Yoriichi led the three revived First Generation Captains and Kisuke Urahara into Hell.
According to Yoriichi, they came from the Sixth Layer of Hell—Hachikan Jigoku, where some experts with second-tier spiritual power were imprisoned.
However, due to Hell's vastness and environmental influences, even after centuries of exploration, the Sixth Layer remained incompletely explored.
Their previous escape was purely by luck.
However, when they arrived again this time, that so-called luck was no longer present.
According to Kisuke Urahara, Yoriichi Tsugikuni made some adjustments to the order of Hell.
In an instant, the locations of the Sinners in the first four layers suddenly changed.
The Sinners barely surviving on the First Level were astonished to find that their surroundings had undergone a massive transformation.
The original labyrinthine environment, constructed from massive stones, had become an endless brown plain.
Thick purple mist permeated the plain; just one breath would cause dizziness, weak limbs, and an inability to stand up.
The Hell's Intent around them had disappeared, but they couldn't be happy at all.
Because, in their opinion, this transformed environment was even more terrifying than Hell's Intent.
"Ah…" The purple mist penetrated their bodies like a persistent illness, causing them to let out wails of varying intensity.
It was as if every cell in their bodies was being trampled.
They lay on the ground, looking like a group of corpses from afar, only the occasional cries indicating that they were still alive…
Being alive was far more painful than being dead; some Sinners wanted to commit suicide, but they didn't even have the strength to stand up.
Moreover, in this boundless wilderness, they couldn't find any tools to commit suicide.
They couldn't just bash their heads in.
Without strength, no matter how much they tried, they would only get a large bump.
Kisuke Urahara watched this scene quietly, nodding slightly, clearly very satisfied.
As he expected, the altered First Layer of Hell could suppress any Sinners below the Vice-Captain level.
Kisuke Urahara nodded and said, "Continue, Yoriichi, don't have any psychological burden; they were all extremely evil people in life."
"Now that you control the authority of Hell, you should be able to see the extent of their sins in life."
"Those with lighter sins, move them to the next layer, Solitary Hell."
"Make the transformed Third Layer—Burning Hell—the place to imprison those Sinners with spiritual pressure."
"This way, it can be ensured that only high-level experts with deep sins can enter the Fourth Layer, Living Hell."
"If they kill each other, there won't be any problems."
"As for the Fifth Level, it's best to swap it with the Sixth Layer."
The Fifth Level was originally Daikou Netsu Jigoku; if it were swapped with the Sixth Layer's Hachikan Jigoku… Yoriichi immediately understood Kisuke Urahara's intention.
"So…" After making a judgment on the current first six layers of Hell in his mind, Yoriichi slowly spoke.
"Will this adjustment ensure that the order of Hell returns to normal?"
"First Layer Miasma Hell, Second Layer Solitary Hell, Third Layer Burning Hell, Fourth Layer Living Hell, Fifth Level Hachikan Jigoku, Sixth Layer Daikou Netsu Jigoku…"
Indeed, after this adjustment, no matter how powerful the Sinners, they would probably find it difficult to bear the dual pressure on their bodies and minds brought by the environmental changes.
After barely enduring the miasma that rendered them powerless, they would then face the pursuit of Hell's Intent.
After escaping, extreme high temperatures would rush towards them.
Even if they managed to pass through the three layers of Hell, they would then face the dilemma of mutual slaughter.
The Fifth Level was extreme low temperature, capable of freezing the souls of Sinners.
The Sixth Layer… After all this torment, even the three First Generation Captains beside him, who had experienced these things before, couldn't help but change their expressions.
They all looked at Kisuke Urahara, muttering to themselves, "This guy looks kind, but why are his thoughts so dark?"
"Even Baraggan would probably shed a layer of skin if he came."
…
Kisuke Urahara seemed to notice the gazes of the three Captains and laughed, saying, "Don't look at me like that."
"All of this is for the peace of the Three Realms."
"The suffering of those Sinners is the nourishment of Hell; as long as Hell's appetite is satisfied, Hell will not expand outwards."
"I am not a bad person, because even if we hadn't come, they would still be in immense pain."
"And the reason for all of this is their evil deeds in life."
