After Jomon retched a few more times, he managed to soothe his stomach with some water. He let out a long sigh and began to take in his surroundings with deliberate care.
His expression was filled with a sense of wonder—a look brimming with vitality that one almost never saw in Hell.
Well, "brimming with vitality" just meant his eyes were sparkling, but compared to the dead, rotten pollack eyes he'd had for ages, the change in atmosphere was palpable.
…To be honest, seeing that bastard Jomon grinning with sparkling eyes was actually a bit repulsive, but since he was genuinely happy without any hidden malice, I didn't say anything and just watched in silence.
"I… I never thought I would set foot up here again. It has changed much from what I remember, but what does that matter? I am here now."
"Are you really that happy?"
"Master, imagine you spent your life building a dojo, only to be forcibly kicked out, and then you were finally reinstated a million years later. Think about how that would feel."
"Hmm…. Yeah, I guess that would be pretty good. All's well that ends well, I suppose."
"That is not quite the reaction I expected, but no matter. You cannot truly know unless you experience it yourself."
"If you say so."
I watched him nod to himself and shook my head, feeling a bit pathetic for him.
As I spoke with Jomon, I felt three familiar presences approaching.
Tenjiro was the first to arrive, followed by Senjumaru, and finally Nimaiya.
Tenjiro didn't seem to recognize Jomon, and neither did Nimaiya. That was only natural.
By the time those two were born, Jomon was already rotting in Hell.
The only one wearing a look of shock was Senjumaru.
It made sense for her to be surprised; she was already active back when Shiryu was still alive in the Soul Society.
From Senjumaru's perspective, a high criminal who had committed the ultimate treason of exploiting God, only to be cast into the deepest pits of Hell, was now standing right in front of her.
"Hah, I was prepared for a surprise after what I heard… but I never imagined I would live to see this man again. It is a pleasure."
"Hm? Ah, now I remember. You are the daughter of the Needleworker. Indeed, I did not expect to see you again either. I look forward to working with you."
Jomon and Senjumaru spoke polite words, but they didn't shake hands—or even move an inch—as they glared at each other.
I could almost see the static discharge crackling between their overlapping glares.
Nimaiya, oblivious to the history, looked back and forth between the two before clapping his hands together with his usual boisterous energy.
"OH MY GOD! What's this!? You two know each other!? OH DAMMM!! Are you guys like, former lovers or somethin'...?"
"Seriously, this guy and his fuss…. Ugh, just look at the mood between them. Do they look like lovers to you?"
"Maybe they just had a NOT GOOD BREAK UP! But fighting is no good, ya GU?"
Grinning, Nimaiya strode toward Jomon without a hint of hesitation.
Seeing this, Senjumaru knitted her brows and tried to stop him, but Nimaiya was too fast.
"Wait, Swordsmith! That man is—"
"Since we've reunited, let's get along, let's GO!"
Nimaiya cheerfully slung an arm around Jomon's shoulders.
How would the Jomon of the past have reacted? If it were that crazy, paranoid narcissist from back then….
He probably would have thought: Who the hell does this guy think he is, touching me?
Senjumaru likely tried to stop Nimaiya for that very reason. She didn't know what kind of grudge Jomon might be harboring inside.
But those were old stories.
"…Heh. Quite right. I was a bit too excited to be back in the Soul King Palace after so long. There is no need to dampen such a grand day with a somber mood, just as you say."
"OH ME! BIG SHOCK!! Despite your looks, you're actually a pretty reasonable guy!?"
"Do not judge a man by his appearance. Though I will not deny that I look a bit gloomy, if one were to be objective, my face isn't that bad, is it?"
"Even the self-praise!? SIUUUU! I think we're gonna hit it off great, don't ya DE!?"
"More importantly, who did you learn that bizarre way of speaking from? It's damnably hard to understand."
Nimaiya pointed both of his index fingers at me. Jomon glanced my way for a moment and then nodded silently.
"Hey. What are you thinking? You want to die?"
"Master's eccentricities are well-known to me, so there is no need to deny it."
"No, you brat! That guy was always like that!!"
As we bickered loudly, Senjumaru, who had been watching blankly, lightly covered her mouth with her hand.
"…They say a decade can change the landscape. But to think that a span of time vastly longer than that could change even a man who was beyond redemption…. It is truly marvelous."
"Do you know him?"
Tenjiro approached Senjumaru and asked cautiously. Senjumaru glanced at him, let out a soft sigh, and began to explain.
"That man is Tsunayashiro Jomon. A high-ranking criminal who committed a heinous sin and was cast into Hell long ago."
"And we don't know what his sin was?"
"I wonder…. One thing is certain: the man you call Master personally cast him into Hell. Beyond that, even I do not know."
