Chapter 88: Dangai


    <span style="font-weight:400">Within the next hour, Kazuya found himself back in Kisuke’s well-lit underground chamber, facing Kisuke with Yoruichi on his side.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Kisuke raised the tip of his hat. “Ready to take a step back in time and explore your dark past? What I mean is.” Without awaiting a reply, Kisuke whipped out a ludicrouslyrge megaphone from the depths of his robe and roared into it, “ARE YOU READY?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Kazuya snatched the megaphone and tossed it aside. “Just bring out the Senkaimon.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Aye aye, Captain.” Kisukeplied, a quick snap of his fingers breaking the very fabric of reality, revealing four eerily rifts. Huge blocks of weathered gray stone emerged from each rift and formed a hollow rectangr block. The entire block looked as if it was put together by gluing a bunch of paper. “The Senkaimon, the Tunnel World Gate. You might already know this, but let me refresh your memories on the dangers of entering a Senkaimon.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Huh?” Api’s voice echoed, a note of confusion tingeing her tone. “I thought Senkaimon is Shinigami’s version of Garganta… and safe to transverse.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“It is rtively simple if you have Jigokuchō, but us expelled Shinigami don’t have ess to them. Kazuya-san and Yoruichi-san need to take the much more difficult route.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Exin why it’s hard,” Api urged.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“The Senkaimon will close in four minutes. If you don’t reach the Soul Society in four minutes, you will be trapped in the Dangai—the precipice realm between the Living World and the Soul Society —forever.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">As the words seeped in, Api reached out, her fingers desperately clutching the fabric of Kazuya’s shirt. “Kazuya can fly. Four minutes should be enough for him.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“The travel in Dangai…” Yoruichi said, looking at Kazuya with a soul-piercing gaze. “It isn’t dictated by speed but willpower. The will to go forward is our guide. Have no doubt. Have no fear. Do not stop. Do not look back. Do not think of those you are leaving behind. Just… go forward.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">She was obviously addressing his rtionship with his lovers, which might be a problem within the realm of Dangai. If his heart lingered in the Living World, he might not make it out of the Dangai.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Shihōin-san,” he said with a confident voice. “I can handle the willpower part. I’m more worried about the currents that flow in the Dangai.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Kōryū? We need to avoid it at any cost. Once you’re stuck in its grasp, crossing to the Soul Society in time will be impossible.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Harribel clenched her fists. “That’s… absurd. Why can’t he go through Garganta?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">With a shake of his head, Kisuke exined, “The S.R.D.I. are monitoring the Hollow activities all day all year. They will be alerted as soon as Garganta opens. We can’t take that risk. This Senkaimon is our only choice in giving him entry to the Soul Society.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Compared to the reality-bending distortions caused by Garganta, the subtler ripples of Senkaimon often flew under the investigative radar.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Harribel bit her lip, anger shing in her eyes. “Why does he—”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Rx, Tier,” intertwining his fingers with hers and applying a gentle,forting pressure. She was openly showing concern about him, which warmed his heart. “Shihōin-san will be there with me. There is no obstacle in this world we can’t pass together. Even Baraggan got destroyed, remember?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Yoruichi nodded with a chuckle. “It’s a walk in the park for Shinigami with our resolve.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“What they said,” Kisuke added,zily waving a fan in front of his face. “I have prototypemunication devices to exchange words between us and the Soul Society. We’ll know when he makes it to the other side.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">M Rose gave Harribel’s shoulder an encouraging pat. “Harribel-sama, Skull is a bit perverted but he always lives up to his promise. Let’s trust him.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Sung-Sun wrapped her arms around Harribel from the side. “Husband is a god. Nothing can harm him.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“That’s going too far,” Api retorted, though a smile yed on her lips. “I guess it’s true in a sense. He is the King of Hollows for a reason.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Everyone except Ciri came together to reassure the worried mother of the Inverse, who showed genuinepassion and affection for Kazuya. Their collective encouragement had a splendid effect, lifting her spirits.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Kazuya took his turn embracing each of them, his lips sneaking in a quick, affectionate kiss. There were noints or rejections when faced with the idea of living without him for a month at the very least.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Witnessing the sweet rtionship between Kazuya and hispanions stirred a pang of guilt in both Kisuke and Yoruichi. They recognized the importance of stopping Aizen and maintaining the bnce but the emotional toll felt burdensome nheless.


    <span style="font-weight:400">After warm farewells, he stepped into the Senkaimon, followed by Yoruichi. His physical body remained behind, entrusted to the loving care of his lovers. It was actually of no importance since he could create a new physical body every time he changed from Soul to Human race.


    <span style="font-weight:400">…


    <span style="font-weight:400">The Dangai unveiled itself as a seemingly endless tunnel swallowed in darkness. Surrounded by looming violet walls that exhaled a smoky aura—the dangerous Kōryū currents—the narrow path felt oppressive and eerie. Suddenly, as if provoked, the walls lunged forward, attempting to capture them in their shadowy grasp.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Run!” Yoruichi said. “Don’t look back. Just run!”


    <span style="font-weight:400">He threw her onto his head and sprinted, fueling each stride with a desperate urgency. His peak physical condition kept him just beyond the snatching grasp of the violet, time-altering currents of Kōryū. He wasn’t risking using his spiritual power.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“There.” Yoruichi pointed towards a glimmering golden door, shining like a beacon of hope in the dark corridors. “Keep running, Champ. The only way lies ahead of us. To the Soul Society, we go!”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Fuelled by her rallying cry, he shed through the remaining distance and charged headlong into the glimmering door. They emerged under a clear blue sky over a Rukongai District. In the distance stretched a panorama of traditional Japanese buildings, a stark contrast to the humble cottages beneath him. The Rukongai was a glimpse of a time before stonework, while the Seireitei represented the serene beauty of Kyoto’s historical architecture.


    <span style="font-weight:400">He took a deep breath, letting the air of the Soul Society fill his lungs.


    <i><span style="font-weight:400">‘I’m finally here.’</i>


    <span style="font-weight:400">{Let’s fucking go and murder Aizen.}


    <i><span style="font-weight:400">‘Nami, go back to sleep.’</i>