A Zanpakuto's form, state, and abilities were forged from the Shinigami's own soul. By learning the name bestowed upon their Zanpakuto and conversing with it in their heart, a Shinigami gained power.
As White Impermanence's words fell, Asano Kiyoshi felt his consciousness grow hazy. His body gradually began to fade, and a dazed sensation like waking from a dream washed over his mind.
But when he recalled Lu Sheng's utterly despairing expression, Asano Kiyoshi felt a faint regret in his heart. Before disappearing, he asked White Impermanence, who stood not far away, "If you already knew all this, why did you have to take Lu Sheng away at the very last second? Why not let him go earlier? Or why not stop him from seeing his wife and child altogether?"
White Impermanence seemed stunned for a moment by Asano Kiyoshi's words, but then he shook his head and said, "If I had stopped him from seeing them, he would never have accepted it, even in death. And your accusations toward me would not have lessened. At most, you would have simply found another reason."
At that, White Impermanence paused briefly before continuing.
"You say I should have let him go earlier? But how do you know I had not already done everything I could to let him make that trip before he left? How do you know I deliberately arranged for him to see his wife and child at that exact moment? And why do you not consider this—if you had let Lu Sheng go find his wife and child from the very beginning, might things have turned out differently?"
Faced with White Impermanence's three consecutive questions, Asano Kiyoshi froze. He found himself speechless for a time, silently turning White Impermanence's words over in his mind.
The rain around them