— — — — — —
[Gift Game: Bleach]
[Clear Condition: Become the Soul King.]
[Method: Within the artificial worlds of the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, gather the powers of Shinigami, Hollow, and Quincy, then complete the proper ritual within fourteen days to ascend as the Soul King.]
[Failure Condition: Surrender, or failure to meet the above requirements.]
....
Athena read through the description carefully, then looked up with mild surprise.
"So this could be said to be the origin of your divinity? The game assigned to you as a host?"
In Little Garden, anyone who possesses host authority receives their own exclusive Gift Game. These are often the basis for the compulsory games that Demon Lords use.
A Gift Game like this represents the essence of a being's spirit rank — the source of their achievements and authority.
For example, if Heracles became a Demon Lord and manifested his essential game, it would almost certainly revolve around the Twelve Labors. For Perseus, his game would be the heroic feat he's best known for — challenging the Demon Star Algol.
These deeds are what earned them their merit. They're the foundation on which the Little Garden system elevated their spirit rank.
Thinking of that, Ryo's lips curved with a teasing smile. "It might be a bit of a pain, but for my debut match, I'm planning to trick those gods into participating."
Athena frowned slightly. "Forgive my bluntness, but your Gift Game isn't difficult for gods of the lower layers."
"They may have questionable habits, but they're all still four-digit beings. They've played through countless Gift Games. To them, your game is more annoying than dangerous. There's nothing truly challenging about it."
It was true. The troublesome part of Ryo's game was deciphering Shinigami, Hollow, and Quincy powers, plus the ritual to become Soul King.
And under Little Garden's rules, a game that cannot be cleared isn't allowed to exist. Which meant Ryo was forced to insert all necessary information into the game environment.
Once the clues were all there, a four-digit being could probably solve most of it in two or three days.
After all, the Bleach worldbuilding barely scraped the upper limit of the five digits. Reaching four digits with that framework was essentially impossible. So for a four-digit participant, the game's authority level would naturally adjust.
"You're forgetting something — this isn't a Demon Lord game."
Ryo's smile grew more mischievous. "So what if they clear it? All I have to do is hand out the prize. Difficulty determines reward quality. At worst I give them a cheap Asauchi and call it a day. It's not like they can force me into servitude."
His grin turned wicked. "Besides, it's not like I'm trying to do anything dangerous with this game. I just want to teach the nosy onlookers a lesson… or stall that Demon Lord who's backing Ouroboros so they can't run."
Athena watched him with a faint smile. "So you're planning to establish your reputation in the lower layers?"
"Exactly."
Ryo nodded, expression firm. "If possible, I'm even considering declaring open war on Ouroboros right after my debut match."
"Isn't that a bit too hasty?" Athena frowned.
Declaring war on Ouroboros was inevitable, but she believed it should wait a few years— after the community grew stronger, or after she finished absorbing her Authority.
Right now… it felt too soon.
"Athena, I don't have the luxury of waiting. The people at the top won't give me preparation time." Ryo sighed.
He knew he was being impatient. But even so, he had to act — and he had to do it in a way that wouldn't provoke Ouroboros into immediately trying to annihilate him.
Because he understood something clearly: Arcadia and Ouroboros were already enemies. A formal declaration of war would merely make it public.
His real priority was to use the opportunity to display his strength and distance himself from suspicion — suspicion that he was the "troublemaker who observed another world and caused a shift in human history."
And while clearing his name, he also had to make sure his reputation as the new leader of Arcadia spread throughout the lower layers — so no one saw him as the caretaker of a dying, crippled community.
Only then could he execute his plan. Only then could he quietly step back from the role of "troublemaker" and start searching, in secret, for the opportunity Omega had hinted at —a chance to reach the two digits.
He'd have to control exactly how much strength he revealed. If he slipped up, the gods would hammer him down.
'Let's hope that two-digit opportunity is real…' Ryo narrowed his eyes, ending the thought.
"As long as you know what you're doing," Athena said with a sigh. "Better than drifting aimlessly."
She glanced again at the game description.
As long as Ryo had a plan, she was relieved.
But while reading, she suddenly paused.
"Ryo."
"What is it?" he asked, puzzled.
Athena's expression grew strangely delicate. "I'm a little curious. What is the ritual to become Soul King?"
Ryo's smile turned faint and serene.
"A heart compassionate enough to sacrifice itself without hesitation — a heart worthy of the title 'Soul King.'"
In reality? Cut off both ears. Gouge out the eyes. Remove the tongue. Excavate the internal organs. Amputate all four limbs. Seal oneself in the Soul King Palace for seven days…
Any god capable of willingly doing that… Ryo would personally crown them strongest in existence and even call them dad.
From the start, he had never expected anyone to meet the requirement. Not a single one.
So he wasn't planning to hand out even a cheap Asauchi.
They cost power to make, after all. Better to put them in the Shin'ō Academy trials and let people buy them with gold coins.
Money couldn't do everything… but it could do almost everything.
Athena stared at him a moment longer, then looked away with an elegant roll of her eyes.
As if I'd believe that crap… she thought.
"Everything looks fine on the surface, but you should still have someone like Leticia take a professional look at it," she said aloud.
"I will." Ryo exhaled softly.
"Once this is handled, it's about time for Black Rabbit to start spreading the news." Athena's lips curved with a hint of anticipation.
"Your debut match in seven days… something tells me it's going to be quite a spectacle."
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