Chapter 20: The Soul King's Relic
Since graduating from Shin'ō Academy and joining the Gotei 13, time had flown by like a fleeting dream for Mizuma. Thirteen years—gone in the blink of an eye.
Though his main occupation could generously be described as… administrative (and less generously, "professional slacker"), he had still taken part in plenty of field missions over the years.
No matter how complex those assignments were, they always boiled down to the same three questions:
Where to go?
Who to kill?
And what to kill?
As expected of the most notorious armed organization in all three realms, the Gotei 13 never strayed far from its violent roots.
And this mission, Mizuma thought, wouldn't be any different.
---
"The method is simple."
Tsunayashiro Yōki smiled faintly and pressed his palm against the stone gate. "According to our ancestor's records, each of you must touch the surface like this and channel your reiatsu into it. Doing so will transport you into the miniature world once created by the Soul King himself.
Of course, the door only functions as a portal—the Soul King's residence isn't literally behind it. When you wish to return, find the corresponding gate on the other side and infuse it with reiatsu again."
That sounded… surprisingly convenient.
"Then let's get started."
As Mizuma spoke, Urahara finished scanning the gate, carefully stowed his gadget-filled contraption back into his bag, and smiled with childlike anticipation. His usual laid-back expression was now shining with unrestrained excitement—like a kid who'd just been handed a brand-new toy he wasn't supposed to touch but absolutely would.
Well, Mizuma mused, he's a researcher through and through. Of course he's enjoying this.
Kensei sighed beside them. "The mission details mentioned possible danger. Since your ancestor knew how to enter and exit this place, did he really not leave behind anything else?"
"I'm afraid not…" Yōki said apologetically, frowning. "The writings are fragmentary—there's little we can draw from them."
Kensei clicked his tongue. "Figures."
Seeing the man's troubled face, Mizuma realized there'd be no more answers forthcoming. He stepped forward, hand rising toward the gate.
"In that case, let me go first. I'm the scout—it's my job to take point."
The others nodded in agreement, but Lisa immediately stepped forward and caught his wrist, her tone sharp.
"No. I won't let a non-combatant walk into an unknown world alone. With me there, at least someone can cover you."
Mizuma looked at her expression—firm, fair, and unyielding—and felt a mix of guilt and resignation.
This was, frankly, his own fault.
When he'd first demonstrated Division (Bundan) to the others, he'd deliberately played up a false weakness, claiming that while his clones could die without real consequence, the psychic backlash of their destruction left his "mind in agony." He'd even backed it up with flawless acting over the following months.
Now everyone believed he was fragile.
"Uh, well…"
Kensei, ever the surprisingly tactful brute, stepped in at just the right time. He hooked an arm around Urahara's shoulder, pulling him to stand with them. "Come on, we're Gotei 13. We go in together—or not at all."
"Agreed, agreed," Urahara said cheerfully, smoothing things over.
After a brief round of exchanged glances, all four placed their palms against the gate. Mizuma offered a few polite words to Yōki, and then—
Four distinct reiatsu surged forward.
Light exploded.
And the team vanished.
---
A violent shudder rolled through Mizuma's mind.
First came blinding brilliance—then freezing darkness. Colors of pale blue and silver unfurled from the distance, swirling like a kaleidoscope.
The whirl of hues eventually settled, dividing themselves into clear outlines and recognizable shapes.
They were standing inside a vast, echoing cavern. The walls and ceiling glittered with blue-white crystals, filling the place with an ethereal glow.
The scene pulled closer—
At the center stood a stone pedestal waist-high, upon which a scholarly man in immaculate white robes was carefully shaping a crystalline block. With graceful precision, he carved it into a blade, a hilt, a guard—piece by perfect piece.
The man's eyes gleamed strangely—
Four pupils.
Mizuma's heart stopped.
That's… the Soul King!?
After what felt like an eternity, the Soul King placed the polished crystal sword onto the pedestal and smiled in satisfaction. Then, without a word, he turned and stepped into the darkness beyond the cavern.
The image shattered like glass.
Mizuma gasped, his lungs tightening as if fired from a cannon. The disorienting sense of being flung through space left him nearly unconscious. After an immeasurable time tumbling through the void, the sensation eased, and his feet finally found solid ground.
Sweat beaded on his forehead. His body felt heavy and unreal.
Lisa, pale and trembling, knelt to catch her breath; Urahara and Kensei looked similarly shaken, both wearing expressions one might see on seasick travelers.
The Soul King's lingering vision had hit them like a brick to the skull.
"Just now… what was that?" Lisa murmured, rubbing her temples.
"The Soul King," Urahara replied, scanning their surroundings with rare seriousness. "His appearance matched every known depiction exactly."
Kensei gave a low whistle. "So it was the real deal, huh? Damn… leave it to the Four Great Noble Houses to dig up something this terrifying."
They stood at the mouth of another cavern, nearly identical to the one they'd seen in the vision—crystal-lit walls, a matching stone gate behind them, and an enormous hollow opening ahead, glowing even brighter blue from whatever lay beyond.
Mizuma stared into that light and couldn't help thinking—
…This place looks way too familiar.
<><><><>
〔TL〕
Every 100 powerstones = 1 bonus ch.
Every 2 review after 100 ps = 1 bonus ch.