"Cole, do you really intend to break into Soul Society?"
On the way back, Rukia looked at Cole seriously.
"You should give up. You don't understand how terrifying Soul Society is. Don't think for a second that what you saw from my brother was his full strength…"
"I know, he was suppressing his reiatsu, right?"
Cole interrupted her, messing up her hair with a grin.
"Relax. Even if I invade Soul Society, I'll be fine. After all, I still have to stay alive so I can keep bullying you."
Rukia's face flushed red, glaring at him. "Do you really have to joke around at a time like this?"
"I'm not joking."
Cole smiled, pulling her along. "Come on, today let's try some kido around level 80."
"Idiot kid, don't touch me there…"
…
Two days passed.
During that time, Cole, Ichigo, Chad, and Uryu all improved greatly.
Chad, especially, spent two days in Hollow-filled spaces and began mastering his Demon Left Arm.
Ichigo's combat skills had also grown sharper, and Uryu refined his control of spirit energy.
Only Orihime had little progress. Cole could only conclude that her power was simply too close to the realm of the gods — improving it was difficult. If she gained just a bit more reiatsu, even Soul Reapers might become footnotes in her autobiography.
"Tell me, are you all really coming with me?"
Cole looked at them seriously. "From what I know, Soul Society is no safe place. I can ensure my safety, but for you guys…"
"Rukia saved my life. I can't just leave her."
Ichigo shouldered Zangetsu firmly.
Chad nodded. "She's my comrade too. And I won't abandon you two either."
Orihime clenched her fists. "If you go somewhere so dangerous, you might get hurt… so I'll come along too!"
Uryu adjusted his glasses. "Don't misunderstand. I'm not here to protect her. I simply want to—"
"Alright, everyone's in agreement!" Cole cut him off.
"Hey, hey! At least let me finish my sentence!" Uryu shouted, veins popping.
Cole laughed. "What's there to say? You're always acting like a tsundere anyway."
Then he turned to Kisuke. "Shopkeeper, begin."
Kisuke nodded, raising his hand. Reiatsu surged as he began chanting.
"My right hand holds the stone that binds boundaries, my left grips the blade that shackles existence. Black-haired shepherd, gallows' chair, descending clouds — I hunt the Vermilion Bird!"
"Kekkaimon!!!"
A wave of power tore through the air. Before their eyes, a massive black fissure ripped open the space, dark and ominous, like a passage into despair itself.
Kisuke smiled. "Mr. Cole, Mr. Kurosaki, Mr. Chad, Mr. Ishida, Miss Inoue, Miss Rukia. I wish you a safe journey! And remember — listen to Yoruichi along the way."
"Honestly, if it wasn't you opening it, I'd think this was a Garganta into Hueco Mundo," Cole muttered, stepping in first.
The others followed, entering the narrow, eerie corridor. Whispers of danger hung in the air — they had heard of the Koryu and the deadly Kototsu that devoured intruders.
"Move! We'll sprint through as fast as possible!"
Cole, with Yoruichi the black cat perched on his head, dashed forward. He swore that this time, if nothing else, he'd steal one of those gates for himself.
After ten minutes of running, they saw light.
…
Meanwhile, in Seireitei, Shunsui sighed in front of the gate. "Ara, ara. It's about time. If Kisuke doesn't send them back soon, I'll have to go in myself."
But he paused, sensing something. Looking skyward, he muttered, "Ah… looks like I won't need to travel after all."
In the sky, Cole's face darkened as he clutched Yoruichi by the scruff. "Yoruichi-san, care to explain why we're coming out a thousand meters above the ground!?"
Yoruichi blinked innocently and meowed.
"Don't act cute! Tell me what Kisuke messed with this time!" Cole snarled.
The black cat finally growled back. "Brat, maybe try showing me some respect!"
"Waaah!" Orihime screamed, clutching Cole tightly. "Cole, are we going to die!?"
"Of course not!"
