoughts of that old fossil were impossible to fathom.
"Welcome, Lady Hikifu—"
Kirinji Tenjirō stood not far away, a piece of straw dangling from his mouth and his Zanpakutō, Kinpika, resting on his shoulder, looking completely lackadaisical.
However, halfway through his welcome, the expression on his face completely froze.
Because he saw someone who shouldn't have ascended to the Soul King Palace.
The next second, a flash of golden light flickered.
The man with the pompadour instantly closed the distance, his eyes widening as he looked at Sora. "Hey, why are you here, kid? The Soul King Palace didn't receive any communication about this!"
Seeing Kirinji Tenjirō, Sora was a little surprised.
He hadn't expected him to be the one to welcome Kirio Hikifune, considering he seemed like the hardest one to talk to.
"I have official business to attend to, of course. Otherwise, who would come to this godforsaken place?"
Sora grinned, his smile full of provocation.
He remembered clearly that the first time this guy met him, he had tried to assert dominance and show him who was boss.
As everyone knew, the Prison Warden of the Seireitei held grudges.
Sure enough, upon hearing those words, Tenjirō's eyes instantly became dangerous.
"Kid, watch your mouth."
"If you really cause trouble, even Yamamoto Shigekuni wouldn't be able to protect you if he came."
The corners of Sora's mouth curled up, his face written with confidence. Just as he was about to say something...
Tenjirō suddenly frowned.
"An unauthorized person trespassing in the Soul King Palace has already alarmed the other members of the Zero Division. You'd better have a good reason."
"Otherwise, even that woman Senjumaru won't be able to save you."
As soon as his voice fell, an astonishing Reiatsu suddenly erupted from the floating Zero Division Estates in the sky.
An overwhelming sense of oppression instantly swept across the entire Soul King Palace, making the atmosphere on the Omotesandō thick and heavy, like mercury.
*Swish, swish, swish!*
Accompanied by the sound of piercing the air, several familiar figures appeared in sight.
Leading them, naturally, was the burly Hyōsube Ichibē.
When he saw Shutara Senjumaru, whom he hadn't seen in years, Sora's eyes couldn't help but light up.
If there was anyone in the Soul King Palace who still held goodwill toward him, it was definitely this wicked woman.
"Let me see just who is trespassing in the Soul King Palace without permission."
The heavy oppression crashed down like a tsunami, causing the surrounding atmosphere to wail under the unbearable weight.
However, when he clearly saw the intruder, Ichibē couldn't help but freeze.
"Sora, why did you come up here?"
"Have you finally thought it through?"
Sora had originally planned to give a proper greeting, but upon hearing this, he immediately recalled his previous conversation with Ichibē.
His face instantly turned sour.
"Don't bring that up again!"
"Whoever wants to sit on that golden toilet can sit on it. If you really can't find anyone, I can have my tacticians make two spares for you."
"I guarantee they'll be exactly like the real thing."
Hyōsube Ichibē: "?"
Even though he had lived for millions of years and seen all kinds of people, he still found it somewhat difficult to understand what Sora was saying for a moment.
After a few seconds of silence, Ichibē grinned, revealing an amiable expression. "Although you came without permission, since you are here, you are a guest."
"We must entertain you properly."
Sora raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.
When he stepped out of the Tenchūren, he had been prepared to fight one against three, or even one against four.
But he hadn't expected Ichibē, the leader of the Zero Division, to show such a friendly attitude.
As the saying goes, you don't slap a smiling face.
This made it a bit difficult for him to make a move.
Just as he was thinking of an excuse, Nimaiya Ōetsu suddenly spoke up from the side, "Why not head to my Phoenix Palace? I'll have my sweeties prepare a banquet."
Ichibē thought for a moment and nodded. "That works."
"As for Lady Hikifune, leave her to me."
"As the final member of the Zero Division, there are still many things she needs to know."
Ōetsu's figure flashed, appearing directly in front of Sora. He grinned, revealing a mouthful of neat white teeth.
"Bro, please follow me."
Sora felt even more surprised.
Today's developments were somewhat unexpected.
Relying on his immense skill and boldness, he didn't refuse Ōetsu's goodwill. He nodded and followed along.
Before leaving, he didn't forget to walk up to the wicked woman to say hello.
Looking at the young man whose features carried a hint of familiarity, Senjumaru's eyes were somewhat complex.
In their early stages, Soul Reapers grew extremely fast.
For them, it had only been a short few decades, but on Sora, the changes were simply too drastic.
Just as Senjumaru was about to say something, Sora unceremoniously pushed aside the skeletal prosthetic arms surrounding her body, opened his arms, and pulled her into a tight hug.
Senjumaru's expression instantly stiffened.
She never expected this kid to actually do something like this.
Sora leaned close to Senjumaru's ear and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Wicked woman, I'll come find you later."
After saying that, Sora let go without any hesitation, walked over to a weirdly-expressioned Ōetsu, and nodded. "Let's go."
Only after the two left the Omotesandō did Senjumaru's tense body finally relax. She gritted her teeth and muttered with some reluctance, "The Silly Boy from before was much cuter."
Kirinji Tenjirō scratched his head, not quite understanding what the others were thinking.
But it looked like a fight wasn't going to break out after all.
How boring.
I might as well go tend to my hot springs. Who knows, that kid might come to the Kirinden for a soak later.
Thinking back to the last time Sora soaked in the hot springs and almost dyed an entire pool black, Tenjirō couldn't help but feel a bit emotional.
To be able to accumulate so many hidden injuries in his body, this kid was truly something else.
An ordinary Soul Reaper acting as recklessly as him wouldn't have survived this long.
Fake Phoenix Palace.
It was still a heavenly scene, practically a modern version of a decadent paradise.
Just walking in was enough to dazzle the eyes.
He could only say that, as expected of the person who knew how to enjoy life the most in the Soul King Palace, Nimaiya Ōetsu was truly a role model for their generation.
Sitting on a soft sofa, surrounded by beautiful women, with rare delicacies laid out in front of him, it was easy to become immersed and forget to leave.
Perhaps he had learned something from Hyōsube Ichibē, or maybe he had guessed a few things himself.
Ōetsu didn't ask about Sora's purpose the entire time; he just kept chatting idly.
From interesting anecdotes in the Soul Society to the changes in the World of the Living over the years.
As a Zero Division member who frequently visited the World of the Living, he had never fallen out of touch with the times and could be said to be at the forefront of fashion.
Sora didn't mind either, fully cooperating and enjoying the wonderful atmosphere.
After eating and drinking his fill, he bid farewell to Ōetsu and went alone to the Kirinden, where he thoroughly soaked in the complete version of the Hell Hot Springs.
Under Kirinji Tenjirō's dumbfounded gaze, he completely drained the medicinal efficacy of the two hot springs that Tenjirō had painstakingly prepared.
His physical condition was excellent.
After enjoying himself, Sora took advantage of the night to head to Hyōsube Ichibē's Zero Division Estate.
From a distance, he could see a burly figure, like a stone pillar, standing at the entrance waiting.
Seemingly sensing Sora's Reiatsu, the massive figure turned his head and grinned at him. "Oya, aren't you going to rest a bit longer?"
"I've rested enough."
The smile on Ichibē's face remained unchanged. "In that case, come on in. I have also been waiting for you for a long time, Lord Naraku."
"Welcome to the Soul King Palace."