Even though the Soul King had never spoken to him directly, based on the plot he'd seen in his previous life, the Soul King really did seem to have that kind of intention.
But Cole still found it hard to believe that a sentient being could possess such lofty resolve—sacrificing himself in exchange for the world.
After all, this wasn't simply dying and being done with it.
This was a seal far more terrifying than death: his self-awareness still existed, yet his body was imprisoned inside crystal.
He could see everything.
But no matter what, he could not move.
And this timeline was infinitely long.
An unending torment.
Even though Cole had never been to Hell, he felt that what the Soul King had endured was tens of thousands of times more agonizing than Hell.
The Zero Division members felt their scalps go numb.
This was simply too hard to accept.
The Soul King knew he was going to die, so he wanted to find a substitute to replace him as the new Soul King???
Even though that was what they were thinking too…
It couldn't be said by the Soul King himself.
If the Soul King truly had such noble resolve, then in the endless years of the Soul King Palace, what had their "guardianship" even been?
Why not just release the Soul King?!
But did the Soul King really have such noble resolve?
Could it be a trap?!
Was the Soul King unwilling to remain sealed, so he was putting on an act?!
The more they thought, the worse it got. The Zero Division members' heads throbbed, to the point they even started doubting whether "the Soul King is about to die" was itself an illusion.
After a long while, Senjumaru finally asked in a hoarse voice:
"Hey… Cole. Since the Soul King can communicate with you, does that mean he's always had the ability to break free from our seal?"
At those words, everyone instinctively looked toward the pure-white spiritual pressure within the Inner Palace.
It was holy and noble.
But at this moment…
It made the Zero Division feel chilled to the bone.
If the Soul King could break free at any time…
Wouldn't that mean that for countless years, they'd been living alongside a beast that could snap its chains at any moment?
Cole shrugged lazily.
"Who knows?"
In the anime, there was far too little about the Soul King. From start to finish, the Soul King only appeared a handful of times.
His thoughts—like the history from countless ages ago—
Were already impossible to discern.
Thinking of that, Cole couldn't help sighing. If the Soul King could truly communicate, there were things Cole really wanted to ask.
If the Soul King was a truly Zenchizenno (The Almighty) existence, then what was Cole?
An outsider who barged in?
Or someone who had long since become part of this world?
With Zenchizenno (The Almighty), could the Soul King calculate what Cole would do in the future?
Beyond that…
What was the truth of this world?
Even with his current strength, Cole felt this world growing more and more unfamiliar.
Those countless Dangai (Precipice Worlds), measured like stars in the sky.
Hell, the final destination meant to contain all the strongest.
And those founding ancestors of the Five Great Noble Clans… who were "dead," yet still alive.
What were they plotting?
What would happen in the future Hell arc?
Suppressing those thoughts, Cole waved at the five Zero Division members. As he walked back, he spoke slowly:
"Alright, I know what I needed to know. You guys keep rebuilding the Soul King Palace. And remember—don't set up so many layers of defensive barriers."
Seeing Cole about to leave, the Zero Division members bristled again.
"Wait, Cole—wait…!"
Senjumaru hurriedly called out.
Cole stopped and turned back, puzzled.
"What else is there?"
Senjumaru felt like ten thousand curses were stampeding through her mind. She wanted nothing more than to smack Cole's head with all six golden skeletal arms.
What else?!
This was huge, alright?!
Before, guarding the Soul King in the Soul King Palace was boring, but still comfortable. They could plant flowers, grow grass, and pass the time.
But after hearing what Cole said, they suddenly realized—
What kind of place was this supposed to be?!
The "Soul King" they were guarding and watching over had self-awareness the whole time, and could even communicate with people.
Didn't that mean that for endless years, they'd been living right under the Soul King's gaze?
How was that any different from being watched by a ghost?!
Maybe one day, if the Soul King was in a bad mood, he'd suddenly "revive," and then seal them for tens of millions of years as well.
Worst of all, they had already fused themselves with the Soul King Palace.
Even if they wanted to run, there was nowhere to go.
After explaining their fear, Senjumaru looked at Cole with pleading eyes, wanting him to offer an idea.
Ichibe and Tenjiro and the others were also staring at Cole nervously.
In the past, they couldn't wait for Cole to leave.
But now, they felt that having more people around wasn't necessarily bad—at least it made the place feel less empty, and gave them a bit more courage.
Cole considered it for a few seconds, then lifted his head and said seriously to the Zero Division members:
"You guys… take care of yourselves."
"%$/$$… %%^…!"
The Zero Division members almost burst into profanity.
They listened to you so seriously, and that's all you came up with?
Seeing their expressions, Cole laughed loudly, grabbed Soi fong and Yoruichi, and walked toward the rift without looking back.
You all sat above the clouds for so long.
Now it was time you tasted what "torment" really felt like.
Just as Cole was about to step into the rift, Ichibe finally asked the question he cared about most:
"Who is the Soul King's chosen substitute?!"
