The Supreme Soul, Starting with Death

……

Three days later, having taken leave and made all the necessary preparations, Kisuke Urahara, under the suspicious and sharp gaze of Yoruichi Shihouin, strode into the Transcendental Gate.

He doesn't have the technology to go directly to Hueco Mundo right now, so he can only do what he did last time: go to the human world and find a Hollow who can speak in the dark to open the door for him.

Fortunately, this is not a difficult task.

Standing on the earth, Kisuke Urahara maximized his senses to capture any spiritual energy left behind by his illusory activities that might exist in the air. This would help him locate his prey more efficiently.

……Um!?

...Is the sensor malfunctioning?

Kisuke Urahara looked towards the east with some hesitation. Why was he sensing Gu Shi's presence in that direction?

A strange sense of disorientation arose from the bottom of his heart. Kisuke Urahara was certain that in his perception, that direction was peaceful, without any trace of any illusory activity, and he could not even feel any obvious flow of spiritual energy.

But at the same time, in that direction, he sensed a familiar aura belonging to Gu Shi, as well as the aura of the Grim Reaper named Asido.

...Let's go take a look.

Frowning, Kisuke Urahara used Shunpo to quickly approach the place he sensed. He was very fast, and the surrounding trees and rocks rushed past in his field of vision. Soon, he vaguely saw a small village.

At the same time, Kisuke Urahara suddenly braked, forcibly stopping his body. A look of surprise appeared on his face. With a flick of his finger, the weakest and most basic No. 1 blast, "Slam," flew out from his fingertip.

The ball of spiritual energy, after flying a short distance, suddenly collided with something unseen and vanished instantly before Kisuke Urahara's eyes.

Was it neutralized? Similar to a mutual killing between ghosts? No, that's not right, it's more like being devoured.

His expression suddenly darkened, and Kisuke Urahara slowly reached out, his fingertips close to the spot where the "rush" had disappeared. After reaching a certain distance, a sharp pain suddenly shot through his fingertips. When he pulled his hand back and looked again, he saw that a layer of skin and flesh had been removed from his fingers, exposing fresh flesh directly to the air.

Sure enough, it was a barrier.

Someone has set up a huge barrier here, covering the village and part of the surrounding mountains and sea.

...Again, the Saito family?

Sensing Gu Shi's aura within the barrier, Urahara Kisuke's eyes, unusually, flashed with a hint of killing intent.

Having spent a considerable amount of time together, Kisuke Urahara knew that Koji was indeed very intelligent and possessed knowledge that Urahara himself did not. However, most of Koji's knowledge was biased towards the material world and the living.

Gu Shi didn't actually know much about death or souls. Even the most basic principles of the Ghost Path were taught to him by someone else. That level of knowledge about the Ghost Path was simply not enough for Gu Shi to set up such a dangerous barrier; it could only have been set up by someone else.

...So, those damned scumbags from the Saito family still don't intend to give up, secretly capturing Gu Shi and transferring him to the present world to continue Saito Yoru's research?

To maintain secrecy, those guys specifically set up this barrier.

Kisuke Urahara has extensive experience in conducting research using virtual subjects. Without him having to consciously imagine, all sorts of terrible possibilities automatically entered his mind.

The thought of the torment his friend might suffer fueled a murderous intent within Kisuke Urahara.

"Scattered animal bones, spires? Red crystal? Steel wheels..."

A deep chant echoed from Kisuke Urahara's lips. It was the highest-level Hado he could master as a first-year student, the number sixty-three Thunder Roar Cannon. He was going to blast open this dangerous barrier and rescue his friends.

As for those Saito family scum inside, we can just kill them all. Even if some escape, it doesn't matter. Don't they like to abuse their noble power and act recklessly? Well then, let them taste the power of the Shihouin family.

It doesn't matter if he's not a member of the Shihōin family and they won't go to great lengths for him. At worst, he can just sell himself completely to the Shihōin family. With his talent, the Shihōin patriarch will definitely know which side to protect and which side to eliminate.

Soon, the brief incantation ended, and brilliant golden lightning gathered in Kisuke Urahara's palm, which was then released without reservation.

The violent lightning struck the barrier. Even though some of the spiritual energy was absorbed by the barrier itself, the remaining power was still strong enough. This barrier, which focused on concealment and shielding but was crude in other aspects, finally had a large hole punched through it after struggling for three seconds.

The lightning subsided, and through the large hole that was slowly repairing itself, two pairs of eyes filled with murderous intent met, then simultaneously became blank.

"...Gu Shi?"

"...Kisuke?"

Chapter 166 Differences in Common Sense

"So, this barrier was created by Gu Shi and your team? I didn't expect you to have such technology."