"You can't pity those evil people, can you?"
What he said made sense; Hell was never a good place, and most who arrived there were villains.
It was like a prison; if you didn't have a few lives on your hands, you wouldn't even be embarrassed to stay there.
Although Yoriichi could see their sins after gaining control of Hell, unfortunately, there were just too many of them…
Hell would absolutely not agree to take them all away.
In such a situation, choices had to be made.
If they couldn't be taken away, then they could only be placed in a relatively safe place, such as the Second Layer's Solitary Hell.
Since they wouldn't die, in the future, when the relationship between the Three Realms and Hell reached a delicate balance again, perhaps they could all be taken out for reincarnation.
Thinking of this, the three Captains fell silent, only sighing inwardly.
Yoriichi silently manipulated Hell, quickly completing the changes to the first six layers.
As for the deeper layers of Hell… he would only be able to judge after experiencing them.
Everyone walked towards the depths of Hell.
…
At the same time.
On the other side.
kokuto, located in the Fourth Layer Burning Hell, fell silent as he looked at an opponent who suddenly appeared before him.
He looked around… That white, sinkhole-like arena, if he remembered correctly, this should be the Second Layer's Living Hell.
No…
Have I been in Hell for too long, experiencing hallucinations?
How did I end up on the Second Layer?
This bizarre scene made his mouth twitch violently, and confusion, like a tide, engulfed him, a sense of absurdity rising within his heart.
Immediately after, he quickly regained his composure, slightly raising his eyes to look at the person directly opposite him.
That was a young man.
A striking purple cloak, a chain around his neck, and a slender body that looked fragile, yet exuded a chilling oppressive force.
It just so happened that the young man also looked at him.
Judging by their expressions, both sides were puzzled by what was happening before them.
However, one thing was certain: everything happening before them was real.
Because if only he was hallucinating, then his opponent wouldn't have the same expression as him.
kokuto took a deep breath, before he could speak.
The young man directly opposite suddenly asked:
"Hey, my name is Hibasa, what's your name? Do you know what happened?"
It was utterly outrageous; Hibasa had finally found a few like-minded subordinates, preparing to break through Hell in the future.
But he didn't expect that just as he gathered those subordinates, the scene before him inexplicably changed.
Even those subordinates were all separated.
And Living Hell had countless arenas; only the victor could leave, and its scope was immense.
Moreover, even if he won, he didn't know what the next layer of Hell would look like.
It could be said that his plan had died before it even began.
Damn it.
Directly opposite, kokuto had a vague impression of the name Hibasa, but only that he had heard it before.
He also shouted loudly, "My name is kokuto."
After speaking, he fell silent, only gripping the blade in his hand tightly.
This was a pure black long blade with a lightning-like hilt.
No matter what happened, entering Living Hell meant a battle had to commence.
He knew well that speaking too much would lead to mistakes.
In his life, he had committed heinous acts to protect his sister; after death, to protect himself, he naturally wouldn't hold back.
Hibasa seemed to notice kokuto's change in attitude and couldn't help but let out a cold snort:
"Kid, you're very arrogant, do you think you can defeat me already?"
"Don't worry, you won't succeed."
"If you ask why?"
"Naturally, it's because…"
He lightly gripped his palm.
Boom.
A long sword formed from flames instantly appeared in the air, gripped tightly in his hand, emitting a surging explosion.
He faced kokuto, saying arrogantly:
"I am the strongest in the Fourth Layer."
When Sinners died in Hell and were resurrected, the miasma of Hell would merge into their bodies.
There was a very small chance that this miasma would grant them special abilities.
Controlling flames was one of them.
This was also his capital for running rampant in Burning Hell and recruiting subordinates.
kokuto… a name he hadn't heard of.
What kind of small fry.
…
…
The changes in Hell caused many situations within Hell to change.
In the current era, kokuto and Hibasa, who originally had no connection, would normally only become enemies a hundred years later due to Kurosaki ichigo's complete Hollowfication.
However, now their battle had begun prematurely.
And this change was also noticed by the Sinners who originally lived in the Fifth Level of Hell.
