Chapter 95: Movie Series — Inspiration of Fate
The creation of a historical record is often born in an instant of inadvertence.
Though a detailed census had not yet been conducted, the fact that this covered twenty-six world bubbles—reaching residents of the Three Worlds and Hell alike—meant that the "movie" playing on the Heavenly Screen was destined to be one of the most powerful cinematic events in history.
[This movie was filmed in the Prime World and is broadcast by Heaven Media to twenty-six related parallel worlds. Any resemblance to persons or events is absolutely not a coincidence...] [Fate begins now!]
The screen transitioned from dark to light as the plot officially began. Without any fluff, it opened with a shot of Ichigo Kurosaki fast asleep, snoring away. Then, for the benefit of the audience, a subtitle flickered over his head:
[Ichigo Kurosaki, 16, Male. An ordinary high school student with a somewhat complex bloodline and the world's strongest living creature currently in slumber.]
"Whoa, Ichigo-kun! Is there actually a movie being filmed with you as the protagonist?"
The world is small, yet sometimes vast enough for anything to happen. In a specific world bubble where Karakura Town had remained undisturbed by intruders, the local Ichigo was sitting in class, staring in shock at the image appearing on the classroom window. Although the screen's origin was unknown, seeing himself snoring while his classmates gossiped made his ears turn red with embarrassment.
In the movie, Ichigo woke up and went through his morning routine, until a mysterious, divine voice descended from the sky.
"Interesting!"
A "movie" broadcasted to the Bleach world bubbles didn't need the same masks and covers required in the 3D world. For his own reasons, Mo Yu used the edited original footage he had pulled from the river of time in the Prime World—a feat made possible by his divine authority.
Through the edit, the divine voice's brief chat with Ichigo—which the boy promptly ignored to head to school—passed quickly, leading to the most pivotal scene of the opening act.
Myriad phenomena fell into a standstill. An invisible hand grasped the river of time and forced it into reverse!
The supreme authority was displayed in full. Ichigo was dragged back to the very beginning of the timeline, waking up in his bed once more to have a second negotiation with the divine voice.
Watching this, powerhouses across the bubbles—Yamamoto, Aizen, Urahara, and other "smart people" who knew the ancient secrets—all tightened their expressions. Though the screen didn't reveal the voice's identity, such supreme power led them to the same suspicion: the Soul King, the one who had maintained the Three Worlds for a million years. No one else possessed such might.
"That Ryoka was chosen by the Soul King? But... the King has this kind of personality? I never would have guessed!"
In a bubble where Yamamoto had just finished thumping his local Ichigo, the old man watched the screen with a mix of gravity and bewilderment. He especially found it hard to watch when the mysterious voice enthusiastically pitched its script to Ichigo. The idea of the "Strongest Academy Security" was truly jaw-dropping.
In various bubbles, many shared this sentiment. It was unthinkable that a mysterious power capable of reversing time would use it just to find someone to film a bizarre workplace comedy.
However, in another bubble, someone had a different view.
Sosuke Aizen, the famous king of cool lines and posturing, sat in Las Noches watching the screen and chuckled softly.
"Fateful encounters do not always begin with grandeur. Sometimes, a casual jest highlights the solemnity and fickleness of destiny even more. Because no one could imagine such a magnificent beginning..."
Beneath him, the Espada exchanged looks. While Lord Aizen's words were as stylish as ever, they didn't really understand. Fortunately, Gin, the master of playing the straight man, was there:
"My, my, Lord Aizen. You seem very optimistic about Ichigo Kurosaki. But the Ichigo in the movie doesn't seem to be our world's Ichigo."
Aizen's expectations for Ichigo were unquestionable, but he only smiled. "Whether it is or isn't doesn't matter. Ichigo's potential is undeniable. In many religious classics, the initial enlightenment God grants to man is rarely 'grand.' It is only later that mediocrities imbue that moment with unnecessary holiness."
(Bleach Fun Fact: Aizen is well-read, not just in natural sciences but in human philosophy and religion. He keenly sensed the significance of the Soul King—essentially the only Supreme God of this world—personally seeking out Ichigo. Such an event could never be simple.)
However, the next scene made the Aizens of various worlds change color.
