Invitation from Zero Division?

Chōjirō Sasakibe stopped before the imposing gates of the First Division barracks and stepped aside in invitation.

Liu Chuan crossed the lofty threshold alone.

The scene inside was somewhat different from the austere, oppressive atmosphere he'd expected, yet it felt even more profound. The vast space lay in still light, while the air carried the solemnity accumulated through countless years and immense spiritual pressure.

Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto wasn't seated upon a lofty main seat. Instead, he stood in the center of the broad, dojo-like hall, both hands resting on an ancient cane, his back as weighty and still as a mountain.

"You're here." An aged yet resonant voice rang out. Captain-Commander Yamamoto turned around, and there was none of his usual severity on his face. Instead, he looked Liu Chuan over as though examining an old acquaintance. "Liu Chuan of the Kido Corps."

"Captain-Commander." Liu Chuan greeted him according to protocol, respectful without appearing servile.

He swiftly swept his gaze around. Apart from the two of them, there was no one else in the hall. Even Vice-Captain Sasakibe hadn't followed him inside.

"No need for formalities." Captain-Commander Yamamoto took a few steps closer. His eyes, weathered by a thousand years, settled on Liu Chuan as he unexpectedly began some small talk.

"Has everything been going smoothly with the Kido Corps lately? The maintenance of the World-Crossing Gates and the stability of the barriers are both foundations of Seireitei's operation. Your responsibilities are weighty."

Liu Chuan was mildly surprised, though he answered calmly. "Thank you for your concern, Captain-Commander. Everyone in the Corps is fulfilling their duties. Everything is as usual."

His response was proper and measured, but the trace of doubt in his heart quietly grew. Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto certainly wasn't the sort to concern himself with the daily trivialities of a technical department.

Captain-Commander Yamamoto slowly paced half a step, no longer pressing the matter before abruptly changing the subject.

"I did not summon you today because I have urgent business."

Liu Chuan's heart stirred. Here it comes.

Captain-Commander Yamamoto turned slightly and looked toward a corner of the hall cloaked beneath the shadows of massive pillars, where the light could scarcely reach. In a deep voice, he said, "The one who wishes to see you is this lord."

As though his words had invoked some spell, the dense shadows that had held nothing suddenly rippled like water.

It wasn't that someone stepped out from the darkness. The "darkness" itself was condensing and taking shape.

An immense presence, wholly unlike that of any Soul Reaper in Seireitei—older, deeper, as if it touched upon the fundamental laws of the world—silently spread through the room, instantly filling the entire space.

Even the steady spirit particles in the hall seemed to become viscous and docile beneath that presence.

The shadows receded, revealing a figure dressed as a monk.

He was extraordinarily tall and powerfully built, clad in ancient garments, with massive dark prayer beads hanging around his neck. His features were rugged, yet his eyes seemed to contain both wisdom and the weariness of time.

Simply standing there, he seemed to form a world of his own. Even Captain-Commander Yamamoto's spiritual pressure, enough to suppress all of Soul Society, appeared somewhat ordinary beside this man's naturally emanating presence.

"Liu Chuan of the Kido Corps." The monk spoke, his voice deep as a tolling bell. Yet it carried no oppression, only a strange serenity, as he directly called Liu Chuan by name.

"And you are?" Liu Chuan asked with practiced courtesy, though his mind was on high alert. Spiritual power flowed silently through his body like mercury, ready to meet any unknown change.

For this man to appear so soundlessly within the First Division's core grounds, and for Captain-Commander Yamamoto to treat him this way, made his exalted identity obvious.

"I am Ichibē Hyōsube," the monk-like giant said slowly, his calm gaze resting upon Liu Chuan. "I come from the Soul King Palace, from Zero Division."

Zero Division! The Soul King Palace!

Even though Liu Chuan didn't know much about the upper structure of this world, the transcendent status represented by those two names was enough to shake him deeply.

They were mysterious beings who stood above the Gotei 13 and directly served the Soul King, the foundation of the world.

He was merely an ordinary member of the Kido Corps. How had he drawn the attention of someone like this?

"Surprised?" Ichibē Hyōsube seemed to see through his doubts. The corner of his mouth lifted into an extremely faint, unreadable curve.

"There's no need for concern. I haven't come to accuse you, nor have I come to scrutinize you."

He paused, and his next sentence created a true crack in Liu Chuan's composure. "I have come on the Soul King's behalf to convey an invitation to you."

An invitation... from the Soul King?

Liu Chuan was completely stunned. This surpassed every expectation he had.

He'd thought the most likely possibility was that some of his "unorthodox" research had caught the attention of those above, bringing a warning or investigation. He had never imagined it would be an invitation—and one from the supreme Soul King himself.

Ichibē Hyōsube continued in that calm, grand voice. "As for why the Soul King took a liking to you in particular, well, even I haven't entirely figured that out."

He shook his head slightly, and the enormous prayer beads around his neck softly clinked. "Still, the Soul King must have his reasons. Maybe there's something rather interesting about you that even you haven't noticed yet."

His gaze traveled over Liu Chuan from head to toe with evident interest, as though he were admiring some unexpectedly discovered novelty.

There was far too much information to process. As Liu Chuan digested it at high speed, he muttered inwardly, The Soul King noticed me, and the reason is unknown. This world really is anything but simple. This Soul King has a good eye, though.

Sure enough, this world was extraordinary. It seemed the Soul King truly was no ordinary being.

Before Liu Chuan could ask a question, Ichibē Hyōsube began speaking leisurely in the casual tone of someone introducing his own organization.

"Zero Division exists independently from the Gotei 13 and answers directly to the Soul King's commands. Our main duty is protecting the Soul King Palace. The few members in the division are all people who once made remarkable 'creations' in Soul Society and were elevated here after receiving recognition."

"Creations?" Liu Chuan sharply caught that key word.

"Correct." Ichibē Hyōsube nodded.

"For example, inventing the Soul Reaper Robes, establishing the foundational theory of Mod Souls, developing the communication technology system, or pioneering a vital path of treatment and recovery—each of these is one of the cornerstones that shaped Soul Society as it is today."

Liu Chuan silently considered this.

He fell silent for a moment, not out of fear, but because after the immense shock, he was quickly collecting himself and weighing his options.

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