I stood there staring at the Soul King—now completely solidified—and spat out a string of curses. Just then, my dear disciple stepped slowly out from behind him.
His face, as usual, was unreadable. It was a different kind of inscrutable compared to the Soul King.
"It's been a hundred years, disciple of mine. You haven't shown your face or even sent a greeting during all that time. What brings you all the way here now?"
I already knew exactly what he was here to do, but I asked with a smile, feigning ignorance.
Sure enough, my disciple stepped out from behind the Soul King with a bitter smile and spoke.
"My apologies, Master. Ever since you vanished from the forest, I have been far too busy managing its affairs. But more than that... as you surely know, researching and deciphering the power of the Soul King—a being beyond the heavens—took a considerable amount of time."
You're being quite wordy.
Well, I suppose you have your reasons.
"I suppose it can't be helped if you were busy. So, how is it? Does it feel like you're dying, having to take over all the work your Master used to do?"
"Yes. I truly thought I might die. To think you were handling such a grueling task all by yourself..."
"Of course. Who do you think I am? I'm the only man who ever became buddies with the Soul King."
As I chuckled and continued talking, my disciple countered me nonchalantly, his hands fidgeting slightly.
Clenching and unclenching his fist like that was a habit he had whenever he felt anxious, but I didn't bother pointing it out.
Because right now, he was 'acting' the part of being anxious.
Maybe it was because I'd spent so much time with the Soul King—who had about as much emotion as a pebble—that I could now pick up on even the slightest shifts in emotion instantly.
'What is he aiming for?'
I threw that question into the back of my mind, but it wasn't because I actually didn't know.
Being the coward and perfectionist that he was, the only reason he'd show his face here was because he'd finally found a way to seal the Soul King completely.
Of course... he must have something else prepared, which is why he's putting on this pathetic performance.
Could it not be an act? No, it definitely was.
As for what he's aiming for...
I don't even need to look to know.
"Right. It's been a while, so shall we chat? I'm a bit tired after fighting to the death with the Soul King, after all."
"...Yes. Let us do that."
You might ask why I don't just kill him when I know what he's after and who his target is.
Why start now? If I had wanted to kill him, I would have crushed his skull the very moment he thought about killing me.
But the reason I didn't was because of the original story.
...Well, that was the reason in the past.
'Therefore, I ask that you protect them.'
The Soul King gave up his own life for the sake of a new world and left me with that request. I have to honor it.
I briefly wondered if I still needed to protect things now that the Soul King has become the linchpin, but I brushed the thought aside.
If I were to kill my disciple here, I would be negating the choice of the Soul King who entrusted his life to the future. More than that, I'd be negating my past self who respected that choice enough to look away as my friend died.
"So, how did you manage to cage the Soul King?"
"I studied the transparent wall that surrounds him and used it against him."
The transparent wall? Is he talking about the thing I shattered with my fists before?
I see he saw that, too.
"When did you see it?"
"I confirmed it the first time you shattered the 'Wall' the Soul King was wearing, Master."
Just as I expected.
I smacked my lips and looked at the Soul King, now trapped inside that crystal-like formation.
The more I look at it, the more he looks like a taxidermy specimen. It feels disgusting.
Staring at it was only going to sour my mood, so I flopped backward and looked up at the sky.
The sky was damnably clear. Almost as if it were blessing a new beginning.
My thoughts kept wandering.
"...Impressive. So, what were the results of your research? Into that transparent wall?"
"A wall of Paradox (逆理) that counters the Natural Order (順理) by Rejecting (拒絶) all phenomena. To put it simply... it is a wall that nullifies all external physical phenomena and interference from other events."
"Pfft... What a nasty ability. So you're saying he was basically invincible?"
"However, considering he could still interfere with the outside from the inside, it is a truly nonsensical power."
"Terrifying. Simply terrifying. He was sitting in a safe zone, controlling Reishi and blasting off cannons while hiding behind such a broken skill?"
Well, I already knew that.
It was Shun Shun Rikka—the ability Inoue Orihime had.
I wondered what it was at first, but after hearing the explanation, it clicked immediately.
The reason I still remember Inoue's name is because she was the main heroine of Bleach, and more importantly, because her breasts were the size of watermelons.
'She was like a second Shihoin. No, maybe I shouldn't categorize her like that.'
Yoruichi of the thighs, Inoue of the watermelons.
Hmm.
I thought for a moment before slamming my fist into my own temple.
The impact was so strong that the shockwave traveled through my head and left a crater in the ground on the opposite side.
My brain rattled, but I recovered instantly.
Naturally, I didn't lose consciousness. I've become far too strong to be knocked out by something like this now.
Of course, it seemed to be a huge shock to my disciple who was watching right next to me. He forgot his act entirely and just stared at me, blinking his eyes.
"...Why did you just harm yourself?"
"Huh? Oh... uh. This? I think I'm going senile. I keep having these shitty thoughts."
The truth was that I've been a virgin for over a hundred years and was so busy fighting my ass off that I couldn't even find time to rub one out, but I didn't want to admit that to my disciple.
