A Konso Different From Imagination

Stepping through the Senkaimon, Ichiro arrived in the World of the Living feeling somewhat disappointed. If he could, he would have liked to see the Kotsutotsu; based on the records alone, he felt that its ability to decompose all matter would be of great help to his Reishi Alchemy.

Although Soul Society records claim that the Kotsutotsu decomposes and devours all matter, the recorder actually made a mistake, falling into a cognitive trap.

In reality, it has never been proven that the Kotsutotsu can decompose and devour all matter. Everything in Soul Society is composed of reishi, and for people or objects from the World of the Living to enter Soul Society, they must first be converted into reishi to pass through the Dangai. Therefore, it could be said that from beginning to end, the Kotsutotsu has only ever devoured reishi, never matter from the World of the Living.

Of course, this was only Ichiro's speculation; the specific situation would require seeing it in person to test.

However, looking at the current situation... he probably wouldn't have a chance anytime soon.

Stepping into the World of the Living, they appeared on a flat grassy field, with a small village not far away.

Ichiro and the others looked around with curiosity. This was their first time in the World of the Living. Although some in the class were not from Soul Society like Ichiro, they came from different eras and locations, so they were still quite curious about the current World of the Living.

"Clap, clap~"

After standing still, the Thirteenth Division member clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention, and said, "Next, we will demonstrate how to perform a Konso."

After speaking, he winked, and the teammate beside him immediately understood, sprinting toward the nearby village. He then began to introduce the key points of Konso to the group; although they had learned it in class, hands-on teaching was always more profound.

After a person dies, the soul is divided into a Plus and a Hollow, and Pluses are further divided into two types: those with attachments and those without.

The difference between the two lies in the Chain of Fate linked to the body. Of course, since they are already dead, this chain is broken regardless of whether they have an attachment or not.

The difference is that for a Plus with an attachment, if the attachment cannot be fulfilled for a long time, the Chain of Fate will gradually crumble. When the chain disappears completely, the Plus will turn into a Hollow...

Therefore, what they needed to focus on learning was how to approach these Pluses with attachments, gain their trust, and fulfill their wishes. This was a skill that could never be fully mastered, whereas an ordinary Plus could be dealt with by a simple tap of the hilt, requiring no special attention.

During the explanation, everyone noticed that the Thirteenth Division member had already walked into the village and was heading toward a little girl squatting in a corner with her hands hugging her knees. He wore a gentle smile, slowly crouched down, and asked, "Little sister, what are you doing here?"

"I... I'm waiting for Daddy..."

"Is that so? Then where did your daddy go? Do you need big brother to help you find him?"

"I don't know..."

"I see. Do you remember which way your daddy went? How long have you been waiting here? Big brother just arrived, maybe I passed him on the road."

Hearing this, the little girl finally raised her head and asked curiously, "Really? Big brother, have you seen Daddy?"

"!!!"

"!!!" x n

When the little girl looked up, everyone felt a shock in their hearts, their pupils shrinking sharply. They saw that only a small fragment of the Chain of Fate remained on the little girl's chest...

Looking at the little girl's hopeful gaze, the shock in the extra's eyes faded, replaced by a gentle look. He said softly, "Maybe I have. Which direction did he go? What color clothes was he wearing? How long have you been waiting here?"

"Hmm~ Daddy went that way... I remember Daddy wore red clothes. Mama said only samurai could wear those... I waited, I waited... I've waited for four winters... I miss Daddy so much..."

Listening to the little girl's voice gradually fading, the extra felt a tightness in his chest. He sighed inwardly while keeping a smile on his face: "Red samurai clothes? I think I've seen him. Wait here, I'll call him over right away. Wait for me here, okay?"

After saying this, he patted the little girl's head and, under her expectant gaze, turned and walked toward the group.

"Captain..."

The team leader, another extra, sighed and said, "It has to be this way. Go."

Ichiro and the others were stunned for a moment, looking at the leading extra in confusion, not quite understanding what they meant.

The extra sighed and explained, "This was a battlefield a few years ago. That child's father is likely already dead... And even if he were alive, given the child's current condition, she wouldn't last much longer. Sometimes, a white lie is more important than the truth..."

After hearing this, Ichiro looked thoughtfully at the departing extra, beginning to understand why he possessed Kido-based illusion techniques. However...

The leader hadn't mentioned a more efficient method: turning the little girl into a Hollow and then killing her with a Zanpakuto, which would also complete her ascension!

It just wasn't very humane...

So Ichiro only thought about it. By now, he had begun to understand the main focus of the Konso practice. To put it bluntly, it was to fulfill the lingering wishes of the Pluses as much as possible, then let them ascend to start a new life in Soul Society. As for whether that life would be good or bad, that was a matter of opinion...

It was foreseeable that their subsequent Konso practice would focus on this; it was unlikely they would encounter ordinary Konso. Yet, Ichiro still had some doubts in his heart. This seemed a bit inconsistent with the philosophy of the Konso course...

While Ichiro was lost in thought, the extra had already reached the tearful little girl, gently crouched down, and pulled her into his arms: "Sorry, I'm late..."

"Daddy... I missed you so much..."

At this moment, under the influence of the Kido illusion, the extra's image in the little girl's eyes had become the father she had waited for for years.

In the current situation, this was the only way to fulfill her wish, and the method was highly effective. After being deceived by the illusion, the little girl's heart was satisfied, and the Chain of Fate eroding on her chest slowly returned to its original state. Then, before the little girl could react, the extra pressed the hilt of his Zanpakuto against her forehead.

He whispered in his heart: 'Sorry...'

"..."

"..."

In the distance, Ichiro and the others watched the ascending little girl in silence, their feelings shifting. For the first time, they had a new perspective on the profession of Soul Reaper. Although still very immature, the seeds had been sown...

In the following days, just as Ichiro had expected, their targets were all Pluses with issues; there were none that could be solved with a simple tap of the hilt.

However, one thing exceeded Ichiro's expectations: throughout the entire process, the students never took action. It was always the Thirteenth Division members handling things, while Ichiro and the others were only responsible for watching and listening to the leader's explanations.

Until the last day...