The Shinigami in the Unforgiven, Chapter Sixteen Hell Hell.
The most mysterious place in the world of Shinigami, bar none.
It's highly likely that this was a plot hole the author created on a whim, appearing only in one chapter of the main story and then completely forgotten afterward. The related settings even have to be supplemented in new chapters of the manga.
The worst part is that it wasn't completely filled in. They filled in three inches of soil and then dug in five inches, which is practically the same as not filling it at all.
The information Shiraishi knows is that Hell is suspected to be part of the Primordial World, and people who were guilty in life or were Hollows are sent to Hell after they are killed.
If the captain dies and the concentration of Reishi is too high, he will be sent to Hell by the Shinigami through Konsō ritual.
There is some inseparable connection between the Hell Butterfly and Hell.
Ichigo's future son, at such a young age, is able to open passages to Hell in places like shrines.
Putting all that aside, he knew absolutely nothing about Hell; he had no idea what it was like.
After concluding his trip to Hueco Mundo, Shiraishi personally went to the Soul King Palace, intending to ask the monk about the details of Hell, thus filling in the gaps left by his past reading of the manga.
Ichibē Hyōsube clearly knew his purpose, and instead of receiving him at the Zero Division Palace, he deliberately chose the Soul King Great Inner Palace as the meeting place.
Without a cup of tea, I just stood at the bottom of the steps.
Shiraishi looked at the so-called " Soul King " above, his brows furrowing slightly, his expression complex.
Glass jars, resembling those in a scientific research film, stood upright, one on the left and one on the right, connected by very thick metal pipes, and filled with a green liquid.
On the left is Jūshirō Ukitake, his face so thin he's practically skin and bones, his long, pale hair flowing in the wind.
On the right is the corpse of Kūgo Ginjō, which has also become shriveled.
The black Soul King's Power swirled between the two.
It's hard to imagine that the world is kept from collapsing in this way.
Looking at Shiraishi Jūshirō Ukitake asked, "How did the World of the Living and Soul Society merge back then?"
Ichibē Hyōsube truthfully stated, "We were unable to stop Aizen; the device was destroyed."
This was repaired by Kisuke Urahara afterward, and because Hueco Mundo was opened up by the Divine Realm and pushed far away, the World of the Living and Soul Society merged ahead of time.
If it's any slower, Hueco Mundo will be drawn over too.
At this point, a hint of worry appeared in Ichibē Hyōsube Ichibei's bell-like eyes. He said, "Relying solely on the Soul King's Right Arm to maintain the world's balance is nearing its limit. We need to cultivate a new Soul King to replace him."
" Ichigo is a good boy."
The subtext of this statement is that they want Ichigo to become the new Soul King.
Shiraishi frowned and said, "Isn't Yhwach a better candidate?"
Ichibē Hyōsube shook his head and said, "Considering the balance of the world, it would be best to make Ichigo the Soul King's substitute."
"Monk, I will not allow such a thing to happen."
Shiraishi answered in a deep voice.
Ichibē Hyōsube didn't try to dissuade him; the crisis wasn't urgent enough yet. He asked, "You just took over as Captain-Commander of Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto; you have many things to do. What are you doing here?"
"Stop trying to bluff your way out of this. Loly, Aura Michibane are still in the Soul King Palace. Why did you let them escape?"
"That's your job. My job is to protect the Soul King."
Ichibē Hyōsube answered frankly, "As long as it doesn't affect the balance of the world, I won't get involved in those things. You wouldn't want me constantly pointing fingers, would you?"
Shiraishi said expressionlessly, "They're studying the entrance to Hell."
"Is that so?" Ichibē Hyōsube had a thoughtful expression on his face, but he didn't seem too worried.
Shiraishi narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, "What kind of place is Hell?"
Don't try to fool me with that nonsense about sinners Hell after death. Tell me the truth.
As the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, I should have the right to know everything in this world.
"The strong are always passionate about pursuing the truth."
Ichibē Hyōsube muttered, a hint of helplessness appearing on his rugged face, "Fine, I'll tell you the truth about this world."
Shiraishi pricked up his ears.
"I call the world before the creation of the World of the Living, Soul Society, and Hueco Mundo the Primordial World, a world without birth or death, until the Hollows appeared in that world."
"Wait," Shiraishi interrupted, "If there is neither birth nor death, why would there be void? All known voids are formed from the degeneration of souls."
"The earliest Hollows were people who had never died in Hell and had escaped. They could not bear the painful memories of being in Hell, so they fell and a Hollow Hole appeared in their chests."
At that time, there were no Shinigami Reapers or Quincy, and no one could stop the Hollows.
As if to suppress the void, the Soul King was born in the Primordial World, possessing an incomprehensible power from birth.
A group of humans followed the Soul King and learned Soul King fighting style; they became the Quincy.
After that, powerful figures emerged one after another, such as the Five Great Noble Clans progenitors and myself.
Ichibē Hyōsube paused slightly, then continued, "The Hollows' offensive has been contained by us, and it's no longer a problem. But a new problem has arisen: the Soul King can destroy the Hollows is simply too powerful."
Takashi Tsunayashiro feared that the Quincy's power would be directed at him.
Masao Kirinji believed that if Hell were left unchecked, it would eventually devour the world, and that a way must be found to cover Hell.
