The Path of the Uninvited…
Seiya remembered it, vaguely.
In the original story, when Ichigo Kurosaki entered the Soul King Palace for Zero Division's special training, it was Hyōsube Ichibē who guided him into this path.
The name was unmistakably Japanese in flavor—drawn from tradition.
A sando—in Shinto terms—is the road leading from a shrine's torii gate to its main hall. A sacred path for those seeking to worship.
In the context of this realm, Seiya could grasp its meaning.
"You're saying... if I want to meet the Soul King, I need to pass through this path," Seiya said.
"Smart lad, Seiya!" Hyōsube grinned.
No denial at all.
Hyōsube walked forward and patted Seiya's shoulder with a firm hand.
"The Soul King is the ruler of the Three Realms. To behold His true form, mortals must shed their worldly selves and approach with utmost sincerity…"
He paused.
"—At least, that's what we tell outsiders to keep them in line."
"In truth, Seiya, the Path of the Uninvited is designed to test you—to see if you possess certain… special qualities."
The sudden turn in conversation caught Seiya off guard.
He turned slightly and found Hyōsube sitting cross-legged on the ground, his demeanor entirely serious.
"Seiya," he said, "you might have the potential to become the next Soul King."
"..."
Wait, what?
That was… quite the bomb to drop.
They locked eyes, confusion between them thick in the air. Seiya broke the silence first.
"Uhm… Hyōsube-san—"
"Ha! Just call me Ichibē, no need to be formal between us!"
"Then… Ichibē-senpai, let me be blunt."
He raised a brow. "Have you always been this… direct?"
Who just casually spilled the core secret of the Three Realms like this?
In the manga, readers knew the Soul King wasn't so much a person as a position—a lynchpin to keep the realms balanced. But in the world of the Shinigami, few understood that truth.
The Soul King wasn't about the who, but the function—a sacrifice to stabilize the universe.
To Seiya's surprise, Hyōsube only smiled more brightly.
"Haha! I knew I wasn't wrong about you, Seiya! You know more than we thought!"
"And I never even told you anything about the Soul King…"
"..." Seiya winced slightly. He'd let that slip. Careless.
Still, Ichibē didn't press. He was already shifting gears.
"The Soul King's interest in you now makes sense. Seiya, you truly are different from the rest… So I won't hide anything from you."
He leaned in, eyes widening, glowing crimson.
"Do you know the story of Yhwach?"
Things were escalating fast. Really fast.
Seiya had expected this journey to be about fulfilling Aizen's ambitions. But suddenly, the story was snowballing far beyond anything he had planned.
—This was still the Hueco Mundo arc, wasn't it?! Wasn't this getting way too far ahead?!
After a deep breath, Seiya narrowed his eyes and nodded.
"…I know."
Sharing information was a mutual act of trust. To refuse it was to close the door.
Seiya wasn't the type to worry about pride, but he did care about understanding others.
By openly explaining the nature of the Path of the Uninvited, Ichibē was signaling a desire for cooperation.
It was only fair to respond in kind.
"I know everything about the progenitor of the Quincy."
Everything.
From his ancient atrocities to the storm he'd bring to the Three Realms in the near future.
The "Holy Word," the gospel they chanted, and the demon king they awaited—Seiya had it all in mind.
"Yhwach," he repeated, "I know it all."
"Excellent!" Ichibē clapped. "This makes our dialogue so much easier! I like you, Seiya—you're straightforward!"
His expression turned solemn.
"The Soul King wants to see you. That's precisely because of this."
Seiya inhaled slowly.
"Has the Soul King… seen the future?"
"I wouldn't know," Ichibē replied.
He tapped his eyelid.
"But as someone who's served Him for so long… from time to time, I glimpse fragments. Faint and fleeting."
"Seiya, the flow of fate isn't easily changed."
"Even when it seems like you've altered something, the deeper currents remain."
"But unless specific things are 'corrected'..."
"The overall direction won't shift."
Ichibē's expression was unreadable.
"I don't agree with everything you've done. You've muddied a once-clear future."
Seiya fell quiet.
"You're saying… I should stop interfering?"
"Haha! I didn't say it that plainly. And besides, that's just my opinion."
He folded his massive hands into his sleeves.
"The truth—you'll only understand once you meet the Soul King yourself."
Seiya chuckled softly.
"Ichibē-senpai, you look all friendly and honest… but you're surprisingly crafty."
"Ga-haha! I'll take that as praise! You're not bad yourself, Seiya!"
He wasn't wrong.
Up to now, Ichibē had said a lot of vague things, dropping clues without ever committing to anything concrete.
He was fishing. Baiting Seiya, luring him forward.
And how could Seiya refuse? Walking away now wouldn't go over well with the Zero Division.
So, he'd take the bait.
"I suppose I have no choice but to meet the old man, then."
With that mutual understanding, things moved smoothly.
Seiya had hoped to head straight for the Soul King's hall. But apparently, the Path of the Uninvited wasn't optional.
Ichibē gave one final explanation.
"This path is for your benefit. A form of training, if you will."
"A chance to confront your own heart. To reflect on your journey and take the next step forward."
"It holds something you need."
"...Does it now?"
With no rebuttal left, Seiya steadied himself.
He stripped off his haori.
As a sacred road, the path required bare feet. Nakedness was ideal, but modesty allowed him to keep a loose pair of pants.
Barefoot, he stepped into the mud.
Behind him, Ichibē sat cross-legged, opening a scroll.
"With no beginning and no end;
It is a name forgotten in silence.
In the Abyss of Mist, the whirlpool surges…
Spilling forth to fill the vessel of emptiness."
Rain fell, soaking Seiya's hair, gluing it to his face.
Blue motes floated in the air like living spirits.
"The powerless bearer of nothing;
Crushed into stone by weight of fate;
The stone crumbles to gravel…
The gravel struck by rain turns to dust."
The monk's solemn chanting echoed on.
The mud clung between Seiya's toes—cold, soft, grounding.
He gripped his Zanpakutō tight and pressed on.
Oddly enough…
The path was short and narrow. But the more he walked, the farther the end seemed.
"No vessel escapes untouched."
Seiya panted, feeling pressure build in his chest.
"Yet without walking, no shrine may be reached."
Spiritual pressure surged—but could not repel the weight pressing upon him.
Moments later, black-red sparks flared. White bone armor formed over his body—
His Hollow powers.
Even with both forces active, his steps grew heavy.
Then—both collapsed. The spiritual pressure shattered. Seiya staggered.
"The dying recite the name they forget."
Thud.
He dropped to one knee.
Blue and red reiryoku coiled around him, swirling and fusing—two powers that should repel, now flowing as one.
Gradually…
His body lightened.
No prompting was needed. He squared his shoulders and rose from the muck.
It had only been a few breaths.
But something within Seiya had changed.
As Ichibē watched that lone figure standing resolute, he flipped to the final page of his scroll.
"This… is the Path of the Uninvited."
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Powerstones?
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