Kisuke Urahara smiled as he probed the source of Gu Shi's barrier technology, which indicated his suspicion. At the same time, he calmly entered the great barrier and began probing after entering Gu Shi's territory. This was a sign of trust, trusting that Gu Shi would not harm him.

It was a contradictory act, and Kisuke Urahara himself felt that his behavior was not rational enough.

However, Gu Shi could understand his irrationality because Kisuke Urahara was not known as a rational researcher; on the contrary, his emotional side far outweighed his rationality.

Furthermore, they have a strong gambling addiction.

For example, despite his exceptional talent, mastering Bankai would have been easy for him, but in order to master it as soon as possible and for some personal whims, he forcibly developed something called "Tenjintai," which dragged the soul of his Zanpakuto, which should have only existed in the mental world, into the real world and had a real fight with it, ultimately defeating his own Zanpakuto.

For example, even though she knew that Aizen was plotting to seize the half-finished Hogyoku in her possession, she still put it into Rukia Kuchiki's soul and sent it to Aizen, betting that once Aizen moved from the shadows to the light, even if he obtained the complete Hogyoku, he could still be defeated by the combined efforts of everyone.

For example, despite possessing various incredible technologies, when helping Ichigo Kurosaki regain his Shinigami powers, he chose the most dangerous option, "severing the chains of cause and effect," causing Ichigo Kurosaki to fall into Hollow form just one step away.

Kisuke Urahara is always gambling, betting that things will go according to his expectations. Perhaps because of his incredible talent and brilliance, he always wins his gambles, which makes him more willing to gamble when faced with difficult choices.

This time was clearly no different. Kisuke Urahara wanted to trust his friend, so he once again gambled his own safety, betting that Gu Shi wouldn't harm him, and betting that even if Gu Shi did betray him, he could still escape safely.

Gu Shi understood Urahara Kisuke better than he had imagined, and so…

"We have not eaten people, nor have we killed any of Death's Grim Reapers."

Gu Shi did not directly answer Urahara Kisuke's question, nor did he explain the origin of the technology he possessed, but his answer was exactly what Urahara Kisuke wanted to hear at that moment.

Kisuke Urahara breathed a heavy sigh of relief, and his posture immediately relaxed.

What he was most worried about was not the mysterious barrier technology, but the fact that Gu Shi and the others had appeared in the real world.

The most likely reason why Hollows come to the human world is to eat people. The key reason why Kisuke Urahara was able to become friends with Shigemi and the others is that Shigemi and the others are different from ordinary Hollows; they do not eat people.

As long as this remains unchanged, Urahara Kisuke isn't really that concerned even if Gu Shi possesses barrier technology of unknown origin.

Just as Asido became Gu Shi's companion and taught him the basics of the Ghost Path, perhaps Gu Shi had other Grim Reaper friends in places he didn't know, and that person taught Gu Shi barrier techniques?

As a quasi-Shinigami born directly in Soul Society and who had never visited the human world before, Kisuke Urahara's "common sense" gained in Soul Society is undoubtedly different from that of living people in the human world, such as his views on "murder".

To some Shinigami, especially those born directly in Soul Society rather than being sent there by Soul Burial, the physical body is merely an outward manifestation of the soul's essence. As long as the soul is not consumed by a Hollow or destroyed by a Quincy's beam, even if a living person's physical body is destroyed, it is only a matter of losing a layer of protection and restraint, achieving a transformation in form.

Although this is also an evil act, compared to the unforgivable crime of "killing a soul," the "murder" that humans in the modern world understand is, in the eyes of this part of the Grim Reaper, more like stealing something that is destined to be discarded in the future, and the degree of evil is completely different.

The Shinigami's duty is to "protect ordinary people," which means protecting the soul, not the body. They never interfere in disputes between people over the destruction of the body, but only ensure the survival of the soul.

Even Asido, in protecting the physical survival of ordinary people, only did his best and did not value the soul as much.

Therefore, as long as Gu Shi's purpose in coming to the mortal world is not to eat people, then everything is fine. Even if Gu Shi damages the bodies of some people while he is active, as long as their souls are unharmed, Urahara Kisuke can convince himself not to care.

"So, Kisuke, what are you doing in the human world? Did you anger Yoruichi and come here to seek refuge?"

Seeing that Kisuke Urahara had relaxed, Gu Shi asked about Urahara's situation with a hint of teasing.

Recalling Yoruichi's displeased expression when he set off, Kisuke Urahara smiled awkwardly and quickly explained his purpose.

"...That's roughly the situation. By the way, this is a letter from my senior. Gu Shi, if you're interested, you can write a reply. If you're not interested, that's fine. I'll explain it to him myself when I get back."

Taking the ridiculously thick envelope, Gu Shi nodded, casually set it aside, and then stared at Urahara Kisuke with great interest.