*Your Master's libido has broken past its limits, so he's hallucinating nonsense.*
Who would want to know that? And who the hell could say that out loud?
"Anyway. So, you're saying that seal utilizes that same principle?"
I tossed the conversation topic back to him to make it easier to talk, but my disciple couldn't find his words for a while.
Was it really that shocking? I shut my mouth and reviewed the situation from a moment ago.
A Master you haven't seen in a hundred years approaches you naked with his junk swinging around, suddenly punches himself in the temple, and says he thinks he's going senile...
'Yeah, it's understandable he'd be shocked.'
I'll give him that one.
Since I was a True Master who understood my disciple's heart, I waited patiently for him to regain his senses and continue the story.
"...You asked about the seal."
"Yeah, that's right. You said you used the Soul King's wall?"
"Yes. By taking the characteristic of 'Rejecting' external phenomena and reversing it, I made it 'Reject' internal phenomena, then fixed it in that state. However, because the characteristic of being able to interfere with the outside from the inside was also reversed... it is now possible for the outside to interfere with the inside."
"You'd better guard it well. If someone kills the Soul King, all hell will break loose."
He dies at the end of the original story anyway... but there's no need to tell him that.
With that thought, I watched the floating clouds with a lethargic expression.
"Just how far ahead are you looking?"
"At least further than you're thinking."
When I gave that answer with a smirk just to mess with him, the disciple standing next to me began to slowly back away.
"Is it my turn after the Soul King?"
"...Master. No... you are a threat too great for this world."
"So you won't even call me Master anymore?"
"Because the play-acting is no longer meaningful. In the first place, you never viewed me as a disciple, did you?"
"You caught me."
Then I can say this now, right?
"I've never had a disciple like you."
As I said that with a chuckle, Tsunayashiro closed his eyes.
"Way of Binding (Bakudo) Number One: Sai (Restrict)."
My body felt just a tiny bit stiff. How should I describe it? It felt exactly like the moment right before you stretch after waking up from a nap.
I was about to move my body to shake it off as a warm-up, but the Shihoin woman's voice rang out from behind me.
"Way of Binding (Bakudo) Number Two: Shito (Roost)!"
"Is that you, Shihoin? How can a tomboy like you even use Kido? How did you pull that off? Usually, you wouldn't be able to handle this."
I wondered if the reason they were late was because they were teaching this tomboy Kido.
As I laughed at the thought, Shihoin's face contorted as if she were about to burst into tears.
"Why the long face? This was your choice."
"I won't let you speak any further. Way of Binding (Bakudo) Number Three: Okswae (Jade Shatter)."
With a cracking sound, the surroundings warped, making it uncomfortable to move. It felt like trying to push through thick brush.
Next to appear was Shiba.
However, unexpectedly, Shiba didn't use Kido on me. Instead, he fell to his knees and slammed his forehead against the ground.
"...I won't make excuses and say this was the only way. I am sorry. I am sorry. I am so sorry."
The guy who talked so much shut his mouth right after that.
It was so unexpected that I just blinked, while Tsunayashiro frowned and waved his hand.
"Way of Binding (Bakudo) Number Four: Jeoseung (The Beyond)."
"Hic... sob... Tsuna-san... I... I... I can't do this..."
As the fourth Bakudo wrapped around my body, Kuchiki Myoren appeared, weeping loudly.
Tsunayashiro, clenching his teeth, moved his hand once more.
"Way of Binding (Bakudo) Number Five: Chwidolsamseom (Triple Bolt Strike)."
After that came Rikujokoro (Six-Rod Light Restraint), Hyapporankan (Hundred-Stepped Railing), Sajo Sabaku (Sajo Sabaku), Goshitekkwan (Five-Pillar Iron Crest), Kyuyobaku (Nine-Solar Bind), Muken (Inner Gate), Hiyaku (Secret), and Kin (Prohibit). A total of thirteen Bakudo weighed down on me and suppressed me.
"The Thirteen-fold Eternal Seal (십삼중영결).... These are thirteen Bakudo created for the sole purpose of sealing you. No matter who you are, you shouldn't be able to move while bound by all of these."
"I guess so."
Oh, I'm actually floating in the air even if I relax and let my body go limp. This is actually pretty comfortable.
I enjoyed the feeling of floating in the air with a relaxed body for a short moment.
"So, is this the end?"
I looked at Tsunayashiro and asked.
Is this really all they have?
"Hahahaha! So this was indeed why you summoned me."
However, the answer didn't come from Tsunayashiro, but from another voice entirely.
"...You monk."
I glanced back to see Ichibe Hyosube looking at me with those eyes that were still uncomfortably large.
"Pray call me Dharma as you did before, Forerunner."
"Forerunner, my ass. You've got me tied up like a common criminal. So, what are you here for?"
"You ask the obvious! Why... I am here for peace, of course."
As Ichibe Hyosube spoke, he drew the massive brush he carried on his back.
"Blacken."
Ichimonji
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