The Soul Society faced another catastrophe.
The Seireitei had yet to recover from the previous disaster, and this time, the chances of making it through were even slimmer.
After sealing Kyoraku Shunsui into the dimensional space, Makoto returned to the Living World.
Just like before, at a time when the Soul Society was in dire straits, their Head Captain had suddenly disappeared.
All Makoto needed to do now was wait for the Soul Society's plea for aid within the next two days.
After Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, there was Kyoraku Shunsui.
But after Kyoraku Shunsui—who would be next?
As Makoto waited patiently, Yahiko suddenly approached him, looking troubled and hesitant, his words evasive and indirect.
Makoto had kept Yahiko in a high-ranking position within the empire because his abilities were useful.
When dealing with outsiders, Yahiko had developed the presence and authority of a true leader.
But in front of the Emperor, all of that crumbled away.
"What is it? Speak." Makoto interrupted impatiently, cutting short Yahiko's rambling.
Only then did Yahiko hesitantly begin, "Your Majesty, this is about... Konan from the other world."
"What about her?" Makoto's gaze locked onto him.
Yahiko immediately felt an overwhelming pressure. "I humbly request that Your Majesty allow Konan to remain in this world."
Makoto raised an eyebrow. "Do I need you to tell me what to do?"
Yahiko instantly knelt down, pleading, "The other world is in turmoil, and Konan has suffered a harsh life since childhood. This world, however, is peaceful and stable—all thanks to Your Majesty. I beg Your Majesty to show mercy and grant her the opportunity to live under the glory of your rule. With Lady Tsunade as a precedent, this should not be difficult for Your Majesty, right?"
The person seated there remained silent for a while.
Yahiko dared not raise his head and simply waited.
After a long pause, he finally heard the other party speak.
"Where did you hear this from?"
Yahiko responded by bowing deeply, saying nothing.
Seeing this, Makoto picked up a communication device from the table and connected to the Solarity Tower.
"Go to Boa Hancock's residence and bring Konan to me."
Then, turning to the kneeling Yahiko, he said, "You may leave."
Yahiko bowed low in gratitude. "Thank you, Your Majesty. Your Majesty is most generous."
Makoto replied indifferently, "Did I say I agreed?"
Yahiko immediately tensed up but still insisted, "Your Majesty is most generous."
Makoto waved his hand, dismissing him.
Only then did Yahiko leave.
Makoto himself wasn't sure why Yahiko was so desperate to plead for Hokage Konan to stay.
When had he ever said he was going to send her away?
What exactly was Yahiko up to?
About ten minutes later, Hokage Konan appeared in Makoto's office.
"Your Majesty." She stood there, visibly tense.
That night at home—the things that had happened, the sounds she had heard from her bedroom—she still remembered them vividly.
It had left a lasting shock on her.
Robin and Nami, whom she had initially thought well of, had actually…
Every time she recalled it, she couldn't help but feel her face heat up.
"Yahiko came to see me just now," Makoto said directly, getting straight to the point.
Hokage Konan's expression froze for a moment before her heart suddenly clenched.
"Yahiko… he…"
"He came to plead with me—about you," Makoto continued.
Hokage Konan immediately felt a wave of panic.
She had already spoken with Yahiko before, trying to reassure him that her current life was fine, that he didn't need to worry.
But before that, she had met with the version of herself from this world.
At that time, she hadn't had any deeper thoughts—she was merely wondering if her other self could offer some advice.
Had Yahiko learned about her current situation through this world's version of herself?
Makoto had been observing Hokage Konan's changing expressions all along.
He spoke calmly, "Yahiko is a very capable person. I had high hopes for him before, thinking he could serve the Empire well."
Hearing his tone, Hokage Konan's face turned pale.
She couldn't help but plead, "Your Majesty… this has nothing to do with Yahiko. Please, don't hold him accountable."
"Accountable for what?" Makoto asked indifferently, his eyes as still as an ancient well, revealing neither joy nor anger.
"You all seem to think you know exactly what I intend to do. You're all so certain about my actions, aren't you?"
Hokage Konan didn't fully understand what the Emperor meant by those words, but she instinctively felt that he was angry.
This Emperor had set his sights on her, and yet Yahiko had come to plead on her behalf…
She bit her lip hard—this was the last thing she wanted to see happen.
In her original world, Yahiko had willingly given up his life to save her.
Was he now going to have his future ruined in this world because of her as well?
No! It shouldn't be like this!