Kintoki Kuchiki believes that for the world to become more stable, it must have a new order.
Akatsuki Shihoin despises this stagnant world and wants to create a larger cycle to propel the world forward.
Shingen Shiba believed that even the void possesses a mind, and that a path should be explored that is not one of complete elimination but rather one of purification.
To achieve their respective goals, the founders of the Five Great Noble Clans had to eliminate the person standing in their way: the Soul King.
But they all understood that the Soul King's power was beyond what one person could withstand.
Takashi Tsunayashiro persuaded others to propose the idea of creating the Three Realms to satisfy the wishes of the other four families, requiring only the Soul King as a stable wedge.
So, one day they ambushed the Soul King and easily succeeded without encountering any resistance.
This behavior greatly shocked Shingen Shiba, and he even felt guilty, thinking that he had judged a gentleman by his own petty standards.
Takashi Tsunayashiro held the opposite view, believing that Soul King could not possibly be so honest and that there was definitely a conspiracy involved.
In the years that followed, Takashi Tsunayashiro grew increasingly fearful, and successively cut off the Soul King's limbs, dug out his heart, and smashed the Soul King's organs, scattering them throughout the Three Realms.
The fact that they left nothing behind naturally stemmed from the other three families' fear that the other side would use the Soul King's Power to overwhelm them.
For the sake of balance, it can only be sprinkled across the Three Realms in the presence of a few witnesses.
Only Shingen Shiba wanted to atone for his sins, embarking on the journey to find a replacement for the Soul King and stabilize the three realms.
This is the main reason why the Tsunayashiro Clan has always targeted the Shiba Clan, and why the other three families haven't helped them.
"They distrusted each other, ultimately leaving me to guard the Soul King and maintain the balance of the three realms."
Ichibē Hyōsube recounted that history, his face filled with regret, saying, "I almost failed in my duty. Thanks to your help, Aizen didn't succeed."
Shiraishi rubbed his temples and asked, "Will Aizen fall into Hell?"
Without the slightest hesitation, Ichibē Hyōsube nodded emphatically and said, "He has already fallen into Hell."
All Shinigami at the Captain-level cannot have their Reishi return to the earth after death.
Not to mention Aizen's massive Reishi; it would be extremely dangerous for him to roam freely outside without being sent to Hell.
"Are those Reishi truly unable to return to Soul Society?"
Shiraishi raised a question, recalling that when Hollows in Hueco Mundo died, their Reishi would turn into white sand, regardless of how powerful they were; it was merely a matter of time.
Ichibē Hyōsube thought for a moment, and since he had already said so much, there was no need to hide anything. He said truthfully, "Powerful Reishi have the characteristic that they do not change easily."
In that case, the Soul Society land infused with its Reishi particles would gradually change, becoming a world like Hueco Mundo.
To avoid that situation, sending the Reishi exceeding the Soul Society's capacity to Hell is clearly more appropriate.
Shiraishi glared at him and said, "Won't sending Aizen straight to Hell break the balance?"
"No, the previous situation was that our side was too powerful, severely squeezing out Hell."
Sending Aizen to Hell would actually better maintain the balance between Hell and the Three Realms.
Ichibē Hyōsube replied with a smile, then added, "I suggest you don't get too close to Ichigo and develop too many feelings for him."
He is the best substitute for the Soul King.
Shiraishi rolled his eyes and said, "My decision is not going to change."
Ichibē Hyōsube smiled and didn't continue to persuade him.
Whether it's Shinigami Quincy, they're all the same to him. As long as the balance of the world isn't broken, he can do whatever he wants.
Shiraishi didn't continue that topic, but asked curiously, "What kind of place is Hell?"
Ichibē Hyōsube's smile gradually faded. He stroked his beard and said, "That was a suffocating place."
It hurts so much. Where am I? Did that knife pierce my heart?
Am I dead?
Szayelaporro was in great pain, his Kog'Maw as he gasped for breath, suffering even more than he had in the World of the Living.
The air wasn't just thin of Reishi; there was absolutely no trace of Reishi present.
This overturns the previous law that Reishi exist in all things.
Moreover, under such circumstances, facing such suffocating pain, how can a person still survive?
" Mayuri Kurotsuchi! Is this what you did? Where is this? Show yourself! Mayuri Kurotsuchi!"
Szayelaporro roared to the sky, completely losing the composure expected of a scientist; in fact, no scientist could remain calm under such suffocating conditions for days or even a month.
"Aaaaaaah!"
Szayelaporro began frantically attacking his surroundings with Cero, and then tore at his chest with both hands, trying to rip open his chest to see if he could get some air.
"This is Hell. If you tear open your chest, you will be bound by black chains and trapped here forever."
A gentle voice drifted down from above.
The sound was so familiar that tears welled up in Szayelaporro's eyes. He looked up and asked, " Lord Aizen?! Why are you here?"
I failed.
Aizen stood on the hillside, his expression still calm, as if he could breathe freely. " Shiraishi made me realize that failure can also be a meaningful thing."
I want to leave here, and to do that I need to meet with the progenitor of the Five Great Noble Clans. Would you like to come with me?
"Hi."
Szayelaporro nodded emphatically, even the feeling of suffocation seemed to lessen.