Journey to the Soul King Palace

Once everything was ready, Liu Chuan and Ichibē Hyōsube entered the Heavenly Pillar Carriage on the launch platform.

At the edge of the platform, Kūkaku Shiba stood solemnly.

She had changed out of her eye-catching red cropped top and into a sharper, seemingly custom-made dark gray bodysuit. Her expression was focused, the earlier fierceness gone from her brows, leaving only utter concentration and a trace of barely concealed excitement.

She was the chief operator of today's "launch."

Isshin Shiba stood some distance away with his arms folded, watching intently.

Ganju Shiba had also changed into a relatively clean outfit. Rubbing the back of his head, which still hurt a little, he shrank behind his uncle, but his eyes were wide open.

He stared at the enormous Heavenly Pillar Carriage and his elder sister's back with curiosity and awe. Clearly, even for him, such a "grand spectacle" held an irresistible appeal.

"Kūkaku, are you ready?" Ichibē Hyōsube asked with a smile beside the open entrance of the Heavenly Pillar Carriage.

"Ready at any time, Lord Hyōsube." Kūkaku Shiba took a deep breath, her voice steady and firm.

She looked at Liu Chuan and nodded. "Lord Liu Chuan, please get in. Once the Spirit Particle Reconstruction begins, the Heavenly Pillar Carriage will ascend at tremendous speed. There's no need to worry. I wish you... a smooth journey."

"Thank you for your trouble, Miss Kūkaku, Captain Isshin."

"Then, we'll begin." Ichibē Hyōsube's voice rang out inside the cabin as he looked toward the enormous viewing window.

Almost the moment his words fell—

Bzzzz!

Kūkaku Shiba's eyes flashed. With all ten fingers spread and her palms facing down, she firmly pressed her hands into two specific palm-shaped grooves in the stone platform.

No astonishing Spiritual Pressure erupted from her body, but an incomparably condensed flow of Spirit Particles surged from her palms into the stone platform like living magma.

Boom—!

The Heavenly Pillar Carriage jolted violently and shot into the sky at incredible speed!

"It worked... Big Sis is amazing!" Ganju Shiba, hiding in the back, opened his mouth wide as he watched the rapidly shrinking point of light overhead. His face was full of shock. For the first time, he had such a direct and powerful understanding of his family's inherited secret art.

"Yeah, it worked." Isshin Shiba supported his niece and looked up at the sky with a grin.

"You brat, see that? That's the real 'fireworks' of the Shiba Clan! They're ten thousand times more impressive than the junk you fool around with in Rukongai!"

High above the heavens, inside the Heavenly Pillar Carriage.

Through the viewing window, Liu Chuan watched the Seireitei and Rukongai below rapidly shrink into blurry specks.

"Magnificent, isn't it?" Ichibē Hyōsube said. He remained seated calmly, as if that earthshaking launch had been nothing out of the ordinary.

"The Shiba Clan's craftsmanship is admirable every time you see it.

"Alright, we're entering the stable ascent phase now. Soon, we'll pass through Soul Society's outer layer of Spirit Particles and enter the 'interstitial route' leading to the Soul King Palace."

"Since we have this time," Ichibē Hyōsube's deep voice echoed through the steady cabin, carrying a conversational note as his gentle gaze fell upon Liu Chuan.

"Let me tell you about the Soul King Palace you're about to set foot in, and... our Zero Division."

Liu Chuan's expression turned serious as he assumed an attentive posture. This was undoubtedly the information he needed most right now.

"The Soul King Palace," Ichibē Hyōsube began slowly, his tone carrying the remoteness of an ancient legend.

"Isn't merely a palace hanging high in the sky. Relying on Lord Soul King's will and great power, it is an independent 'realm' opened within the gaps between the Three Worlds, at the source of all laws."

"Its very existence is the 'wedge' that maintains the balance of Soul Society, the Living World, and even Hueco Mundo."

"Because of its unique location, the environment within the Soul King Palace is completely different from that of the lower realm."

"The concentration and purity of Spirit Particles there far surpass those of the Seireitei. Without permission or special protection, an ordinary Soul Reaper who enters will, at best, have their spiritual body assimilated and dissolved. At worst, they will trigger a backlash from the laws themselves and perish body and soul."

"Therefore, aside from Lord Soul King himself, only members of Zero Division who have been acknowledged by him and granted duties, along with a few exceptions, may reside in the Soul King Palace."

"The Soul King Palace is mainly made up of several interconnected yet relatively independent 'palaces' and 'regions.'"