Cole tossed the cat aside, steadied himself, and drew his golden staff.
"Grow! Grow! Grow!"
In moments, the staff expanded into a colossal golden pillar, smashing into the ground outside Seireitei, carving a crater.
They landed safely atop it, gazing at the fortress.
"Intruders, so brazen!"
Komamura's eyes blazed with fury. "To defile the heart of Soul Society like this… unforgivable!"
Gin just smiled slyly. "If I'm not mistaken, one of them looks like young Miss Kuchiki."
Tosen drew his zanpakuto coldly. "Traitors must be cleansed by blood. Let Suzumushi purify your evil."
Shunsui only sighed at the towering staff. "Isn't this a bit… much?"
Even from outside, nearly every Soul Reaper had seen them. Entering Seireitei by force was no small matter.
Then, as Cole shrank the staff back to size, the pillar vanished.
Shunsui yawned. "Well, since Rukia-chan's already back, I'll take my leave."
Tosen's eyes hardened. "Captain Kyōraku, are you seriously ignoring traitors standing right before us?"
Komamura backed him up immediately. "Capturing them is our duty!"
Shunsui just waved them off. "That's for you and Eleventh to handle. Not my problem." In a flash, he vanished.
Unohana offered a gentle smile. "Then I shall take my leave as well." And disappeared.
Hitsugaya followed soon after.
In moments, only Komamura, Tosen, and Gin remained, glaring like sentinels.
Cole stepped down onto the ground, looking around with excitement.
"So this is Soul Society? Amazing…"
It wasn't modern buildings but old-style wooden structures, like stepping into the Warring States era. But what thrilled him most was the sheer density of reiatsu.
He inhaled deeply. "Unbelievable. It's a thousand times richer than Karakura. Even breathing fills me with spirit energy."
Rukia's eyes softened as she looked around. She never thought she'd return here. "This is the Western 4th District of Rukongai. It's the closest to Seireitei — the spirit energy here is the richest."
She explained the structure: Soul Society consisted of Rukongai and Seireitei. Rukongai spread across four directions, each with 80 districts. The higher the number, the poorer the conditions and thinner the spirit energy.
"The unfairness of resource distribution is even worse than I imagined…" Cole muttered.
Yoruichi leapt onto his shoulder, glaring. "You brat, throwing me like that? I almost broke my neck!"
Cole picked her up by the scruff with a grin. "Who would believe Yoruichi-san could be hurt by a fall?"
"Hmph." She turned away. "Let's move. Seireitei is surrounded by walls and barriers. The only way in is through the gates."
"Barriers, huh?" Cole licked his lips.
Yoruichi flinched. "Don't even think about it! Break the barrier, and old man Yamamoto himself will come. And if he does, every captain will be on you at once."
Cole sighed in disappointment. That monster was not someone he wanted to provoke yet.
Soon, they reached the massive gate.
Ichigo knocked on it curiously with Zangetsu. "So how do we get in, Yoruichi-san—"
"Boom!"
His words cut off as an enormous axe slammed down, forcing his feet into the ground.
Ichigo roared, pushing back with all his strength, forcing the giant weapon away. "Who the hell!?"
A massive figure stepped forward — a four-meter giant, muscles bulging, wielding a great axe.
"Listen well! I am the mighty gatekeeper of Seireitei's West White Road Gate, Ikkanzaka Jidanbo! To pass, you must defeat me!"
"Gatekeeper…?" Ichigo twitched. He saw no 'hero' here.
Yoruichi licked her paw. "Ikkanzaka Jidanbo. Not a Soul Reaper, but a powerful sumo-like warrior recruited four hundred years ago. His strength is terrifying."
Jidanbo grinned, swinging his axe. "Exactly! With me guarding this gate, no one's passed in three hundred years!"
Cole raised a brow. "Then how do Soul Reapers get in and out? Don't tell me they crawl through a dog hole."
Jidanbo: "…"
(End of Chapter)
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