Chapter 32: The Soul King's Messenger
"You asked me why I didn't resist," the Soul King said softly.
"The answer is simple—because I love you all."
"...Love?"
"Yes. Because I love the souls of the Three Realms, I do not wish to become your chains."
He smiled faintly, eyes deep as galaxies.
"Yes, I could rule everything—become the supreme god—let you dance in the palm of my hand, live and die in blissful ignorance.
But such a cycle would be fragile... no better than the penned lives of pigs and sheep. Tell me, would that truly be happiness?"
Mizuma exhaled, shaking his head. "Of course not."
"That is why," the Soul King said, lowering his gaze,
"I chose to give everything away."
There was something impossibly vast in his expression—aloof as the sky, yet warm as candlelight; a paradox of divinity and tenderness that somehow made perfect sense.
"When I die, there will no longer be an existence capable of destroying everything.
Even if someone seeks to rule all creation, opposition will always arise.
There will always be balance.
And within that balance, the souls of the Three Realms will find freedom—happiness born from choice, not submission.
That is why I chose to welcome death."
"…"
It was... compassion beyond comprehension.
The Soul King's perspective was so immeasurably vast that Mizuma found himself at a loss for words.
He had always tried to be a "good person"—someone who'd risk his life for those he loved, who'd fight for what he thought was right.
But this—this was something beyond goodness.
A saint's will.
If he hadn't seen it himself, he would never have believed such a being could exist.
The creator of everything had not only given life—but, at the end, had gifted his creation with freedom.
…Though, Mizuma thought wryly, Hollows might not share that sentiment.
He rubbed his temples, sneaking a glance at Urahara Rinka, who stood quietly by the throne.
Her face showed no surprise at any of this.
That could only mean one thing—she already knew.
The Shiba clan had refused to participate in the betrayal that tore the Soul King apart, out of sheer outrage.
Mizuma had always thought the other four noble houses were nothing but traitors.
But seeing this… he wasn't so sure anymore.
Perhaps the Urahara family had been following the Soul King's will all along.
Then, the Soul King spoke again, shifting the topic entirely.
"Hmm… it seems you'll be needing a new identity to hide behind, won't you?"
Mizuma blinked. "...Huh?"
The Soul King's smile was as disarming as an older brother's.
It took Mizuma half a second to process his words—and then another half to realize how utterly absurd they were.
This was like stepping out to grab breakfast and tripping over a winning lottery ticket.
"What's wrong?" The Soul King chuckled. "Don't tell me you don't want one?"
"I—of course I do!" Mizuma replied quickly.
As the saying went: fortune favors the bold.
If the Soul King himself offered to lend a hand, he'd be an idiot to refuse.
Still, a flicker of caution made him ask, "But… why help me?"
Silence fell.
The Soul King looked at him for a long moment—
then suddenly burst into laughter, slapping his thigh like a mischievous elder.
"Ahahaha! Watanabe Mizuma… think about your ability."
He tapped a finger against his temple, grinning.
"Do you really think this is our first meeting? Ah—but for you, I suppose it is."
"…What?"
Mizuma's mind went blank.
Wait. Wait, wait—what did he just say?!
"You mean… you've met the future me?" he asked, his voice cracking.
"Is it my Fullbring? Or my Bankai? Don't tell me—I can time travel?"
The Soul King rested his chin on one hand, amused.
"That, I can't tell you. Talking about the future with someone who can manipulate time would severely distort causality. Believe me—you don't want to see that happen."
"…"
Mizuma barely stopped himself from swearing.
Great. Another cosmic riddle-spouter.
"Fine," he muttered, crossing his arms. "I won't ask."
He took a breath, forcing his focus back to the practical.
"You mentioned helping me—what kind of help are we talking about?"
"I can give you an identity," the Soul King said simply.
"How does 'Messenger of the Soul King' sound?"
The title alone sent a thrill through Mizuma's spine.
Even without knowing what it entailed, his mind instantly conjured up dozens of possible uses for it.
"…If it's not some full-time job, then I'd say it sounds great."
The Soul King laughed lightly. "Don't worry, there's no actual work involved. After all, we both know this title isn't real."
He winked. "The true Messenger is a hereditary title of Rinka's family. But as you can see—she's right here. So no one will suspect a thing."
"That… does make sense," Mizuma said, rubbing his chin. "So how do I prove this identity?"
"That's simple. I'll give you a token."
The Soul King turned toward Rinka and gestured casually.
"Rinka, lend me your Spirit Weapon for a moment."
"No," she said flatly.
Mizuma blinked.
Even the Soul King looked mildly taken aback.
"Excuse me?"
Rinka folded her arms, glaring. "I just have a bad feeling you're about to do something gross to this kid."
"What are you talking about?" The Soul King sighed. "Just hand it over."
She stared at him for a few seconds longer—then, grumbling under her breath, unshouldered the heavy binding chain she carried, thrusting it forward like a loan she didn't trust.
"If you mess this up, I'm going on strike."
"Please don't," the Soul King said dryly. "If you go on strike, the world will literally fall apart."
He took the chain with both hands, fiddling with its end in a very un-godlike manner—poking, adjusting, doing something inscrutable—before handing it back.
Rinka snatched it, inspecting every inch with an increasingly sour expression.
Watching the exchange, Mizuma couldn't help but think, Why does this feel so familiar…?
Then it hit him.
Oh right—this is just like Lisa scolding Kyōraku.
Once the tinkering was done, the Soul King turned back to Mizuma.
"It's simple," he explained. "After you leave here, cast Hadō #1 on Rinka's chain. The mark I've hidden within it will appear. It's your token—anyone who understands will know you serve as my Messenger."
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〔TL〕
Every 100 powerstones = 2 bonus ch.
Every 2 review after 100 ps = 1 bonus ch