Allen stepped into a vast underground corridor with dark violet walls that had a gelatinous texture, surrounded by a persistent dark mist, and a floor seemingly composed of countless bones. This time would be different from when he left the Shadow Realm because, before arriving in the human world, he had to pass through the Dangai.
Rebecca, 2B, Nokotan, Bocchi, Harley, and Esdeath remained in the inventory as they crossed the Dangai.
He squinted in such a strange place, "This is supposed to be the place between worlds... but it looks like the underworld."
"That's what it seems..."
Makima, in her doll form, perched herself on Allen's head. She had returned.
"I'd say 'welcome back,' but I see you're making yourself quite comfortable there..."
"I followed orders, Master, I didn't kill the big-chested girl or the shy, tall one. Don't I deserve a little recognition?"
"Following your master's orders is your duty, and you're a maid."
"..."
"But I'll admit I'm surprised. I thought Esdeath would have to show up and stop you from devouring their souls..."
"Eating is such a vulgar word. I simply intended to steal all their spiritual energy."
"That would kill a soul... but you're right." Allen raised his hand and patted Makima's head, which surprised the demon and made her angry.
"I'm sorry... but I'd rather you treat me badly..."
"What a capricious woman..."
Allen no longer paid attention to her. He couldn't treat Makima kindly because it disgusted her, but he couldn't treat her poorly because it made her angry. In the end, the two had a barrier of incompatibility or maybe she simply hated him. Of course, it's not like Allen wanted a relationship with Makima. Sure, she was beautiful, but she was an expert at making others suffer, and trusting her too much could be a grave mistake.
Makima silently looked at Allen. *"What an unpleasant man..."*
Despite their words, both had already accepted that they couldn't part ways. Allen couldn't let go of a woman who would try to conquer the world the moment she was freed, and Makima knew Allen wouldn't let her go. They were chained to each other, and who knows for how long.
Allen decided not to argue and let her sit on his head while he pretended she wasn't there.
...
Alen began walking through the Dangai toward the human world.
"Allen..." Artoria appeared by his side.
Artoria finished her fight before Allen but stayed behind to cover the rear in case anyone followed them, but no one followed them so she decided to teleport to Allen.
He smiled warmly. "Welcome. You didn't have any trouble, Artoria?"
Artoria sat on his shoulder. "No, but this world is interesting. With its Reiryoku?, the Servants from my original world wouldn't even need a mage's mana to fight or exist."
"I see..."
Allen didn't bother asking if Artoria still needed him to survive. It didn't matter in their relationship, as neither would be willing to let go of the other, regardless of the answer.
Makima frowned. 'How far you've fallen, goddess...'
Makima always expressed her distaste for Allen's women due to their devotion, affection, and love. To her, it was utterly repulsive.
Ignoring Makima Allen's bad mood he looked at the so-called Dangai.
The Dangai (*Precipice World*) is a dimension situated between the world of the living and the Soul Society, allowing the passage of souls between the two.
As a place entirely separate from other dimensions, the Dangai has a unique time scale, different from both the human world and the Soul Society. It's also known to transport entities to various locations in the human world.
In many ways, it resembles a living being. This is why Shinigami, with the help of a Hell Butterfly, are the only ones capable of traveling through the Dangai without significant issues.
Allen didn't have a Hell Butterfly, but he had something better.
"Tim..."
Timcampy emerged from Allen's pocket. Being an artificial life form, Tim didn't require much care, unlike a common pet. However, Timcampy had two habits: eating, though it didn't need to, and sleeping, which was a form of hibernation in its case.
Timcampy often played with Alice and Lord Meowington, but when not doing so, it preferred to crawl into Allen's pocket and sleep.
Tim floated out and began glowing faintly before calmly flying ahead.
One of Tim's abilities is called "Guidance," which is used to navigate places where conventional methods don't work. However, in most cases, Allen could simply ask the system to open a portal to his desired location, leaving Tim with few opportunities to use this skill.