She took a deep breath before bowing deeply toward Makoto.
"Your Majesty… I beg you to forgive Yahiko."
Feeling that this alone wasn't enough to show her sincerity, she then knelt down completely.
Makoto looked at the kneeling Hokage Konan, feeling an odd mix of emotions.
Was it just a misunderstanding on their part, or had some confusion arisen between them?
Hadn't he clearly told Hokage Konan that she could stay in this world?
Back then, she had even wanted to leave…
For a moment, Makoto's thoughts were in disarray.
Hokage Konan waited in silence, but the Emperor still did not respond.
Her mind drifted back to the worry that had been troubling her these past few days—the way this Emperor felt about her…
Lowering her gaze, she bit her lower lip, a trace of sorrow appearing on her usually cold face.
"Your Majesty," she spoke in a soft voice.
"If Your Majesty is willing to spare Yahiko… from now on, I will serve you with all my heart, without any other thoughts."
Knowing that she could not go against the Emperor's will, she had already resigned herself to her fate.
Saying it out loud now felt almost natural, though the sorrow and melancholy in her heart refused to fade.
Makoto rested his hand on the armrest of his chair, propping his chin up as he gazed at her.
"Haven't you already belonged to me for a long time?" he said.
Hokage Konan's eyes wavered slightly at his words, then she lowered her head.
"Your Majesty is right, but… from now on, I will serve with even greater sincerity. I only hope Your Majesty will show Yahiko mercy."
Just a while ago, when Yahiko had come to plead with him, he had also asked Makoto to be merciful toward Hokage Konan.
Makoto now found all of this rather amusing. "I never intended to do anything to Yahiko. He is still young and has many years ahead of him to serve the Empire."
Hearing this, Hokage Konan bowed her head deeply. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Enough, you may leave now," Makoto said, waving his hand dismissively.
Hokage Konan rose to her feet, bowed respectfully once more, and turned to leave.
"One more thing," Makoto added, just as she reached the door.
"Tell Robin, Nami, and Hancock—I'll be visiting tonight."
"…Understood."
.............
"He's coming again tonight?!" Nami stared at Hokage Konan in shock as she returned.
"But… didn't he just come over?"
Hancock, on the other hand, seemed rather pleased. "Isn't it good that His Majesty likes visiting us?"
Nami suddenly realized something.
She glanced at Hokage Konan, then at Robin, who also wore a thoughtful expression.
Hokage Konan lowered her eyes and said softly, "I'll be in my room."
After she left, Nami shrugged and muttered, "Looks like the little rabbit is about to get eaten."
Robin chuckled. "Do you really think she's like a little rabbit?"
"It's just a metaphor," Nami replied nonchalantly.
Hokage Konan wasn't much of a little rabbit—she was more like a cold, delicate flower, about to be mercilessly plucked.
Stretching lazily, Nami flopped onto the couch. "Another exhausting night… sigh."
Hancock couldn't help but say, "Do you really dislike His Majesty coming over? From what I saw, you seemed to enjoy it quite a lot."
Nami curled her lips. "Enjoyment… only lasts for a short while. Most of the time, I have to serve him. Why doesn't he come and serve me for once?"
Robin walked over and nudged her lightly with her foot. "Alright, enough of that. Just get ready. After tonight, we should have some peace for a while."
In Hokage Konan's room, Robin knocked before entering.
She saw Konan sitting quietly on the bed.
Smiling, she walked over. "You don't look too happy."
Hokage Konan said flatly, "I'm fine. It's nothing."
"Is it because of tonight?"
"…"
Of course, Robin knew that Hokage Konan must have heard everything the last time the Emperor visited.
The noise was… quite impossible to ignore.
If their place wasn't a secluded estate, even the neighbors would have heard it.
After a moment of silence, Hokage Konan suddenly asked, "Robin, do you have someone you like?"
Robin paused for a second, then smiled again. "So, you're feeling guilty toward the one you love, aren't you?"
Her mind worked swiftly.
The moment Hokage Konan asked that question, Robin immediately thought of the man who had come looking for her before.
The Empire's Executive Ministers, Lord Yahiko.
And just like Lady Tsunade, Hokage Konan came from another similar world.
Perhaps the one she spoke of—the person she loved—was none other than the Yahiko from that other world.
Thinking it over, Robin felt that Konan was just like herself—just another powerless woman caught in the tides of fate.
"He's already dead," Hokage Konan said sorrowfully.
