Setsuna nodded slightly. "I will send you into the cycle of reincarnation, allowing you to begin a new life in the world you have protected for a million years, yet never had the chance to experience yourself."
"The cycle of reincarnation?" The Soul King's will fluctuated, carrying a hint of longing. "Then thank you. I have indeed long wanted to experience what the life of an ordinary person is like..."
Setsuna smiled slightly. The Soul King's reincarnation could not possibly be ordinary, of course. It would be an understatement to call him a 'chosen one'. This could be considered the world's compensation to the Soul King.
Setsuna hesitated no longer. He reached out, his palm aiming at the Soul King.
The vast primordial power constituting the Soul King's existence, like a gentle stream, was extracted by Setsuna, forming a pure ball of light that seemed to contain a universe of stars.
When the last strand of primordial power was extracted, the Soul King's battered figure completely dissipated in the air, like dew under the morning sun.
Setsuna turned and looked at Yhwach, who was restrained nearby like a dead dog.
"Next..." Setsuna's other hand grasped toward Yhwach. All the soul fragments absorbed by Yhwach were stripped out.
Although he had never seen Masaki, Setsuna easily found her soul, condensing it into a female soul phantom emitting a soft golden light.
"Mom!" Ichigo trembled all over with excitement, tears streaming down his face.
"Resurrect." Setsuna pointed lightly at the soul phantom, injecting a force of life creation into it.
Flesh generated, soul returned to its place. Within a few breaths, a Kurosaki Masaki identical to the one in Ichigo's memory appeared before everyone, even wearing the same clothes as on the day she died.
"Masaki!"
"Mom!"
Shiba Isshin rushed out from the crowd, looking at his resurrected wife in disbelief.
Ichigo also rushed over. Father and son embraced the just-awakened, still somewhat confused Masaki, weeping for joy.
"Thank you, thank you, Setsuna-sama!" Isshin thanked him repeatedly.
"Don't thank me." Setsuna nodded to Ichigo's family. "This is the compensation you deserve. Your family, enjoy your reunion."
After doing all this, Setsuna's gaze returned to Yhwach.
Now, having lost many mixed souls, Yhwach's aura was even more weak, leaving only the purest Quincy origin.
Setsuna said no more. With a roll of silver light from his palm, he completely absorbed Yhwach's remaining power.
Adding to the clone of Omega Shenron he had absorbed after its self-destruction, he had finally gathered the four soul powers: Shinigami, Hollow, Quincy, and Fullbring.
As for how to perfectly combine these four powers, Setsuna was not worried.
He had previously left a wisp of his will within the Hogyoku, faithfully recording the moment when Ichigo 'went berserk' and defeated Yhwach, and how the four powers within him had fused under the drive of desperation and will.
With 'operating manual' from Ichigo, he simply needed to follow the instructions.
Using Ichigo's experience as a guide, combined with his own understanding of the essence of power, Setsuna began the ultimate transcendence and fusion of breaking the limit four times within his own clone.
This clone would become a seed, guiding his main body to also achieve transcendence.
In practical terms, 'the rich drive the poor, ultimately achieving common prosperity.'
To outsiders, this process appeared merely as flickering light on Setsuna's body, his aura becoming increasingly profound, vast, and unfathomable.
After a long time, the light on Setsuna's body completely receded within.
He slowly opened his eyes. His pure silver pupils seemed to have transformed into cosmic eyes, encompassing all things yet transcending them.
The aura of his clone had already reached a new level that even those present could not understand, only instinctively feeling awe and their own insignificance.
"Everyone." Setsuna looked at the gathered Shinigami in the Soul King Palace. "This clone of mine is about to return to my main body."
"Next, some changes may occur in the Three Worlds. Do not panic. That is merely me recreating the universe."
"Be patient. A new world is about to be born."
…
Deepest Hell.
The duel that transcended space and time had already lasted for an unknown duration.
At a certain moment during their intense clash, a pure silver stream of light, ignoring all spatial barriers, like a bird returning to its nest, precisely entered Setsuna's main body and perfectly fused with him.
The aura of Setsuna's main body began to surge the instant the clone returned.
Omega Shenron felt an inexplicable unease in his heart, but still forcibly maintained his proud head. "Hmph, my clone failed over there. But my main body succeeded!"
"I have now devoured most of Hell's origin. You're dreaming if you think you can turn the tables with that clone!"
Setsuna smiled slightly. "No, you lost."
Before Omega Shenron could argue, Setsuna continued, "Your power is indeed very strong, but your realm is too low. Too low to see through the essence of this Hell."
"Essence?" Omega Shenron scoffed. "Hell is merely a place of precipitation for negative energy, nourishment waiting to be devoured by me!"
"That's why I say your realm is too low." Setsuna shook his head slightly. "You only see the surface. You don't see the chain of fate between that Hell's Great Hollow and the Soul King."
"You have devoured most of Hell and taken over the body of that Hell's Great Hollow. Naturally, you must bear its fate."
"What are you talking about?" The ominous premonition in Omega Shenron's heart grew stronger.
Setsuna explained with a smile, "That Hell's Great Hollow didn't kill the Soul King not because of some perverse pleasure, but because it didn't dare."
"In the world produced by the collision and fusion of Heaven and Hell, they are also two sides of the same coin."
"Their relationship is like that of a God of Destruction and a Supreme Kai. They can be replaced, but if one side completely dies, the other side will also perish."
Omega Shenron frowned deeply. He knew what a Supreme Kai was… a weak ant… but what was a God of Destruction?
Setsuna continued, "Therefore, the Great Hollow of Hell could only seal and torture the Soul King, but dared not kill him."
"And the Soul King, deeply aware of this, willingly endured eternal torture, using himself as a 'wedge' to maintain the twisted balance of the Three Worlds, also indirectly protecting Hell, preventing the Three Worlds from being destroyed together due to imbalance."
Setsuna's tone turned cold. "Now, the Soul King is dead. You have inherited the fate of that Hell's Great Hollow. You will die along with the Soul King!"
Universal rules are extremely terrifying existences.
Just like a God of Destruction. Although powerful enough to destroy a universe, if the Supreme Kai dies, the God of Destruction will also instantly fall due to the rules.
This is not difficult to understand. A God of Destruction can destroy a universe because the universe does not resist. If the universe had a will, its energy alone would be unimaginably powerful.
As for Setsuna himself, his power was actively given by the Soul King. Moreover, now that the Three Worlds are collapsing and being destroyed, the 'mission' of the Soul King no longer exists, so he will not become the new Soul King.
He has Omega Shenron to thank for helping him cut the chain.