Chapter 97: Movie Series — Q&A with Prizes
Watching this colossal plot unfold, the powerhouses across the twenty-six world bubbles were flooded with countless thoughts. For many, it was a moment of sudden enlightenment. Their perspective on the entire movie shifted drastically.
Take Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, for example. He had never been able to understand why the Soul King would interfere with the mortal realm and arrange so many "actors" just for a seemingly whimsical script. While one could explain it as the Soul King being bored, that explanation itself was too absurd.
But now, with the appearance of the Tribulation of Emptiness and the proposal of the Wandering Ark plan, Yamamoto finally understood:
"The Soul King descended to interfere with the mortal realm for the sake of the Great Justice of saving the world? But... why didn't He simply transmit orders to the Soul Society through the Royal Palace? Unless..."
Thinking along this path, the Yamamotos of various bubbles quickly reached the same conclusion as the Prime World's Commander. Their expressions turned solemn, their backs slightly more hunched, and they seemed to age several years in an instant.
In Las Noches, Aizen was pondering something else:
"In the eyes of God, does Ichigo Kurosaki truly possess the potential to carry the weight of salvation? To the point that He would use Karakura Town as a stage and arrange a drama of 'Divine Enlightenment' specifically to push him onto his fated journey?"
In Aizen's view, all the preceding scenes in the movie were merely a buildup for this single moment and this single command: Embark on the path of beating the entire world alone to save it.
"Even with the Soul King's help, is such a thing truly possible?"
Aizen instinctively doubted. Or rather, as a man specialized in patience, planning, and acting only after careful calculation, he fundamentally did not believe in miracles and was unwilling to waste time thinking about them. This was his character, and thus his destiny.
This was why he had been so disheveled and "broken" when his prized experimental subject (Ichigo) suddenly evolved to a different dimension after learning one move and proceeded to grind him into the dirt. A lifelong conspirator who always secured victory through schemes couldn't handle losing to a miracle with a near-zero probability of occurring.
Beside him, Kaname Tosen suddenly spoke: "Will Ichigo Kurosaki actually walk that path?"
As a blind man, Tosen couldn't see the screen; he could only listen. He hadn't understood the earlier parts, but he understood the finale, and a complex sense of emotion rose within him. His best friend had been murdered by a Noble, and the perpetrator escaped justice. This had led Tosen to believe the world was broken and needed to be purged—the reason for his undying loyalty to Aizen.
It was a difficult path. Even with the resolve for sacrifice, Tosen wasn't sure if he could see it through to the end.
Aizen glanced at Tosen, sensing his inner turmoil. He replied with a complex tone:
"He will. Our world's Ichigo might not sustain it, but the Ichigo on that screen definitely will. Right now, he hungers for battle more than anyone."
Aizen now felt the Soul King's "drama" was perfectly calculated. In a short time, Ichigo had transformed from a "soft strawberry cupcake" into the strongest living creature of absolute Purity. One only needed to look at his eyes after the Fisher fight—eyes like a savage beast, brimming with searing battle intent—to know he wasn't afraid of having too many enemies; he was only afraid of not having enough.
Suddenly, the screen went dark!
Blood-red text flashed across the sky, and the familiar divine voice rang out:
[Pure viewing is a bit boring. To liven things up, during this intermission, let's have a Q&A session with rewards and punishments.]
[Question: It is known that the Catastrophe has descended and the strongest creature on earth, Ichigo Kurosaki, has awakened. Do you believe he can pummel the entire world until he leads everyone to a pure, stainless New World Paradise?]
The inhabitants of the twenty-six worlds looked up, sharing a single thought: We'd love to answer, but how? You didn't give us a microphone!
But smart men like Kisuke Urahara sensed that the "prizes" weren't meant for them.
Urahara was right. Sitting at his computer, Mo Yu wasn't watching the mortals; he was watching the grander existences: the conscious Soul Kings, the Hell-wills, and the worlds themselves.
This movie wasn't just entertainment. It was Mo Yu's "State of the Union" address to the multiverse. He was declaring why he was doing this, what he planned to do, and the extent of his power. It was a demonstration of will and order.
