Chapter 113 - Being (1/2)

Itsuki was deep in thought as he looked within his soul. The landscape of the soul was the same, two mountains representing his zanpakuto but this time there was a sun. Calling it a sun wasn't correct, it was more like a floating orb that was a quarter filled with something similar to golden liquid. That was his reimagined version of the Hogyoku, but this was more of a container that he was filling up with the souls of the Kushanada. Hell was a realm that predated the creation of soul society, so he knew that this place held secrets that were yet to be unveiled.

Walking forward, Itsuki saw two figures appear and dive straight to him. He didn't evade them and his two zanpakuto landed on top of him, throwing him back. Hugging him like koala's Itsuki just started patting their head when Ryurai's voice was heard,

”Don't let go. You don't know how long it will be when he comes back.”

”Un.”

Byakko nodded in acknowledgement as Itsuki continued patting their heads as he didn't feel the hugs loosen. The only feeling within his heart was like looking at family, he knew that he had wronged them, but he never lost faith in them, giving their all despite their lack of interaction.

The three didn't know how long had passed when Itsuki got up, and they let him go. The two zanpakuto knew that they couldn't hold him for long and he had to go. So, they just looked at him and gave him a kiss on his cheeks before returning to their mountains with reluctant eyes.

Itsuki watched them leave, before leaving his soul and opening his eyes outside, within the hell realm. It hadn't been too long and the Kushanada were still making their way towards him.

”They're slow.”

”Indeed.”

Aizen agreed with his words and wanted to continue talking when Itsuki had already disappeared. Aizen's eyebrow slightly twitched,

”Following someone else's whims is rather… unique…”

The rest of the group ignored his ramblings, but they saw Kushanada disappearing one by one in the distance. It wasn't until all the Kushanada were slaughtered did Itsuki appear in front of them, nonchalantly, as if returning from a walk in the park.

”It seems we need to go deeper.”

Looking at the sphere that was two-thirds filled he started feeling a resonance, a resonance that was originating from the lower depths of hell. Slightly attracted to it, he started leading the Shinigami and arrancars towards the source. A small smile crept on Aizen's face as he muttered under his breath as he deeply looked at Itsuki,

”It seems there are some surprises in store for us…”

In the second level of hell, Itsuki and co came across a large body of water. Large stone water lilies resided on the surface that had a pierced skeleton of a Kushanada resting there. There was nothing much to see here so the group navigated their way to the thirds level. Here is where they found a rocky landscape littered with craters filled with golden lava. Itsuki hovered above a lava pool and watched a Kushanada slowly rise from the pool. It seemed this was where the Kushanada's were produced as Itsuki shot downwards into the pool, straight through the newborn Kushanada.

With a splash he disappeared into the pool as the rest of his group watched from a far.

”Umm, so… what happens to us?”

”Nothing, then only reason we are here as this place will be our new base.”

Aizen replied as the whole group looked at him,

”Hmmm…”

”If there is a soul king, why couldn't there be a hell king?”

The group still looked confused. Aizen realised that they never knew the importance and mysteriousness of hell. Sighing to himself, he continued,

”Hell is the most mysterious, it is also independent from the three realms, not needing the existence of the soul king to survive. So, what keeps this realm together?”

Aizen looked at everyone before continuing,

”It could sustain itself, however what's even more interesting is the way the realms have been positioned. Naturally, soul society is at the top, beneath it is the Living world and next to the living world is Hueco Mundo. Hell, is positioned directly beneath the living world.”

Aizen's smile deepened,

”That's not the interesting part though, the living world acts as a 'lid' for hell, a sort of seal…”