Chapter 36

Chaos. So much chaos.

It was all that I could see, a senseless chaos that swept throughout the world. Like a giant that cared little for the ants beneath its feet.

Hollows spawning in the world of living, monstrosities that made Gillian's look cute. The skies burning, the sea boiling and the earth trembling... it was horrifying, yet strangely beautiful.

In the middle of this chaos, was a figure. A figure that, much like the chaos around him, shook the air with his mere presence. Monsters that made Vasto Lorde level hollows look tame fell as he raised his hand. The axis of the world shifted as he took a step forward. And people around knelt as he passed by them.

Except for six.

One who wanted balance between worlds.

One who wanted to create some form of order for the people.

One who wanted to push past the stagnation the worlds were in.

One who wanted to give hollows rest and turn them back into plus souls.

One who wanted safety for those around him.

And one who coveted the power of the king.

These six alone did not kneel before the king and instead walked up to him with their heads held high, their steps steady and filled with purpose.

These six convinced the king that he could protect all of creation and its inhabitants with their plan, a plan that involved them sealing him. The king agreed with it with a smile.

It wasn't enough for the last of the six.

The last of the six conspired with the others, tried to convince them how much power they could have. The one who wanted to save the hollows claimed that it was immoral and the one who wanted balance just didn't care as long as the sealing went without a hitch.

With a vote of four against one, four betrayed the king and started dismembering him while he was sealed. And the king was reduced to a husk.

"This… is the Soul King?" I heard the voice of Yhwach, and saw a younger Quincy King sitting in front of the Monk who wanted balance. "Repulsive!"

What followed that was the King grabbing the outstretched arm of the Monk and the arm suddenly mutating before a spectral arm with eyes in its palm engulfed Yhwach and disappeared, taking the King's power with it.

"Your eyes will be closed forever, never to open until the day you die." Monk declared as he walked away from the King, not knowing how wrong he was.

"That was…"

"The truth of this disgusting existence, and my meeting with the one who was behind the tragedy a thousand years ago; not long before I commenced my first assault against Soul Society and clashed with Yamamoto Shigekuni for the first time." Yhwach said and I realized that the visions were over. "My mistake that day was expecting smallest shred of honor from that monk in a meeting under a peace flag instead of treachery like that. A mistake that I don't intend to make again." He declared but I wasn't fully listening, my mind was more preoccupied with mind numbing fear as I realized what this meant.

Yhwach's battle with Yamamoto Shigekuni... the greatest battle of the captain commander's life, where he was forced to use his bankai and still almost died.

Yhwach had fought that battle while his powers were sealed.

This... this was terrifying. Even among the other horrifying realizations I had while inside of Yhwach's visions, this one made me afraid more than anything. Cause it meant that Yhwach with his powers truly was the strongest being in this universe with the sole exception of Adnyeus, the Soul King.

Heh, I knew the name of the Soul King. It was funny how I never thought of him as anything other than a corpse in a crystal before this moment and not the kind savior he was. The kind savior that was betrayed by those around him.

The thought made me clench my hands into fists. Not simply because of what had already happened, but because now I truly understood why that damn bald Monk had been so interested in Ichigo.

The substitute Shinigami was biologically the closest thing to Soul King, even more so than Yhwach and Yhwach was Soul King's son!

I had heard some fans commenting about how lucky it was that the Monk could use Yhwach's corpse as the new Soul King. It wasn't simply because it stopped the merge of the worlds, no, it was lucky because the other choice was Ichigo! That maniac had been preparing to do to Ichigo what he and the nobles of Soul Society did to Ichigo!

"I see that the truth seem to have affected you similarly to how it affected me back in the day." Yhwach said and I raised my head to see the King standing right in front of me. "Now, I would have you answer me. What will you do now?"

And that was the question, wasn't it. What was the answer that was both true to me, cause I couldn't stomach lies right now, and yet wouldn't end up with Yhwach killing me?

"I..." There was only one answer. "I will go back to Seireitei and help my friends. Then I will go bak to the human world."

"Even after everything you learned?" There was puzzlement in Yhwach's voice, but no anger.

"Especially after everything I learned." I declared as I finally looked at the King of Quincies in the eye. "There are things I cherish in the world and if this world will truly end... then I wish to spend a little more time with them while I still can. Enjoy its last moments." I said, keeping my gaze locked with the King.

"...so naive." Then I had a heart attack. "But I guess you are young."

Yhwach looked up. "If you truly cherish it, then you are free to do so. But remember, it will be temporary. For the nine years of power is ending and the final nine days comes closer." He declared before placing his hand on my shoulder. "Cherish the small time you have." And then the shadows swallowed me once more.

----------

"'Especially after everything' was it?" Yhwach said with a sigh. He couldn't understand the view of Cain Walter but he guessed that he was always rather far from others when it came to mentality.

Still, he couldn't help but dwell on the young Quincy's words. Enjoy its last moments...

Maybe there was some sense in his words.

-------------

For those who like my stories, please check out my Patreon where one can become a patron and get the right to vote for which of my stories will get a guaranteed update for the next week or even vote for which one of my snippets will become proper stories and now even get to see my Patreon exclusive lewd short stories that will come out at least once a month! Not to mention every patron is a sign of support for my, in my opinion, subpar stories to get better! Also you guys can get to see my new patron only story, Imprisoned.

patreon.com/user?u=25343580