As Ichigo mourned his mother, the mysterious voice explained with a jesting tone that her death wasn't simple—and that his life had been manipulated by two masterminds. Hearing the keywords "Cool-line-dropping mastermind, special skill: hair-slicking, Style Value LV999," the Espada in Las Noches instinctively looked at Aizen.
Clearly, they agreed with the Soul King's assessment.
To Aizen, how the King evaluated him didn't matter. What was dire was that the King "knew" him so clearly. The same realization hit the Yhwachs of various bubbles, though their shock was slightly lower. After all, the screen was being broadcast inside the Quincy Empire hiding in the shadows; Yhwach knew he had already been spotted.
"So this is the Soul King? Terrifying. Is there a way to break His gaze?" Aizen thought manically, though his face remained calm, as if everything was under control.
The plot moved on. The arrival of a Hollow showed Ichigo the "reality" of the world. Then, as the divine voice warned Ichigo that Rukia was being attacked and that the heroine was facing an exit-crisis, Ichigo finally made his vow of resolve amidst a majestic BGM.
With the voice's help, Ichigo's human body shot into the sky. Though he landed like a human missile, bounced off the Hollow, and twitched on the ground like a dead fish, the director felt the scene retained the necessary charm of a first encounter.
Rukia, the heroine, finally met the audience in a battered state. Though her figure was a bit "unfortunate," her cold, pitiable charm was well-received.
In many world bubbles, the local Rukias let out a hmph. They had all heroically slain the Hollow themselves—a "Heroine saving the Hero" moment. They weren't as weak as this world's Rukia, who needed a mortal boy to save her.
But soon, everyone's eyes were glued to the subtitles appearing next to her:
[Rukia: Adopted sister of the Kuchiki Clan Head, movie heroine, Supreme Chief Justice of the Fighting World, King of Hell, and Heaven Media's Angel #001 in the Bleach World.]
Clearly, those titles spoiled a lot.
The various Rukias were met with strange looks from those around them, essentially saying: "Whoa, didn't expect a Kuchiki lady to have such a rich career path." The Rukias themselves wore expressions of total bewilderment, never imagining their resumes would become so diverse.
In the Prime World, Rukia—now dressed in a magnificent battle-skirt, walking through Hell bringing frost and death—looked up at the screen with a complex expression. Every one of those titles had been paid for with "Social Death." Having the movie broadcast to all worlds felt like a second public execution. But since it was happening, she made a silent vow:
"Rukias of other worlds... just wait. I will make sure the Lord's glory reaches you too. If someone has to suffer social death, it absolutely won't be me alone..."
The movie continued. Ichigo's courageous but unskilled battle impressed many, especially the various Yhwachs. They could sense the Quincy blood in him through the screen. For the King of Quincies, the purity of Ichigo's blood was incredible! They all decided to pay more attention to—or even recruit—their local Ichigos.
Amidst grand BGM, Ichigo reached his moment of destiny. Just as Rukia was about to grant him Soul Reaper powers, Uryu Ishida intruded. An arrow of spiritual energy pushed fate down a different path!
Ichigo awakened as a Quincy, firing a holy strike that pierced the evil!
The other world's Ichigos felt this most deeply. "So... I had this possibility in another world?" Almost every other Ichigo had taken Rukia's power and become a Substitute Soul Reaper. They were all in awe.
The plot progressed to Kisuke Urahara's debut, where he performed "body modification" on Rukia under the guise of aid. The director, fearing the audience might miss the point, gave a close-up and narration as the Hogyoku was implanted:
[Hogyoku: A treasure created by Urahara using souls and Soul King fragments. It possesses the divine ability to break racial boundaries and grant Fullbring-like powers. Because it cannot be destroyed, Urahara sealed it inside Rukia to keep it from the 'Mastermind who drops cool lines.']
Almost every powerhouse who saw this felt a surge of greed. Almost every Rukia—whether they had been executed yet or not—gnashed their teeth at Urahara. Why hide a target on her body!?
If Ichigo's awakening was the beginning of fate, the Hogyoku implantation was the point where the timeline completely derailed. Seeing Rukia wake up while unconscious to perform bizarre "mecha-poses" made many realize the connection: the King-like voice, the King-fragment Hogyoku, and the Hogyoku-host. They were inseparable.
The premonition was confirmed when Rukia transferred to school, tried to convince Ichigo to be a Substitute, and then was forcibly puppeted by a mysterious force to leap out the window. Powerhouses who once craved the Hogyoku now felt their desire cool. No one wanted to be a puppet.