Ichibē Hyōsube continued his introduction.

"At its central core is where Lord Soul King slumbers. As for the specifics, you'll find out when the time comes to meet him."

"Surrounding it are the palaces where the members of Zero Division reside."

He listed them as if they were treasures in his own home.

"Phoenix Palace is the residence of the Sword God, Ōetsu Nimaiya. The initial form of every Zanpakuto in the world, the Asauchi, was first forged by him."

Liu Chuan instinctively glanced at the Zanpakuto at his waist. As the most important weapon of a Soul Reaper, a Sword God like that was indeed extraordinary.

"Kirin Palace is Tenjiro Kirinji's residence. He's our 'hot spring doctor.' He has a spring called the White Bone Hell Hot Spring, said to revive the dead and regrow flesh on bare bones. The name sounds frightening, but the effect is truly remarkable. You can give it a try when the time comes."

"Great Weave Guard Palace belongs to Senjumaru Shutara. The Soul Reaper Robes worn by Soul Reapers of Soul Society were created by her. The haori you're wearing came from her hands as well."

"Reclining Boar Palace belongs to Grain King Kirio Hikifune. She was also the most recent person promoted besides you, and she's skilled at cooking."

Liu Chuan gave Ichibē Hyōsube a surprised look. The former captain of Squad 12, Mayuri Kurotsuchi's superior, had become a cook after joining Zero Division?

Ichibē Hyōsube explained, "The meals she makes are far from ordinary. If you get the chance, you can try them."

"Alright, that's enough about the others. It's time for a proper introduction of myself as well. After all, we'll be seeing each other often from now on, and I'm technically going to be your superior."

Ichibē Hyōsube sat up a little straighter. Though he still wore that gentle smile that seemed to see through everything without particularly caring, his tone naturally carried an indescribable weight belonging to the "leader of Zero Division."

He pointed at his distinctive bald head.

"I am Ichibē Hyōsube. Lord Soul King has favored me with the title 'Eye Monk.' Some also call me the Monk Who Calls the True Name."

He paused. Those eyes, carrying a profound light that seemed capable of seeing through all things, settled on Liu Chuan as he said slowly.

"As for the duty I oversee... I mentioned it just now. I am the one who first named all things in Soul Society."

"The namer?" Liu Chuan showed just the right amount of curiosity.

"That's right." Ichibē Hyōsube nodded.

His gaze shifted slightly, seeming to pierce through the carriage walls and fall upon the Seireitei far below, long since out of sight. His voice carried a trace of barely perceptible remoteness.

"So, I know a little about many things that received their 'names' through my hands. Especially..."

This time, Ichibē Hyōsube's gaze fell upon the Zanpakuto, Heavenquake, that had always hung at Liu Chuan's waist.

His eyes seemed to become utterly focused, as if he could see directly through its plain silver-white sheath to the nature of the power flowing within the blade, as well as the "name" branded into the depths of its soul.

"...especially the vital Zanpakuto held by you Soul Reapers."

He looked back at Liu Chuan, the smile at his lips deepening. His gaze seemed to pierce through Liu Chuan's calm exterior and touch something far deeper.

"For example, Liu Chuan, the blade at your waist..."

Ichibē Hyōsube leaned forward slightly. His enormous body brought an invisible pressure, yet his tone remained relaxed, as if they were discussing the weather.

"Its 'name' is—Heavenquake."

He accurately spoke the Zanpakuto's true name, one Liu Chuan had never formally revealed to anyone other than Isshin Shiba.

This did not entirely surprise Liu Chuan. After all, the other man was the Eye Monk. Still, he maintained his outward calm, though his gaze grew more focused.

"Heavenquake... a 'tremor' that shakes the firmament, rattles the earth, and even interferes with the foundation of existence." Ichibē Hyōsube repeated the name softly, as if savoring its meaning.

"A very domineering name. In theory, the 'upper limit' of its potential and power should be extremely high."

"But correspondingly, the difficulty of wielding it is exceptionally demanding."

He paused and swept his gaze across Liu Chuan's face, seemingly observing his reaction.

Liu Chuan nodded. His Zanpakuto was indeed especially temperamental, and he had not spent much time communicating with it.

"Look, the outer barrier of the Soul King Palace is ahead." Ichibē Hyōsube pointed beyond the transparent window.

The Soul King Palace was right before them.

"Sit tight. We're going in," Ichibē Hyōsube said calmly.

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