"It's the one you already know."
Leaving those words behind, Cole's figure vanished completely into the rift.
During the Thousand-Year Blood War, the Zero Division members nearly all died fighting the Wandenreich.
But Cole felt they should know about Yhwach's existence.
As for Yhwach being defeated by Ichigo in the future and turned into an artificial Soul King—this was probably within their calculations as well.
The only thing they couldn't have predicted…
Was likely the Soul King's self-awareness.
As for whether Cole's guess was right—
It didn't matter.
In the future Thousand-Year Blood War, he wasn't counting on them anyway.
After Cole left, the massive Soul King Palace fell into silence.
A dead silence.
The five Zero Division members looked at each other, and no one dared to speak first.
The quiet was so eerie it made your skin crawl.
Finally, Oetsu swallowed nervously and looked toward the Inner Palace.
"Um… do you think the Soul King really still has self-awareness?"
Hearing Oetsu say that at this point, the others all wore dark expressions.
Cole had already said that much—what was there left to doubt?
Senjumaru said with a grim face, "I feel like the Soul King not only has self-awareness… he might even be staring at us right now."
The moment she said it, the others shuddered.
Too terrifying.
Scarier than seeing a ghost.
No—scarier than a ghost seeing them.
Tenjiro swallowed, then flew toward his own palace without turning back.
"Right, I just remembered I still have something to handle. I won't stay here. If you need anything, come find me."
The other Zero Division members blinked.
Then, without a word, they also flew back to their own palaces.
Too terrifying.
Way too terrifying.
Before, they'd casually visit the Inner Palace sometimes, check the Soul King's condition, and treat it like sightseeing.
But now…
To them, the Inner Palace was hundreds of times more frightening than Hell.
Before the Soul King died, they absolutely did not want to go in again.
Watching their retreating backs, Ichibe's mouth twitched. He slowly lowered the hand he'd raised to stop them.
A bunch of disloyal bastards.
Don't leave him alone in the Inner Palace.
He was scared too, alright?!
But he was the leader of the Zero Division. After swallowing hard, he forced himself to walk into the Inner Palace.
Step by step, hesitating with every pace, he arrived in front of the Soul King.
Staring at the black cloth covering the crystal, he gathered his courage and tore it away.
The blue crystal was revealed.
And within it stood the figure unchanged through endless ages—
The Soul King.
Still in that nearly human-stump posture.
He'd seen it countless times before, but this time Ichibe trembled all over. In that instant, even his heart shook.
Because he felt…
The Soul King was looking at him.
Those numb, lifeless eyes…
Yet they seemed to see straight through his heart.
His legs went weak. With a thud, he dropped to his knees, trembling as he slammed his head down, his voice quaking:
"Soul King-sama… I'm sorry…"
...
Within the Garganta (Black Cavity) passage.
Thinking back to everything she'd just learned, Soi fong couldn't help saying:
"Soul King-sama… is so pitiful…"
He had such noble resolve, yet was betrayed by the founding ancestors of the Five Great Noble Clans…
And sealed for countless ages.
Cole smiled and said, "Don't think of it like that. If the Soul King willingly accepted the seal, then maybe seeing today's prosperous world makes him feel… happy, you know?"
Soi fong rolled her eyes at him. "How would you know what the Soul King is thinking?"
Cole exhaled softly. "If I don't think like that… then wouldn't the Soul King be even more pitiful?"
Soi fong fell silent.
Yoruichi didn't know what to say either. After all, that was a sin committed by her ancestors.
From the moment she was born, she'd already inherited the guilt of the Shihoin clan.
The three of them returned to Seireitei in silence.
The moment they stepped out of the rift, Cole saw a pink figure rushing straight at him, shouting through sobs:
"Cole! You're finally back! Hurry and save Kenpachi, he's about to get cut to death by Unohana-taicho…!"
Cole grabbed the pink figure by the collar and lifted her up, looking utterly speechless.
"Yachiru, when you talk, can you wipe your snot and tears first? That's disgusting."
As he spoke, he wiped his own face.
It was smeared with Yachiru's tears and snot.
Even while being held up, Yachiru kept flailing her arms and legs, sobbing and begging Cole to hurry and save someone.
Cole listened for a long time and still didn't understand, so he turned to Soi fong.
"Soi fong, what happened here?"
"Nothing much," Soi fong said casually. "A few days after you left, Unohana-taicho was called back by Isane."
"After that, nothing really happened for a few more days—until Kenpachi went to challenge Unohana-taicho."
"Then Unohana-taicho was probably in a bad mood. A few swings later, she almost chopped Kenpachi to death."
"And after that, Unohana-taicho went completely crazy—she started looking for you everywhere. When she couldn't find you, she started fighting captains one after another…"
At that point, even Soi fong couldn't help sighing.
"Shunsui-taicho had it the worst. He was forced to use Bankai and fight Unohana-taicho for two whole days. In the end, he crawled to the medical division for treatment."
(End of Chapter)
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