Entering Soul Society Part 2

"Alright. This gate leads to the Soul Society—the Senkaimon, the World Tunnel Gate. Please listen carefully. I'm about to tell you how to pass through without dying," Urahara said, his usual playful tone absent.

Ichigo exhaled and tapped his badge, releasing his soul from his body. His physical form collapsed onto the ground with a dull thud.

"Whoa," Uryuu, Chad, and Orihime all reacted at once.

"It actually comes out that easily?" Uryuu adjusted his glasses, intrigued.

"So you're not in this Ichigo anymore?" Orihime asked, peering down at his lifeless body.

"Of course not. And don't talk about me like I'm a Pez dispenser," Ichigo muttered before frowning. "Also… why are you guys touching my body?"

Chad had a hand on his shoulder, Orihime was poking his cheek, and Uryuu was inspecting his wrist as if analyzing the craftsmanship.

Before they could respond, Kon popped out of Ichigo's bag, arms spread wide. "Hey! That's gonna be my body for a while, so keep your hands off! Well, except for Orihime, of course~" he added with a smirk.

Ichigo shot him a glare so sharp it made Kon visibly shiver.

Orihime and Uryuu both stiffened, their thoughts aligning perfectly. A talking stuffed animal!?

Chad, on the other hand, did something unexpected. He gently picked Kon up, his eyes slightly wide.

Ichigo's brow twitched. Oh yeah… I forgot. Chad likes cute things.

Chad's massive hands carefully stroked Kon's soft fur, and a faint blush appeared on his face. "…Soft," he muttered.

Kon, for once, was speechless.

"Ahem—Everyone, eyes over here," Urahara called, drawing their attention. "Now then, I shall explain the gate."

Ichigo turned back to him, keeping an eye on Chad in his peripheral vision just in case Kon tried anything weird.

"Alright. The gate is equipped with a Reishi Henkan-ki—a spirit particle conversion machine—on top of a normal World Gate. These two are connected by a covering of Ketsugo-fu—union tags," Urahara explained, waving his fan.

Ichigo nodded slowly, pretending to understand. "Makes sense."

Uryuu glanced at him sideways. "You understood none of that, did you?"

Ichigo shot him a look. "Shut up."

Urahara continued, unfazed. "As you all know, the Soul Society is a world composed entirely of Konpaku—spiritual bodies. It is impossible to enter unless you also exist as a Konpaku. But, aside from Kurosaki-kun, none of you are Soul Reapers. Even if we were to separate your Konpaku from your bodies, you would still be bound by your Chain of Fate, making movement nearly impossible."

He tapped the gate with his cane. "That's where the Reishi Henkan-ki comes in. It converts Kishi—the matter that makes up most things in this world—into Reishi, which composes the Konpaku."

Uryuu caught on first. "In other words, even without removing our Konpaku, if we walk through the gate—"

"Yes! You'll be able to enter the Soul Society looking exactly the way you do now."

Ichigo grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Alright, let's go!"

"Ah-ah-ah~!" Urahara waved a finger. "Now for the most important part. ♡ Passing through the gate itself is no problem. The spirit particle conversion is painless. As long as you keep moving forward, you will reach the Soul Society."

Orihime smiled. "That sounds easy enough—"

"But the problem," Urahara cut in, "is time."

Ichigo frowned. "What do you mean?"

Urahara's expression darkened slightly. "The Senkaimon can only remain open and connected to the Soul Society for a brief time. Four minutes at most."

"Huh!?" Chad reacted.

"That's too short!" Orihime added, worried.

"Shhh, now. After four minutes, the gate closes, and anyone still inside will be trapped in the Dangai—the precipice world between here and the Soul Society… forever."

The air grew tense.

"And if that wasn't enough," Urahara continued cheerfully, "the Dangai has a restrictive current called Kōryū. It paralyzes Konpaku to prevent Hollows and other invaders from entering. If even one of your limbs gets caught in it…" His smile turned sharp. "Your chances of making it through in time drop to zero."

Ichigo clenched his fists. "Tch. So basically, we have to run through like our lives depend on it."

"Correct~! ♡" Urahara chirped.

Just then, a smooth voice chimed in. "No need to be nervous."

A small black cat landed in front of them, its golden eyes gleaming.

Mr. Yoruichi stretched lazily. "I'll be guiding you through. As long as you follow me, you won't get caught. So keep moving, don't stop, and never look back."

Ichigo exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "Alright then. Let's do this."

The moment Urahara activated the portal, a brilliant light surged from the gate, and in the very next second, they dashed inside without hesitation.

As soon as Ichigo's foot hit the ground on the other side, a strange sensation washed over him. The world around them was an endless tunnel of swirling purple and gray, shifting and bending like a living thing. The walls pulsed with energy, their surfaces rippling as if the entire space were constantly breaking apart and rebuilding itself. There was no sky, no ground—just an eerie, unstable void stretching infinitely in both directions.

'How depressing…' Ichigo thought, his eyes narrowing as he took in the distorted surroundings. The sheer unnaturalness of the space made his skin crawl.

Before he could dwell on it further, a sharp voice snapped him back to reality.

"Don't just stand there—run!" Yoruichi's commanding tone cut through the air, filled with urgency.

Ichigo's eyes darted behind them, and his stomach tightened.

A massive, rolling mass of dark energy surged forward like a tidal wave, its form shifting violently as it devoured everything in its path. The Kōryū—the restrictive current. It wasn't just approaching—it was rushing toward them with terrifying speed, the very walls of the tunnel bending under its presence.

There was no time to think.

"Shit!" Ichigo cursed as his feet sprang into motion, his instincts kicking in.

Chad, Uryuu, and Orihime immediately followed, their breaths coming in quick gasps as they sprinted forward.

"Don't slow down!" Yoruichi urged, leading the way. Their golden eyes glowed in the dim light, muscles coiled as they moved with effortless grace. "If you stop for even a second, you're done for!"

Ichigo gritted his teeth, pushing himself forward. The weight of the air around them felt thicker, heavier—like it was actively trying to drag them down. And behind them, the monstrous current loomed closer, its distorted roar growing louder with every passing second.

TO BE CONTINUED

[ A/N: Check out chapter 68 on patreon. Finally about to beat Byakuya. For only 6$. ]