"What's that?" Makima asked, noticing the flow on the walls that seemed alive.
Allen glanced at the viscous liquid constantly moving along the walls.
"That's Koryu."
The "Koryu (*Arresting Current*) refers to the flow that constantly courses through the Dangai walls, preventing enemies like Hollows from accessing it. This current hampers soul movement, pushing them toward the walls and making escape nearly impossible. As the walls shift and close in on intruders, the "Koryu" reacts to nearby spiritual entities, neutralizing them.
"But does that mean physical force works?" Esdeath appeared with a clear intention of testing if she could cut through the walls.
"Yes, but stop."
"Tsk, boring..."
Esdeath was in a foul mood because she hadn't fought anyone. Unlike Rebecca and 2B, she hadn't accompanied Allen to visit the Rukongai due to sheer bad luck. Allen had to choose between his Maids and chose Makima for no special reason.
"What a demanding maid..."
Allen narrowed his eyes. Recently, he hadn't been strict with either woman, despite forcing them to wear maid outfits all the time. However, Esdeath and Makima's situation is different from 2B, who also wears a Maid outfit at home; they wore the attire as punishment.
"I'm sorry..."
Esdeath stepped back when she saw Allen's smile vanish. The image of Esdeath apologizing felt out of place with her personality, but Allen had a terrifying side ever since he absorbed Void, and it was best not to provoke him too much.
"Let's just get out of the Dangai... Something tells me I need to prepare for what we'll encounter."
"Master, do you have any idea what's wrong?"
"If this were a parallel world or an alternate timeline, there would be changes. However, some things are too crucial to change... like Yhwach. His existence is too significant to the world, and I find it hard to believe he'd vanish by simply shifting a chair."(Allen refers to the butterfly effect)
"It feels like someone's eliminating or removing the most powerful characters," Makima added.
"Tsk... Well, there's always Plan B: we leave this world." Rebecca grumbled, clearly displeased with a world where her technology was affected.
Nokotan floated nearby in a lab coat and glasses. "Nu-nu-nu, stop pouting, Becca-kun. The current world is divided into three, and you won't have any functionality issues in the human world..."
Rebecca scowled and pulled out her shotgun. "I'm not a robot!"
"Haha, calm down!" Harley appeared, grabbing her from behind to stop her. "Besides, Rebecca, you can't deny your love for cybernetic parts~."
"I only did it because I can change my body at will..."
The dolls had various forms or transformations. The most common were their doll forms, human forms, and original forms.
In her original form, Rebecca's body was 98% cybernetically modified, surpassing even Adam Smasher's 96%. Rebecca had the option to switch at will between bodies, otherwise she would never do such a thing.
It would be nearly impossible to still call her human at that point, because even if Rebecca miraculously survived such a drastic operation, she wouldn't accept being labeled a robot and one thing she will never give up is that she loves the intimacy with Allen, to turn her body into a cybernetic one is to give it up and is something impossible for her.
Rebecca only did it because she could have a fully flesh-and-blood body whenever she wanted. Generally, Rebecca maintained only her Cyberware eyes in her human form, using her cybernetic form solely for combat.
Allen smiled as he watched his dolls argue. Even without the Chat, things would never be peaceful around them. And he was fine with that; it felt comforting.
*Boom*
"Huh?"
Allen turned to see a massive creature barreling through the Dangai like a train.
"I forgot... this."
Allen wasn't an encyclopedia, so it was natural for him to forget things... or simply not know them.
"What is that?!" Rebecca cursed.
"It's the Seimichio..."
Allen started running, with Makima and Artoria in tow. Rebecca and Harley flew to catch up, though they could enter the inventory at any time.
A Seimichio is a cleaning entity of the Dangai, acting as a sweeper in that desolate place. It appears once a week to clean the area, moving at a speed even greater than the Kouryu and destroying everything it collides with.
It seems to be made of the same material as the rest of the Dangai, but molded into the shape of a train-like entity with a single yellow light on its top. It resembles a living organism more than a machine, designed to clear the Dangai and keep it traversable.