"I never expected that you, Kisuke, would be troubled by something like this. I thought you had already decided to dedicate your whole life to Soul Society."

After all, when the story of "Bleach" began, everyone already knew about Earth, the universe, and extraterrestrial life. However, Kisuke Urahara in the story still regarded Soul Society as his entire world and showed no intention of "going out to see it".

It seems that if you want to change someone, you really have to seize the opportunity when they are still young. Young people have enough motivation to make changes. Once they get older and more mature, even if they know there is a bigger world outside their comfort zone, they will have long lost the urge to go out.

Perhaps, with a little effort, we can actually bring Kisuke Urahara away too?

Kisuke Urahara smiled somewhat awkwardly. He was born into nobility and was destined to become a Shinigami. Theoretically, he should indeed dedicate his life to the Soul Society. However, he was also somewhat unwilling. After witnessing the vastness of the world, he was really unwilling to be confined to such a small place for hundreds or thousands of years to come.

"Ha, haha, the Soul Society is full of talented people. It shouldn't matter if there are one more or one less ordinary student like me, right?"

In the moment of subconscious defense, Kisuke Urahara suddenly understood his own feelings: he hoped someone could persuade him to choose freedom and a wider world.

Therefore, he did not discuss with Yoruichi, who carried the mission of the Shihouin family and must value Soul Society even more than he did.

Therefore, Aizen only made a slight suggestion, and he readily agreed.

So please don't try to persuade me with grand theories like "This concerns your life, you have to make your own choice"! Give me a reason to be free!

A pleading look gradually appeared in Kisuke Urahara's eyes.

Chapter 167 "Consideration"

Undoubtedly, at this moment, Kisuke Urahara's mind became unstable and he fell into a state of confusion because he had suddenly seen the real world.

If Gu Shi were a decent person, he should have advised Urahara Kisuke to go out for a walk, calm down, and think about the problem on his own after he had calmed down.

Unfortunately, Gu Shi was not a decent person.

"Well, since you asked, Kisuke, I'll give you my answer as a reference."

With a considerate smile, Gu Shi pulled Urahara Kisuke aside, gesturing for him to sit down and talk slowly. Only after he was seated did Gu Shi begin to frankly share his thoughts.

"To be honest, this planet is far too small. No matter what others think, once I have the ability to set foot in the universe, I will definitely leave here and go to find other planets that may have life, to find life that can make me feel novel and happy."

"Furthermore, I started preparing for this long ago. To avoid being too lonely on the journey alone, I have been actively making friends and looking for people to travel with me. Erlang and Tianpeng are the travel companions I have booked. We have already agreed to set off together."

Upon hearing this, Kisuke Urahara's eyes widened, and he was about to question him, but before he could utter a sound, Gu Shi interrupted him even faster.

“I know what you want to ask, why didn’t I invite you, right? Kisuke, you think I’m being unfair, that I don’t consider you a friend, right? If that’s what you think, then I’m going to be sad. Kisuke, we get along very well, and I genuinely consider you a friend, but that’s precisely why I didn’t invite you.”

Under Kisuke Urahara's bewildered gaze, Gu Shi's expression turned serious, and he spoke with righteous indignation, as if he were a true friend who genuinely stood in his friend's shoes and thought about his friend's situation.

“From the first time we met, I could tell, Kisuke, that you are the kind of person who thinks very little about yourself. Of course, I don’t mean that you look down on yourself, but rather that you take your own preferences and happiness very lightly compared to the needs of others and the responsibilities of society.”

“I believe that if I invite you, you will definitely be tempted and yearn for a bigger stage. But no matter how tempted or yearning you are, you can't abandon your responsibilities and give up everything to go to the stars with me. So why should I make you struggle and be conflicted?”

Gu Shi was telling the truth; that was truly what he thought. Therefore, he spoke with confidence and righteous indignation.

Kisuke Urahara closed his eyes with a hint of disappointment, a bitter smile playing on his lips.

[Indeed, I've been completely seen through.]

Gu Shi is right. Even though he is currently filled with impulsiveness and hopes someone can persuade him to let go of his responsibilities and pursue his own life, once he calms down, he will definitely choose to return to Soul Society. Yoruichi still needs his help, and he still needs to create a real research institution for Seireitei. He cannot abandon the responsibilities he chose for himself.

If Gu Shi were a little more mischievous, he would have lied to me a bit at this time. But, isn't it precisely because he's not a bad person that I chose to be friends with him?

With a sigh inwardly, Kisuke Urahara rubbed his face, rallied his spirits, and bowed slightly to Gu Shi earnestly.

"...Thank you, Gu Shi."

"No need to be so polite. We're friends, aren't we? I can't just stand by and watch you make a decision you'll regret in the future."

He patted Kisuke Urahara on the shoulder and continued to comfort him with considerate words.