Chapter 102: New World Post-Scripts and the Ubiquitous Soul King Palace
Three days passed in a flash.
The Soul King walked out of His high tower and gazed at the bright sunlight, His expression calm. The attendants accompanying Him to the conference had been invited by the Zero Division that same day and had spent the last three days living in the annexes of the Soul King Palace. Having received notice from the Monk, they arrived early.
The group of attendees wasn't huge, but it wasn't small either; essentially, anyone who had a role in the first movie had been invited.
In this world bubble, Ichigo Kurosaki—who had just inherited Rukia's powers and hadn't even agreed to become a Substitute Soul Reaper yet—stood among the crowd wearing casual sportswear with a camera around his neck. He suddenly felt a bit out of place. Everyone else was dressed formally and looked solemn: Uryu Ishida had changed into a crisp Quincy uniform, and Rukia wore a magnificent kimono symbolizing the Kuchiki house.
Ichigo hesitated, wondering if he should go back and change into a suit, but the Soul King noticed and simply smiled:
"It matters not. In this meeting, the main participants are the Kings. When you reach World 0, if you are interested, you may observe the proceedings; if not, feel free to wander about. Just remember to take plenty of photos and save a copy for me."
Ichigo smiled gratefully, thinking that the "most noble being in the Three Worlds" his idiot dad talked about was actually quite amiable. He didn't notice the flicker of expectation and mirth in the Soul King's deep gaze as He looked at him.
With a wave of the King's hand, boundless Reishi converged into a veil of light that enveloped everyone. In the next instant, they shot into the sky, flying rapidly toward the distance.
Soon, the mountain-sized infant angel came into view. All the attendants wore grim expressions. Seeing this celestial being from beyond the world wielding a massive hammer with its wings and manically pounding the earth was a shock to the system.
As they drew closer, they realized the angel was mid-construction. A half-finished hall was nearly complete, with a massive sign planted next to it:
[Heavenly Passenger Terminal (Under Construction). Currently operating two-way routes between World 16 and Heaven. To travel to Heaven, please apply for a visa (Not yet open). Once approved, purchase tickets as directed by an angel.]
Ichigo stared, jaw dropped, snapping photos manically. "Whoa... is going to Heaven actually this easy?"
Uryu pushed up his glasses and said flatly: "Going to Heaven was never hard; it just depends on which Heaven you want to go to. This one seems difficult, though—at least you need a visa."
Ichigo turned in surprise. "Wait, you're not shocked? This is Heaven. The one from the Bible."
"I must correct you," Uryu replied. "This isn't the Heaven from the Bible. If you really want to go to the Christian Heaven, well, Yhwach is right over there. Since you have Quincy blood, just ask; I'm sure he'd welcome you to his heaven."
Ichigo was stunned. After asking a few more questions, he learned that in this world, Christianity was merely a belief system born from mortals worshiping ancient Quincies walking among them.
The Soul King turned His head and interrupted: "That is merely the evolution of our world. Once we reach World 0, do not speak such words. For the True Lord is always watching."
Facing the King's warning, Uryu didn't dare show off his knowledge further and nodded in agreement.
The group landed. The Soul King greeted the working angel, who waved its wings in response. With a flick of its wing, a stack of stickers flew toward the group. The stickers were square; one side said [16], the other said: [Attach to person as a return pass. Do not remove. For replacements, contact your world's Councilor.]
Everyone stuck them on. Led by the King, they entered the unfinished terminal. The angel followed them inside and spoke in a baby-soft voice:
"The actual flights for mortals aren't finished yet. Following the Lord's will, I, Unit 666, will give you a lift to the stairs of Heaven. According to the new Heaven Media Service Guidelines, remember to give me a five-star review, GODDAMMIT!!!"
Startled by the "potent" catchphrase and the triple exclamation marks, the group watched as the angel's wings curled into two massive fists and punched toward them!
