I'll Take What I Want Myself
To be honest, Hyōsube Ichibē's friendly attitude was somewhat confusing.
The last time they met, they fought so fiercely the sky went dark, almost obliterating the very laws of nature.
But this time, it was as if he were looking at a dear relative.
This erratic attitude only made it easier to raise one's guard.
Fortunately, Naraku Sora's confidence was currently off the charts. Let alone Hyōsube Ichibē, even that guy, the Spirit King—
Ahem, he still needed to show a little reverence to the Spirit King.
After all, he was the great existence who created the three realms; a little respect was due.
The monk's Zero Division Estate hadn't changed since his last visit. It was still filled with rockeries, flowing water, and a profound Zen atmosphere.
Just standing in the courtyard made one feel as though their soul was being purified.
In this regard, he was somewhat similar to Yamamoto. Perhaps this was a common trait among the elderly.
They all liked a slow, leisurely pace.
Sora noted that he still preferred Nimaiya Ōetsu's Zero Division Estate.
"Great Monk, you know my personality."
Sora sat cross-legged on a futon in the dojo, speaking with an air of absolute composure.
"I've never liked beating around the bush, so I'll just say what's on my mind."
"If I offend you in any way, I'll gladly do it again next time."
Hyōsube Ichibē froze for a moment before letting out a hearty laugh that rattled the windows and sent bamboo leaves rustling to the ground.
"Sora, you truly are a fascinating person."
"I have lived for a million years, and this is the first time I've met such an interesting existence as you."
"To take such a massive risk to come to the Soul King Palace, it must be for a matter of utmost importance. Please, speak."
"If I can help, I will certainly do my best."
Sora waved his hand. "No rush. Before that, I have a few questions I'd like to ask."
"Speak freely."
Ichibē's expression was relaxed.
As the oldest person in the three realms, he showed infinite tolerance toward any existence that didn't cross his bottom line.
Not to mention, the person before him possessed the qualifications for such treatment.
Sora nodded and asked frankly, "Regarding Yhwach, how much do you know, Great Monk?"
Although the Zero Division couldn't easily leave the Soul King Palace due to their duty of protecting the Spirit King.
Sora knew very well that whether it was Ichibē or the other members of the Zero Division, they all had their respective sources of intelligence.
The vast majority of events in the Soul Society could not be hidden from them.
In this regard, it was quite similar to the Tsunayashiro clan's Great Spirit Book Gallery.
"Yhwach, huh? A ruthlessly brutal yet highly cautious fellow. He will use any means necessary to achieve his goals, even if it means harming the Spirit King."
Ichibē raised a hand and stroked his bushy beard.
"Although he calls himself the progenitor of the Quincy, he is the person closest to the true essence of power. However, I do not like this man, because he is very, very, very dangerous."
The monk's tone suddenly deepened, seemingly emphasizing this point.
Sora raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "Since you know Yhwach is so dangerous, why didn't you step in and get rid of him?"
Hearing this, a bizarre smile appeared on Ichibē's heavily bearded face. "Sora, how do you know I didn't?"
"A thousand years ago, before that war even broke out, I sat down and had a detailed discussion with Yhwach. In order to curb his dangerous ideas, I specifically proposed signing a non-aggression pact."
"Under it, the Soul Society would be managed by the Soul Reapers, while the Quincies only needed to focus on making the Empire of Light prosper."
"To get Yhwach to agree, I even offered the generous condition that we would not interfere even if the Quincies completely unified."
"Unfortunately, he refused."
"With the negotiations failed, I had no choice but to take action against him, sealing away the ability he was so proud of."
Listening to Ichibē's words, Sora revealed a thoughtful expression.
If he remembered correctly, it was exactly that negotiation that caused Yhwach to lose The Almighty, ultimately leading to his crushing defeat at the hands of the old man.
Although the outcome was good, he still felt something wasn't quite right.
This big, fat monk looked carefree and jolly, but he wasn't honest in the slightest.
But none of that mattered anymore.
Pinning one's hopes on others was the most foolish thing to do.
What he needed to do was become the hope himself, become the light.
"An unexpected answer."
Sora crossed his arms and continued asking, "Then, how do you view the Soul Society?"
"And the Soul Reapers."
Hearing this question, Ichibē raised his eyebrows. "Sora, just as I told you before, I have lived for a million years."
"Even a Soul Reaper who is thousands of years old is nothing more than a speck of dust in my eyes. Time will strip away all their traces until they return to nothingness."
"There is countless dust upon the boundless earth; one speck more or one speck less is completely inconsequential."
"To me, what matters is the earth, not the dust."
Sora nodded.
These words perfectly matched his understanding of an immortal being.
"Right, and that is exactly where our ideologies clash."
"To you, Soul Reapers are dust, insignificant things. But in my eyes, they are mentors, family, brothers—existences worth protecting."
