A dark ink painting slowly unfolded in Asano Kiyoshi's mind. As the ink churned and shifted, it formed blood-colored flowers, like congealed petals blooming from the edges of the heavens. They came in endless waves, painting a path of firelight. As the crimson sea of blossoms surged, waves of heavy floral fragrance carried a subtle, sorrowful melancholy from some unknown place—enveloping, then consuming everything.
As Kiyoshi watched, the scroll began to display a detailed description of this crimson sea:
Unlocked: Path of the Afterlife
Description:The Path of the Afterlife, also called the Road of Firelight, is formed from countless death flowers. These blossoms bloom for a thousand years and wither for a thousand years. The flower and its leaves never meet—forever separated, never able to glimpse each other, like the sky and the earth, distant and unattainable.
First Ability: "Beneath the Road lie bones; blood hollowed, and crimson weeps."The flowers feed on blood and bones. For every worthy enemy the host kills, the blossoms will absorb a portion of that enemy's abilities to use as nourishment. The powers extracted may include:
Spiritual energy
Unique soul traits
Physical strength
Personal skills or abilities
Second Ability: "Youth refuses to stay."Regret lingers long. In the moment of falling petals and drifting blossoms, one climbs a lonely tower—hoping only to see someone again. The host may offer their own flesh and blood to nourish the flowers, simply for a single glimpse of the one they long for. After unlocking the Path of the Afterlife, all healing-related abilities gain a permanent boost.
Effect Explained:Any healing technique used by the host not only restores health but also increases maximum vitality, and can cleanse all negative effects—including internal injuries, diseases, poisons, and curses. The cleansing strength depends on time and the host's own power level.Healing techniques include, but are not limited to:
Spiritual healing arts
High-speed regeneration
Medicinal treatments
As crimson petals danced in the sky, Kiyoshi was momentarily lost for words. The beauty was so breathtaking, it could draw tears from the soul.
But what moved him even more were the two powers of the Path of the Afterlife. If the powers from the Gate of the Dead gave him a way to resist overwhelming threats and grow stronger, then these two new abilities meant that Kiyoshi's growth no longer had a ceiling.
The first power—absorbing abilities from slain enemies—meant that in theory, as long as Kiyoshi accumulated enough, he could one day reach the level of the Soul King.
The second power turned Kiyoshi into a rare dual-type: someone who could both fight and heal. More importantly, this meant he could train by pushing his body past its limits—and heal himself in turn. As long as the strain and recovery balanced, he could fight without true risk of harm.
And perhaps most importantly: Ukitake, Yamamoto, Unohana... all those he cared about. He could now remove the hidden injuries and illnesses within their bodies.
And that wasn't the end of it.
In his battle against that pig-faced hollow, his spiritual pressure had been refined and tested to the limit—resulting in a breakthrough. He had successfully risen to Fourth-Class spiritual pressure.
It was only thanks to the power boost from this level that he managed to narrowly defeat that monstrous hollow.
As his gaze returned to the scroll, new stats began to appear:
Host: Asano Kiyoshi
Swordsmanship: 34(Your transformed spirit body has dramatically enhanced your combat power. As long as your energy holds, just keep swinging.)
Unarmed Combat: 33(Your spirit-forged body is like steel—embrace the thrill of battle!)
Spiritual Arts: 40(Perfect control of spirit particles. Perfect timing. Perfect understanding. You've reached the current peak.)
Movement Skills: 37(Though you've mastered spiritual control, you're still adjusting to your strengthened body—movement feels a little off.)
Spiritual Pressure: Fourth-Class, 2%(Can be increased through spiritual training and defeating enemies.)
Overall Assessment: 144(You now possess the strength of about the fifteenth seat in a typical squad. You've taken another step toward seizing your own destiny.)
Spiritual Blade: Gates of the Underworld
Initial Release Command (Half-Unsealed):"Scatter like the heavenly light and fade away—Afterlife!"
Initial Release Ability:Upon activation, all abilities tied to the Gate of the Dead and the Path of the Afterlife receive double effectiveness.(Note: This does not include special abilities, and the absorption effect from the first ability of the Path of the Afterlife is excluded.)
Final Release Command: Unknown
Next Unlock Scene: Longing Platform – Current Progress: 2%
Asano Kiyoshi stared at his transformed stats, his heart stirring. At last, he had power—enough to survive.
But he didn't let this small step go to his head. He remembered:Kurosaki Ichigo went from an average soul reaper to a force rivaling the highest captains in just two years.Gin Ichimaru graduated from the academy in three months.Hitsugaya rose from a powerless child to a captain-class warrior in less than ten years.
Compared to them, his own talent was nothing remarkable. No matter how vast his potential, until it bloomed, he was still just a promising soul—not a powerful one.
He lacked their experience, their resolve. And in this world, filled with unnatural and twisted powers, enemies could develop counters tailored specifically to your skills.
Even Yamamoto, with all his strength, had been manipulated by Aizen and Yhwach. His compassion and restraint had become weaknesses.
Even Yhwach—with his all-knowing, all-powerful eyes—was slain by a single arrow. And then by Ichigo.
Kiyoshi had no illusions. He had no room for arrogance.
Settling his thoughts, he closed his eyes and focused on the abilities granted by the Path of the Afterlife.
As the scroll's image faded, a dark red, eerie flower bloomed beside him. The moment it appeared, he could feel his recovery dramatically increase, and his body become lighter, more agile.
Old wounds from his time in the outer districts began to heal. Shallow scars vanished completely, replaced by smooth, unblemished skin.
Feeling the overwhelming vitality surging through him, Kiyoshi smiled softly—unable to contain the joy welling up inside.
At that very moment, a breeze drifted through the window—cool, damp, and refreshing in the early summer afternoon.
But while Kiyoshi sat in quiet meditation, a pair of cold, shadowed eyes passed over his hospital room.
Kōmyōda Kojirō stood at the corner of the hallway, watching Kiyoshi with a gaze full of sorrow and resentment.
He covered the bruises beneath his sleeve, let out a long sigh, and turned to leave the hospital.
That day, a light rain fell over the Soul Society. The summer heat faded, but left behind a heavy, oppressive silence.