Holy light exploded from the fists. Caught off guard, the group was sent flying. Wrapped in the punch-force of holy light, they flew faster and higher, skimming the earth and sky before vanishing into the void.
Visions of infinite, bizarre scenery flashed past their senses. When they came to, they were in mid-air, falling. Luckily, they weren't ordinary humans and managed to steady themselves. The only miserable one was Ichigo; though he had Soul Reaper powers, he was traveling in his physical body this time. He screamed as he plummeted until someone nearby caught him.
Yamamoto gave a cold snort. "You need more training. Otherwise, how will you fight a war of changing eras with me?"
Ichigo was deeply intimidated; the movie's world-ending combat power was hard to forget. He gave a sheepish smile. "Old man, if you want to fight, go find the Ichigo in World 0."
Yamamoto didn't argue. He carried Ichigo to the ground. The group looked around with expectant eyes, wanting to see the legendary Heaven. Instead, they saw... the Soul King Palace.
If it weren't for the holy light everywhere and the dozens of infant angels flying about with construction tools, they would have thought they were back where they started. An angel flew over and chirped:
"The hub of the Heavenly Terminal is under construction. If you're going to Bleach World 0, follow me."
The Soul King asked curiously: "Why is the terminal shaped like the Soul King Palace?"
The angel was blunt: "The Soul Kings of several worlds are gone. The Lord felt it was a waste to leave the palaces empty, so He pulled them to Heaven. One is the terminal, one is a hotel, and one is for display as a collectible figurine."
The Soul King fell silent, unsure whether to mourn for His alternate selves or be impressed by the Lord's resourcefulness.
Finally, He said nothing and followed the angel to His own "home"—or rather, the central tower of this specific palace. It had been converted into the station for World 0. Under the group's hesitant gazes, the guide-angel once again balled its wings into fists.
Everyone's mood was complex. They had no idea how they would describe this to people back home. We were punched all the way to Heaven, then punched all the way back to the mortal realm. And worse, they'd have to do it all again to get home.
Under the angel's "Passenger Fist," they finally arrived in World 0. What met their eyes surpassed all imagination.
"Is World 0 really a parallel version of our world? Are we sure the angel didn't send us to a different universe!?"
Ichigo was the first to ask, staring at the sun in the sky with wide eyes. This time, he wasn't alone; the others looked just as shocked. Even the Soul King, who had seen the second movie, was shaken by the reality of it.
It was one thing for the sun to be black. It was another for the sun to have a massive blood-red eyeball and a mouth full of fangs. But for the sun to extend multiple flame-tentacle fists and manically practice martial arts in the sky was utterly absurd. The wind-pressure from the sun's "boxing" turned into rolling heatwaves that defined the meaning of "Harsh Summer."
Just then, Jushiro Ukitake appeared, a [0] sticker on his chest.
"A pleasure to meet the King and everyone from another world. I am the Ukitake of World 0, Captain of the 13th Division of the Hell-Seireitei, and a volunteer for this conference. I will be your guide..."
Even without the sticker, Yamamoto wouldn't have mistaken him. However, the "sickly and frail" Ukitake now possessed muscles more rugged than Yamamoto's own. It was surreal.
Ukitake noticed Yamamoto's gaze and laughed. "Once you class-change into a Martial Artist and master the Absolute Realm, your body strengthens. Though basic reinforcement isn't enough; you still have to train hard, or you won't survive a 30% output."
He led them forward, explaining as he went: "The second movie hasn't been released yet. Per the previous King's instructions, we can't spoil too much for the sake of your potential. But as you can see, after the previous King destroyed the Three Worlds, we rebuilt the New World through everyone's effort. It's not perfect, but it is the crystal of our blood and sweat."
He looked at the scenery with deep love. Almost everything here was punched out of the void through seven days of unceasing battle. His own blood was literally seared into this earth.