The Aizens of other worlds were struggling to maintain their composure. The Hogyoku was the core of their plan to break limits—but if it turned the host into a Soul King puppet, what was the point?
The plot accelerated. While Ichigo applied for a security job, Rukia (as Unit-01) rampaged through Karakura, slaughtering Hollows. What terrified viewers wasn't her flashy moves, but the fact that she was devouring Hollows to grow. Yamamoto in many worlds narrowed his eyes, hiding his killing intent. Such a state was a forbidden taboo, yet it was driven by the Soul King. It was an awkward situation.
Rukia's rampage continued until she met a specific Hollow.
The Aizens of many worlds recognized this Hollow immediately. It was Grand Fisher. After creating his own Hogyoku and experimenting with Arrancarization in Hueco Mundo, Aizen had discarded this failure due to its low potential. He knew Gin's strike hadn't finished it, but he hadn't cared.
Now, a subtitle appeared next to the Hollow, shattering Aizen's calm:
[Fisher: Core villain of the movie. A failure from a certain mastermind's Arrancar experiments. The killer of Ichigo's mother and his mentor. The man Uryu Ishida can never forget. A gold-medal mentor praised by the fighting world. The only 'Ultimate Strongman' in the Old World qualified to face Ichigo and the Soul King head-on.]
Aizen was shaken. He prided himself on his insight, yet Fisher's existence told him he had been too arrogant and missed a world-class talent. He wasn't alone; almost every powerhouse was stunned.
The most excited were the still-living Fishers in other worlds. They couldn't imagine a future where a wanted criminal like them had such a "high-light" moment. They watched with focused intensity.
But the plot delivered a blow: they watched their movie-self being ruthlessly beaten by the "Demon Muscle Man" Rukia, having their memory erased, their form modified, and commands implanted. The Hollow named Grand Fisher died there; the man named Fisher was born.
As Fisher walked off muttering "I am a black-hearted politician... I must take Uryu Ishida's chastity," many connected the dots. The "Academy Security" script was becoming a reality. The implications were terrifying.
Yamamoto whispered: "So... this is how the Soul King interferes with the world?" Aizen echoed in Las Noches: "In a million years, how much has the Soul King done behind the scenes?"
However, serious thought wasn't the main reaction. The Rukias and Uryus of other worlds were simply in pain. Seeing movie-Rukia ambush Uryu to forcibly change his clothes and hair while the divine voice talked nonsense made them cringe.
Uryu was particularly miserable as people began to look at his backside with pity. His father even called to say there were many paths in life, and some shouldn't be taken—Quincy blood needed to be passed down, after all! Clearly, the label "The man Uryu Ishida can never forget" had caused a massive misunderstanding.
The plot spiraled further. Fisher debuted in force, cornering Uryu before fighting Ichigo with an extraordinary Purity. With no past and only clenched fists to define him, Fisher's will shone bright. Other Fishers were inspired and began taking notes. Other Uryus just looked more distorted.
Ichigo lost, and the movie entered the Training Arc. To the other powerhouses, this looked like a horror movie. Watching Ichigo being repeatedly pummeled while the divine voice explained that Karakura was a land of "Purity-measuring martial artists" made them shiver.
The world was just a film set in the King's palm. Actors were recruited, Hollows were modified into "macho" fighters, and everything danced to His whim.
During training, Ichigo awakened his Purity. The screen cut to his inner world. White and Old Man Zangetsu appeared.
[White: Limit-breaking Vasto Lorde, the source of Ichigo's Hollow and Reaper powers, representing his desire and instinct.] [Old Man Zangetsu: A manifestation of Ichigo's Quincy blood, modeled after the Soul King's son, Yhwach, representing reason, emotion, and conviction.]
The revelation of Ichigo's complex bloodline stunned everyone, including the Ichigos themselves. None of them knew they had such depth.
The scene showed Ichigo's ferocity. Under White's interference, Ichigo exploded with Purity for the first time, beating his instincts into submission to reach the Absolute Realm.
As movie-White was pummeled into a coma by invisible fists, the Whites in every other Ichigo said in unison:
"That animal..."
Ignoring White, every other Ichigo's eyes lit up as they watched their prime-self awaken.
End of Chapter
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