"Just as you protect the Spirit King, I also want to protect everyone I care about."
Sora grinned, a flash of determination passing through his eyes.
"And the reason I came up here this time is to seek something that will help me better protect my Soul Society."
"What is it?"
"Fragments of the Spirit King."
The moment those words fell, the atmosphere in the dojo suddenly grew heavy, and even the flow of air became unusually sluggish.
The previously amiable look in Ichibē's eyes vanished in an instant.
Replaced by an indescribable terror.
"I have told you before. To me, any act that harms the Spirit King is intolerable, no matter who it is."
"Then why didn't you blow up at the founders of the Five Great Noble Clans?"
"?"
Ichibē's expression froze, and the terrifying aura instantly dissipated significantly.
"You seem to know a lot—"
"Probably a billion times more than you expect."
Sora reached out and made a mocking pinching gesture. "I'm very curious. A million years ago, when the founders of the Five Great Noble Clans made their move against the Spirit King, whose side were you actually on?"
"On one hand, you claim to be a loyal supporter of the Spirit King, but on the other, you turn a blind eye and a deaf ear, committing such despicable hypocrisy."
"Hyōsube Ichibē, you don't actually think you're noble, do you?"
Hearing this, the monk's expression grew visibly complex.
The last time he saw Sora, the kid hadn't seemed particularly bright.
But during this meeting, his words were far too sharp.
*Was someone teaching him?*
Ichibē searched his mind and quickly found the corresponding answer.
If he wasn't mistaken, it had to be related to that Soul Reaper named Aizen Sōsuke.
*Another extremely dangerous brat.*
Ichibē shook his head, defending himself, "The truth is not as simple as you think, and the world is not just black and white."
"But rather a sophisticated shade of gray?"
Sora interrupted, "Actually, whether you are loyal to the Spirit King or what your attitude is, I don't care."
"I just want to take a few fragments, that's all."
"Besides, the Spirit King hasn't even said anything, so why are you getting so worked up?"
Ichibē opened his mouth, hesitating to speak.
"But it doesn't matter."
"Whether you agree or not."
Sora stretched his arms. His joints popped with a sound like grinding metal, and his muscles pulled taut like a bowstring, fully displaying his raw power.
"I never said I needed your permission, monk."
"Last time, you took the Spirit King's right arm from Senior Brother Ukitake's body without a word of explanation. This time, it's my turn."
Ichibē's expression instantly turned solemn. "It seems this cannot be resolved peacefully."
"As long as I draw breath, I will never let you do anything to harm the Spirit King."
Hearing this, Sora broke into a ferocious grin. "Bring it on, then."
As soon as his words fell, a Reiatsu like a collapsing sky instantly erupted. Under the powerful suppression, the surrounding air immediately emitted a creaking sound, as if being infinitely compressed.
A terrifying pillar of light shot straight into the sky, sweeping across the entire dojo.
The reinforced architecture, the massive dojo symbolizing the majesty of the Zero Division's leader, collapsed with a deafening crash in an instant, kicking up a sky full of dust.
At this moment, everyone in the Soul King Palace sensed the anomaly.
Kirinji Tenjirō stood by the hot spring pool, staring in astonishment at the direction of the Reiatsu eruption. The massive pillar of light connected heaven and earth, shaking the very soul.
"No, that's not the monk's."
"Don't freaking tell me this is that kid Sora's Reiatsu!"
Nimaiya Ōetsu couldn't even bother to soothe the panicked Zanpakutō spirits. With a flash, he appeared at the edge of his Zero Division Estate, gazing into the distance.
His dark face was filled with bewilderment.
*This Reiatsu... is this for real?*
Hikifune Kirio also felt this Reiatsu, but she was mostly filled with worry.
Because she had never seen Hyōsube Ichibē's true power, she believed that even if Naraku Sora had grown unfathomably strong, he still wouldn't be a match for the leader of the Zero Division.
After all, it was always rumored in the Soul Society that the combined strength of the entire Gotei 13 was only equal to the few members of the Zero Division.
*Could Lord Naraku defeat the entire Gotei 13 by himself?*
Hikifune Kirio's heart sank to the bottom.
"Unbelievable."
Looking at the figure within the pillar of light, Hyōsube Ichibē took a deep breath, his expression more solemn than ever before.
*He had only stopped paying attention for a few decades; how did this kid become so ferocious?*
*Could it be that this was what the Spirit King admired about him?*
As if realizing something, Ichibē's expression shifted slightly. Just as he was about to say something else, the figure in the distance suddenly vanished.
When he reappeared, he was already right in front of him.
Then, thick black-and-red lightning erupted instantly. As it distorted space, a tearing sound echoed, and a fist magnified infinitely, instantly occupying his entire field of vision.
Black Flash·Ikkotsu!