The scorching high temperature around them instantly turned into surging cold winds; the pale cold winds, rushing towards them, seemed capable of freezing their souls.
The extreme reversal of temperature caused some weaker Sinners to collapse instantly, as if struck directly by a heavy hammer.
Their muscles twitched incessantly.
They lay on the ground, completely unaware of what had happened.
Before their eyes was a white arena suspended in the air.
In a haze of consciousness, they felt as if they were seeing illusions.
The Fifth Level becoming the Sixth Layer was one thing, but the Fourth Layer turning into the Second Layer? Had Hell gone mad?
Did it have to torment them to death before it would stop?
One could imagine the expressions of those Sinners who had barely managed to defeat their opponents, only to leave Living Hell and find themselves in the Sixth Layer of Hachikan Jigoku.
What on earth was going on?
Some struggled to get up, but the extreme low temperature locked their limbs.
They could feel their flesh and blood dying one by one.
Unlike Daikou Netsu Jigoku, the temperature in Hachikan Jigoku was not constant.
The temperature was not the source of torment; the cold wind was.
From the initial Abuda, which only caused frostbite, it would gradually extend to Mahapratapa, which could freeze flesh and blood.
Even the strongest Sinners would die from it.
And they just so happened to be experiencing the final stage.
Crack, crack.
The crisp sound tormented their nerves like the wail of a demon.
Their entire bodies visibly turned red, and some areas quietly cracked open.
The cracked parts bloomed like a great red lotus.
Then the last gust of wind blew.
With a "bang."
Like flowers shattered by liquid nitrogen, their flesh and bones turned into a sky full of ice dust, completely disappearing.
Even after they revived some time later, the painful expression on their faces had not vanished.
Phantom pain continued to torment them.
The cold wind blew again, and their whole bodies trembled...
...
"Not bad, not bad."
Regardless of the suffering endured by the Sinners, Kisuke Urahara seemed extremely happy at this moment.
The new order born from the changing Hell indicated that his actions were not mistaken.
From the First Layer to the Second Layer, and then to the Third Layer...
The Sinners in the three layers of Hell were all experiencing different fates, and these fates corresponded precisely to the sins they had committed in life.
Unlike before, where weak, innocent, and sinful Sinners were all piled up in the First Layer.
Making the innocent suffer the same pain as the wicked was truly a sin in itself.
But now, the situation had changed.
Perhaps this was the cycle of heavenly principles, where retribution was swift and just.
From the Third Layer onwards, there were no longer any ordinary people.
Walking through Burning Hell, Kisuke Urahara looked relaxed; the miasma and high temperature of Hell had no effect on a master like him.
This was even more true for Yoriichi Tsugikuni; even if a Sinners discovered them and tried to attack, they would be instantly dealt with by the First Generation Captains beside them.
Their purpose on this trip was to reform Hell, not to fight the Sinners.
Having bodyguards by their side was indeed a blessing.
Kisuke Urahara looked around, his tone calm:
"From what I can see, even if strong individuals arrive in Hell again in the future, it will be impossible for them to have sufficient combat power in a short time."
"Even if they can break through the Third Layer... the Fourth Layer, Living Hell, will make them suffer."
Beside him, Saito Furofushi snorted upon hearing this: "You brat, you're truly a madman. The Fourth Layer is one thing."
"The original Sixth Layer, Hachikan Jigoku, had many of our companions. Aren't you afraid they'll beat you up for doing this?"
"I think you only have Third Tier spiritual pressure, right? Yoriichi Tsugikuni aside, but you..."
"Beat me up?" Kisuke Urahara chuckled softly, interrupting Saito Furofushi, "What's there to beat me up for? I helped them."
"Hachikan Jigoku turned into Daikou Netsu Jigoku... You yourself said earlier that even you couldn't withstand that cold wind."
"The Fifth Level, no matter what, has much less pain than the Sixth Layer."
"Surely, they wouldn't be unwilling to accept it if I helped them reduce their suffering, would they?"
"What kind of logic is that in this world?"
When he put it that way, it made sense, and Saito Furofushi was instantly speechless.
She just felt that Kisuke Urahara's actions were too bold. She had originally thought he was rearranging Hell based on the Sinners's sins.