Robin slowly responded, "Compared to my past life, I think my life now is already much better. If there's anyone out there who still cares about me, they should be relieved to see me living well."
She looked at Hokage Konan and said gently, "The best way to honor those who truly loved you… is to live well yourself."
"…"
Hokage Konan remained silent.
...............
Somewhere within an unknown alternate dimension.
"It devoured the Soul King?!" Kyoraku looked at Yamamoto in utter shock.
Just moments ago, Kyoraku's reiatsu fluctuations had alerted some terrifying entity lurking within the endless darkness.
They had been fleeing without pause ever since, even engaging in a battle along the way.
It was only thanks to Ichibe's intervention that they managed to retreat safely.
"How is that possible?!" Kyoraku found it hard to believe.
He turned his gaze toward the members of the Royal Guard.
Ichibe Hyosube, Kirio Hikifune, Tenjiro Kirinji, Oetsu Nimaiya, and Senjumaru Shutara—each of them possessed captain-class strength, if not beyond.
Their duty had always been to guard the Soul King.
His eyes swept over the gathered individuals, all of whom were once part of his original world, yet none of them currently resided in the Soul Society.
Ichibe then began recounting everything that had transpired.
Several months ago, one day in their original world, all contact with the Soul Society was suddenly severed.
After an extensive investigation, they discovered that the entire Soul Society had vanished without a trace!
Along with it, Hueco Mundo had disappeared as well.
This shocking turn of events sent waves through the Royal Guard.
The Soul Society was an essential pillar of balance in the world—without it, how could deceased souls undergo reincarnation?
However, just a few days after the disappearance of the Soul Society, a new world suddenly emerged.
It bore the same name, "Pure Land," and it too was governed by a Shinigami.
Moreover, within this Pure Land resided a vast number of souls.
Ichibe attempted to make contact with the leader of this new realm.
The overseer was an elderly man with a third eye on his forehead, who called himself the Sage of Six Paths.
The Sage of Six Paths was just as perplexed by the dramatic changes in the world, unable to comprehend why he had arrived here.
He claimed that the world he originated from had never been like this.
Through their exchange, Ichibe came to understand that the Soul Society and the Pure Land from two separate worlds might have been swapped.
However, since both served a similar function—guiding the souls of the deceased to reincarnation—there was still a way to maintain order.
After careful deliberation, Ichibe decided to restructure the world's balance and allow the Pure Land to take the place of the original Soul Society.
Initially, Ichibe had feared that without the Soul Society, the world would collapse.
But from what he had observed, there was still room for adjustment.
The Sage of Six Paths proved to be a man of great wisdom and understanding, and their discussions proceeded smoothly.
During these talks, Ichibe learned that the Sage was merely a temporary custodian of the Pure Land.
The true ruler was a singular existence also referred to as a "Shinigami."
However, this Shinigami had fallen into slumber not long ago after dealing with a particular entity.
In order to stabilize the world, Ichibe gathered all the available forces.
He sought out Urahara Kisuke, the Visoreds, Jushiro Ukitake—who, for some reason, had been left behind in their original world—and others to form a new organization.
Yet, things did not unfold as planned.
Before long, the Shinigami of the Pure Land awakened.
According to the Sage of Six Paths, this Shinigami was supposed to be an absolutely just and impartial existence.
But the entity that had now awakened was nothing of the sort.
It began devouring everything around it without hesitation, growing and evolving at an alarming rate.
The first thing this "Shinigami" did upon waking was to consume the Sage of Six Paths.
Then, it annihilated every soul within the Pure Land, eradicating everything in its domain before setting its sights on the Living World.
The souls of the living, as well as spiritual beings, all became its prey.
This Shinigami was like a bottomless pit—an insatiable void.
Ichibe had attempted to resist, only to find that the entity was far too powerful—beyond anything he could contend with.
In truth, he had no idea what this thing even was.
A Shinigami?
No. This was no god.
This was a monster.
As it devoured everything in its path, it continued to undergo self-replication, producing countless clones of itself that would, in turn, consume everything around them—an endless, terrifying cycle.
Jyshiro Ukitake, the Hogyoku, the Wandenreich... all were devoured by it.
In the end, even the Soul King fell victim to its destruction.
"The Soul King was the cornerstone of the world. Without the Soul King, the world collapsed. We fled into the Dangai, where we suddenly sensed Head Captain Yamamoto's faint reiatsu. Using a special method, we made our way into this space and encountered Head Captain Yamamoto."
"But it followed us here as well..."
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