They say when a person receives a shock that is too great, they remain in a defenseless state for a while.
It's like a server crashing because the brain's processing speed can't keep up with an excessive amount of information. Like a server bursting due to an overload of traffic.
That is exactly the situation I am in right now. My brain cannot keep up with the circumstances.
To be honest, since falling into the world of Bleach, I have only had this experience exactly three times.
The first was when I first opened my eyes in this world, the second was when I met the Soul King, and the third is right now.
Just what the hell is going on? No, I have a vague inkling, but that only makes it harder to understand.
'I called it shedding his shell, but did he really achieve enlightenment and become a Buddha?'
At this point, I'm starting to wonder if Kubo is actually a god, dropping me into the Bleach universe just to toy with me for his own amusement.
I mean, if that's not it, then none of this makes any sense.
Why is Kagaya's spiritual power coming from over there? What on earth is that light? And if the person over there really is Kagaya, why did he choose to descend back into this shithole of all places? And why did he go to Hozuki instead of coming to me—?
"Just what... is that?"
I snapped out of it at Jomon's question, which pierced right through the most important point, and wiped my face with my hands.
Yeah, what does any of that matter right now? If I don't know, I can just ask him directly.
"...Tsukiyama Kagaya. He's the first one you cast down into Hell."
"What does that mean...?"
"Hard to believe, right? I can hardly believe my own eyes either."
It's not like my senses have gone dull.
Which is exactly why it's so hard to believe.
"For now, just stay here and do your job. I think I need to head over there for a bit."
The dazed Jomon couldn't muster a reply, but I didn't need one anyway. I left him there and dashed toward the crater where Kagaya's presence was radiating.
When I arrived at the crater, I found Kagaya, his body draped in orange-red cloth, talking with Hozuki.
He even had a halo floating behind his head.
I had been wondering what was illuminating Hell from all directions earlier; apparently, it was that.
'I thought this world just borrowed some concepts from Buddhism, but...'
Even when he shed his shell through enlightenment, I had my doubts. To think he actually became a literal Buddha.
No, but seriously, what the fuck? A real Buddha? Talk about a jumpscare.
They seemed to be discussing something important, so I decided to wait until they were finished.
I sat down on some cooled lava nearby and watched Kagaya in silence.
If he achieved enlightenment, why wouldn't he just live a comfortable life with his feet up? Why set foot back in this shithole?
Is it because he's a Buddha? Or is the world you go to after 'shedding the shell' so packed with work that he came down to scout a successor?
Which one could it be?
I'm actually quite curious.
"What are they talking about for so long..."
I felt like I'd been waiting for twenty minutes, yet the conversation showed no signs of ending.
Becoming genuinely curious about their topic, I closed my eyes and focused my ears on the conversation.
[Instead of listening from so far away, why don't you come closer, Master?]
Rather than hearing a voice, it felt as though the words were hammered directly into my brain. I winced and looked toward Kagaya.
Kagaya, who had been conversing with Hozuki until a moment ago, was now looking my way with a smile.
"What, you can feel that?"
[How could I not notice when you are staring so intently and straining to hear?]
The way he spoke with a gentle smile really made him look like a Buddha.
Well, he technically is one.
"Even after becoming a Buddha, you still have a way of leaving people speechless."
[I merely spoke the truth.]
"And you still won't concede a single word, as usual."
It's strange. If anyone else acted like that, they'd be so incredibly annoying I'd want to beat them to a pulp, but when this guy does it, I don't really get angry.
Maybe it's because he really only says the right things?
As I strode forward, Hozuki's form—previously obscured by the light—became visible. He appeared to have fallen asleep with his eyes closed.
No, wait. Seeing the way he groaned and frowned, he hadn't fallen asleep; he had fallen into deep, agonizing contemplation.
Well, I'm sure Kagaya handled it well.
"It's been a while. Life's been good since the enlightenment?"
[Since I have escaped suffering, my heart is always at peace. Has Master been well in the meantime?]
"I've been getting by. It was somewhat relaxed when I was on my own, but lately, there's so much work I'm practically dying."
The Three Worlds are a mess. Because of some damn Spiritual Power, even innocent people are getting dragged into Hell. And don't get me started on the absolute shitshow they've made of the Soul King, who sacrificed himself for them...
I can't even begin to describe how shocked I was to see the mountain of literal shit they've piled up.
If I listed them out, there are really only two main issues, so people might ask why I'm whining about it being hard.
Yeah, sure, if it were two 'normal' tasks, I'd knock them out with a laugh.
If they were reasonable tasks, that is.
