"Kill the Soul King? Not save him?" Ichigo was confused, but he keenly picked up on the key point. "Then if Yhwach kills the Soul King, the linchpin, or rescues him from the Soul Reapers' seal, what will happen to the current world? What about the lives in the three realms?"
"They will probably all die. The Soul King is the linchpin of the three worlds. Mr. Kurosaki, you can imagine the current world as a house. If the house collapses, what happens to the people living inside?" Urahara explained. "So, most of the life in the three realms, except for a few special existences, will perish along with the collapse of the current world."
"But isn't that counterproductive?" Ichigo became frantic. "Didn't you say Yhwach's goal was to create a world free from the fear of death? If everyone dies, what's the point of such a world?!"
"So, after knowing the full truth, do you still want to join this war, Mr. Kurosaki?" Urahara asked, looking at Ichigo's agitated face.
"Yes, I'll fight. But not as a Soul Reaper, and not as a Quincy. I will fight as an ordinary human to stop this extremist war." Ichigo took a deep breath. After careful consideration, he had made his choice. "The grudges of our ancestors are too distant for me. They mean nothing to me, living in the present. But no matter what, I must protect everyone in Karakura Town! So, I will stop Yhwach."
"As an ordinary human?" Everyone present savored Ichigo's words, looking at him with a strange light in their eyes. They all understood that besides stopping Yhwach, Ichigo might also be thinking of becoming the new Soul King, of taking the Soul King's place as the linchpin of the three worlds to free him, atone for the sins of the Soul Reapers, and complete his ancestor's unfinished work.
"Ichigo, you..." Yoruichi started to speak but stopped, seemingly unable to bear it. In the end, she said nothing, merely casting a look of disapproval at Urahara Kisuke. Now she was uncertain again. Could it be that Kisuke wasn't being manipulated by the enemy after all? Was his goal to create a warrior strong enough to stop Yhwach, and then have this newly-minted, overpowered warrior immediately replace the Soul King, preventing him from causing further impact on the world?
Prioritizing the greater good—it was indeed the plan with the least loss, highest efficiency, and a high probability of success. Because after knowing everything, Ichigo, with his personality, would definitely take on the burden himself, just as Urahara planned. But such an outcome was too cruel for a boy like Ichigo. Yet, this went against Kisuke's usual style. Was he being used by the enemy, or had he truly undergone a personality change after losing his powers, leading to a drastic shift in his methods? Yoruichi couldn't reach a definitive conclusion yet. For now, she could only watch Urahara with suspicion.
"Urahara..." Isshin glared at Urahara, as if mentally cursing him with every swear word imaginable. Yet he couldn't say much. By agreeing to let Ichigo go to the Soul King Palace, he had already prepared himself for Ichigo's sacrifice. Moreover, this was Ichigo's own choice after learning the truth, and it was the long-held wish of his Shiba ancestor. Despite the immense reluctance in his heart, he couldn't deny that he had tacitly accepted the possibility that the Zero Squad and Urahara might sacrifice Ichigo.
Beside them, Tessai sighed with emotion. He hadn't expected the Shopkeeper to still choose Ichigo Kurosaki. In fact, besides Ichigo, Jinta and Ururu were also Urahara's backup Soul King candidates. It was like choosing between the palm and the back of his hand; what could he say? However, if Yhwach didn't invade the Soul King Palace and cause a major problem with the Soul King, Tessai felt there was no need for Ichigo to replace him so soon. And given Ichigo's character, he wouldn't abuse his power. Why induce him to sacrifice himself to save the Soul King? It was too strange. Such a wasteful move was not something the old Shopkeeper would have conceived of.
Of course, Tessai didn't know that the one hiding behind Urahara, using this grand, logical scheme to solidify Ichigo's resolve to crush Yhwach, while also instilling in him a sense of empathy, guilt, pride, and a spirit of fearless sacrifice—essentially tricking him into planning to become the linchpin after the war—was actually the secretly malicious Baiyue Tong!