...
Allen could destroy it, but that would cause unnecessary problems, so he simply ran.
"..." He glanced back, still wearing his calm expression. "What a strange creature... Who created it?"
Deciding not to dwell on it, Allen kept moving.
[Allen, I can open a portal now...]
Due to the separation between the three inner worlds in the world of *Bleach*, the system required Allen to get close enough to the human world to open a safe portal.
"Artoria, before entering the human world, you must suppress your Reiatsu.."
"Understood..."
The door opened, and Allen emerged in the sky.
Unlike other energies, Reiatsu exerts a negative force on living beings, sometimes even killing them simply by being released. That's why Lieutenant- and Captain-level Shinigami typically place a seal on their bodies before entering the human world.
Artoria used her mana to suppress her Reiatsu, "Is this all right?"
"Yes, thank you."
Artoria smiled, "It's nothing, master."
She doesn't say it, but it pleases her that Allen feels free to order her around; she would rather it had been that way from the beginning.
Allen had already done the same; it wasn't difficult since he only had the Reiatsu of Pepe, having returned the power to the Sternritters.
"I don't get it~" Nokotan floated beside Allen. "The ki you've had in other worlds was millions of times larger than your current Reiatsu, but it didn't affect others..."
Allen shrugged at Nokotan's question. "It's the nature of the power. You see, Chi is also a form of spiritual energy, just like cursed energy, but both have different effects on living beings and the world. It's just that this power, even in small amounts, affects common people or those weaker than the user."
"I see... So with Reiatsu, I could kill someone just by approaching them," Makima murmured provocatively, fully aware that Allen could hear her.
"..." Allen looked at Makima in silence, as if to ask, "Are you serious?" But she didn't show fear. Knowing the control demon that refuses to be controlled, Allen thought she might willingly provoke him just to see what would happen.
However, Allen was also aware that Makima would eventually gain Reiatsu. In this world full of enemies, it was inevitable that she would consume souls, steal, absorb, or devour them, whichever term one preferred.
...
Allen descended near a canal running through the city of Karakura. It was still morning, and the sounds of cars filled the distance.
[There are several people in this city with high levels of spiritual energy...]
Allen wasn't going to appear just anywhere. Timcampy was excellent at guiding him to the human world, and from there, the system could track individuals with significant power.
There were only a few places in the world that fit this description, so Allen had a high chance of landing directly in Karakura Town.
Allen gazed at the sky—it was definitely the human world.
He removed his cloak; in this world, walking around completely covered would attract suspicion.
"What's next?" Bocchi timidly peeked out from his shirt pocket.
"Finally!" Rebecca stretched her arms toward the sky and flopped onto the grass.
"Master, I'm ready."
2B also appeared, entering full alert mode as if to make up for lost time.
Allen wanted to tell her that this world wasn't particularly dangerous, but that would have been a lie. While there weren't many Shinigami here, there were plenty of Hollows.
*Screams*
Allen heard a ghostly wail in the distance.
Soon, he was surrounded by deformed creatures. Some resembled animals or insects, while others looked humanoid. The one unmistakable feature was their white masks. All of them stared hungrily at Allen.
"Hollows," Allen muttered.
Hollows are a kind of specter that fell into despair. Each one has a hole in its body, said to be what remains after they lose their chain of fate. It's also believed to represent the "something" they lost when they ceased to be human souls. This becomes more evident as they evolve since the location of the hole changes.
If Allen didn't know about the world of *Bleach*, he would have destroyed them without hesitation. But knowing there was a way to purify them complicated things.
"What a hassle..." Allen scratched the back of his neck. Many believed Allen had become less kind after absorbing Void. The reality was that he prioritized himself and his loved ones more, though others still mattered to him.
A humanoid Hollow lunged at Allen with clawed hands. Allen raised his hand and stopped the attack effortlessly.