But every single one of these bastards' problems is like a nuclear bomb—we're talking Little Boy and Fat Man levels of disaster.
And then they tell me to manage it? Of course my head is going to split open.
As I let out a deep sigh and scratched my head, Kagaya gave a bitter smile and comforted me.
[That truly sounds like an ordeal. You have worked very hard indeed.]
"To think I'd live to hear those words from you. Then, since you're here, why don't you help me out before you go?"
[As Master knows, I have no physical body, so I cannot offer physical assistance. As I said before I shed my shell, I have cast aside my flesh and spirit; only my mind remains, having escaped the cycle of reincarnation.]
I pulled a face at Kagaya's words.
Who on earth would be crazy enough to ask a Buddha to go out and kill?
"Not that. I've decided to divide Hell, so I need to create laws to judge sins accordingly. I want you to help with that. I don't exactly trust the guy I currently have working on it."
[Ah... You speak of the First Ancestor.]
"What? You know about him?"
[How could I not? Is he not the first sinner in this world to reach the very bottom of Naraka? Living beings with sins of that magnitude can be counted on one hand.]
Was that an insult, or was he just stating that he knows who Jomon is?
Well, I'm sure it wasn't an insult. There's no way a Buddha would engage in 'tea-bagging' by saying, 'Oh yeah, I know that piece of shit well, haha.'
[While I was traveling the Three Worlds after my enlightenment to preach and deliver sentient beings from their agony, I came to know of it. How could I not know when the world was torn asunder, the gates of Hell opened, and a perfectly living being fell into the abyss?]
...It wasn't a joke, right?
Let's assume it wasn't.
"Anyway, give him a hand and help draft the laws."
[If it is a task to save suffering sentient beings, what is there that I cannot do?]
"So you're saying you're not doing it just because I asked."
As I gave a bitter laugh, Kagaya replied with nothing but a serene smile.
Well, I just said it on a whim, so I didn't think much of it.
"So, why did you come to see Hozuki?"
[Because there was a child suffering as he watched the agony of sentient beings. I gave him a short sermon to help him.]
"You didn't help him reach enlightenment?"
[The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao. How can that which has no form be explained with words? I can point out the direction, but one must walk the path solely with their own strength.]
This is some difficult stuff.
I scratched my head and nodded.
"Anyway, I'll be counting on you for a while. I'll go take care of those things over there in the meantime."
[Yes. Then I shall go with the Ancestor of the Tsunayashiro clan to refine the laws.]
"Yeah. Do your best."
He definitely just tea-bagged him. He's basically saying he's the superior now.
Well, at least I don't have to worry about the legal side of things now.
Jomon will explain things better than I can, and Kagaya will be more impartial than I am.
"Having a good disciple makes life easy."
I gave a smirk and went back to smashing the heads of the sinners.
* * *
A long time has passed since then.
In that interval, the number of sinners cast into Hell has exceeded a thousand.
Now, even if I only spend two minutes on each person, it takes 2,000 minutes. That's a whopping 33 hours.
Wow! A day has become 48 hours long!
Like hell it has. I'm currently spending from morning to night just cracking the skulls of these convict bastards.
Still, I haven't abandoned hope. Because the promised time is almost here.
'Fifty years.'
The time promised by Shiryu, Rasatsu, and Myoren.
To be more precise, it wasn't a promise, but rather the predicted lifespan of those three based on their conditions when we last met.
Lifespan, promise—what does it matter?
It's all fine. It just means the workforce is about to increase.
"Just a little more suffering... it's almost time..."
"W-What are you saying...!"
"I'm not talking to you, so stay out of it."
"Aaaaagh!! It's tearing...! I'm being torn apart!!"
If you hate being torn apart, I'll just fold you up.
At the exact moment I folded the waist of a sinner who had used his dick however he pleased—like I was doing origami—it happened.
"...Finally."
I felt the familiar Spiritual Pressure of those three.
And at the same time, another familiar presence approached from behind.
I turned around and locked eyes with Kagaya, who was carrying ten volumes of law books of incredible thickness.
I don't know what happened in the meantime, but Kagaya's face was glowing.
No joke, he was literally shining.
Actually, whatever. None of that mattered.
"Is it done!?"
[Yes. The compilation of the 'Law Code of the Ten Kings' is complete.]
"It's finished!!!"
I cheered with a bright smile.
Finally, I'm free from this unpaid, no-break labor!!
"Finally, freedom..."
I caught a glimpse of Jomon looking delighted, though he looked like he'd been run through the wringer by Kagaya. But since that's his own karma, I couldn't care less!