But she hadn't expected that Kisuke Urahara would even consider the feelings of their Captains... Was this strategic planning?
No wonder Yamamoto Genryusai had designated Kisuke Urahara to accompany Yoriichi Tsugikuni; if it were during wartime, he would be a truly invincible strategist.
Saito Furofushi exhaled softly, no longer speaking, while Kisuke Urahara still wore a relaxed smile.
Walking beside Yoriichi Tsugikuni, he slightly lowered the brim of his hat, a thoughtful glint in his eyes.
The reason he had rearranged the layers of Hell was not merely to punish the sinful Sinners.
More importantly, he wanted to observe Yoriichi Tsugikuni's control over Hell and determine whether Hell was truly trustworthy.
This was the Shinigami's first interaction with Hell, so it was impossible not to be cautious.
If Hell hadn't granted all permissions, it would indicate that Hell wasn't being honest and was holding something back from them.
In that case, it would be difficult to say whether Hell genuinely wanted to change.
However, from the current situation, Hell seemed to have no hidden agenda, allowing Yoriichi Tsugikuni to act and control everything freely.
There were only two possibilities for this situation: either it was a ruse, like a trap, or it was purely an innocent heart.
If it were a ruse... there was nothing for them, the Shinigami, to be deceived by.
Even if they encountered an accident, Yoriichi Tsugikuni could break out alone, and in that case, Hell would only suffer greater losses.
Then it could only be the latter situation.
It had to be admitted that dealing with this type of existence was far easier than with the former.
The thoughtfulness in Kisuke Urahara's eyes vanished in an instant. Snapping back to reality, he sensed the awkward atmosphere, laughed heartily, and quickly moved past the topic.
Next, they arrived at the Fourth Layer.
...
At this moment, in the Fourth Layer, the battle between kokuto and Hibasa had already concluded.
As Hibasa had said, he was the strongest in the original Burning Hell.
Although his ability to control flames could only reach its maximum power in Burning Hell, his original strength was already formidable.
Even without the environmental boost, his strength far surpassed most Sinners.
kokuto, on the other hand, was only at a mid-tier level in the original Burning Hell.
His defeat was understandable.
Of course, even though he was defeated, he did not die.
Hibasa had specifically spared his life.
Because Hibasa felt that this young man shared his ambition; both of them longed to leave Hell.
kokuto knelt on the ground, continuously coughing up blood.
Hibasa watched him silently.
The coughing sounded exceptionally clear in the surrounding silence.
After coughing for a while, kokuto slumped to the ground, hands propped, and weakly said, "Why did you spare me?"
He looked at Hibasa, his eyes tired and half-closed, "You could have killed me just now, couldn't you?"
"Indeed."
Hibasa slightly raised his eyes, a smile playing on his lips, his expression arrogant, "But I didn't want to kill you. As for the reason..."
"Are you interested in becoming my companion? We can tear down this Hell together."
kokuto was stunned, suspecting he had misheard.
Tear down Hell? How much had he drunk?
Although you are strong, you are only the strongest in the Fourth Layer...
Coughing twice, kokuto, wanting to avoid trouble, politely refused:
"Sorry, I don't quite understand what you mean by 'tearing down Hell.'"
"But no matter what your ideas are, we are, after all, just Sinners."
"What about being Sinners?" Hibasa snorted, "Do Sinners have to stay in Hell and endure day after day of suffering? Why?"
"It's just killing a few people in life. Survival of the fittest; they were weak, so they deserved to die."
"Similarly, you are weak, so you must listen to me, kokuto. You also want to leave this Hell, don't you? I can see your ambition in your eyes."
kokuto indeed wanted to leave Hell, because he wanted to see his sister.
It had only been a short five years since he was imprisoned in Hell, but these five years felt like several long centuries to him.
But... to risk opposing Hell, even destroying Hell...
This was probably something only those at the very bottom could achieve.
Hibasa...
He gently shook his head, about to decline again, when a burst of laughter suddenly came from above:
"Well said! Ambition is a good thing, but unfortunately, you won't succeed!"
"Yoriichi, for people like this, where should we imprison him?"