"The world is split into Yin and Yang. Yang is the unified Three Worlds; Yin is Hell. They are separated except for special events like the Tournament. I'm only allowed in the human world because of the conference; otherwise, I'm in Hell guiding souls. The Hell-Seireitei is currently in a state of 'reconstruction,' so we're quite busy."
As they walked, Ukitake continued: "You see the sun? That is a symbolic creation born from the power of Hell during Genesis. It's a bit fierce, but don't worry—it's under restriction. Most of the time, it's quite normal. These symbolic phenomena are the foundation of the New World."
The group lingered on the phrase "most of the time." Just then, a loud roar erupted nearby. A winding river suddenly lunged like a water-serpent toward a forest. In response, every tree in the forest pulled up its roots and swung its branches like clubs to fight back!
"Wait a moment," Ukitake said. "The river is flooding. I'll handle it."
Under their gazes, Ukitake rushed over. He unleashed a 40% Absolute Realm strike, roaring: "KO-HU! You're a river, so act like one! If you want to swallow the land, ask my Old Man's Divine Trigram Fist, GODDAMMIT!!!"
After a few heavy blows to the "serpent's" head, the water let out a hiss, rolled on the ground, and returned to being a peaceful stream. Ukitake gave the forest a stern look of "powerhouse majesty," and the trees immediately replanted themselves as if nothing had happened.
Ukitake returned with his gentle smile. "Because the world is new, the myriad phenomena are restless. We Martial Artists have to 'Name' them one by one, defining their boundaries and rules. I'm sure the King understands."
The King nodded. "I understand. I once did the same... but I wasn't so... potent about it."
A million years ago, the Soul King named things with words and authority, not fists. He felt Ukitake's "Naming" was less about granting spirit and more about taking prisoners and giving them ID numbers. But He said nothing; in a world built by fists, this was natural.
However, the King couldn't help but glance at Ichigo. Ichigo was asking: "So... was that sun also beaten into being 'normal'? And is it just me, or is the sun looking at me on purpose?"
Ukitake glanced at him with a mysterious look. "I can't spoil Movie 2. But you're right. Its fist-wind is blowing toward you. It's been training hard just to avenge the shame of being beaten to its knees by 'someone' that day."
The group stared at Ichigo in disbelief. Ichigo looked bewildered. He couldn't imagine how his World 0 self had beaten the sun into submission. He now understood why they shouldn't spoil the movie—he was already feeling the stress of being an "Idol Double" before even entering show business!
They eventually reached a city. "Karakura was destroyed with the Three Worlds," Ukitake said. "But after Genesis, someone punched the river of time and literally forced the intact Karakura of the past into the present. However, some things left an indelible mark..."
The residents of the town looked sad and pained.
"The Void Catastrophe," Ukitake sighed. "The dream-veil maintained by the world was lifted. They realized only they are left of the Living World. Many only then remembered that their loved ones had already been swallowed by the void."
The weight of it silenced the group. Ichigo asked: "Can't the guy who punched time and brought the town back save everyone?"
"Don't worry," Ukitake smiled. "His catchphrase is 'I can do anything.' He said as long as the world remembers them, he can beat them all back into existence. It just takes time; it's technical work."
The group relaxed, not bothering to question the logic. Only the Soul King lowered His eyes. He knew it was theoretically possible, but the technical difficulty of reconstructing a missing person from data was "Heavens-defying." Even for an Ichigo who surpassed the King, it would be no easy feat.
"Alright, we've arrived at your lodging. The meeting will also be held here."
The group looked up. Great. Another Soul King Palace. This one wasn't floating; it was a ground-level building in Karakura.
But what truly caught their attention was the scenery inside:
Three Soul Kings were chatting; six Aizens were walking together exchanging research notes; four Yamamotos were huddled over a game of chess; twelve Ichigos were running around taking photos; and a massive group of Rukias and Orihimes were gossiping together.
It was, in a word: Copy-Paste.
End of Chapter
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