Urahara Kisuke would always act first and explain later. He would use Ichigo to achieve his goal and then apologize, because by then, the outcome wouldn't matter. Even if he got beaten up or had to pay with his life, his objective would have been achieved.
Baiyue Tong, on the other hand, had always preferred to use underhanded methods to force or induce his targets into submission. The people he could manipulate were almost always honest individuals with weaknesses. Those with no attachments, no emotions, or who were purely selfish would never submit so easily. And Ichigo Kurosaki was a very honest person, full of weaknesses and overflowing with compassion. He didn't even need Baiyue Tong to actively pressure him. Once he knew the truth, and if he had the power, this kind-hearted, gentle boy with a savior complex would take everything upon himself, shouldering responsibilities that were never his to begin with.
Moreover, Ichigo had the potential to become the most powerful being in this world, second only to the Soul King. Baiyue Tong naturally had to make good use of him, and also guard against him. If the Soul Reapers could use Ichigo to clean up their messes, Baiyue Tong could certainly use him to achieve his own goals.
Of course, for now, Ichigo's most important purpose for Baiyue Tong was to have him crush Yhwach. After all, a great man born between heaven and earth cannot remain subservient for long. However, while having Ichigo defeat Yhwach was important, allowing him to be recruited by those dogs in the Zero Squad was absolutely unacceptable for Baiyue Tong, who aspired to become the next emperor of the Wandenreich.
After Yhwach's death, the Zero Squad would become the next threat to guard against. It would be best to have Ichigo take out the old geezers of the Zero Squad as well. Finally, after Ichigo had served all his purposes, he could go "sit on the throne," replace the Soul King, and seal himself away. That way, Ichigo would pose no threat to Baiyue Tong, and he could also be used to test the Soul King's state—a multi-purpose plan. Why not?
That was why Baiyue Tong "shared" some of his thoughts with Urahara, confusing his mind and spirit, making Urahara believe that his actions were his own while actually serving Baiyue Tong's interests. When Urahara was drained of his power and helpless against Baiyue Tong, he had been forced to share everything with him. Thus, he was already at Baiyue Tong's mercy, a mere toy to be molded as he pleased. Forget just sharing thoughts and temporarily confusing his mind; even directly destroying Urahara's will and spirit, brainwashing him into a loyal dog devoted only to Baiyue Tong, would have been a matter of a single thought.
However, Baiyue Tong wouldn't do that. For a researcher known for his intellect, such a transformation would be destructive, turning a priceless collectible into a worthless piece of junk. Besides, Baiyue Tong generally disliked brainwashing people. There was no need to do it to those who loved him, and he wouldn't want to. As for those who dared to resist him, that was part of the fun. It was like watching a clown; Baiyue Tong looked forward to the entertainment their performances would bring. The more they harbored hatred and desperately tried to kill him but failed, the more it satisfied his desire for conquest. It was Baiyue Tong's victory, and playing with those who bore him ill will came with no psychological burden. Of course, when necessary to achieve a certain goal, Baiyue Tong wouldn't foolishly restrict himself from using his convenient abilities.
"Mr. Kurosaki, I've used my remaining materials to create a prototype of the Hōgyoku. Having lost my power, this is all I can do. The remaining materials are not enough to 'feed' it and satisfy it. From here on, you'll have to rely on your own spiritual pressure to accelerate its awakening."
Urahara shakily took out a magnificent jewel. He stooped and walked over to Ichigo, placing his other hand on the firm muscle of Ichigo's chest, right over his heart, just as Aizen had once touched him.
"Mr. Urahara, this..." Ichigo looked at the Hōgyoku, at a loss for words. In the end, he could only accept the blank Hōgyoku, which contained Baiyue Tong's will, from Urahara's hand.
"Mr. Kurosaki, from this day forward, let the gods fear you, and let the heavens dread you."
For some reason, Urahara uttered these words as if they were the most natural thing in the world, before collapsing into Ichigo's arms, unconscious.
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