"So... what should I do?" he asked, his expression bored.
He was unsure. He knew Zanpakuto could purify Hollows, but he didn't know if it was enough to mimic how Shinigami used Reiatsu or if an actual Zanpakuto was necessary.
Allen was confident he could imitate a Shinigami's Reiatsu, but if the purification ability was inherent to them, he might end up destroying the Hollows, causing their souls to vanish forever.
*System?*
[It's best to use fragments to ensure you don't kill them...]
Allen agreed.
The Hollows attacked Allen while he seemed distracted. Without changing his expression or moving, he observed how his Reiatsu behaved.
Hollows are drawn to sources of Reiryoku, whether recently deceased souls or Shinigami. People with high spiritual power can also attract them.
Hollows are cunning predators. If their target is too weak, they devour it without hesitation, regardless of whether it's a soul, a spiritually aware human, a Shinigami, or even another Hollow. But if their target is stronger, they avoid it and hide.
The life of a newborn Hollow is simple: a constant frenzy of eating or being eaten, where only the strongest survive. If they're lucky, they might evolve further. It is a pity that they made a mistake but it's not their fault Allen and Artoria had their Reiatsu suppressed by what looked like a delicious snack.
"Get lost..."
Then, in an instant, all the Hollows were sliced in half and Allen watched as they disappeared.
"Looks like it worked," Makima said, disappointed.
"Did you "want" it not to?" Allen teased, and Makima huffed.
...
Allen walked through Karakura Town. He could have used the system, but he preferred to find Urahara Kisuke on his own. To do so, he needed to learn how to sense others' Reiatsu and even distinguish between them.
Inside a small shop, a man with a fan sat bored, having had no customers that day. However, he briefly sensed the Reiatsu of numerous Hollows gathering in one place, only for it to vanish instantly. This piqued his interest.
"Can I ask you to handle it, Yoruichi-san?"
A black cat perched on the window and looked at the man.
"Tsk, I'm not your employee... but fine, you owe me."
"Thank you~"
Ignoring the man, the cat leaped from the window and quickly disappeared.
Who could be responsible?
The man narrowed his eyes, mysteriously hiding them behind his fan. "That Reiatsu... it felt a little different from an ordinary Shinigami. Was it just my imagination?"
...
At a small private clinic, a short-haired girl with a grumpy expression was reluctantly taking out the trash.
"Tsk, it was Yuzu's turn today... Why do I have to do this?"
"Stop complaining, Karin..." said a soft but annoyed voice.
"Ah!" The girl jumped at the sound of the woman's voice. Turning around, she saw a kind but intimidating smile on the face of an orange-haired woman.
"Mom?!"
"I knew my little Karin would take out the trash for her mother, but I came to check just in case~"
The woman's smile widened, further irritating Karin. 'If she came all the way here, she should've taken it out herself!'
Of course, Kurosaki Karin wouldn't dare say that aloud.
"Hehe, sorry, Mom, I've got homework!" Karin rushed back inside, leaving her mother to sigh.
"Raising a rebellious daughter is tough..." the woman sighed, pausing as she felt something in her chest—like someone was calling to her.
...
In the air, Allen felt a familiar presence; it was the feeling he gets when he sees a Quincy. Allen landed on a building and saw in front of him something that left him stunned.
It was the Kurosaki clinic, the protagonist's home, but what left him astonished was not that but the woman standing in the street because she was a woman who should not be alive.
Masaki's face turned pale. She didn't know why, but she felt an overwhelming urge to kneel.
Allen approached her slowly as Masaki lowered her head.
"Kurosaki Masaki... no, Ishida Masaki... I am Yhwach."
"Your Majesty?!"
===
A/N: There are only two characters who died before the start of Bleach and one is alive.... of course it makes sense since Yhwach was dead for a hundred years, he couldn't kill her. 🍷🗿
(I'll just say one more thing, Yoruichi in Coming 🍷🗿)
Eight more chapters on patreon: Patreon.com/_Aizen