A Chance Granted by the Soul King

Stepping out of the Path of the Uninvited, Seiya's breath began to steady, the fatigue on his face fading with each exhale.

He instinctively stood tall and glanced back—the narrow path he had walked seemed vividly etched into his memory.

Though no longer than a dozen meters, it had felt like years to him.

That strange dissonance between reality and perception stirred something within him. Familiar things—once deeply known—now carried new meaning.

The world itself felt… restructured.

The profound, almost mystical shift in sensation made Seiya reflect silently.

"Ah, well done."

A loose robe, bearing the style of the Soul King Palace, was handed to him.

Hyōsube Ichibē smiled broadly.

"How was it? The Path of the Uninvited I prepared for you?"

Donning the robe, Seiya flexed his hand thoughtfully.

It truly was different.

He had thought it was more symbolic than effective—but instead, it had unified the dual forces within him.

The fusion of Shinigami and Hollow powers—something even Ichigo had only achieved after reforging his blade—was now complete within Seiya.

Unexpected, and impressive.

He glanced toward Ichibē and gave a small nod.

"You've helped me a great deal."

"Ga-ha-ha! Just as the Soul King intended—to show our sincerity. See? I wasn't making things up."

Indeed, if that ritual was their gesture of goodwill, it had earned some genuine respect.

Seiya adjusted his robe and tied up his now-dried hair into a high ponytail.

"So, Ichibē-senpai—does this mean your trial is over?"

His voice firmed, rising slightly with purpose.

"And next… I'm to meet the Soul King?"

"Exactly!"

Ichibē nodded and turned, leading the way up an ascending passage.

"You've shed your worldly shell and refined your spirit. Now—you are worthy to stand before the Soul King."

They walked on, through dark halls and endless stairs, ascending ever upward—until the path suddenly opened up.

A massive, platform-like expanse greeted them. No columns, no walls—only a mirror-smooth floor, a distant ceiling, and the blue sky beyond.

Its sheer openness was breathtaking.

For a brief moment, Seiya felt… insignificant.

There, suspended midair by four chains piercing through it, was a crystalline structure. It looked like a creature encased in amber—strange, alien, and unsettling.

Led by Ichibē, Seiya drew closer. The nearer they approached, the more defined it became.

"This is your first audience with the Soul King, correct?" Ichibē asked.

"Yes."

"Then observe carefully. This is the one who governs all Three Realms—whose sacrifices have shaped the world."

They stopped ten meters from the crystal. This was the designated viewing distance.

Ichibē took a respectful step back.

"This," he said solemnly, "is the Soul King."

Seiya raised his head to look.

And saw… a thing.

Not a man.

Not by appearance.

What he saw defied all expectation—a body stripped of limbs, suspended, stripped of humanity. Only a torso and head remained. The expression was vacant, hollow, staring ahead into nothing.

This was the Soul King?

Seiya's eyes narrowed.

He had known this. The narrative had told him. But to witness it in person… made his chest tighten.

The aloof god who saw mortals as ants, who felt no empathy—that was what he had prepared for.

And yet… all he saw was a broken man. Encased in crystal. Rendered mute and powerless.

No grandeur. No divine majesty.

Just… a sealed relic of a man.

Sensei…

He wondered what Aizen would think if he saw this. Would he still believe in the dream he pursued?

Before the thought could settle, something stirred.

A pulse. Not sound, but presence. A surge of information—compressed, packaged—slammed into Seiya's mind.

It wasn't communication. It was transmission.

And in a blink, Seiya understood things he hadn't before.

"Ugh…"

He staggered back, clutching his head, dazed.

Visions—flashes of faces, weeping, screaming. Blood. A figure cloaked in fury walking toward the palace, wading through oceans of corpses.

"!!!"

The weight of it made his breath catch.

Incredible…

He finally understood how the Soul King could command the world without moving, without speaking.

This being transmitted whole worlds of knowledge in an instant—an unimaginably efficient form of communication.

As he adjusted to the flood, Seiya began parsing what he had seen.

So many futures.

So many possibilities.

And among them—one where everything was lost.

"You've seen it, haven't you?"

Ichibē's voice cut through.

"That is the Soul King's decree."

"He sees time, Seiya. There are no secrets from him."

"And now… the Soul King has shown you one such possible future."

So it was a vision of what could be.

Seiya's eyes narrowed.

"You mean… the timeline where Yhwach destroys everything… That future is real?"

"I can't say for sure. But yes, it could happen. That is what the Soul King showed us."

He fell silent.

A moment passed before Ichibē added—

"But you, Seiya… your efforts have already been recognized. That is why the Soul King is willing to involve you."

"Involve me…?"

Seiya's lips parted, then closed again. He inhaled deeply.

"Please, go on."

Ichibē did not mince words.

"As I said—changing the flow of fate isn't easy. But you now have that power."

"You are no longer bound by the current. You stand apart. You can act."

"But this isn't your board, Seiya. This is the Soul King's game."

Seiya's brows furrowed.

"So you want me to stop interfering? To follow the script you've written?"

"Let the Gotei 13 fall. Let Yamamoto die. Let the Royal Guard be defeated. Let the Soul King be absorbed…"

"All of that… is the future you've planned?"

If anyone else had heard him, they would've fainted on the spot.

But Ichibē knew—the truth behind those words.

He didn't respond immediately.

"I cannot claim to understand the Soul King's motives. But if He chose this path… perhaps it's because only through such catastrophe can balance be restored."

"Even disease must run its course before it can be purged."

A chilling rationale.

The Soul King had gambled even his own life in this scenario. No wonder Ichibē said he didn't understand it fully.

But Seiya couldn't accept that.

He clenched his fists. His voice trembled.

"But everything I've done… was to stop that future."

He had worked to prepare the world. To minimize loss. To protect the innocent.

And now the Soul King was telling him to stop?

Was all of it meaningless?

Before he could speak further, Ichibē interrupted.

"And so, Seiya… the Soul King offers you two choices."

He raised two fingers.

"One—abandon your plans. Let the world unfold as we've foreseen."

"Or two…"

He paused, gaze piercing.

"The Soul King grants you a chance."

"You may continue on your path. Try to change the flow. Use every tool, every ally, every strategy you possess."

"But you must first follow His commands—until a certain point. After that, you are free to act."

"You may prepare as you wish. There are no limits on how."

But—

"There will be a cost."

Ichibē's tone turned grave.

"The road ahead will be lined with thorns, Seiya. And you will walk it alone."

To spare others… he must suffer.

"Defying the Soul King carries consequence. If you fail—"

"You will not reincarnate."

"You will not go to Hell."

"You will be erased. Completely."

He pointed at Seiya.

"You will cease to exist."

Now—

What is your answer?

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Powerstones?

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