According to the Soul King, meeting the Shihoin was merely a coincidence, and it seems the Baldy Monk—not the King himself—was the one who bestowed the name.
His way of speaking is so damn convoluted that I had to untangle his words like a pair of earphones fresh out of a pocket to interpret that much.
"So, you're saying that tomboy brat almost died to a Hollow, you helped her out, and now she's following you around?"
"I simply eradicated the Hollow."
"Right. Well... I suppose you did."
He only dealt with the Hollow because it happened to be there; he had no particular intention of saving the Shihoin woman.
That's likely what he meant, but this guy lacks words. He's incredibly, frustratingly short on words.
"Seriously, if you aren't going to fix the way you talk, just don't speak for the rest of your life."
I let out a deep sigh and shook my head.
Come to think of it, once he's sealed, he really *won't* be able to speak for the rest of his life.
I smacked my lips and scratched my head.
It felt strange, like I had just laid a curse on someone who was already destined to die.
'I'm just glad Tsunayashiro didn't hear that...'
I glanced toward the tree where Tsunayashiro was, and our eyes met.
Sometimes I can't tell if that bastard is a disciple or a stalker. No, it's my fault for letting my mouth run wild.
'This mouth of mine is my own worst enemy.'
As I exhaled a long sigh, the Soul King, who had been standing beside me, approached.
I watched him, wondering what he wanted to say, when an unexpected question flew my way.
"Have you also seen my end?"
"Didn't you ask me that the first time we met?"
"It is similar, yet different."
Was it? So much time has passed that my memory is getting fuzzy.
When he says 'the end,' which part is he referring to?
'When he's stabbed in the back and sealed? Or when he's sliced in two by the protagonist? Or perhaps when he's absorbed by Yhwach and turns into something like a bird of the apocalypse?'
Ah, the timing might vary, but in terms of what I've seen, I suppose I've seen it all.
I nodded a half-beat late, and the Soul King gave a small nod of his own, as if to say, *As I thought...*
"Does that end remain unchanged?"
It seemed like a trivial question, but after a moment's reflection, I realized it was a heavy inquiry based on determinism—the idea that the future of humanity follows a predetermined conclusion.
The simple question the Soul King tossed at me forced me into a deep state of contemplation. Is the 'end' the Soul King speaks of the conclusion of fate, or is it the end determined by free will?
If this place truly is the world inside the manga drawn by Kubo, then determinism would be correct. However, by the intervention of a completely different existence—'Me'—this world has become something else entirely.
If the above premise is false, it means this world still runs on determinism. And if that's the case, it means that I, as the only being possessing free will, hold the power to change the future of the world.
I could derail fate right now by persuading or killing Tsunayashiro. As a result, the world would face a completely different conclusion rather than the one ordained. So, how should I answer the Soul King? Fate, or free will—?
I blinked slowly as philosophical self-arguments filled my head for a split second.
Recalling what I was just thinking made a sigh leak out automatically.
'Damn, have I been under too much stress lately?'
Philosophy. Seriously, give me a break.
It's not like I'm reading a book summarizing the works of Nietzsche, Socrates, Confucius, or Descartes and going, "Ah, I see!" There is absolutely no point in a dimwit like me wracking my brain over difficult academic subjects like philosophy.
No matter how much I ponder and reflect, the only thing that'll come out is a pile of bullshit philosophy.
I ran my fingers through my hair to cool down my head, which had grown hot from a few seconds of thinking. A cool breeze passed through my hair, siphoning away the heat.
"Sigh..."
Look at how my head heated up just from thinking a little bit.
They say if your head gets too hot, your hair falls out. I'm going to end up with premature balding at this rate.
'Wait, is the reason the Baldy Monk lost all his hair because I told him to study philosophy?'
I felt a momentary twinge of guilt, but I brushed it off.
Well, whatever. If you're going to be a monk, you have to shave it all anyway. It's probably better to be naturally bald so you don't have to use a razor every morning.
Let's scrap the philosophy and think like myself.
What kind of 'end' is the Soul King talking about? For now, the most immediate end would be...
"The future where ————— kills you will not change."
"I cannot hear the name. However, I understand the meaning of your words."
The Soul King nodded again.
Come to think of it, he wouldn't even nod in the past, but now he's actually nodding.
Is he a being that can think, agonize, and grow in his own way?
Then another question arises. Why does the Soul King remain so indifferent even though he knows of his own death?
No, why doesn't he resist? With the Soul King's power, he could easily kill Tsunayashiro or, conversely, tear him limb from limb.
"..."
"I can tell what thou art thinking. I have already accepted my end. For I have 'judged' that such is the reason for my existence."
"Reason for existence? Wasn't your reason for existing to eradicate the Hollows?"
"That is merely the process leading to the end. Furthermore, if my end becomes a new beginning, is it not only right that it be allowed to come to pass?"
The Soul King's expression as he spoke was expressionless as always, but to my eyes, it somehow looked like he was smiling.
The moment I saw that expression, it felt as if I'd been struck in the back of the head with a hammer, leaving my brain ringing.
I had always thought of him as a machine-like bastard devoid of emotion, a kind of natural phenomenon like water flowing downward or the wind blowing.
But that expression... no matter who looked at it, was clearly the face of someone who was truly 'living' in this moment.
Of course, the idea that he looked like he was smiling might just be my imagination. Yeah, a big shock can do that to you.
But...
—Furthermore, if my end becomes a new beginning, is it not only right that it be allowed to come to pass?
Could those words really come from the mouth of a phenomenon-like being that feels nothing?
No. Absolutely not. There's no way. The moment I saw the Soul King's face, I realized it. No, perhaps I had known it all along. I had simply been feigning ignorance to suppress this guilt.
"Heh."
It felt as though scales were falling from my eyes. And in that moment, the triangle named 'Guilt' began rolling around in my heart, stabbing me incessantly. It rampaged wildly, piercing me deep enough to bleed, turning my mind into a mess.
'That bastard Tsunayashiro... what about a guy like this is so scary that he feels he has to kill him...'
Oh. Wait.
Was it because of that?
"Ha..."
Had he even considered *that* for them?
Purposefully not showing emotion, purposefully using an irritating way of speaking, purposefully not explaining things, and purposefully hiding his own truth.
So that Tsunayashiro would fear him.
So that, in the end, he would make them kill him.
"You've had your mind made up for a long time, haven't you?"
"It is so."
"And that way of talking is so people don't grow attached to you?"
"Think as thou wilt."
"What a truly incredible bastard... no, a truly incredible 'man' you are."
The Soul King gave no reply to those words.
But somehow, just as the Soul King had said earlier, I felt like I understood his meaning even without him speaking.
I just... had that feeling.