In truth, it was an Ultimatum. Once the movie ended, Mo Yu would act. The Q&A was the metric for rewards and punishments. Those who cooperated would receive the hand of friendship from God; those who defied would receive His iron fist.
For now, the effect was visible: the conscious Soul Kings were already scanning their bubbles for the "Void Catastrophe."
The screen lit up again! But the protagonist was no longer Ichigo. It was Sosuke Aizen.
Wearing a broad, gentle smile, he was strolling through Karakura Town.
Aizen's appearance caused a massive stir. In bubbles past the "Ryoka Invasion" arc, people gnashed their teeth at him. In earlier bubbles, many felt a sense of excitement and joy seeing their beloved Captain. Aizen had never been ordinary; from graduation to his Captaincy, his "charm" was legendary—built on solid achievements, seniority, and popularity.
[Sosuke Aizen: Captain of the 5th Division. Special skills: Hair-slicking and dropping cool lines. Core supporting male lead, King of Hueco Mundo appointed by the Progenitor, candidate for God of the New World with the title 'Autumn Phantom Martial God,' and Ichigo Kurosaki's dear friend and unilaterally appointed foster father.]
The student-Aizen in one world was stunned. He saw his future self as a Captain and felt good—until he read the "King of Hueco Mundo" and "Hair-slicking" part. He realized everyone at the Academy was now looking at him with suspicion. The Shin'ō Academy producing the King of Hollows? What a "Hell-joke."
Before he could react, a middle-aged Yamamoto appeared before him, patting his shoulder with a smile that was hard to distinguish between "menacing" and "warm":
"Young man, quite an achievement. A King of Hueco Mundo as a 5th Division Captain is a waste of talent. Come intern at the 1st Division after graduation."
Student-Aizen said nothing. He knew that by being placed under Yamamoto's nose, his original destiny was dead.
The movie continued. Aizen saw the "Demon Muscle Man" Rukia.
In the Prime World, Aizen had been shocked. In the other worlds, the audience just didn't know what to say. In one bubble, Byakuya looked at the tiny, cute Rukia next to him, then at the muscle-bound titan on screen, and choked out:
"In the future... maintain the etiquette of a Noble lady. Even... even if you carry a sacred burden for the Soul King."
Rukia, looking at the screen with a complex face, could only nod.
In the movie, Ichigo found Aizen and asked to be "friends." Movie-Aizen was visibly stunned—a look mirrored by every Aizen across the multiverse. Ichigo becoming "friends" with Aizen was a development no one had envisioned.
But "Idiots counter Schemers." Movie-Aizen sat down to talk and heard Ichigo's resolve:
If there's a problem, pummel it! If it's hard, pummel it with all your might! If that fails, pummel it beyond your limits!
Looking at Ichigo's resolute eyes, every Aizen knew: this was a boy who would burn himself to ash to cross any obstacle. Movie-Aizen gave a wicked smile and agreed to give Ichigo a path to the Soul King Palace.
The other Aizens lowered their eyes. They knew what that smile meant: genuine appreciation and a hidden form of recognition.
"A friend... what a luxurious and illusory concept," many Aizens whispered to themselves.
The plot moved fast. Aizen and the Soul King became "Strategic Partners." They reached an agreement on the "Secondary Development" of Uryu Ishida.
Uryu was arrested by Byakuya after "Kyoka Suigetsu-dubbed" lines made him sound like a terrorist mastermind. The multiversal Uryus all put on their "masks of pain." Was another pervert going to come for their chastity?
But the Divine Voice didn't create a second Fisher. He just talked to Uryu in prison about his grandfather, ancient secrets, and the Million-Year Glory of the Quincy.
In the Wandenreichs, Yhwach's face grew dark. "A rebellious son who has strayed from the path... so that is how You see me, Father?"
In the movie, Uryu awakened his Purity. His Ransōtengai evolved into a domain that dominated Reishi. A peerless "Beast" erupted from a sea of light, baring its fangs as a matchless fist that slammed into Mayuri Kurotsuchi!
End of Chapter
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