"Master personally? Hmm…. Well, that's fine then."
"Hah…. How can you accept it so easily? In truth, I wish to object to his reinstatement even now."
Senjumaru's skepticism was understandable.
If an evil man was so wicked that the King of Hell himself walked out to cast him into the pits, how deep must his sins be?
Who knew what might happen if a being with such profound negative karma was appointed to the Zero Division—and as the overseer, no less?
Tenjiro shared her concerns, but changed his mind after hearing the details.
"If he's someone Master personally came up to cast into Hell, it means he has that much capability. And if Master personally brought him back up this time, it means he's someone Master personally dunked, chewed out, and reformed until he turned over a new leaf. In that case, he's trustworthy."
"So…. You do not trust the man, but you trust the Master?"
"Exactly. At the very least, Master is thorough when it comes to such things. Though we should still keep an eye on him for a while. There are always those who betray kindness or trust."
Listening to Nimaiya hooting with joy and Jomon's calm replies, I simply nodded.
Well, being treated this way is only natural, given everything.
But Jomon will do fine.
'It matters not if you do not trust me. I only need to prove myself through results.'
If Jomon had heard the two of them, that's what he would have said.
So for now, I'll just leave it to him.
"This is what I'm most curious about: what did YOU create!?"
"Why ask that all of a sudden?"
"Think of it as the minimum requirement to enter the Zero Division! I made the Zanpakuto, Tenjiro made Kaido, and Senjumaru made the Shihakusho. Those achievements earned us our spots! SO! If you haven't made something of that scale, we might vibe, but we might feel you don't belong in the seat. Well?"
"I see. To join the Zero Division, one must make an invention that has a profound impact on the Soul Society…. Is that it? I see why Master chose me."
"Oho? Feelin' confident, ya DE!? Let's hear what you made!"
Nimaiya cupped a hand to his ear and grinned, inviting him to speak.
Jomon rested his chin in his hand, thought for a moment, and looked at me. What? You're asking if it's okay to talk about what you built in Hell? Do whatever you want.
I shrugged, telling him to suit himself. He nodded and opened his mouth.
"I built the Soul King Palace."
"SORRY FOR BEING A BRAT-DA!"
It was a short, heavy introduction followed by a lightning-fast apology.
Wow, a full-on kowtow. I never thought I'd see a scene like this here. I wish I had a smartphone to take a picture; what a shame.
"Well, enough chatter. Everything's settled then, right?"
"I suppose so. Do you have urgent business?"
"I have to go home. My lovely fox of a wife is waiting for me."
"I see. Then hurry ho—Wait, Master, are you married?"
"What, you didn't know? Did I not tell you last time?"
"That was me."
Ah, so that was Tenjiro.
Thinking about it, I hadn't gone to Hell once since I got married. It made sense he didn't know.
"How am I supposed to know when you haven't even shown your face in Hell? My own work is already enough to kill me. No, wait—shouldn't you have told me something this important first?"
"Sorry, I forgot. I've been busy with things up here."
"Forgot!? How do you forget to tell your disciple you're getting married…? Sigh. Well, it's not like your antics started yesterday. Congratulations on your marriage, though late. I didn't prepare a gift because this is so sudden, but tell me, how many children do you have?"
"Zero."
As I shrugged and answered, not only Jomon but the others stared at me with puzzled expressions.
"What? What are you looking at, you punks? You think I'm firing blanks or something?"
"Well…. After being single for nearly a million years, you finally find a partner, yet there's no news of an heir? Don't you think that warrants some reasonable suspicion?"
"That's true. But don't you worry. Once I'm caught, she squeezes me dry all night long."
"I wasn't particularly curious about Master's sex life…."
"You bastard, you're the one who brought up the 'reasonable suspicion.' Am I supposed to just let that misunderstanding stand?"
I can tolerate a lot, but I won't have anyone doubting my wife or my own manhood.
"Then, do you have no plans for children or to establish a Great Noble Clan?"
"How can I have a clan without kids? There probably won't be any in the future, either. I think I'm the problem."
A being that is alive yet dead.
As long as the completeness of my existence remains as it is, a child will likely never be born.
"The fact that we haven't had a child despite all that 'squeezing' is probably because of this."
"…My apologies."
"What are you sorry for? It's fine, kid. Don't worry about me and mind your own business. Anyway, I'm heading out first. Good luck."
Right before I dropped down from the Soul King Palace, I thought I saw Senjumaru and Jomon lock eyes…. Must have been my imagination.
Anyway, I descended from the Palace to the Soul Society and walked into my house….
"Oh my, welcome home, darling. Now, say hello?"
"What the hell are you?"
"…?"
A child had appeared.
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